KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 15): BMI maintained its view that Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) will leave the overnight policy rate (OPR) unchanged at 2.75% for the rest of 2026 amid support from resilient domestic demand. “We are aligned with the bank and expect growth to slow from an estimated 4.6% in 2025 to 4.1% in 2026, the lower end of the BNM’s forecast of 4.0%-4.5%,” BMI said. BMI noted that the central bank had minimal concerns about inflation for now, as headline inflation has largely turned out as expected, averaging 1.4% between January 2025 and November 2025. BMI said the revised forecast sits at the upper bound of the Malaysian government’s forecast of 1.3% to 2.0% but is broadly in line with its 2020-2024 average of 1.8%. “With BNM standing pat, this means that yield differentials should move in the ringgit’s favour,” BMI said.

Then Kuamut assemblyman, the late Datuk Abdul Malek Chua, was instrumental in setting up the settlement. “When people still remember my late father, introductions do become easier,” she said. “Oh, Datuk Malek!” comes the familiar response, often followed by brief recollections of his visits and his role in addressing problems faced by riverine communities. Abdul Malek served as Kuamut assemblyman from 1976 to 1986, and again from 1999 to 2004. She contested for the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat in 2022, where she faced the late Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.

JEMPOL: Police have detained a 34-year-old man for allegedly forcing his 10-year-old son to shoplift on several occasions. Jempol deputy OCPD Supt R. Premkumar said the suspect was detained after the victim was caught shoplifting in a store in Bahau near here. "A store supervisor caught the boy stealing a 200g packet of coffee powder. "The victim said the suspect often forced him to shoplift items from various stores in Bahau and Batu Kikir," he said. Supt Premkumar said the boy was also threatened if he refused to obey the suspect.

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan has paid tribute to the late Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin and Umno leaders who have since passed away. Mohamad said the legacy left behind by these leaders will continue pushing the party to pursue its struggle. “Before we begin, let us say a prayer for the late Bung Moktar and Umno leaders who left before us. Bung Moktar, the former Sabah Umno strongman, passed away in December last year. He held the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat and the Lamag seat in the Sabah state assembly, with by-elections scheduled for both on Jan 24.

I know everyone is doing their best to make the conditions better for the players, but I think there’s still a long way to go. This marks the third consecutive year that Antonsen has pulled out of the Indian Open, despite it being a Super 750 event. “Many are curious why I have pulled out of the Indian Open for the third consecutive year. ‘‘Due to the extreme pollution in Delhi at the moment, I don’t think it’s a place to host a badminton tournament. “I’m crossing my fingers that it will be better in the summer when the World Championships take place in Delhi.’’

PETALING JAYA: Frequent travellers who have grown accustomed to the speed and convenience of MyBorderPass say MyNIISe (National Integrated Immigration System) must not merely replace what is already working well. While many welcome the government’s push to modernise border clearance through a single integrated platform, travellers say MyNIISe will be judged against MyBorderPass, which they regard as fast, intuitive and hassle-free. “More awareness and digital literacy programmes should be provided to those who need guidance on how to use MyNIISe,” he told The Star. Lam Thye also noted that MyBorderPass has gained popularity among travellers while MyNIISe remains relatively unfamiliar. “I really enjoy using MyBorderPass, it’s super easy and intuitive.

AN ORTHOPAEDIC surgeon describes hip replacement surgery as “one that changes people’s lives, which may improve quality of life and increase mobility of the patients”. “The hip degenerates when the cartilage between the ball and socket in the hip becomes thinner or destroyed over time. “A person’s pain progression and tolerance is linked to their ‘envelope of function’,” said Dr Suhail Suresh. “A hip replacement surgery is a high-risk surgery due to anaesthesia and surgery risks,” said Dr Suhail Suresh. “However, robotic-assisted hip surgery is a surgeon-controlled procedure that incorporates digital planning tools and imaging guidance.

