(Jan 14): Taiwan’s richest households will see their wealth grow about 10% a year through 2029 as a global technology race lifts markets and stokes income for the island’s cutting-edge companies. The combined assets of Taiwan’s wealthy will reach about NT$59 trillion (RM7.56 trillion) in 2029, according to a report by Boston Consulting Group and CTBC Bank. “This means more opportunities and responsibility for financial institutions to serve Taiwanese wealth clients.”Total household wealth will grow by about 6%, on average, over the next four years, reaching NT$279 trillion, the report said. Geopolitical concerns are seen as the biggest risk among Taiwanese wealthy individuals, pushing them to increasingly allocate assets offshore. Exchange rate volatility such as Taiwan dollar’s surge last year also made overseas assets more attractive.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 14): Boustead Heavy Industries Corp Bhd (KL:BHIC) said it has entered into a non-binding collaboration agreement with France’s Défense Conseil International (DCI) to explore a potential strategic partnership. DCI serves as the French Ministry of Armed Forces’ official operator for transferring French military expertise and technical know-how to international partners. BHIC’s 51%-owned subsidiary, BHIC AeroServices Sdn Bhd, provides maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for the French-built EC725 helicopters in the Royal Malaysian Armed Forces’ hangars. The remainder stakes in BHIC AeroServices is owned by Prestige Pillar Sdn Bhd (30%) and Airbus Helicopters Malaysia Sdn Bhd (19%). BHIC is 72.4%-owned by the Armed Forces Fund Board, better known as Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera or LTAT, via Boustead Holdings Bhd.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 14): Tenaga Nasional Bhd (KL:TENAGA) has signed a Phase 2 energy wheeling agreement (EWA) to facilitate the transmission of electricity from Laos to Singapore. Under Phase 2, the agreement allows for the sale, transmission and purchase of electricity ranging from a minimum of 30MW to a maximum of 100MW. The agreement is effective for two years, starting Jan 14, 2026, TNB said in a filing with Bursa Malaysia on Wednesday (Jan 14). Wheeling refers to the transportation of electric energy from a generator to a separate electrical grid using a third-party's transmission lines. The original EWA for the Laos–Singapore electricity transmission was first signed by TNB on June 22, 2022, for an initial two-year period.

(Jan 14): Chinese authorities have told domestic companies to stop using cybersecurity software made by roughly a dozen firms from the US and Israel due to national security concerns, two people briefed on the matter said. Broadcom-owned VMware, Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet are among the US firms whose cybersecurity software has been banned, while Check Point Software Technologies is among the Israeli companies, they said. China's internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication. While its efforts to build up its semiconductor and artificial intelligence sectors have dominated headlines, it has also sought to replace Western computer equipment and word processing software. Chinese analysts have also said that Beijing has become increasingly concerned that Western equipment could be hacked by foreign powers.

IT is an unprecedented moment in Malaysia’s military history. For the first time ever, a former Army Chief was remanded for seven days, while his two wives were remanded for six and three days, respectively, over corruption involving Army procurement tenders. They were detained by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on Jan 8. Seventeen others, including company directors linked to procurement firms, have also been remanded.

The yen strengthened to ¥158.76 after Katayama spoke, having reached ¥159.45 per dollar in the morning, its weakest since July 2024. The yen strengthened to ¥158.76 after Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama spoke, having reached ¥159.45 per dollar in the morning, its weakest since July 2024. The finance minister has ramped up her language on the yen since late last year. In December she said that Japan has a “free hand” to take bold action against currency moves that are not in line with fundamentals. The finance minister spoke with her US counterpart Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent earlier this week.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 14): OGX Group Bhd, an IT infrastructure solutions provider, has appointed UOB Kay Hian (M) Sdn Bhd as underwriter for its upcoming ACE Market initial public offering (IPO), which will involve 150 million new shares or 20% of its enlarged share capital. Of the 150 million new shares, 37.5 million will be allocated to the Malaysian public, 18.75 million reserved for eligible persons, and 75 million placed out to selected investors. The remaining 18.75 million shares will be placed out to Bumiputera investors approved by the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry. Post-IPO, Ting Fong’s stake will be diluted to 35.7% from 51%, while Suan Loong’s shareholding will fall to 34.3% from 49%. UOB Kay Hian is the principal adviser, sponsor, underwriter and placement agent for the IPO.

KINABATANGAN: It is no easy task for any candidate campaigning for the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat, with the main obs­tacle being reaching voters living in villages scattered along the hilly terrain of the Crocker Range. Kampung Kuamut, in the upper reaches of Kinabatangan River, remains accessible only by boats which could take about six hours from Kinabatangan town. Barisan Nasional’s Mohd Naim Kurniawan Moktar also said the biggest challenge in reaching voters across polling districts is distance and logistics. “That is why I strongly support the realignment of the Kinaba­ta­ngan constituency, so representation can be more focused, more effective and fair to every community,” he said. Spanning an area roughly half the size of Pahang, the biodiversity-rich Kinabatangan constituency lacks proper roads and basic infrastructure such as electricity and piped water in many of its far-flung villages.

