KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 5): A total of 5,624 public electric vehicle (EV) charging units have been installed nationwide, representing 56% of the overall target, said Investment, Trade and Industry (Miti) Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani. Of the total, 1,923 units are direct current (DC) fast chargers, while 3,701 units are alternating current (AC) chargers. He added that this aligns with industry feedback, indicating that the availability of fast chargers is a key factor influencing consumer confidence in switching to EVs. Additionally, more than 15 public EV charging units are already in operation to meet the needs of local users. “At the same time, demand for EV charging along routes such as the Gerik-Jeli Federal Route remains low and seasonal in nature.

KUALA LUMPUR: Three organised human trafficking syndicates were crippled and 55 victims of forced labour, sexual exploitation and job scam rackets were rescued in 2025, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. He said the Home Ministry is stepping up efforts to combat human trafficking through tighter controls at the country’s entry points, with coordinated operations by the police, Immigration Department, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and Border Control and Protection Agency. Saifuddin said a total of 145 human trafficking cases were investigated last year, involving 274 arrests and 477 rescued victims. On errant officers, he said the government would not tolerate any enforcement personnel found to be negligent or colluding with syndicates. He was responding to Aminolhuda Hassan (PH–Sri Gading), who asked about the ministry’s achievements in crippling human trafficking syndicates, particularly at the country’s entry points, and action taken against officers involved or negligent in allowing such syndicates to operate.

SHAH ALAM: Community activist Abdul Rani Kulup Abdullah (pic) has been sedated and placed in the red zone at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HUKM) on Wednesday (Feb 4) afternoon. In a brief statement, Razali called on the public to pray for Rani, better known as Rani Kulup, to be granted a full recovery. The administrator stated that the activist is currently in the red zone and asked supporters for their prayers. Earlier, Rani Kulup had shared on social media that he had been feeling unwell for several days. Rani Kulup is a well-known figure in the local community, frequently making headlines for his activism and police reports on various social issues.

A ransom note connected to the suspected abduction of Savannah Guthrie’s mother Nancy Guthrie demanded millions in cryptocurrency and was shown to the Today show co-host by federal authorities. An e-mail that “appears to be one of the alleged ransom notes” CBS affiliate KOLD-TV said it received an e-mail Monday night “that appears to be one of the alleged ransom notes,” which it then forwarded to the sheriff’s department. “We are aware of reports circulating about possible ransom note(s) regarding the investigation into Nancy Guthrie,” it tweeted. Please, reach out to us," she said in the video message posted to Instagram. Savannah, who appeared with her brother and sister in the video, said the family had heard media reports of a ransom note, but said it was an age in which such material can be faked.

A TASK FORCE has been established to gazette 256 plots of land as green and open spaces in Kuala Lumpur. The task force comprises Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), the Federal Territories Lands and Mines Office (PTGWP), and the Federal Territories Department (JWP). For the first time, the public can view the full list of 494 gazetted green and open spaces in Kuala Lumpur through the implementation of Open Data by PTGWP. Yeoh further noted that the authorities are looking for the creation of more green spaces. We have met with Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (Rehda) Kuala Lumpur recently and conveyed that we want more green space in future development applications,” she said.

SUNGAI PETANI: A food manufacturing factory in the Angsana Light Industrial Area near here has been ordered to cease operations for discharging a cloudy yellowish effluent into the public drainage system. Kedah Environment Department (DOE) director Sharifah Zakiah Syed Sahab said the action was taken under Section 38(1)(a) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 and the premises was instructed to carry out improvement works to address the issue. "Findings revealed that the cloudy yellowish effluent originated from the premises' industrial effluent treatment system, which had failed to function properly," she said in a statement here on Thursday (Feb 5). She added that effluent samples were also collected and sent to the Chemistry Department for analysis, and the case is being investigated under Section 25(1) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974. According to her, the same premises had previously been issued a compound by the Kedah DOE for an offence under the Environmental Quality (Industrial Effluent) Regulations 2009.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 5): The government, through the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad), is planning to develop an integrated cross-agency database on heavy vehicle drivers to enable more effective enforcement and monitoring. The data integration would allow authorities to verify the background of both existing drivers and new recruits, thereby supporting more targeted enforcement and intervention, he added. “This initiative is being considered as an enhancement to existing enforcement approaches by incorporating elements of education, rehabilitation and behavioural correction,” he said. In addition, he said the government is implementing the Malaysia Bus Operator Safety Rating (MBOSR) by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) to assess operators’ safety performance. “The implementation of this rating system allows past safety records of operators to be analysed more systematically and used as input by Apad in considering licensing, permit renewals and administrative action,” he said.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia were denied a rare victory over Indonesia at the Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) in Qingdao, China on Thursday, suffering a 3-2 defeat in their men's Group D clash despite racing into a 2-0 lead. The loss also meant Malaysia failed to exact revenge following their 3-0 defeat to Indonesia in the SEA Games men's team gold medal match in December. 39 Justin Hoh gave Malaysia the perfect start when he stunned world No. 45 Prahdiska Bagas Shujiwo — his second defeat in as many meetings after also losing at the 2024 Austrian Open. Wei Xiang, a surprise inclusion in Malaysia's BATC squad, showed admirable composure by taking a game off the former world No.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 5): The Securities Commission Malaysia’s (SC) new 1.5% revenue-based levy on brokers, which took effect on Jan 1, 2026, is imposed only on gross revenue derived from regulated capital market activities and excludes other business operations and group-level income, according to the Ministry of Finance (MOF). In a written parliamentary reply on Thursday, the MOF said the approach ensures the annual fee is directly linked to activities regulated by the SC, with the amount payable proportionate to the scale of regulated activities and the level of supervisory effort required. The MOF also clarified that the annual fee does not include proprietary trading transactions, margin financing interest income, interest from money market placements, or dividends and gains from proprietary investments, as these do not arise directly from regulated capital market activities. In response to industry concerns, the MOF said the SC has announced a three-year transition period from 2026 to 2028, during which a 50% reduction will be applied to the variable annual fee. A 20% reduction will also be granted for certain transaction fees, particularly those related to capital market products and fundraising activities, it noted.

