"It means the PBOC is intervening as the yuan's appreciation is too fast," said Yuan Tao, an analyst at Orient Futures. But he said the measure will only slow the yuan's appreciation, expecting the dollar to remain weak. "It is clear that PBOC wants the yuan appreciation pace to slow." Highlighting the urgency for Chinese companies to embrace forex hedging, a growing number of listed companies say the stronger yuan is hurting their profits. Robot maker Ninebot, Shenzhen Hello Tech Energy Co and Shenzhen Hui chuang Da Technology also disclosed negative impacts from yuan appreciation.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Friday (Feb 27) extended prayers and well-wishes to His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia. "Praying that His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim is granted enduring health and remains under Allah SWT's protection, mercy and care," he posted on Facebook. According to Istana Negara, the King is currently unwell due to musculoskeletal pain affecting his back and hips. Medical specialists have also advised His Majesty to rest and refrain from attending official events to allow for treatment and recovery.

IPOH: After years of uncertainty, the land dispute involving the Datuk Kong Temple in Tanjung Piandang, Kerian will soon be resolved. The Perak government has granted gazetted status to the temple site and freehold ownership to adjacent shoplots, says Sandrea Ng. This brings an end to an ownership dispute that has persisted for more than 13 years. Ng said that historical records indicated the land was originally granted freehold status to several local Chinese residents between 1913 and 1918. Under the latest decision, the temple site will be formally gazetted as a religious reserve, while the residential and commercial units receive freehold status.

PETALING JAYA: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia is undergoing follow-up treatment for a musculoskeletal condition involving the muscles and bones in his back and hip, says Istana Negara. The palace said His Majesty had been advised by medical experts to rest and refrain from attending official functions to allow space for treatment and recovery. “His Majesty was undergoing follow-up treatment and was unable to attend the breaking of fast event with the Prime Minister, Cabinet members, foreign representatives and senior government officials at Istana Negara yesterday,” it said in a statement on Friday (Feb 27). The palace added that the official opening of the Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia mosque, which Sultan Ibrahim was scheduled to officiate on Wednesday night, had also been postponed to a later date. “Istana Negara would like to inform that His Majesty will resume official duties once His Majesty’s health has recovered,” the statement added.

PUTRAJAYA: As the month of Ramadan enters its ninth day, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has met to break fast with Malaysian media practitioners. During the Majlis Berbuka Puasa Islah Madani at Seri Perdana on Friday (Feb 27), the Prime Minister also took time to mingle and share stories with reporters and cameramen. Anwar, clad in a light blue baju Melayu, also witnessed the presentation of financial assistance to 10 media practitioners through the Tabung Kasih@Hawana, aimed at easing their burden ahead of Hari Raya Aidilfitri. The assistance presented by Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil was a gesture of appreciation for the service and dedication of media practitioners in delivering accurate information to the public and contributing to the development of national discourse. Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching and Star Media Group chief content officer Datin Paduka Esther Ng were also present.

KANGAR: A badminton coach was fined RM3,000 by the Sessions Court here on Friday (Feb 27) after pleading guilty to offering a RM55 cash bribe to a police corporal in May 2022. Judge Datuk Nu'aman Mahmud Zuhudi ordered Lim Chon Shia, 45, to serve three months in jail if he fails to pay the fine. According to the charge, Lim gave the cash to the police officer as an inducement to refrain from taking legal action against him for driving without a valid licence. The offence was committed at Jalan Guar Nangka, Arau, at about 10.45am on May 28, 2022. He was charged under Section 214 of the Penal Code.

WASHINGTON (Feb 28): US construction spending increased in December, lifted by a rebound in single-family homebuilding as well as ongoing strength in home renovations. The Commerce Department's Census Bureau said on Friday that construction spending rose 0.3% after falling 0.2% in November. Construction spending slipped 0.4% year-on-year in December. Spending on private construction projects rose 0.5% in December after easing 0.2% in November. State and local government construction spending declined 0.7% in December, but outlays on federal government projects increased 1.6%.

Beyond the culinary debates, there's a persistent claim amongst Malaysians that eating petai can help prevent diabetes or lower blood sugar levels. But can this notoriously smelly bean really help diabetics control their blood sugar? The review found that seven in vivo studies (studies using live animals) and three in vitro studies (laboratory studies) all proved the effectiveness of stink beans as an anti-diabetic agent. The hypoglycemic effect, meaning the ability to lower blood sugar, is attributed to the presence of three specific compounds: β-sitosterol, stigmasterol and stigmast-4-en-3-one. The plant sterols in petai appear to have anti-hyperglycemic effects, meaning they prevent blood sugar from rising too high.

