PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and India have agreed to accelerate wide-ranging bilateral initiatives, with a strong focus on strategic sectors such as semiconductors and digital trade, following the exchange of 11 agreements and memoranda of understanding (MOUs) between the two countries. Anwar also highlighted that Malaysia and India had witnessed 11 documents, including MOUs, in 10 exchanges of letters, which extended beyond normal bilateral arrangements. Malaysia and India, Anwar added, also agreed to expedite the use of the ringgit and rupee in bilateral trade and investment. Anwar said Malaysia, in the Asean context, would benefit immensely if the region could secure more ways and opportunities to collaborate with India. Anwar added that Malaysia supported India in opening a consulate in Kota Kinabalu.

KUALA LUMPUR: Financial safeguards will be in place when India’s Unified Payments Inter­face (UPI) system is introduced in Malaysia, says India’s External Affairs Ministry Secretary (East) P. Kumaran. He said the safeguards will be directly built into the system to ensure that UPI is not abused by unintended parties. Kumaran added that there is currently no timeline for the introduction of UPI to Malaysia due to various complicated technical steps that need to be completed first. The move comes after Modi announced during a reception here on Saturday that India’s UPI system will enter the Malaysian market, as Malaysia and India seek to deepen their longstanding economic ties. Regulated by the Reserve Bank of India, UPI is a real-time digital payment system that enables instant peer-to-peer and person-to-merchant transactions directly by linking user bank accounts to the UPI application on their phone.

PUTRAJAYA: The deepening friendship between India and Malaysia is expected to enhance bilateral cooperation in key areas, particularly the digital economy and semiconductor industries, says Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi described the relationship between India and Malaysia as “truly special”, saying that both nations are maritime neighbours whose peoples have shared deep, close and enduring ties for centuries. “Alongside artificial intelligence and digital technologies, we will advance partnerships in healthcare, agriculture and food security,” he noted. He said both Malaysia and India also shared the view that reform of global institutions is essential to address today’s challenges. Modi said tourism and people-to-people exchanges have also continued to strengthen, with both sides agreeing to further elevate their partnership.

PETALING JAYA: Men's singles shuttler Cheam June Wei's bid to end his seven-year wait for a title in the Azerbaijan International was cruelly cut short by injury. June Wei struggled with pain in his hip during the final against Poland's Dominik Kwinta and was forced to throw in the towel while trailing 8-21, 1-8 in Baku yesterday. I tried to fix it during the warm up but it still didn't get better," lamented June Wei. June Wei also finished runners-up twice in the World Tour Super 100 Indonesian Masters in 2022 and Taiwan Masters in 2024. The 29-year-old has been struggling for form for over a year and has seen his world rankings plummet to No.

(Feb 9): DBS Group Holdings Ltd reported fourth-quarter profit that missed expectations due to headwinds from lower rates and higher tax expenses. Net income, excluding one-time items, dropped 10% to S$2.36 billion (US$1.85 billion or RM7.3 billion) in the three months ended Dec 31, Southeast Asia’s largest lender said in a statement on Monday. The bank said its total dividend will be 81 Singapore cents for the quarter. DBS said it plans to continue its capital return dividends of 15 Singapore cents a share per quarter for financial years 2026 and 2027, barring unforeseen circumstances. DBS is the first Singapore lender to report results, and is the only one among the three local banks that pays quarterly dividends.

- NSTP/HARI ANGGARAKUALA LUMPUR: Individuals with pre-existing medical conditions are expected to be covered under the basic medical and health insurance/takaful (MHIT) plan, as long as their conditions are stable and well-managed. The basic plan is estimated at around RM80 per month. More than 340,000 insurance policyholders had cancelled or returned their policies between January 2024 and June 2025 due to rising costs, said the Basic MHIT Plan White Paper, which was presented last month. He added that the development of the plan involves collaboration among various stakeholders, including the Finance Ministry, Bank Negara Malaysia, Health Ministry, insurance and takaful companies, and academics. "The ministry is also in the process of improving the basic MHIT plan to make it more robust and attractive, especially for those in the middle-income group."

The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad’s assurance that individuals with stable, well-managed preexisting conditions would be covered under the basic Medical and Health Insurance/Takaful (MHIT) plan was encouraging. - NSTP FILE PICKUALA LUMPUR: The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad's assurance that individuals with stable, well-managed preexisting conditions would be covered under the basic Medical and Health Insurance/Takaful (MHIT) plan was encouraging. Saravanan said this was why Fomca was highlighting the need for strong regulatory safeguards to accompany the policy. "Terms such as 'stable', 'wellmanaged', and 'no look back' must be clearly defined in policy documents, not just explained in public statements." "Without this clarity and enforcement, consumer protection against future disputes remains uncertain, despite the positive intentions behind the announcement."

