PETALING JAYA: IJM Corporation Berhad has dismissed reports suggesting it is linked to an investigation by the United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO), describing such claims as inaccurate. In a statement on Tuesday (Jan 20), the company said neither IJM nor its UK associates are aware of any SFO investigation, adding that it has not been approached by the agency. “Other IJM personnel who have been requested to provide information are also cooperating fully as part of the process,” the statement said. IJM also refuted allegations of money laundering, stressing that since 2012, its UK investments have been funded primarily through facilities from Malaysian financial institutions and channelled to relevant project special-purpose vehicles in the UK. Reiterating its commitment to strong corporate governance, transparency and integrity, IJM said business operations continue as usual.

BARCELONA (Jan 20): A commuter train derailed on Tuesday after a containment wall fell on the track due to heavy rain near the Spanish city of Barcelona, killing the driver and seriously injuring four passengers, a fire brigade official said. The accident occurred just two days after a high-speed train collision and derailment near Adamuz in the southern Córdoba province that killed 42 people. Twenty ambulances were dispatched to the site in Gelida on the outskirts of Barcelona along with 38 firefighter units, emergency services authorities said. The suburban train derailment occurred in an area long plagued by underfunded rail services and frequent incidents. In a separate incident on Tuesday night, traffic between Blanes and Maçanet-Massanes south of the city of Girona — also part of the Barcelona commuter rail network — was interrupted "due to a train axle coming off the track", Spanish rail operator Adif said in a statement on X.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 21): Children entering Year One early at the age of six (5+), starting from the 2027 session, are expected to complete upper secondary education at 16, according to the Ministry of Education (MOE). “Pupils will undergo five years of secondary education and complete upper secondary education at the age of 16 (15+),” according to the document prepared by the MOE’s Education Policy Planning and Research Division. However, the MOE stressed that early admission is a voluntary option for parents and is not compulsory, and depends entirely on the readiness of children who have attended preschool at the age of five and passed the prescribed diagnostic screening. In terms of infrastructure preparedness, the ministry plans to construct additional classrooms using the Industrialised Building System (IBS) method to meet pupils’ needs nationwide. The early entry policy is part of the flexibility of the national education system to provide opportunities for children who achieve academic readiness earlier to begin formal schooling before the usual age of seven.

(Jan 21): Rio Tinto Group’s copper production climbed 5% in the fourth quarter thanks to the expansion of underground operations at Oyu Tolgoi in Mongolia, while its core Pilbara iron ore mines hit a record in the last three months of the year. Rio has until Feb 5 to announce a firm intention to bid or walk away. Rio’s Australian-listed shares climbed on the numbers, trading up as much as 2.47% in late morning trading in Sydney. Among Rio’s other commodities, aluminum production was 2% higher, while lithium output achieved a record thanks to Argentina. “Implementation of our stronger, sharper, simpler way of working continues, and is delivering results and creating value,” Trott said in a statement on Wednesday.

NEW YORK: All three major Wall Street indices ended Tuesday with their biggest one-day drops in three months, in a broad selloff triggered by concerns that fresh tariff threats from President Donald Trump against Europe could signal renewed market volatility. The S&P 500 lost 143.15 points, or 2.06%, to end at 6,796.86 points, while the Nasdaq Composite gave up 561.07 points, or 2.39%, to 22,954.32. The tariffs would increase to 25% on June 1 and continue until a deal was reached for the US to purchase Greenland, Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. The CBOE Volatility Index, also known as Wall Street's fear gauge, spiked to 20.09 points, its highest close since November 24. Earnings season is also kicking into higher gear, with several industry bellwethers set to report their quarterly earnings this week.

NIBONG TEBAL: Police have arrested two men to assist in investigations into the fatal shooting of a man believed to be the owner of a car wash in front of the premises along Jalan Besar Permatang Keling here last Saturday (Jan 16). Penang police chief Datuk Azizee Ismail said the two suspects, both in their 30s, were arrested separately in the state. “The two men have been remanded until Jan 24 and Jan 25 respectively to assist investigations under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder,” he said when contacted on Tuesday (Jan 20). Earlier reports stated that the victim, a local man in his 30s, sustained serious injuries and was rushed to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead while receiving treatment. Initial investigations revealed that the victim was shot several times by an unknown assailant.

Yet inevitability is not strategy, and Asia’s economic rise has not produced commensurate strategic autonomy. Nowhere is this clearer than in Asean’s strategic predicament. Consequentially, Asean is increasingly urged to anchor itself more firmly in BRICS, or, alternatively, to revive the logic of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). The contemporary international system increasingly resembles the one that gave rise to the NAM: weaponised finance, sanctions as diplomacy, fractured trade regimes and information warfare. Asean’s strategic value lies in being indispensable, not aligned.

PETALING JAYA: A five-year-old boy has died after choking on a rambutan seed at a house in Kemaman, Terengganu on Monday (Jan 19). Kemaman OCPD Superintendent Mohd Razi Rosli said the incident occurred at 1.30pm, at a house in Felda Neram 1. “The victim's sister had peeled the rambutan fruit before giving it to the victim and they ate it together. "While eating, the victim's voice suddenly became hoarse, believed to be due to the rambutan seed he had eaten getting stuck in his throat," he quoted as saying to Sinar Harian on Tuesday (Jan 20). "The autopsy results found that the cause of death was confirmed to be due to choking and the doctor also confirmed that there was a rambutan seed in the victim's throat," he said.

