JAKARTA: Last year, Indonesia once again fell short of its renewable energy (RE) target, as coal and gas continued to anchor the country’s electricity supply. The contribution of RE to the national energy mix, which refers to total electricity production, rose by only 1.1 percentage points to 15.75% in 2025. The original 2025 target of 23% was lowered to 17% to 19% in the revised National Energy Policy, yet the achieved figure of 15.75% in 2025 still failed to meet the adjusted goal. “What’s mandated by laws and regulations isn’t consistently implemented,” Fabby explained, creating a high-risk perception for investors who see policies as “imprudent”. PLN’s 2021-2030 electricity business plan projected 10GW of new renewable capacity by 2025, but only 25% to 30% of that was realised.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 6): Eastern & Oriental Bhd (KL:E&O) has officially launched Seri Embun, its first residential development in the City of Elmina, Selangor. It offers three-storey homes with five bedrooms and four bathrooms, with built-ups ranging from 2,982 sq ft to 3,339 sq ft. The project has also secured a GreenRE Gold Provisional Certification, with some of the sustainability features including solar energy readiness, EV charging infrastructure and energy-efficient design. The GreenRE Gold Provisional Certification reflects our ongoing commitment to responsible, people-centric developments,” said E&O managing director Kok Tuck Cheong in a press statement issued on Friday. The Seri Embun Gallery is now open for private viewing and reflects the communal design language of the future neighbourhood clubhouse and shared spaces.

S&P 500 e-mini futures slid 0.2% and Nasdaq e-mini futures fell 0.4%. Stocks sold off overnight on fears that new AI models may start to eat into the profits of software firms, with the S&P 500 turning negative for the year as fears around the labour market grew. The S&P 500 software and services index dropped 4.6%, having shed about $1 trillion in market value since January 28, in a selloff dubbed "software-mageddon." The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was recently flat at 97.92. The yen rallied 0.3% to 156.58 against the dollar and Japanese government bonds attracted buyers across the curve ahead of Sunday's election.

LAIKIPIA, Kenya: Jeremiah Kithinji had never touched a computer before he finished high school. A decade later, he is teaching robotics, and even took a team of rural Kenyans to the World Robotics Olympiad in Singapore. Guiding them is Kithinji, 27, who runs a string of robotics clubs in the area that have taken some of his pupils far beyond the rural landscapes outside. Singapore was an eye-opening experience for Kithinji, who was educated in a modest rural school without access to computers. — AFPKenya has pushed science and engineering in its latest curriculum, but lacks the resources for robotics training.

TOKYO (Feb 6): US President Donald Trump gave his "total endorsement" of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ahead of a national election in Japan on Sunday, adding he looked forward to hosting her at the White House next month. Trump’s backing a tailwind for Takaichi"Prime Minister Takaichi is someone who deserves powerful recognition for the job she and her Coalition are doing," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Thursday. Japanese government spokesman Kei Sato declined to comment on Trump's endorsement but confirmed that Trump had invited Takaichi to visit Washington on March 19. One of Takaichi's first engagements after she was elevated to prime minister in October was to host Trump in Tokyo. She gave him a putter used by his former golfing buddy, the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

BEIJING (Feb 6): Intel and AMD have notified Chinese customers of supply shortages for server central processing units (CPUs), with Intel warning of delivery lead times of up to six months, people with knowledge of the delays said. These latest notices to Chinese customers, which the sources said were made in recent weeks, indicate that CPU shortages have also intensified. Dominant market share for CPUsThe two companies together dominate the global server CPU market. AMD outsources production to Taiwan's TSMC, the world's top contract foundry, which has prioritised AI chip manufacturing and left limited capacity for CPUs. When memory prices began rising late last year in China, customers accelerated purchases of CPUs to lock in lower prices for memory, said the third source, a distributor who sells both server CPUs and memory products.

PETALING JAYA: Kanger International Bhd is disposing of 23 units of proposed serviced apartments at Block A, Antara @ Genting Highlands to Pioneer Resources Development Sdn Bhd for RM25.93mil. In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, the global integrated bamboo product manufacturer and supplier said the proposed disposal will improve the company’s cash flow by reducing the financial commitment of the property. “The net proceeds from the proposed disposal are expected to be utilised by Kanger for working capital purposes. “The disposal is not expected to have any material effect on the group’s earnings and earnings per share for the financial period ending March 31, 2026. “But it is expected to contribute positively to its future earnings and the company’s earnings per share,” it said.

