DESPITE US President Donald Trump calling for an end to the subsidies made available under his predecessor Joe Biden’s CHIPS and Science Act, the law’s rippling effects are already felt in Penang, Malaysia’s semiconductor assembly and testing hub.

The CHIPS — or Creating Helpful Incenti...

Cover Story: Chipped away? Strengthening Malaysia’s position in a reshoring world

MALAYSIA’s neutral stance in the escalating US-China tech cold war is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain as geopolitical tensions mount and global semiconductor supply chains undergo a major realignment.

Since former US president Joe Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act in Au...

Cover Story: Malaysia walks a tightrope in multipolar chip war

With the grim outlook for the global economy in 2023, the ability to draw quality investments is essential to providing a buffer against the economic downturn. As the government reviews its tax incentives for investments, The Edge speaks to several companies and trade associations on the incentiv...

Cover Story: Business associations call for simplified process to obtain incentives 

"WHEN foreign investors come to Malaysia, our government gives them tax credits and incentives, pioneer status and investment tax allowance. But when local companies invest here, what do we get? Not much. And when we go overseas and ask for similar treatment from other countries’ governments, wha...

Cover Story: Reviewing tax incentives to attract quality investments

THE first half of 2023 could be a challenging period for semiconductor equipment players, including automated test equipment (ATE) makers such as ViTrox Corp Bhd.

ViTrox co-founder, president and CEO Chu Jenn Weng acknowledges that the group will experience a slowdown. But Chu remains o...

ViTrox prepares for mild slowdown while continuing to invest 

Hey! Anak-anak Penang, Penangites, Penang Kia, where are you? Penang is calling!” This can be found on the website of the Penang Career Assistance and Talent (CAT) Centre, a focused programme set up in 2009 by the management of Invest-in-Penang Bhd (InvestPenang) to attract talent to the state.

Cover Story: PENANG — Not short of investments, but of skilled workers

THE tech rout that began in the beginning of the year, as the flip from chip shortage to glut intensified, has shaved 40% off the share price of US-based memory chip giant Micron Technology Inc year to date.

One of the world’s largest semiconductor vendors, the Nasdaq-listed company, wh...

Tech: Micron looks past semiconductor downturn for opportunities, ramps up investment in Penang

TROPICANA Corp Bhd founder and major shareholder Tan Sri Tan Chee Sing is injecting real estate into the listed entity again. It is the property tycoon’s biggest injection ever this time around and he says it will be the last one.

In the exercise, which is somewhat of an amalgamation, T...

Danny Tan back at the helm of Tropicana Corp

HONG KONG/LONDON (Oct 27): HSBC reported a 32% surge in third-quarter profit on Tuesday, as rate hikes helped boost net interest income, while its wealth management division benefitted from turbulent market conditions that prompted an influx of new clients.

HSBC's third-quarter profit jumps 32%, in line with estimates

(Oct 27): MSCI Inc’s threat to strip Indonesian equities of emerging-market status is now also weighing on dealmaking in the corporate bond market.

MSCI fallout widens with Indonesian corporate bond sale shelved — Bloomberg

CIMB Group Holdings Bhd’s (KL:CIMB) planned sale of its business in the Philippines has drawn interest from local rivals including Bank of the Philippine Islands and Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

CIMB attracts BPI, Metrobank for Philippine unit sale — Bloomberg

BENGALURU (Oct 27): Gold slipped on Tuesday, weighed down by a firmer US dollar, while investors looked ahead to the Federal Reserve's policy meeting for fresh guidance on the outlook for interest rates.

Gold eases on firmer dollar ahead of Fed decision

Malaysia’s construction industry must accelerate its adoption of digital technology and automation to reduce its reliance on foreign labour, said Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) chief executive officer Ahmad Farrin Mokhtar.

CIDB: Construction industry must accelerate technology adoption to reduce foreign labour reliance

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 27): The government is considering a proposed Government-Owned Entities Bill to tighten governance of government-linked companies (GLCs) and related agencies, while preventing misappropriation such as that which occurred in 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), Felda and Tabung Haji.

PM: Proposed Government-Owned Entities Bill to tighten governance, prevent misappropriation

BEIJING (Oct 27): China's industrial profits grew at a faster pace in September, though a deepening divergence across the economy weighed on business earnings.

China's industrial profit growth picks up amid deepening economic divergence

(Oct 27): Flávio Bolsonaro abandoned plans to challenge the result of Brazil’s presidential election, while his Liberal Party went a step further and formally conceded defeat to reelected President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Bolsonaro backs off election challenge as his party concedes

What use is a navigation app that cannot navigate? That is the predicament Putrajaya has found itself in following the abrupt Waze ban for civil servants and its promotion of local alternative TuJu.

Frankly Speaking: Waze ban fiasco

On Aug 18, in the final months of his time as Master of the Rolls and Head of Civil Justice in England and Wales, Sir Geoffrey Vos gave the John Lehane Memorial Lecture at the Supreme Court of New South Wales. It deserves careful reading in every common law jurisdiction, ours included.

...

My Say: Wherefore now stands the judge?

(Oct 26):&nbsp;While global tech stocks teeter, in China they have already crashed as lofty valuations collapse under worries about AI demand and curbs on Chinese exports.

The meltdown, tanking the mainland STAR50 index&nbsp;of AI and semiconductor leaders by 40% in less than four month...

