<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>KUALA LUMPUR (May 21): Widad Group Bhd’s wholly-owned subsidiary Widad Builders Sdn Bhd has secured a RM129.4 million contract from the Kedah state government to upgrade the Bukit Selambau water treatment plant in Kuala Muda, Kedah.&nbsp;</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>In a Bursa Malaysia filing today, Widad Group said Widad Builders had yesterday accepted the contract, which was awarded on Tuesday (May 18).</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>"The total contract value of the project shall be based on a sum value of RM129.4 million only and the contract period shall be 130 weeks commencing from June 6, 2021 to Dec 2, 2023.</p></div><div class=inPageAd id=div-gpt-ad-inpage></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>"The project is expected to be funded via internally generated funds and/or external borrowings,” Widad Group said.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>Widad Group said the project is expected to contribute positively to the earnings and net assets of Widad Group and its subsidiaries over the duration of the project.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>At Bursa’s 12.30pm break today, Widad Group’s share price settled one sen or 2.41% lower at at 40.5 sen, with&nbsp;a market capitalisation of about RM996.3 million.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>Widad Group has 2.46 billion issued shares, according to its latest quarterly financial report.</p></div>


Widad Group Bhd’s wholly-owned subsidiary Widad Builders Sdn Bhd has secured a RM129.4 million contract from the Kedah state government to upgrade the Bukit Selambau water treatment plant in Kuala Muda, Kedah.

Widad subsidiary gets RM129m contract to upgrade water treatment plant 

Bond traders pulled forward expectations for the Federal Reserve’s first full interest-rate cut by a month to November ahead of a key US jobs report on Friday.

The recalibration came amid the best two-day rally for short-end Treasuries since January, following the central bank’s latest policy meeting on Wednesday.

Traders pull forward first full Fed Rate cut to November ahead of jobs

Equities in Asia were set for early gains after stocks and bonds rallied on Wall Street Thursday, ahead of crucial US jobs data due later Friday.

Share futures for Australia and Hong Kong edged higher after the S&P 500 rose 0.9% and tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 climbed 1.3%. Markets in Japan and mainland China are closed Friday for a holiday.

Asian stocks to rise as tech lifts Wall Street

Coinbase Global Inc. posted higher-than-forecast first-quarter revenue and profit as a resurgence in cryptocurrency prices reawakened demand from individual investors. 

Revenue more than doubled to $1.58 billion, topping the $1.32 billion average estimate of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

Coinbase’s first-quarter profit, revenue top forecasts

(May 3): Apple's AAPL.O quarterly results and forecast beat modest expectations on Thursday, as the iPhone maker unveiled a record share buyback program, sending its stock up almost 7% in extended trade.

Apple increas...

Apple unveils record $110 billion buyback as results beat low expectations

Ankara (May 3) : Turkey stopped all exports and imports to and from Israel as of Thursday, the Turkish trade ministry said, citing a "worsening humanitarian tragedy" in the Palestinian territories.

"Export and import transactions related to Israel have been stopped, covering all pr...

Turkey halts all trade with Israel, cites worsening Palestinian situation

(May 3): Fresh data on the Federal Reserve’s various accounts hints at two potential ways Japanese policy makers may have funded currency interventions this past week to bolster the beleaguered yen. 

One source may have been a Fed facility where central banks stash overnight c...

Market hunts for signs of Japan Yen intervention in Fed accounts

(May 3): The rally in tech heavyweights extended into late hours after better-than-estimated results from Apple Inc., with the iPhone maker also raising its dividend and announcing plans to buy back more stock.

A $250 billion exchange-traded fund tracking the Nasdaq 100 powered hig...

Tech jumps in late hours on Apple’s solid outlook

Wall Street's main indexes advanced on Thursday, a day after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged and signaled a dovish tilt, with focus moving to a crucial job report later in the week.

While Fed Chair Jerome Powell indicated that stubbornly high inflation would see a long-expected US rate cut pushed back, he refused to entertain talk that rates might actually need to go up again.

Wall Street gains on Fed's dovish signals

The presence of and commitment shown by the Unity Government party machinery campaigning in the Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) state by-election to ensure victory for its candidate is clear proof of the government's integrity.

KKB polls: Presence of party machinery is proof of Unity Government's togetherness — Zambry

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes are set to be enhanced to address the shortage of 30,000 engineers in the country, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He also emphasised the importance of focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to keep pace with current demands.

TVET in Malaysia to be enhanced to address shortage of 30,000 engineers — PM

<p>DBS Group Holdings Ltd was hit by renewed disruptions to its Internet banking and payment services in Singapore on Thursday, days after a six-month ban by the island’s central bank over similar glitches ended.</p>


Singapore DBS’ digital services hit days after MAS ban ends

<p>Ajinomoto (M) Bhd’s RM2.12 special dividend announced in July last year in conjunction with a land disposal exercise will go ex on May 15.</p>


Ajinomoto’s special dividend of RM2.12 goes ex on May 15

<p>Construction outfit and bus operator Epicon Bhd will exit Practice Note 17 (PN17) status on Friday following the completion of its regularisation plan.</p>


Epicon, formerly Konsortium Transnasional, exits PN17 status

<p>KUALA LUMPUR (May 2): Here is a brief recap of some business news and corporate announcements that made the headlines on Thursday:</p>

<p><strong>Yinson Holdings Bhd</strong> has closed the limited recourse term loan facility of up to US$1.3 billion (RM6.2 billion) for the financing of its Ago...

