Game of dread: ICE is coming
IN recent weeks my 80-year-old Asian American parents have started to carry their passports each time they leave their suburban townhouse. Neighbours on their Ring doorbell app will alert users when ICE agents are spotted on nearby roads. A practical woman, she says she’s in a game of “cat and mouse” with federal agents, and she’ll be damned if she gives them the upper hand. We’ve seen the picture of five-year-old Liam, with his Spider-Man backpack and animal snow hat, before he and his dad were taken by federal agents. He was helping document the actions by federal agents so that the truth could be preserved.
Source:The Star
February 09, 2026 03:40 UTC
Nomadic artist back in town
PETALING JAYA: Despite decades of travelling around the world to fulfil his passion as an artist, Cheng Peng Sia heads home to keep traditions alive during the Chinese New Year period. With his calligraphy brushes, Cheng produces hand-drawn Chinese New Year paintings that reflect blessings of prosperity, peace and longevity. Throughout the festive period, Cheng sets up a small booth where curious onlookers often gather to watch him work. They would observe me when I’m painting, sometimes asking questions about what I’m painting. “What matters most is that people can take a piece of it home with them for Chinese New Year,” he added.
Source:The Star
February 09, 2026 03:34 UTC
Sara aid distribution begins today, expanded to include frozen food
PUTRAJAYA: The Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) programme, which begins on Monday (Feb 9), has been expanded to include frozen food items, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He said the latest phase of Sara will also involve more than 10,000 stores nationwide. “The government has agreed to expand the category of Sara products to include frozen food,” he said. Anwar said the Sara aid is funded through savings from the government’s fiscal reforms. This means that, for example, a household with a husband and wife and two adult children would receive RM400,” he said.
Source:The Star
February 09, 2026 03:31 UTC
Foreign investors remain net buyers on Bursa for fifth straight week — MBSB
KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 9): Foreign investors remained net buyers on Bursa Malaysia (KL:BURSA) for a fifth consecutive week, recording a modest RM15.0 million in net foreign inflows, roughly similar to the RM12.8 million recorded a week earlier, according to MBSB Investment Bank Bhd. “The top three sectors that recorded net foreign inflows were financial services (RM162 million), plantation (RM37 million) and construction (RM34.2 million). MBSB noted that average daily trading volumes declined broadly, with local retailers down 19.7%, local institutions down 17.7%, and foreign investors down 23.5%. Regionally, foreign investors extended their net selling streak to a third consecutive week, totalling US$9.84 billion. Other tracked markets recorded net foreign inflows, led by India, Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 09, 2026 03:11 UTC
Australian AI infrastructure developer Firmus lands US$10 bil debt package from Blackstone, Coatue
SYDNEY (Feb 9): Australian artificial intelligence (AI) company Firmus said on Monday that it had finalised a US$10 billion debt funding package led by global private equity firm Blackstone and Coatue Management, a New York-based technology investor. Firmus said the funding would be used to build the next phase of its Project Southgate, the company's initiative to develop AI training and inference infrastructure, which includes data centres, across Australia. The initiative, done in collaboration with CDC Data Centres and US chip giant Nvidia is expected to reach a capacity of up to 1.6 gigawatts over the next three years. "AI is driving one of the most significant infrastructure build-outs in decades, and we believe Australia can play a central role in that transformation." Firmus raised A$830 million (US$582.41 million) in two separate equity placements last year that were backed by Nvidia and Australian investor Ellerston Capital, Reuters reported.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 09, 2026 03:01 UTC
Sweeter, cheaper mandarins this year
Due to steady rainfall and good sunlight last year, the fruit is cheaper, juicier and naturally sweeter. Sunshine Group marketing communications senior manager Bryan Wong said mandarins are about 9% cheaper on average this Chinese New Year due to a bumper crop. “Our mandarins are imported from Yongchun in China, and the quality is better this year with higher juice content. Chloe Koay, a business development manager for a fresh fruit importer and distributor, said this year’s mandarins are sweeter due to good growing conditions. Chloe Koay, a business development manager for a fresh fruit importer and distributor, said this year’s mandarins are sweeter due to good growing conditions.
Source:The Star
February 09, 2026 02:05 UTC
Stronger ringgit has no impact on Singaporean shoppers
JOHOR BARU: The strengthening of the ringgit against the Singapore dollar has little impact on Chinese New Year sales here, say local traders. “This shows that the strengthening of the ringgit had little impact on businesses here,” he said in an interview. “The Singapore dollar is still stronger compared to the ringgit, making it cheaper for Singaporeans to shop here. “The crowd is slightly smaller this year, but I do not think it has anything to do with the ringgit. “The strengthening of the ringgit against the Singapore dollar has been apparent since last year; nevertheless, we still saw a good crowd during Christmas.
Source:The Star
February 09, 2026 00:34 UTC
Malaysia, India to ramp up focus on strategic sector initiatives
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and India have agreed to accelerate wide-ranging bilateral initiatives, with a strong focus on strategic sectors such as semiconductors and digital trade, following the exchange of 11 agreements and memoranda of understanding (MOUs) between the two countries. Anwar also highlighted that Malaysia and India had witnessed 11 documents, including MOUs, in 10 exchanges of letters, which extended beyond normal bilateral arrangements. Malaysia and India, Anwar added, also agreed to expedite the use of the ringgit and rupee in bilateral trade and investment. Anwar said Malaysia, in the Asean context, would benefit immensely if the region could secure more ways and opportunities to collaborate with India. Anwar added that Malaysia supported India in opening a consulate in Kota Kinabalu.
