HOUSTON: Oil prices closed 0.5% higher on Wednesday on optimism around tighter supply after a temporary shutdown at two large fields in Kazakhstan and as low volume of Venezuelan oil exports highlighted slow progress in reversing output cuts in the South American country. Reuters reported on Wednesday that the operator of the Tengiz oilfield, TCO, has declared force majeure on crude oil deliveries into the CPC pipeline system, citing a TCO letter. US crude oil and gasoline stockpiles were expected to have risen by about 1.7 million barrels last week, while distillate inventories likely fell, a preliminary Reuters poll showed on Tuesday. The International Energy Agency also revised its 2026 global oil demand growth forecasts higher on Wednesday in its latest monthly oil market report, suggesting a slightly narrower surplus for the market this year. The increased geopolitical tensions, which add pressure to the oil markets as tariffs could slow economic growth, prompted risk-off sentiment, said Giovanni Staunovo, an analyst at UBS.

KOTA KINABALU: MIC is still part of Barisan Nasional, says Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir. The Barisan secretary-general dismissed reports that MIC had left the coalition, saying that, as far as Barisan was concerned, MIC was still a member of the coalition. He was speaking after a supreme council meeting where the Malaysian People's Progressive Party (PPP) was officially readmitted into the coalition on Wednesday (Jan 21) evening. On MIC's absence at the supreme council meeting, Zambry said that the meeting was called at short notice, and many could not make it. Others at the meeting were Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president Datuk Arthur Jospeh Kurup and MCA deputy president Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon, as well as PPP president Datuk Dr Loga Bala Mohan.

PETALING JAYA: The implementation of diagnostic tests for Year One at age six will be announced soon to ensure children are ready for this, says Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek. “Details of how the diagnostic test will be conducted, including the locations, will be shared later,” she said. On infrastructure, Fadhlina said the diagnostic tests would provide data on the number of students enrolling earlier, which will help with preparations. The minister also said the diagnostic data on enrolment will help the ministry determine the number and placement of teachers. Fadhlina said that preparations are still ongoing, including infrastructure, teacher readiness and the diagnostic tests, which give parents the space to make informed decisions.

"We have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st." Wall Street benchmarks had been trading in positive territory at the time of the announcement, but soared in its wake as investors cheered the aversion of a potential new tariff war over the future of Greenland. Before the mid-afternoon Greenland announcement, Wall Street had been broadly positive, as investors responded to Tuesday's bruising selloff. Kraft Heinz fell 5.7% after a regulatory filing showed Berkshire Hathaway may shed its 27.5% stake in the consumer company.

JOHOR BARU: Three immigration officers and a restaurant owner were charged for receiving bribes related to carrying out counter-setting activities between 2023 and 2025. Day in court: Hairiziam (left) and Haslan being escorted by MACC officers after proceedings at the Johor Baru Sessions Court. The offence was allegedly committed at the Pasir Gudang Immigration Office at about 7pm on Aug 28, 2024. He was said to have committed the offences at a toilet near the immigration counter at the Pasir Gudang Ferry Terminal between April and August 2023. For the offences of receiving bribes, the accused were charged under Section 16(a)(B) and Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s community-based tourism (CoBT) will be a key feature of the Sail Malaysia Passage to the East Yacht Rally 2026, reflecting growing interest internationally. Meanwhile, Joniston welcomed Sail Malaysia’s focus on CoBT, noting that it aligns with the state government’s efforts to strengthen rural and community-driven tourism while ensuring benefits reach local communities. He added that the CoBT emphasis complements Sabah’s broader tourism promotion under the Explore Sabah narrative in conjunction with Visit Malaysia 2026. Joniston encouraged Sail Malaysia to work closely with STB to identify suitable CoBT locations and develop targeted promotional efforts to highlight Sabah’s community tourism offerings. He also welcomed efforts to introduce new docking points and advised Sail Malaysia to identify potential safe harbours for further consideration by the relevant authorities.

Its secretary, Yeoh Chin Kah (pic), said starting a new system without first resolving existing issues would only add to the strain on the education sector. Yeoh also urged the government to reconsider the Year Four assessment introduced this year, describing it as an impulsive approach to education reform and unfair to primary school pupils. The government should give schools, teachers and parents sufficient transition time and clear explanations,” he said. He added that the blueprint had also failed to explain how curriculum content and teaching depth would be enhanced to genuinely raise national education standards to match those of developed countries. It was earlier reported that children in Malaysia will begin preschool at the age of five and enter Year One at six starting in 2027.

