KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 12): Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will not face any penalties for any non-compliance with e-invoicing requirements during the transition period, provided that they adhere to the specified guidelines. In a written reply published on Parliament’s website on Wednesday, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said that during the transition, businesses are allowed to take certain steps, including issuing consolidated e-invoices for all activities and transactions, as well as consolidated self-billed e-invoices for all self-billed transactions. “Businesses are also permitted to include transaction descriptions in the ‘Product or Service Description’ field. If a buyer requests an e-invoice, the business may issue a consolidated e-invoice without having to generate separate e-invoices for each transaction,” the ministry said. The MOF also said that the government has announced additional facilitation measures for Phase 4 of the e-invoicing implementation, which began on Jan 1, 2026, where businesses are granted an extended 12-month transition period, from Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2026, compared with the previous six-month transition period in the earlier phases.

Trump says no to Iranian nuclear weapons, missilesTrump told Fox Business that a good deal with Iran would mean "no nuclear weapons, no missiles," without elaborating. "I will present to the president our perceptions of the principles in the negotiations," Netanyahu told reporters before departing for the US. Iran says its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes, while the US and Israel have accused it of past efforts to develop nuclear weapons. While Trump and Netanyahu have mostly been in sync and the US remains Israel's main arms supplier, Wednesday’s meeting could expose tensions. "I am against annexation," Trump told Axios, reiterating his stance.

KUALA LUMPUR: An engineer lost RM1.195mil after falling victim to a gold investment scam. "The woman later took the opportunity to befriend the victim and a few days later invited him to join an online gold investment scheme with promises of lucrative returns,” he said in a statement on Wednesday (Feb 11). He said the victim initially invested RM3,000 into a company account before making 20 additional transactions to eight different company accounts, resulting in him losing a total of RM1.195mil. He advised the public to be cautious of any investment offers made by newly acquainted individuals on social media or messaging applications and to verify bank account numbers or company names via the CCID Semakmule Portal at semakmule.rmp.gov.my before carrying out any transactions. Another 10 scam reports each were linked to CVC Grow Star Sdn Bhd, CVCMax Building Sdn Bhd, CICC Vano Trading and AEP Global Enterprise Sdn Bhd.- Bernama

(Feb 12): GIC Pte is considering a sale of its 80% stake in a European data centre joint venture (JV), a potential deal that could value the business at about €2 billion (RM9.34 billion) including debt, people with knowledge of the matter said. The JV operates data centres under the xScale brand. Its JV partner Equinix Inc, which owns the remaining 20% stake, plans to stay invested, they said. Deliberations are at an early stage and GIC could decide to keep the asset for longer, the people said. Equinix and GIC announced in 2019 that they had set up the xScale venture to develop and operate hyperscale data centres in Europe for users such as AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

(Feb 12): AstraZeneca plc’s former China head Leon Wang has been formally charged with medical insurance fraud, unlawful collection of personal information and illegal trade, with the case heading to court. It will not face the more serious charge of insurance fraud. Chinese authorities have been investigating some of Astra’s current and former employees over alleged law breaches around drug imports, data privacy and insurance reimbursement. The company confirmed separately the information in its financial statement, which didn’t include names, referred to Wang. Wang’s arrest in late 2024 threatened to become a major stumbling block to the British drugmaker’s ambitions in China.

KUALA KRAI: A trainee doctor has pleaded not guilty to outraging a woman's modesty and possessing obscene material. Ahmad Hilmi Zulkeflee, 26, was accused of secretly recording a woman bathing at the medical officer trainee hostel at 6.30am on Sept 13, 2025, and storing obscene images and videos on his phone. The charges carry a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment and a fine for outraging modesty and up to three years' imprisonment and a fine for possessing obscene material. Deputy Public Prosecutor Mazlinda Mohd Nor offered RM5,000 bail per charge, while the defence sought lower bail, citing his youth and that this was a first offence. The court set bail at RM6,000 for both charges with one surety and barred the accused from harassing the victim.

KUALA LUMPUR: Cooperatives with poor repayment records will be barred from receiving new financing, Parliament was told. Deputy Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin said the move is intended to ensure public funds are managed responsibly and benefit all cooperative members. Mohamad said that in 2025, 66 cooperatives received financing under the Malaysia Cooperative Societies Commission’s Revolving Capital Fund (TMP-SKM), totalling RM75.32mil. He said 78 cooperatives benefited from business development assistance grants totalling RM8.59mil, aimed at supporting working capital and the purchase of business assets. He added that some cooperatives have become overly reliant on government assistance and incentives, without making serious efforts to grow their businesses.

WASHINGTON (Feb 11): The US budget deficit will grow slightly in fiscal 2026 to US$1.853 trillion (RM7.3 trillion), the Congressional Budget Office forecast on Wednesday, showing that on balance, President Donald Trump's economic policies are worsening the country's fiscal picture amid low economic growth. The CBO said that the deficit for fiscal 2026 will be about 5.8% of GDP, about where it was in fiscal 2025, with a deficit of US$1.775 trillion. Trump administration officials have said in recent days that first- quarter 2026 growth could top 6% due to rising investments in factories and artificial intelligence data centres. The fiscal 2026 deficit is about US$100 billion or 8% more in CBO's current projections than it was in the agency's January 2025 projections, and the cumulative deficit over the 2026-2035 period is US$1.4 trillion, or 6% greater. Added revenue from Trump's tariffs will reduce deficits by about US$3 trillion, including economic effects and lower debt payments, CBO said.

