“December quarter inflation had the casting vote and voted ‘Yes, hike’,” said Westpac chief economist Luci Ellis, previously a senior RBA official. Westpac’s call followed a similar change by ANZ Bank which also sees a quarter-point RBA hike on Feb 3 to take the cash rate to 3.85%. The RBA, which last cut in August, now faces the prospect of switching to a rate hike much earlier than anticipated. “If inflation remains uncomfortably high in coming quarters, the board will act again,” Westpac’s Ellis said. “Australia’s fourth-quarter inflation reading is hotter than expected, but not hot enough to push the RBA to reverse course on its easing cycle and hike the cash rate at the February meeting.

Will the Road Transport Department really stop issuing physical road tax stickers next month? Verdict:TRUEThe Road Transport Department will stop issuing physical road tax slips for Motor Vehicle Licences starting Feb 1, said Pos Malaysia in a post on its Facebook page. Some motorists have welcomed the shift, particularly those who found physical stickers inconvenient due to wear and peeling over time. For those users, Pos Malaysia said requests for physical road tax stickers can still be made at its offices until the end of January 2026. Once the deadline passes, the option to print or issue physical road tax slips will no longer be available across all JPJ service channels, including MyEG and Puspakom.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 28): Sabah’s abundant natural resources, rich biodiversity and strategic location will be leveraged with modern infrastructure, green technology and new economic drivers under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), Deputy Economy Minister Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah said. Sabah has been identified as a high-potential blue economy hub, he added. “The establishment of special economic zones, including food production zones, will be explored based on the potential of specific areas,” he told the Dewan Rakyat during question time on Wednesday. Key projects include the Sabah Heart Centre, the Kalabakan-Simanggaris Road, Phase 1B of the Sabah Pan Borneo Highway, and the Sabah Water Project. Approved investments in Sabah totalled RM11.91 billion from January to September 2025, comprising RM5.29 billion in domestic investment and RM6.62 billion in foreign investment.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 28): Suntrack Development Sdn Bhd has announced the launch of Suntrack Hub 2, a new industrial development in Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi with a gross development value (GDV) of RM318 million. “Suntrack Hub 2 is designed specifically for business owners who view their factory as a critical tool for growth rather than just a physical space. Suntrack Development Sdn Bhd CEO James Tan. Situated within the Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi industrial corridor, the site is approximately 10km from the Bandar Serenia toll of the Elite Highway. The project will be managed as a guarded industrial park, overseen by a Factory Owners’ Association to ensure long-term upkeep.

ANZ is making the move to the Marina One complex because its existing lease at Ocean Financial Centre is set to expire soon, according to a separate memo viewed by Bloomberg News. Marina One and Ocean Financial Centre are both located in the city centre, with the former boasting two office towers held in a joint venture by Singapore and Malaysia state investors Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd and Khazanah Nasional Bhd. Ocean Financial Centre is majority-owned by Keppel REIT, while Mapletree Business City is owned by another Singapore-listed real estate investment trust, Mapletree Pan Asia Commercial Trust. ANZ joins Bank of New York Mellon Corp which is moving to Marina One from its current location in Millenia Tower. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc and Macquarie Group Ltd are among the other banks with offices already at the development.

“This Ipoh kavadi is special because it has two layers. Dineskumaran said the kavadi, weighing about 40kg, features a statue of Lord Murugan and is adorned with peacock feather arrangements and lighting effects. “I advised him not to take something too heavy but he said he wanted to do it for Lord Murugan,” he added. “This kavadi features statue of Lord Murugan on one side and the statue of Lord Muniswaran on the other side. “It is slightly lighter at about 30kg compared to the Ipoh kavadi, although standing at the same height,” he said, adding that some 300 peacock feathers were used for this particular kavadi.

(Jan 28): Indonesian stocks tumbled after MSCI Inc raised concerns about their investability and warned of a potential downgrade to frontier-market status. If Indonesia fails to make sufficient progress on transparency by May, MSCI will reassess the country’s market accessibility — a move that could reduce the weighting for Indonesian companies in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index and potentially trigger a downgrade to frontier-market status. The decision follows MSCI’s proposal to tighten the definition of free float — the number of shares available for trading and a key determinant of a stock’s weighting in benchmarks — for Indonesian securities. Global investors sold a net US$192 million (RM753.31 million) worth of local stocks in the week ended Jan 23, marking their first outflow in 16 weeks. Markets were rattled earlier by the dismissal of long-serving Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati last year and Prabowo’s growing sway over the central bank.

