KUALA LUMPUR: The ongoing review of the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) with the United States will focus on protecting the Malaysian people’s best interests, security, and economic security, says the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry. The Ministry said this would include safeguarding Malaysia’s economic interests and ensuring the continuity of trade with the United States, one of our biggest trading partners. The Ministry said that the assessment would also focus on preserving Malaysia’s neutral standing on the world stage. The Ministry was responding to a question from Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (BN-Ayer Hitam) on the current state of the ART review and whether the Government will look to renegotiate any terms found to be unfair for Malaysia. The Ministry was also responding to similar questions from Datuk Ku Abd Rahman Ku Ismail (PN-Kubang Pasu) and Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PN–Pasir Mas) on the status of the ART review.

AN MP has questioned whether Indian leaders who support the opposition coalition, Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat, collectively accept the Rumah Ibadat Haram label, Makkal Osai reported. Jelutong MP RSN Rayer was referring to a speech by Pasir Mas MP Ahmad Fadhli Shaari in Parliament when he used the term described as “insulting” by many. The Malaysian Advancement Party, the Malaysian Indian People Party and the United for the Rights of Malaysians Party, which are in the opposition alliance, should clarify their stance, rather than pretending not to hear it, he said. Temples being built on empty lots without approval, owners or authorities threatening eviction, the community responding with emotions and the government eventually giving alternative land has become common, Rayer said, urging the government to make clear what is being done to resolve the issue.

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysians can look forward to 24-hour Electric Train Service (ETS) train services during peak festive periods, starting this Chinese New Year, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke. “During festive periods, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) usually kept spare sets as a precaution in case of breakdowns, so not all sets were deployed. “However, I have instructed KTMB that we must optimise our existing sets. He added that during festive and other public holidays, services will be increased when demand is high. “Ultimately, what we want is to increase capacity and frequency, optimise our assets, and allow more people to benefit by securing ETS tickets.”Meanwhile, the government was also providing subsidies for one-way domestic flight tickets on routes between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan.

PETALING JAYA: Vigilance over health screenings at border entry points in Malaysia has been upped with the outbreak of the Nipah virus in India. First discovered in Kampung Sungai Nipah, Negri Sembilan, in 1998, the Nipah virus (Henipavirus nipahense) is a bat-borne virus that can cause infections in both humans and other animals, with high mortality rates (starting from 40%). In a statement yesterday, the Health Ministry (MOH) has given its assurance that border health control measures are constantly kept, following the Indian cases. “Any public health measures will be decided based on confirmed information and careful risk assessment, in line with national policies,” it said. The MOH also emphasised that public health preparedness at points of entry, including international airports, seaports and land border crossings, remains in accordance with established protocols.

(Jan 28): Thailand’s largest construction company, which is under investigation for its role in two deadly accidents, won investor approval to restructure its outstanding bonds. Italian-Thai Development pcl received bondholders’ consent to extend the maturity of five notes totalling 14.5 billion baht (RM1.83 billion) by three years, the company said in an exchange filing Wednesday (Jan 28). Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he wants the government to terminate Italian-Thai’s contracts for the projects where the crane accidents occurred. Italian-Thai, founded in 1958 by Chaijudh Karnasuta, a Thai national, and Italian Giorgio Berlingieri, has pushed back on such statements. A sustained sell-off in Italian-Thai’s stock has seen the firm’s market value shrink to about one billion baht from 12 billion baht in 2021.

Data centre projects typically have shorter tender and award cycles and relatively low competitive intensity, with only three to four recurring competitors bidding alongside ISF, the company noted. ISF is primarily involved in the supply and installation of piping systems for end-user premises, as well as water supply and sewer infrastructure piping. The group is also expanding into turnkey data centre water systems, such as water treatment plants, which increase its addressable revenue per project beyond standard piping works. Meanwhile, ISF maintains a tender book of about RM460 million, with roughly 60% concentrated in higher-growth and higher-margin data centre and industrial segments. At the latest price, ISF is valued at about 49.48 times earnings based on FY2024 net profit of RM9.64 million, on revenue of RM54.67 million.

“December quarter inflation had the casting vote and voted ‘Yes, hike’,” said Westpac chief economist Luci Ellis, previously a senior RBA official. Westpac’s call followed a similar change by ANZ Bank which also sees a quarter-point RBA hike on Feb 3 to take the cash rate to 3.85%. The RBA, which last cut in August, now faces the prospect of switching to a rate hike much earlier than anticipated. “If inflation remains uncomfortably high in coming quarters, the board will act again,” Westpac’s Ellis said. “Australia’s fourth-quarter inflation reading is hotter than expected, but not hot enough to push the RBA to reverse course on its easing cycle and hike the cash rate at the February meeting.