For the first time, PHA jointly organised a Thala Ponggal celebration with the Rokkumalai Sri Muniswarar Bathrakaliamman Temple in Air Itam for couples brought together through the programme. Although it was their second Ponggal celebration, they were excited to celebrate with other couples. Goldsmith S. Prakash, 46, said space constraints mean his family now uses a gas stove, but they still cook Ponggal in clay pots. Uma, with one of the colourful Ponggal pots for sale at the shop in Little India, Ipoh. Fellow trader P. Prabhu, 32, said customers prefer clay pots as a way to stay connected to their roots.

KUALA LUMPUR: Issues related to Muafakat Nasional will be among the topics touched on by Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in his policy speech at the Umno Annual General Assembly, says an Umno supreme council member. Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsuddin said the party president would explain this in detail this coming Friday (Jan 16). “It's just the usual topics and those that have been lingering - Muafakat Nasional, the recent Umno Youth convention and also the Sabah state elections. The possibility of reviving cooperation between Umno and PAS was raised during the recent special Umno Youth convention earlier this month. The proposal, raised by Umno Youth Chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh, also included Umno withdrawing from the current unity government.

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s children are facing a rising tide of anxiety disorders, which experts say shows no clear signs of ebbing. Figures from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) show that anxiety disorders shot up in many countries since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. He said the increase in mental health burden among 10 to 14-year-olds involves multiple, diverse factors and causes. They know, especially teenagers.”In Asean, anxiety disorders accounted for 31% of total DALYs attributed to mental disorders, followed by depressive disorders at 29.6%. Together, these conditions made up more than 60% of the region’s mental health disease burden.

Compiled by C. ARUNO, DIVYA THERESA RAVI and R. ARAVINTHANDESPITE his age, an 82-year-old man in Taiwan sparked heated discussion online for punching a bus driver for poor driving skills, China Press reported. A viral video of the incident showed Bus 847 heading to the Banqiao district on the evening of Jan 8. Standing beside the driver’s seat, Huang continued to complain and accused the driver of not paying attention to the road. When the bus arrived at the station, Huang did not get off. Insisting on using a traditional wood fire stove, Wang, 68, steamed 54 egg and chive dumplings before going to rest.

Six years ago, Romero founded a women’s lowrider club. Tired of hearing others say "that’s your boyfriend’s car” or "that’s your daddy’s car”, she named the club Duenas – meaning "female owners” in Spanish. "That’s how all of us fell in love with the car culture, the lifestyle,” she said. As cruising was pushed out of the limelight, much of lowrider culture faltered, including the legacy of all-woman car clubs. After decades of clubs being relegated to the shadows, Ricardo Cortez, Historian for the United Lowrider Council of San Jose, calls Duenas the most prominent all-woman lowrider club since the ’70s.

Earlier, Governor Gavin Newsom wrote a post calling on Bonta "to immediately investigate the company and hold xAI accountable". The comments from Newsom and Bonta were the most serious so far by any US official addressing the explosion of AI-generated nonconsensual sexualised imagery on Musk's X platform. On Wednesday, Musk said he was not aware of any "naked underage images" generated by Grok. "I [am] not aware of any naked underage images generated by Grok. xAI did not answer questions from Reuters about the announcement by California officials or Musk's statement that he was unaware of sexualized imagery of minors.

KUALA LUMPUR: Cooperation for upcoming elections, calls to revive Muafakat Nasional and rebuilding party unity were key messages by Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to delegates attending this year’s general assembly. Party vice-president Datuk Seri Johari Ghani said Ahmad Zahid, at a closed-door presidential briefing, also touched on political unity and stability.

KUANTAN: A lecturer lost RM493,600 after being duped by a non-existent online investment scheme in September last year. He said the victim made 22 money transfers to five different bank accounts totalling RM493,600, using her own savings and loans from family members. "The victim then realised she had fallen victim to a scam and subsequently lodged a police report," he said. Yahaya advised the public to consult the nearest police station before making any investment to avoid falling victim to fraud. He also reminded the public to verify bank account numbers via the link https://semakmule.rmp.gov.my/ before carrying out any transaction.