After the US attacked Venezuela and arrested its president, President Donald Trump proclaimed that the US now runs Venezuela and that the country’s oil resources would be available for American companies to exploit. The current US administration has watered down or abolished many of the reforms brought in after the 2001 market crash and following the 2008 global financial crisis. When the overheated US financial markets will correct is anyone’s guess, but it is only a matter of time. For now, the global economy is poised to do well in the early months of 2026. The global economy also benefited from falling oil prices, which reduced energy costs for consumers and businesses.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 19): The King, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, reminded leaders that while state rights must be upheld, the nation’s interests should always take precedence. Sultan Ibrahim said Malaysia was formed through the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), which united Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak into a single nation. “State rights must always be respected. Sultan Ibrahim also reminded lawmakers that debates, decisions and votes in Parliament go beyond party political positions and will shape the country’s future. Meanwhile, Sultan Ibrahim commended the country’s economic performance under the unity government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 19): WM Senibong Bhd has completed the acquisition of Kews Senibong Sdn Bhd and the landholdings of Senibong Golf Club from Walker Corporation Pty Ltd for RM400 million. According to a statement on Monday, the transaction adds approximately 270 acres of mixed-use development land located in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, to the group’s portfolio. “The Kews land bank is exceptionally valuable, not only for its size and location, but for what it allows us to create,” said Quay. To date, Kews Senibong has posted annual sales growth of between 25% and 30%, driven primarily by local demand. Its first phase, Kew Green 1, launched in December 2024, was fully sold within three months.

StarMetro found that from Dec 31 until Jan 10, all waste collected in Kuala Lumpur was sent straight to the landfill. Community activist Yee Poh Ping described the situation as a “rubbish crisis.”He said residents complained that the stench of uncollected rubbish made them feel unwell. A senior Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKl) officer said the local authority had also received numerous complaints on this matter. “Collections in Kuala Lumpur were pushed into late evenings and nights, when operations are more challenging. Following the termination of Umpan Jaya’s contract, operations were handed over to Alam Flora Environmental Solutions, which ran the facility until June 2023.

The US dietary guidelines introduced this month feature an upside-down pyramid prioritising protein, dairy and healthy fats along with vegetables and fruits. It also recommends the intake of refined carbohydrates such as white bread, ready-to-eat or packaged breakfast options, flour tortillas and crackers. However, he said one must consider that dietary guidelines were developed based on specific cultural, food system and lifestyle contexts. Reiterating that international dietary models could offer useful scientific insights, he advised Malaysians to continue relying on the Malaysian Dietary Guidelines and suku-suku separuh concept. Dietitian Ng Kar Foo upheld the Malaysian Dietary Guidelines, saying it was developed primarily using Malaysian data and not outdated.

KUALA LUMPUR: CIMB Research has revised its gross domestic product (GDP) forecast for this year upward to 4.4% from 4.1 % previously, supported by continued growth momentum in the services and construction sectors but balanced by moderation in manufacturing. The research house said in a note that the advanced estimate for the fourth quarter growth last year (4Q25) surprised again, showing a year-on-year (y-o-y) increase of 5.7%, leading to overall growth of 4.9% for the full year. “We expect the strong momentum in the services sector to be carried into this year on the back of the second round of a salary hike for civil servants, the February disbursement of Sumbangan Asas Rahmah aid, as well as the Visit Malaysia Year. “This will likely be tempered by a slowdown in the manufacturing sector as demand for exports, particularly in non-electric and electronics categories, weakens, leading to average GDP growth of 4.4% this year,” it said.

KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia X Bhd has completed the acquisition of AirAsia Bhd (AAB) and AirAsia Aviation Group Ltd from Capital A Bhd , marking the final step in the consolidation of the group’s aviation businesses. “The transaction was settled via the allotment and issuance of 2,307,692,307 new ordinary shares in AirAsia X to Capital A and its entitled shareholders, together with AirAsia X’s assumption of RM3.8bil previously owed by Capital A to AAB,” the group said in a statement.

Just as investors seek dividends in an uncertain market, plantation companies are turning their attention inward, focusing on boosting fresh fruit bunch (FFB) yields, analysts said. On the forecast for CPO prices, Kenanga Research said it expects it to average RM4,000 per tonne this year, down from RM4,308 last year. With average CPO prices ending firmer last year, he expects plantation companies to reinvest in mechanisation and replanting programmes to boost estate efficiency and maximise long-term planted acreage. “With exports still soft and inventories elevated, we see limited upside for CPO prices in the near term, which supports a more tactical, profit-taking stance for the sector,” the analyst said. According to Kenanga Research, plantation sector valuations have largely normalised and are now in line with the broader market after a late-year rally.

