KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 19): The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has submitted its investigation file related to Ops Parasit and Ops Star on senior Malaysian Armed Forces officers to the public prosecutor for review and further directives. MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said the submission includes proposed charges for the prosecution’s evaluation. The referral follows last Thursday’s reports that 23 individuals, including two senior and four high-ranking armed forces officers, were detained by the MACC as part of the probe. Azam clarified that the arrests pertain to a corruption and abuse of power investigation focusing on the procurement and use of public funds. “The allegations involve the receipt of bribes from several companies linked to procurement contracts for the Armed Forces Welfare Fund (TKAT) and the Ministry of Defence,” he explained.

(Jan 19): The Indonesian rupiah teetered near record lows on Monday as fresh uncertainty from US President Donald Trump's threat of extra tariffs on European nations added to pressure from concerns over the country's widening fiscal deficit. That, alongside higher inflation and concerns over Bank Indonesia's autonomy continue to pressure the rupiah. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has nominated his nephew to join the central bank's board of governors, Reuters reported earlier on Monday, citing two sources. Shaun Lim, a currency strategist with Maybank, attributed the rupiah's weakness to rising domestic fiscal concerns, and global uncertainty, which would affect "vulnerable" currencies such as the rupiah. Elsewhere, the Philippine peso slid 0.1%, continuing to hover just above its record low of 59.524 a dollar.

A temporary cut to the sales tax on food is already included in a ruling bloc agreement that Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) signed with junior partner Japan Innovation Party. Currently Japan applies an 8% tax on most purchases of food and non-alcoholic beverages, compared with a standard consumption tax rate of 10%. On Friday, co-leader Yoshihiko Noda said his party would look to cut the sales tax while maintaining fiscal discipline and not issuing additional deficit bonds. If Japan’s giant pension fund could also be used to fund the sales tax cut by using some of its profits from managing overseas assets, the yen would be bought in the trillions each year, Okamoto added. Japan’s government bond yields jumped as reports on the food sales tax cut renewed fiscal concerns.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 19): Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd (KL:ABMB) on Monday officially launched its new 24-floor office suite, Menara Alliance Bank, located along Jalan Ampang in Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle. The move represents more than a change of address, symbolising Alliance Bank’s growth, sustainability ambitions and future-forward transformation under its Acceler8 2027 strategy, the bank said in a statement. Alliance Bank in 2023 announced the acquisition of the 24-storey office suite along Jalan Ampang, developed by a subsidiary of Oxley Holdings Ltd, for RM405.84 million. Alliance Bank group chief executive officer Kellee Kam“As we look ahead, our focus remains firmly on creating long-term value for our customers, our people and the communities we serve. The new Menara Alliance Bank truly represents our values and belief system to be a bank for all Malaysians, right here in the heart of the capital.

(Jan 19): Danantara, Indonesia’s new sovereign wealth fund, plans to raise 20 trillion rupiah (US$1.2 billion, or RM4.86 billion) in the first half via a fresh round of so-called patriot bonds, according to people familiar with the matter. During the previous round, Danantara issued five- and seven-year bonds with a coupon of around 2%. Although the first round initially targeted US$3.1 billion, ultimately US$3.6 billion was raised after some additional notes were sold, the people said. Selling patriot bonds to raise money was part of Danantara’s presentation to President Prabowo Subianto earlier this month. Tapping tycoons for a second round of patriot bonds is likely to add to the anxiety Indonesia’s wealthy are feeling, having already been unnerved by the administration’s crackdown on the affluent.

SHAH ALAM (Jan 19): Datuk Seri Najib Razak only wanted to clear his name and reputation in pursuing his defamation suit against former attorney general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas. On Monday, both Najib and Thomas, along with publisher GB Gerakbudaya Enterprise Sdn Bhd, recorded a consent judgement in the defamation suit, bringing the case to an end. Parties agreed to no order as to cost, and for Najib to withdraw the suit with no liberty to file afresh. As this should end all the rumours and coffeeshop talk [linking Najib to the murder]. "For many years, my client has been upset, because there's no evidence, but there were rumours that linked him to the murder," Shafee said.

(Jan 19): A large explosion at a steel plant in northern China killed at least two workers, injured dozens of others, and prompted the country’s emergencies ministry to send officials to the site. Two workers died, eight are missing, and a further 84 people were sent to hospital, China Central Television said in a website report on Monday. Shares of the company — a unit of state-owned Baotou Iron and Steel Group Co — sank by their daily limit of 10% before erasing some of the losses. Search and rescue teams are still at the site after the explosion at the plant. It ranked as China’s 16th-biggest steelmaker in 2024, producing 15 million tonnes, according to data from the World Steel Association.

