KUALA LUMPUR (April 26): Bursa Malaysia reversed Tuesday's (April 25) gains to trade lower in the early session on Wednesday due to profit-taking, taking its cue from the weaker Wall Street performance overnight, an analyst said. At 9.05am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) dropped 3.3 points to 1,421.89 from Tuesday’s close of 1,425.19. “Given the cautious global market undertone, investors may lean away from technology counters especially after Nasdaq fell under the psychological 12,000 level,” it said. Among heavyweight counters, Malayan Banking Bhd was one sen lower at RM8.64, Public Bank Bhd fell one sen to RM3.92, Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd shed nine sen to RM7.11, and CIMB Group Holdings Bhd eased two sen to RM5.14, while CelcomDigi Bhd rose one sen to RM4.42. The FBM ACE Index was 6.55 points easier at 5,313.09 and the FBM 70 index fell 33.82 points to 13,595.79.

KUALA LUMPUR (April 26): Bursa Malaysia ended the morning session in negative territory in tandem with the weaker regional market performance following a deep selldown of global equities overnight, said an analyst. At lunch break, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) shrank 10.4 points to 1,414.79 from Tuesday’s close of 1,425.19. The barometer index opened 3.22 points weaker at 1,421.97 and moved between 1,413.80 and 1,422.48 throughout the midday session. Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd was flat at RM7.20. The FBM ACE Index was 0.34 of a point higher at 5,319.98 and the FBM 70 index slipped 83.71 points to 13,545.90.

A VIRAL post on TikTok claims that the Road Transport Department (JPJ) is opening bidding for vehicle registration numbers on social media. JPJ said it was concerned over the viral issue as well as the use of the JPJeBid logo on TikTok. "The use of the official JPJ logo without permission is an offence and the department will not hesitate to take strict action against any individual misusing the department's official logo," it said in the Facebook post. JPJ advised the public not to be easily duped by fake accounts and urged them to contact the nearest JPJ office or its official social media channels for more accurate information. It also urged the public to send complaints via its official complaint channel at http://jpj.spab.gov.my/eApps/system/index.do

MALAYSIAN filmmaker Amanda Nell Eu may not be a familiar name to most Malaysians, but she has set a record by becoming the first female Malaysian director to head to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France. Her movie, Tiger Stripes, is in competition for the coveted award for best first feature film at the event and is set to showcase her talent as a rising filmmaker in Malaysia. Tiger Stripes tells the story of 12-year-old Zaffan, who struggles with puberty and discovers her body morphing in a terrifying way, with her friends turning against her, and soon, dropping dead one by one. “Even in art school I was making weird small films and music videos for the bands that I was in. For now, she has already earned her stripes as a young filmmaker.

KUALA LUMPUR: Two women and a man have been arrested in connection with the assault of a bank clerk. Ampang Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Mohamad Farouk Eshak said the incident occurred at around 3.30pm on Friday (April 21). He said the attack was believed to have been sparked by an argument between the complainant and one of the suspects. "Two days after the incident, we arrested a local woman, a foreign woman and a local man aged between 34 and 52. "We have remanded the local woman to assist further investigations," he said.

The dentist was told to open a new bank account and move all his money there while police investigated his other accounts. The dentist did as instructed, and transferred about RM220,000 kept in different accounts to the new account. He was later directed to reveal his new bank account details. The sources said the dentist only realised that he had been conned when the scammers continued to demand for more money. They asked her to fill up an online form detailing her bank account and bank card details and also her father’s bank details as a guarantor,” a source said.

Dear Thelma,I first received direct messages last year from an Instagram account that had no followers, no pictures, and a username with no indication of identity. He detailed how he had taken pictures of me and used them to re-enact his fantasies. But the scariest part was that some of the pictures were ones that I had not taken myself. Someone out there has taken pictures from your social media. Look for a person with a Masters in Counselling, Psychology or Social Work with experience in abuse and emotional violence.

The most important component in data security is encryption. If the data is encrypted it can’t be read easily, even if someone gets your computer or phone, removes the memory and inserts it into another device. Those who want to additionally secure their PC or laptop can make use of the encryption programs that are integrated into operating systems. There are other steps you can take besides encryption to protect your data. In addition to the encryption options pre-installed in the operating system, there are other programs that can be used to protect files or hard disks.

