<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>PM: Property tax exemption for Malaysians for disposal of up to three properties between June 1, 2020 and Dec 31, 2021</div>

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<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><a href="https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/penjana-economic-package-home-ownership-campaign-mandatory-discounts-and-tax-breaks-makes">Penjana economic package: Home Ownership Campaign - with mandatory discounts and tax breaks - makes a comeback</a></div><div class=inPageAd id=div-gpt-ad-inpage></div>

PM: Property tax exemption for Malaysians for disposal of up to three properties between June 1, 2020 and Dec 31, 2021

BUTTERWORTH (April 30): A paddy farmer was charged at the Sessions Court here on Tuesday with issuing defamatory remarks against His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, through the WhatsApp mobile phone application last week.

Farmer charged with making seditious remarks in WhatsApp group

President Xi Jinping will convene senior party officials in July for a closed-door conclave that will be watched for signs of long-term reforms to the world’s second-largest economy.

China to hold delayed party conclave on reform in July

Malaysia’s loan growth picked up in March as lending to both consumers and businesses expanded faster, official data on Tuesday showed.

Banks' loan growth picks up slightly in March — BNM

Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Air France-KLM are embarking on a cost-cutting drive after the European airlines suffered higher first-quarter losses in the wake of strike disruptions and restrained bookings caused by tensions in the Middle East.

Lufthansa, Air France seek savings after disruptions hurt profit

KUALA LUMPUR (April 30): Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s lawyer has sought to address the High Court over Minister of International Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz’s application to seek leave to file his affidavit with regard to the purported addendum order to the Federal Territory Pardons Board’s decision that allegedly allows the former prime minister (Najib) to serve his remaining sentence under house arrest.

Najib’s lawyer seeks to address court on Tengku Zafrul’s leave to file an affidavit

Taiwan’s economy expanded at the fastest pace in almost three years as global demand for artificial intelligence-related technologies fueled a boom in exports.

Taiwan economy grows at fastest pace since 2021 on chip boom

(April 30): Workers in Argentine soy-processing plants have gone on strike just as farmers are collecting the crop.

The job action that began Monday threatens to paralyze output from Argentina, the world’s biggest supplier of soy meal for livestock feed and soy oil used in food and biof...

Argentina’s soybean crushers strike just as harvest gathers pace

Iconic Worldwide Bhd’s latest condominium development dubbed Iconic Harmony in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, has been 70% taken up since its official launch on April 22.

Iconic Worldwide achieves 70% take-up rate for Iconic Harmony, announces upcoming plans in Penang

Arnaud Lagardere, the French business scion who heads a publishing group now controlled by Vivendi SE, was charged with alleged embezzlement and will resign as CEO of Lagardere SA.

French business scion Arnaud Lagardere charged with embezzlement

Finland's Nokian Tyres on Monday posted a deeper-than-expected operating loss for the first quarter following its exit from Russia, citing negative impacts from the Red Sea crisis and political strikes in Finland.

Nokian Tyres' losses deepen on Red Sea crisis, strikes

The Genting group companies' operations have recovered from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and its earnings are expected to further grow, albeit more gradually, according to S&amp;P Global Ratings.

S&P: Genting's operations have recovered from impact of pandemic, earnings to further grow

KUALA LUMPUR (April 30): Sime Darby Plantation Bhd, the world’s largest palm oil producer by acreage, said on Tuesday that it plans to change its name to SD Guthrie Bhd.

Sime Darby Plantation plans to change name to SD Guthrie

The Malaysian Bar filed a judicial review application last Friday (April 26) to seek a declaration that the decision by the Federal Territories Pardons Board on Jan 29 to halve Datuk Seri Najib Razak's jail sentence from 12 years to six years and reduce the fine in his SRC International graft conviction from RM210 million to RM50 million is unconstitutional, void, and unlawful.

Malaysian Bar challenges Pardons Board decision to reduce Najib’s sentence

Shares in Oppstar Bhd rose to a five-month high on Tuesday after the integrated circuit (IC) design service provider announced it is partnering with South Korea’s tech giant Samsung Electronics Co Ltd to produce industrial ICs.

