As HNG Capital observes its 50th anniversary, siblings Datuk Sean H’ng Chun Hsiang and Datin Seri Jessica H’ng Hsieh Ling — group CEO and group CFO respectively — represent a new generation of Malaysian leaders who see legacy as something to continuously reinvent rather than merely protect.

Power move

With the recent unveiling of the Muara Arts Gallery and upcoming opening of the Muara Arts Theatre, it is apparent that a major urban heritage conservation movement is steadily transforming the Medan Pasar area in Kuala Lumpur. In this week’s cover story, Brahmal Vasudevan, CEO of private equity firm Creador, together with his wife Shanthi Kandiah, founding partner of SK Chambers, take us through their mission to restore and rejuvenate the old market square into a cultural hub for locals and tourists alike.

Square one

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 25): As the umbrella body for five major voluntary organisations, the National Council for the Blind, Malaysia (NCBM) has created a common platform for blind and visually impaired individuals in the country to discuss key concerns before escalating them to relevant authorities.

To be seen + heard

The Selangor Public Library Corporation (PPAS) has been appointed the official sponsor of the revered Hans Christian Andersen Award, considered the highest global honour for authors and illustrators of children’s books. As sponsor for the 2027-2036 term, the statutory body’s duties primarily entail facilitating the judging process and covering costs incurred during the award’s administration. In this week’s Options cover story, PPAS director Datin Paduka Mastura Muhamad breaks down what this opportunity brings to the local literary community and the importance of nurturing creativity in young minds.

A new chapter 

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 11): Penang’s ChinaHouse has always been a microcosm of coolness and creativity. But Men with Plants IV, happening until Nov 30 at its Art Space along Beach Street, has just upped the ante by quite a bit. 

Led by Fuan Wong, one of Malaysia’s most renowned glass ar...

Botany bay

Ahmad Zakii Anwar’s Sementara brings together 75 paintings and drawings spanning decades of the painter’s career, from his celebrated Smokers and Sofa series to pieces exploring the human form, ritual, portraiture and animals. Drawn from the Steve Wong Art Collection, the retrospective highlights Zakii’s distinctive mastery of shadow, light, charcoal and chiaroscuro, alongside his fascination with the body and its spiritual dimensions.

State of becoming

For much of its history, women’s watchmaking has often drawn from a remarkably consistent visual lexicon. Motifs of flowers, ribbons, lace, diamonds and the polished geometries of Art Deco are all beautiful in their own right, but they inevitably reveal how femininity in horology has been imagined through forms already made familiar by the past. Richard Mille’s portfolio for the female collector, however, is compelling precisely because it is so little beholden to those conventions — preferring instead aerospace materials, saturated colour and cases whose curves and apertures feel closer to architecture. The assumed hierarchy, in which women wear and men collect, has been decisively shattered.

Pavé the way

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 27): The name John Heah might not instantly be on everyone’s lips when it comes to the topic of built spaces, but the designs dreamed up by the Penang-born, London-based principal and owner of architectural firm Heah & Co have been bewitching jet-set travellers and luxury e...

Of space + style

Humanity’s desire to delve into the unknown has long shaped how we see and experience the world, from the wilderness to outer space. In this season’s fashion spread, Options takes that instinct for discovery as its starting point, reimagining Autumn/Winter 2026 collections through the lens of adventure.

Window of opportunity

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 13): Hotelier and aesthete Chris Ong is keeping the time-honoured traditions of his Penang childhood alive. To preserve disappearing oral histories, his new book Heritage Rituals documents the intangible cultural and religious customs woven into George Town’s community life, from the sending-off of Chao Kun, the Kitchen God to the Hokkien thanksgiving celebration of Pai Ti Kong.

Of heart + heritage

Set against the limestone grandeur and deep greenery of the Templer Park forest reserve, the aesthetically pleasing Takun Retreat Club in Rawang is Joewel Lee’s answer to the country’s predictable wellness template.

Pause + play

Richard Mille brings the RM 07-01 Coloured Ceramics chapter to a close with a bedazzling finale

All that glitters

In celebration of the nation's 69th Independence Day, this week’s issue looks at the many things worth cherishing within Malaysia. From delectable bites and drinks, lesser-known natural wonders and far-flung heritage centres, this edit compiles the best ways to experience the country.

Home ground

Marking its 15th anniversary, the Selangor Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) is preparing an experimental staging that puts Malaysia’s latest theatre — and the future of live concerts — to the test. Set to be held at the new Jeffrey Cheah Performing Arts Centre (JCPAC) in Sunway on Aug 29, the upcoming Chapter 30: Philharmonic Test Drive — Celebrating A New World is a collaboration that presents the rewards of hard work, shaped by dedication and passion.

Into a new world

Currency markets are currently being shaped by US interest rate expectations, energy prices and global risk sentiment. The US dollar strengthened in September and October, supported by stronger-than-expected US economic data, rising oil prices and a more hawkish Federal Reserve.

A fading dollar rally leaves room for MYR resilience

It is that time of the year when browser tabs multiply, wish lists grow longer and finding the perfect holiday present starts feeling like a high-stakes task.

