Muhyiddin: I resign as Perikatan chief
PETALING JAYA: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has confirmed that he is stepping down as Perikatan Nasional chief. In a short statement issued on Tuesday (Dec 30), Muhyiddin, who is also the Bersatu President, said that he will resign from his post as chairman of Perikatan on Jan 1, 2026. "I have decided to resign as Perikatan chairman effective Jan 1, 2026. I thank all Perikatan leadership for their support during my five-year tenure. I wish the best for the Perikatan leadership and all component parties," said Muhyiddin.
Source:The Star
December 30, 2025 08:50 UTC
QuickCheck: Is TikTok being asked to shut down in Malaysia?
A VIRAL social media post says that TikTok is being shut down in Malaysia. "The TV station has also lodged a police report and denied that the post was published on any of its news platforms," it added. The statement also said that an individual had been called in to give their statement at the Kerian district police headquarters in Perak. "Always verify the authenticity of information before posting, sharing, or commenting on social media. "The spread of false content and misuse of identity not only misleads the public but can also lead to legal action," it added.
Source:The Star
December 30, 2025 08:50 UTC
Najib files appeal against 1MDB conviction and RM11.4bil fine
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak has filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal against his conviction and sentence in the RM2.28bil 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) case. His lawyer Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee confirmed that the notice was filed last night (Dec 29). On Friday (Dec 26), the High Court found Najib guilty of four power abuse charges and 21 money laundering charges involving RM2.28bil linked to 1MDB funds. While no fine was imposed for the money laundering charges, the court ordered him to pay a recoverable sum of RM2.081bil, in default of 270 months' jail, for those charges. Najib was charged with four counts of using his position to obtain RM2.28bil in gratification from 1MDB funds and 21 counts of money laundering involving the same amount.
Source:The Star
December 30, 2025 08:45 UTC
Johor Perikatan chairman resigns following Muhyiddin’s announcement
JOHOR BARU: Johor Perikatan Nasional chairman Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal has stepped down from his position, shortly after Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced his own resignation. “With this, I resign as Johor Perikatan chairman. I, too, lost my position as MB (mentri besar), so I gladly step down as Perikatan chairman,” said the Johor Bersatu chief. Dr Sahruddin is a former Johor mentri besar, replaced by Datuk Hasni Mohammad after Bersatu’s withdrawal from Pakatan Harapan in Johor in 2020. Earlier on Tuesday (Dec 30), Muhyiddin confirmed he will step down as Perikatan Nasional chief effective Jan 1, 2026.
Source:The Star
December 30, 2025 08:37 UTC
Organ transplantation to be made part of national agenda next year
KUALA LUMPUR: Organ transplantation will be placed on the national agenda next year, with the Health Ministry restructuring the National Transplant Centre (NTC) into a central command body. ALSO READ: The unsung heroes behind organ donation in Malaysia"We are elevating the National Transplant Resource Centre (NTRC) (into the) NTC, directly under the purview of the Medical Development Division, ministry headquarters. This shifts it from a 'hospital unit' to a 'national command centre' giving it the mandate to drive policy nationwide." Among the key initiatives outlined is the groundwork for establishing a National Transplant Council, which will function as the central authority for data and resource management. "Over 400,000 Malaysians have registered as organ donors, yet more than 10,000 patients remain on transplant waiting lists.
Source:The Star
December 30, 2025 08:20 UTC
Decisions involving PN must be made at supreme council level, say youth leaders
KUALA LUMPUR: Decisions involving Perikatan Nasional must be made through a consensus of all its component parties, say three of the coalition's youth leaders. In a joint statement on Tuesday (Dec 30), Bersatu Armada chief Muhammad Hilman Idham, Gerakan Youth chief Lee Boon Shian and Malaysian Indian People’s Party Youth chief Justin Prabakaran said all decisions made in Perikatan's name must be referred to, discussed and decided through its supreme council. ALSO READ: Muhyiddin: I resign as Perikatan chief"This is in line with Clause 13 of Perikatan's constitution. "Although all component parties can express their views, the (overall) stance of Perikatan must be decided by a consensus of all its component parties," they added. "They must realise there is a larger agenda for the well-being of the people and the future of Malaysia," their statement read.
Source:The Star
December 30, 2025 08:20 UTC
Cover Story: Cautious nod for Malaysia’s housing sector overhaul
Madani Housing Reforms • Real Property Development Bill: This forthcoming legislation will provide enhanced regulatory oversight over property development activities in Malaysia. “Rehda supports the spirit and objectives of the Madani Housing Reforms. As responsible property developers, we welcome initiatives that enhance trust, improve governance and raise the overall industry standards. “The problem of abandoned housing projects is not because of the lack of laws … there is no solution to abandonment. Chang reiterates that no legislation can guarantee the success of a business or housing project.
Source:The Edge Markets
December 30, 2025 08:04 UTC
Mclean Technologies given new lease of life
This was driven by revenue growth of 28% to RM61.32 million from RM47.84 million previously. With the data centre (DC) and artificial intelligence (AI) boom, the demand for precision cleaning is expected to increase. This is a positive for Mclean as we are also adding a drying process in our precision cleaning,” he adds. Partnership with DufuApart from precision cleaning, Mclean also operates a surface treatment plant under its 55%-owned subsidiary DWZ Industries, serving the HDD, oil and gas, and semiconductor industries. Beyond HDDs, Mclean is also gaining traction in semiconductor cleaning services, particularly from foundry clients, with strong inquiry momentum from both existing and new customers.
