PUTRAJAYA: As the country’s first line of defence against smuggling, corruption and cross-border crime, the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) scored huge success last year, making seizures worth over RM82mil in coordinated raids and enforcement operations. AKPS director-general Datuk Seri Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the seizures included RM20.2mil worth of drugs and RM59.9mil in agricultural and controlled products. He said the operations will begin in December this year, but AKPS personnel will be stationed at the RTS two months earlier. Shuhaily said AKPS officers were operating under immense pressure, facing manpower shortages, limited assets and heigh­tened public expectations to balance border security with smooth traveller and trade facilitation. He said to date, 39 enforcement personnel had been arrested or subjected to disciplinary action following investigations into corruption-linked activities such as passport counter-setting and faci­litation of illegal entry.

Retailer opens Ampang flagship store, five more outlets in the pipelineA HOMEGROWN furniture retailer has teamed up with a US brand to provide customers more options via a new flagship store in Ampang, Selangor. The five-storey, 1,858sqm Fella Design & Ashley Furniture HomeStore Ampang opening coincided with the former’s ruby anniversary. “I’ve invested 40 years of my life in Fella Design and have had the privilege of watching this company grow,” said its director Jason Tan. “So you can imagine the feeling of pride in launching the Ampang showroom together with Ashley Furniture on our 40th anniversary. Fella Design group chief executive officer Yu Kong Cing said: “We have come up with more modern designs, which are not the usual line.

Co-hosted by Great Wall Motor (GWM) and themed “Drive the future: Empowering enterprise with innovation and purpose”, the gathering focused on leadership and innovation in the business landscape. He said SOBA had earned the respect of the business community and helped companies gain both visibility and credibility. “You must love your business,” he said, adding that innovation remained key to any business. Kanika Sdn Bhd CEO Vinnie Ang said as a second-generation leader, she could relate to Goh. “The platform has value not just for networking, but also to hear ideas and explore new avenues.”SOBA 2025 was organised by SMG with Credit Guarantee Corporation Malaysia Bhd, PKT Logistics Sdn Bhd, RHB Bank Bhd and U Mobile Sdn Bhd as main sponsors and GWM Malaysia Sdn Bhd as co-sponsor.

(Feb 4): Gold steadied after recovering some losses when dip buyers stepped in following an abrupt retreat from record highs. “Forced sales have likely run their course in precious metals,” Daniel Ghali, a senior commodity strategist at TD Securities, said in a note. “The intense volatility over the last week could certainly keep retail participants on the sidelines, removing an increasingly important cohort of buyers,” he said. Precious metals soared last month in a rally underpinned by speculative momentum, geopolitical upheaval and concerns about the US Federal Reserve’s independence. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index, a gauge of the US currency, was flat after ending the previous session down 0.3%.

(Feb 4): Oil rose for a second day as geopolitical tensions resurfaced following the US downing of an Iranian drone near an American aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea. West Texas Intermediate advanced toward US$64 (RM251.68) a barrel after adding 1.7% on Tuesday (Feb 3) while Brent closed above US$67. The skirmish spooked oil markets, but US President Donald Trump reiterated the sides are maintaining diplomatic talks and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed US-Iran negotiations are still scheduled for Friday. In another sign of rising tensions, a US-flagged oil tanker was hailed by Iranian ships in the Straits of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global trade. Elsewhere, Opec+ expects global oil demand to grow gradually from March or April, bringing additional balance to the market, according to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.

Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu’s husband DJ Koo has designed a statue in memory of her a year after her death. Koo, whose full name is Koo Jun-yup, unveiled the statue on Feb 2 in the celebrity section of Chin Pao San Cemetery in New Taipei, where the late actress’ grave is located. Among those who attended the ceremony in the rain were Hsu’s mother Huang Chun-mei; Hsu’s sister, TV host Dee Hsu; Dee Hsu’s husband Mike Hsu; TV host Kevin Tsai, who co-hosted the talk show Mr Con And Ms Csi (2004 to 2016) with Dee Hsu; actors Jerry Yan and Vic Chou, Barbie Hsu’s co-stars in the idol drama Meteor Garden (2001 to 2002); singers Rainie Yang and Show Lo; as well as TV host Blackie Chen and his wife, singer Christine Fan. Huang embraced the statue and wept when it was unveiled, while Dee Hsu delivered her speech in tears and said fans who missed her sister are welcome to visit the statue. Barbie Hsu’s memorial statue is titled Eternal Orbit Of Hsi-Yuan.

IPOH: A fossil, believed to be that of a porcupine dating back 10,000 years, previously embedded in a cave wall at Gua Matsoorat near here, has gone missing, raising concerns about the protection of geological heritage sites. Gua Matsoorat is part of the Kinta Valley Geopark site. — RONNIE CHIN/The StarHe often brings researchers, university students and professors to Gua Matsoorat for expeditions, and he works closely with Kinta Valley Watch. Ching Boon Tat, the spokesman for Kinta Valley Watch, said as an environmental activist, the group’s role is primarily to monitor and record activities at such ecological heritage sites. In 2019, Kinta Valley Watch, during an expedition near Gua Naga Mas in Simpang Pulai, found 107 fossils dating back 10,000 years.

