On Aug 31, Malaysia celebrates its 64th year of independence. This nation of ours has come a long way. In the last 63 years, it has had its fair share of upheavals and crises, yet, each time, we managed to ride out the storm and battled on.

Now, Malaysia is facing a period of turbulence...

Foreword

Technology is levelling the playing field for women-led start-ups. But although women are acknowledged as a formidable economic force and are crucial to nation-building, there is still more work to be done in improving access to financing and capacity building.

Tech, women and nation-building

Lim Meng Hui, the founder of AI start-up SmartPeep, is seeing his hard work and persistence pay off

Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to take the world by storm and form an essential part of the future economy. And young Malaysian entrepr...

Making inroads into healthcare with AI

Four Form Five schoolgirls from SMK St Joseph in Miri who call themselves the Boolean Babes talk about their recent win in a global mobile app coding competition, and their journey and aspirations in tech

Fedelia Chan Wan Shin’s interest in coding st...

Girls Who Code

Nadhir Ashafiq and Goh Chee Hau are using their digital logistics platform, TheLorry, to uplift the status and income of lorry drivers

A common misconception surrounding technology start-ups is that their service replaces physical labour and in doing...

Agents of change

Jerome Kay and Lau Yoke Wee left their jobs a couple of years ago to set up Virtual X in a bold move to take virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) beyond gaming to drive change across industries

Remember the mobile phone game Pokémon Go? It was d...

Transforming industries and adding value

A young start-up competing against established names in the logistics field can sometimes be likened to the story of David versus Goliath, but ZeptoExpress founder Mohd Izzairi Yamin reckons that it may well be playing with the big boys in three years...

Making that last mile count

Sustainability is picking up speed as a major consideration in economic development initiatives and we see a growing number of green advocates in Malaysia championing urban sustainability. A focus is on the role of green technology and the green economy in creating sus...

The future economy is green

Financial technology (fintech) is fast becoming a central part of the financial services industry and future economy. The fintech space has attracted a huge crowd of local start-ups and young entrepreneurs, and many of them have begun to establish a strong foothold in ...

Fintech to help drive economic revival

From Grow the Goose to Borneo Cocoa, Ida Faranina Othman’s ventures are focused on helping communities help themselves — by creating awareness on financial literacy, especially among children, and guiding cocoa farmers in Sabah to earn sustainable incomes
...

Empowerment is key

HSBC Holdings plc has named Jil Chin as the new head of international wealth hub for Singapore, The Business Times reported on Tuesday, citing a statement from the bank.

HSBC hires Citi banker to lead international wealth hub in Singapore

Indonesia has clamped down on exports of used cooking oil (UCO) and palm oil residue to ensure supply to domestic cooking oil and biodiesel industries, the government said in a new regulation on Wednesday.

Indonesia curbs exports of used cooking oil, palm residue to help domestic users

NEWS: Swift Energy prepares for ASEAN expansion

BMI, a Fitch Solutions company, views that strategic consolidation among industry players would drive Johor to lead Malaysia’s digital infrastructure growth.

In a note, BMI said platforms with the deepest availability or access to financial resources would be the key success factor as they look to consolidate their developments in the most favourable hubs, such as Johor.

Johor to lead Malaysia’s digital growth via strategic consolidation by industry — BMI

German factory orders dropped the most in three months, highlighting industry’s woes just weeks before Chancellor Olaf Scholz faces elections.

Demand fell 5.4% in November from the previous month, far worse than the 0.2% decline economists had predicted in a Bloomberg survey.

German factory orders drop with Scholz out of time to fix growth

Oil prices rose on Wednesday as supplies from Russia and Opec members tightened while data showing an unexpected increase in US job openings pointed to expanding economic activity and consequent growth in oil demand.

Oil rises on tighter Opec supply, US jobs data

THE Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), a government agency under the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities, is entrusted to promote and develop national objectives, policies and priorities for the health of the country’s palm oil sector. The Edge recently asked MPOB’s director-general Datuk Dr Ahm...

MPOB on future-proofing palm oil

The signing of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) agreement on Tuesday marks a new chapter in Malaysia's collaborative efforts to drive regional economic development.

Johor State Investment, Trade, Consumer Affairs, and Human Resources Committee chairman Lee Ting Han said this move aligns with global trends that emphasise economic integration, sustainable development and high technology.

JS-SEZ: A new chapter in Malaysia's regional economic collaboration

A housewife lost RM160,000 after falling victim to a non-existent investment scheme last month.

Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman said the 67-year-old victim was initially drawn to the scheme after encountering an advertisement on YouTube on Dec 8, 2024.

Housewife loses RM160,000 to non-existent investment scam

Outgoing Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat said that she had never coveted the country’s top judicial post, and while it was an intimidating position to hold, upon accepting it six years ago, she was fully committed to serving the position properly and would not “bend or bow” to any person.

Chief Justice: I never coveted top judicial post 

Investors in the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) are eligible for a suite of incentives, including a special corporate tax rate that takes effect on Jan 1, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday.

