PAS leaders get cryptic about loyalty after Bersatu man’s appointment as Perlis MB
PETALING JAYA: Several PAS leaders have made cryptic remarks on social media following the appointment of Perlis Bersatu chief Abu Bakar Hamzah as the new Mentri Besar. Meanwhile, Dato Nik Amar suggested that loyalty and friendship were “difficult concepts” for Bersatu in a Facebook post. The appointment follows a political crisis in Perlis, where eight Perikatan Nasional assemblymen – three from PAS and five from Bersatu – reportedly submitted statutory declarations (SDs) to withdraw their support for Shukri. The three PAS assemblymen, Saad Seman (Chuping), Fakhrul Anwar Ismail (Bintong), and Ridzuan Hashim (Guar Sanji), subsequently had their memberships terminated and their seats declared vacant. Both PAS and Bersatu reportedly submitted one candidate each for the Mentri Besar position.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 23:38 UTC
Couple forever united in afterlife
Together at last: Master Hoo conducting a ritual wedding during the funeral wake of a young couple who died in a motorcycle accident in Johor. Instead, those in attendance at the ghost wedding ceremony would be dressed in mourning attire as the bride and groom had died. However, he presided over such a ceremony just two months ago for a young couple – aged 18 and 20 – who were killed in a motorcycle accident near Tangkak, Johor. Loo said the wedding ceremony took place during their funeral wake. He explained that ghost weddings originated in China thousands of years ago and that some Chinese families in Malaysia still observe the practice.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 23:36 UTC
TNB-related projects expected to lift MN Holdings profit after tax
PETALING JAYA: MN Holdings Bhd can expect a RM1.2mil boost to its profit after tax (PAT) over financial year 2026 (FY26) and FY27 after its recent contract win. MN Holdings, via a consortium, secured a TNB contract to upgrade the 132kV submarine power cable system between Kuala Perlis and Langkawi, adding an effective RM17.7mil to its order book. TNB’s projects currently account for 44% of MN Holdings’ total order book. This contract marks MN Holdings’ second TNB contract win in FY26, bringing year-to-date (y-t-d) new wins to 7.7% of Phillip Capital Research’s RM600mil order replenishment assumption for FY26. Both Phillip Capital Research and Maybank IB retained their earnings forecast for MN Holdings, as the contract win aligns with their existing assumptions.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 23:30 UTC
KLK-Mah Sing tie-up a positive
PETALING JAYA: Analysts are mostly positive about Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd ’s (KLK) strategic joint venture (JV) with Mah Sing Group Bhd to develop an industrial park in Kulai, Johor. Meanwhile, MBSB Research said it expects the partnership between KLK and Mah Sing to be mutually beneficial and strategically positioned to enhance KLK’s industrial business. The collaboration capitalises on KLK’s sizeable land holdings, while leveraging Mah Sing’s proven development capabilities and strong brand equity in Johor. The proceeds may enhance shareholder value, either through a potential special dividend payout or via reinvestment into new brownfield estates,” said MBSB Research. The research house kept its “neutral” call on KLK with an unchanged TP of RM20.23 per share.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 23:30 UTC
Indonesia set to revamp benchmark rates for money market
Institutions use Jibor to determine interest rates for bank deposits, swaps and consumer loans, among other things. “Indonia is considered to better reflect interest rate movements in the market,” said Benny Aroeman, the head of markets at Citibank Indonesia. While the central bank has lowered the benchmark interest rate by 125 basis points so far this year, lending rates have only fallen 24 basis points. Jibor, for instance, is determined by quotations from 17 contributing banks, while Indonia is based on all transactions that occurred in the overnight interbank money market. Average daily interbank transactions reached 15.4 trillion rupiah — or around 63.5% of total money market transactions — throughout 2025, according to the central bank.
Source:The Edge Markets
December 28, 2025 23:23 UTC
Waste management firm prepares for flood season
Corporate general manager Mohd Norlisam Mohd Nordin said the waste management company had initiated early preparations to ensure services remained uninterrupted, particularly in flood-prone areas throughout the northeast monsoon season. He added that the company would continue to work closely with the state government, local councils and Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) in implementing flood preparedness operations. “The collaboration also covers preparations at temporary evacuation centres, including ensuring there are enough wheelie bins and that waste collection is carried out on schedule. Mohd Norlisam also highlighted the importance of proper wheelie bin management during the rainy season to prevent bins from collecting rainwater, which could disrupt solid waste collection operations. He advised residents and business owners to keep their wheelie bins covered and avoid placing them in areas prone to water accumulation.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 23:20 UTC
Ex-player Khim Wah makes smashing switch to snooker
PETALING JAYA: Former men’s doubles shuttler Lim Khim Wah may be best known for his exploits on the badminton court, but he has taken a different path since retiring, choosing not to stay in badminton and instead opening a snooker training centre. Khim Wah, who retired in 2023, now runs The J Trick Snooker and Cafe in Klang, Selangor, which has been operating since August.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 23:20 UTC
Global stocks at record highs; silver slides from peak
(Dec 29): Global stocks held at record highs on Monday, while silver rallied to a new peak before turning sharply lower as trading winds down heading into year end. Silver retreated after smashing through US$80 (RM324.20) an ounce for the first time, turning volatile following a historic rally powered by a structural imbalance in supply and demand. “We are witnessing a generational bubble playing out in silver,” Tony Sycamore, a market analyst at IG Australia, wrote in a note on Sunday. With silver inventories near their lowest on record, there’s a risk of supply shortages that could impact multiple sectors. The gauge of global stocks has risen nearly 22% in 2025, headed for a third straight annual gain and the biggest since 2019.
