WASHINGTON, Jan ‌15 (Reuters) - The U.S. ‌Commerce Department's 25% ‌national security tariff on certain high-end semiconductors announced ‍on Wednesday is ‍a "phase one" ‌action to protect the sector ‍and ​could be followed by ⁠other announcements pending negotiations with ‌other countries and companies, ⁠a ‍White House official said on Thursday. The ‍official, speaking on condition ‌of anonymity, said President Donald Trump has previously threatened a 100% tariff on chips not made in ‌the U.S. as he seeks to build ​up semiconductor manufacturing. (Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Chris Reese)

KUALA LUMPUR: After 41 years of distinguished service, Leftenan Jeneral Datuk Johnny Lim Eng Seng has called it a day on his illustrious career. The first Chinese Leftenan Jeneral in the Armed Forces, Lim was honoured in a retirement ceremony at Kem Wardieburn in Sungai Besi on Tuesday (Jan 13). Lim's promotion represents a significant moment not just for the Armed Forces, but also for the broader narrative of diversity and unity in Malaysia’s defence institutions. ALSO READ: Johnny Lim is first Chinese officer to be appointed three-star general in Armed Forces"His rise to Leftenan Jeneral is a testament to the Armed Forces' commitment to meritocracy and excellence. "The promotion also reflects the Armed Forces' inclusive policies, offering equal opportunities to all Malaysians regardless of ethnic background.

Hong Kong actress Teresa Cheung has opened up about her past marriage with renowned singer Kenny Bee, which lasted from 1988 to 1999. In a recent interview with Hong Kong media, Cheung, 62, said she regrets marrying Bee, 72, so early in life, adding that she "trapped" herself by settling down so soon. For the record, Bee divorced Cheung in 1999 when he discovered her having an affair with billionaire businessman Edmund Chan. To make matters worse, the pair fell into debt after a failed Hong Kong real estate investment. Bee remarried in 2014 to a non-celebrity named Fan-chiang Su-zhen, while Cheung has stayed single ever since.

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhammad Akmal Saleh will be called to clarify the “combative” remarks he made after announcing his resignation as Melaka exco member, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pic). Dr Muhammad Akmal had announced that he would resign as state rural development, agriculture and food security committee chairman effective next week. “Perhaps with this, Akmal will have enough time and space to go down to the grassroots, especially to all the divisions,” he said. “He can present his suggestion to the Umno supreme council when we hold a meeting,” Ahmad Zahid said. Meanwhile, Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusof said he will wait for an official resignation letter from Dr Muhammad Akmal before deciding on the latter’s position in the state government.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 16): The construction sector is expected to see robust job flows in 2026, amid healthy contract flows anchored by infrastructure projects and sustained data centre roll-outs, according to Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd (HLIB). In a note on Friday, HLIB anticipated that headline job flows will run at a similar pace to 2024-2025, which remains adequate to expand the sector’s order book. “In our view, the key anchor remains hyperscale data centres where 2026 could see larger campuses begin to take shape — contractors broadly can still add to their order books from the data centre segment as well as infrastructure projects. “Alongside data centres, we see the water segment as another order book driver in 2026, with multiple large schemes at different stages of roll-outs,” it said, while maintaining its 'overweight' rating on the sector. Additionally, the investment bank also believes that the Penang Light Rail Transit project should continue to generate more job flows via subcontracts, segment 2 and system works, with the latter two potentially amounting to around RM8 billion.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 16): Kenanga Investment Bank Bhd expects crude palm oil (CPO) to trade around RM4,000 per tonne over 2026 from RM4,308 in 2025 on the back of still-tight global edible oil supply despite a supply uptick with inventories unlikely to improve significantly. The investment bank said in a research note on Friday some cost uptick is due but the upstream margin is expected to stay contained. Hence, among integrated plantation groups, enhancing asset yields is now increasingly the focus,” the investment bank said. It said poor Indonesian yields in 2024 had driven CPO prices to RM4,700-RM4,800 per tonne over the fourth quarter of 2024 (4Q2024) and 1Q2025, with prices settling to around RM4,000 since. “Smaller players offer good value but larger integrated and diversified players may better endure softer palm oil prices,” it said.

Without the long-delayed IPCMC, public trust will continue to erode as systemic police abuse goes unchecked under the weak IPCC. THE recent announcement of long-awaited governance and public sector reforms will go some way in restoring public trust in national institutions.