PETALING JAYA: A grass fire that broke out in front of a mosque in Taman Putra Perdana, Puchong, spread to a nearby open vehicle storage facility, destroying 44 vehicles on Wednesday (Feb 11). Selangor Fire and Rescue Department operations division assistant director Ahmad Mukhlis Mokhtar said the department received an emergency call at 2.40pm. He said firefighters from the Cyberjaya Fire and Rescue Station, with assistance from the Bangi station, arrived at the scene at 3.10pm, about 20km away. “Upon arrival, the fire was found to have involved about four acres of lalang (grassland) before spreading to an open-structured storage facility for scrap vehicles belonging to the local council. “A total of 44 vehicles parked at the site were affected,” he said in a statement.

A source said the couple was detained at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya at about 2pm Wednesday when they turned up to give their statements. The suspect, who holds the title Datuk Wira, is believed to have solicited and received the bribes between February and November 2021. The couple is also suspected of using the illicit proceeds to purchase a condominium unit in the Klang Valley, the source added. MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki confirmed the arrests when contacted, saying the case is being investigated under the MACC Act 2009. He said both individuals will be brought before the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court Thursday for a remand application.

KUALA LANGAT: A fire has engulfed 12.1ha (30 acres) of forest here, says the Fire and Rescue Department. Its assistant director for Selangor, Ahmad Mukhlis Mokhtar, said when contacted on Wednesday (Feb 11) that they were notified of the fire in Tanjung Sepat, Banting, earlier in the day. "The operations commander has reported that the fire involves an estimated 30 acres of forest area. "Initial action taken includes the construction of fire breaks using four excavators. "Containment and extinguishing works are ongoing," he said.

The EGM, initially scheduled for Feb 13, has also been postponed to incorporate additional information arising from regulatory clarification, Country Heights said in a filing on Wednesday. Country Heights had called for the EGM to address liquidation action against its subsidiary MWBP by liquidator Messrs Baker Tilly Insolvency PLT, which it said had continued despite settlement of admitted debts. In announcing the EGM’s postponement on Tuesday, Country Heights said it would notify shareholders of the new date of the EGM later. However, Country Heights pointed to “transparency, valuation and procedural concerns arising from the liquidation and asset disposal process”, and claimed that Baker Tilly has provided breakdowns of proof of debt “which causes confusions and discrepancies”. “Since its appointment, the Company has identified serious concerns in relation to the manner in which Baker Tilly has discharged its duties and responsibilities as liquidator,” Country Heights had said.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 11): Lebuhraya Kajang-Seremban Sdn Bhd (Lekas) will activate a Smart Lane system along selected sections of the Lekas Highway from Thursday to ease traffic congestion during morning and evening peak hours. The affected areas as Kilometre (KM) 1.0 to KM0.1 northbound from the Kajang Selatan Interchange (Lekas) to the Kajang Perdana Interchange (Silk) via Putrajaya, while for the southbound area, it is from KM0.0 to KM0.4 from the Kajang Perdana Interchange (Silk) to the Kajang Selatan Interchange (Lekas). It added that the Smart Lane system optimises the use of existing road space by enabling the temporary usage of emergency lanes as additional lanes during operational hours to increase traffic capacity and flow. The routes will be equipped with "Smart Lane Start" and "Smart Lane End" signs, as well as green LED indicators that will light up when the lane is open, and the emergency lane will revert to its original function outside of the operating hours. Lekas chief operating officer Chuah Lay Hoon said the Smart Lane activation initiative reflects its continued commitment to proactively managing traffic flow, particularly at critical interchange areas.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 11): Bursa Malaysia Bhd has entered into a memorandum of collaboration with Unit Peneraju Agenda Bumiputera (Teraju) to facilitate the participation of Bumiputera companies in the Malaysian capital market through initial public offering (IPO) listings. “Bursa Malaysia will collaborate with Teraju to guide and equip high-potential Bumiputera companies towards compliance with the IPO listing requirements and getting these companies ready for IPO. “There is considerable untapped potential among Bumiputera companies, and we are committed to supporting them in taking the next step towards becoming listed companies. Teraju chief executive officer Junady Nawawi said the collaboration reflects a firm commitment to supporting Bumiputera companies in navigating the IPO journey. “This initiative focuses on addressing the missing middle, mid-sized Bumiputera companies with strong growth potential that often fall between existing support frameworks,” he said.

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Jamal Md Yunos has auctioned off a slipper and a towel for RM66,000, which will be used to pay Teresa Kok. The items were used by Jamal during in an infamous protest in 2016 when Selangor was experiencing water shortages. On July 26, 2022, Kok won her case and was awarded RM300,000 by High Court Judicial Commissioner Mohd Arief Emran Arifin. Jamal was also ordered to pay RM50,000 in costs. On March 27, 2024, the Court of Appeal dismissed Jamal's appeal.