PETALING JAYA: Pharmaniaga Bhd has entered into a concession agreement (CA) with the Health Ministry (MoH) to undertake the procurement, storage, supply and delivery of medical products to MoH-operated offices and facilities. In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, Pharmaniaga said the CA will take effect retrospectively from July 1, 2023 and remain in force for a period of seven years until June 30, 2030, subject to earlier termination. “The CA will provide the company with another income stream, which will contribute to the profitability of the company,” it said.
Source:The Star
January 05, 2024 06:18 UTC
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian ringgit and Indonesia’s rupiah are expected to be outperformers in the region in 2024 "on a relative basis,” benefitting most from monetary policy divergence, said Standard Chartered (StanChart). First, based on our projections, US policy rates could remain historically high versus Asean economies by the end of 2024. In particular, Malaysian foreign currency deposits rose even amid the country’s shrinking trade surplus,” it noted. The bank sees the ringgit gaining in the event commodity prices rise in 2024 and from a recovery in electronics demand. October prices indicate some improvement in natural gas and palm oil export prices, as per Malaysian trade data,” it said.
Source:The Star
January 04, 2024 20:11 UTC
Sindhu had captured silver and bronze medals in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro and 2020 Tokyo Olympics respectively. Sindhu believes winning a medal in Paris will be the toughest challenge in her career so far. “The Paris Games will be my ultimate challenge,” said Sindhu via social media. “It’s akin to climbing Mount Everest but with the added intensity of conquering it in winter. “In the golden era of women’s badminton, pursuing a third Olympic medal is truthfully, my greatest challenge yet.
Source:The Star
January 04, 2024 04:05 UTC
OIL prices rose slightly in early Asian trade on Wednesday amid continued concerns around shipping disruptions in the Red Sea and escalating tension in the Middle East. Oil prices had climbed around $2 earlier in the week following attacks on vessels in the Red Sea by Houthi rebels over the weekend and the reported arrival of an Iranian warship on Monday. On Sunday, U.S. helicopters repelled an attack by Iran-backed Houthi forces on a container vessel operated by Danish shipper Maersk in the Red Sea. On Monday, an Iranian warship had entered the Red Sea, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Maersk and German rival Hapag-Lloyd said their container ships would keep avoiding the Red Sea route that gives access to the Suez Canal.
Source:The Star
January 04, 2024 00:32 UTC
PETALING JAYA: Former deputy international trade and industry minister Ong Kian Ming has urged Malaysians to register their Padu account immediately due to cybersecurity concerns. “Please register your PADU account at http://padu.gov.my immediately. If not, anyone with your IC and postcode of your IC address can register your IC on your behalf since registration is b4 the eKYC approval which takes 3 days. It will be a hassle to get back your account!”, Ong claimed in a post on X (formerly Twitter). To register for a Padu account, members of the public need to provide their full name along with an NRIC number and matching postcode.
Source:The Star
January 02, 2024 20:35 UTC
PETALING JAYA: The latest edition of “Rice Check”, a comprehensive guide aimed at optimising rice field management in Malaysia, has been issued by the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi). Mardi has introduced 58 rice varieties, with MR 297 being a standout choice due to its ability to yield up to eight tonnes per hectare, among other attributes. He said this variety dominates nearly 50% of the agricultural area in Peninsular Malaysia, especially in the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada) and the Integrated Development Agricultural Area (Lada) Penang. In tackling the issue of weedy rice, Mardi had introduced the WRFree® SOP, significantly reducing weed infestation during wet-seeding rice systems. Dr Mohd Syaifudin said that Mardi’s ongoing efforts included setting up showcase plots utilising seven of its rice crop-related innovations.
Source:The Star
January 02, 2024 02:11 UTC
PETALING JAYA: With the floods dominating recent headlines, Malaysians are taking it upon themselves to ensure their financial security by getting special perils insurance coverage for their valuables. Copywriter Astrid Lye, 40, said she has continued to renew her car’s special perils coverage since 2015 after she was transferred to the Klang Valley. The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) had a similar view, with its chief executive officer Saravanan Thambirajah saying that special perils insurance was becoming increasingly more important as more extreme climate events were predicted to occur. “With climate change making weather events more unpredictable and stronger, special perils insurance is basically a necessity now as we have seen areas that have never flooded before suddenly become flooded. “However, the price for special perils insurance can be up to RM1,000 a year depending on the vehicle characteristics, which could be too much for low-income groups to afford.