In China, the AI bubble has already burst

(Oct 27):&nbsp;Malaysia is expected to attract more interest as a data centre hub following the outbreak of the US-Iran war, according to SD Guthrie Bhd (KL:SDG), giving the palm oil giant and the country’s biggest landowner an opportunity to capitalise on the boom.

Iran war boosts Malaysian data centre appeal, SD Guthrie says

SINGAPORE (Oct 27): Asian stocks surged on Tuesday as AI bellwether Anthropic's eagerly anticipated IPO filing lifted risk appetite ahead of tech earnings that will be a test for the AI trade, and central bank meetings that will influence near-term interest rates.

Asian stocks surge as Anthropic IPO lifts sentiment ahead of earnings, central banks

il fell for a second day as stepped-up diplomatic efforts bolstered hopes a broader escalation in the US-Iran war may be averted.&nbsp;West Texas Intermediate dropped toward US$101 a barrel after losing 1.5% in the previous session, while Brent settled below US$116.

Oil declines as diplomacy offers hope of Mideast deescalation

Here's a heads up on what to look out for today.

YOUR DAY AHEAD: Oct 27, 2026 

Malaysia's technology stocks were the top gainers in Tuesday's early session, mirroring strong overnight gains on Wall Street as investors cheered news that artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic has officially filed for its initial public offering (IPO).

Malaysia's tech stocks lead early gains after Wall Street rally on Anthropic IPO filing

(Oct 26): Federal Reserve policymakers have telegraphed they will not raise US short-term borrowing costs again this week, but with inflation concerns still front and center, investors believe a rate-hike pause ​will not last for long.

Data due just one day after the Fed's anticipated d...

Fed to hit pause on rate hikes, but maybe not for long

(Oct 26): The world's largest technology companies are tapping debt markets and raising equity to bolster AI infrastructure, marking a shift for Silicon Valley firms that typically relied on cash to fund their investments.

Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta signaled in April that spen...

Tech companies tap debt, equity to fund AI and cloud expansion

ZHENGZHOU, China (Oct 27):&nbsp;Around 70% of the 2 million carats of lab-grown diamonds produced annually at Feng Canjun's factory currently go into jewellery.

But the entrepreneur is betting that the future of ​China's synthetic diamond industry lies in supplying advanced materials fo...

China's lab-grown diamond makers target AI, chip sectors for next wave of growth

Cloud-seeding missions in the skies above Southeast Asia have done little to snuff out wildfires or disperse the haze that’s cloaked the region for months, exposing the limitations of attempts to modify the weather.

El Niño fires test limits of Southeast Asia’s cloud-seeding bet

Brazilian stocks and the real currency posted historic losses on Monday after the surprise reelection of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reversed recent market bets on a right-wing ascent to power.

Brazil stocks, real tumble as Lula win shifts investor focus

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 27): Seasonal recovery of crude palm oil (CPO) production is expected to drive earnings growth of the plantation sector for the third quarter of the year (3Q2026), said HongLeong Investment Bank (HLIB) Research.

HLIB expects seasonal CPO recovery to drive 3Q2026 plantations sector earnings

The government is compiling data on refugee communities nationwide through the Refugee Registration Document (DPP) programme under National Security Council (MKN) directive No 23, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Govt collecting data on refugees nationwide under MKN directive — DPM

Pakatan Harapan (PH) will implement a prudent campaign in the Melaka state election (PRN) by explaining the unity government's initiatives under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to the rakyat.

PH to implement prudent campaign approach in Melaka state election — Saifuddin

SINGAPORE (Oct 27): Singaporean state gas buyer GasCo launched its first procurement exercise to secure term supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG), said Gan Siow Huang, the country's minister of state for energy, trade and industry.

Singapore launches first LNG term supply tender, weighs third import terminal

Microsoft Corp will offer buyouts to about 60,000 workers, representing roughly a quarter of its total staff, as part of the company’s efforts to trim costs and retool its workforce for the artificial intelligence (AI) era.

Microsoft to offer buyouts to 60,000 workers in new cost cut

The messages from the world’s biggest supertanker owner often begin with pleasantries: “Dear Ladies and Gentlemen.”

This oil tanker tycoon's WhatsApp messages drive big market moves

The iPhone Duo, one of Apple Inc’s biggest new products in years, is drawing a growing number of complaints from customers who say the foldable display cracked after just hours or days of use.

Apple’s foldable iPhone Duo draws early complaints of the screen cracking

SYDNEY (Oct 27): Australia will refresh its critical minerals strategy to place greater emphasis on refining and processing, a senior minister said on Tuesday, as competition for investment intensifies and supply-chain concerns persist.

Australia revamps critical minerals strategy, targeting refining edge over China

A revival of the artificial-intelligence trade fuelled gains in stocks as Anthropic PBC filed for an IPO, with investors bracing for this week’s results from tech giants and the Federal Reserve decision.

Liew Jia Teng and Justin Lim

‌
‌

‌
‌

‌
‌

‌
‌

‌
‌

‌
‌

‌
‌

‌
‌

‌
‌

‌
‌

Liew Jia Teng and Justin Lim

‌‌

‌‌

‌‌

‌‌

‌‌

‌‌

‌‌

‌‌

‌‌

‌‌

‌
‌

‌
‌

‌
‌

‌
‌

‌
‌

‌
‌

‌
‌

‌
‌

‌
‌

‌
‌