<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>RM70mil allocated for first time hill paddy subsidy to strengthen Sabah, Sarawak food supply chain. The assistance is to benefit paddy farmers in Sabah and Sarawak, covering 76,000 hectares of crop area.</div>

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RM70mil allocated for first time hill paddy subsidy to strengthen Sabah, Sarawak food supply chain. The assistance is to benefit paddy farmers in Sabah and Sarawak, covering 76,000 hectares of crop area.

 

 
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RM70mil allocated for first time hill paddy subsidy to strengthen Sabah, Sarawak food supply chain

Malaysia plans to introduce "orangutan diplomacy" in its relations with major palm oil-importing countries, offering the animals as trading gifts in an effort to allay concerns about the environmental effects of growing the commodity.

Malaysia eyes 'orangutan diplomacy' with nations that import palm oil

Singapore's biggest bank DBS Group said on Wednesday that it has appointed Ping An Technology's chairman and CEO Eugene Huang as its chief information officer (CIO) effective Friday.

Singapore's DBS appoints Ping An Technology CEO as chief information officer

Shares in Sime Darby Plantation Bhd [KL: SIMEPLT] rose to their highest in two years following its announcement to develop the Tali Ayer estate in Perak into a green industrial park.

Sime Darby Plantation shares surge to two-year high following proposed solar project in Perak

Industronics Bhd said it has been appointed as the project management company to develop a hotel and golf course on a 155-acre parcel of land in Langkawi.

Widad’s largest shareholder appoints Industronics to manage Langkawi golf course, hotel project development

The emergence of digital banks in Malaysia does not significantly impact traditional banks, primarily due to their limited ability to achieve rapid growth within the initial years of operation.

S&P Global Ratings senior analyst, financial institution ratings, South and Southeast Asia (SSEA), Sue Ong said that the five digital banking licences issued by the Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) in 2022 do not seem to be a game changer for now.

Digital banks will not affect traditional banks in Malaysia — S&P Global Ratings

KUALA LUMPUR (May 8): Insurer and reinsurer MNRB Holdings Bhd’s (KL:MNRB) net profit more than doubled year-on-year (y-o-y) in the fourth quarter, thanks to lower insurance expenses and higher investment income, sending its shares surging to an all-time high.

MNRB logs record profits from lower insurance expenses, higher investment income

MNRB Holdings Bhd (KL:MNRB) was Bursa Malaysia’s biggest gainer on Wednesday, after the insurer and reinsurer announced record quarterly and annual net profit for the financial year ended March 31, 2024 (FY2024).

MNRB makes biggest single-day jump after record FY2024 earnings

Financial planners need to carry out their duty to report any suspicious activities, that might be linked to money laundering, to the authorities, Bukit Aman Anti-Money Laundering Criminal Investigation Division assistant director ACP Foo Wei Min.

Financial planners should report suspicious activities to authorities — police

An increase in corporate demand, led by key infrastructure projects, may help push credit growth for Malaysian banks to 6% in 2024 from 5% in 2023, said S&P Global Ratings.

Its South and Southeast Asia financial institutions ratings director Nikita Anand said the agency expects corporate loan growth to revive in 2024.

Increase in corporate demand may help push Malaysian banks' credit growth to 6% — S&P Global

The Biden administration is poised to open up a new front in its effort to safeguard US AI from China with preliminary plans to place guardrails around the most advanced AI Models, the core software of artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT, sources said.

US eyes curbs on China's access to AI software behind apps like ChatGPT 

Former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has been granted a temporary release of his passport to visit a sick family member in Australia.

Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi allowed the Bersatu chief's application and ordered the travel document to be released on Wednesday and for it to be returned to the court on May 28.

Muhyiddin gets temporary release of passport to visit sick family member abroad

Shares in low-cost aviation operators Capital A Bhd (KL:CAPITALA) and AirAsia X Bhd (KL:AAX) rose in early trade on Wednesday, tracking gains at the broader market.

Capital A and AAX active, advance in post-merger trade

Shares in Sime Darby Plantation Bhd [KL: SIMEPLT] rose to their highest in two years following its announcement to develop the Tali Ayer estate in Perak into a green industrial park.

Shell said on Wednesday it has agreed to sell its refinery and petrochemical assets in Singapore, Asia's main oil hub, to a joint venture between Indonesian chemicals firm Chandra Asri and Swiss miner and commodities trader Glencore.

