Ringgit ends slightly lower vs greenback on Fed rate outlook caution
KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit ended marginally lower against the US dollar and other major currencies on Monday as traders and investors remained cautious ahead of the United States Federal Reserve (US Fed) interest rate outlook for next year. At 6 pm, the local currency eased to 4.0580/0625 against the greenback from 4.0470/0535 at Friday’s close. "Additionally, the ongoing fiscal consolidation exercise, expected to continue into 2026, could influence assessments by credit rating agencies,” he told Bernama. Therefore, Mohd Afzanizam noted that the RM4.00 level remains a key psychological and technical resistance for the ringgit next year. The ringgit was traded lower against a basket of major currencies at today's closing.
Source:The Star
December 29, 2025 21:20 UTC
Monsoon surge set to bring heavy rain and rough seas in early January
PETALING JAYA: A monsoon surge is forecasted to enter Malaysia’s region for five days at the start of next year, potentially bringing heavy rain and choppy seas, says the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia). Sarawak in particular is expected to receive continuous heavy rain due to the forecasted monsoon surge, according to MetMalaysia director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip. “Analysis of weather forecast models indicates that a monsoon surge is expected to enter the country’s region from January 1 to 5, 2026. “This situation has the potential to bring continuous heavy rain to Sarawak, as well as strong winds and rough seas in the South China Sea during the period,” he said in a Facebook statement on Monday (Dec 29). MetMalaysia also issued a Category One warning for strong winds and rough seas in the south-eastern waters of Samui, Tioman, northern Bunguran, south-eastern and northern Reef North, Layang-Layang, and western Palawan, also until Friday.
Source:The Star
December 29, 2025 19:39 UTC
Two Chinese flagship ETFs launch in Thailand as China lures foreign investors
SHANGHAI (Dec 29): China Asset Management Co. (ChinaAMC), the country's biggest provider of exchange-traded funds, said on Monday it launched two flagship ETFs in Thailand, giving Thai investors easy access to a basket of Chinese blue-chip and technology stocks. The ETF launch comes as China further opens its capital markets to lure global investors. It also signals deepening capital market cooperation between China and Thailand under Beijing's flagship "Belt and Road" infrastructure initiative. The asset manager added that the product launch in Thailand reflected strong local interest in Chinese assets and Chinese technology. ChinaAMC has also secured a mandate to run a Thai-domiciled fund dedicated to investing in leading Chinese companies with global footprints.
Source:The Edge Markets
December 29, 2025 19:02 UTC
Trump and Netanyahu meet in Florida to discuss next phase of Gaza plan
PALM BEACH, Florida (Dec 29): US President Donald Trump met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida on Monday for talks aimed at breaking a deadlock over the Gaza ceasefire and addressing Israeli concerns about Iran and Lebanese group Hezbollah. "He doesn't want a clash with Trump in an election year," Freilich, a former Israeli deputy national security adviser, said. "(Trump) wants to go forward, and Bibi (Netanyahu) is going to have to make some compromises there." The Israeli official said Netanyahu was expected to present intelligence on Iranian efforts to build up its arms. Trump in June ordered US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites but has since then broached a potential deal with Tehran.
Source:The Edge Markets
December 29, 2025 18:52 UTC
Bursa Malaysia easier at midday on profit-taking
KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia ended the morning session lower as profit-taking activities emerged on selected blue chips amid a lack of fresh catalysts. At 12.30 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 4.93 points, or 0.29 per cent, to 1,672.17 from Friday’s close of 1,677.10The barometer index, which opened 0.21 of a point better at 1,677.31, moved between 1,671.07 and 1,680.51 throughout the session. In the broader market, decliners outpaced gainers 574 to 267, while 530 counters were unchanged, 1,362 untraded, and 58 suspended. On the index board, the FBM Emas Index slipped 28.48 points to 12,259.66, the FBMT Top 100 Index dropped 28.87 points to 12,061.80, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index fell 16.68 points to 12,088.93. The FBM ACE Index fell 11.03 points to 4,848.76, and the FBM Mid 70 Index shed 10.27 points to 16,792.30.
Source:The Star
December 29, 2025 17:56 UTC
US pending-home sales jump to highest level since early 2023
(Dec 29): Pending sales of US existing homes climbed by more than expected in November as a modest improvement in prices and mortgage rates encouraged buyers. An index of contract signings rose 3.3% to 79.2 last month, the highest level since February 2023, according to figures released on Monday by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). In a recent survey of nine market analysts, estimates for the home resale market ranged from 1.7% to 14% sales growth, with the rosiest projection coming from NAR’s Yun. The trade association’s report on Monday showed contract signings rose in each US region last month to their highest levels of the year. Pending-homes sales tend to be a leading indicator for previously owned homes, as houses typically go under contract a month or two before they’re sold.
Source:The Edge Markets
December 29, 2025 15:37 UTC
Najib files appeal against High Court’s dismissal of house arrest bid
KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has filed an appeal against the High Court ruling that dismissed his bid to serve the remainder of his SRC International prison sentence under house arrest. His lawyer, Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee, confirmed that the appeal was filed on Dec 24. Two months later, on April 1, 2024, Najib filed an application for leave for judicial review, claiming there was a royal addendum order that would have allowed him to serve his prison time under house arrest. "The 1MDB appeal will be filed shortly once we get the formal order from court in order for us to verify," he added. On Dec 26, the High Court sentenced Najib to 15 years' imprisonment and an RM11.4bil fine for all 25 charges in the 1MDB case.