Source:The Star
December 29, 2023 11:16 UTC
A day after the EIA’s cut, J.P Morgan Research said Brent oil prices will remain “largely flat” in 2024 at US$83 per barrel, adding that it could edge down a further 10% in 2025. In a note yesterday, the brokerage trimmed its 2024 Brent crude price assumption to US$84 per barrel, down from US$86 per barrel. Hence, the upside to crude oil prices remains capped. Russia, on the other hand, requires high oil prices to continue, funding its war efforts in Ukraine. Nevertheless, Kenanga Research’s Lim expects the crude oil market’s surplus to narrow in 2024 to 0.3 million bpd, compared to 0.5 million bpd in 2023.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2023 06:14 UTC
PETALING JAYA: The aviation industry is expected to see further earnings growth next year after witnessing a recovery in 2023. According to Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB) Research, the sector would benefit from the increasing air travel demand (especially the international segment driven by China and India sectors) in tandem with the reinstatement of aircraft to cater for the higher demand. “The expected depreciation of the US dollar and declined jet fuel prices will improve the sector’s profitability,” it said. HLIB Research said MAHB’s FY24 would likely be a new record performance given the expected higher air travel demand and higher airline capacitie. It added that Capital A would be able to take advantage of the increasing air travel demand and has been raising its frequencies to China and India.
Source:The Star
December 25, 2023 17:09 UTC
SRINAGAR, India (Reuters) - The Indian army has launched an investigation into the deaths of three civilians allegedly in military custody in Indian Kashmir, and moved senior officers from the disputed area, a military official said on Monday. The inquiry was ordered as a result of the civilians' deaths, said the official, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorised to speak to the media. Indian army chief Manoj Pande visited Poonch on Monday to review the operational preparedness of the troops, said defence spokesperson Suneel Bartwal. Mohammad Sidiq, councillor of Topa Pir village, said nine people, including his 26-year-old shepherd nephew, were picked up by Indian troops on Friday for questioning. Is this the reward we get for supporting Indian troops here on the borders?
Source:The Star
December 25, 2023 14:29 UTC
PETALING JAYA: Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad has been panned by colleague Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing for triggering unnecessary panic over Covid-19. “How nice would it be if we don’t trigger unnecessary panic, such as by reporting daily Covid-19 cases, because it can create unreasonable fear. “For example, the announcement about the situation in the country by our Health Minister is almost the same as the statement by the Indonesian Health Minister. Tiong said that while Covid-19 is an important public health issue that cannot be “swept under the carpet”, there was no need to overreact and worsen the situation. “It’s important for us to avoid creating fear and creating a negative perception of Malaysia, especially the tourism sector, as well as harming the national economy.
Source:The Star
December 25, 2023 01:30 UTC
PALESTINE ambassador Walid Abu Ali is fond of Christmas. After all, his hometown is in Bethlehem, where the Church of the Nativity stands and is recognised as the site where Jesus was born. But this year, there’ll be no celebrations. In a display of solidarity with its people, the churches in Palestine will be tempering celebrations, removing the fanfare and lights.
Source:The Star
December 24, 2023 18:01 UTC
THE past 12 months saw Kuala Lumpur folk rising up in greater numbers to have their voices heard. The Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur Land Exco (JKTWPKL) had given conditional approval to the company to alienate part of the land for a housing project on Oct 20, 2021. The Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur Land and Mines Office (PTGWP) confirmed that a portion of the pond had been alienated for a mixed development project. Instead, the ministry was restructured as the Federal Territories Department (JWP) and placed under the Prime Minister’s Department. KLSP2040 gazettedOn Nov 9, the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2040 (KLSP2040), was launched by Anwar.
Source:The Star
December 23, 2023 13:29 UTC
KUALA LUMPUR: Capital A Bhd is seeking an extension of time from Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd to submit its regularisation plan. In a Bursa filing today, the company said it is seeking an extension until June 30, 2024. The exchange had previously granted Capital A until Dec 31, 2023 to submit its regularisation plan to the relevant regulatory authorities. Capital A fell into Bursa’s Practice Note 17 (PN17) list of financially distressed entities in January 2022.
Source:The Star
December 22, 2023 22:11 UTC
NEW DELHI: Police in India have arrested a man who allegedly beheaded his wife with a sword after becoming upset over a delay in getting his morning tea. The gruesome incident took place on Dec 19 in a village in the northern India state of Uttar Pradesh, reported the Indian media. Police said the man, who was identified only as Dharamveer, had asked for his morning tea twice when he woke up and was upset that his wife, Sundari, said it would take some time. “He got angry when his wife told him it would take another 10 minutes for the tea to get ready and kicked the (kitchen) utensils away,” police superintendent Vivek Yadav told Times of India. “If my mother refused to make tea many times or took more time than expected, he would shout at her,” he told Times of India.
Source:The Star
December 22, 2023 11:16 UTC