
March 27: Ringgit closes at 8-week high against US dollar
KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit closed at a high of 3.8755/8785 against the US dollar today – a level last seen on Jan 26 this year – supported by subsiding fears of a trade war between the US and China, and rising crude oil prices. At 6pm, the local note finished 185 basis points higher against […]

MITI: Brazil offers vast business opportunities
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian companies can leverage on the vast business possibilities that are available in Brazil, International Trade and Industry (MITI) secretary-general Datuk Seri J. Jayasiri said. He said over the years, Malaysian companies have already made significant footprints in Brazil, particularly in the construction, oil and gas as well as the rubber gloves industries […]

Drivers' mixed feelings over Grab merger with Uber southeast Asia
KUALA LUMPUR: Ride-hailing drivers in Malaysia have mixed feeling over Grab’s acquisition of Uber operation in Southeast Asia. Some expressed concerns over reduced income, while others felt most Uber drivers would be happy to switch to Grab. Home grown ride-hailing operator Grab, yesterday, announced it had acquired Uber’s southeast Asia businesses. Following the merger, Uber […]

Local authorities projects must use Industrial Buildings System (IBS)
KUALA LUMPUR: The government has proposed to make Industrial Buildings System (IBS) mandatory for all new public development projects under local authorities’ contracts. Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the move would see higher adoption of IBS in Malaysia. “The government needs to ensure that the construction industry begins to change towards the use […]

Maybank sees stable growth for its three home markets
KUALA LUMPUR: Malayan Banking Bhd expects its three “home markets” – Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore – to continue seeing stable growth this year, after posting a record-breaking 2017. Group president Datuk Seri Abdul Farid Alias said Maybank also set a key performance indicator (KPI) target of 11 per cent on return on equity this year. […]

Maybank prepares to facilitate substantial deals from China into Asean via OBOR
SINGAPORE: Malayan Banking Bhd is fully prepared to facilitate substantial deals coming in from China into Asean as the ongoing One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative gears up to the next level. China’s outward investment into Asean has risen at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 45 per cent to US$71.6 billion last year […]

Tmall Global says Malaysia will remain one of its fastest growing exporters in 2018
KUALA LUMPUR: Alibaba’s cross-border platform, Tmall Global, is confident that Malaysia will remain as one of its fastest growing exporters in 2018, after the country was ranked seventh last year. Tmall Global Business development director Rex Cheuk said Malaysia products exported on the online platform has received an overwhelming response among Chinese consumers. “We see […]

Malaysian travellers spent more accommodations in Langkawi and Penang last year.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian travellers spent more on accommodations last year, particularly in Langkawi and Penang, according to the latest Hotel Price Index (HPI) from Hotels.com. The accommodation booking site revealed that the average accommodation price paid in Malaysia was in line with the global uptrend last year. However, it said the average accommodation price paid […]

Chinese company, GLC ink MoU to build floating villas in Tawau
SANDAKAN: Eastern Sabah is set to welcome a resort featuring two hundred floating villas, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between a state government-linked company (GLC) and a China investment company today. The villas will be built in Tawau as part of efforts to attract tourists – particularly from China – to […]

Chinar Joshi to lead Vizeum Malaysia as managing director
KUALA LUMPUR: Chinar Joshi will assume a new position as the managing director of Vizeum Malaysia effective next month, succeeding Wong Siew Wai who has moved on to pursue other opportunities. Dentsu Aegis Network Malaysia said Joshi joined Vizeum last year as general manager, strategy and since then, he had been instrumental in streamlining the […]