The company, known for its iconic yellow construction and mining equipment, saw its stock rise as much as 2.4% on Tuesday to a high of US$644.59. Because of its business selling power-generation equipment, Caterpillar has been a runaway winner in a market where investors are hungry for secondary AI plays after the valuations of major technology and semiconductor companies soared. Exuberance around data centre-driven demand for power generation has helped the company “support a record backlog”, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Christopher Ciolino said. Investors are buying into economically sensitive stocks after a report last month showed US growth has been stronger than expected, said Steve Sosnick, chief strategist at Interactive Brokers. Caterpillar “should see cyclical upside” this year in sectors including mining and construction, Jefferies analyst Stephen Volkmann told clients last month.

KUALA LUMPUR: iCents Group Holdings Bhd ’s wholly-owned subsidiary, VC Engineering Sdn Bhd, has accepted a RM9.12mil sub-contract for works at an industrial manufacturing facility in Malaysia. In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, the cleanroom and facility services provider said the contract covers architectural, civil, mechanical and electrical works, equipment installation, and the upgrading of an existing Tenaga Nasional Bhd substation to support six production lines. The contract shall commence on Jan 12, 2026 and is expected to be completed by Dec 31, 2026. “Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the contract is expected to contribute positively towards the future earnings of iCents Group and its subsidiaries for the duration of the contract,” it said.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 14): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the Madani government will be directly involved in the Global Sumud Flotilla 2.0 humanitarian mission involving more than 80 countries. He said the government’s direct participation in the mission represents a continuation of the international moral struggle that requires courage in upholding justice and humanitarian rights, regardless of borders, race or religion. “God willing, we will mobilise all our efforts to assist and defend the rights of the Palestinian people. Earlier, Anwar received a courtesy call from Sumud Nusantara Command Centre (SNCC) director general Datuk Sani Araby and Sumud Nusantara founder Nadir Al-Nuri at his office in Putrajaya. During the meeting, Sani and Nadir also shared the achievements of the Sumud Nusantara mission, which successfully broke global silence and amplified Gaza’s voice on the international stage.

“We are now facing a geopolitical crisis, and if we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, then we choose Denmark,” Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said at a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen on Tuesday. “We choose the Greenland we know today, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark,” he said. While independence from Denmark has long been debated in the land of 57,000 people, opinion polls have shown Greenlanders are overwhelmingly against the idea of joining the US. Greenland stands within the Kingdom of Denmark and stands fully united in protecting the fundamental principles.”The two countries aren’t alone in seeking to contain the Trump administration’s ambitions. “It’s clear that we stand steadfastly behind the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenland,” he said.

KUALA LUMPUR: Blogger Murray Victor Hunter has issued a full retraction and apology after reaching a settlement with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) over articles considered defamatory. Hunter, an Australian blogger based in Thailand, acknowledged that his publications about MCMC and its personnel were inaccurate, misleading and have led to misunderstandings. I acknowledge that my comments and articles about MCMC and its related persons can be read to be inaccurate, misleading and have led to misunderstandings. "I therefore apologise and regret if such actions caused any damage to MCMC and/or related persons, and I hereby fully retract all such comments and articles in their entirety. "The list of the said comments and articles in Schedule 2 and Schedule 3 of the Settlement Agreement with MCMC is attached herein," he said.

MELAKA: The body of a man was found inside a car at a parking area in Ayer Keroh here on Tuesday (Jan 13), says police. "Checks found the body of a 34-year-old local man in the driver’s seat, with the remains already decomposed,” he said in a statement on Tuesday. He added that a glass container containing traces of burnt charcoal was also found inside the vehicle. The man was pronounced dead at the scene by a medical officer and the body was sent to the Melaka Hospital forensic department for a post-mortem, he said. ACP Christopher urged those with information related to the case to contact the Ayer Keroh police station at 06-232 1222 or any nearby police station.

SHAH ALAM: Five terrace houses at 5th Mile, Kampung Johan Setia, near the Al-Hidayah Mosque, were destroyed in a fire Tuesday (Jan 13) afternoon. Selangor Fire and Rescue Department Assistant Director of Operations, Ahmad Mukhlis Mukhtar, stated that the department received an emergency call regarding the incident at 2:37pm. Following the call, a team of personnel from the Port Klang Fire and Rescue Station, assisted by the North Klang and South Klang stations, arrived at the scene approximately five minutes later. "The operation, involving 29 personnel, successfully brought the fire under control by 2:54pm. "The five terrace houses were approximately 95 percent destroyed; however, the incident did not involve any loss of life," he said in a statement on Tuesday.

