<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 16): Seacera Group Bhd will no longer be a Practice Note 17 (PN17) company from Thursday (Aug 17).</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>In a bourse filing, Seacera said the uplifting of the PN17 status came after the bourse regulator, in a letter on Wednesday, granted the group a waiver from having to submit a regularisation plan.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>The group had applied for the upliftment in April.</p></div><div class=inPageAd id=div-gpt-ad-inpage></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>Seacera, which is principally engaged in the manufacturing and trading of ceramic tiles, fell into PN17 status in April 2019 after it defaulted on a payment of principal and profits to AmBank Islamic Bhd. The group’s total facilities outstanding with AmBank were RM22.15 million at the time.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>For the nine months ended June 30, 2023, Seacera's net profit rose 19.52% to RM5.31 million, from RM4.44 million a year before, despite revenue declining by 27.81% to RM39.68 million from RM55.22 million.&nbsp;</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>Shares in Seacera closed unchanged at 20.5 sen, giving the group a market capitalisation of RM128 million.</p></div>


Seacera Group Bhd will no longer be a Practice Note 17 (PN17) company from Thursday (Aug 17).

Seacera Group's PN17 status to be uplifted on Thursday  

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was being treated for “life-threatening” injuries after being shot in the first assassination attempt on a European leader in more than two decades.

Slovak premier fighting for life after assassination attempt

France declared a state of emergency on the Pacific island of New Caledonia on Wednesday after three young indigenous Kanak and a police official were killed in riots over electoral reform.

France declares state of emergency after four dead in New Caledonia riots 

The Treasury market rallied as traders grew more confident the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates this year, emboldened by an ebb in US inflation and weaker-than-expected retail sales data.

Treasuries rally as US data reignites bets on Fed cuts this year

Netflix said on Wednesday it would stream two National Football League (NFL) games on Christmas Day this year, doubling down on efforts to add more live programming on its streaming service.

Netflix to stream NFL games on Christmas Day from this year

The editor of WikiLeaks denounced the British judicial system as crooked on Wednesday, days before a crucial court hearing which could end the legal battle by the organisation's founder Julian Assange to stop extradition to the US.

UK court system 'crooked', says WikiLeaks editor ahead of crucial Assange hearing

KUALA LUMPUR (May 15): Here is a brief recap of some business news and corporate announcements that made the headlines on Wednesday:

MAHB, Axiata, MyEG, Mitrajaya, Eupe Corp, Hume Cement, Apex Healthcare, Aeon Co, Vstecs, Kobay, Southern Steel, KNM

The Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) asserts that the proposal to open Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) admission to non-Bumiputera students has never been discussed in any ministry or Cabinet meetings.

Proposal to open UiTM to non-Bumiputera students was never discussed, says Zambry

Penang-based property developer Ewein Bhd (KL:EWEIN) is acquiring a company involved in the manufacturing of racking systems and machinery for about RM32 million.

Ewein to acquire rackform company for RM32 mil

Accountancy professionals must possess increasingly complex technical competencies in finance and accountancy, complemented by non-financial acumen, for Malaysia to achieve its digital transformation and digital economy goals.

Accountancy professionals need to enhance technological skills — Deputy finance minister

Dutch nationalist Geert Wilders on Wednesday said a deal had been reached to form what was set to be the most right-wing government in the Netherlands in decades, almost six months after a major election victory.

Netherlands set for right-wing government after Wilders strikes deal

<p>Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (KL:AIRPORT) confirmed that it had received a takeover offer from a consortium led by its major shareholder Khazanah Nasional Bhd and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), in a deal worth over RM12 billion.</p>


MAHB confirms getting privatisation offer from consortium led by Khazanah, EPF at RM11 per share

<p>While the tariff hike for Chinese-made gloves in the US presents an opportunity for Malaysian exporters to capture a larger share of the US market, the benefits are not expected to be immediate, as the import tariff hike only comes in 2026, according to the Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (Margma).</p>


US tariff hike for Chinese gloves bodes well for M'sian glove makers, but no immediate gains — Margma

<p>MyEG Services Bhd (KL:MYEG) said the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has ceased to be a substantial shareholder of the e-government services provider after disposing of 21 million shares.</p>


EPF ceases to be substantial shareholder of MyEG

<p>KUALA LUMPUR (May 15): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the King should be the one who decides if Anwar’s jailed predecessor Datuk Seri Najib Razak could serve his remaining sentence under house arrest.</p>


King should decide if Najib can serve remaining sentence under house arrest — Anwar

<p>Cash-strapped KNM Group Bhd (KL:KNM) said its external auditor KPMG PLT had expressed a disclaimer of opinion on the group's audited financial statements for the 18-month period ended Dec 31, 2023, due to insufficient audit evidence.</p>