JOHOR BAHRU (Jan 16): The Johor State Government will ensure that all development and strategic investments, including large-scale projects in the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), will not compromise the basic needs of residents, particularly electricity and water supply, which remain a top priority. “TNB has reported that electricity supply in the JS-SEZ is sufficient and under control. “Johor is also planning and implementing five new water treatment plants (WTPs) and riverside water reservoir (TAPS) projects in collaboration with RSAJ, the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) and Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd (PAAB). Carried out in phases, these projects will not only ensure sufficient water supply but also support the state’s growth until 2035. “Overall, these projects will provide more than 1,100 MLD of new capacity, ensuring that water supply remains adequate, stable and secure for residents, while supporting long-term industrial and economic development without affecting public supply,” he said.

(Jan 16): A Thai construction company under investigation over its role in two fatal crane crashes that killed 34 people earlier this week is seeking investor consent to restructure about US$446 million (RM1.8 billion) of debt. The efforts come a day after the Thai government ordered the nation’s largest construction company by revenue to suspend work at more than a dozen infrastructure projects. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Thursday that his government would terminate Italian-Thai’s contracts of projects where the crane accidents occurred. The crane crash on the expressway on Thursday killed two people, sparking a public outcry and calls from political parties for action against the company. A sustained sell-off in Italian-Thai’s shares has seen its market value shrink to about one billion baht from 12 billion baht in 2021.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 16): Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Umno was being courted by various parties but committed to staying in the unity government after paying a ‘heavy price’ for being a part of it. He warned that repeated attacks on the party and its leaders risk testing that resolve. Zahid said Umno had paid a “heavy price” for being part of the unity government, facing insults, attacks and accusations that it had diluted its struggle for Malay and Islamic interests merely to cling to power. He acknowledged growing discontent among Umno members and Malay voters over the party’s role in the unity government, but said decisions taken by the leadership were guided by national interest and broader considerations of public welfare rather than personal survival. He warned, however, that Umno is not a “decorative” or expendable component of any coalition, but a pillar of national stability that expects loyalty to be met with respect.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 16): theedgemalaysia.com highlighted seven stocks with momentum at Bursa Malaysia’s afternoon close on Friday. Three showed positive momentum, while another four showed negative momentum. It merely tells you which stocks are seeing higher-than-normal volume and price movements. But the “+ve” (suggesting a rising price trend on volume) and “-ve” (suggesting a falling price trend on volume) indicators should give readers a better idea of what the market is buying and when to sell. However, each stock has an accompanying fundamental score and valuation score to help readers evaluate the attractiveness of the stocks if they want to ride the momentum.

PETALING JAYA: Men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik had no trouble booking their place in the Indian Open quarter-finals after brushing aside Japan’s Takumi Nomura-Yuichi Shimogami in the second round on Thursday (Jan 15). Aaron-Wooi Yik needed just 33 minutes to seal a 21-9, 23-21 win over the Japanese pair to secure their last eight spot. “I think there was some wind in the hall, and we tried to manage it by being more patient. That gave us the edge to keep attacking," said Wooi Yik in a post match interview with BWF. Also advancing to the quarter-finals were women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah.

(Jan 16): Chinese regulators warned of “severe penalties” against automakers after they started a new round of price cuts, defying a campaign by authorities to curb excessive competition. They warned of “severe penalties” against companies for violations, according to a statement by MIIT on Thursday. The meeting was the second this week during which authorities spoke about restoring order to a market that has been plagued by a long-running price war. Despite repeated warnings, carmakers have found it difficult to stop price discounting as they contend with a slump in demand from the scaling back of state subsidies and the slowing economy. Other than slashing prices, some automakers have offered incentives such as interest-free loans to entice buyers.

Using an undervalued currency to gain export competitiveness is a logical strategy for any developing nation. An undervalued currency is simply one that is cheaper than it should be in exchange rate terms. The case against undervaluationEconomists have several arguments against currency undervaluation. Undervalued currency — who gains, who losesThe economic disequilibrium that an undervalued currency is tends to realign costs and benefits in disproportionate ways. An exchange rate policy deemed appropriate at a given point in time need not be so at a later stage of a nation’s growth.

“The most leading-edge technologies will be run in Taiwan because of practical reasons,” chief financial officer Wendell Huang said in an interview on Thursday (Jan 15). Taiwanese officials and TSMC, meanwhile, have said that the chipmaker will keep its best technology at home. The company, Asia’s most valuable, is accelerating the buildout of its capacity in Arizona due to strong demand. North American customers like Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices Inc now account for 75% of TSMC revenue. Trump administration officials last year floated the idea of the Taiwanese company operating some Intel fabs, lending its advanced knowhow to help the US chipmaker struggling to catch up.