Indonesia has had a good run in its 10 years under President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). The economy has withstood a series of challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic, the worldwide inflation surge, the spike in global interest rates and the Ukraine crisis. Growth has been fairly steady and the rup...

My Say: Challenges for Indonesia’s president-elect Prabowo to overcome

For the longest time, Vietnam was the “in” thing. Foreign investors gushed over its low-cost but hard-working labour force. Even more impressive was how hungry those young Vietnamese were, with their keenness to learn and upgrade themselves, endearing them to foreign investors. Though nominally c...

My Say: Vietnam at risk of losing its shine

The US is such a colossus that it has outsized effects on the rest of the world. Despite many challenges, it remains the world’s largest economy and so its market matters more for Asian exporters than others. Its technological prowess and innovations in business models are unchallenged. Listed Am...

My Say: US election casts cloud over Asia’s economies

It was not very long ago that there were laments about the “savings glut” in Asia. Excessive savings by Asians were blamed for creating the easy monetary conditions in the US that eventually precipitated the global financial crisis in 2008. Others claimed that the same Asian tendency to over-save...

My Say: The return of global imbalances could hurt Asia

Multilateral agencies such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have been updating their economic forecasts of late. In most cases, caution has dominated their perspectives, preoccupied as they are with a range of risks, from the geopolitical to financial and nature-related risks...

My Say: Risks may not be so bad for Asean region

For many of us in Southeast Asia, the conflict in Myanmar seems far away. There has been limited spillover from the fighting into other parts of the region except for the immediate border areas in Thailand. Neither has there been a flood of refugees and, so far, foreign investors have not been sc...

My Say: Myanmar is burning, posing a challenge for Asean

There are fears that, because China is unhappy about the results of Taiwan’s recent election, there is a greater chance of political turbulence in the region. Our view is that this risk should not be overstated. While China may exert somewhat more pressure on Taiwan, the resulting frictions are l...

My Say: Taiwan polls result will refine power relations

The most volatile segment of an economy is investment spending, so any surprise to expectations of economic growth would tend to come from how investment behaves. We believe that there is a good chance that a new investment cycle in the Asian region could emerge, which would produce better econom...

My Say: A new investment cycle could produce upside to regional growth

As we approach the end of the year and think about prospects for the new year, there is huge uncertainty in the global environment and how our region will fare in 2024. What we can do is to formulate the best possible guess on how things might pan out, all the while being humble enough to admit t...

My Say: A rough year ahead, but don’t forget the silver linings

The past few years have been turbulent, to say the least. Yet Singapore has emerged relatively unscathed from the Covid-19 pandemic, tragic wars in Europe and the Middle East, big power frictions that brought more protectionism and inward-looking policies, an unexpected Chinese slowdown, the shoc...

My Say: Singapore in 2024: Stepping into uncharted waters

Harvey Weinstein's 2020 conviction for sexual assault and rape was overturned by New York's highest court, reopening the landmark case that fuelled the #MeToo movement and highlighting the challenges of holding powerful men accountable.

Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction overturned by top New York court

Honda Motor Co will spend C$15 billion (US$11 billion or RM52.54 billion) to build out its electric vehicle (EV) supply chain in Canada, with billions of dollars of financial aid from government, as the Japanese automaker seeks to tap long-term demand in the region.

Honda to spend US$11 bil on EV strategy in Canada

Hulu Selangor Bersatu action division head has been named as Perikatan Nasional's (PN) candidate for the Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) state by-election on May 11.

PN names Hulu Selangor Bersatu acting division head as candidate for KKB by-election

Here is a brief recap of some business news and corporate announcements that made the headlines on Thursday:

AirAsia X, Capital A, ViTrox, PavREIT, Luxchem, Chin Teck, MKHOP, TAS Offshore, Inta Bina, Heineken, Pantech and Infoline Tec 

TAS Offshore Bhd’s net profit has leapt by nine-fold year-on-year for the financial quarter ended Feb 29, 2024 (3QFY2024) due to more vessels delivered.

TAS Offshore’s 3Q net profit up nine-fold, shares surge to eight-year high

US economic growth for the first quarter could be revised higher and inflation will ease to more normal levels, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Reuters on Thursday after a clutch of "peculiar" factors held the economy to its weakest showing in nearly two years.

US growth may get revised up, inflation will ebb

EUPE Corp Bhd's net profit surged by 28.9% to RM14.54 million in the fourth quarter ended Feb 29, 2024 (4QFY2024) from RM11.28 million a year ago, underpinned by a higher contribution from the property development division.