Source:The Edge Markets
December 30, 2025 08:04 UTC
Rupee treads water on lack of directional conviction; forwards resume slide
MUMBAI (Dec 30): The Indian rupee held in a tight band on Tuesday, mirroring the subdued tone that usually sets in when year-end trading thins and corporate hedging slows. The rupee opened slightly firmer at 89.9325 and moved in a roughly three-paisa range around that level. The central bank’s expected presence at near the 90 level has helped anchor the rupee, traders said, while reinforcing the sideways tone seen since the open. Meanwhile, dollar/rupee forward premiums resumed their slide, with the one-year implied interest rate falling about 10 basis points to 2.71%. The one-year premium is now down around 60 basis points from last week’s peak.
Source:The Edge Markets
December 30, 2025 07:59 UTC
Yuan climbs past 7 per dollar onshore for first time since 2023
(Dec 30): The yuan strengthened beyond the key seven-per-dollar level in the more tightly controlled onshore market for the first time since 2023, signalling China’s comfort with further currency appreciation. The currency rose as much as 0.1% to 6.9960 in local trading on Tuesday (Dec 30), after the People’s Bank of China set a weaker daily reference rate. The move came after the offshore yuan breached the closely watched seven level in late December. “There could be more appreciation ahead for the yuan, supported by foreign capital inflow, expectation of growth recovery and tech optimism,” said Wee Khoon Chong, a market strategist at BNY. “There are good reasons why PBOC will be happy with a slightly stronger yuan as long as the movement is not drastic.”
Source:The Edge Markets
December 30, 2025 05:53 UTC
Mujahid agrees to settle defamation suit after Takiyuddin's apology
KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 30): Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa on Tuesday agreed to settle a lawsuit filed against Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan following an apology. Takiyuddin, as the PAS secretary general and a former minister in Prime Minister’s Department in charge of legal affairs, openly apologised to Mujahid without any admission to liability, according to a joint statement. “After considering the impact over the defamation suit and legal costs being borne by both parties, the parties agreed to end this conflict as there are other bigger issues that needed to be focused on for the interests of the country,” the joint statement read. Following the apology, Mujahid has agreed to withdraw the suit without liberty to file afresh and no order as to costs. “We hope that this settlement is accepted and respected by all parties and it would not disrupt the peace, unity and harmony of Malaysians,” they said in the joint statement.
Source:The Edge Markets
December 30, 2025 05:53 UTC
Insilico jumps 48% in Hong Kong debut after US$293 mil IPO
(Dec 30): Insilico Medicine Cayman TopCo, an AI drug discovery startup, jumped in its trading debut in Hong Kong as the financial hub capped its busiest month for listings in six years. They were priced at HK$24.05 (RM12.54) apiece in an initial public offering that raised US$293 million (RM1188.12 million). Insilico’s debut adds to Hong Kong’s busiest month for first-time share sales since November 2019, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. It was said to have weighed an IPO in the US in 2021 and had filed for a Hong Kong listing in 2023 and again in 2024, though applications for an offering in the Asian financial hub were allowed to lapse. Proceeds from the Hong Kong IPO will be used to fund clinical research and development of the company’s key clinical-stage pipeline drug candidates and to develop new generative AI models, among other things.
Source:The Edge Markets
December 30, 2025 05:23 UTC
Global 2025 LNG exports saw biggest jump in three years — Kpler
(Dec 30): Global exports of liquefied natural gas in 2025 likely saw the biggest jump in three years, as new supply came online in North America. Exports are estimated to have risen 4% from last year to 429 million tonnes, according to Kpler, which tracks shipping data. The US is poised to cement its role as a major exporter, becoming the first ever to ship out more than 100 million tonnes of LNG this year. The nation is expected to continue adding supply, doubling output by the end of the decade and boosting exports in turn. December’s export figures are likely to hit a record of about 41 million tonnes, according to Kpler.
Source:The Edge Markets
December 30, 2025 05:08 UTC
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Kim Loong shakes off sole ‘sell’ call as analysts see support from palm oil rise
KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 30): Kim Loong Resources Bhd (KL:KMLOONG) will be supported by rising palm oil prices in the near term as a pure planter, helping to limit share price downside, analysts said. However, “we maintain a cautious outlook” as South American soybean supplies and the resumption of US-China trade may increase flows of the competing oil, constraining demand for palm oil, TA Securities said. Kim Loong now has three ‘hold’ and one ‘buy’ calls following TA Securities' upgrade. Shares of Kim Loong are back to where they started in 2025 after a gradual rise from the global market turmoil in April. Apart from being an upstream producer, Kim Loong has recurring income from the sale of electricity to Tenaga Nasional Bhd (KL:TENAGA).
Source:The Edge Markets
December 30, 2025 05:03 UTC
Nickel hits nine-month high as Indonesia plans to cut output
(Dec 30): Nickel hit the highest since March after top producer Indonesia flagged plans to cut supply in order to boost prices. Output will be reduced in 2026 to better match demand with supply, said Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia, according to CNBC Indonesia. Supply from Indonesia has continued to rise even as prices dragged for much of the year, causing stockpiles in warehouses tracked by the LME to rise rapidly. Indonesian production is now central to the outlook for nickel prices next year. Nickel rose as much as 4.7% to US$16,560 (RM67,126) a ton on the LME on Tuesday, extending a rally that tracked other metals from mid-December.
Source:The Edge Markets
December 30, 2025 04:53 UTC