SINGAPORE (Feb 2): The Federal Open Market Committee, meeting for the last time under outgoing chair Janet Yellen, left the federal funds rate unchanged on Jan 31 while paving the way for rate hikes under Yellen’s successor Jerome Powell.

Yellen’s four-year term has been characterised b...

Investors face higher market risks in 2018

Here is a brief recap of some corporate announcements that made the news on Wednesday.

Samaiden, Solarvest, Poh Kong, Affin, Eco World International, ITMAX, Lim Seong Hai Capital, Gagasan Nadi Cergas, NCT Alliance, YTL Power, Heitech Padu, IGB Commercial REIT, IGB REIT, Favelle Favco, Sapura Industrial, TSR Capital

After more than two decades of working in the industry, Emily Farnworth has witnessed how businesses began to regard climate action as part of their responsibilities and how the practice became mainstream in recent years. 

She started her career at environmental consultancy firms i...

Trends: More serious work in sustainability to be done

According to data from the Road Transport Department (JPJ) Malaysia (as at Jan 31, 2025), electric vehicle (EV) registrations reached a record high of 28,048 in 2024 (50% of which were cars, including jeeps and trucks), representing 10.76% of total vehicle registrations for the year.

Number of EV users rising in Malaysia

After months of delays, the Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Bill was passed on March 6, with the goal of reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, mitigating the effects of climate change and catalysing Malaysia’s development of CCUS as a source of economic growth, according to the ...

News: Malaysia passes Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage Bill 2025

Conversations on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are ramping up, as they usually do, in the run up to International Women’s Day (IWD). Compared with previous years’ tone of hope and encouragement, the discourse this year is pensive. Recent setbacks in DEI policies in the US and the cascadin...

Views: Why Corporate Malaysia can’t afford to stall on DEI

Nine years ago, Nor Arlina Amirah Ahmad Ghani (Arlina) was working with Rimba, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Terengganu, monitoring patrolling data for a tiger conservation project.

Her team, which planned the forest patrols and logged data from camera traps, were soon confro...

Profile: Fighting for wildlife justice

Financial institutions, especially fund managers and banks, were one of the first movers of the environmental, social and governance (ESG) movement in the private sector. As the purveyor of funds, these institutions began imposing ESG requirements on businesses that wanted financing or investment...

Cover Story: Is ESG investing over? 

Malaysia’s target of achieving 70% renewable energy capacity by 2050 has created significant business opportunities for solar farm operators. However, climate change-induced weather fluctuations pose a financial risk to investors in the solar energy sector.

To mitigate this risk, Etiqa ...

Energy: Protecting solar farms from climate-related financial losses

Coral reefs in Malaysia are experiencing a gradual decline in live coral cover (LCC), a key indicator of reef health. According to Reef Check Malaysia’s Status of Coral Reefs in Malaysia 2024 report, released in January 2025, the LCC decreased from 45.9% in 2023 to 44.7% in 2024.

This d...

Marine: Declining reef health in Malaysia requires action

The beginning of the year saw US President Donald Trump signing a slew of executive orders purging the federal government of all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes. Following suit were many large US corporations announcing the overhauling or even dropping of DEI policies and schemes...

Social: Malaysia standing firm on DEI amid global shift

For three weeks straight, Marina Budiman became roughly US$350 million (RM1.55 billion) richer each day.

Richest woman in Indonesia loses US$3.6b in just three days

Since Intel Corp&nbsp;announced that Lip-Bu Tan would take over as its chief executive officer last week, the company’s shares have soared. Now, as Tan assumes his job, it is far from clear how he will fulfill the big hopes that have been placed on his shoulders.

Intel’s Malaysian-born CEO faces ‘show me’ moment after US$22b rally

KUALA LUMPUR (March 19): Heitech Padu Bhd’s (KL:HTPADU) CEO Hasrul Azuan Mohd Yusof is stepping down barely three months after taking the helm of the information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider.

Last year, Heitech Padu won the much-coveted RM892.2 million National...

HeiTech Padu's CEO resigns barely three months at the helm

IGB Commercial Real Estate Investment Trust (KL:IGBCR) and IGB Real Estate Investment Trust (KL:IGBREIT) on Wednesday announced that their chief executive officer Elizabeth Tan Hui Ning, 41, is stepping down due to medical reasons, effective immediately.&nbsp;

Elizabeth Tan steps down as CEO of IGB REITs, father Robert Tan redesignated as executive chairman

Attorney General Datuk Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar said that the 65-year-old senior citizen who had slapped a non-Muslim at a supermarket in Johor Bahru would be re-charged on Wednesday afternoon.

