<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>SINGAPORE (Feb 3): In just two more weeks, deputy prime minister and finance minister Heng Swee Keat will be announcing Budget 2020. And with a challenging economic outlook and the effects of the coronavirus outbreak in the background, Singaporeans are anticipating some relief from the upcoming budget, according to DBS Group Research.</div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>Moreover, employment prospects in Singapore remain clouded with uncertainties. In recent months, job data has also shown mixed results.</div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>In a Monday report, senior economist Irvin Seah says, “While employment growth has remained strong, unemployment rate for residents rose to 3.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis, the highest since 1Q17. The number of retrenchments in the same period (2,430) edged up from<a href="https://www.theedgesingapore.com/news/singapore-budget/amid-growing-unemployment-and-coronavirus-fears-heres-what-expect-budget-2020" target="_blank">...(click on link for full story on theedgesingapore.com)</a></div><div class=inPageAd id=div-gpt-ad-inpage></div>

SINGAPORE (Feb 3): In just two more weeks, deputy prime minister and finance minister Heng Swee Keat will be announcing Budget 2020. And with a challenging economic outlook and the effects of the coronavirus outbreak in the background, Singaporeans are anticipating some relief from the upcoming budget, according to DBS Group Research.

Moreover, employment prospects in Singapore remain clouded with uncertainties. In recent months, job data has also shown mixed results.

Amid growing unemployment and coronavirus fears, here's what to expect in budget 2020: DBS

US business activity cooled in April to a four-month low due to weaker demand, while rates of inflation eased slightly even as input prices rose sharply, suggesting some possible relief ahead as the Federal Reserve looks for signs that the economy is ebbing enough to bring inflation down further.

US business activity cools in April; inflation measures mixed 

Inta Bina Group Bhd has bagged a contract worth RM169.67 million to develop a service apartment project in Country Heights.

Inta Bina bags RM170m serviced apartment job in Country Heights

KOTA KINABALU (April 23): The Kibing Group has successfully exported its inaugural batch of solar glass manufactured in Sabah, totalling 672 tonnes, to Cambodia last Sunday (April 21).

Kibing Group exports 672 tonnes of Sabah’s first batch of solar glass to Cambodia

US oil and gas deals hit a record US$51 billion (RM243.6 billion) in the first quarter, a continuation of last year's fierce merger pace centered in the top US shale field, data provider Enverus said on Tuesday.

US oil and gas M&A hits quarterly record after blockbuster 2023

KOTA KINABALU (April 23): The Sabah government has not imposed state sales tax and the Royal Malaysian Customs Department has also not levied export duties on gold taken out of Sabah to Peninsular Malaysia, the Sabah State Legislative Assembly was told on Tuesday.

No sales tax, export duties on gold taken out of Sabah to peninsula

Office furniture maker AHB Holdings Bhd’s foray into the electric vehicles (EV) business has encountered a setback as its planned acquisition of a 51% stake in automotive distributor CAF Motor Sdn Bhd was mutually terminated.

AHB's proposed acquisition of EV automotive distributor scrapped

KOTA KINABALU (April 23): A total compensation of RM651 million has been paid to 1,591 landowners and stakeholders involved in the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway project in Sabah.

RM651 mil compensation paid to landowners involved in Sabah’s Pan Borneo Highway

While the opening of The Exchange TRX is anticipated to intensify competition in the malls sector, Pavilion Real Estate Investment Trust (PavREIT) said footfalls at its malls nearby — Pavillion KL and the connected Pavilion Elite — remain unaffected, and they are still enjoying over 95% occupancy rates.

PavREIT says Pavilion KL, Elite's footfalls unaffected by opening of TRX mall

LOS ANGELES/BENGALURU (April 23): United Parcel Service (UPS) reported better-than-expected quarterly profit on Tuesday, as cost cuts offset still-soft demand for package delivery.

UPS profit tops expectations as cost-cuts deliver margin

Adobe said on Tuesday it plans to place a tool for full artificial intelligence (AI) image generation in its Photoshop software later this year.

Adobe's image and video editing tools are widely used by creative professionals, but it faces rising competition from start-ups such as Microsoft-backed OpenAI, Midjourney and Stability AI, all of which offer services that can generate images from text prompts.

Adobe to bring full AI image generation to Photoshop this year

The Edge covers former Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's 1Malaysia Development Bhd-Tanore (1MDB-Tanore) trial live.

Najib's 1MDB-Tanore trial live reporting (April 23)

Ten members of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) were confirmed dead in an incident where two helicopters collided and crashed at the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) base in Lumut, Perak on Tuesday morning.

Two helicopters crash in Lumut, 10 confirmed killed — RMN

Healthcare stocks still have legs to run following a recent rally and investors should continue to buy hospital operators for their further earnings growth this year, analysts said.