Source:The Edge Markets
December 28, 2025 23:18 UTC
Ringgit to trade in narrow range against US dollar in holiday-shortened week ahead
KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit is expected to trade in a narrow range next week, hovering between 4.03 and 4.05 against the US dollar amid a holiday-shortened week. The local currency traded mixed this week, opening at 4.07 before strengthening to as high as 4.0410 on Friday morning, then easing to close the week at 4.0470. Earlier this week, the local currency was mainly influenced by expectations of a US interest rate cut and by weaker US consumer confidence. On a weekly basis, the ringgit strengthened against the greenback, closing higher at 4.0470/0535 compared with 4.0740/0785 at the end of last week. However, the local currency depreciated vis-a-vis the Thai baht to 13.0212/0484 from 12.9428/9620 previously.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 23:17 UTC
Caretaker arrested for alleged child abuse at Cheras nursery
KUALA LUMPUR: Investigations into alleged child abuse at a nursery in Cheras have resulted in the arrest of one suspect. Cheras OCPD Asst Comm Aidil Bolhassan informed the media that the police had received three reports concerning the alleged abuse of two infants at the nursery. "The Cheras police confirm that reports of abuse involving two babies, aged six and nine months, have been filed. Several CCTV videos shared on social media displayed a caretaker mistreating and slapping the two babies. One of the videos even showed the caregiver wiping a used tissue on a baby's mouth.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 23:15 UTC
Multiple setbacks in his quest for a passport
— Yee Xiang Yun/The StarJOHOR BARU: For the past two months, he was given the runaround, going from Johor to Putrajaya and Selangor in his quest to apply for a passport. “I returned to the Johor Baru Immigration office with the relevant documents, thinking the matter would be resolved, but I was informed that my application still could not proceed. “To be certain, I also checked the Sessions Court, Magistrate’s Court and High Court in Shah Alam, as well as the courts in Johor Baru. “I was looking forward to obtaining a passport to travel to Singapore to seek employment, as job opportunities in Johor Baru are limited at my age,” he said. When contacted, Johor Immigration director Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said he will meet Abdul Malik to better understand the matter.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 23:15 UTC
Picking a national favourite
Contenders to durian, pineapple also mulledPETALING JAYA: Perhaps it’s time to harvest ideas from Malaysians on what should be recognised as the country’s national fruit. Both sides are seeking recognition as Malaysia’s official national fruit. The group also wanted July 7 to be declared National Durian Day. In June, the LPNM proposed that pineapple be designated as the national fruit. It also declared June 27 as National Pineapple Day.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 23:12 UTC
Umno Youth to convene on Jan 3 to weigh severing ties with Pakatan, says Akmal
PETALING JAYA: Umno Youth will hold a special convention to determine whether the party should sever its ties with coalition partner Pakatan Harapan. In a TikTok video on Sunday (Dec 28), Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh said the convention aims to gather grassroots opinions on the party’s continued support for the unity government. The convention – titled ‘Hala Tuju Umno, Sama Ada Kekal Atau Keluar Dari Kerajaan’ (Umno’s Direction: Stay or Leave the Government?) The post triggered backlash from several Umno leaders, who condemned the remarks as insensitive, sarcastic and disrespectful. On Saturday (Dec 27), the Umno’s Puchong division announced that it had severed all political cooperation with Puchong Pakatan Harapan after Yeo failed to issue an apology within the given 24-hour period.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 23:10 UTC
Conflict kept me from saying goodbye to my father
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Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 23:08 UTC
‘Stability delivers results’
PM says stronger economy and global ties are benefiting M’siansKUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says the government’s achievements now are the result of policy stability, the courage to implement reforms and the trust of the people. He said that domestically, the economy continues to strengthen through quality investments, job creations and an inclusive growth agenda. “In fact, at the international level, the relationship between governments, various countries and groups of leaders, opens up space for strategic investment and strengthens Malaysia’s position in the eyes of the world,” he said in a social media post yesterday. Anwar said all these achievements are not just numbers and statistics. “They are translated into tangible benefits for the people, from family well-being, new economic opportunities to a more resilient future.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 23:05 UTC