MB: Perlis investment approval process to be restructured, with shorter waiting time
KANGAR (Jan 7): The approval process for investments in Perlis will be restructured to shorten the waiting period, which previously took between two and three months. Perlis Menteri Besar Abu Bakar Hamzah said the state government wants a decision to be made more quickly, either in granting approval or informing investors of their ineligibility. Meanwhile, he said a more progressive, professional, and solution-oriented change in attitude and approach is needed across the entire state government machinery to boost Perlis' economic growth. The development of Perlis requires an efficient, fast, and integrated working machinery. The discipline of civil servants needs to be strengthened, including stopping the practice of going out for drinks outside office premises during working hours," he also said.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 07, 2026 06:52 UTC
South Korea's Lee says he asked Xi to play a mediating role on North Korea
SEOUL (Jan 7): South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Wednesday that much progress had been made in restoring trust with Beijing, and that he had asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to play a role in mediating Seoul's efforts to engage North Korea. Lee, who held talks with Xi this week, said the Chinese leader had noted that patience was needed when they discussed nuclear-armed North Korea. Lee was speaking to South Korean media in Shanghai with his remarks relayed live on television. "President Xi acknowledged our efforts so far and said patience is needed," Lee said. Lee said South Korea considered its ties with Japan as important as its relations with China.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 07, 2026 06:42 UTC
Resource wealth is not national wealth
The global energy debate continues to recycle a powerful illusion: that natural resource abundance automatically translates into national prosperity. The global energy debate continues to recycle a powerful illusion: that natural resource abundance automatically translates into national prosperity. Wealth is created only when resources are governed competently, developed by skilled institutions, protected by political stability, and embedded within a national strategy that transcends local pride, short-term politics, and episodic ambition. It required political stability, policy continuity across administrations, and — critically — a genuine team effort across the federation. - Wealth without political stability attracts external leverage.
Source:New Strait Times
January 07, 2026 06:39 UTC
China targets online commerce battles in latest regulatory salvo
A separate set of regulations, also published by the State Administration for Market Regulation and Cyberspace Administration of China, also bars online influencers from making false claims. Alibaba’s shares slid as much as 4.2% in Hong Kong, leading losses in peers such as AI video platform Kuaishou, JD and Meituan. Beijing has since 2025 heightened scrutiny of the country’s vast retail arena, particularly after Alibaba, JD and Meituan began spending billions of dollars on subsidies and incentives to try and dominate meal delivery. Some of the new regulations are designed to specifically target misbehaviours of platforms, the online tech companies that connect buyers with sellers. The new rules also require them to protect consumers and user data, and violations can lead to warnings and fines.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 07, 2026 06:37 UTC
Interior fit-out firm Adnex, run by two brothers, signs up underwriter for ACE Market listing
KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 7): Adnex Group Bhd has signed an agreement with Public Investment Bank Bhd to underwrite its initial public offering (IPO) on the ACE Market. Under the agreement, Public Investment will underwrite shares set aside for the Malaysian public and the "pink form" allocation for eligible persons, the interior fit-out services firm said in a statement. “The signing of this underwriting agreement represents another major step in our journey towards becoming a listed company,” said Adnex managing director Kan Wai Chun. Headquartered in Shah Alam, Selangor, Adnex specialises in interior fit-out services for commercial and industrial properties, including corporate offices, food-and-beverage outlets, and sales galleries. Post-listing, Wai Chun’s shareholding will fall to 55.5% from 75% while Wai Peng’s ownership will be diluted to 18.5% from 25%.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 07, 2026 06:27 UTC
IN THE COURTS 2025: What’s next for Semantan Estate?
The latest decision was made, notwithstanding that the 2009 High Court decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal and Federal Court in 2012. The calculation and compensation for the illegal acquisition will now be determined by High Court judge Roslan Mat Noor. Mesne profit is the rental loss that could have been obtained by Semantan Estate for the property if it had continued to own the land. Whatever the outcome, each separate finding could be subject to an appeal to the Court of Appeal and Federal Court. “It would be ‘horrendous’ if an order were issued to return the land to Semantan Estate after nearly 70 years.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 07, 2026 06:21 UTC
Gamuda, IJM set to benefit from steady construction job flows in 2026
Malaysia’s top construction players, including Gamuda Bhd and IJM Corp Bhd, may see increased opportunities this year as headline job flows in the sector are expected to remain on par with 2024-2025, supporting steady expansion of the industry’s order book. NSTP/SAIFULLIZAN TAMADIKUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's top construction players, including Gamuda Bhd and IJM Corp Bhd, may see increased opportunities this year as headline job flows in the sector are expected to remain on par with 2024-2025, supporting steady expansion of the industry's order book. Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd (HLIB) highlighted hyperscale data centres as a key growth driver, with larger campuses potentially taking shape in 2026. The bank is maintaining its "Overweight" stance on the sector for 2026, supported by an ongoing order book expansion phase. HLIB's top sector picks are Gamuda (Buy; target price: RM6.88) and IJM (Buy; target price: RM3.40).