KPJ, IHH extend rally as analysts bet on upside

Eight contractors face possible Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC) fines for alleged bid rigging in 2019, in respect of two tenders of the Public Works Department (JKR) and one tender of the Department of Drainage and Irrigation.

Eight contractors face possible MyCC fines for bid rigging in tenders worth RM473m

Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his son, incoming vice-president Gibran Rakabuming Raka, are no longer members of the country's largest party after they backed rival candidate and election winner Prabowo Subianto, a party official said on Tuesday.

Indonesia's biggest party confirms President Jokowi no longer a member after backing Prabowo

ATX Semiconductor Group, a globally renowned semiconductor provider from China, intends to ramp up investment to US$200 million (RM952 million) for its new manufacturing plant in Melaka over the next five years for its second-phase business expansion.

ATX Semiconductor to boost investment in Melaka to RM952m

Malaysia’s construction tender prices are&nbsp;expected to grow by 3% in 2024, compared to the previous year, driven by various factors such as project type, industry procurement strategy and currency fluctuations, according to a report by global professional services company Turner &amp; Townsend.

Malaysia’s construction tender prices to grow by 3% in 2024, says Turner & Townsend

Moomoo Malaysia, an online trading platform, garnered 100,000 clients within six weeks of its launch, making it one of the most downloaded financial mobile applications in Malaysia.&nbsp;

Moomoo Malaysia surpassed 100,000 clients within six weeks of its debut in Malaysia

Former Umno Supreme Council member Hizatul Isham Abdul Jalil or better known as Isham Jalil has offered to make an unreserved apology to bring an end to his contempt of court proceedings.

Ex-Umno leader ready to apologise in contempt of court case

Swatch Group (M) Sdn Bhd&nbsp;said the seizure of its 172 rainbow-themed watches had caused much grief to its international reputation, as the renowned Swiss watch maker had always been dutiful citizens of any state where the watches were sold.

Swatch says advocating compassion for LGBTQ is not a crime, seizure illegal

KUALA LUMPUR (April 23): Malaysia has emerged as the most significant country within Asean for businesses to venture into, as shown by the UOB Business Outlook Study 2024 (SMEs &amp; Large Enterprises).

Malaysia emerges as prime destination for Asean biz expansion — UOB study

Cypark Resources Bhd said on Tuesday that its 100MW Large Scale Solar 3 (LSS3) hybrid solar plant project in Merchang, Terengganu, will transition to full commercial operations by next month.

In a statement, the group said the plant consists of 83MWac (megawatt, alternating current) ground-mounted solar photovoltaics and 32MWac floating solar photovoltaics.

Cypark's LSS3 solar plant in Terengganu set for commercial operations next month

KUALA LUMPUR (April 23): Former Sapura Energy Bhd chief executive officer Tan Sri Shahril Shamsudin has settled his defamation lawsuit against Economics Minister Rafizi Ramli out of court.

Ex-Sapura Energy CEO Shahril settles defamation suit against Rafizi

<h3>MyEG Services Bhd</h3>

Target price: RM1.15 ADD

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Brokers Digest: Local Equities: MyEG Services Bhd, Mah Sing Group Bhd, Tan Chong Motor Holdings Bhd, Gamuda Bhd 

CONSTRUCTION firm GDB Holdings Bhd — which has been embroiled in disputes with KSK Group in the last two years over the development of the 8 Conlay project in Kuala Lumpur — appears to be back on investors’ radar, judging by the recent upward trend in its share price.

According to marke...

GDB Holdings a front runner for several jobs

Bursa Malaysia continued its upbeat momentum to end higher for the fifth consecutive day on Tuesday, thanks to buying from local and foreign institutions, said an analyst.&nbsp;

Bursa ends higher on buying support from local and foreign institutions

PETALING JAYA (April 23): Tropicana Corp Bhd is partnering with Maybank Islamic Bhd to provide a home financing solution called Maybank Islamic’s HouzKEY.&nbsp;

Tropicana partners Maybank Islamic to offer HouzKEY home financing solution

Capital A Bhd’s unit AirAsia Consulting Sdn Bhd is still in the pre-qualification stage for the acquisition of national carrier SriLankan Airlines.&nbsp;

However, AirAsia Consulting has yet to submit any price bid since due diligence has not been carried out, its chief executive officer Subashini Silvadas told The Edge on Tuesday.

Capital A’s unit in RFQ process for SriLankan Airlines, no price bid yet

While Sapura Energy Bhd has resolved one key condition of its reset plan, analysts did not change their recommendations on the group, as there is still an arduous journey ahead for the group to address its balance sheet position.

Sapura Energy not out of the woods yet as large debts still in its way

Chinese universities and research institutes recently obtained high-end Nvidia artificial intelligence (AI) chips through resellers, despite the US widening a ban last year on the sale of such technology to China.