<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>SINGAPORE (Feb 24): Raffles Medical Group has posted a 14.1% drop in earnings for S$58.1 million for FY2019 ended Dec 31, 2019, from S$67.7 million a year ago, due to the start-up costs it incurred for the opening of its Raffles Hospital Chongqing in January 2019.</div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>This translates to earnings per share (EPS) of 3.32 Singaporean cents for FY2019 on a fully diluted basis, compared to an EPS of 3.97 cents in FY2018.</div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>This is in spite of a 6.7% increase in revenue to S$522 million from S$489.1 million in FY2018, from contributions in its healthcare and hospital services divisions. Income from its healthcare services was up 9%, following an<a href="https://www.theedgesingapore.com/capital/results/raffles-medical-posts-141-drop-fy2019-earnings-looks-novel-measures-cope-covid-19" target="_blank">...(click on link for full story on theedgesingapore.com)</a></div><div class=inPageAd id=div-gpt-ad-inpage></div>

SINGAPORE (Feb 24): Raffles Medical Group has posted a 14.1% drop in earnings for S$58.1 million for FY2019 ended Dec 31, 2019, from S$67.7 million a year ago, due to the start-up costs it incurred for the opening of its Raffles Hospital Chongqing in January 2019.

Raffles Medical posts 14.1% drop in FY2019 earnings, but looks for novel measures to cope with Covid-19

A total of 20 former employees of Kedah Agro Holdings Berhad (KAHB) are expected to receive salary arrears totalling RM337,000, for a period ranging from six to nine months, to be paid in stages.

Former Kedah Agro employees to receive unpaid wages in stages

BHP Group bid US$38.8 billion for Anglo American on Thursday, offering a deal to forge the world's biggest copper miner and driving its smaller rival's shares 13% higher.

Mining's latest move to consolidate is driven by a scramble for copper and other metals central to the world's clean energy shift and could have major repercussions for South Africa, which has seen the platinum it mines fall out of favour.

BHP bids US$39 bil for Anglo American as miners target copper

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday emphasised the need to appoint more women as secretaries-general (KSU) of ministries and directors-general (DG) of departments.

PM wants more women in top civil service posts

Chin Teck Plantations Bhd’s net profit surged sevenfold for the financial quarter ended Feb 29, 2024 (2QFY2024) thanks to higher palm oil production as well as lower operating and administrative expenses.

Chin Teck’s 2Q net profit up sevenfold

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday gave assurance that the revised Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA), which will be announced soon, will be the best ever introduced in the country.

Revised public service remuneration system will be the best ever introduced — Anwar

Amazon.com's cloud-computing arm said it would invest US$11 billion in Indiana to build data centers, marking the state's largest capital investment, and promising at least 1,000 jobs.

The announcement by Amazon Web Services on Thursday builds on the online retail giant's already strong presence in the state, where it employs 26,000 full- and part-time staff.

Amazon to invest US$11 billion in Indiana to build data centers

Pavilion Real Estate Investment Trust (PavREIT) reported that its first quarter net property income (NPI) jumped 33.2% year-on-year, thanks largely to contribution from its newly acquired mall, Pavilion Bukit Jalil. The increase was also attributed to higher occupancy rates and higher revenue rent from its other retail malls.

PavREIT’s 1Q NPI jumps 33%, pays 2.48 sen distribution per unit

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, pointing to still tight labour market conditions.

US weekly jobless claims unexpectedly fall

US economic growth slowed more than expected in the first quarter, but an acceleration in inflation suggested that the Federal Reserve would not cut interest rates before September.

US economic growth slows more than expected in first quarter

The World Bank said on Thursday that Malaysia's education system still has areas for improvement, particularly in addressing learning challenges faced by children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

According to its 29th Malaysia Economic Monitor report for April 2024 entitled 'Bending Bamboo Shoots: Strengthening Foundational Skills' students, especially those in early childhood education, often lack school readiness skills.

World Bank: Imperative for Malaysia to narrow early childhood educational gaps to improve children's school readiness

Malaysia is in early discussions with tycoons on opening a casino in Forest City, people familiar with the matter said, in a bid to revive the beleaguered US$100 billion (RM478.35 billion) property project that counts the country’s monarch as one of its shareholders.

Malaysia is said to mull casino resort to revive Forest City

KUALA LUMPUR (April 25): Members of the the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) who are below 55 years old will have an Account 3 starting from May 11, from which they can make withdrawals at any time for any purpose —&nbsp;subject to a minimum withdrawal amount of RM50. This is on top of the two existing accounts they currently have for retirement savings.&nbsp;

EPF members under age 55 will have Account 3 for ‘withdrawals at any time’ from May 11

Shares of YTL Corp Bhd rallied to a new all-time high on Thursday after Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB) flagged more upside even after a 42% year-to-date surge.

YTL Corp rallies to new all-time high after HLIB flags more upside

Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB), the state-owned company in charge of the 5G network infrastructure rollout, on Thursday named five new board members, comprising senior leaders from the telecom and technology industries.

