KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 23): Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) said its domestic network saw 9.4 million passenger movements in January, the opening month of Visit Malaysia Year 2026. "As traffic grows, we remain focused on upgrading infrastructure, strengthening network connectivity, and delivering consistent service standards across all our airports. "These enhancements are part of our proactive approach to ensuring capacity, reliability and service quality keep pace with growth," he said. Meanwhile, MAHB said service enhancements continued in January with the launch of RIMBA @ KLIA at the Satellite Building of KLIA Terminal 1, offering passengers a calm, nature-inspired rest area. "These services connect to Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Tawau and Penang, supporting tourism and regional economic growth," it said.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 23): The strengthening of the ringgit is not expected to have a significant impact on Malaysia’s export performance and trade balance, said Deputy Economy Minister Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah. He said the country’s trade balance increased by 9.2% to RM151.8 billion in 2025, recording a surplus for 28 consecutive years since 1998. “The ringgit’s strengthening reflects strong economic fundamentals, including resilient export performance, a continuous trade surplus, and sustained external demand for Malaysia’s goods and services. “Malaysia’s trade balance performance remained strong even when the ringgit was at RM3.80 against the US dollar during the implementation of the ringgit peg from 1998 to 2005,” he said in a Dewan Negara question-and-answer session on Monday. Therefore, these strategic measures are expected to support efforts to maintain the trade surplus and subsequently achieve export growth of 5.8% annually during the 13MP.

PORT DICKSON: A five-year-old girl died after a car driven by her father crashed into a PLUS emergency response team lorry at KM16.6 of the Seremban-Port Dickson Highway. Port Dickson OCPD Supt Maslan Udin said the incident happened at 6.55pm on Sunday (Feb 22) during a downpour. "The father is believed to have lost control of the car and crashed into the rear of the lorry. "The lorry then moved forward and crashed into another PLUS-owned four-wheel-drive patrol vehicle," he said in a statement on Monday (Feb 23). The victim, who was seated in the front passenger seat of the car, died while receiving treatment in hospital about an hour later.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 23): Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd said AutoCount Dotcom Bhd (KL:ADB) will be transferred from the ACE Market to the Main Market under the technology sector, effective 9am, Feb 25, this Wednesday. The exchange said the stock short name and stock number for the company remain unchanged. At 11.43am on Monday, the financial management software provider's shares were down half a sen at 70.5 sen, with 169,800 shares traded. Read also:Autocount gets greenlight for Main Market transfer

He advised residents in nearby areas to remain alert to instructions from the authorities, stay calm and not panic. "Obtain verified information from the Disaster Portal or the official social media channels of the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), National Disaster Management Agency and other relevant agencies. MetMalaysia, in a statement Monday morning, said a strong earthquake measuring magnitude 6.8 struck off the coast of Sabah at 12.57 am, but it posed no tsunami threat. The epicentre was located 49 km west of Kudat, Sabah, and the tremors were felt in Sabah as well as in several areas in Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia. Ahmad Zahid said MetMalaysia will continue to monitor the situation.

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia remains free of the Nipah virus, with the situation continuously monitored through preventive measures and ongoing preparedness, says the Veterinary Services Department (DVS). "Surveillance measures include annual monitoring of domestic and wild pigs for early detection. Last year, more than 2,000 samples from domestic pigs and 48 samples from wild boar were tested, all returning negative results for the Nipah virus," the statement read. DVS also controls pork imports, permitting only countries certified as Nipah-free to export to Malaysia. Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease transmitted from animals to humans.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 23): Foreign investors ended their six-week net buying streak last week, recording net outflows of RM65.7 million in the shortened trading week due to Chinese New Year holidays, according to MBSB Investment Bank Bhd. “The top three sectors that recorded net foreign inflows were financial services (RM138.4 million), utilities (RM79.2 million), and energy (RM17.1 million). “Meanwhile, the top three sectors that recorded net foreign outflows were consumer products and services (-RM177.4 million), property (-RM37.7 million), and healthcare (-RM37.1 million),” it said. According to MBSB, local institutions recorded a net outflow of RM50.2 million, marking their third consecutive week of net selling. Regionally, MBSB said foreign investors returned to net selling, with total net outflows of US$549.3 million (RM2.14 billion), driven mainly by South Korea, India, and Malaysia, while Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines recorded net inflows.