IPOH: A Taiwanese woman was found drowned after she went snorkelling at Pantai Teluk Nipah near Pulau Pangkor on Sunday (Jan 18). Manjung district police chief ACP Hasbullah Abd Rahman said the victim, 72, was found by a tour guide at about 12.30pm. "The victim was believed to be snorkelling at Pulau Giam with other members of her family,” he said. A post-mortem will be conducted at Seri Manjung Hospital on Monday (Jan 19), and the case has been classified as a sudden death report.

While acknowledging the policy’s long-term aim of accelerating local talent development, he said a rigid rollout could raise costs and weaken competitiveness. In the short term, Foo said uncertainty or restricted access to specialised talent could slow foreign professional inflows and innovation, particularly in advan­ced manufacturing, digital technology and specialised services where local talent depth is still developing. “As companies focus on hiring more local talent, they will see that the cost of employing Malay­sians is often more affordable. The government will raise minimum salaries for expatriates and limit the duration of their work passes from June 1, aiming to prioritise local talent. The policy, approved by the Cabi­net last October, restructures salary bands for Expatriate Employ­ment Passes and sets defi­ned employment durations, ­balancing foreign expertise with local workforce development.

PUTRAJAYA: A migrant smuggling syndicate known as “Iqbal” was crippled following a raid by a team of immigration officers on a safe house, says Datuk Zakaria Shaaban. “The safe house was located in a remote village, as a tactic to evade the authorities. “It was used as a transit to house migrants who were recently smuggled into the country,” he said in a statement yesterday, Bernama reported. The raid, he added, was led by a special team from the department’s Prevention Division based at its headquarters in Putrajaya, in coordination with Kelantan’s Immigration Enforcement Divi­sion. The illegal migrants were taken to a temporary safe house to settle outstanding entry fees before being transported to their final destinations.

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 3,545 impure gold items were seized from a business premises at the Kuchai Lama Business Centre by enforcement officers from the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry recently. Investigations revealed that the premises served as a supplier to a retailer marketing the same gold products online. The items on display at the premises matched those advertised on social media, the statement added, Bernama reported. Tests carried out on the seized items revealed that their gold content varied between 80% and 98% for each piece weighing 0.01g. The ministry said it would intensify enforcement operations to curb misleading and deceptive business practices, especially involving the sale of precious metal products.

IF I were an ageing oil palm tree, I would rise each dawn like an old maestro – baton in hand, heart still full of rhythms once played, but muscles increasingly worn. When crude palm oil prices are high, my planters pat my trunk and say, “Hold on, old friend – your fruits are fetching a fine price.”Replanting is deferred, as short-term gains are chased in a market that feels generous today. An ageing oil palm is not a venerable oak growing wiser with time; it is a declining biomechanical unit governed by a biological clock. This interlocking web – ageing trees, labour shortages, mechanisation gaps and disease pressure – forms the inconvenient truth of the oil palm industry. The future of oil palm will not be decided by how long we hold on, but by how wisely - and how bravely - we choose to let go.

Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Comm Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa (pic) said statistics showed a significant rise in property agent-related scams since 2023 with total losses amounting to RM6.49mil. Overall, a total of 52 property agent scam cases were recorded over the three-year period, he added. “The modus operandi typically involves individuals impersona­ting property agents and adverti­sing properties on Facebook Marketplace. To overcome such scams more effectively, he said CCID has esta­blished strategic cooperation with the Board of Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents and Property Mana­gers Malaysia. He advised the public to remain vigilant, stressing that anyone could fall victim to property scams.

Futures for the S&P 500 fell 0.7% and those for the Nasdaq 100 Index fell almost 1% as trading started. Treasury futures also rose. Equity-index futures pointed to declines in Japan and Hong Kong when markets reopen, after US shares inched lower on Friday. Futures for the S&P 500 fell 0.7% and those for the Nasdaq 100 Index fell almost 1% as trading started. Eyes will then shift to the European open, with the region’s equities likely to bare the brunt of any selloff, according to strategists.