“Substandard defence acquisitions, overpriced procurement and budget shortfalls weaken the national defence system and endanger the lives of our soldiers. Khaled said restoring the trust and confidence in the Armed Forces was the government’s top priority. Khaled assured that the natio­nal defence system remained robust, fully functional and unaffected by the recent scandals with no disruption to operations. Corruption and malpractice are not synonymous with the Malay­sian Armed Forces or national defence system. The Armed Forces continues to function as a strong, exemplary national defence institution, contributing directly to the country’s stability, economic prosperity and peace,” he said.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 29): Hock Soon Capital Bhd’s listing price overvalued the poultry producer by nearly 27% even as its earnings growth would remain resilient, according to TA Securities. The fair value should be 44 sen for Hock Soon, which values the company at seven times this year’s earnings and is in line with the poultry industry, the research house said. Hock Soon is now accepting applications for its IPO until Jan 30, and the Perak-based family-run company is scheduled to list on the Main Market on Feb 13. Both siblings are also executive directors in Hock Soon. Eggs are also the most affordable staple protein in Malaysia, making its business robust and resilient to economic downturns, the research house noted.

KUALA LUMPUR: Discussions are ongoing with the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to explore whether withdrawals from the retirement fund can be allowed to purchase the new Base Medical and Health Insurance/Takaful (MHIT) product, says Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan. “We are discussing with EPF to see whether the Base Plan concept can be accepted as part of the i-Lindung products where withdrawals are allowed." He was responding to a supplementary question by Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka) on whether the government will allow EPF withdrawals to purchase the Base MHIT. The Base MHIT framework, released by Bank Negara on Jan 22, introduces a standardised, voluntary insurance product for Malaysians who are uninsured or facing steep premium increases. It is intended to standardise baseline coverage across insurers and takaful operators, improving portability and price transparency.

BEIJING: Chinese tourist numbers to Japan have plummeted amid diplomatic frictions, security warnings, large-scale flight cancellations, and growing concerns over natural disasters and disease outbreaks, experts said on Tuesday (Jan 27). Chinese carriers have cancelled nearly half of all flights from the Chinese mainland to Japan this month. Since Nov 15, 2025, Chinese carriers have cancelLed a large number of flights to Japan. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday issued a travel advisory warning that public security in Japan has deteriorated in recent months, highlighting a rise in criminal cases targeting Chinese citizens. Yang said Chinese traveLlers may consider alternative destinations for the holiday period, as uncertainty surrounding flights and safety conditions continues to influence travel decisions.

QUIET corners of Johor are slowly shedding their sleepy image, with the Electric Train Service (ETS) drawing people, businesses and weekend activity into former pass-through towns. “I believe more people will visit once the frequency of the train service is increased,” he said. “I think many people, especially those outside Johor, are still not aware of the small towns that ETS passes through,” she said. With speeds of up to 140km/h, travel time between Johor Baru and Kuala Lumpur is about four-and-a-half hours. Currently, there are a total of eight trips between Johor Baru and Kuala Lumpur, with four trips in each direction.

MELAKA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has detained a senior army officer serving in an army camp here over alleged bribery. A six-day remand order until Feb 2 was issued against the suspect by Magistrate Uthman Abd Ghani following an application made by the MACC at the Magistrate’s Court in Ayer Keroh here yesterday. The male suspect, believed to be in his 40s, was detained at about 12.15pm on Tuesday when he turned up to give his statement at the MACC Melaka headquarters in Alai here. A source said that the preliminary investigations suggest that the suspect, who was serving as the commanding officer at an army camp in the state, allegedly committed the offence about two years ago. Meanwhile, Melaka MACC director Datuk Adi Supian Shafie, when contacted, confirmed the arrest and said the case is being investigated under Section 16(a)(B) of the MACC Act 2009.

GEORGE TOWN: As thaneer panthal (refreshment) stalls are set up across the city ahead of Thaipusam, traffic has slowed to a crawl on several major roads. The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has urged road users to plan their journeys around the island. Rajendran said about 100 tonnes of solid waste were ­produced during Thaipusam each year, with 50% to 55% being food waste. “We have set up 27 rubbish bins across the island and provided special bins for food waste. Consumers Association of Penang senior education officer NV Subbarow urged devotees, temple authorities, spectators, tourists and charity groups to help make this year’s Thaipusam a zero-waste celebration.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) will adopt a fairer and equitable approach this year to ensure more timely settlement of excess tax refunds with a focus on older cases and small businesses, says the Finance Ministry. The ministry said LHDN would first adopt the First In, First Out principle in which older refund arrears are prioritised for this year. LHDN’s priority this year is to settle corporate excess tax refunds for the 2023 year of assessment in the first quarter of 2026, followed by refunds for the 2024 year of assessment, which are to be completed by the end of the year. With this additional review facility, the estimated tax payments required are expected to be closer to the actual tax liability payable by companies, which in turn will help reduce cases of excess tax refunds. The ministry also revealed that LHDN settled RM22.45bil in total excess tax refunds cases for 2025, which involved 3.6 million taxpayers, including micro, small and medium enterprises, making it the highest level in the past five years.