A VIRAL video showing dozens of dead fish floating in the waters of Sungai Kinta and washing up along the riverbank raised the alarm among nearby residents and prompted questions about possible pollution or other environmental factors affecting the waterway. However, when it comes to viral videos online, one must first ask whether the video is genuine and, if so, whether it is recent. Verdict:TruePerak environment committee chairman Teh Kok Lim, when contacted, confirmed that the claims in the video were being investigated. "The dead tilapia fish are uniform in size. In the video, a man's voice states that the incident occurred at Sungai Kinta on Feb 1, though he did not specify which district.

PETALING JAYA: An elected mayor for a city like Kuala Lumpur would give the city leadership a direct public mandate on the implementation of city policies, says Kuala Lumpur Residents Action for Sustainable Develop­ment Association. Its honorary secretary Joshua Low said at present, the Kuala Lumpur mayor answers to the federal executive, not to residents. “An elected mayor would make city leadership directly answerable to the people who live with the consequences of city policies,” he said yesterday. Low added that even if councillors are not immediately elected, mayoral elections would still be a pragmatic step toward a more accountable city management. “Kuala Lumpur residents currently have MPs but no direct say over the managing of the city.

KUALA LUMPUR: A feasibility study on the mayoral election in Kuala Lumpur is being conducted by the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh (pic). It is being carried out by IIUM, a reputable university, and I am confident in the quality of their research,” she said in response to criticism from politicians who opposed the Kuala Lumpur mayoral election. She was speaking to reporters following the signing of a Note of Collaboration between the Federal Territories Depart­ment and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) here yesterday. “We will then prepare a paper to inform the Cabinet whether the Federal Territories Department should amend the Act or maintain the existing law,” she said. In a social media post, he argued that a mayoral election raises serious concerns over security, governance and the independence of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

PETALING JAYA: Independent monitoring by civil society groups and international bodies is ­crucial to ensure direct hiring systems protect foreign workers as exploitation could persist otherwise, stakeholders warn. “Bodies such as the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) can help determine whether direct hiring is truly effective and whether it genuinely eliminates exploitative middlemen and traffickers. “For direct hiring to work effectively, both sending and receiving governments, such as Malaysia and Indonesia, must provide clear guidelines, capacity-building for stakeholders and standardised contracts,” she said. While supporting direct hiring in principle, Zarina said ­eliminating middlemen alone would not end exploitation. “Direct hiring can work, but only if it is supported by clear systems, monitoring and enforceable safeguards,” she said.

SEREMBAN: The Negri Sembilan Immigration Department has rescued an Indonesian domestic helper who appeared to have been abused in Taman Kemayan, Seremban 2, here. The victim was also in a state of trauma due to physical and mental abuse. "The victim was rescued and taken to the Senawang Immigration office for protection and to assist further investigations under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007," he said in a statement on Tuesday. He said a local woman, the victim's employer, was detained under Section 12 of the Act, while two other individuals were issued summonses as witnesses to give statements at the Seremban Immigration enforcement division office. Tan said the rescue operation was carried out based on the National Guideline on Human Trafficking Indicators 2.0 as a reference for the identification of trafficking victims.

NEW YORK: Oil prices climbed about 2% on Tuesday after the US shot down an Iranian drone approaching a US aircraft carrier and armed boats approached a US-flagged vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, stoking concerns talks aimed at de-escalating US-Iran tensions could be disrupted. On Monday, both crude benchmarks dropped more than 4% after US President Donald Trump said Iran was "seriously talking" with Washington. But on Tuesday, the US military shot down an Iranian drone that "aggressively" approached the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea. Opec members Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq export most of their crude via the strait, mainly to Asia. Any delay to ending the war in Ukraine would likely keep oil prices elevated by leaving sanctions limiting Russia's oil exports in place following Moscow's 2022 invasion.

We're seeing a lot of software companies across the spectrum get hit,” said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley Wealth. The S&P 500 software and services index fell 3.8%, down for a fifth consecutive day. The S&P 500 declined 0.84% to end the session at 6,917.81 points. With Tuesday's losses, the S&P 500 is up about 1% in 2026 and the Nasdaq is flat. The S&P 500 posted 81 new highs and 28 new lows; the Nasdaq recorded 202 new highs and 311 new lows.

The proposed platform, he said, would allow employers to communicate directly with the foreign workers. “That is why many foreign workers say that they were promised ‘job A’ but were instead given ‘job B’ upon arriving here,” he said in an exclusive interview with The Star. Acknowledging that the proposed platform may not eliminate long-standing issues entirely, Ramanan said at the very least, it would address the middlemen problem and help reduce unnecessary migration costs in hiring foreign workers. “The platform will match employers with suitable foreign workers based on their requirements. It is understood that the ­proposed platform will adopt a government-to-government approach, with no involvement of third parties in the recruitment process.