<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>KUCHING (Dec 18): Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) has taken an early lead by winning three seats.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>At 6.24pm, Malaysiakini said GPS had picked up three seats. Earlier Bernama flashed that GPS had won the Belaga seat.</p></div>
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KUCHING (Dec 18): Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) has taken an early lead by winning three seats.

At 6.24pm, Malaysiakini said GPS had picked up three seats. Earlier Bernama flashed that GPS had won the Belaga seat.
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Unofficial: GPS takes early lead in Sarawak State election

Barclays plc said it expects a raft of senior dealmakers it’s hired in recent months to become more productive in the coming year, which executives hope will help them boost returns at the company’s investment banking division.

Barclays expects new dealmakers to take 18 months to ramp up

Some liquefied natural gas (LNG) traders are opting to pay fees for supplies they initially intended to send to Germany in order to chase higher profits in Asia, according to the nation’s state-owned terminal operator.

LNG traders choose to pay rather than shipping to Germany

Tesla Inc is expected to post its first quarterly sales increase this year after car buyers in China, the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) market, seized on a sweetened government incentive.

Tesla sales perk up after China boosts electric vehicle subsidy

Samsung Electronics Co is laying off workers in Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand as part of a plan to reduce global headcount by thousands of jobs, according to people familiar with the situation.

Samsung to lay off thousands of workers worldwide 

Sluggish car sales are expected to pick up later this year once the US presidential election is over and the Fed’s recent reversal on interest rates starts to ease financing costs.

US auto sales likely to pick up as rates fall and political uncertainty fades

Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to make a brief visit to Bangladesh on Oct 4 to take forward the relations between the two countries to the next level by exploring new areas of cooperation and strengthening the ties in diverse areas, United News of Bangladesh (UNB) reported.

Anwar to visit Bangladesh on Friday to elevate relations to new heights

India’s securities regulator on Tuesday notified steps to limit a surge in equity derivatives trading in the nation after growing retail participation took the speculative bets to the highest in the world.

India clears steps to curb trading rush in stock derivatives

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

MISC, MHB, PA Resources, Tanco, Ho Hup, Central Global, Sunzen Biotech, Aemulus, Pharmaniaga, Plenitude, Pasdec

Appetite for public housing in excess of S$1 million (US$776,940 or RM3.23 million) is growing strongly in Singapore, with the number of units sold so far this year surpassing all of 2023 and hitting a record in the third quarter (3Q2024), market data showed on Tuesday.

Singapore's million-dollar flat sales hit record in 3Q, research shows

The US has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel, according to a senior White House official.

The US is actively supporting preparations to defend Israel against the possible attack, which would carry severe consequences for Iran, said the official, who asked not to be identified.

US says Iran preparing to hit Israel with ballistic missiles

<p>SRC International Sdn Bhd and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd and Jendela Pinggiran Sdn Bhd, on Monday settled their RM167.01 million suit against two former directors of Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd (IPSB) — Datuk Abdul Aziz Ismail and Datuk Dr Shamsul Anwar Sulaiman&nbsp;—&nbsp;by filing a notice of discontinuance.</p>


SRC settles RM167m suit with former directors of Ihsan Perdana

<p>Chinese automaking behemoth BYD Co&nbsp;set a new record for monthly deliveries, selling more than 400,000 vehicles in September for the first time.</p>

<p>Passenger vehicle sales last month came in at 417,603 units, BYD said in an exchange filing on Tuesday, including 164,956 battery electric cars and 252,647 plug-in hybrid models.&nbsp;</p>


BYD's monthly sales surge over 400,000 mark for first time

<p>Trading app e-Trade is now officially launched, enabling investors to participate in the stock market via Touch 'n Go eWallet.</p>

<p>TNG Digital Sdn Bhd’s e-Trade, powered by Affin Hwang Investment Bank Bhd (Affin Hwang IB), is looking to enhance stock market participation by offering seamless convenience and accessibility through the platform.</p>


e-Trade app allows share trading via Touch 'n Go eWallet, aims for 100,000 users within a year

<p>The Ministry of Human Resources, through the Social Security Organisation (Socso), is raising the salary ceiling for contributions from RM5,000 to RM6,000 per month, effective from Tuesday.</p>


Socso raises salary ceiling for contributions to RM6,000

<p>Sabah-based construction firm Azam Jaya Bhd said on Tuesday it has signed an agreement with Inter-Pacific Securities to underwrite its initial public offering (IPO) on the Main Market.</p>


Azam Jaya signs Inter-Pacific as IPO underwriter, to list on Main Market in November