EUPE Corp net profit surges 28.9% in 4Q, driven by strong property sales

CGS International has cut its earnings estimate for Inari Amertron Bhd as recent data flagged weakened smartphone demand, according to its research note on Thursday.

CGS International cuts Inari Amertron earnings forecast on weak smartphone demand

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

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

In today’s edition of Evening 5: 00:00 EPF unveils the details of flexible Account 3 02:07 AAX to buy Capital A’s airline business for RM6.8 bil 03:47 DNB adds five new members to its board 04:58 PM denies claims about a Forest City casino 05:51 Pantech mulls listing two subsidiaries

EVENING 5: EPF unveils the details of flexible Account 3

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

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

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

MKH Oil Palm (East Kalimantan) Bhd (MKHOP), the plantation arm of property developer MKH Bhd, reported RM16.02 million net profit on the back of RM86.05 million revenue for the second quarter ended March 31, 2024 (2QFY2024), ahead of its listing on Bursa Malaysia’s Main Market.

MKH Oil Palm posts RM16 mil net profit in 2Q, q-o-q up 44% ahead of Main Market listing

Shares of CapitaLand Malaysia Trust (CLMT) surged on Thursday to its highest in nearly four years while analysts remained upbeat following better-than-expected first-quarter (1Q) results.

CapitaLand Malaysia Trust surges to near four-year high after strong 1Q

Global semiconductor firm Nasdaq-listed TTM Technologies Inc has invested US$200 million (about RM958 million) for its first manufacturing plant in Malaysia.

Nasdaq-listed TTM Technologies invests RM958 mil for manufacturing plant in Penang

The Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) has called on the European Union to delay the implementation of deforestation rules by at least a year for small businesses, its secretary general said on Thursday.

Palm oil producers urges EU to delay deforestation rules for small businesses

Pantech Group Holdings Bhd is considering to list two wholly-owned subsidiaries — Pantech Stainless &amp; Alloy Industries Sdn Bhd and Pantech Steel Industries Sdn Bhd — on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia via a special purpose vehicle (SPV).

Plans for this are still at the preliminary stage and extensive preparatory work needs to be carried out, Pantech said in a bourse filing on Thursday.

Pantech mulls listing two subsidiaries on Main Market via SPV

Practice Note 17 (PN17) company Khee San Bhd will increase the allotment underwritten in its proposed rights issue after Ng Meng Kee ceased to be a substantial shareholder and requested to discharge his undertaking.&nbsp;

Khee San revises underwriting of rights issue after substantial shareholder ceases to be, withdraws undertaking

ViTrox Corp Bhd saw its net profit nearly halved for the financial quarter ended March 31, 2024 (1QFY2024), primarily due to unfavourable product mix and higher research and development (R&amp;D) expenditures to support the introduction of new products.

ViTrox 1Q’s net profit nearly halved, extending declining profits to five quarters

Construction company Inta Bina Group Bhd has secured a contract worth RM224.8 million to develop a 38-storey business serviced apartment in Subang Jaya.

Inta Bina bags RM224.8m job to build business serviced apartments in Subang Jaya

The newly constituted board of Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) will convene a meeting soon to review due diligence findings and address the remaining conditions precedent in the share subscription agreements (SSAs), said Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo.

DNB's new board to review due diligence findings, finalise share subscription agreements soon — Gobind

While March’s headline inflation of 1.8% year-on-year (y-o-y) came in slightly lower than consensus expectations of 2%, economists are maintaining their projection that Malaysia's headline inflation will progressively accelerate towards the end of the year on account of the government's fuel subsidy rationalisation plan, utility tariff hikes, and its recent adjustments of the service tax.

Inflation to pick up soon on fiscal consolidation measures after weaker-than-expected March print — economists

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

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

Here is a brief recap of some business news and corporate announcements that made the headlines on Thursday:

KUALA LUMPUR (April 25): The Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) expects more companies to utilise the new corporate rehabilitation framework introduced by the Companies (Amendment) Act 2024, which came into force on April 1.

SSM expects more companies to utilise new corporate rehabilitation framework

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has served a senior police officer arrested on suspicion of protecting an illegal syndicate in the country's capital a notice to declare his assets before April 28.

Senior police officer arrested for alleged corruption given until April 28 to declare assets to MACC

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EVENING 5: Five things you need to know today

KUALA LUMPUR (April 25): HeiTech Padu Bhd targets&nbsp;stronger earnings growth after returning to profitability for the financial year ending Dec&nbsp;31, 2023 (FY2023), amid greater competition.

Manu Bhaskaran

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Manu Bhaskaran

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