The Dewan Negara has passed five bills to promote and expand economic activities in Pulau 1, Forest City, in Iskandar Puteri, Johor.

The bills passed are the Customs (Amendment) Bill 2024, Excise (Amendment) Bill 2024, Free Zones (Amendment) Bill 2024, Sales Tax (Amendment) Bill 2024, and Service Tax (Amendment) Bill 2024.

Dewan Negara passes 5 bills to spur economic activities in Pulau 1, Forest City

The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has implemented a periodic monitoring mechanism to evaluate high-risk and aged trees, particularly along the main roads of the capital.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa stated that the assessment of high-risk trees is conducted in three stages, with the first being visual inspections by non-arborists based on work experience and knowledge in arboriculture.

DBKL's monitoring mechanism evaluates high-risk trees in three stages — Dr Zaliha

Some 63.35% of the nearly 300km Central Spine Road (LTU) connecting the East Coast Expressway (LPT) junction in Bentong, Pahang to Kuala Krai, Kelantan has been completed.

Central Spine Road 63.35% complete, says works minister

The Ministry of Health (MOH) will grant 'healthy choice' recognition to companies that reduce the sugar content in their products, as part of the ministry's 'war on sugar' campaign.

'Healthy choice' recognition soon for companies that cut products' sugar content — minister

A total of 3.4 million of the 13.1 million Employees Provident Fund (EPF) members under the age of 55 have made withdrawals from the Flexible Account amounting to RM8.9 billion as of July 19, 2024.

Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said that for the same period, a total of 3.8 million or 29.3% of EPF members chose to have the initial amount in the Flexible Account (Account 3) with a transfer of RM12.6 billion, while RM5.6 billion was transferred to the Retirement Account (Account 1).

Amir Hamzah says 3.4 mil EPF members made RM8.9 bil flexible account withdrawals

The Ministry of Plantation and Commodities said on Wednesday the percentage of private smallholders with Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification stood at 73.88% as of June 30.

Only 74% of oil palm smallholders are MSPO-certified, Parliament told

The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (Miti) is in the process of reviewing the Countervailing and Anti-Dumping Duties Act 1993 (Act 504), said Deputy Minister Liew Chin Tong.

Liew: Miti reviewing Countervailing and Anti-Dumping Duties Act 1993

The Ministry of Finance has concluded that at least 6.5 million litres of diesel were misappropriated by industries or smuggled into neighbouring countries daily before the targeted diesel subsidy was implemented.

6.5 mil litres of diesel misappropriated daily before targeted subsidy — Amir Hamzah

The evacuation of Malaysians, including 124 students, from strife-torn Bangladesh is expected to be completed on Tuesday, the Senate was told.

Evacuation of Malaysians from Bangladesh expected to complete on Tuesday, Parliament told

KUALA LUMPUR (July 22): The government is currently conducting a feasibility study to enact the Charities Act and establish the Charities Commission, aiming to address the misuse of funds donated to charitable organisations by individuals and companies.

Govt conducting feasibility study to enact Charities Act — Azalina

The Federal government and state Islamic Religious councils (MAIN) are open to any efforts to develop waqf land in Malaysia, provided that such initiatives benefit the entire community and adhere to Syariah law, including fulfilling the original intentions of the waqf.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs), Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar, emphasised that all developments on waqf land must conform to existing regulations and laws, such as the National Land Code.

Govt open to Syariah-compliant Waqf land development efforts — Mohd Na'im

The ringgit has emerged as the top-performing currency in the Asian region compared to the US dollar as a result of the implementation of coordinated actions by the government and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) since Feb 26, 2024, said the Ministry of Finance (MOF).

MOF: Coordinated efforts culminated in ringgit becoming Asia’s top-performing currency

KUALA LUMPUR (July 22): The establishment of the National Fund-of-Funds (NFOF) is now in the final stage of implementation and is expected to be fully completed by October 2024, Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said.

Establishment of National Fund-of-Funds to be completed by October 2024 — Amir Hamzah

Lawyer Datuk Salehuddin Saidin was sworn in as a senator before Dewan Negara Deputy President Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed on Monday.

