PETALING JAYA: Doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi’s next main goal for Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik is to help them become world champions again. To achieve that, Herry plans to teach the 2022 world champions the art of staying calm in tense moments that could determine the outcome of a close duel. "Aaron-Wooi Yik played well and unfortunately luck was also not on their side to win the All-England title. "I was not able to help them get the All-England title but I want them to win the world title next.”The World Championships is in New Delhi from Aug 17-23. Before that, they will be out to defend their title at the Asian Championships in Ningbo, China, from April 7-12.

BUKIT MERTAJAM: Police have arrested another man for allegedly threatening independent preacher Zamri Vinoth. Penang police chief Datuk Azizee Ismail said the suspect, in his 20s, was detained here on Monday (March 9) night. "The man has been remanded for one day under Sections 506 and 427 of the Penal Code," he said on Monday. On Sunday (March 8), police arrested a man in his 20s after they received a report from Zamri at the Seberang Perai Tengah police headquarters. Zamri previously uploaded a 19-second video on Facebook showing two men on a motorcycle approaching his vehicle followed by several more men.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia stands ready to support any credible effort toward a negotiated cessation of hostilities amid the escalating conflict in West Asia and the Gulf, says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar said Malaysia backs diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions and restore peace in the region, stressing that dialogue must remain open despite rising hostilities. However, Anwar warned that the situation remains deeply alarming as several countries in the region continue to come under attack. He said nations including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have faced repeated strikes, while violence has also spread to Azerbaijan, Jordan and Türkiye. Anwar urged the international community to act swiftly and responsibly to prevent the situation from spiralling further out of control.

MELAKA (March 9): Melaka has recorded its highest investment in 22 years, registering RM14.68 billion in approved investments involving 312 projects throughout 2025. “The stability of the state government’s administration is a key factor that convinces investors to continue maintaining and expanding their operations in the state. Earlier, he officiated the Melaka state government administration assembly and the Ihya Ramadan celebration for Melaka civil servants at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) in Ayer Keroh. “The initiative enables investors to obtain skilled workers who meet industry requirements, thereby supporting sustainable economic growth in the state. “I hope all these approved projects will create and generate employment opportunities for 4,000 people, particularly Melaka residents,” he said.

JERUSALEM/CAIRO (March 9): Talks to advance President Donald Trump's plan to end the Gaza war have been on hold since last week when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran, sparking a broader Middle East war, three sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations said. Trump's Gaza plan has hinged in part on whether Hamas militants would lay down their arms in exchange for amnesty, a step intended to pave the way for reconstruction and further Israeli military withdrawals. A Hamas official confirmed that talks on Trump's Gaza plan had been frozen for now, but declined to elaborate. Foreign diplomats posted there said momentum behind the plan appeared to stall as the Iran war escalated. The diplomats said senior US officials now appear focused on the Iran war, leaving Gaza with limited top-level attention.

MELAKA: With the court case now behind him, Manipal University College Malaysia (MUCM) vice-chancellor Prof Dr G. Jayakumar says he is moving forward with renewed resolve to strengthen the institution and continue placing students at the heart of its mission. "My focus now is on bringing MUCM to greater heights and remaining steadfast in executing the university’s development agenda,” he said. In January, Prof Dr Jayakumar claimed trial to a charge of deceiving the institution’s former vice-chancellor over the appointment of a chief consultant involving a RM20,000 payment. Prof Dr Jayakumar also expressed appreciation to MUCM for allowing him to continue discharging his duties as vice-chancellor while the case was ongoing. MUCM is a private higher education institution offering a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, particularly in healthcare-related disciplines.

KUALA LUMPUR: Royal Professor Tan Sri Dr Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas was laid to rest at Bukit Kiara Muslim cemetery, near here, on Monday (March 9). The hearse carrying the 94-year-old scholar and contemporary Islamic civilisation thinker arrived at the cemetery at noon, and the burial was completed half an hour later. The prayer was led by the scholar’s son, Datuk Dr Syed Ali Tawfik Al-Attas. Syed Muhammad Naquib, founder and former director of the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC), passed away at 6.47pm on Sunday (March 8) evening. Royal Professor is the highest and most esteemed professorship in Malaysia, bestowed by the King.

Riders will see a new on-demand booking option called “Women Drivers” alongside the existing UberX, Comfort, UberXL and Black offerings. Uber already offers a woman-matching option to riders in six other countries, including Germany and France. Rival Lyft Inc made a similar feature for women and non-binary riders and drivers available nationwide in 2024. While one in five Uber drivers in the US are women, there is no guarantee of a match because the gender ratio among drivers varies widely. Users can always opt for another ride with a faster pickup or reserve a trip with a female driver in advance, the company said.