<p>If there were any illegalities concerning the funds that flowed into former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's accounts, it was feasible for him to expect the relevant authorities to alert him or take necessary action. However, this did not transpire, the High Court heard on Tuesday.</p>


Defence questions why no red flags raised, claims reasonable therefore for Najib to believe monies were donations

<p>To Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the dominant political figure in Malaysia for much of the country’s life, currency traders had accrued way too much power. They were prone to charge from one direction to another with a herd mentality and little regard for who got trampled.</p>


Malaysia loses its FX rebel tag — and wins

<p>Here is a brief recap of some business news and corporate announcements that made the headlines on Tuesday.</p>


<p>Tanco Holdings Bhd (KL:TANCO) said its 79%-owned subsidiary, Midports Holdings Sdn Bhd (MHSB), had received the nod from the Malaysian Marine Department (MMD) to develop a container port in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.</p>


Tanco gets unconditional nod from Marine Dept to develop container port in Port Dickson

<p>Titijaya Land Bhd (KL:TITIJYA) has secured Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd (KL:PMETAL) as the first customer for its centralised labour quarters (CLQ) project called HALO (Housing, Accommodation and Lodging) in Klang Sentral, Selangor.</p>


Titijaya inks long-term rental agreement with Press Metal at HALO centralised labour quarters

<p>Plenitude Bhd (KL:PLENITU) has appointed chief financial officer (CFO) Ang Kooi Yong as its new chief executive officer, effective immediately.</p>

<p>Ang, 58, is succeeding Lee Wee Kee, 59, who resigned on Monday (Sept 30) due to personal reasons after serving as group CEO for 19 months.</p>


Plenitude promotes CFO Ang Kooi Yong to CEO

<p>Ho Hup Construction Company Bhd (KL:HOHUP) said its 52%-owned unit, Golden Wave Sdn Bhd (GWSB), has obtained an interim restraining order from the High Court in Kota Kinabalu, shielding it from legal actions by its creditors.</p>

<p>This follows the dismissal of GWSB's application to be placed under judicial management by the High Court in Kuala Lumpur on the same day.</p>


Ho Hup unit gets restraining order against creditor following dismissal of judicial management application

<p>BlackRock Inc chief executive officer Larry Fink said the market is pricing in too many interest-rate cuts from the Federal Reserve (Fed), given that the US economy continues to grow.</p>


Market pricing in too many Fed rate cuts, says BlackRock's Fink

<p>Life Water Bhd has&nbsp;entered into an underwriting agreement with MIDF Amanah Investment Bank Bhd (MIDF Amanah IB) for its initial public offering (IPO) on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia.</p>


Life Water inks underwriting agreement with MIDF Amanah for Main Market IPO

<p>THE share price of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) (KL:AIRPORT) is edging closer to the Khazanah Nasional Bhd-led consortium’s offer price of RM11 apiece to take the airport operator private.</p>

<p>MAHB’s stock closed at its intra-day high of RM10.48 last Friday, up 9% from a low of RM9...

MAHB inches closer to RM10.8 bil privatisation bid 

<p>MISC Bhd (KL:MISC) has signed a shipbuilding contract with Samsung Heavy Industries Co Ltd for the construction of two new liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, scheduled for delivery in 2027.</p>


MISC inks shipbuilding contract for two LNG carriers, secures long-term charter with Petronas

<p>Equinix Inc&nbsp;has formed a joint venture (JV) with Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP) and Singapore’s GIC Pte Ltd to develop new data centres.</p>

<p>Redwood City, California-based Equinix intends to raise more than US$15 billion (RM62.43 billion) in capital with its partners, according to a statement on Tuesday, confirming an&nbsp;earlier story&nbsp;by <em>Bloomberg News</em>. The company said it expects the JV to purchase land to build new facilities that may eventually add more than 1.5 gigawatts of new capacity for hyperscale customers.</p>


Equinix forms US$15b data centre JV with Canada Pension, Singapore's GIC

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EVENING 5: Five things you need to know today

<p>RGB International Bhd (KL:RGB) said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) investigation into the company and its managing director Datuk Seri Chuah Kim Seah has been "completed and resolved".</p>


RGB says MACC probe into company, MD is 'completed and resolved'

<p>ACE Market-listed automated test equipment (ATE) manufacturer Aemulus Holdings Bhd (KL:AEMULUS) said it is taking full control of its loss-making Chinese associate company Tangming Shengshi Technology (Jiashan) Co Ltd (TMSS) before looking for new investors to turn around the firm.</p>