Digital Nasional names senior telco and tech leaders as new directors

Sports retailer Al-Ikhsan Sports Sdn Bhd, in which state-owned private equity firm Ekuiti Nasional Bhd (Ekuinas) owns a 35% stake, has appointed Datuk Hishammudin Hasan as its new chief executive officer effective April 17.

Ekuinas-backed Al-Ikhsan Sports names former 7-Eleven head as CEO

Wireless carrier Axiata Group Bhd and conglomerate PT Sinar Mas Group are moving forward with plans to merge their telecommunications operations in Indonesia, people familiar with the matter said.

Axiata, Sinar Mas move closer to US$3.5b telco merger, Bloomberg reports

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday denied claims that the government will issue a licence for the operation of a casino in Forest City, Johor.

PM denies claims that govt issuing casino licence for Forest City

KUALA LUMPUR (April 25): Mega First Corp Bhd shares have likely peaked following a recent rally to new all-time highs, and investors should stop buying the stock now, Maybank Investment Bank (Maybank IB) said and downgraded the stock to ‘hold’.

Maybank IB is the first from a total of fi...

Mega First shares likely peaked; Maybank IB the first to downgrade stock

Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming’s press secretary Pang Sock Tao was announced as the unity government’s candidate for the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election on May 11.

Nga's press secretary Pang picked as unity govt's candidate for Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election

IOI Properties Group broke ground on Thursday for Senna Puteri, its latest township development located in Sepang, Selangor. The developer is looking to launch 386 units of townhouses in its first phase before the end of the second quarter.

Spanning 117 acres in southern Klang Valley, the 12-phase Senna Puteri will be developed over the next 10 years, offering residential, commercial, recreational areas, green spaces, community hall, surau and more. It has a gross development value (GDV) of over RM3 billion.

IOI Properties breaks ground for 117-acre Senna Puteri in Sepang

JOHOR BAHRU (April 25): The Johor branch of the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (Maqis) found parasitic worms Anisakis sp in samples of sardine cans from China that were brought in through the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) here, earlier this month.

Parasitic worms Anisakis sp found in canned sardines from China — Johor dept

AirAsia X Bhd (AAX), which will be taking over Capital A Bhd's aviation business,&nbsp;has announced the mechanics of its plan via a bourse&nbsp;filing on Thursday.

AirAsia X to buy Capital A's aviation business for RM6.8b via share and debt deal 

KUALA LUMPUR (April 25): Agricore CS Holdings Bhd, a food ingredients supplier, has obtained approval from Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd to list on its ACE Market.

Agricore CS Holdings gets Bursa Malaysia nod to list on ACE Market

Malaysia’s consumer inflation came in lower than expected in March from a year earlier as prices of healthcare and food rose at a slower pace, official data on Thursday showed.

The Consumer Price Index — Malaysia’s main gauge of inflation — rose 1.8% year-on-year, according to the Department of Statistics. The headline figure was a tad lower than the median 2% rise predicted in a Bloomberg survey of economists, and unchanged versus February’s 1.8% gain.

Malaysia’s inflation steady at 1.8% in March

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has confirmed that former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is among individuals under investigation by the commission.

Azam Baki confirms Dr M among individuals under MACC probe

The Court of Appeal has allowed a bid by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to have a bench of five judges to hear his review application to restore his acquittal by the High Court of four of his abuse of power charges last year.

His lawyer Chetan Jethwani said that Court of Appeal deputy registrar Muhammad Noor Firdaus Rosli informed the parties of the matter on Thursday morning during case management.

Appellate court grants Muhyiddin five-member bench for review of charges

KUALA LUMPUR (April 25): Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had never instructed 1Malaysia Development Bhd’s (1MDB) management to transfer a total US$1.03 billion to Good Star Ltd, a company linked to the fugitive Low Taek Jho (Jho Low), the court heard on Thursday.

Najib never instructed 1MDB management to transfer monies to Good Star — witness

Investors are looking for the next policy domino to fall in Asia amid an escalating campaign against a resurgent dollar, after Indonesia used a surprise interest rate hike to defend the rupiah.

Asia’s hawks get put on alert after Indonesia’s shock rate hike

Luxchem Corp Bhd’s net profit for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024 (1QFY2024) surged over 54% to RM11.56 million or 1.08 sen per share from RM7.5 million or 0.7 sen per share a year earlier on the back of stronger earnings from both its trading and manufacturing segments.

The industrial chemical and material group’s revenue rose 19.8% to RM183.15 million versus RM152.83 million a year ago as driven by its trading and manufacturing segments, according to a bourse filing on Thursday. &nbsp;

Luxchem 1Q net profit up 54% on stronger trading and manufacturing segment

KUALA LUMPUR (April 25): Malaysia requires an annual allocation of at least RM10 billion for the next three years, which is crucial to boost water infrastructure amid below-cost tariffs and high wastage, the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) said on Thursday.