PETALING JAYA: Addressing cost of living issues and improving ease of doing business must not be just about short-term relief. It is about increasing wages and purchasing power,” he said, arguing that assistance programmes do not address stagnant wages. SME Association of Malaysia president Dr Chin Chee Seong said recent government initiatives provided only limited relief, with SMEs not seeing clear improvements. “It does not really change the ease of doing business,” he said. Chin also said cutting service tax on rental from 8% to 6% offered only marginal relief after the earlier hike.

The core consumer price index (CPI), excluding the often volatile food and energy categories, increased 0.2% from November, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data out on Tuesday. The reading is perhaps a more convincing sign that inflation is on a downward path, since a number of caveats in November’s report contributed to a significant pullback in the annual core CPI. November data were also collected later than usual and could have been affected by holiday discounts. Metric Actual Estimate CPI MoM +0.3% +0.3% Core CPI MoM +0.2% +0.3% CPI YoY +2.7% +2.7% Core CPI YoY +2.6% +2.7%There was some bounce-back in shelter costs, which were the “largest factor” in the overall monthly advance, BLS said, while apparel prices also climbed. Federal Reserve officials are widely expected to hold interest rates steady later this month after three straight cuts to close out 2025.

PETALING JAYA: Men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia’s hopes of claiming his first win in 2026 were dashed after he went down to Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke in the Indian Open first round. Zii Jia fought hard against world No. Zii Jia is still finding his feet after making his comeback in the home event following an injury-riddled 2025. Soon Huat-Shevon beat Taiwan’s Wu Guan-xun-Lee Chia-hsin 21-17, 21-17 to set up a meeting against Thailand’s SEA Games champions Ruttanapak Oupthong-Jhenicha Sudjaipraparat in the second round. The independent duo will next face the winners of the clash between China’s top seeds Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping and Denmark’s Mads Vestergaard-Christine Busch.

PETALING JAYA: Men's doubles shuttlers Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun booked their spot in the Indian Open second round after beating fellow Malaysians Tan Wee Kiong-Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub. Wei Chong-Kai Wun were in commanding form, only needing 29 minutes to oust veterans Wee Kiong-Azriyn 21-16, 21-15 at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi on Tuesday (Jan 13). The fifth-seeded duo will next play French brothers Christo Popov-Toma Junior Popov, who prevented an all-Malaysian second round clash after coming out on top over Mohd Haikal Nazri-Choong Hon Jian 21-11, 21-19. Meanwhile, it was a disappointment for independent pair Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi after they fell 15-21, 18-21 to the homesters Hariharan Amsakarunan-M. R. Arjun.

JOHOR BARU: A local leader has called on the government to step up efforts to protect the public’s personal data after private information belonging to more than a dozen of his family members fell into the hands of scammers. “I have received many threats over the years, but this is the first time my family members have been involved. “The threats included photos, full names, phone numbers, home addresses and MyKad numbers of 14 of my family members, including my children and siblings. Lim said that he had also been seeing dozens of others, especially loan shark and scam victims, whose private information had fallen into the wrong hands. A police official confirmed that they have received a report and are investigating the matter.

It's not just us humans that need regular washing, but indoor plants too. Leaves need wiping down from time to time, since the dust that gathers on them blocks out light and impedes photosynthesis. Outdoors, any dust is quickly removed by wind and rain, but not so for indoor plants. That's why experts like those at the Plants & Flowers Foundation Holland will recommend wiping dust off the leaves about once a month. There are exceptions that tolerate darkness well, such as the cast-iron plant, spider plant and devil’s vine.

KUCHING: Energy transition and low-carbon industrialisation will drive Sarawak's growth under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), says Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg. The Premier said renewable energy would anchor downstream industries, data centres and emerging hydrogen-based activities. Abang Johari said Sarawak would also focus on enhancing the manufacturing, food security and agriculture sectors to improve productivity, commercialisation and incomes. "Effective government transformation will underpin the successful implementation of the 13MP. He added that the 13MP would be implemented in phases to align with Sarawak's ambitions and delivery capacity.

KUALA LUMPUR: Enhancing integrity and transparency, ­particularly for procurement projects, is crucial in light of recent controversies plaguing the Defence Ministry, analysts say. Defence analyst Zaki Salleh said the ministry, especially the Armed Forces, must be serious in eradicating corruption and other forms of wrongdoing. “The ministry should be more transparent especially when ­procuring defence assets,” he added. Universiti Utara Malaysia security and geopolitical analyst Assoc Prof Dr Mohamed Faisol Keling called for Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers to be stationed at the ministry and headquarters of the Armed Forces. The MACC officers, however, should be there on a rotational basis to prevent them from ­forming close relationships with ministry and military personnel.