KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 26): Economic growth and a strengthening ringgit have created a feel-good atmosphere among the people, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. The Umno president said economic stability is crucial in sustaining harmony in a nation, including Malaysia. “This positive development serves as a catalyst for the people to remain united and support the aspirations of the Madani Government. Also present were Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, other senior Umno leaders, as well as leaders of Barisan Nasional. At the event, Ahmad Zahid also presented contributions to 50 orphans and tahfiz students from Rumah Anak Yatim Shifa, Rumah Titian Kaseh and Akademi Tahfiz Masjid Lapangan Terbang Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Subang.

KUALA LUMPUR: A 47-year-old man was found dead after he is believed to have fallen from the elevated Titiwangsa MRT track near Jalan Tun Razak on Thursday (Feb 26). Dang Wangi OCPD Asst Comm Sazalee Adam said police received a distress call via MERS 999 at about 8am regarding a man who had reportedly fallen from a flyover near the MRT station. “There were no signs of foul play or criminal elements at the scene,” he said in a statement the same day. ACP Sazalee said preliminary investigations indicate the man is believed to have fallen from the MRT track. Alternatively, Mental Illness Awareness and Support Association Malaysia also offers a 24-hour crisis helpline at 1-800-180-066 and WhatsApp support line at 03-9765 6088 manned by trained volunteers.

(Feb 26): Britain's FTSE 100 hit a record high on Thursday, lifted by Rolls-Royce after the engine maker raised its annual forecasts, while sentiment was also buoyed by optimism over AI following better-than-expected results from US chip major Nvidia. British aerospace and defence stocks rose to an all-time high following the results. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index nudged 0.1% higher to 10,820 points as of 1023 GMT, while the domestically focused mid-cap FTSE 250 was largely unchanged. Globally, tech stocks remain in focus as investors weigh how fast-advancing AI tools might disrupt established business models. The UK's tech stocks rose 0.8%.

Net profit for the three months ended Dec 31, 2025 (4QFY2025) rose to RM43 million from a net loss of RM5.95 million a year earlier. The group also recorded a RM1 million share of profit from Indonesian associate PT Bungasari Flour Mills Indonesia, compared with a RM2.8 million share of loss previously. The payout of RM43.4 million represents 31% of net profit. MFM said it has adopted a formal dividend policy to distribute not less than 30% of annual net profit, underscoring its commitment to shareholder returns. This year being our 60th anniversary from when we began our flour mill operations in Lumut, it’s timely to set in stone the dividend policy.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 25): Padini Holdings Bhd (KL:PADINI) saw its net profit fall 35.8% year-on-year in the second quarter, dragged by weaker sales and higher operating costs. Net profit for the three months ended Dec 31, 2025 (2QFY2026) declined to RM41.32 million from RM64.31 million a year earlier. Earnings per share fell to 4.19 sen from 6.52 sen previously. Quarterly revenue dropped 7.91% to RM484.04 million in 2QFY2026 from RM525.62 million in 2QFY2025. The group declared a third interim single-tier dividend of 1.8 sen per share — lower than 2.5 sen paid a year ago — payable on March 27, 2026.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 25): IJM Corporation Bhd (KL:IJM) has reported an 86.1% fall in quarterly net profit, dragged by substantially higher unrealised foreign exchange losses of RM60.8 million. Net profit for the third quarter ended Dec 31, 2025 (3QFY2026) fell to RM15.76 million from RM113.34 million a year earlier, according to a bourse filing on Thursday. It is the group's lowest since 4QFY2022 when the group posted a net profit of RM1.47 million. The huge unrealised forex losses in 3QFY2026 compares with losses of RM3.5 million a year earlier. For the nine months ended Dec 31, 2025, IJM Corp's net profit fell 35.45% to RM177.14 million from RM274.43 million a year earlier, despite revenue climbing 12.4% to RM5.01 billion from RM4.46 billion.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Election Commission (EC) is reviewing spending limits for election candidates as part of efforts to improve the Election Offences Act 1954 (EOA), says Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said. In a parliamentary written reply dated Feb 25, the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department said the expenditure pertains to the candidates' own spending, not that of political parties. “However, the EC is currently reviewing the appropriateness of the existing expenditure limits for candidates, as well as the suitability of factoring in party expenditure during elections, in an effort to improve the EOA,” she added. She said the EC is also studying digital campaigning practices undertaken by some candidates, including the cost of advertising on social media, in line with new election campaign practices. She was responding to a question from Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli (PH-Pandan) on plans to amend the EOA, particularly regarding the expenditure limits for state assembly and parliamentary candidates, which are considered outdated and impractical.

For FY2025, Maybank’s gross loans stood at RM686.5 billion, up 1.7% year-on-year; it had previously guided for a loan growth of 5% to 6% for FY2025. Malaysia: Anchored by consumption and infrastructureIn its home market, Maybank is targeting loan growth of about 5% to 6%, broadly tracking the projected gross domestic product, or GDP, growth of around 5.1%, and system credit growth of about 5.2%. The group's Singapore loans grew 5% in FY2025, supported by consumer and financial services as well as selected corporate segments. Despite the 3% contraction in FY2025, Maybank is guiding for 8% to 10% loan growth in the republic for FY2026 — versus the anticipated system loans growth of between 9% and 11% — while Indonesia's GDP is expected to grow around 5%. Beyond loan growth, Maybank is guiding for 2.05%-2.10% net interest margins for the group for FY2026, with credit charges expected to normalise to around 20 basis points (bps), following an exceptionally low 8bps in FY2025.