Shell to sell Singapore refinery, petchem assets to Chandra Asri and Glencore

Interim liquidators appointed by the Shah Alam High Court pursuant to a petition by Hitachi Ltd to look into the affairs of its wholly-owned Fusiotech Holdings Sdn Bhd are investigating claims of potential diversion of business by Fusionex Malaysia to third parties.

Fusionex liquidators probing alleged diversion of business to third parties

China has extended the visa-free policy for short-term visits to China for Malaysia and 11 other countries until the end of 2025, Xinhua reported, citing Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian.

China extends visa-free travel policy for Malaysia until end of 2025

KUALA LUMPUR (May 8): Petronas Dagangan Bhd (KL:PETDAG) faces a threat from Saudi Aramco’s possible entry into Malaysia’s fuel retailing market, on top of the impending withdrawal of fuel subsidies, CGS International warned.

Petronas Dagangan faces twin share de-rating threats — CGS

KUALA LUMPUR (May 8): Insurer and reinsurer MNRB Holdings Bhd’s (KL:MNRB) net profit more than doubled year-on-year (y-o-y) in the fourth quarter, thanks to lower insurance expenses and higher investment income, sending its shares surging to an all-time high.

The US has revoked licences that allowed companies including Intel and Qualcomm to ship chips used for laptops and handsets to sanctioned Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei Technologies, three people familiar with the matter said.

US revokes Intel, Qualcomm's export licences to sell to China's Huawei — Reuters

United Overseas Bank (M) Bhd (UOB Malaysia) has launched a programme to assist businesses in understanding and preparing for the European Union's (EU) carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), a carbon border tax that is set to take effect in 2026 and affect some 75% of Malaysian exports to the region.

UOB Malaysia introduces masterclass to prepare businesses for EU’s carbon border tax

Shares of CTOS Digital Bhd (KL:CTOS) tested their highest in nearly two months as analysts flagged a pickup in earnings ahead&nbsp;following the seasonally weaker first-quarter results.

CTOS Digital shares back away two-month high 

Homegrown information and communications technology (ICT) distributor Vstecs Bhd’s (KL: VSTECS) wholly-owned subsidiary, Vstecs Ku Sdn Bhd, has been picked as Amazon Web Services' (AWS) first distributor in Malaysia.

Amazon Web Services picks Vstecs as first distributor in Malaysia

A Singapore Air Force F-16 jet crashed during takeoff at a military airbase, the Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday.

Singapore Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashes after takeoff

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the government is prepared to engage with the US counterparts to understand the details regarding possible sanctions against Malaysian companies.

Govt prepared to engage with US counterparts over possible sanctions — Fahmi

KUALA LUMPUR (May 8): Shares of Bursa Malaysia Bhd (KL:BURSA) extended their gain on Wednesday, after MIDF said it foresees a good prospect for trading activities on Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd&nbsp;this year, as Malaysian stocks hit a historical high of RM2 trillion in market capitalisation on Tuesday (May 7).

Bursa Malaysia shares rise as MIDF sees better prospects on local trading

Former National and Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) skipper Safiq Rahim became the third National footballer to be attacked within a week, although the JDT player’s attack seemed more of a warning than personal harm.

Two suspects on motorcycles break Safiq Rahim's car windscreen in third attack on footballers 

Offshore drilling firm Velesto Energy Bhd (KL:VELESTO) is expected to report that its net profit may more than tripled in the first quarter (1Q) from a year earlier with all of its rigs utilised, Maybank Investment Bank said.

Velesto may report strong 1Q results with rigs fully occupied — Maybank IB

KUALA LUMPUR (May 8): Go Hub Capital Bhd (KL:GOHUB), a provider of information technology (IT) services catering to the transportation sector, said on Wednesday that it has received approval for its listing on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia.&nbsp;

IT services firm Go Hub Capital gets Bursa Malaysia nod for ACE Market listing

SYDNEY/HONG KONG/SINGAPORE (May 8): Global private equity investors and asset managers are readying for billions of dollars worth of mergers and acquisitions (M&amp;As) and investments linked to data centres in the Asia Pacific, as the artificial intelligence (AI) boom fuels demand for digital infrastructure.

AI boom set to fuel data centre deals in Asia this year

The FBM KLCI was little changed in early trade on Wednesday although it held firm above the 1,600-point level.