Yinson, Protasco, LCTitan, Westports, UOA REIT, Frontken, Pasukhas, BHIC, JAKS, Epicon, Sarawak Cable, Annum, Aldrich, Ajinomoto, Ageson and SMI

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<p class="thumb-cap">E...

EVENING 5: Five things you need to know today

<p>Sarawak Cable Bhd (SCB) has once again obtained a time extension to submit its Practice Note 17 (PN17) regularisation plan from Bursa Malaysia.</p>

<p>The deadline has now been extended by another six months to Sept 30 from March 31, its bourse filing on Thursday showed. The original deadline was Nov 1, 2023.</p>


Sarawak Cable gets another time extension to submit PN17 exit plan

<p>Loss-making Annum Bhd said on Thursday it has received a show-cause notice from Bursa Malaysia over the company's failure to issue its annual report for the financial period ended June 30, 2023 (FY2023), which was due on Oct 31, 2023.</p>


Annum still fails to issue annual report after landing auditor following 31 rejections; hit by Bursa show-cause notice

<p>Former attorney general Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali's special officer could have won her defamation suit against Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown, if not for a technicality — that all court pleadings must be filed in Bahasa Melayu, according to the High Court judicial commissioner who presided over the case.</p>


Court says Apandi's former aide could have won defamation suit against Sarawak Report editor if not for a technicality

<p>Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday reprimanded the Immigration Department over congestion issues at the country’s borders, particularly in airports.</p>

<p>Describing the rebuke as akin to "parental love" to improve congestion issues at counters handling entry of tourists, the prime minister said tourists would not accept excuses for delays, and hoped the issue could be dealt with effectively.</p>


PM rebukes Immigration Dept over tourist entry congestion

<p>Boustead Heavy Industries Corp Bhd (BHIC), which is 64.99%-indirectly owned by the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT), has secured a contract worth RM43.6 million from the Ministry of Defence for the in-service support for its Royal Malaysian Navy Prime Minister Class submarines.</p>


BHIC secures RM43 mil contract for navy submarine in-service support

<p>Chinese President Xi Jinping heads to Europe for the first time in five years next week in a visit that may lay bare European divisions over trade with Beijing and how the continent positions itself as a pole between the United States and China.</p>


Xi's trip to Europe may lay bare West's divisions over China strategy

<p>Hong Kong's securities regulator started an insider dealing prosecution against hedge fund Segantii Capital Management, its founder and a former trader, the watchdog said on Thursday.</p>

<p>The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) said it had started criminal proceedings against Segantii, its founder and chief investment officer Simon Sadler, and former trader Daniel La Rocca for insider dealing in the shares of a Hong Kong-listed company prior to a block trade in June 2017.</p>


Insider dealing charges brought against Segantii and its founder in Hong Kong

<p>Aldrich Resources Bhd said it is reconsidering an earlier plan to diversify into dolomite and gold mining, and has suspended these operations for the time being.</p>


Aldrich Resources suspends mining venture after one year

<p>Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim held a closed-door meeting on Thursday with Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud regarding the development of the state.</p>

<p>It is understood that the briefing on this matter was delivered by Mohd Nassuruddin</p>


Anwar holds closed-door meeting with Kelantan MB

<p>South Malaysia Industries Bhd (SMI) has appointed Leow Thang Fong as its new chief executive officer, effective May 1, two months after a group of shareholders rejected him from being re-elected executive director at its annual general meeting (AGM).</p>


SMI makes Leow Thang Fong CEO after his reappointment as ED rejected at AGM

<p>The Federal Government agrees with the Kelantan government's proposal to extend the runway at the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport by 400 metres for it to become an international airport.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he had asked Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook to expedite the ongoing construction of the airport.</p>


Sultan Ismail Petra Airport to be upgraded as international airport — Anwar

<p>The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits held steady at lower levels last week as the labour market remains fairly tight.</p>

<p>Initial claims for state unemployment benefits were unchanged at a seasonally adjusted 208,000 for the week ended April 27, the Labor Department said on Thursday.</p>


US weekly jobless claims unchanged; layoffs decline in April

<p>（吉隆坡2日讯）Epicon Bhd将于周五脱离PN17公司行列，因该集团完成了重组计划。</p>


Epicon脱离PN17公司行列

<p>The Penang government plans to hold a workshop with stakeholders to finalise the Penang Mutiara Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) Project following minor amendments to the original plan.</p>

<p>Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the workshop is expected to be held within a week or two so that further work involving the transformative infrastructure project can be carried out.</p>


Penang to hold workshop with stakeholders to finalise Mutiara Line LRT alignment

<p>Qualcomm shares rose 4% in premarket trading on Thursday after the smartphone-focused chipmaker signaled an AI-fueled rebound in demand, especially in China, after a two-year slump.</p>

<p>Sales to Chinese smartphone makers jumped 40% in the first half of its fiscal year, the company said on Wednesday, as buyers there gravitate toward higher-priced devices that can accommodate AI chatbots.</p>