GEORGE TOWN (Feb 5): Penang’s long-standing economic partnership with China continues to play a pivotal role in strengthening the state’s industrial ecosystem, with Chinese investments reaching nearly RM16 billion over the past decade. He said Penang remains a major contributor to Malaysia-China trade, accounting for RM143 billion of Malaysia’s RM255 billion exports to China from January to November 2025. He noted that economic and trade cooperation between both sides has continued to deepen, with a growing number of Chinese enterprises investing and operating in northern Malaysia. On people-to-people exchanges, he said connectivity between Penang and China has improved significantly, with nearly 70 weekly flights linking Penang to multiple Chinese cities, facilitating greater movement of tourists, business travellers and students. Zhou added that more than 200,000 Chinese citizens visited Penang via international flights in 2025, alongside an increase in cultural and educational exchanges, which have further strengthened mutual understanding and people-to-people ties between China and northern Malaysia.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 5): A total of RM3.9 billion in tax refunds had been disbursed as of Jan 31, 2026, to settle 34,899 cases involving refunds for the 2023 tax filing year. The Ministry of Finance (MOF) disclosed this in a written reply to the Dewan Rakyat, which was published on the Parliament website on Thursday. The ministry was responding to Jimmy Puah Wee Tse (PH-Tebrau), who sought clarification on statistics relating to the number of entities and the total amount expected to receive tax refunds, as well as the amount of tax refunds still outstanding. The ministry said that in 2026, in line with the commitment announced by the prime minister on Jan 5, 2026, the government would complete refunds for the 2023 tax filing year in the first quarter of this year. “The government will also ensure that refunds for the 2024 tax filing year are made before the end of the year,” said MOF.

(Feb 5): US companies announced the largest number of job cuts for any January since the depths of the Great Recession in 2009, according to data from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.Companies last month announced 108,435 job cuts, a 118% increase from a year earlier. “Generally, we see a high number of job cuts in the first quarter, but this is a high total for January,” said Andy Challenger, the company’s chief revenue officer. “It means most of these plans were set at the end of 2025, signaling employers are less-than-optimistic about the outlook for 2026.”Contract loss, economic conditions and restructuring were the top three reasons for announced job cuts last month, according to the report. Almost half of the job cuts announced in January were tied to three companies — Amazon.com Inc, United Parcel Service Inc and Dow Inc. Amazon announced plans to cut 16,000 corporate positions in a restructuring move, while UPS said it would shed as many as 30,000. Chemical maker Dow intends to eliminate about 4,500 positions, while Peloton Interactive Inc and Nike Inc also announced workforce reductions.

Men’s singles shuttler Lee Jan Jireh has rejected a BAM offer to rejoin the national team after undergoing trials last month. - Pic courtesy of BAMKUALA LUMPUR: Men's singles shuttler Lee Jan Jireh has rejected a BAM offer to rejoin the national team after undergoing trials last month. 172 Jan Jireh was among several national discards called up for a two-week trial by national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen in an attempt to beef up the depleted men's singles squad. Jan Jireh, 21, confirmed on Instagram that he had decided to continue with his independent career despite receiving a second chance from BAM. It's a true honour, and I'm deeply grateful for the trust and belief shown in me," Jan Jireh posted on his Instagram.

(Feb 5): Democratic US senators on Thursday urged the Pentagon to conduct an immediate review of SpaceX amid allegations that Chinese investors have secretly acquired stakes in the closely held rocket maker, citing potential national security risks, according to a letter seen by Reuters. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Andy Kim wrote to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, expressing concern that Chinese investment in SpaceX could present "a national security threat, potentially jeopardising key military, intelligence and civilian infrastructure." Founded by Elon Musk, the world's richest man, SpaceX plays a central role in US national security infrastructure, launching military and intelligence satellites and operating its Starlink communications network, which is used by the Pentagon and to support Ukraine's defense. The senators warned that any Chinese ownership could trigger US rules governing foreign ownership, control or influence, known as Foci, given the potential exposure of sensitive information or technologies. The letter asks the Department of Defence to disclose the extent of any Chinese ownership, assess whether SpaceX is subject to Foci mitigation requirements, and determine whether foreign investments should be reviewed by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

Moody's maintained its Baa2 rating but said the shift to a negative outlook from stable reflected risks to policy effectiveness and signs of weakening governance. Indonesia's central bank governor Perry Warjiyo said the ratings outlook cut did not mean the country's economic fundamentals were weakening, adding its economic growth remains solid. Indonesia's Finance Ministry said it "appreciates" Moody's sustained rating, and that the government was undertaking "economic transformation" to revitalise growth. "The government continues to ensure that all potential risks are properly managed," the ministry said in a statement after the Moody's outlook change. A negative outlook means Moody's next move could potentially be a downgrade in ratings.