(Jan 2): Australia's Nickel Industries said on Friday that South Korea's Sphere Corp will buy a 10% stake in the Excelsior Nickel Cobalt high-pressure acid leach plant (HPAL) project in Indonesia at a US$2.4 billion (RM9.73 billion) valuation. The South Korean materials manufacturer will acquire the stake from Hong Kong-based Decent Resource, while Nickel Industries will retain its 44% stake in the project, the Australian company said in a statement. The ENC HPAL project, being built in Indonesia's Central Sulawesi, will be the first HPAL project worldwide with the capacity to produce three class-1 nickel products —mixed hydroxide precipitate, nickel sulphate and nickel cathode, according to Nickel Industries' website. The deal comes at a time of soaring nickel prices as top producer Indonesia plans to cut mining output quotas to support commodity prices. Nickel Industries expects funding of the transaction to complete early in the first quarter of 2026.

BETONG: Two people were killed while nine others were injured in a road accident involving a four-wheel drive (4WD) carrying seven occupants and a car with four occupants along Jalan Lubok Antu on Thursday (Jan 1). The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department said it received an emergency call at about 3.30pm and immediately dispatched a team from the Betong Fire and Rescue Station to the scene. Upon arrival, firefighters found that most of the victims had already been extricated from the vehicles by members of the public. Paramedics from the Health Ministry confirmed that two victims from the 4WD were pronounced dead at the scene. "Nine other victims sustained injuries and were handed over to the hospital authority for further treatment, while the firefighters assisted in transporting one injured victim to the hospital," it added.

He said that complaints about dirty toilets, particularly at entry points such as airports, are among the most frequent raised by visitors. “It’s not about how often cleaning is done, but how ‘clean’ the process is,” he said, likening poor practices to repeatedly mopping floors with dirty water. Noruddin explained that facade cleaning costs vary widely depending on building height, accessibility, equipment needs and time constraints. “Some buildings only allow facade cleaning on weekends. From an architectural perspective, Malaysian Institute of Architects president Adrianta Aziz said facade cleanliness of buildings and popular landmarks is critical in shaping a city’s image for visitors.

Scenes of trash-strewn streets following recent celebrations have reignited debate over a long-standing public mindset, that it is acceptable to litter because “someone else will clean it up”. “Those who are asking the cleaner to clean it, this is the kind of old mindset,” one user wrote. “These are the types of people that normalise the ‘someone else will clean it, so why bother?’ mentality,” said a third. Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malaysia president Rajesh Nagarajan said the “leave it to the cleaners” mindset is fundamentally incompatible with the law. “If enforcement alone is relied upon, without a shift in public mindset, the law becomes reactive rather than preventative.

The country’s top cop says the Online Safety Act (Onsa), which came into force today, will strengthen national digital security and enhance protection against growing cyber threats. KUALA LUMPUR: Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said the Online Safety Act (Onsa), which came into force yesterday, will strengthen national digital security and enhance protection against growing cyber threats. "Online child sexual exploitation crimes showed a worrying increase, with 688 cases recorded from January 2021 to November 2025." They are required to take proactive steps to keep users safe from harmful content online. Additionally, network service providers are required to cooperate during investigations and provide reasonable technical assistance within their capabilities when required.

DEIR AL-BALAH, GAZA - DECEMBER 27: A charity in the Nuseirat Refugee Camp distributes food to displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, Gaza on December 27, 2025. KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has strongly condemned Israel's plan to ban and suspend the operations of a large number of international humanitarian aid organisations in Gaza. "The Israeli regime is legally obliged under the Fourth Geneva Convention to ensure unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza." On Wednesday, Israel said it planned to ban 37 aid organisations from operating in Gaza unless they handed over detailed information on their Palestinian staff, despite mounting criticism from the United Nations and the European Union. Some of the 37 NGOs to be hit with the ban include the Norwegian Refugee Council, World Vision International, CARE and Oxfam.

The Japanese yen was one of the few currencies that failed to capitalise on the weak dollar in 2025, despite two rate hikes by the Bank of Japan (BOJ) during the year. TOKYO: Two major Japanese business lobbying groups called on the government to address the yen's weakness, which is inflating import costs and weighing on households and businesses, their chiefs told domestic media in separate interviews. Yoshinobu Tsutsui, head of Japan's biggest business lobby Keidanren, said in a group interview with multiple domestic media that the weak yen tends to be highlighted for its benefits, such as boosting profits for exporters. The yen was one of the few currencies that failed to capitalise on the weak US dollar in 2025, despite two rate hikes by the Bank of Japan (BoJ) during the year. As the weak yen has been a major factor behind inflation, the government and the BoJ "need to eliminate the sense of helplessness among small business owners that import materials from overseas", he said.