Lawyer Salehuddin Saidin sworn in as senator

SARAWAK expects to formalise a deal to raise its stake in Affin Bank Bhd to about 30% in about a month, according to the state’s premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg.

In an exclusive interview with The Edge in Kuala Lumpur last Friday (July 19), Abang Johari said the state is committed to...

Premier: Sarawak expects to ink S&P on Affin Bank deal in a month

Treasuries are rising at the end of a volatile week as the Federal Reserve’s favourite inflation gauge cemented traders’ expectations for an interest-rate cut in September.

The advance pushed yields lower across the curve on Friday, with two- and 10-year yields down by about five basis points (bps) to 4.38% and 4.2%, respectively.

Treasuries rally as data points to a September rate cut

The developer of a supertall condo tower in Miami’s Brickell neighbourhood has hired a new sales team after ousting an embattled real estate brokerage from the project.

One Sotheby’s International Realty has taken over marketing at 888 Brickell Dolce & Gabbana Miami, JDS Development’s pre-construction building overlooking Biscayne Bay in the city’s financial centre.

Miami condo tower moves on from brokers facing rape allegations

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof paid a courtesy visit to Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Friday.

"During the meeting with His Excellency, I reaffirmed the commitment of the prime minister and the Malaysian government to continue strengthening cooperation between Malaysia and Vietnam," he said in a post on the social media platform X.

Deputy PM Fadillah pays courtesy visit to Vietnamese PM, strengthens bilateral cooperation

Wall Street bounced back on Friday as megacap tech and chip stocks recovered from the week's pummeling, while a largely in-line key inflation reading kept bets for an early start to interest-rate cuts alive.

Wall Street rebounds on tech recovery, small caps jump after benign inflation data

Malaysia has urged dialogue partners attending the Asean Post-Ministerial Conference in Laos to support a ceasefire in Gaza and end the brutal killings of Palestinians.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said Malaysia, along with Indonesia and Brunei, brought forward this motion during the meeting at the National Convention Centre (NCC) here.

Malaysia urges Asean dialogue partners to support ceasefire in Gaza

US authorities filed criminal and civil charges against prominent activist short seller Andrew Left for an alleged long-running market manipulation scheme involving bets on stocks including Nvidia and Tesla, they said on Friday.

US charges Citron's Andrew Left over alleged multi-million fraud scheme

Malaysia, as the country coordinator for Asean-China Dialogue Relations, will intensify efforts to finalise the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

He said Malaysia, which assumed the role of country coordinator this year, aims to establish a code of conduct accepted by all parties.

Malaysia steps up efforts to finalise South China Sea code of conduct

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

AirAsia X, Capital A, Hibiscus, Dagang NeXchange, ViTrox, Ekovest, Knusford, Alam Maritim, Datasonic, Kumpulan Kitacon, DXN, Homeritz, Westport, MGRC 

VIENTIANE (July 26): The Asean Post Ministerial Conference kicked off in the Laos capital here on Friday, as Asean foreign ministers engaged with top diplomats from dialogue partners to discuss various regional and international issues of common interest.

Asean Post Ministerial Conference kicks off in Laos; regional, global issues in focus

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

Ekovest Bhd (KL:EKOVEST) said it has agreed to a further extension of time to discuss a merger between its wholly owned subsidiary Ekovest Construction Sdn Bhd (ECSB) and Knusford Bhd (KL:KNUSFOR).

Ekovest agrees to six-month extension for merger discussion between subsidiary and Knusford

US prices increased moderately in June as the declining cost of goods tempered a rise in the cost of services, underscoring an improving inflation environment that could position the Federal Reserve to begin cutting interest rates in September.

US inflation rises moderately, consumer spending cools

Here’s a quick look at some of the stories that made headlines today.

EVENING 5: Five things you need to know today

The prestigious five-star Lexis Hibiscus 2 luxury resort is currently under construction by the KL Metro Group and is expected to be completed by 2029, said Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun.

Construction of RM1.6 bil GDV Lexis Hibiscus 2 resort will be completed in 2029

Practice Note 17 (PN17) company Alam Maritim Resources Bhd (KL:ALAM) has announced its regularisation plan, which includes a share capital reduction of RM440 million, 10-to-one share consolidation, an issuance of renounceable rights shares with warrants and a scheme of arrangement with its creditors.