(Feb 9): The yen fluctuated Monday as Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi secured a historic election triumph, while Asian stocks looked set to open the week higher after Wall Street’s Friday rally. The result cleared the way for more fiscal stimulus under Takaichi, adding pressure to Japanese bonds while potentially lifting stocks. Japan’s election outcome reinforced expectations for looser fiscal policy and sustained pressure on the yen, with investors bracing for so-called Takaichi trades to dominate markets on Monday. Many investors see an election victory for Takaichi as allowing her to add to Japan’s already heavy debt load. Still, US stocks are facing more selling this week from trend-following algorithmic funds, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc’s trading desk.

PUTRAJAYA: A thoughtfully curated spread of “Friendship Appetisers”, reflecting the warm and longstanding Malaysia-India relationship, greeted guests at a luncheon hosted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for his visiting Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at the Seri Perdana Complex here Sunday (Feb 8). In a gesture celebrating the Indian leader's heritage, the luncheon menu featured traditional Gujarati favourites, such as dhokla and khandvi, alongside Malaysian appetisers of rojak pasembur and tauhu sumbat. The Indian Prime Minister was accorded an official welcome at the Perdana Putra Complex earlier today before proceeding to Seri Perdana, the official residence of the Prime Minister, for bilateral talks with Anwar. External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar and senior government officials accompanied the visiting prime minister. Also present at the luncheon were Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, Transport Minister Anthony Loke and Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.

Japan’s currency dropped as much as 0.3% to 157.76 per dollar on Monday, reaching the weakest level in more than two weeks, before trading little changed. The LDP secured a two-thirds super majority in the 465-seat lower house by itself, according to public broadcaster NHK. The LDP’s haul of seats gives it the highest proportion of representatives in the lower house of any party in post-war elections in Japan. Many investors see an election victory for Takaichi as allowing her to add to Japan’s already heavy debt load. Traders will be watching the level of 159.45 per dollar reached in mid-January, the yen’s weakest since 2024.

(Feb 9): Since the turn of the century, election night has usually been great for pro-democracy reformers and miserable for Thailand’s royalists. Early results from Sunday’s vote show the ruling Bhumjaithai party is on track to secure 191 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives — nearly triple the last election in 2023. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s party used its incumbency advantage and a campaign defined by rising nationalism following a tense border conflict with Cambodia to surprise election pundits. King Maha Vajiralongkorn granted Anutin an audience on the eve of the vote — an event officially unrelated to the election but which caught attention because of the timing. Potential partners include populist Shinawatra-backed Pheu Thai, with 74 seats, and Klatham with 59, as well as several smaller parties.

Prominent social activist Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye has hailed Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj as a leader who saw Malaysia as “one family”, valuing diversity and belonging for all. Instead, he saw one big family," Lee said on the sidelines of a unity-themed treasure hunt at the Tunku Abdul Rahman Memorial here yesterday. Tunku Abdul Rahman was the country's first prime minister and a key figure in the country's independence from British rule in 1957. He described Tunku Abdul Rahman as a man of integrity who was honest and confident when dealing with journalists. National Archive deputy director Sukri Abdul Kadir said the event also raises awareness about the Tunku Abdul Rahman Memorial on Jalan Dato Onn here.

New research published on the eve of World Cancer Day estimated that 38% of all new cancer cases globally in 2022 – 7.1 million – were linked to preventable causes. Other risk factors included being overweight, a lack of exercise, ultraviolet (UV) radiation and being exposed to threats such as asbestos while working. Almost half of all the preventable cases were lung, stomach or cervical cancer. Men were far more likely to get preventable cancer, with 45% of new cases compared to 30% for women. And nearly a quarter of all preventable cancer cases among men were from smoking, compared to 11% for women.

IPOH: Police have arrested four local men and seized 135 heads of smuggled livestock in a special operation along Jalan Baling–Gerik. The Northern Brigade General Operations Force (GOF) intelligence unit, carried out the operation, known as Op Taring Kandang on Sunday (Feb 8) with the cooperation of the Perak Veterinary Services Department and Gerik police. SAC Balveer Singh said initial investigations indicate the livestock were believed to have been smuggled from a neighbouring country through illegal border routes. “Also seized were two lorries, with the total value of the confiscated livestock and vehicles estimated at RM686,300,” he said. He added that the case has been handed over to the Perak Veterinary Services Department.

HULU LANGAT: With tens of billions of ringgit spent annually on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the Health Ministry is shifting its focus to prevention with healthcare programmes designed to prevent Malaysians from falling ill in the first place. As the health minister, it is my responsibility to ensure this is realised,” he said on Sunday after officiating the ministry's latest Wellness Hub here. The Wellness Hub is a community-based health centre that promotes prevention, healthy lifestyles and early interventions to help Malaysians keep illness at bay. Dzulkefly said five new Wellness Hub centres opened their doors this year, bringing the total number to 38 across the country. He said since it began its operations, the hubs have delivered positive outcomes with many clients achieving success in fitness and weight-loss programmes.