Something big is taking shape in Puchong — a strategic initiative aimed at elevating Malaysia from a back-end player in the semiconductor supply chain to a force to be reckoned with in the global chip design arena. At the heart of this effort is the Puchong Integrated Circuit (IC) Design Park, a ...

Cover Story: Stepping into the IC design fast lane

Growing up in a rubber estate in Teluk Intan, Perak, Giva Kuppusamy developed a fascination for freshwater prawns thriving in nearby rivers. Today, that childhood curiosity has blossomed into a mission to make udang galah, as they’re known locally, more affordable for and accessible to Malaysians...

Start-up: Making freshwater prawns affordable

Ever played a game that just feels like a warm hug? While some gamers thrive on competition and high-stakes action, others find comfort in laid-back social games for a chance to unwind, connect and take a breather from the chaos of everyday life.

Cosy games are generally identified as c...

Listicle: Escape to cosy town

Being an angel or venture capital investor, especially in start-ups, is often seen as glamorous. The media tends to romanticise VC investors who pour millions — sometimes billions — into chasing the next unicorn (a company valued at over US$1 billion). Every time a unicorn is announced, everyone ...

The Pitch Deck: How not to lose money investing in new tech

Let’s start with an April Fool’s fable: A group of lifelong friends debated where to meet for their reunion dinner. In their 40s, they chose the Bay Hotel for its attractive wait staff. A decade later, at 50, they returned for the excellent food and wine. At 60, the hotel’s quiet ambience and oce...

Econ 4.0: April Fool fables?

Earned wage access (EWA) can improve workers’ financial well-being, with 80% of users reporting a better quality of life and 78% using it for household expenses, according to a survey by 60 Decibels and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The findings, released on March 24, wer...

Issues: Early wage access linked to better financial health

The rapid push towards digital adoption has necessitated increased reliance on telecommunications networks. Yet, consumers often rely on networks with no assurance on service quality, although they pay for these services, says Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) commission me...

Bridging The Gap: Tracking telcos’ real-time network quality

NEWS

Google Cloud and Selangor launch Teraju AI to power state-level innovation

Google Cloud, in collaboration with the Selangor state government and the Selangor Technical Skills Development Centre, has launched Teraju AI — an initiativ...

Bits + Bytes: A Miscellany Of Technology

Facing increasing challenges with internal communication in the mid-2010s, ByteDance sought a more effective solution. Despite experimenting with various collaboration tools, the company struggled to overcome productivity-sapping silos and improve workflow efficiency.

Realising it neede...

Productivity: Fostering efficient communication

KUALA LUMPUR (April 4): US President Donald Trump’s introduction of a 24% reciprocal tariff on imports from Malaysia has thrown a spanner in the works for tech companies. However, industry players remain confident that local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups will weather the storm...

Trump’s tariffs: Malaysian tech SMEs will face immediate pinch, but Asian ties will aid recovery — industry players

YTL Communications Sdn Bhd signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with laser communications technology company Transcelestial to bring cutting-edge technology solutions to businesses in Malaysia by enhancing connectivity and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities across the nation.

YTL Communications collaborates with Transcelestial to bring laser-based wireless technology to Malaysia

The rapid growth of deepfake technology has rapidly given rise to numerous identity fraud cyberthreats, making them more accessible to fraudsters. Traditional security approaches are no longer sufficient to keep up with these evolving threats, according to iProov’s annual report titled “Threat Intelligence Report 2025: Remote Identity Under Attack”.

Identity fraud is a growing concern

With its meteoric adoption curve and rapid pace of innovation, generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) is no longer confined to niche use cases. It is rewriting the rules in almost every sector of the global economy.

College graduates in virtually every major discipline find themsel...

Upskilling And Reskilling: Preparing new college graduates for the Gen AI era

In 2023, businesses across Malaysia experienced an average of 74,000 cyberattacks per day, totalling around 26.85 million attacks for the entire year. Additionally, Malaysia ranked as the eighth most breached country in the world.

The trend continued upward in 2024, with businesses and ...