JOHOR BARU: Johor’s revenue for 2025 has hit a record high of RM2.67bil, says Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi. “The revenue will be returned to the rakyat in the form of development, facilities and welfare programmes. “I also realise there is still room for improvement, and the state government will continue working hard to ensure the revenue collected benefits more people,” he said in a Facebook post on Thursday (Jan 1). He thanked Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim for his guidance, as well as to state and federal civil servants for their cooperation throughout the year. The state’s coffers have been on a steady increase with RM1.43bil collected in 2021, followed by RM1.63bil (2022), RM1.94bil (2023) and RM2.11bil (2024).

PETALING JAYA: Police have issued a total of 12,437 summonses in traffic operations nationwide conducted on New Year's Eve until early Thursday (Jan 1). He said the operation was conducted to ensure public safety, public order and smooth traffic flow in conjunction with New Year's Eve celebrations. "A total of 327 senior police officers and 2,460 personnel were deployed throughout the operation with the cooperation of other agencies, including the Road Transport Department (JPJ)," he added. "We also appreciate the public for the cooperation extended throughout the operation. "We advise road users to continue adhering to traffic regulations, avoid dangerous driving and always prioritise their safety as well as that of other road users," he said.

KUALA NERUS: The Terengganu state government has been allocated RM15mil by Putrajaya through the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry this year to enhance infrastructure and basic facilities in the state's island and coastal areas. This is in addition to RM29mil through the same channel last year for similar improvements ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026), said state tourism, culture, environment, and climate change committee chairman Datuk Razali Idris. "These funds were provided following the state’s application, and to date, over 70% of the infrastructure and upgrading projects have been completed. "This includes the repair of ageing jetties at popular islands,” he told reporters on Thursday (Jan 1) after the launch of the national entry point and major transport hubs event at Sultan Mahmud Airport in conjunction with VM2026.

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong attended the wedding of Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh's daughter on Thursday (Jan 1). The MCA president said he attended the wedding that was held at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC). Leaders from the federal and state governments, alongside representatives from across the political divide and the business community, were also present to celebrate the newlyweds. "On this meaningful occasion, I had the opportunity not only to witness the beginning of a beautiful union, but also to reconnect with leaders from various sectors. I also extend my heartfelt congratulations to Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh, Datin Seri Datuk Wira Zuriyah Ab Aziz, and family on welcoming a new member into their family," he said on Facebook.

The stock has failed to surpass the resistance at RM2.95 over recent days, forming a double-top formation that points towards a potential downtrend. Leong Hup International Bhd saw a spurt of upside momentum in December 2025 that took it to its highest level in 14 months. However, they remain healthy as the slow-stochastic is sitting at 80 points and the RSI at 75 points. Technical momentum has since plunged into oversold levels. While momentum remains weak, the slow-stochastic is creeping back up over the oversold line, signalling the start of a neutralisation phase.

KUALA LUMPUR: The New Year celebrations held in a harmonious and festive atmosphere served as an early catalyst for the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He said the celebrations also reflected the beauty of Malaysia's cultural diversity and the spirit of togetherness among Malaysians in welcoming visitors from around the world. "The highlight of the celebration was enhanced by large-scale multimedia performances, including fireworks displays that lit up key tourist hotspots in a peaceful and orderly atmosphere. The Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign was officially launched through the Visit Malaysia 2026 Countdown Festival, a large-scale New Year's Eve celebration held at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. The countdown, attended by Anwar, marked the start of efforts to build early momentum in the national tourism sector toward the target of 43 million international visitor arrivals, in line with the aspiration to position Malaysia as a leading global tourism destination.

PETALING JAYA: Overall loan growth is projected to grow by 5.7% in 2026, supported by expansion of 5.8% in consumer lending and 5.5% in business loans, according to TA Research. The research house said banks should also remain broadly optimistic about the small and medium enterprise (SME) segment, which continues to outpace system loan growth. Malaysia’s largest lender Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) has projected renewed SME capital expenditure cycles would support loan growth. In 2026, the research house expects banks to continue making deliberate pivots toward high-yield and unsecured lending, with growth strategies increasingly centred on high-margin unsecured products as well as quality residential mortgages. HLBB, which delivered significant gains in unsecured lending during the first quarter of financial year 2026, is also well-positioned to maintain this trajectory into 2026.

CLAIMS that government clinics are no longer accepting walk-in patients from Jan 1, 2026, are circulating on social media. Verdict:FALSEThe Health Ministry denied claims that clinics will only see patients if they have appointments. In a statement, the ministry said although appointments are its primary method for patients, walk-in patients would still receive treatment. "Patients without an appointment will still be treated, but will need to go through an assessment (triage) process first. "Patients with appointments will be given priority according to the designated time slot," it said.