KUALA LUMPUR: The managing director of a local marine maintenance company claims he has lost more than RM1.3mil after over a vessel-cleaning contract, which turned out to be a scam. He claimed the company asked him to make an advance payment to the subcontractor but he was never reimbursed for it. Adding to his predicament, Nagamani said he is now facing court action after the subcontractor demanded full payment and his company's account had been frozen. "MHO will stand with victims to ensure their voices are heard," he said at a press conference at the MHO headquarters here. Hishamuddin also questioned the civil suit filed by the subcontractor against the victim for cleaning works allegedly completed, despite official records proving the vessels did not exist and had never entered the waters concerned.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 26): Guan Chong Bhd (KL:GCB), the world’s fourth largest cocoa grinder, reported an almost 80% drop in fourth-quarter profit as softer demand and lower grinding margins weighed on earnings. Net profit for the quarter ended Dec 31, 2025 (4QFY2025) fell to RM42.98 million from RM212.96 million a year earlier, the company said in a filing to Bursa Malaysia on Thursday. For the full year, net profit fell 47% to RM227.02 million from RM429.16 million in FY2024 despite a 43% jump in revenue to RM14.92 billion from RM10.44 billion, underscoring margin compression during a period of heightened price volatility. As at end-December 2025, cash stood at RM123.2 million, while total borrowings were RM3.19 billion, resulting in net debt of RM3.07 billion. Guan Chong said it remains focused on its core cocoa ingredient processing business while expanding into higher-margin industrial chocolate and optimising production in response to market conditions.

MILAN (Feb 26): Stellantis on Thursday reported a net loss of 20.1 billion euros (US$23.8 billion) for the second half of 2025, after multi-billion euro charges the automaker booked earlier this month to reflect its scaled-back electric-vehicle ambitions. The Jeep-to-Peugeot maker said it had booked a total of 25.4 billion euros in writedowns last year, including 22.2 billion euros for the second half it announced on February 6, sending its shares tanking. In the second half, Stellantis booked an adjusted operating loss of 1.38 billion euros, also in line with the preliminary estimate. Net revenues were however up 10% year-on-year in the July-December period to 79.25 billion euros, with an encouraging 11% increase in vehicle shipments over the six months. The group — which traditionally sees the North American market, and the US in particular, as its profit powerhouse — said it expected costs related to US tariffs to rise to 1.6 billion euros this year from 1.2 billion euros in 2025.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 26): Sime Darby Property Bhd (KL:SIMEPROP) closed 2025 with a 3.09% gain in net profit, as the group surpassed the RM4 billion sales mark for the second consecutive year. The group eyes sales target of RM4 billion this year, backed by planned launches worth RM4.7 billion. In 4QFY2025, SimeProp posted a net profit of RM88.41 million from RM87.56 million a year ago. In the full year, SimeProp's investment and asset management (IAM) segment delivered revenue of RM183.9 million and pre-tax profit of RM48.1 million. Unbilled sales stood at RM3.9 billion at end-2025, with bookings of RM1.7 billion at mid-February, SimeProp said.

PETALING JAYA: After a long wait, national badminton legend Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei has finally fulfilled one of his personal ambitions by launching his own tournament, the Lee Chong Wei (LCW) Cup. Unlike other invitational tournaments that feature world stars, Chong Wei has chosen to open participation exclusively to teenagers aged between 13 and 17. The total prize pool stands at RM100,000 and winners in each category will earn a trial with the national squad at the Academy Badminton Malaysia in Bukit Kiara. “As for why we are not organising a senior level tournament, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) calendar is very packed. I do not see any top players having the time to take part," said Chong Wei.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 26): Axiata Group Bhd (KL:AXIATA) said it will not provide any earnings guidance this year amid a restructuring at the biggest Malaysian telecommunications company by revenue. Ongoing asset consolidation and monetisation would cause fluctuations in its reporting numbers, chief financial officer Nik Rizal Kamil Nik Ibrahim Kamil said at an earnings briefing. The usual revenue and earnings before interest and tax targets will be reinstated from 2027 onwards, he noted. Axiata has been preparing to monetise select assets, such as its tower arm edotco Group Sdn Bhd, though Nik Rizal refused to provide any details. Last year, Axiata completed the merger of its unit PT XL Axiata Tbk with PT Smartfren Telecom Tbk and PT Smart Telcom, which created Indonesia’s second-largest mobile network operator by subscribers.

KOTA KINABALU: The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) will close its office in Beaufort starting Thursday (Feb 26) until further notice due to rising floodwaters in the area. In a statement the same day, EPF said the closure is a precautionary measure taken to ensure the safety and well-being of its members and staff. "The EPF is working with local authorities and service providers to monitor the situation and will provide status updates as soon as possible," the statement read. Following the closure, members who have made prior appointments at the Beaufort branch are advised to reschedule their visits. For further information regarding EPF services and transactions, members can reach out to the EPF Contact Centre at 03-8922 6000 or visit its official website at www.kwsp.gov.my.