Source:The Star
February 08, 2026 23:44 UTC
Safeguards to be added to UPI system
KUALA LUMPUR: Financial safeguards will be in place when India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system is introduced in Malaysia, says India’s External Affairs Ministry Secretary (East) P. Kumaran. He said the safeguards will be directly built into the system to ensure that UPI is not abused by unintended parties. Kumaran added that there is currently no timeline for the introduction of UPI to Malaysia due to various complicated technical steps that need to be completed first. The move comes after Modi announced during a reception here on Saturday that India’s UPI system will enter the Malaysian market, as Malaysia and India seek to deepen their longstanding economic ties. Regulated by the Reserve Bank of India, UPI is a real-time digital payment system that enables instant peer-to-peer and person-to-merchant transactions directly by linking user bank accounts to the UPI application on their phone.
Source:The Star
February 08, 2026 23:42 UTC
Taking tech and economic cooperation to greater heights
PUTRAJAYA: The deepening friendship between India and Malaysia is expected to enhance bilateral cooperation in key areas, particularly the digital economy and semiconductor industries, says Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi described the relationship between India and Malaysia as “truly special”, saying that both nations are maritime neighbours whose peoples have shared deep, close and enduring ties for centuries. “Alongside artificial intelligence and digital technologies, we will advance partnerships in healthcare, agriculture and food security,” he noted. He said both Malaysia and India also shared the view that reform of global institutions is essential to address today’s challenges. Modi said tourism and people-to-people exchanges have also continued to strengthen, with both sides agreeing to further elevate their partnership.
Source:The Star
February 08, 2026 23:42 UTC
Cruel injury setback for June Wei in Azerbaijan final
PETALING JAYA: Men's singles shuttler Cheam June Wei's bid to end his seven-year wait for a title in the Azerbaijan International was cruelly cut short by injury. June Wei struggled with pain in his hip during the final against Poland's Dominik Kwinta and was forced to throw in the towel while trailing 8-21, 1-8 in Baku yesterday. I tried to fix it during the warm up but it still didn't get better," lamented June Wei. June Wei also finished runners-up twice in the World Tour Super 100 Indonesian Masters in 2022 and Taiwan Masters in 2024. The 29-year-old has been struggling for form for over a year and has seen his world rankings plummet to No.
Source:The Star
February 08, 2026 23:41 UTC
DBS profit misses estimates, bank says earnings this year to dip
(Feb 9): DBS Group Holdings Ltd reported fourth-quarter profit that missed expectations due to headwinds from lower rates and higher tax expenses. Net income, excluding one-time items, dropped 10% to S$2.36 billion (US$1.85 billion or RM7.3 billion) in the three months ended Dec 31, Southeast Asia’s largest lender said in a statement on Monday. The bank said its total dividend will be 81 Singapore cents for the quarter. DBS said it plans to continue its capital return dividends of 15 Singapore cents a share per quarter for financial years 2026 and 2027, barring unforeseen circumstances. DBS is the first Singapore lender to report results, and is the only one among the three local banks that pays quarterly dividends.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 08, 2026 23:35 UTC
MHIT to cover 90pct of routine claims, stable pre-existing conditions
- NSTP/HARI ANGGARAKUALA LUMPUR: Individuals with pre-existing medical conditions are expected to be covered under the basic medical and health insurance/takaful (MHIT) plan, as long as their conditions are stable and well-managed. The basic plan is estimated at around RM80 per month. More than 340,000 insurance policyholders had cancelled or returned their policies between January 2024 and June 2025 due to rising costs, said the Basic MHIT Plan White Paper, which was presented last month. He added that the development of the plan involves collaboration among various stakeholders, including the Finance Ministry, Bank Negara Malaysia, Health Ministry, insurance and takaful companies, and academics. "The ministry is also in the process of improving the basic MHIT plan to make it more robust and attractive, especially for those in the middle-income group."
Source:New Strait Times
February 08, 2026 23:08 UTC
Fomca welcomes pledge on MHIT coverage for stable pre-existing conditions
The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad’s assurance that individuals with stable, well-managed preexisting conditions would be covered under the basic Medical and Health Insurance/Takaful (MHIT) plan was encouraging. - NSTP FILE PICKUALA LUMPUR: The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad's assurance that individuals with stable, well-managed preexisting conditions would be covered under the basic Medical and Health Insurance/Takaful (MHIT) plan was encouraging. Saravanan said this was why Fomca was highlighting the need for strong regulatory safeguards to accompany the policy. "Terms such as 'stable', 'wellmanaged', and 'no look back' must be clearly defined in policy documents, not just explained in public statements." "Without this clarity and enforcement, consumer protection against future disputes remains uncertain, despite the positive intentions behind the announcement."
Source:New Strait Times
February 08, 2026 23:04 UTC
Yen swings after Takaichi win, Asia stocks to rise
(Feb 9): The yen fluctuated Monday as Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi secured a historic election triumph, while Asian stocks looked set to open the week higher after Wall Street’s Friday rally. The result cleared the way for more fiscal stimulus under Takaichi, adding pressure to Japanese bonds while potentially lifting stocks. Japan’s election outcome reinforced expectations for looser fiscal policy and sustained pressure on the yen, with investors bracing for so-called Takaichi trades to dominate markets on Monday. Many investors see an election victory for Takaichi as allowing her to add to Japan’s already heavy debt load. Still, US stocks are facing more selling this week from trend-following algorithmic funds, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc’s trading desk.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 08, 2026 23:00 UTC