(Feb 28): The Canadian economy ended the year on a softer note as a sharp decline in business inventories drove down real gross domestic product (GDP) by an annualised 0.6% in the fourth quarter (4Q). The decline in business inventories was partially offset by increased household spending, exports and government capital spending, Statistics Canada reported on Friday. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg were expecting a 0.2% annualised decline over the last three months of 2025, while the Bank of Canada projected flat growth. A preliminary estimate suggests real GDP remained unchanged in January, after increasing by 0.2% in December on a monthly basis, slightly stronger than economists’ estimate of 0.1%. St-Arnaud added a bump in exports suggests the economy was on a better footing to end 2025.

PETALING JAYA: A prominent family is said to be behind an alleged plot to overthrow the Malaysian government. Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail confirmed on Friday (Feb 27) that it was investigating a report lodged about a plot to overthrow the government. The family, currently embroiled in a lawsuit, had allegedly engaged a media consulting firm based in England to launch a smear campaign against the government and the Prime Minister. The police report shows that an editor lodged the police complaint after reading a foreign news agency report on Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief Tan Sri Azam Baki. The editor claimed that he had met a member of the family concerned to discuss the possibility of collaborating on a biography and a documentary.

KUANTAN: A factory operator was fined RM10,000 by the Sessions Court here on Friday (Feb 27), after pleading guilty to giving possession of his bank account without lawful authority to another person in March last year. Judge Sazlina Safie meted out the fine, in default two months in jail, on Chong Chin Jong, 33. Choong, still single, was charged with indirectly allowing another person to have control over his bank account. The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Wan Nurul Izzati Wan Mohammad Zahari, while Chong was represented by lawyer Mohd Shuhairil Ziqrul Sapi. She only realised she had been scammed after the suspect gave various excuses, preventing the return of the funds.

As my parents’ generation grows older, the kampung of young Malays are more often than not Kampung Tunku or Kampung Baru. Fast-forward to today and preying on the anxieties of KL Malays is still addictive politics. There were not enough houses to cater to this burgeoning number of new city residents. Moreover, in 2018, a Unicef study on children in low-cost flats in KL (where residents are predominantly Malay, with significant Indian and Chinese populations) revealed that the group remains well behind its peers in the rest of KL in terms of being underweight (15%, almost double the KL average); stunted (22%, double the KL average); and obese (23%, almost six times the KL average). Surely the time has come for KL Malays (bumiputeras make up 47.7% of the capital’s residents) and their fellow city residents to have a say in the running of their city.

PETALING JAYA: Police have confirmed that they have received a report and opened an investigation paper into allegations of a conspiracy to topple the government and sabotage national stability. Inspector-General of Police Datuk Sri Mohd Khalid Ismail (pic) said the probe centres on claims that a local "influential individual" was working in collaboration with an international media agency. “The investigation is being conducted by the Classified Criminal Investigation Unit (D5), Prosecution/Legal Division, Criminal Investigation Department at Bukit Aman under Section 124B of the Penal Code,” he said in a statement on Friday (Feb 27). He said that Section 124B provides that any individual who, directly or indirectly, engages in activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy may be imprisoned for up to 20 years upon conviction. “Investigations are ongoing, and the public is advised not to speculate on the case while police complete their probe, in line with the principles of criminal justice in this country,” he said.

The company, an operator of AI data centres, also said that 2026 capital spending will be US$30 billion to US$35 billion — a bigger figure than analysts anticipated. Sales will be US$12 billion to US$13 billion this year, CoreWeave said, with roughly US$2 billion coming in the first quarter (1Q). CoreWeave, which held its initial public offering in March 2025, has attracted investors looking to bet on the explosion in artificial intelligence (AI) spending. Nvidia invested an additional US$2 billion in CoreWeave last month, aiming to speed up an effort to add more than five gigawatts’ worth of AI computing capacity by 2030. CoreWeave has dramatically ramped up borrowing in recent years, joining an industry-wide debt binge that has unsettled some investors.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 27): Malakoff Corporation Bhd (KL:MALAKOF) is moving into the execution phase of its Sungai Udang waste-to-energy (WTE) project in Melaka, with the award of the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to a consortium led by Japan’s Kanadevia Corporation, formerly known as Hitachi Zosen Corp. The award comes eight months after Malakoff's subsidiary, Sungai Udang WTE Sdn Bhd, entered into a 34-year concession agreement with the government on June 19, 2025. Sungai Udang WTE is a special purpose vehicle established to undertake the project. Malakoff holds a direct 60% stake in the company, while Alam Flora Sdn Bhd's unit owns 40%. There are three other member companies in the consortium: Alam Hzem Sdn Bhd, Jurong Engineering Ltd and Equator Engineering Sdn Bhd.