KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today extended his prayers and well-wishes to the Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. In a Facebook post, Anwar said he had received news that the Sultan is scheduled to undergo medical treatment soon. "I pray that His Majesty is granted lasting good health and remains under the protection and grace of Allah SWT. "May His Majesty continue to rule the Nation of Brunei Darussalam with wisdom and sound judgment," he said. According to a statement from the Brunei Prime Minister's Office yesterday, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah is scheduled to undergo a right knee replacement surgery on Jan 18.

KUALA BERANG: Two separate scam cases in Terengganu have cost victims nearly RM190,000, with a civil servant losing RM119,000 to a phone scam and a housewife losing RM70,731 to a fake job scheme. "The victim took out a personal loan and transferred RM110,000 to a new account as instructed by the suspect. She also provided her full bank details under the pretext of security verification," he said in a statement on Wednesday (Jan 14). In a separate case in Kuala Terengganu, a housewife lost RM70,731 after being deceived by an online part-time job scam syndicate. "The victim made seven transactions totalling RM70,731 to various accounts over two days, from Jan 11 and 12.

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has urged Umno Youth Chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh to reconsider his decision to quit, according to a party delegate. The delegate from Melaka, who declined to be named, said the Umno president had given his advice to Akmal during the closed-door meeting at the World Trade Centre (WTC) on Wednesday (Jan 14). "The party president also told Akmal to listen to the advice of the Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh," he said, when met here. Akmal previously hinted at stepping aside from his post as Umno Youth chief after his call for Umno to withdraw from the unity government drew a negative reaction from the Umno president. He said that Ab Rauf was the individual who introduced him to Umno's struggle during his days as a student leader and had guided him on leadership and the spirit of struggle.

BERLIN (Jan 14): Germany's finance minister called on Wednesday for a new era of "European patriotism" to protect regional economic interests, proposing that companies receiving state aid be required to keep jobs in Europe and that public procurement prioritises Europe-made goods. "We need more European patriotism," Klingbeil said. Klingbeil said trade was increasingly "weaponised" through subsidies, overcapacity, tariffs and export controls, putting pressure on Germany's export-oriented economy. Klingbeil outlined a strategy centred on strengthening European unity, diversifying trade partnerships beyond the U.S., and protecting European markets from unfair competition. POINTS TO GERMANY'S MODERNISATION BACKLOGGermany suffers from a significant modernisation backlog that must be urgently addressed to maintain its competitiveness, Klingbeil said.

Last week's plan to get federal housing agencies on a $200 billion buying spree of mortgage bonds looks unlikely to get mortgage rates down further by itself, according to many banks. And a fresh challenge to Federal Reserve independence potentially ​complicates efforts to push benchmark long-term Treasury yields lower. Last Thursday, Trump's mortgage bond initiative clearly pointed in that direction. While the move would not cut mortgage rates directly, he added, it may help by further reducing the spreads on Fannie and ⁠Freddie over Treasuries. The 30-year Treasury yield at just over 4.8% is exactly where it was on Trump's inauguration.

(Jan 15): Federal Reserve governor Stephen Miran said the Trump administration’s deregulatory agenda offers the central bank an additional reason to continue lowering interest rates. “I believe that the sweeping deregulation underway in the US will significantly boost competition, productivity and potential growth, allowing faster economic growth without putting upward pressure on inflation,” Miran said Wednesday at an event in Athens. Miran is serving at the Fed while on unpaid leave as one of President Donald Trump’s top White House economic advisers. Since joining the central bank in September, he has repeatedly argued for a quick series of outsize rate cuts and said the Fed’s policy stance is unnecessarily restraining the economy. I think that inflation is very much headed in the right direction,” Miran said.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 15): Umno must offer a new agenda and stop relying solely on historical narratives in facing the 16th general election (GE16), said deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. He said the party must urgently develop a clear roadmap over the next 24 months to ensure Umno remains relevant and continues to command voters’ confidence. Mohamad also urged Umno to accelerate comprehensive digitalisation efforts to ensure the party can function effectively in the online space. “Perhaps the time has come for us to imagine Umno as a digital party. The assembly brings together 6,412 delegates nationwide, comprising 2,928 delegates for the Umno General Assembly, 1,165 for the Wanita Umno General Assembly, 1,173 for the Umno Youth General Assembly and 1,146 for the Puteri Umno General Assembly.