(Feb 6): Toyota Motor Corp appointed Kenta Kon as its new chief executive officer, a surprise leadership reshuffle in the midst of a high-profile bid to privatise a key unit. Kon, who is currently Toyota Motor’s chief financial officer, will assume the top job on April 1, the company said on Friday. He replaces Koji Sato, who was appointed CEO in 2023 and will become vice chairman and take on a newly established role as chief industry officer. Akio Toyoda will retain his position as chairman at both Toyota Fudosan and Toyota Motor. The world’s biggest carmaker now forecasts ¥3.8 trillion (RM94 billion) in operating profit for the fiscal year ending in March 2026.

(Feb 6): Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Wednesday his government was scrapping a national electric-vehicle sales mandate, while boosting incentives for EV purchases and charging. Carney said Canada will provide C$2.3 billion (US$1.68 billion) to fund incentives of up to C$5,000 on EV purchases or leases by individuals and businesses, while also earmarking C$1.5 billion for EV charging. Canada said it will introduce stronger emissions standards for the 2027-2032 model years, which it says will help achieve a goal of 75% EV sales by 2035 and 90% EV sales by 2040. Canada will allow up to 49,000 Chinese EVs at a tariff of 6.1% on most-favoured-nation terms, with the quota set to gradually increase to about 70,000 in five years. Carney said Chinese EVs would not be eligible for government incentives.

Yong, who began serving his prison sentence on Oct 1 last year at Kajang Prison, failed to get the country’s apex court to review its earlier decision to uphold the Court of Appeal’s decision on his prison sentence. The bench on Friday ruled that there was no “breach of natural justice” in the Federal Court’s decision as challenged by Yong. The High Court on July 27, 2022, had allowed Yong to be released on RM30,000 bail, with one surety, and ordered him to surrender his passport to the court. On Oct 1 last year, the Federal Court had upheld the COA’s decision. Wan Ahmad Farid said the conviction against Yong, by the Ipoh High Court and affirmed by a majority decision of the Court of Appeal, was safe.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 6): The third week of the Dewan Rakyat sitting saw 16 ministries winding up debates on the motion of thanks for the royal address, which began on Wednesday after two weeks of debate by MPs. The Dewan Rakyat session also focused on a special briefing by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Wednesday, clarifying the Malaysia-Indonesia border issue in Sabah and Kalimantan. This week, the Dewan Rakyat did not sit on Monday and Tuesday due to the Thaipusam and Federal Territory Day holidays. “Spending through Sara in the domestic market reached RM4.8 billion in 2025, with 99% of recipients using the facility,” he said. The Dewan Rakyat sitting runs for 20 days, concluding on March 3.

THE artist of a mural painted on the end lot of a pre-war shophouse in Port Klang, Selangor, is shocked by its damage in a fire. Muhd Firdaus Musa said the artwork depicted the waterfront of Port Klang, formerly known as Port Swettenham, including houses, jetties and traditional boats along Sungai Klang. It was aimed at beautifying the area and attracting tourists to Port Klang. The murals on shop walls and pillars of the North-South Port link bridge was a collaboration between MBDK and Port Klang Authority. A long-time resident of Port Klang, NP Raman said the murals had helped rejuvenate the port town.

KUALA LUMPUR: More than 155,000 foreign nationals have come forward to participate in the Migrant Repatriation Programme with over 138,000 of them successfully repatriated to their countries of origin. He said Bangladeshi nationals recorded the highest participation in the programme, followed by Indonesians. According to him, participation in the programme has been encouraging so far, with authorities expecting the numbers to increase closer to the closing date. In addition, applicants must pay a Special Pass fee of RM20 per issuance. Foreign children under 18 who have overstayed their visas or were brought into Malaysia without a valid pass are exempt from compounding but must still pay the Special Pass fee.

PETALING JAYA: A preacher who was previously detained by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has been rearrested as part of a separate investigation. The Alor Setar Magistrate's Court granted a new three-day remand on Friday (Feb 6) morning for both suspects. "The two suspects were remanded for a second time for allegedly conspiring to misappropriate approximately RM1.3mil, which was deposited into the preacher's personal bank account. Kedah MACC director Datuk Nazli Rasyid Sulong confirmed the arrest when contacted, and said that the investigation had been conducted jointly with the MACC Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Division since October. Investigations are also being carried out under Section 23 of the MACC Act 2009, he added.

Dr Feisul Idzwan said Health Ministry continued to encourage Malaysians to undergo regular health screenings even without symptoms. He said the 65-year-old relative often accompanied her husband for heart-related checkups but did not undergo health screening herself. Regular monitoring by a health professional was essential, he emphasised, and said fear and stigma were among reasons people avoided health screenings. Ipoh City Watch president Dr Richard Ng said the reminder on doing annual health screening was timely. Ng asserted: “Health screening should be non-negotiable.