KUALA LUMPUR: There are no plans to reintroduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for now, the Dewan Rakyat was told. While acknowledging the benefits it brings, the Finance Ministry said the Sales and Services Tax (SST), which is currently being implemented, provides a swifter financial impact for the government. The ministry said the SST would be retained and improved. The ministry added that reintroducing the GST requires a lengthy preparation period of up to two years to allow businesses to update their systems accordingly. The ministry was responding to a question from Datuk Ku Abd Rahman Ku Ismail (PN-Kubang Pasu), who asked whether the government intends to reintroduce the GST, noting that many financial experts viewed it as a more comprehensive taxation system than the SST.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 23): Kelington Group Bhd (KL:KGB) is expected to deliver a strong set of results for its 4QFY2025 ended Dec 31, 2025, underpinned by seasonally higher revenue recognition and sustained margins, according to RHB Investment Bank. The group is scheduled to announce its results on Feb 25. “FY2026 is shaping up to be another illustrious year, anchored by Kelington’s outsized tenderbook and orderbook (RM4.6 billion and RM1.6 billion respectively as at 3QFY25)...,” the house said in a note on Friday. On the tender front, RHB acknowledged concerns over the sustainability of Kelington’s tenderbook but cautioned against placing undue emphasis on headline numbers, noting that the pipeline remains dynamic. Separately, the house also noted that the exercise of Kelington’s remaining in-the-money warrants, set to expire in July, could raise about RM141 million, and potentially providing upside risk to dividends.

KUALA LUMPUR: The “base plan” medical insurance framework will not only make coverage affordable for more people, it will also alleviate concerns over steep premium hikes. The plan aims to encourage people to seek treatment at private hospitals, thus easing pressure on public healthcare facilities, said Bank Negara. However, government hospitals will continue to be the backbone of the public healthcare system. In a closed-door media briefing, Bank Negara gave assurances that the base plan will offer comprehensive coverage for most health conditions. “By channelling patients who can afford it to private care, the plan aims to improve efficiency across the healthcare system,” Bank Negara said.

PUTRAJAYA: The Artificial Intelligence Fact-Checking Assistant (AIFA) service on WhatsApp will be temporarily disrupted due to scheduled system maintenance, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said. In a statement on Friday (Jan 23), it said the service disruption will last for two hours, from 8.00 am to 10.00 am, before operations resume as normal. "During this period, the public can still access verified information and carry out fact checks through the Sebenarnya.my portal, which will operate without disruption,” MCMC said. MCMC also apologised for any inconvenience caused and thanked the public for their understanding.

KUALA LUMPUR: The new insurance "base plan" under the Reset strategy is meant to widen access and complement the universal coverage provided by the government, says Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan. "As the government, we are deeply concerned. If this trend continues unchecked, fewer individuals can afford protection than they do today. Amir Hamzah said this is the core philosophy behind Reset. "We cannot address inflation by looking at insurance in isolation, we must elevate the entire ecosystem.

The Penang government will address public complaints about poor connectivity between the Butter­worth railway station, Penang Sentral and the ferry terminal. The incident caused the temporary closure of a pedestrian walkway linking the railway station and Penang Sentral, causing inconvenience to passengers. “The state has received public feedback, particularly over discomfort and connectivity issues between transport modes,” Zairil was reported saying by state publisher Buletin Mutiara. This follows Transport Minister Anthony Loke’s previous announ­cement of a RM30mil allocation to transform the Butterworth station, ferry terminal and Penang Sentral, into an integrated public transport hub. At Penang Sentral, Zairil said operator Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd had relocated e-hailing pick-up and drop-off points from Level 8 to Levels 2 and 2A to improve passenger flow.

BENTONG: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for an end to prolonged bickering over language issues to create a more competitive and united future for Malaysian children. He said the ability to speak more than one language is an asset in facing global challenges and enhancing the competitiveness of the young generation, without compromising national identity. “We no longer want endless inter-ethnic disputes over language. The allocation is for a six-classroom block for the Integrated Special Education Programme and classrooms for the Integrated Preschool at SJKC Perting. Also present were Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Ham­zah Azizan, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail and Bentong MP Young Syefura Othman.