Senior citizen who slapped non-Muslim will be re-charged this afternoon, says AG

Eco World International Bhd (KL:EWINT) achieved RM58 million in property sales in the first four months of the financial year ending Oct 31, 2025 (FY2025). However, the developer reported zero revenue in the first quarter ended Jan 31, 2025 (1QFY2025) as sales abroad do not immediately translate into revenue.

Eco World International achieves RM58m sales in first four months of FY2025, new launches on hold

Perodua has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with My Digital ID Sdn Bhd (MyDigital ID) to secure user authentication access, as the compact car company further advance its journey in cashless transactions.

Perodua inks MOU with MyDigital ID to secure user authentication access

The Penang state government, through the Penang Institute, is inviting relevant parties to submit expressions of interest (EOIs) for the proposed&nbsp;establishment of&nbsp;the Penang International Financial Centre (PIFC).

Penang invites parties to submit expressions of interest for proposed international financial centre

When Richard Kallman’s 26-year marriage failed, he arrived at a meeting to hash out the separation, expecting to see his wife and her lawyer. But instead, the couple’s new wealth manager from UBS Group AG showed up and demanded Kallman fork over US$9 million (RM39.93 million).

UBS client says his wife moved in with their wealth adviser

An Indonesian state-owned lender scrapped a planned sale of dollar bonds after a stock market rout in the country quickly spread to other asset classes.

Indonesia's woes spread as bank scraps bond, credit market slumps

New World Development Co, the Hong Kong real estate company controlled by the billionaire Cheng family, is in talks with luxury giant Louis Vuitton to open a mega store in one of the developer’s signature malls, according to people familiar with the matter.

Billionaire Cheng family in talks with Louis Vuitton on mega Hong Kong store, Bloomberg reports

The High Court had not considered all the evidence when meting out a guilty verdict against Muar Member of Parliament (MP) Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman in his criminal trial for his involvement in misappropriating Bersatu young wing Armada funds, claims Syed Saddiq’s defence team at the Court of Appeal on Wednesday.

Trial judge did not consider all evidence in Syed Saddiq case — defence lawyer

Solar energy solution provider Solarvest Holdings Bhd (KL:SLVEST) has signed a large-scale solar photovoltaic power purchase agreement (PPA) with&nbsp;Tenaga Nasional Bhd or TNB (KL:TENAGA).

Solarvest signs large-scale solar power purchase agreement with TNB

Indonesia's financial services regulator has allowed listed companies to buy back their stocks without shareholders' approval, while the central bank conducted "bold" currency intervention to calm markets, officials said on Wednesday.

Indonesia takes currency, market measures after rupiah and shares fall

An elderly man who went viral for slapping a non-Muslim youth in an incident at a convenience store was recharged at the Magistrate’s Court here on Wednesday for voluntarily causing hurt.

Elderly man claims trial to causing hurt to non-Muslim youth

Mah Sing Group Bhd (KL:MAHSING) has topped out M Astra, its third project in Setapak.

Mah Sing tops out M Astra

Billionaire Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing has found himself in the middle of the China-US geopolitical tussle after announcing a deal to sell his Panama Canal port assets.

How billionaire Li Ka-Shing’s Panama deal raised the ire of China

Chinese automaker BYD Co&nbsp;is turning heads with claims that it’s developed an electric-vehicle (EV) platform it says will enable drivers to&nbsp;charge an EV&nbsp;in roughly the same time it takes to refuel a gasoline car.

How BYD’s five-minute charges compare with competitors

Versa Asia Sdn Bhd (Versa), a financial technology start-up with about 300,000 registered users, has completed its series A funding round led by AHAM Asset Management Bhd (AHAM Capital).

AHAM Capital makes one of its largest investments in Versa’s RM30 mil series A funding round

YTL Power International Bhd (KL:YTLPOWR) said it expects to launch its first Nvidia supercomputer in Malaysia “early in the third quarter”, making it one of the first cloud service providers in Asia Pacific to make the chipmaker’s Blackwell platform available.

Jeffrey Tan & Joan Ng