Malaysia announces tax incentives for Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone

In what is possibly her final speech at the Opening of the Legal Year, Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat said that her time as the top judicial officer of the country has been filled with tests — being criticised, vilified, labelled as un-Islamic or an enemy of Islam, and even having her husband (unfairly so) being used against her in some applications to not only have her recused&nbsp;but, more generally, to embarrass her and the bench.

Chief Justice: My conscience is clear

Local technology stocks are expected to see a double-digit compounded earnings growth till 2026, amid increased investments in artificial intelligence (AI), said CIMB Securities.

The technology sector's revenue is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 13% from 2025 to 2026, compared with 1% in 2024, driven by a rebound in semiconductor industry demand, supply chain diversification to Asean, and inventory replenishment, the research house said.

Local tech stocks poised for double-digit earnings growth as semiconductor market recovers — CIMB Securities

Swift Energy Technology Bhd (KL:SET) surged 29% in its trading debut on Wednesday, the first listing for 2025, after the industrial services firm’s initial public offering (IPO) grossed RM84.07 million.

Swift Energy surges 29% on ACE Market debut in 2025's first listing

The Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) said on Wednesday that it will roll out six water supply related projects worth over RM1.8 billion, as part of its efforts to address rising water consumption.

Penang to kick off six water projects worth over RM1.8 bil

US President-elect Donald Trump refused on Tuesday to rule out using military or economic action to pursue acquisition of the Panama Canal and Greenland, part of a broader expansionist agenda he has promoted since winning the Nov 5 election.

Trump will not rule out force to take Panama Canal, Greenland

Construction and property firms would be the first beneficiaries of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) that will require everything from utilities to warehouses, and from houses to offices.

Builders, developers first beneficiaries of Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, analysts say

The new Monthly Tax Deduction (PCB) service system, e-PCB Plus, will be introduced to replace the existing systems e-PCB, e-Data PCB and eCP39, under one platform through the MyTax portal.

The Inland Revenue Board (IRB), in a statement on Wednesday, said that this is in line with the implementation of the transition plan towards the e-PCB Plus Phase 1 system on Sept 24 last year.

IRB introducing new monthly tax deduction system called e-PCB Plus

MRT Corp has proposed part of the Sungai Nibong Festival Site here for use to build a depot for the Mutiara Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, said Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

MRT Corp proposes LRT depot at Sungai Nibong Festival Site — Chow

Immediate-past attorney general Tan Sri Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh and his successor, Datuk Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar, are choosing to stay silent over the controversial purported ‘house arrest addendum’ related to imprisoned former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Present and former AGs keeping mum on purported house arrest addendum for Najib

Asian stocks drifted lower on Wednesday, with a robust dollar keeping the yen pinned near six-month lows as traders wagered the Federal Reserve will likely be slow in cutting rates after data showed the US economy and labour market remained stable.

Asian stocks slip, dollar bolstered by US rate outlook

Exxon Mobil Corp said earnings took a hit from lower crude prices and narrowing refining margins during the final three months of 2024.&nbsp;

Exxon predicts US$700 mil hit to profit from lower oil prices

Malaysia and Singapore reaffirmed their commitment to revamp the Joint Ministerial Committee for Iskandar Malaysia (JMCIM) to better support the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).

Malaysia, Singapore reaffirm plan to revamp joint ministerial committee after special economic zone agreement

South Korea’s impeached leader is barricaded in his Seoul residence, protected by a blockade of buses, barbed wire, crowds of supporters and his own armed security guards. The question now is whether investigators can arrest him without a violent confrontation.

South Korean standoff over Yoon’s arrest risks violent turn

Following is the full text of the speech given by the Chief Justice of Malaysia, Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat on the occasion of the Opening of the Legal Year (OLY) 2025 on Wednesday (Jan 8) at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre.

I would like to begin by thanki...

Speech by Chief Justice of Malaysia Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat at OLY 2025

Competitive pressures within the data centre sector may pose a threat to smaller players with limited resources from gaining a foothold, especially in more saturated key markets such as Johor, said BMI.

Smaller data centre players to face competitive pressures, especially in Johor — BMI

Welded pipe manufacturer Pantech Global Bhd entered into an underwriting agreement with Alliance Islamic Bank in conjunction with its initial public offering (IPO) on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia.

Pantech Global inks underwriting agreement with Alliance Islamic Bank for Main Market IPO

Nvidia Corp’s Jensen Huang, the CEO at the centre of the artificial intelligence boom, said he’s ready to meet US President-elect Donald Trump and offer his help to the coming administration.

Nvidia CEO says he’d be ‘delighted’ to meet with Trump

Stocks got hammered as a selloff in the world’s biggest bond market deepened on speculation the Federal Reserve won’t cut interest rates before July amid inflation risks.

Following a recent rally, equities lost traction on Tuesday as a report on US service providers showed a price gauge hitting the highest since early 2023.

US stocks roiled by bond rout amid inflation jitters

Tencent Holdings Ltd repurchased the most shares in nearly two decades after a sell-off sparked by the tech firm’s addition to a US blacklist for alleged links to the Chinese military.

Nation-Building And The Future Economy

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Nation-Building And The Future Economy

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