Alam Maritim submits regularisation plan to exit PN17 status

Health and wellness direct selling company DXN Holdings Bhd (KL:DXN) said on Friday its net profit rose 10.26% in the first quarter from a year earlier due to higher revenue recognised from overall operating segments.&nbsp;

DXN Holdings 1Q net profit up 10.26%, targets market presence in Zambia, Ghana  

Wall Street bounced back on Friday as megacap tech and chip stocks recovered from the week's pummeling, while a largely in-line key inflation reading kept bets for an early start to interest-rate cuts alive.

Upholstery furniture products manufacturer Homeritz Corp Bhd’s (KL:HOMERIZ) net profit surged 46.37% in the third quarter from a year earlier, thanks to higher sales volume and stronger US dollar. &nbsp;

Net profit for three months ended May 31, 2024 (3QFY2024) climbed to RM9.09 million or earnings per share of 1.96 sen, from RM6.21 million or 1.34 sen per share recorded in 3QFY2023. &nbsp;

Homeritz’s 3Q net profit soars 46.37% on higher sales and strong greenback

Cyberview Sdn Bhd has signed three Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with three companies to make Cyberjaya a global technology hub.

Chief executive officer Kamarul Ariffin Abdul Samad said the companies involved were Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd (PNSB), Selangor Information Technology &amp; Digital Economy Corporation (SIDEC) and digital infrastructure company Equinix Malaysia.

Cyberview signs three MOUs to make Cyberjaya a global technology hub

The developer of a supertall condo tower in Miami’s Brickell neighbourhood has hired a new sales team after ousting an embattled real estate brokerage from the project.

One Sotheby’s International Realty has taken over marketing at 888 Brickell Dolce &amp; Gabbana Miami, JDS Development’s pre-construction building overlooking Biscayne Bay in the city’s financial centre.&nbsp;

SARAWAK expects to formalise a deal to raise its stake in Affin Bank Bhd to about 30% in about a month, according to the state’s premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg.

In an exclusive interview with The Edge in Kuala Lumpur last Friday (July 19), Abang Johari said the state is committed to...

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof paid a courtesy visit to Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Friday.

"During the meeting with His Excellency, I reaffirmed the commitment of the prime minister and the Malaysian government to continue strengthening cooperation between Malaysia and Vietnam," he said in a post on the social media platform X.

Kumpulan Kitacon Bhd (KL:KITACON) has secured a RM54.5 million contract to undertake the construction of 186 terrace houses in Rawang, Selangor.

Kumpulan Kitacon bags RM54.5m job to build houses in Rawang

Treasuries are rising at the end of a volatile week as the Federal Reserve’s favourite inflation gauge cemented traders’ expectations for an interest-rate cut in September.

The advance pushed yields lower across the curve on Friday, with two- and 10-year yields down by about five basis points (bps) to 4.38% and 4.2%, respectively.

Penang Port Sdn Bhd (Penang Port) on Friday announced the acquisition of five Kalmar container handling machines to optimise operations and improve service levels.

Penang Port acquires Kalmar container handling equipment to enhance services

US authorities filed criminal and civil charges against prominent activist short seller Andrew Left for an alleged long-running market manipulation scheme involving bets on stocks including Nvidia and Tesla, they said on Friday.

Hungary will face fuel shortages from September if full Russian oil flows are not restored, a government official said on Friday, accusing Ukraine of blackmailing it by partially suspending supplies.

Eastern European Union (EU) members Slovakia and Hungary have been hit by a stop in flows from Russian group Lukoil coming via Ukraine after sanctions were imposed on the company.

Hungary says it will face fuel shortages from September without Lukoil supplies

Malaysia, as the country coordinator for Asean-China Dialogue Relations, will intensify efforts to finalise the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

He said Malaysia, which assumed the role of country coordinator this year, aims to establish a code of conduct accepted by all parties.

A new recruitment of 3,950 staff, comprising 3,200 medical officers, 350 dental officers and 400 pharmacy officers, will be made through contract (interim) appointments, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said.

Parliament

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