PETALING JAYA: Women’s singles shuttler K. Letshanaa pulled off the biggest upset of her career after stunning world No. 42 in the world, Letshanaa produced a commanding performance to dispatch the Canadian 21-14, 21-14 in just 36 minutes in the second round at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta on Thursday (Jan 22). 7 Puteri Kusuma of Indonesia 21-17, 19-21, 21-17 in another second round match. Women's doubles: Hsu Ya-ching-Sung Yu-hsuan (Tpe) bt Cheng Su Hui-Tan Zhing Yi w.o; Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah bt Lin Xiao-min-Wang Yu-qiao (Tpe) 21-13, 21-12. Mixed doubles: Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei bt Pakkapon Teeraratsakul-Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Tha) 21-12, 21-18; Guo Xinwa-Chen Fanghui (Chn) bt Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin 21-13, 21-19.

Police arrested one of the suspects on Monday and discovered that he was also linked to an earlier case in Gombak, Selangor. > A micro drama production crew in China and the parents of a baby were criticised for subjecting the infant to prolonged heavy rain just to shoot an episode, reported China Press. An actress in the micro drama series Xing Yun made the startling revelation on Jan 17, accusing the production team of child abuse. It broke the hearts of many netizens and triggered a backlash against the production crew and the infant’s parents. As of press time, the production crew had yet to respond to the allegations.

When contacted, Yew Sin said he initially chose not to respond to the negative remarks sent to him through the inbox of his social media account. Most of them are fairly typical, such as people questioning why we lost,” said Yew Sin. “Honestly, I did not really want to post something like this, but there were simply too many such comments,” said Yew Sin. When you lose money, the feeling is not the same. Yew Sin is currently still considering whether to lodge a police report regarding the threats he received.

JOHOR BARU: Businesses here are gearing up for an influx of shoppers from Singapore ahead of Chinese New Year. They said the number of customers had risen gradually in recent weeks, with a sharper increase in sales expected. Hamper store owner Loo Chok Nan said he began getting Chinese New Year orders from Malaysian and Singaporean buyers about two weeks ago. Loo said he receives an average of 10,000 orders for Chinese New Year every year. “We expect to have a better idea by the end of this month, and hopefully the Visit Johor and Malaysia campaigns could help attract more visitors,” he said.

KOTA KINABALU: A student has handed over a plastic package containing the late Zara Qairina Mahathir’s notes, the Coroner's Court was told on Thursday (Jan 22). Recalled as the eighth witness, former head warden of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Tun Datu Mustapha, Azhari Abd Sagap, 31, said the student surrendered the package to dorm warden Syukriah Fauzi, who then passed it to him before he subsequently handed it to the police. Azhari said the student surrendered the package to Syukriah on the day Zara Qairina died. He added that he never met the student in person but had contacted her to ask when the items were given by Zara Qairina. He said the meeting also discussed matters relating to Zara Qairina, including images from two pages of her diary.

The 58-year-old pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out to him before Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi yesterday. Muhammad Hafizuddeain is accused of four counts under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities 2001. Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin asked the court to impose a RM300,000 bail in two sureties. At a separate Sessions Court, Muhammad Hafizuddeain’s third wife claimed trial to four counts of receiving proceeds from illegal activities, amounting to RM77,000. She faces a maximum 15 years in prison and a fine of no less than five times the amount of illegal proceeds, or RM5mil, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

The complaint, filed Thursday, accuses the bank of trade libel and breach of implied covenant of good faith. JPMorgan closed accounts for Trump and his businesses about seven weeks after the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the US Capitol by his supporters. The lawsuit was brought by Trump and several Trump business entities. Beyond closing accounts, JPMorgan placed Trump, the Trump Organization and family members on a “blacklist” for wealth management accounts, according to the complaint. Trump’s complaint was filed by Alejandro Brito, an attorney in Coral Gables, Florida, who also filed the lawsuit against Capital One.

Leissner filed his pardon application to the US Justice Department last year, according to a notice on the DOJ website. Leissner, Goldman’s former Southeast Asia chairman, pleaded guilty in 2018 to engaging in a scheme to embezzle US$4.5 billion from Malaysian fund 1MDB. Goldman also sued Leissner, saying in a letter to the court it is trying to recoup at least US$20.7 million it paid Leissner while he was working on 1MDB transactions. Jho LowThe 1MDB fraud toppled the Malaysian government and led to investigations in six countries. In December, the Malaysian government announced it was seeking Leissner’s extradition for crimes related to the 1MDB fraud.