Will the Road Transport Department really stop issuing physical road tax stickers next month? Verdict:TRUEThe Road Transport Department will stop issuing physical road tax slips for Motor Vehicle Licences starting Feb 1, said Pos Malaysia in a post on its Facebook page. Some motorists have welcomed the shift, particularly those who found physical stickers inconvenient due to wear and peeling over time. For those users, Pos Malaysia said requests for physical road tax stickers can still be made at its offices until the end of January 2026. Once the deadline passes, the option to print or issue physical road tax slips will no longer be available across all JPJ service channels, including MyEG and Puspakom.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 28): Sabah’s abundant natural resources, rich biodiversity and strategic location will be leveraged with modern infrastructure, green technology and new economic drivers under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), Deputy Economy Minister Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah said. Sabah has been identified as a high-potential blue economy hub, he added. “The establishment of special economic zones, including food production zones, will be explored based on the potential of specific areas,” he told the Dewan Rakyat during question time on Wednesday. Key projects include the Sabah Heart Centre, the Kalabakan-Simanggaris Road, Phase 1B of the Sabah Pan Borneo Highway, and the Sabah Water Project. Approved investments in Sabah totalled RM11.91 billion from January to September 2025, comprising RM5.29 billion in domestic investment and RM6.62 billion in foreign investment.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 28): Suntrack Development Sdn Bhd has announced the launch of Suntrack Hub 2, a new industrial development in Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi with a gross development value (GDV) of RM318 million. “Suntrack Hub 2 is designed specifically for business owners who view their factory as a critical tool for growth rather than just a physical space. Suntrack Development Sdn Bhd CEO James Tan. Situated within the Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi industrial corridor, the site is approximately 10km from the Bandar Serenia toll of the Elite Highway. The project will be managed as a guarded industrial park, overseen by a Factory Owners’ Association to ensure long-term upkeep.

ANZ is making the move to the Marina One complex because its existing lease at Ocean Financial Centre is set to expire soon, according to a separate memo viewed by Bloomberg News. Marina One and Ocean Financial Centre are both located in the city centre, with the former boasting two office towers held in a joint venture by Singapore and Malaysia state investors Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd and Khazanah Nasional Bhd. Ocean Financial Centre is majority-owned by Keppel REIT, while Mapletree Business City is owned by another Singapore-listed real estate investment trust, Mapletree Pan Asia Commercial Trust. ANZ joins Bank of New York Mellon Corp which is moving to Marina One from its current location in Millenia Tower. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc and Macquarie Group Ltd are among the other banks with offices already at the development.

“This Ipoh kavadi is special because it has two layers. Dineskumaran said the kavadi, weighing about 40kg, features a statue of Lord Murugan and is adorned with peacock feather arrangements and lighting effects. “I advised him not to take something too heavy but he said he wanted to do it for Lord Murugan,” he added. “This kavadi features statue of Lord Murugan on one side and the statue of Lord Muniswaran on the other side. “It is slightly lighter at about 30kg compared to the Ipoh kavadi, although standing at the same height,” he said, adding that some 300 peacock feathers were used for this particular kavadi.

(Jan 28): Indonesian stocks tumbled after MSCI Inc raised concerns about their investability and warned of a potential downgrade to frontier-market status. If Indonesia fails to make sufficient progress on transparency by May, MSCI will reassess the country’s market accessibility — a move that could reduce the weighting for Indonesian companies in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index and potentially trigger a downgrade to frontier-market status. The decision follows MSCI’s proposal to tighten the definition of free float — the number of shares available for trading and a key determinant of a stock’s weighting in benchmarks — for Indonesian securities. Global investors sold a net US$192 million (RM753.31 million) worth of local stocks in the week ended Jan 23, marking their first outflow in 16 weeks. Markets were rattled earlier by the dismissal of long-serving Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati last year and Prabowo’s growing sway over the central bank.

JOHOR BARU:A total of 18 vehicles were damaged after a bushfire spread to a parking area next to a mosque in Taman Bukit Mewah here. The Johor Fire and Rescue Department said it received an emergency call at 1.32pm on Tuesday (Jan 27) regarding the incident. A team from the Larkin fire and rescue station was dispatched and arrived at the scene at 1.45pm, about 12km away. Operation commander Nakish Nekmat said the blaze involved an estimated 0.37ha of bushland and had already spread to several parked vehicles before firefighters arrived. Nakish said a total of nine firefighters with two vehicles, one Fire Rescue Tender (FRT) and one Emergency Medical Rescue Service (EMRS), were involved in the operation.

PETALING JAYA: With less than four weeks to go before the All-England begins, men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik are eager to erase a painful memory at the prestigious event. The two-time runners up at the world’s oldest badminton tournament suffered an early exit last year when they were knocked out in the first round despite being among the tournament favourites. However, they are also fully aware that competition in the men’s doubles is fiercer than ever, as no opponents can be taken lightly, even in the opening round. “The chance to win is definitely there because the men’s doubles field is very open now. It is not easy to set targets or ensure consistent performances in Europe because we need time to adapt,” said Aaron.