Travellers face a long wait in hot conditions at the Butterworth train station. The Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal in Butterworth, with the Penang Sentral transport hub in the background. Century of transitionThe Penang ferry service is one of Malaysia’s most historic links, dating back to 1894. Penang Sentral, first proposed in 2007, took 11 years to open due to land acquisition disputes. Adjacent to Penang Sentral is the Butterworth KTM station, serving ETS and Komuter services, with covered pedestrian links designed to facilitate transfers.

(Jan 14): Baidu Inc is considering upgrading its Hong Kong listing to primary status to gain more exposure to investors in mainland China and protect itself from potentially unfavourable US policies, according to people familiar with the matter. The technology company — with a market value of US$52 billion (RM210.47 billion) — trades on the Nasdaq and has a second listing in Hong Kong. That makes it more accessible to investors in Asia, but not in mainland China because it still isn’t eligible for the so-called stock connect. A primary listing would help Baidu qualify for cross-border trading, opening up investment flows from the mainland to Hong Kong. Upgrading the Hong Kong listing might offer a hedge against US sanction risk given the political sensitivity of the sector, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private.

PUTRAJAYA (Jan 14): Malaysian citizens who have used the National Integrated Immigration System (MyNIISe) application must register for MyDigital ID by Thursday, Jan 15, at the latest to continue using the service at the Sultan Iskandar Building and Sultan Abu Bakar Complex. The Home Ministry in a statement on Wednesday said new users of MyNIISe are required to register for MyDigital ID starting Thursday. "Existing users can still log in to MyNIISe using the existing method until the end of the MyNIISe trial period on Feb 28 for the purpose of registration and renewal of MyDigital ID," according to the statement. According to the ministry, MyDigital ID functions as a digital key to log in to the MyNIISe application with several key security benefits. As of Dec 30, MyNIISe had recorded 599,967 downloads with 287,258 registered users.

KUCHING: A husband and wife have been found dead with severe injuries in their home at Sri Aman, 192km from here, early Wednesday (Jan 14) morning. Sarawak police commissioner Comm Datuk Mohamad Zainal Abdullah said the Sri Aman police headquarters received information at 6.55am about the discovery of the couple inside the house at Taman Mutiara. He said a police team was immediately dispatched, along with medical officers from Hospital Sri Aman. He urged anyone with information on the case to contact investigating officer Asst Supt Kalang at 019-331 7785, the Sri Aman police district control centre, or the nearest police station. According to multiple Facebook posts on the incident, the victims were a primary school headmaster and his wife, who was a nurse.

(Jan 14): As President Vladimir Putin focuses his attentions on Russia’s war in Ukraine, his strategic allies around the world have been left feeling neglected — or worse. In Venezuela, officials now think their years-long security relationship with Moscow was a paper tiger. They’re not alone: From Damascus and Tehran to Havana, over the last 13 months authoritarian regimes which previously benefited from their close ties to the Kremlin have found Russian support lacking when it mattered most. The most potent symbol of Russia’s inattention may be that of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro languishing in a New York jail. However, Russian officials were angered by Trump proceeding with the operation to capture Maduro, according to people familiar with the matter.

(Jan 14): HSBC Holdings plc is gauging investor demand for a significant risk transfer (SRT) tied to a portfolio of about €2 billion (US$2.3 billion or RM9.5 billion) of investment-grade corporate loans. Banks use SRT as a way to insure loans against default, typically obtaining protection for between 5% and 15% of the loan value. HSBC is working on a potential SRT while finalising a US$14 billion takeover of Hang Seng Bank Ltd, the bank’s biggest acquisition in more than a decade. The purchase would reduce the lender’s common equity tier 1 ratio, a key metric of financial strength, by 125 basis points. Toronto-Dominion Bank, Erste Group Bank AG and BNP Paribas SA are among banks that are in discussions or have recently completed SRT transactions.

KUALA LUMPUR: A special-edition gold coin featuring Wira and Manja, the sun bear mascots of Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026), was launched on Wednesday (Jan 14) to support the national tourism campaign. The 24-karat coin was unveiled by Tourism Malaysia chairman Datuk Manoharan Periasamy at the SMS Deen Jewellers outlet along Jalan Masjid India here. “This is the type of strategic collaboration encouraged by the Prime Minister under the Visit Malaysia 2026 framework. We are proud to be given the opportunity to be part of this initiative and to support Visit Malaysia 2026,” he said. It is available at all SMS Deen Jewellers outlets nationwide on Wednesday (Jan 14), followed by the jeweller’s branches nationwide from Jan 19.