Source:New Strait Times
January 07, 2026 06:19 UTC
IN THE COURTS 2025: The curious case of Ismail Sabri
And why did the case involving politically connected entrepreneur Datuk Farhash Wafa Salvador’s mineral exploration licence fizzle out without any charges? The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) — the body responsible for deciding whether prosecution proceeds — has kept quiet on why the case has stalled. This also makes a strong case for the separation of the roles of the public prosecutor and the attorney-general. Only a little less beguiling, was the case of Farhash, the former political secretary of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. In early 2025, MACC investigated claims that Farhash had acquired a mineral exploration licence through a politically connected company.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 07, 2026 06:12 UTC
China shoulders its favourite trade war weapon in feud with Japan
The affected materials would be the same seven elements that China restricted in April in response to the trade war launched by the US. Since 2010, when China banned rare earths supplies to Japan as part of a territorial dispute, Tokyo has made some progress in building up a supply chain outside China. In particular, the Japanese government and industry bankrolled the expansion of Australia’s Lynas Rare Earths Ltd, one of the few Western miners and processors of the minerals. In 2024, a former minister told Bloomberg that Japan’s dependence on China for the full suite of 17 rare earths had fallen to 60% from 80%-90%. The threat to expand restrictions to civil customers once again highlights how so-called heavy rare earths, used as essential ingredients in powerful magnets, remain a key pressure point.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 07, 2026 06:02 UTC
IN THE COURTS 2025: Judges take executive and police to task in searing comments
In the following cases, the judges did not mince their words in highlighting the failure of the executive and police to act as duty-bound. The judge also granted RM4 million in general damages and RM250,000 in legal costs to Koh’s family. The High Court had also relied on the commission’s report in its judgments. The government subsequently filed a fresh application at the Court of Appeal, which was granted on Nov 18, 2025. Police subsequently opened an investigation under Section 505(c) of the Penal Code for making statements conducive to public mischief.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 07, 2026 06:02 UTC
Trump to meet oil bosses in bid for Venezuelan output revival
(Jan 7): US President Donald Trump is set to meet with energy executives at the White House within the next week as he seeks to enlist Western companies in rebuilding Venezuela’s oil industry. The timing remains fluid, a White House official said. But some oil companies are wary of pouring tens of billions of dollars into the country over the next decade. Wright is separately expected to meet with executives from major oil companies during the Goldman Sachs Energy, Clean Tech & Utilities Conference on Wednesday in Miami, a White House official said. In the current environment, a gathering also could be seen as an endorsement of Trump’s plans to use Western oil companies to rebuild the Venezuelan oil sector.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 07, 2026 05:52 UTC
Stocks with momentum on Jan 7, 2026: AGX Group, Sorento Capital, Pinehill Pacific, Globaltec Formation, Malaysia Smelting Corporation and Golden Land
KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 7): theedgemalaysia.com highlighted six stocks with momentum at Bursa Malaysia’s afternoon close on Wednesday. One showed positive momentum, while another five showed negative momentum. It merely tells you which stocks are seeing higher-than-normal volume and price movements. But the “+ve” (suggesting a rising price trend on volume) and “-ve” (suggesting a falling price trend on volume) indicators should give readers a better idea of what the market is buying and when to sell. However, each stock has an accompanying fundamental score and valuation score to help readers evaluate the attractiveness of the stocks if they want to ride the momentum.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 07, 2026 05:42 UTC
Chip stocks jump on AI optimism, Dow ends at record high
SAN FRANCISCO: Wall Street ended higher on Tuesday, as chip stocks surged on renewed AI optimism, Moderna rallied and the Dow Jones Industrial Average reached a record high. Moderna jumped almost 11% after BofA Global Research raised its price target on the drugmaker, helping lift the S&P 500 healthcare index 1.96%. Memory and storage technology stocks rallied after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, gave details about upcoming AI processors that include a new layer of storage technology. Advancing issues outnumbered falling ones within the S&P 500 by a 3.1-to-one ratio. The S&P 500 posted 62 new highs and 8 new lows; the Nasdaq recorded 126 new highs and 42 new lows.
Source:The Star
January 07, 2026 05:40 UTC
Thai central bank stresses policy must take medium-term view
One factor weighing on decisions would be financial imbalances that build up from keeping rates low for a long time, the central bank said. The Monetary Policy Committee last month voted unanimously to cut the one-day repurchase rate by 25 basis points to 1.25%, the fifth cut in 14 months. The central bank has downgraded Thailand’s growth outlook for this year to 1.5%, from 1.6%, as consumption and exports slow. Solving Thailand’s economic and financial problems requires a combination of policy tools across multiple dimensions, the central bank said. The growth outlook is also clouded by forecasts of a hung parliament after elections next month.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 07, 2026 05:27 UTC
Gold slips from one-week high on profit-booking, dollar strength
Spot gold slipped 1.1% to US$4,449.38 per ounce, as of 0715 GMT. It touched a record high of US$4,549.71 last Monday. The dollar held near a more than two-week high, making greenback-priced assets more expensive for other currency holders. Elsewhere, spot silver lost 2.5% to US$79.27 per ounce, down from an all-time high of US$83.62 hit on Dec 29. Spot platinum dropped 6.2% to US$2,291.24 per ounce, receding from a record high US$2,478.50 touched last Monday.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 07, 2026 05:22 UTC