The High Court had held them liable for negligence and ordered them to pay RM194,170 in damages to the family of the deceased, M. Thinagaran. "In this case, evidence showed that the deceased did not exhibit suicidal tendencies, was medically assessed and appeared normal and stable during regular monitoring. The High Court only allowed the negligence claim, finding insufficient evidence to support the remaining allegations. The judge awarded damages of RM172,800 for loss of earnings, RM6,370 as special damages, RM5,000 for funeral expenses, and RM10,000 for bereavement. At the Court of Appeal Wednesday, Senior Federal Counsel Liew Horng Bin and Siti Syakimah Ibrahim appeared for the appellants while lawyers M. Manoharan and P.Subramaniam represented the family of the deceased.

SHAH ALAM: Six individuals, including a company owner were remanded for four days to assist investigations into an alleged bribery case involving payments to a civil servant in exchange for not taking legal action against several premises. “The alleged offences are believed to have been committed between February and November last year. “The suspects are suspected of giving cash bribes ranging from RM2,000 to RM50,000,” the source said. The bribes were allegedly offered as inducement for a civil servant to refrain from taking enforcement action against the premises for offences under the Environmental Quality Act 1974. Following the arrests, the source added that the MACC also carried out searches at the suspects’ factories and homes around the Klang Valley and Nilai, Negri Sembilan.

JOHOR BARU: Three grade KP2 immigration officers and a restaurant owner were charged at the Sessions Court here for receiving bribes related to counter-setting issues between two and three years ago. The offences were allegedly committed at a bank in Simpang Renggam, Kluang, between July 16, 2024, and Feb 24 last year. The offence was allegedly committed at the Pasir Gudang Immigration Office at about 7pm on Aug 28, 2024. He allegedly committed the crime at a toilet near the immigration counter at the Pasir Gudang Ferry Terminal between April and August 2023. The offence was allegedly committed at a restaurant in Muar in Nov 2024.

Fahmi said further clarification on the matter will be provided during the Minister's Question Time (MQT) session in Parliament Thursday (Jan 22). Meanwhile, Fahmi said current MCMC data showed that takedown requests involving content on X stood at about 50% as of Wednesday, which he described as a moderate figure. Fahmi said he has also instructed his team to establish closer cooperation channels with X to ensure a safer Internet environment, particularly for children and families. On Jan 11, MCMC imposed a temporary restriction on access to Grok for users in Malaysia following repeated misuse of the AI to generate pornographic and sexually explicit content. Following the move, Fahmi was reported as saying that MCMC was reviewing possible legal action against X over its AI application Grok's failure to comply with Malaysian online safety laws.

PETALING JAYA: Shin Yang Group Bhd has entered into a sale and purchase agreement with DESB Marine Services Sdn Bhd for the construction, build and sale of a 91M maintenance / work vessel worth RM117.7mil. In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, Shin Yang, which is primarily involved in shipping loose bulk and container cargoes, said the delivery date of the vessel shall be between Jan 2, 2028 to Jan 10, 2028. “The purchase consideration was arrived at on a willing buyer-willing seller basis taking into account the vessel’s specifications, construction costs and prevailing market rates and conditions.”Shin Yang said risk factors affecting the agreement include execution risks such as availability of materials, changes in prices of materials, availability of skilled manpower, changes in economic and regulatory conditions. “The company ensures strict compliance with all relevant conditions and procedures in the performance of its obligations under the agreement.”DESB Marine Services is principally engaged in the provision of marine vessel chartering services.

KUALA LUMPUR: Two deputy ministers were told off by Deputy Speaker Datuk Ramli Mohd Nor for having a chat while the Parliament session was ongoing. It started when Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail was giving his answer regarding a question on the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS). During that time, Ramli saw two deputy ministers, including Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu, talking in the House. "To the deputy minister and the deputy housing and local government minister, are you having a meeting too in this House? The ongoing Parliament session, which began on Monday (Jan 19) will take place until March 3.

Now her snap election seeking a mandate for debt-fuelled growth and tax cuts has triggered bond market tumult. With her political platform on the line, she can't drop her spending pitch to voters now. And as with Truss, it's an entirely self-made trap. That would increase the cost of funding for the government and could force a quicker showdown between Takaichi and central bank governor Kazuo Ueda. With all this on the docket, expect more market ructions in the run-up to elections, and possibly after.

KOTA KINABALU (Jan 22): Former principal of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Tun Datu Mustapha, Shaharom Hashim, 51, told the Coroner’s Court on Wednesday that she was unaware of written statements from five students concerning the death of Zara Qairina Mahathir. The 47th witness, who was recalled to testify, said she only learned about the five students’ written statements after they were handed over to the police. “I was only made aware of the students’ witness statements on July 16 and 17 after they were handed over to the police,” she told the court when questioned by deputy public prosecutor Mohd Fairuz Johari before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan here. Asked by the coroner if any minister or deputy minister had visited the school after the incident, Shaharom said that, to her knowledge, there had been none. On Aug 8, the Attorney General’s Chambers ordered her remains to be exhumed for a post-mortem before announcing an inquest into her death on Aug 13.