<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>JOHOR BAHRU (March 12): MCA has made a strong comeback by picking up two seats as at 8.27pm, according to Malaysiakini.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>In Yong Peng, MCA’s candidate Ling Tian Soon is ahead with 8,611 votes while DAP has 6,435 votes. PN received 1,437.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>Ling is projected to win with a majority of more than 2,000.</p></div><div class=inPageAd id=div-gpt-ad-inpage></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>At 8.18pm: Malaysiakini reported that DAP will lose its incumbent seat of Pekan Nanas.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>At the time of writing, MCA was ahead with a 4,022-vote majority, with more than 85% of the votes counted.</p></div>

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MCA has made a strong comeback by picking up two seats as at 8.27pm, according to Malaysiakini.

In Yong Peng, MCA’s candidate Ling Tian Soon is ahead with 8,611 votes while DAP has 6,435 votes. PN received 1,437.

Johor polls: Unofficial — MCA wins two seats

China is over halfway to meeting its pledge to buy 25 million tonnes of US soybeans this year, but progress on a separate commitment to spend billions of dollars more on American crops has largely stalled.

China’s selective crop buying tests US trade truce before summit

Vladimir Putin is set to travel to China for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit hosted by President Xi Jinping but is likely to skip the Group of 20 (G20) in the US with Donald Trump.

Putin plans to attend Xi’s Apec summit and skip G20 with Trump — Bloomberg

CNN, MS NOW and Politico sued President Donald Trump and other members of his administration on Monday for banning them from White House grounds, saying it violated their rights to free speech and a free press under the US Constitution's First Amendment.

CNN, MS NOW and Politico suing Trump over White House ban

Ireland’s media watchdog has fined Alphabet Inc’s Google over how the tech company processed location data after complaints from several European consumer rights organisations.

Google fined €403 mil by Irish watchdog for breaching location data rule

Wall Street's main indices rose on Monday, powered by artificial intelligence (AI) gains as Treasury yields eased and crude prices tumbled more than 3% to hit an 11-day low on hope of progress in Middle East negotiations during the United Nations meeting this week.

AI stocks lift Wall St as oil falls, Treasury yields decline

Paramount Skydance Corp has reached a settlement with California and other states suing to block its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery Inc, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Paramount said to settle lawsuits, paving way for Warner Bros merger

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

Pekat, Gamuda, Southern Score Builders, Powerwell, Straits Energy, CTOS Digital, Dialog, Excel Force, M&A Equity, Winstar Capital & Inspace Creation

The 22nd Malaysia International Halal Showcase (Mihas), opening at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec) this Wednesday, is expected to attract 50,000 visitors from 45 countries.

Mihas 2026 expected to attract 50,000 visitors from 45 countries — Matrade

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the responsibility for the recent hacking incident involving OpenAI’s advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models was with that firm’s managers, while stopping short of suggesting any consequences.

Bessent holds OpenAI managers responsible for Hugging Face incident

US and Chinese officials offered upbeat assessments of their talks on artificial intelligence (AI), trade and investment, signalling a mutual desire to steady ties ahead of this week’s summit between leaders Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.

US and China hail talks as positive ahead of Trump-Xi summit

<p>Bank Pertanian Malaysia (Agrobank) suffered losses of RM203.8 million from close to 3,000 unauthorised transactions carried out between Oct 28 and Nov 3, 2025, according to an affidavit filed in court.</p>


How Agrobank lost RM203.8m from its settlement account through unauthorised payment instructions

<p>The Sessions Court has ordered the return of RM1.505 million to Bank Pertanian Malaysia (Agrobank) from 60 mule accounts, marking the first recovery in a much larger online fraud case in which the bank lost more than RM200 million last year.</p>


Court orders return of RM1.5m in first recovery from Agrobank’s RM203.8m fraud case

<p>Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar (MB) Datuk Seri Ismail Lasim said on Monday he was not consulted or advised on the termination of the state’s ten executive council (exco) members.</p>


Negeri Sembilan MB says exco removal unconstitutional, will not submit new lineup

<p>THE four-star Cititel Penang, a 19-storey hotel along Penang Road at George Town, is up for sale at RM163 million via an expression of interest (EOI) exercise. The hotel sits on three freehold parcels (Lots 832, 833 and 834), totalling nearly one acre.</p>

<p>Owned by Cahaya Utara Sdn Bhd, whi...