Cybersecurity: How Malaysian SMEs are tackling increased network attacks

Leapmotor has struck a deal with Chinese state-owned automaker FAW to deliver an electric vehicle platform that will be used to drive overseas sales for Hongqi, an emerging national champion, executives from both companies said.

China's Leapmotor to supply EV platform to Hongqi, also in talks with Ferrari

KUALA LUMPUR (April 24): YTL Hotels has expanded its hospitality portfolio with the opening of two new properties — Moxy Kuala Lumpur Chinatown and AC Hotel by Marriott Ipoh.

YTL Hotels opens Moxy Kuala Lumpur Chinatown and AC Hotel by Marriott Ipoh

Norway's US$1.7 trillion (RM7.4 trillion) sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest, reported on Thursday a quarterly loss of 415 billion Norwegian crowns (US$39.72 billion) for the January to March period, largely driven by negative returns in the tech sector.

Norway wealth fund posts US$40b first-quarter loss on tech weakness

Singapore equities were set for an eighth straight session of gains on Thursday, marking their best winning streak since November 2022, as cooling inflation and demand for defensive stocks supported the benchmark index.

Singapore shares set for an eight-day rally; Asian FX muted 

Gucci sales tumbled in the first quarter as efforts to revive Kering SA’s biggest brand again failed to yield signs of a turnaround amid a tough period for the luxury-goods industry.

Gucci sales drop as Kering label struggles to revive demand

Abandoned housing has been a long-standing problem in Malaysia. According to the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (Rehda) Institute in its recently released “Abandoned Housing — Challenges, Insights & Solutions Research Report”, the number of abandoned housing projects has been...

Stakeholder action needed to address abandoned housing issues, says Rehda Institute

China’s central bank chief Pan Gongsheng urged countries to help maintain confidence in the global economic system on a trip to the US, reiterating Chinese opposition to tariffs as American President Donald Trump signals a shift toward de-escalating tensions.

PBOC chief warns trade frictions threaten trust in world economy

Adidas AG reported better-than-expected earnings in the first quarter as consumers continue to snap up retro sneakers like the Samba in the face of growing economic uncertainty.

Adidas earnings bolstered again by retro sneaker craze

KUALA LUMPUR (April 24): The special sitting of Dewan Rakyat on May 5 to discuss the impact of the United States’ actions on the Malaysian economy will be held at the request of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Dewan Rakyat special sitting on May 5 held at PM’s request — Parliament

Rising tariffs and the weakening dollar are casting a shadow on companies’ profit guidance this earnings season, with more damage seen unfolding over the coming quarters.

US dollar’s slide raising red flags for corporate earnings

A surge of complaints emerged on Thursday evening from investors across Bursa Malaysia, reporting that their accounts have been hacked and used for unauthorised trading activities.

Widespread hacks hit stock trading accounts in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR (April 24): The Ministry of Education issued an apology for an incorrect depiction of Malaysia’s national flag, the Jalur Gemilang, on an exam results analysis report distributed on Thursday.

Education Ministry apologises for Jalur Gemilang bungle in SPM results report

ACE-market listed LYC Healthcare Bhd (KL:LYC) said it has been served with a winding-up petition by SOG Mummy &amp; Baby Centre Pte Ltd for allegedly failing to settle an outstanding amount of RM600,000.

According to the petition, the amount owed is related to instalment payments due under a settlement reached in December 2024, which was subsequently restructured by both SOG Mummy and LYC Healthcare.

LYC Healthcare gets winding-up petition

IJM Corporation Bhd (KL:IJM) has acquired a 50% stake in financially troubled UK-based construction firm JRL Group for £50 million, or about RM283 million.