Source:The Star
December 29, 2025 13:38 UTC
Indonesia fire kills 16 people in retirement home
JAKARTA: A fire at a retirement home in the city of Manado on Indonesia's on Sulawesi island has killed 16 people, a local police official was quoted as saying on Monday (Dec 29) by state news agency Antara. The fire at the Werdha Damai retirement home was finally extinguished late on Sunday and authorities are still investigating its cause, police official Alamsyah P. Hasibuan said. Footage by news channel Metro TV showed the fire blazing through the home, turning the night sky orange, with residents appearing to help one elderly person escape from the burning building. Jimmy Rotinsulu, chief of Manado's fire department, told Metro TV that the home's residents, most of whom were elderly, were trapped inside the building, adding that another three people suffered burns.
Source:The Star
December 29, 2025 13:35 UTC
Notice of vacancies in three Perlis state seats submitted to EC
KANGAR: The official notification of the casual vacancies for the Chuping, Bintong and Guar Sanji seats in the Perlis State Legislative Assembly was submitted to the Election Commission (EC) on Monday (Dec 29). Perlis State Assembly Speaker Rus’sele Eizan said the notice was handed over at the EC Perlis office here at about noon. Rus’sele said the notice also informed the EC of the reasons and necessity for holding by-elections in the three constituencies for the commission’s consideration. "I leave everything to the consideration of the EC,” he told reporters briefly here on Monday. In the 15th General Election, Perikatan Nasional (PN) won 14 state seats in Perlis, comprising nine seats won by PAS and five by Bersatu, while Pakatan Harapan (PH), through PKR, secured one.
Source:The Star
December 29, 2025 13:34 UTC
Lululemon founder launches proxy fight for board changes
(Dec 29): Lululemon Athletica's founder Chip Wilson said on Monday he had launched a proxy fight bynominating three independent directors to the company's board, days after the apparel maker announced the exit of CEO Calvin McDonald. Lululemon has struggled to find its footing with younger and affluent shoppers amid stiff competition from fast-growing newer rivals like Alo Yoga and Vuori, as well as pressure from activist investor Elliott Management. Wilson has nominated three director candidates to Lululemon's board, including former On Running co-CEO Marc Maurer, former ESPN chief marketing officer Laura Gentile and former Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg. "The recent CEO change announcement was the third total failure of board oversight with no clear succession plan in place. Shareholders have no faith that this board can select and support the next CEO without input from a board with stronger product experience," Wilson said in a statement.
Source:The Edge Markets
December 29, 2025 13:31 UTC
Opinion: How artificial intelligence is quietly reshaping hospital care
Amid discussions of advanced technologies, one message stood out — artificial intelligence (AI) is quietly reshaping hospital care. The most consequential changes in hospital care today are not dramatic breakthroughs, but steady system-level adjustments happening largely out of public view. One of the most important contributions of AI in hospital care is its role as a workforce multiplier. Hospital care is resource intensive, particularly when managing late-stage disease. Artificial intelligence will not transform hospital care overnight.
Source:The Edge Markets
December 29, 2025 13:26 UTC
PAS central committee to meet over crisis with Bersatu
PETALING JAYA: The PAS central committee will meet soon to decide its position within Perikatan Nasional, says an aide to PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang. “The PAS central committee will have a meeting soon. Mohd Syahir, who is also Bachok MP, said PAS always respects the democratic process and the discretionary powers of the Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail. Mohd Syahir had earlier issued a cryptic remark in a Facebook post. Ties between PAS and Bersatu, who are key partners in Perikatan Nasional, have since been strained.
Source:The Star
December 29, 2025 13:25 UTC
Oil gains as investors weigh Middle East tensions
OIL prices rose on Monday as investors weighed Middle East tensions that could disrupt supply, while a major hurdle remains in the Russia-Ukraine peace talks. "The Middle East has also been unsettled recently, with Saudi air strikes in Yemen and Iran saying the country is in a 'full-scale war' with the U.S., Europe, and Israel. This may be what's driving market concerns about potential supply disruptions," Yang added. The two leaders spoke at a joint press conference late Sunday afternoon after meeting at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Trump said it will be clear "in a few weeks" whether negotiations to end the war will succeed.
Source:The Star
December 29, 2025 13:20 UTC
13 arrested over armed brawl at restaurant
JOHOR BARU: What began as a personal debt dispute erupted into a violent late-night attack at a restaurant in Taman Mount Austin, leading to the arrest of 13 people, including a foreign woman. Johor Baru Selatan OCPD Asst Comm Raub Selamat said 12 Malaysian men and a Vietnamese woman, aged between 20 and 40, were arrested in stages between 3am on Saturday and 12.40am yesterday at several locations around the district. The victim suffered injuries to the head, arms and calves, along with multiple scratches across his body. Checks revealed that seven of the suspects had records for drug-related and criminal offences, while six tested positive for ketamine. The public has been urged not to speculate in ways that could disrupt investigations.
Source:The Star
December 29, 2025 13:16 UTC
Investing in Asia’s energy future
Energy AsiaAs energy demand doubles and climate risks intensify, Asia’s transition will hinge on how effectively capital are mobilised. The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts record global energy investment of US$3.3 trillion in 2025, with US$2.2 trillion flowing toward renewables, double the amount directed to fossil fuels. Policymakers, industry captains and energy professionals agreed ambition alone will not deliver Asia’s energy transition. Clean energy investment strengthens energy security, creates jobs and supports economic resilience. Energy Asia reinforced a fundamental truth - Asia’s energy transition will not follow a single pathway.
Source:The Edge Markets
December 29, 2025 13:06 UTC