Cititel Penang on the market for RM163 mil

<p>SOUTHEAST Asia’s (SEA) fintech space appears to be heating up.</p>

<p>TNG Digital Sdn Bhd, the operator of Malaysia’s most widely used e-wallet, TNG eWallet, recently sounded out several investment banks for a potential listing on Bursa Malaysia, sources say.</p>

<p>“[TNG Digital] invited a...

TNG Digital sounds out banks as GCash operator nears listing

<p>Nearly two-thirds of Malaysia’s wage earners were in semi- and low-skilled jobs in 2025, with median monthly wages of RM2,223 or less, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).</p>


Nearly two-thirds of Malaysians made RM2,200 or less a month in 2025 — official data

<p>Singapore's retrenchment rate in the second quarter of 2026 hit its highest level since the height of the Covid pandemic in late 2020, driven by business reorganisation and restructuring, the manpower ministry said on Monday.</p>


Singapore's retrenchment rate at highest level since 2020 in 2Q this year, ministry says

<p>KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 21): The Sessions Court judge who had presided over former Youth and Sports Ministry personnel Otman Arsahd’s criminal case, and found him guilty of 96 counts of corruption and money laundering, had failed to appreciate all the evidence before him.</p>


Convicted ex-sports official appeals 15-year jail term, argues evidence wasn't fairly evaluated

<p>The average monthly salary and wage of Malaysians increased by 4.1% to RM3,803 in 2025, compared with RM3,652 the previous year, according to the Salaries and Wages Survey Report 2025 published by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) on Monday.</p>


Malaysians’ average monthly salary up 4% to RM3,803 in 2025 — DOSM

<p>Proton Holdings Bhd on Monday launched its own automotive financing arm in a move that will provide the national carmaker a powerful tool to drive vehicle sales.</p>


Proton sets up its own automotive financing arm

<p>Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim left the Negeri Sembilan Palace in Changkat Persekutuan here on Monday after an audience of nearly an hour with the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir.</p>


Anwar leaves Negeri Sembilan Palace after hour-long audience with Tuanku Muhriz

<p>Hengyuan Refining Company Bhd (KL:HENGYUAN) hit a four-year high on Monday in a sudden spike in its share price, which came amid a slew of positive developments, including the renewal of a 10-year product supply deal with Shell Malaysia two weeks ago.</p>


Hengyuan hits four-year high after slew of good news 

<p>PINDUODUO’s growing presence in Malaysia has yet to leave a big dent in the earnings of major bricks-and-mortar retailers, but signs that consumers are becoming increasingly price-conscious as the cost of living rises could point to a more subtle challenge ahead.</p>

<p>The Chinese e-commerce ...

Will Pinduoduo eat listed retailers’ lunch?

<p>The Malaysian REIT Managers Association (MRMA) hopes the withholding tax break on real estate investment trusts (REITs) dividends will be restored in Budget 2027.</p>


Malaysian REIT managers call for return of withholding tax relief in Budget 2027

<p>Excel Force MSC Bhd (KL:EFORCE), one of the companies linked to businessman Wong Thean Soon, has proposed a private placement to raise up to RM10.98 million for working capital and free up funds for a software project.</p>


Excel Force proposes RM11 mil placement for working capital after TS Wong sell-off   

<p>PUTRAJAYA (Sept 21): DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke’s offer to resign as transport minister was the final decision of the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) and must be respected.</p>


Loke’s resignation offer: Central Executive Committee decision final, must be respected — Hannah

<p>TANJONG MALIM (Sept 21): Setia Awan Land Sdn Bhd (Setia Awan) has launched its first industrial development, the 447-acre Tanjong Malim Hi-Tech Park, as the company seeks to establish an industrial ecosystem alongside the growing automotive activity in the area.</p>


Setia Awan enters industrial segment with RM1.4 bil Tanjong Malim Hi-Tech Park

<p>The Bank of England and the US Federal Reserve are asking global banks about their exposures to large trading firms after turmoil at hedge fund Situational Awareness caused large losses at Jane Street, the <i>Financial Times</i> reported on Monday.</p>


US Fed, BOE step up scrutiny of bank exposure to trading firms after Jane Street loss — report

<p>Powerwell Holdings Bhd (KL:PWRWELL) said on Monday it has secured two contracts worth RM190.42 million for the supply of low-voltage&nbsp;switchgear and related equipment for a data centre project in Johor.</p>


Powerwell secures RM190m orders to supply low voltage switchgear for data centre in Johor

<p>KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 21): Pekat Group Bhd (KL:PEKAT) said on Monday that it will lease about 470 acres of land in Sungai Petani, Kedah for renewable energy activities, including the development of solar photovoltaic systems and battery energy storage systems.</p>