(March 9): The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Iran in Turkish airspace on Monday, the Defence Ministry said, raising the risk that the military alliance could be drawn more directly into the conflict in the Middle East. It follows a similar interception on March 4, after which Nato said it strengthened its missile defences in the region. “A ballistic munition fired from Iran that entered Turkish airspace has been neutralised by Nato air and missile defense assets deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean,” the ministry said in a statement, hinting that the missile was intercepted by US naval forces in the area. After the first attempted attack against Türkiye, it also warned Tehran against actions that could expand the conflict further. At the time, Tehran said that the early-warning radar system in Kurecik was designed to help protect Israel against Iranian missile threats.

“The message came with a template very similar to the one used by a delivery company I often use. “However, it included a QR code and asked me to make the payment immediately,” he said when contacted yesterday. “The WhatsApp message said I needed to make the payment immediately because the rider still had other deliveries to complete. Zul Ariffin Mohd Sani shared a similar experience when he received a message on WhatsApp claiming to be from a popular courier company. The safest response when unsure or receiving such a ­notification is to reject the parcel or refuse payment, added Ram.

SINGAPORE (March 9): Singapore's DBS Group said the bank paid CEO Tan Su Shan S$9.64 million (US$7.5 million or RM29.7 million) in total remuneration last year, comprising a salary of S$975,250, cash bonus of S$3.69 million, a deferred award of S$4.92 million and other benefits of S$68,694. The package covered Tan's time as CEO from March 28, 2025 and as deputy CEO from Jan 1 to March 27, 2025, Singapore's biggest bank by assets said in its annual report released on Monday. Her predecessor Piyush Gupta received S$17.6 million for 2024, his final full year as CEO when the bank reported record annual net profit.

BEIJING: China’s Guangdong province is looking to deepen economic cooperation with South-East Asian countries, including Malaysia, through closer industrial integration, expanded market channels and increased two-way investments. Zeng said Guangdong is ready to share technologies such as smart logistics, industrial robotics and artificial intelligence-driven manufacturing solutions to support industrial upgrading in South-East Asian economies. He said the province is also looking to expand cooperation in distribution and market access by connecting Guangdong enterprises with South-East Asian eCommerce platforms, wholesalers, retailers and manufacturers. “Guangdong also welcomes companies from South-East Asia, including Malaysia, to invest and develop businesses in the province. We are willing to open up our innovation and market resources to partners from the region,” he said.

Asia Equity Research Sdn Bhd said the offer price of the company’s selective capital reduction and repayment (SCR) of RM6.15 per share is below the estimated fair value of the company’s shares. As at the latest practicable date, DKSH Resources and parties acting in concert collectively own about 74.36% in DKSH Malaysia. Pangolin, through its long-term value fund Pangolin Asia Fund, holds 2.71% of DKSH Malaysia, representing 10.55% of the 40.5 million shares held by minorities. The adviser estimated the fair value of the shares at RM7.31 each, meaning the SCR price represents a discount of RM1.16 or about 15.87% based on sum-of-parts valuation analysis. As a secondary valuation benchmark, the offer price is also below the company’s net asset value of RM7.06 per share, implying a discount of about 12.89%.

KUALA LUMPUR (March 9): Velesto Energy Bhd (KL:VELESTO) is establishing a sukuk wakalah programme with a combined aggregate limit of up to RM1 billion to provide the group with funding flexibility for investments, capital expenditure, working capital and refinancing activities. Proceeds raised from the sukuk may be used for shariah-compliant purposes including investments, capital expenditure, working capital requirements and the refinancing of existing Islamic financing or conventional borrowings. The funds may also be used to refinance future financing or sukuk issued under the programme, as well as to cover related fees, costs and expenses. RAM Rating Services Bhd has assigned the programme a short-term rating of P1(s) and a long-term rating of AA2(s), both with a stable outlook. Maybank Investment Bank Bhd is the principal adviser, lead arranger and lead manager for the programme, while Maybank Islamic Bhd has been appointed as the shariah adviser.

Amir Hamzah meets with Thai DPM to discuss economyKUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Finance Minister II and Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister have met in Bangkok to discuss current economic developments and strengthen cooperation between the two nations. The bilateral meeting took place at Thailand’s Finance Ministry on Friday, Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan (pic) said in a post on X. He added that the meeting with Dr Ekniti Nitithanprapas also ­provided an opportunity for the neighbouring nations to exchange views on economic developments. Amir Hamzah said the discussions helped further strengthen relations and economic cooperation between Malaysia and Thailand. Both countries have set a target to increase bilateral trade to US$30bil (about RM118.2bil) by 2027, with key areas of focus including cross-border trade, the halal industry and rubber.