(Jan 7): Hiring at US companies rose in December at a moderate pace, pointing to sluggish momentum heading into 2026. Private-sector payrolls increased by 41,000, according to ADP Research data released on Wednesday, after declining in the prior month. The ADP report, published in collaboration with the Stanford Digital Economy Lab, showed wage growth accelerated for workers who changed jobs, after registering the smallest annual gain since 2021 in the prior month. ADP bases its findings on payrolls covering more than 26 million US private-sector employees. In addition to the monthly reports, ADP also releases separate data on a weekly basis.

PETALING JAYA: Doctors are advising against an operation on Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to treat his fractured hip because he is over 100 years old, says his son Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir. In a video posted on social media on Wednesday (Jan 7), he said the former prime minister fell and fractured his hip when during his morning exercise on the balcony. "Due to his age of 100 years, an operation is not a wise option. "I thank everyone, including strangers, who texted their well wishes to the family," said Mukhriz. Over the years, Dr Mahathir has had at least two major heart surgeries, including a quadruple bypass in 2007.

PETALING JAYA: Former Army chief Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan and his two wives have been arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). They were arrested on Wednesday (Jan 7) night at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya after providing statements over an ongoing probe involving military contract tenders. The former Army chief and his two wives will be remanded on Thursday (Jan 8) at the Putrajaya court. When contacted, MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki confirmed the arrests. On Tuesday (Jan 6), the MACC secured five-day remand orders until Jan 10 for 17 company directors suspected of operating a cartel to fix tenders for Army procurements.

Hours later, China opened an anti-dumping probe into a key chipmaking material, taking aim at another pillar of Japanese industry. Taken together, the moves show China President Xi Jinping’s pressure campaign against Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi over her comments on Taiwan is just getting started. “Traditionally, Japan’s diplomacy has followed a clear pattern: first you lock in the relationship with the US and then face China. Japan is keeping the US in the loop as ties with the world’s number two economy continue to fray. Just days ago, Takaichi said she had an “extremely meaningful” call with Trump and would visit the US later this year.

KUALA LUMPUR: It was third time lucky for national mixed doubles pair Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin as they finally got the better of Denmark’s Mathias Christiansen-Alexandra Boje at the Malaysian Open yesterday. The victory was made sweeter as it marked Pang Ron–Su Yin’s first win at the Malaysian Open, after they exited in the opening round last year. “It’s our first win at the Malaysian Open, and I’m very happy and satisfied to have finally beaten the Danish pair,” said Su Yin. Su Yin said staying composed was key to their comeback, while crediting Pang Ron and the coaches for keeping her focused. Pang Ron–Su Yin will face an all-Malaysian challenge next, with reigning world champions Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei awaiting them in the second round after the latter defeated Indo­nesia’s Jafar Hidayatullah-Felisha Pasaribu 21-12, 21-17 yesterday.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 7): Industry players on Wednesday said a lack of a clear carbon tax mechanism and limited fiscal incentives pose challenges to a wider adoption of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) in Malaysia. Malaysia’s carbon tax is pending the tabling of the long-awaited Climate Change Bill. Singapore introduced its carbon tax at S$5/tCO2e before raising it to S$25/tCO2e in 2024. “Carbon price competitiveness is still uncertain ... and that affects the overall picture [business case],” Voon added. Other gaps in CCUS execution being discussed during the forum also include the uncertainty over incentives, and carbon accounting, as well as long-term monitoring and verification requirements.

KUALA LUMPUR: Being married has not changed Indian women’s singles star P. V. Sindhu’s approach to her badminton career. "Being married doesn’t change much for me in terms of my career. "He doesn’t play sports. She notably captured the world title in 2019 and won silver in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Sindhu also twice claimed silver in the world meet in 2017 and 2018 and won bronze in 2013 and 2014.

KUALA LANGAT: A total of 120 litterbugs, including 34 foreigners, were caught under Ops Cegah on Jan 1 and 2 for littering in public areas, says Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming. Community service orders under the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672) come into force on Jan 1, 2026 as part of stricter enforcement against minor littering. Nga said SWCorp had already collected about four tonnes of rubbish in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur before Christmas. Nga highlighted the ministry’s push for digital services, including PBTPay, ePBT 2.0 and 3.0, PBTCare, eJKT, and the expansion of PBTPay to Sabah. PBTPay, the official one-stop payment portal for local authorities, saw annual collections soar to RM538mil in 2025, reflecting strong public confidence in digital payments.