NEW YORK: Oil rose to a fresh four-month high after US President Donald Trump threatened another attack on Iran, urging Tehran to negotiate a nuclear deal. The potential risk to Iranian supplies has injected a premium into oil prices and led futures to start the year on a strong footing, up more than 10% this month, despite forecasts for a glut. West Texas Intermediate futures settled above US$63 a barrel after Trump’s post, the highest level since the end of September, extending a 2.9% jump in the previous session. The uptick in the dollar made commodities priced in the currency less attractive. That bullish data point was offset by increases in refined product stockpiles, with gasoline rising to the highest since 2020.

After the statement, traders boosted their bets that the Fed would cut short-term borrowing costs in June – but not before then. "Employment and inflation risks have downsized, but inflation overall remains stubborn. The benchmark S&P 500 index had briefly topped the 7,000 points milestone for the first time earlier in the day but couldn't hold its gains. Among the 11 major S&P 500 sectors the biggest decliners were real estate, consumer staples and healthcare. The S&P 500 posted 38 new 52-week highs and 14 new lows while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 102 new highs and 125 new lows.

The Home Minister said it is part of the transition aimed at streamlining operations at all entry points nationwide. The single system Saifuddin Nasution was referring to is the National Integrated Immigration System (MyNIISe). He added that 635 autogates will be installed at entry points to enhance border security and curb document fraud. “MyNIISe is being developed as a single, integrated digital platform to consolidate Malaysia’s immigration transactions and services under one application. “The platform forms part of the department’s broader transformation agenda through the National Integrated Immigration System (NIISe), which will gradually replace existing legacy systems,” he said in a statement.

SANDAKAN: A routine walk outside Wisma Persekutuan Sandakan turned into a frightening ordeal when a woman plunged about five feet into an uncovered manhole at about 1pm on Tuesday (Jan 27). The incident, which occurred near the pedestrian walkway of the building, caused alarm among members of the public who rushed to assist before emergency responders arrived. Sandakan District Civil Defence officer Captain (PA) Sulaiman Salama said the woman, a trainee at Taska Al Furqan of the Sandakan Inland Revenue Board, had stepped out to buy food when she fell into the open manhole. Following a distress call, a Civil Defence Force rescue team was dispatched to the scene, where they conducted an immediate safety assessment before carefully extricating the victim from the manhole. The incident has raised safety concerns over uncovered manholes in public areas frequented by pedestrians.

PETALING JAYA: Professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia knows he cannot afford to take India’s Mithun Manjunath lightly if he hopes to advance to the quarter-finals of the Thailand Masters. Their last encounter two years ago in Sydney also saw Zii Jia pushed hard before he edged Mithun 21-13, 12-21, 21-19 in the second round. Adding to the concern, Zii Jia admitted that his performance in the first round yesterday was still far from convincing despite securing a straight-game victory over Belgium’s Julien Carragi 21-19, 21-11. I need to stay more focused moving forward,” said Zii Jia in a post match interview with SNE Sports. Joining Zii Jia in the second round today is Justin Hoh, who will face China’s Zhu Xuanchen.

(Jan 29): Sony Music Group and Singapore’s GIC Pte Ltd sovereign wealth fund are forming a joint venture to acquire music copyrights, with plans to invest US$2 billion (RM7.86 billion) to US$3 billion in the project. Universal Music Group NV announced a similar deal with Dundee Partners in early 2024, while Warner Music Group Corp set up a partnership with Bain Capital last year. “Partnering with GIC brings together long-term capital and Sony Music Group’s operational capabilities to acquire and manage premier catalogues, creating new opportunities for artists’ and songwriters’ music globally,” Kevin Kelleher, Sony Music’s chief operating officer, said in the statement. Sony has been buying high-profile music catalogues, often with third-party financing. Sony owns the second-largest record label group and is the largest music publisher in the world.

KLANG Royal City Council (MBDK) is planning a tourist information centre to promote the city and its attractions to cruise travellers arriving at Port Klang, Selangor. He said the information centre had to be in a central location, close to landmarks or high-traffic areas. “It is easily accessible to landmarks like Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery, Gedung Raja Abdullah – the oldest surviving building in Klang – worship houses and Royal Klang Town Heritage Walk route,” he added. After the meeting, he presented three Modenas Kriss motorcycles to grand-prize winners of the 2026 MBDK lucky draw. Those who paid up their 2026 taxes by Dec 15 last year were eligible to participate.