DESPITE recent economic figures indicating positive growth, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin questioned whether they truly translated into improvements in the lives of ordinary Malaysians. He claimed that many are struggling with the rising cost of living, with salaries barely able to last the entire month. Hamzah also noted that while the official unemployment rate stands at 3.1%, he claimed that in reality, nearly two million Malaysians are currently underemployed. Hamzah recounted his recent visit to a village in Sembulan, Sabah, where many of the residents were living in impoverished conditions. “Foreign investors don’t make emotional decisions.

DEWAN Rakyat Deputy Speaker Alice Lau had to stamp her authority in the House to quell a heated shouting match linked to the whereabouts of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s son-in-law. The incident was triggered when Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka) asked about the whereabouts of Muhyiddin’s son-in-law, fugitive businessman Datuk Seri Muhammad Adlan Berhan, who is wanted by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for alleged criminal breach of trust. He raised the matter when debating the royal address, questioning whether Muh­yi­d­din’s recent overseas trip, which included a stopover, was related to a meeting with his son-in-law. This drew flak from the opposition bench, who accused Khoo of making baseless accusations, with several MPs demanding a retraction from the backbencher. Khoo responded, saying that he had merely asked Muhyiddin to inform the MACC if he knew of Muhammad Adlan’s whereabouts.

KUALA LUMPUR: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, has granted an audience to Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) chairman Tan Sri Dr Ismail Bakar at Istana Negara on Tuesday (Jan 20). He also highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen governance, integrity and the effectiveness of enforcement systems in the public sector. He also proposed that findings and recommendations arising from investigations referred by the Ombudsman be utilised by disciplinary authorities for further action. Through this role, EAIC is actively formulating improvement measures related to complaint mechanisms, investigations, disciplinary action and accountability among enforcement agencies, in keeping with the broader agenda to strengthen public sector integrity. EAIC expressed confidence that closer cooperation between oversight bodies such as Ombudsman Malaysia and enforcement agencies would help build a stronger governance ecosystem, enhance public confidence and support the government’s continued efforts to improve Malaysia’s CPI score.

KUALA LUMPUR: The disbursement of Phase 1 of the 2026 Rahmah Cash Aid (STR) to five million recipients has begun. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the payment, which started yesterday, would cover 3.7 million households and 1.3 million elderly individuals without spouses, with each recipient getting between RM100 and RM500, depending on eligibility. He said STR was intended as quarterly financial aid to provide relief during peak periods such as festive seasons, while Sara offers stable monthly support for essential living expenses. “I hope this aid will be fully utilised by the recipients,” he added, Bernama reported. Anwar emphasised that the government is committed to ensuring that every citizen lives with dignity, with no one left behind amid the rising cost of living.

KUALA LUMPUR: Newly ­appointed Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Steven Sim has outlined his ABCD pillars to strengthen the competitiveness of local ­businesses. Sim said A would be on increasing business productivity, especially for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), by improving worker skills, addressing labour needs, and using technology like automation and digitalisation. Pillar B is to simplify procedures, speed up approvals and promote online systems to reduce bureaucratic barriers to business growth, he said. As for pillar C, he explained that this is to ensure local businesses can access capital to seize investment opportunities and meet international demand, especially in challenging global economic conditions. “I’m confident that the consistent implementation of the ABCD strategy would drive significant changes in the country’s business landscape,” he said during a Concorde Club event here.

This is not a high-stakes examination,” she said after the launch of the National Education Plan 2026-2035 yesterday. Her ministry, she said, would help these schools implement the national school curriculum. She said the new National Education Plan 2026-2035, encompassing all levels from preschool to university, outlines a comprehensive learning journey. The plan is made up of two main blueprints – the Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint 2026-2035 and the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2026-2035. The Malaysia Education Blueprint 2026-2035, she said, also tackles “unfinished business” from the last education blueprint.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Defence Ministry has announced the appointment of four senior Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) officers, including Malaysian Institute of Defence and Security (MiDAS) chief executive Lieutenant General Datuk Seri Muhammad Huzaimi Sabri, as the new MAF Headquarters Chief of Staff. According to a statement Tuesday (Jan 20), on Jan 18, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, consented to the appointments of the senior officers to fill several key MAF positions after considering the recommendations of the 632nd Armed Forces Council (MAT) meeting held on Jan 7. "In addition, Army Deputy Chief Lieutenant General Datuk Tengku Muhammad Fauzi Tengku Ibrahim has been appointed as Commander of the Joint Forces, while Major General Datuk Mohamad Suria Mohamad Saad has been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and appointed as the new Deputy Commander of the Army. "Lieutenant General Datuk Zahani Zainal Abidin (RMAF) has been appointed as MiDAS chief executive, with all the appointments effective from Jan 1," the statement said. The Ministry stressed that integrity, accountability and clean governance were the core pillars of MAF leadership and the national defence ecosystem.