According to Kao, Asean and China have sustained positive momentum under the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. "We reached another level of cooperation, particularly in economic cooperation." Kao highlighted that the upgraded Asean-China FTA will have a far-reaching impact on bilateral economic cooperation. "This will have a significant impact on the economic cooperation between the two sides because we will do more in digital trade, digital services, digital payments and e-commerce," he noted. "In a world where global economic and political dynamics are constantly changing, what we need to do is maintain the momentum of positive cooperation," Kao said.

The app, its creators said, is designed as a safety tool for people who live alone. “The problem is who my emergency contact should be,” one user wrote beneath a Weibo post discussing the app. In a society where solo living is becoming increasingly common, even a small gesture of acknowledgment can bring comfort. “In urban China today, companionship is increasingly optional, but basic visibility still matters.”The app’s popularity also reflects shifting social norms. He declined to specify the number of app downloads, but said the number of paying users has increased 200-fold and continues to rise.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 14): The Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development (Kuskop) will assist Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in tapping new opportunities in China under the ABCD Strategy, said minister Steven Sim. The ABCD Strategy comprises four key elements: A — Accelerating productivity, B — Reducing bureaucracy, C — Capital accessibility, and D — Developing market access. In a statement on Wednesday, Sim said the Chinese market, with its 1.4 billion consumers, was a game-changer for local entrepreneurs. The minister added that he met Chinese ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing at his official residence on Tuesday night. “Ouyang has suggested a number of platforms for Malaysian SMEs to tap into the Chinese market, such as the China International Import Expo (CIIE) and the China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO),” he said.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 14): Economic downturn, rising inflation and the potential risk of asset bubbles are among the key concerns highlighted in the 21st edition of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Risks Report 2026 which could affect Malaysia, said WEF managing director Saadia Zahidi. She said economies that rely on trade for growth are likely to be affected by tariffs and the growing geoeconomic confrontation. She noted that concerns about an economic downturn have risen, moving up eight places to 11th position, higher than in previous years. “Inflation had really fallen down the list after having risen in the past directly after the pandemic. “Finally, concerns about a potential asset bubble have gone up seven positions to 18th, in the middle of the rankings, in this past year,” she said.

PETALING JAYA: A post by The United States Embassy in Kuala Lumpur led to joking quips and comments by Malaysians who made it clear the country "has no oil" for the Americans. The post by the embassy showed a 2016 photo of the country taken from the International Space Station. Fakhri Kamarudin quipped that the country only had cooking oil. "Please tell your president we don't have oil... we only have Saji cooking oil," the user wrote. Another by the name of Sayyid Hadi Samsudim wrote "I don't see any oil," while Norhikmal Crixalis added "FYI, our oil is only baby oil.".

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 14): The prosecution has objected to an application by Sayed Amir Muzzakkir Al Sayed Mohamad, former political secretary to former home minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, to expunge six paragraphs from the written statement of a key prosecution witness. Deputy public prosecutor Hazel Tan Jia Qi said the defence’s application to expunge paragraphs three to eight from the statement of the 12th prosecution witness, Nexuscorpgroup Sdn Bhd director and shareholder Ismuni Johari, was premature. How, then, can the defence know that what is stated in the statement is irrelevant to the case? Earlier, Sayed Amir Muzzakkir’s lawyer Asmadi Hussin argued that paragraphs three to eight of the witness’ statement were irrelevant to the charges and prejudicial to his client. On May 23, 2024, Sayed Amir Muzzakkir was charged with two counts of receiving bribes amounting to RM350,000 from Nexuscorpgroup Sdn Bhd managing director Wan Azhar Mohamed Yusof.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for an immediate and comprehensive investigation into an air-conditioning gas explosion at Help University in the capital last Monday (Jan 12). He also wished a full recovery to the injured, including Reeya Kaur Thandal, who is still receiving treatment following the incident. The Prime Minister extended condolences to the family of the late Soo Yu Juan, who died in the explosion. "Condolences to the family of the late Soo Yu Juan on the loss of your beloved child. Soo, 24, died while receiving treatment at Kuala Lumpur Hospital, while nine others were injured in the explosion at the private university at around 11.40am.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim urged all communities in Malaysia to uphold mutual understanding and respect as a foundation for national harmony and unity. "I hope the Ponggal celebrations are observed with joy, harmony and meaningful moments with family and loved ones. The festival also reminds us of the values of gratitude, togetherness and mutual respect," he said in a Facebook post. He added that Ponggal, a Tamil harvest festival, not only marks gratitude for abundant harvests but also signals the start of the Thai month in the Tamil calendar. The four-day celebration begins with Bhogi, followed by Thai Ponggal (offering sweet rice to the Sun God), Mattu Pongal (honouring livestock) and Kaanum Pongal (family reunions).