“We are asking New Yorkers to avoid all non-essential travel,” Mamdani said in a news conference. Streets will be closed to most cars, trucks, electronic bikes and scooters, though there are exceptions for emergency vehicles and essential workers. New Jersey Transit bus and light rail service is suspended after 6pm on Sunday and trains are expected to stop by 9pm. Private bus company Boxcar, which has routes from the Jersey suburbs into the city, cancelled all routes on Monday. — NJ TRANSIT (@NJTRANSIT) February 22, 2026New Jersey also restricted travel during the storm, starting at 9pm Sunday and running through 7am Monday morning.

The department is not merely a communications outfit but an agency entrusted with protecting the country’s political security, said director-general Datuk Ismail Yusop. ALSO READ: Creating a critical bridge to win public trust“We must take responsibility for what is called political security. “There has been no single dominant political party since 2022. Ismail believes that maintaining political stability is crucial for uninterrupted country governance. Ultimately, he said, safeguarding political security was about upholding the Federal Constitu­tion and ensuring that differences in opinion do not fracture the nation.

Jalan Sri Manja stretch, especially at the Taman Buana Perdana/Jalan PJS 3/25 junction and the NPE Exit 1005, near Taman Dato’ Harun, have frequently been identified as flash flood hotspots. Ong: Flooding at KM18.9 near Jalan Sri Manja is caused by long-standing up­­stream drainage limitations, maintenance issues. The area around Jalan Sri Manja including the retention pond, is badly in need of maintenance. “Whenever there is a downpour, floodwaters enter my home near Jalan PJS 3/40,” said long-time resident Malar Muniandy. Nearby, the Sri Manja retention pond appeared shallow and poorly maintained, with dark, stagnant water covered in patches of floating silt and debris.

PETALING JAYA: Several MPs are calling for a long-overdue review of Malaysia’s parliamentary boundaries, warning that decades of population growth in urban constituencies have created huge imbalances in voter representation. He pointed out that Johor has 25 parliamentary seats, while some East Coast states have fewer than 10. “Given Malaysia’s growth and the workload MPs face in large constituencies, the time is right to review boundaries. He said the growing disparity in electorate sizes between parliamentary constituencies has raised serious concerns about equality in the country’s electoral system. However, he urged the EC to retain the categories of parliamentary constituencies as urban, suburban and rural.

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar’s (pic) sta­ture as a technocrat and professional has made him acceptable to all Perikatan Nasional components as its new chairman, it was pointed out. “So, among all the possible names, the one considered acceptable to everyone was Ahmad Samsuri because of his professional background,” he added. Mazlan said with the sacking of Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin as Bersatu deputy president, PAS is likely to dominate in Perikatan. “The elevation of Ahmad Samsuri signals an attempt to project a more technocratic and moderate image, but PAS’s multi-­ethnic acceptability still depends on policy moderation, not just leadership optics. “Structurally, PAS now dominates Perikatan, and Bersatu may look sidelined with PAS holding the strategic helm of the coalition.

From exploring Ramadan bazaars to sampling an assortment of food, these students find the season both unique and meaningful. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) student Mashfiq Mahmud, who is from Bangladesh, said he misses spending time with his family, but his experience in Malaysia is rewarding and, in many ways, quite familiar. “In Malaysia, mosques give free food every Ramadan, unlike in Bangladesh. He also finds the Ramadan bazaars equally fascinating. You will know Ramadan has arrived just by looking at the streets and shops, as they are filled with lights.”

JOHOR BARU: As the festive break ends, travellers are relieved to be able to avoid gridlock by using the recently launched Johor Baru-Kuala Lumpur Electric Train Service (ETS). Ang said he boarded the train to KL Sentral before taking another train to Kampar. Also excited to try the ETS for the first time was 19-year-old Han Yee Thian, who was returning to campus in Sepang. She spent over six hours stuck in heavy traffic while travelling back for Chinese New Year last year. “This year, I was able to get to Johor Baru in about four hours, and I believe my journey back to Kuala Lumpur will be just as smooth,” she said.

Mayor Datuk A. Rajendran said, “Ramadan bazaars are major crowd-pullers. He was speaking to reporters after opening the Lebuh Queen Ramadan bazaar and visiting some of the stalls. He said enforcement officers would be keeping an eye on 27 Ramadan bazaars, including Lebuh Queen, to ensure compliance with the rules. Tourists seeing what is on offer at the Lebuh Queen bazaar in George Town. “We only allow foreign workers to assist local traders at Ramadan bazaars, but not to cook or operate the stalls.