ANKARA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim received a courtesy call from the secretary of Turkish Defence Industries, Prof Dr Haluk Gorgun, on the second day of his official visit to the republic. The meeting on Wednesday (Jan 7) provided a platform for constructive discussions to further strengthen defence cooperation between Malaysia and Turkiye, particularly in capability development, technology transfer, as well as training and human capital development, as key pillars of a sustainable national defence industry. Also present were Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, and Malaysian ambassador to Turkiye Sazali Mustafa Kamal. The Turkish delegation comprised Defence Minister Yasar Guler, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) chief executive officer cum Turkiye-Malaysia Business Council chairman Dr Mehmet Demiroglu; ASELSAN general manager Ahmet Akyol; and Defence Technologies Engineering and Trade Inc (STM) general manager, Ozgur Guleruz. Earlier, Anwar was accorded the honour of laying a wreath at Anıtkabir here, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkiye.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 7): The Malaysian stock market's main benchmark could rise above 1,800 points by end-2026, supported by stronger corporate earnings growth amid resilient domestic demand and improving policy certainty, said CGS International Securities Malaysia chief executive officer Khairi Shahrin Arief Baki. Khairi added that a stronger ringgit would help reduce operating and capital expenditure costs for some sectors, such as utilities and telecommunications. CGS International expects KLCI corporate earnings to expand by 8.5% this year, compared with an estimated 3.5% growth in 2025, he told The Edge at the sidelines of the research firm’s annual Malaysia Corporate Day event. Khairi noted that recent policy reforms, including subsidy rationalisation, have improved Malaysia’s fiscal position and provided greater policy certainty, which in turn supports business and consumer confidence. He added that easing trade tensions and greater policy certainty have increased the willingness of both businesses and consumers to invest and spend, which should be supportive of corporate earnings and broader market conditions.

(Jan 7): US mortgage rates fell last week to the lowest level since September 2024, a hopeful sign for the sluggish housing market to start the new year. The contract rate on a 30-year mortgage dropped seven basis points to 6.25% in the week ended Jan 2, which included New Year’s Day, according to Mortgage Bankers Association data released Wednesday. The rate on a 30-year jumbo mortgage, which is used to finance purchases of more expensive homes, fell to 6.32%, the lowest since April 2023. The figures are encouraging for a housing market that’s been hamstrung by affordability constraints in recent years. The data cover more than 75% of all retail residential mortgage applications in the US.

ANKARA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says his meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, scheduled for Wednesday (Jan 7), will centre on efforts to strengthen collaboration in areas including trade, investment, diplomacy, education, security, culture and tourism. Erdogan had undertaken a two-day official visit to Malaysia in February, 2025. Anwar said his first official visit to Türkiye comes nearly three years into his tenure as Prime Minister and fulfils Erdogan's repeated invitations, urging him not to delay the visit. "However, I told him that even without an official visit, I had previously come to Türkiye twice, with the first visit taking place after the major earthquake that struck the country. Earlier, Anwar arrived at Esenboga International Airport here at 7.13 pm local time (12.13 am Malaysian time) to begin his official visit, which runs until Jan 8.

LOS ANGELES (Jan 7): Warner Bros Discovery's board has unanimously turned down Paramount Skydance's latest attempt to acquire the studio, saying its revised US$108.4 billion (RM439.3 billion) hostile bid amounted to a risky leveraged buyout that investors should reject. In a letter to shareholders on Wednesday, Warner Bros' board said Paramount's offer hinges on "an extraordinary amount of debt financing" that heightens the risk of closing. Paramount and Netflix have been vying to win control of Warner Bros, and with it, its prized film and television studios and its extensive content library. The letter accompanied a 67-page amended merger filing where it laid out its case for rejecting Paramount's offer. Paramount offered "insufficient compensation" for the damage done to the studio's business, if the Paramount deal failed to close, Warner Bros said.

ANKARA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrived here on Tuesday local time (Jan 6) for a three-day official visit to Türkiye to further strengthen the long-standing bilateral relations between the two countries. Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, was visiting the country until Jan 8 at the invitation of Türkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He was accompanied by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani. The Prime Minister was greeted upon arrival by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Malaysian Ambassador to Türkiye Sazali Mustafa Kamal, and Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Güler, who is also the Minister-in-Attendance. On Wednesday, among other engagements, the Prime Minister is scheduled to meet with Erdogan and co-chair the Malaysia-Türkiye High-Level Strategic Council (HLSC) Meeting.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 7): Property developer Oriental Interest Bhd (KL:OIB) is expanding its landbank in Selangor through a RM80.77 million cash acquisition of 68.12 acres in Bukit Raja. The deal was formalised on Dec 31, 2025, via a sale and purchase agreement between Oriental Interest's 70%-owned Myra Land Sdn Bhd and developer SJ Properties Sdn Bhd, according to the group's bourse filing. The remaining 30% in Myra Land is owned by Pesaka Saujana Properties Sdn Bhd, a related third party, Oriental Interest said. While portions of the land are currently occupied by tenants, Oriental Interest noted that these tenancies are expected to expire by the deal’s completion. The RM80.77 million purchase price was determined based on recent market prices for neighbouring properties and the site's development potential, Oriental Interest said.