Thai factory output unexpectedly falls 4.24% y-o-y in November
BANGKOK (Dec 29): Thailand's manufacturing production index unexpectedly dropped 4.24% in November from a year earlier due to lower petroleum output, the strong baht and a border conflict with Cambodia, the industry ministry said on Monday. The November figure compared with a year-on-year rise of 0.8% forecast in a Reuters poll, and followed a revised increase of 0.04% in October. The index dropped 1.09% compared to a year earlier in the first 11 months of 2025. The strong baht pushed up export prices and eroded Thailand's competitiveness, the ministry said in a statement. The currency has gained about 10% against the dollar so far this year, making it Asia's second-best performing currency.
Source:The Edge Markets
December 29, 2025 06:55 UTC
Hibiscus associate pauses gas drilling after higher-than-expected pressure in well off Australia
KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 29): Hibiscus Petroleum Bhd’s (KL:HIBISCS) associate has paused drilling at the Charlemont-1 exploration well off Australia after encountering gas at a shallower-than-planned depth. Drilling was paused on Dec 25 after higher-than-anticipated pressures were encountered at a depth of about 2,552 metres measured depth. 3D Energi holds a 20% participating interest in the Charlemont-1 well. The operator, ConocoPhillips Australia, is currently assessing potential adjustments to the well design, including options to continue drilling to the primary Waarre A target. 3D Energi holds 100% participating interest in the three exploration blocks.
Source:The Edge Markets
December 29, 2025 06:30 UTC
Malaysia's PPI down 1.8% in Nov 2025
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Producer Price Index (PPI) eased further by 1.8 per cent in November 2025 from a 0.1 per cent decrease in October 2025, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). In contrast, he said the electricity and gas supply sector grew by 4.1 per cent, while the water supply sector rose by 10.1 per cent. Comparing Malaysia’s PPI for November 2025 with selected countries, Mohd Uzir said the selected countries showed mixed trends, with Japan’s PPI increasing by 2.7 per cent, maintaining a similar pace as in the previous month. "Similarly, Thailand’s PPI contracted by 1.6 per cent, following a 1.4 per cent decline in the previous month. "This marked the ninth straight month of year-on-year negative producer inflation, a similar trend in Malaysia,” it added.
Source:The Star
December 29, 2025 06:09 UTC
Where to put your money in 2026
We are in deficit, we are borrowing money from foreigners and we are spending it. One thing we need to be mindful of is that there is still a lot of money on the sidelines. If you look at the money market funds, we are talking about trillions of US dollars basically sitting on the sidelines. This is one reason why whenever you see a 10% to 15% pullback in the US market, investors, especially retail investors, are seeing it as a good stock on discount and they are flooding their money into it, capitalising on that opportunity. And if you look at the rest of the equity market, valuations are not that heightened.
Source:The Edge Markets
December 29, 2025 06:05 UTC
If I were an oil palm fruit bunch
So I rolled up my sleeves and served palm oil milling sunny-side up, by doing something mildly mischievous: imagining that we are the oil palm fruit bunches themselves. Just curiosity, a sense of humour, and a willingness to see sustainability through the eyes of a very hardworking fruit bunchLife on the treeOnce upon a time, I was an oil palm fresh fruit bunch – spiky, heavy, and hanging proudly from an oil palm like a trophy that knew its own worth. Oil palm fruit is no different. Palm oil mills, like kitchens, reveal character in how clean their floors are. Once upon a time, we were oil palm fruit bunches and we learned that sustainability begins not with slogans, but with systems that work.
Source:The Star
December 29, 2025 05:37 UTC
Roslin warns against relying on untested Zii Jia at Thomas Cup
1 men’s singles shuttler Roslin Hashim has warned against placing hopes on uncertainty. That was his reminder amid talk of relying on former Asian champion Lee Zii Jia to bolster Malaysia’s Thomas Cup campaign in Horsens, Denmark, in April. Only when he is ready should he be called up, rather than giving indications now that he will be absorbed into the Thomas Cup squad. He said the main focus should be on ensuring Jun Hao and Justin perform well. It is understood that Zii Jia is currently undergoing intensive training in preparation for the Malaysian Open from Jan 6-11.
Source:The Star
December 29, 2025 05:15 UTC
4Q auto sales to rise on EVs and new models
The brokerage, which has maintained a “neutral” rating on automotive stocks, said sales would also be supported by the launch of new Proton and Perodua models despite total industry volume (TIV) declining in November on a month-on-month basis after record passenger- and -commercial vehicle sales in October. It highlighted two automotive stocks under coverage with “buy” calls – HI Mobility Bhd , with a target price (TP) of RM3.10 and Sime Darby Bhd , with TP of RM2.24. Other national models launched recently include Perodua’s first EV, the QV-E in the beginning of this month, followed by the Trax sport utility vehicle on Dec 17. “Collectively, we expect these new model launches to support near-term demand and provide a positive carryover effect into 2026,” it said. This policy would have more of an impact on firms with higher exposure to locally assembled vehicles but would benefit Japanese and European marques.