KNM's external auditor issues disclaimer of opinion on financial statements

<p>Department store and mall operator AEON&nbsp;Co (M) Bhd (KL:AEON) said on Wednesday its net profit jumped 50.3% in the first quarter from the same quarter a year earlier, which it attributed to higher revenue and effective cost management.</p>


AEON Co kicks-off FY2024 with 50% profit jump as revenue climbs

<p>Sarawak is planning to develop a new international airport in Kuching, announced Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.</p>

<p>He said the new airport is crucial to support the growing aviation industry in Sarawak, especially with the takeover of MASwings Sdn Bhd by the state.</p>


Abang Jo announces plans for new international airport in Kuching

<p>Axiata Group Bhd (KL:AXIATA), Malaysia’s largest mobile telecommunications company by revenue, said on Wednesday it had signed a non-binding agreement with conglomerate&nbsp;Sinar Mas to explore&nbsp;combining their Indonesian units.</p>


Axiata, Sinar Mas sign agreement to explore merger of Indonesian units

<p>NCT Group of Companies will develop a 127-acre piece of&nbsp; commercial and industrial land into an industrial park at Delapan Special Border Economic Zone (SBEZ) in Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah after signing a joint development agreement (JDA) with Northern Gateway Group of Companies, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ministry of Finance Inc, according to a press statement on May 15.</p>

<p>“We are pleased to forge this partnership with Northern Gateway, marking a monumental leap forward for NCT Group as we apply our extensive experience from the NCT Smart Industrial Park (NSIP) development in Selangor to the Delapan project in Kedah,” NCT Group founder and group managing director Datuk Seri Yap Ngan Choy said in the statement.</p>


NCT Group inks JDA to develop 127-acre commercial and industrial land at Delapan SBEZ in Kedah

<p>SNS Network Technology Bhd (KL:SNS) has secured approval from the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) for its transfer to the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia.</p>


SNS Network gets SC nod for transfer to Main Market

<p>KUALA LUMPUR (May 15): Here is a brief recap of some business news and corporate announcements that made the headlines on Wednesday:</p>


<p>Singapore Airlines posted its highest-ever annual profit on Wednesday on a rebound in demand for air travel, and said it expects this trend to continue into the first quarter (1Q) of fiscal 2024.</p>


Singapore Airlines posts record profit of S$2.68 bil in 1Q, sees travel demand continuing 

<p>DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng and two other senior leaders of the party, as well as Kepala Batas Member of Parliament Dr Siti Mastura Muhammad, failed to reach an agreement to settle a defamation suit through the mediation process on Wednesday.</p>


Defamation suit by DAP leaders against Siti Mastura to go to trial after mediation failed

<p>KUALA LUMPUR (May 15): The Malaysian property market was active in the first quarter of 2024 (1Q2024), recording a 34.3% growth compared to the first quarter a year ago, with more than 104,297 transactions worth RM56.53 billion, a 34.3% jump in transaction value.</p>


1Q2024 property transactions up 34.3% to RM56.53b —  Valuation Dept

<p>WASHINGTON (May 15):&nbsp;A major renewable developer blasted a push by some US solar manufacturers for&nbsp;new tariffs&nbsp;on imported photovoltaic (PV) cells from Southeast Asia, calling it a bid to protect their own profits at the expense of clean energy deployment.</p>


US power developer warns new trade probe imperils solar push

<p>Kedah-based property developer Eupe Corp Bhd (KL:EUPE) is acquiring a 2.46-acre (one-hectare) freehold land in Kuala Lumpur&nbsp;for RM69.18 million, on which it will develop a high-rise residential project.</p>


Eupe Corp buys RM69m plot in KL for residential high-rise

<p>Hume Cement Industries Bhd (KL:HUMEIND) has sustained its earnings momentum with another record net profit for its third quarter ended March 31, 2024 (3QFY2024) on the back of lower manufacturing costs, and higher cement price and sales volume.</p>


Hume Cement posts best quarterly earnings in two decades, declares six sen dividend

<p>A measure of underlying US inflation cooled in April for the first time in six months, indicating price pressures are abating gradually and supporting the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) intent to cut interest rates later this year.</p>


US core CPI cools for first time in six months in relief for Fed

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


EVENING 5: Five things you need to know today

<p>The Biden administration's&nbsp;new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) and other strategic sectors&nbsp;aim to protect the future of US&nbsp;manufacturing, but they will likely accelerate a shift of Chinese production to Mexico, Vietnam and elsewhere to avoid them.</p>