This year, for Digital Edge’s annual Christmas gift guide, we have everything from nerdy gadgets to workspace upgrades ...

Listicle: Tech the halls: The 2026 gift guide

Selangor is building a common digital architecture to connect its 12 local councils and state agencies for seamless data sharing. This follows an expenditure of about RM118 million on 60 smart city initiatives over the past five years.

The initiatives span four domains under the Smart S...

City Management: Selangor to place local councils on single digital framework

Artificial intelligence (AI) agents are moving beyond recommending products to making purchases, requiring payment systems that can verify consent, enforce spending limits and handle disputes.

In a Kuala Lumpur pilot, an AI agent booked and paid for a ride from the Kuala Lumpur Internat...

Solutions: Malaysia’s payment systems must prepare for AI-led purchases

Every new wave of technology brings fresh cybersecurity challenges. Agentic artificial intelligence (AI) is no exception.

Organisations are increasingly exploring how agentic AI can improve productivity, automate routine tasks and support faster decision-making. As adoption gathers pace...

Security: Agentic AI: The next challenge for cybersecurity

Malaysia’s first state-backed venture capital management corporation, PNSB Innovation Ventures Sdn Bhd (PIV), is bringing together state and private capital to help start-ups grow and support Selangor’s ambition to become a high-tech hub. PIV, the wholly-owned venture capital and private equity a...

Cover Story: PNSB targets RM150 mil for new tech venture

About one in 10 women surveyed in the Klang Valley reported having been diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), according to a 2022 study published in Frontiers in Endocrinology, but the number of women affected could be higher.

PCOS is a common hormonal disorder characterised ...

Healthtech: Assistant medical officer builds free hormone health platform after her own PCOS experience

NEWS

Only a third of learners rate their AI readiness highly

Only 33% of Malaysian learners rate their artificial intelligence (AI) readiness highly, despite 77% feeling confident about entering the workforce, according to a report ...

Bits + Bytes: A Miscellany Of Technology

(Nov 8): Anthropic PBC has agreed to pay US$3.4 billion for gas-fired generators for data centrers, the FT reported, in what it described as the largest known single purchase of power-generation equipment by an AI lab.

Anthropic buys power for AI data centres in US$3.4 bil deal, FT says

MELAKA (Nov 8): Cooperation between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the 16th Melaka state election does not guarantee a full transfer of votes between their supporters, despite the apparent advantage of such an arrangement on paper.

Adly: BN-PN cooperation does not guarantee full transfer of votes

SHAH ALAM (Nov 8): No evacuations have been carried out in Taman Sri Muda, Section 25 here following flash floods triggered by heavy rain on Sunday afternoon, which were also captured in videos circulating on social media.

Taman Sri Muda hit by flash floods, no evacuations reported

(Nov 8):&nbsp;Anthropic PBC has agreed to pay US$3.4 billion for gas-fired generators for data centrers, the FT reported, in what it described as the largest known single purchase of power-generation equipment by an AI lab.

MELAKA (Nov 8): Cooperation between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the 16th Melaka state election does not guarantee a full transfer of votes between their supporters, despite the apparent advantage of such an arrangement on paper.

MOSCOW/BENGALURU&nbsp;(Nov 8): The Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine has lost its external electricity supply and is again using backup generators for reactor cooling, the plant's management and the UN's nuclear watchdog said on Sunday.

Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant relying on generators again after losing external power supply

Every new wave of technology brings fresh cybersecurity challenges. Agentic artificial intelligence (AI) is no exception.

Organisations are increasingly exploring how agentic AI can improve productivity, automate routine tasks and support faster decision-making. As adoption gathers pace...

Malaysia’s first state-backed venture capital management corporation, PNSB Innovation Ventures Sdn Bhd (PIV), is bringing together state and private capital to help start-ups grow and support Selangor’s ambition to become a high-tech hub. PIV, the wholly-owned venture capital and private equity a...

It is that time of the year when browser tabs multiply, wish lists grow longer and finding the perfect holiday present starts feeling like a high-stakes task.

This year, for Digital Edge’s annual Christmas gift guide, we have everything from nerdy gadgets to workspace upgrades ...

Artificial intelligence (AI) agents are moving beyond recommending products to making purchases, requiring payment systems that can verify consent, enforce spending limits and handle disputes.

In a Kuala Lumpur pilot, an AI agent booked and paid for a ride from the Kuala Lumpur Internat...

Selangor is building a common digital architecture to connect its 12 local councils and state agencies for seamless data sharing. This follows an expenditure of about RM118 million on 60 smart city initiatives over the past five years.

The initiatives span four domains under the Smart S...

About one in 10 women surveyed in the Klang Valley reported having been diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), according to a 2022 study published in Frontiers in Endocrinology, but the number of women affected could be higher.

PCOS is a common hormonal disorder characterised ...

<h2>NEWS</h2>

<h3>Only a third of learners rate their&nbsp;AI readiness highly</h3>

Only 33% of Malaysian learners rate their artificial intelligence (AI) readiness highly, despite 77% feeling confident about entering the workforce, according to a report ...

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