Source:The Star
December 29, 2025 05:10 UTC
More room for property boom
THE property market is expected to continue growing in 2026, with the industrial sub-sector remaining a key segment, anchored by the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ). Zerin Properties chief executive officer Previn Singhe says growth is expected to be more focused, with activity driven by clearer economic catalysts rather than a broad sector-wide momentum.
Source:The Star
December 29, 2025 05:03 UTC
The long game behind Malaysia’s 5G network
AT first glance, the government’s exit from Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) looks like a quiet admission that Malaysia’s 5G experiment has gone wrong. The single wholesale network (SWN) – later reshaped into a dual-network model – now leaves the country’s largest telcos facing a loss-making national platform.
Source:The Star
December 29, 2025 05:03 UTC
Builders expected to gain from mega projects
For its first quarter ended Oct 31, 2025 (1Q26), net profit rose 5% to RM215.13mil from RM205.39mil in the previous corresponding period, primarily driven by robust contributions from domestic construction projects and the successful execution of quick turnaround projects in Vietnam. Meanwhile, FBG Holdings Bhd group executive chairman Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy said the group remains anchored by sound business fundamentals and disciplined governance. “Looking into the future, the outlook for the property and construction sector remains promising, supported by national development priorities and evolving market needs. Commenting on the outlook of the construction sector, Maybank Investment Bank Research (Maybank IB) said it expects the segment to continue benefitting from mega projects, data centres (DCs), renewable energy assets and water assets. Furthermore, it noted that the influx of DCs into Malaysia has been a boon for the construction sector.
Source:The Star
December 29, 2025 04:39 UTC
China swipes at Trump in move to be Thai-Cambodia peacemaker
(Dec 29): China took thinly veiled swipes at President Donald Trump’s efforts to end a border clash between Thailand and Cambodia, with Beijing seeking a role as a peacemaker between the Southeast Asian neighbours. Wang held separate talks the same day with Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn. Trump has portrayed the ceasefire as a US-led success, while China is casting itself as a neutral mediator and implicitly challenging Washington’s narrative of leadership in the region. China provided about US$3 million (RM12.14 million) in aid to Cambodia, the Phnom Penh Post reported. Both the Thai and Cambodian governments and their armed forces likely benefit from taking hard lines against each other.
Source:The Edge Markets
December 29, 2025 04:35 UTC
My Say: Come 2026, Trump will still hold the key to keeping peace in Gaza and the West Bank
In asserting pressure, Trump has said that the West Bank will not be annexed by Israel, although that is what Netanyahu and his ultra-right-wing cabinet members want. Trump prides himself on being a peace broker in Gaza and a peacemaker who stopped the war between Israel and Iran. The Gaza peace plan is now entering its second phase, which requires long-term structural changes and stability on the ground for meaningful reconstruction to begin. Further pressure has come with the International Criminal Court’s issuing of an arrest warrant for Netanyahu for war crimes committed in Gaza. More so when international journalists, so far blocked by Israel from entering Gaza and the West Bank, are expected to find their way to the frontline.
Source:The Edge Markets
December 29, 2025 04:32 UTC
Balloon trader killed in explosion
Compiled by JUSTIN ZACK, C. ARUNO and R. ARAVINTHANA BALLOON trader in India was killed when his helium cylinder exploded, Malaysia Nanban reported. Identified only as Saleem, the 40-year-old had been peddling his balloons near the Mysuru Palace in Bengaluru, a popular tourist destination. Saleem, who was just next to the cylinder when it exploded, was killed on the spot while five bystanders were injured. > A new book by Malaysian writer Balamurugan Kesavan will be launched in three places in India, the daily also reported. (The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies).
Source:The Star
December 29, 2025 04:26 UTC
Lam to start training for ‘Twilight of the Warriors’ sequel
The 46-year-old, who gained a huge following in Japan following his role last year in Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, will be working on the sequel of the blockbuster movie. “I have to start training with martial arts director Gu Yuanjian,” he said. Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In was a 2024 action film starring big names such as Louis Koo and Sammo Hung, besides Lam. Based on the novel City of Darkness, the movie became the second highest-grossing domestic film of all time in Hong Kong. In April, it won the Best Film award at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
Source:The Star
December 29, 2025 04:21 UTC
My Say: Climate justice denied by delays
While some see COP30 in Belém, Brazil, as confirming their irrelevance, others see it as a turning point in the struggle for climate justice. Although not officially present, the US continued to frustrate the climate talks by urging petrostates to resist efforts to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. The COP30 Climate Change Performance Index exposed governments’ weak commitments to combating planetary warming over the past 21 years. Climate finance setbackLula appealed again for increased climate financing for the Global South, following the dismal record since the 2009 Copenhagen COP. His proposed “voluntary roadmap” to transition from fossil fuels will be discussed at the Colombia/Netherlands-led “Coalition of the Willing” conference in April 2026.
Source:The Edge Markets
December 29, 2025 04:01 UTC