(Jan 19): US President Donald Trump called a New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) equities trading outpost in Texas “an UNBELIEVABLY BAD THING” for New York and a “big test” for Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who took office earlier this month. “I can’t believe they would let this happen,” Trump said in a post on the Truth Social site issued late Sunday in the US. The NYSE said in February 2025 that it would reincorporate its NYSE Chicago operations in Texas and launch a fully electronic exchange in Dallas, pending regulatory filings. NYSE Texas opened for business in March, well before Mamdani became the mayor of New York. The president’s media venture, Trump Media & Technology Group Corp, was among the first companies to show its intention to list on the NYSE’s upstart site in Texas.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 19): Teladan Group Bhd (KL:TELADAN) has launched the Bukit Intan Commercial Centre in Seremban, marking its first project outside its home base of Melaka. According to a press release Monday (Jan 19), the freehold commercial development signals the group’s strategic expansion into higher-growth markets beyond its traditional footprint. Located within Greater Klang Valley, the development is accessible via the North-South Expressway and positioned to serve the growing commercial demand in Negeri Sembilan. Bukit Intan Commercial Centre is designed to accommodate a range of uses, including retail, food and beverage, services, and offices, catering to Seremban’s evolving urban landscape. “The launch of Bukit Intan Commercial Centre represents an important step for Teladan as we expand beyond Melaka for the first time,” said chief executive officer Allan Ngu.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 19): Nearly three in four business leaders worldwide now prioritise resilience investments, with 74% seeing resilience as a driver of growth, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF). “Together, these forces underscore why supply chain resilience has become a central determinant of national competitiveness and corporate strategy,” said WEF. Kearney partner Per Kristian Hong said supply chain disruption in 2026 will be constant and structural. “For supply leaders, the priority is no longer forecasting disruption, but redesigning operating models to function under permanent uncertainty. That means moving away from efficiency-driven supply chains and towards adaptive networks that can be reconfigured with optionality as conditions change,” he said.

Of the 31 initial public offerings (IPOs), seven were on the Main Market and 24 on the ACE Market (excluding the LEAP Market). Two years on, the 2023 IPO cohort has delivered mixed results in terms of share price performance. As at Dec 31, 2025, 16 were trading below their IPO price, while the remaining 15 had traded higher (see table). Mixed performance on the ACE MarketIf the Main Market told a story of broad underperformance, the ACE Market delivered mixed results. The Thai-based snack food distributor surged 191.3% to 67 sen, from its IPO price of 23 sen.

Heritage as an economic strategyFor too long, cultural preservation in Malaysia has been viewed as a cost centre. When restored and activated, heritage sites have the potential to become high-return assets that strengthen tourism, catalyse urban regeneration and elevate a nation’s and a city’s international brand. The public has far longed for revitalised urban centres, strengthened public spaces and a hub for cultural, economic and social interactions. Heritage sites must be accessible to Malaysians from all walks of life and backgrounds to become living narratives. Restoring iconic buildings gives utterance to the soul of the nation, for the Malaysians of today and tomorrow.

(Jan 19): The dollar faces fresh headwinds as President Donald Trump weighs tariffs on European nations tied to his plan to acquire Greenland, raising uncertainties over US policies, according to analysts. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell 0.1% in Asia after Trump threatened a 10% tariff on European allies supporting Denmark’s hold on Greenland. The market will also be looking for the ‘TACO trade’ as Trump could be using the threat of tariffs as a negotiating ploy. Europe will be one of the biggest losers of the growing geopolitical risks under Trump’s presidency in 2026. The market dynamic is that US assets, including the US dollar, are now carrying a much higher political risk premium.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 19): HSBC predicts the US Federal Reserve will maintain interest rates throughout 2026, citing no economic justification for a reduction. This outlook places HSBC at odds with market consensus, which currently forecasts one or two rate cuts in 2026. “HSBC is actually not expecting the Fed to cut interest rates,” Neumann said during an outlook webinar on Monday. The US Fed delivered a 25 basis point cut in its last meeting in December last year, bringing the federal funds rate to 3.5%-3.75%. Powell’s term as Fed chair ends in May, though his term as a governor at the central bank runs until January 2028.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 19): Iconic Penang Sdn Bhd has officially opened the Iconic Marjorie Penang, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel by Marriott International, in a move to capture increased tourist arrivals ahead of the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign. Executive director James Tan Cho Chia said the group aims to support Penang’s tourism sector, which is expected to benefit from the state’s growing prominence as a global destination. “With the grand opening of Iconic Marjorie Penang, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, the Iconic Group is well positioned to capitalise on the influx of tourists into Penang and contribute to the growth of Penang’s tourism industry,” he said. The hotel also features three food and beverage outlets: Tiffin Hall, Loom & Leafs Lounge, and Senses Bar. The launch event was attended by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang Tuan Yang Terutama Tun Ramli Ngah Talib, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, as well as federal ministers and senior state government officials.