JOHOR BARU:A total of 18 vehicles were damaged after a bushfire spread to a parking area next to a mosque in Taman Bukit Mewah here. The Johor Fire and Rescue Department said it received an emergency call at 1.32pm on Tuesday (Jan 27) regarding the incident. A team from the Larkin fire and rescue station was dispatched and arrived at the scene at 1.45pm, about 12km away. Operation commander Nakish Nekmat said the blaze involved an estimated 0.37ha of bushland and had already spread to several parked vehicles before firefighters arrived. Nakish said a total of nine firefighters with two vehicles, one Fire Rescue Tender (FRT) and one Emergency Medical Rescue Service (EMRS), were involved in the operation.

PETALING JAYA: With less than four weeks to go before the All-England begins, men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik are eager to erase a painful memory at the prestigious event. The two-time runners up at the world’s oldest badminton tournament suffered an early exit last year when they were knocked out in the first round despite being among the tournament favourites. However, they are also fully aware that competition in the men’s doubles is fiercer than ever, as no opponents can be taken lightly, even in the opening round. “The chance to win is definitely there because the men’s doubles field is very open now. It is not easy to set targets or ensure consistent performances in Europe because we need time to adapt,” said Aaron.

KUALA LUMPUR: The proposed diagnostic screening test for children before entry into Year One Under the National Education Blueprint is off. The screening test, which was to begin with the 2027 school session, has been cancelled because it could have a psychological effect on children, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The National Education Blueprint 2026–2035, featuring the Malaysia Learning Matrix, was announced by Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek on Jan 20. “At the initial stage, the Education Ministry suggested postponing this plan by another year. Addressing school overcrowding, Anwar, who himself was Education minister from 1987 to 1990, acknowledged that congestion remains a challenge, particularly in urban areas.

KLANG: A 46-year-old man from Perak snuck out of the country to visit his pregnant second wife without his first wife’s knowledge. He landed in hot water when he was arrested while returning from Indonesia via an illegal route. The man, a lorry driver, who just arrived from Tanjung Balai in Indonesia, told officers he had travelled to Medan to visit his pregnant second wife. It was operated by a 36-year-old Myanmar skipper and had 26 Indonesian illegal migrants on board, specifically 17 men and nine women. There were 24 illegal migrants, comprising 19 men and five women aged between 22 and 64, and a three-month-old baby girl,” Abdul Muhaimin said.

OVERALL river water quality in Malaysia saw a dip in 2025 as the number of polluted rivers increased slightly, says the Natural Resources and Environment Sustainability Ministry. Worryingly, the number of ri­vers with Class III or “moderate” water quality increased from 161 (24%) in 2024 to 171 (25%) in 2025. “The sectors contributing to the deterioration of river water quali­ty are not limited to the industrial sector alone. The ministry added that it has begun taking both immediate and long-term measures to counter this worrying trend of river pollution. It said it is also reviewing regulations for water pollution control and water quality standards as a long-term strategy.

KUALA LUMPUR: Three Malaysian criminals detained at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, India, are believed to be members of a criminal gang known as “Captain Praba”. The suspects, all in their 30s, were detained on Sunday after their identities were flagged under Interpol Red Notices following their deportation from Britain. “They were detained by airport authorities upon arrival and were not allowed to enter India or pass immigration control,” the source added. Besides having a following among gang members, the suspects are also believed to have enemies who harbour grudges against them over past crimes, raising concerns about potential security threats. Previously, Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail had said that 17 gang members were nabbed in a massive operation codenamed “Ops Jack Sparrow” in September last year.

THE film The Voice of Hind Rajab continues to receive an enthusiastic response from Malaysians, recording 53,000 viewers after 17 days of screening since its release on Jan 8, Berita Harian reported. “We hope ticket sales this week will surpass 60,000 and if cinemas continue to have confidence in the support of Malaysians, it will not be impossible for us to reach 80,000 viewers,” said Zainal. An application for house repair assistance has been submitted, but no action has been taken so far. Rahimah receives RM600 in monthly financial support from the Welfare Department, while Aminah receives RM250. “The amount is only enough for our basic needs and daily food, but we cannot afford to repair the house,” Aminah said.

That dynamic is being closely monitored because Vietnamese banks are already operating with thin capital buffers to absorb potential losses. Standby letters of credit (SBLCs) — a promise to repay debt if the client borrower can’t — have been a popular way to make guarantees. Hidden risks from SBLCs may weaken loss-absorption buffers, especially as banks’ capital raising remains limited, said Phan Duy Hung, director-senior analyst at VIS Rating. A representative of Vietnam Banks Association declined to comment when asked about the risks of guarantees such as SBLCs. Vingroup considers “a range of funding sources, including SBLCs,” it said in reply to a query on the financing.