Oppstar surges to five-month high after announcing Samsung tie-up

MKH Oil Palm (East Kalimantan) Bhd (MKHOP) opened at 63 sen in its Main Market debut on Tuesday, up 1.6% from its initial public offering (IPO) price of 62 sen.

MKH Oil Palm rises 1.6% to 63 sen in Main Market debut 

KUALA LUMPUR (April 30): The average price for new apartments in Kuala Lumpur has surged to RM708,462, which is seen as surpassing the national average and setting a new benchmark in the industry, according to the real estate technology group Juwai IQI.

Average new apartment price in Malaysia hits RM582,887, surpassed by KL and Johor  — Juwai IQI

RHB Investment Bank Research has maintained its “overweight” rating on the rubber products sector and said it expects glove makers to record positive quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q) net profit growth in the upcoming March quarterly reporting season.

RHB sees glove makers recording positive q-o-q net profit growth in March earnings

Ekuiti Nasional Bhd, the state-owned private equity firm also known as Ekuinas, said on Tuesday it has acquired an 80% stake in pharmaceutical ingredients maker Symbiotica Speciality Ingredients Sdn Bhd.

Ekuinas acquires 80% stake in pharma ingredients maker Symbiotica

The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) has updated its Investor Alert List.

SC adds two potential clones to Investor Alert List

Microsoft will invest US$1.7 billion (RM8.1 billion) over the next four years into expanding cloud services and artificial intelligence in Indonesia, including building data centres, visiting chief executive Satya Nadella said on Tuesday.

Microsoft to invest US$1.7b in cloud, AI in Indonesia, CEO says

Indonesia is planning to offer dual citizenship to its skilled diaspora as part of efforts to stem a brain drain of local talent.

Indonesia plans to offer dual citizenship to halt brain drain

HSBC said on Tuesday its chief executive Noel Quinn will retire — a surprise departure by its hard-nosed leader of five years who has overseen a sweeping series of asset sales across the globe.

HSBC chief executive Quinn announces surprise retirement

KUALA LUMPUR (April 30): Stock exchange operator Bursa Malaysia Bhd said on Tuesday that its net profit rose 34% in the first quarter of the year, from a year earlier, thanks to higher trading activity and fees from listings and other services.

Bursa Malaysia’s 1Q net profit surges 34%, optimistic to hit 2024 targets

KUALA LUMPUR (April 30): Shares of Nestlé (Malaysia) Bhd (Nestlé Malaysia) rose to its highest in eight months after reporting results that came in slightly ahead of expectations, though analysts flagged sales pressure ahead for the food-and-drink company.

Nestle Malaysia shares rise to eight-month high after 1Q results

KUALA LUMPUR (April 30): Kucingko Bhd said on Tuesday that it has secured approval from Bursa Malaysia for an initial public offering (IPO) on the bourse’s ACE Market, setting it to be the first animation production studio to be listed on the Malaysian stock exchange.&nbsp;

Animation production house Kucingko gets nod from Bursa for ACE Market IPO

Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB) Research has valued ACE Market-bound Sin-Kung Logistics Bhd at 17 sen, based on 15x price earnings ratio on FY2024F of 1.1 sen.

HLIB values ACE Market-bound Sin-Kung Logistics at 17 sen

China needs to further reduce its Treasuries holdings, in part to lessen the potential leverage of Washington over its Asian rival, according to a paper published by a Chinese state think tank.

China’s US Treasury holdings becoming ‘hostages,’ academic warns

It’s “better to ask for forgiveness than permission” when it comes to complying with the law, the billionaire founder of the Binance cryptocurrency exchange once told his team, according to the US government.

Binance and CZ’s fortunes are set to grow, jail or no jail 

Elon Musk’s net worth is soaring after it plunged to the lowest level in almost a year.

Musk’s fortune soars by most since before Twitter purchase

Samsung Electronics Co’s earnings surged after the semiconductor business returned to profitabilty for the first time since 2022, boosted by broad spending on artificial intelligence development.