KUALA LUMPUR (April 22): Bursa Malaysia is expected to be muted with an upside bias in the coming days in view of the shortened trading week due to the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration, said an analyst. Weekly turnover was weaker at 12.02 billion units worth RM6.96 billion versus 14.79 billion units worth RM8.88 billion last week. The Main Market volume fell to 8.10 billion shares valued at RM5.76 billion against 10.47 billion shares valued at RM7.60 billion in the previous week. Warrant turnover shrank to 1.30 billion units worth RM191.82 million from 1.41 billion units worth RM224.74 million previously. The ACE Market volume dropped to 2.63 billion shares worth RM1.01 billion from 3.32 billion shares worth RM1.04 billion.

KUALA LUMPUR: The four-day free toll for all classes of vehicles on 33 highways nationwide, which began on April 19 ended at 11.59pm Friday (April 21), says the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM). In a statement posted on its Facebook page Saturday (April 22) night, LLM reminded highway users that the next toll-free day is on April 24. "Therefore, road users are urged to ensure that the balance on their Touch & Go cards and ewallets is sufficient before entering any highway," the statement read. On April 18, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced a Rahmah toll free initiative for four days on all highways in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidilfitri this year. He said highway users will be enjoying the toll-rides rides to return to their hometowns from April 19 to April 21 and also on April 24.

A report by Reuters has speculated that the government could opt for there to be a second 5G telecommunications network, which would be a move away from the decision to have a single wholesale 5G network. Malaysia has been going with the concept of having a single wholesale network (SWN) with state-owned Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) as a neutral party providing a 5G network for all other companies to tap on. All mobile operators in the country, except for Maxis Bhd , have agreed to use DNB’s network. The government has been studying the SWN model and will make a decision on whether to continue with the concept. The Reuters report noted that the government is considering the introduction of a second 5G network from January 2024, in line with its policy of promoting competition and dismantling monopolies.

(April 21): Asian currencies dipped in holiday-thinned trading on Friday (April 21), and were on course for weekly losses, as the increased probability of an interest rate hike by the US Federal Reserve at its next meeting continued to weigh on sentiment. Asian markets have largely been subdued this week, with the lack of significant triggers keeping trading confined to narrow ranges. Money markets are now pricing in a nearly 86% chance the Fed will hike rates by 25 basis points next month, compared to a 69% chance last week. This likelihood of an interest rate hike in May was further reinforced by Fed speakers overnight. Back in Asia, shares in Seoul fell 0.7% and were set for their first weekly loss in six.

However, many do not enjoy running as they believe that this activity would eventually lead to one suffering from knee injuries. But does running cause knee injury in the long run? Verdict:2020544FALSEWhile it is easy to associate knee injuries with running as the move pummels knees more than walking does on the knee joints, this movement could help you stave off knee arthritis. Recent studies showed that running likely also fortifies and bulks up the cartilage, the rubbery tissue that cushions the ends of bones. In fact, most knee injuries caused by running are in fact overuse injuries - when you put more stress on your body than it can handle.

Someone once asked me what it takes to remove chemical fertilisers from modern agriculture. The importance of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers, together with other plant essential element chemical fertilisers, have allowed human civilisations to expand their populations rapidly and our societies to become increasingly sophisticated culturally, politically and economically. Students at Universiti Putra Malaysia are taught the correct method of fertigation using soluble fertilisers (chemical fertilisers) to grow their vegetables. Organic fertilisers also provide organic matter, which chemical fertilisers do not. Instead, agriculture today is becoming increasingly sustainable by combining the best of both worlds of chemical and organic fertilisers.

KUALA LUMPUR (April 20): Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Bhd (BPMB) said that Tan Sri Nazir Razak would retire from his position as the bank’s non-executive chairman upon completion of his two-year tenure, effective April 22. Nazir, 56, was formerly the chief executive officer and chairman of CIMB Group before joining BPMB in 2021. He oversaw the planned consolidation of development finance institutions (DFIs). “I would like to thank the government for the opportunity to serve BPMB over the last two eventful years,” said Nazir in a statement on Thursday (April 20). “In this time, we successfully completed the merger with Danajamin, significantly strengthened our management bench, improved operations and overall governance, resulting in a stronger and more integrated BPMB group today.