IJM Corp completes acquisition of troubled UK builder for RM283m

(April 24):&nbsp;Coffee shop operator Zuspresso Sdn Bhd&nbsp;plans to open nearly 200 new stores in Southeast Asia this year, after surpassing Starbucks as Malaysia’s largest coffee chain within five years of inception.&nbsp;

ZUS Coffee to add 200 Southeast Asia stores in Starbucks duel

Malayan Banking Bhd (KL:MAYBANK) has announced the appointment of Nor Shahrizan Sulaiman as its officer-in-charge of Maybank Islamic Bhd, following the resignation of its Islamic banking group chief executive officer Datuk Muzaffar Hisham to pursue other professional interests.&nbsp;

Muzaffar Hisham leaves Maybank's Islamic arm, said to be headed for top role at Bank Pembangunan

KUALA LUMPUR (April 24): YTL Hotels has expanded its hospitality portfolio with the opening of two new properties — Moxy Kuala Lumpur Chinatown and AC Hotel by Marriott Ipoh.&nbsp;

KUALA LUMPUR (April 24): Malaysia&nbsp;will need to mark down its growth forecast of 4.5% to 5.5% for the year, due to trade and tariff uncertainties, its central bank governor said.

Malaysia will need to revise down growth forecast, BNM governor says

KUALA LUMPUR (April 24): The Asian Development Bank (ADB) disbursed US$4.9 billion (RM21.5 billion) to Southeast Asia in 2024, with Malaysia getting the smallest slice of the allocation, its latest annual report showed.

Asian Development Bank disbursed US$4.9b to Southeast Asia in 2024, Malaysia received US$1.7m

(April 24):&nbsp;Online merchants are being inundated with suspicious offers to help avoid paying US tariffs&nbsp;on goods made in China.

‘Made in Malaysia’: Online sellers bombarded with ways to evade tariffs

Bursa Malaysia Bhd’s (KL:BURSA) net profit for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025 (1QFY2025) is expected to decline year-on-year, weighed down by a weaker securities average daily value (ADV) amid cautious market sentiment, according to CIMB Securities.

Bursa’s 1Q net profit could decline as much as 27% amid weaker securities average daily value — CIMB

China demanded that the US revoke all unilateral tariffs and said there were no talks on reaching a trade deal, maintaining a tough stance despite President Donald Trump’s easing of criticism of the country.

China says US should revoke all unilateral tariffs, denies talks

Former Goldman Sachs Group Inc banker Roger Ng Chong Hwa said that he first met fugitive Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) almost 20 years ago, just as the Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA)&nbsp;was about to set up.

1MDB-Tanore: Ex-Goldman banker Roger Ng says knew Jho Low around 2008/2009

The timeline for completion of the aerotrain project at the Kuala Lumpur&nbsp;International Airport (KLIA) is completely unrelated to the recent privatisation of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), said its chairman Dr Nungsari Ahmad Radhi.

Aerotrain completion timeline not affected by privatisation — MAHB chairman

Crypto’s richest man, Changpeng Zhao, was in a playful mood as he addressed a packed house at the Ritz-Carlton in Kuala Lumpur, just seven months after his release from a low-security California prison.&nbsp;

In KL, Binance billionaire Zhao guides regulators to relax crypto rules

RHB Investment Bank cautioned that inconsistent US trade policies could defer critical capital expenditure (capex) decisions and manufacturing reallocation timelines, pressuring technology sector earnings.

RHB cuts tech sector earnings amid volatile US trade policy that threatens capex, equipment demand

KUALA LUMPUR (April 24): Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB)(KL:TENAGA) has more than doubled its budgeted capital expenditure (capex) to RM42.9 billion — comprising RM26.6 billion in base capex and RM16.3 billion in contingent capex — to support infrastructure development for Malaysia’s energy transition.

TNB doubles capex to RM42.9b to back energy transition efforts

Malaysia is positioning itself to become a key player in the rare earth elements (REE) value chain, amid a shifting geopolitical landscape and the ongoing trade war between the US and China.

Malaysia poised to capitalise on rare earth element opportunities amid trade war, says science minister

IGB Real Estate Investment Trust (KL:IGBREIT) and IGB Commercial Real Estate Investment Trust (KL:IGBCR) will see their former group chief financial officer Chai Lai Sim return from retirement to take the helm at both REITs.

IGB REITs bring former CFO Chai Lai Sim out of retirement as new CEO

(April 24):&nbsp;Investors increasingly expect Malaysia, Southeast Asia’s last holdout against interest rate cuts, to give in to mounting economic pressure from the global trade war.

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