SEOUL: The Seoul City Bus Workers Union commenced an all-day strike from 4am on Jan 13, following a breakdown in wage negotiations with management, raising concerns about transport disruptions for city commuters as about 7,000 buses operating across 394 routes are now halted. Negotiations between the union, part of the National Automobile Workers Federation, and the Seoul Bus Transportation Business Association failed to reach an agreement after more than 10 hours of discussions, which concluded at 1am on Jan 13. In response to the union’s strike, the Seoul city government has implemented emergency transport measures starting from the first bus, deploying alternative transport options immediately. Information about the shuttle bus services can be found on the Seoul City Hall website. Real-time transport updates are being provided through various channels, including a citizen call centre, traffic information centre, the city website, social media accounts, roadside displays and bus information terminals.

KUALA LUMPUR: The man who died in an explosion at a private university here was an intern from another private university undergoing industrial training with an air conditioning maintenance company. Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Dean Prof Chang Yoong Choon said the victim, Soo Yu Juan, 24, was a third-year Mechanical Engineering student who was scheduled to complete his industrial training on Thursday (Jan 15). He said industrial training is part of the routine academic requirements for engineering students to provide exposure to real-world working environments. Chang said that the university provides insurance coverage for all students, including for accidents occurring during industrial training. He also said the company the victim was interning with had expressed its commitment to provide support and assistance, including funeral arrangements.

Joining reigning Malaysian Open runners-up Aaron-Wooi Yik are Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, Choong Hon Jian-Mohd Haikal Nazri and Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King. “We cannot keep relying only on Aaron and Wooi Yik,” said Herry. Malaysia will also be represented by four independent men’s doubles pairs at the tournament – Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin, Chia Weijie-Lwi Sheng Hao, Nur Azriyn Ayub-Tan Wee Kiong, as well as Teo Ee Yi-Ong Yew Sin. Commenting on Aaron and Wooi Yik’s performance in the final, Herry felt that luck simply was not on his charges’ side this time. “Aaron and Wooi Yik had already given their maximum performance.

PETALING JAYA: The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, has decreed that all pig farming operations in Tanjong Sepat, Kuala Langat, must be shut down in stages and fully relocated to Bukit Tagar, with no new farms allowed to operate in the area. According to the statement, Sultan Sharafuddin said the relocation from Tanjong Sepat to Bukit Tagar must be carried out in an orderly manner and in compliance with all legal requirements and relevant regulations. He stressed that there was no intention or plan to export any output from such farming operations. The Sultan also said that the Selangor government would not provide any financial allocation or make investments for any pig farming operations in the future, including in Bukit Tagar. Izham said the Selangor government would tighten regulations surrounding pig farming activities in Bukit Tagar.

JAKARTA (Jan 13): The launch of Indonesia's B50 biodiesel mandate will depend on the price gap between crude oil and crude palm oil, a senior official said on Tuesday. The country subsidises its biodiesel programme using proceeds from palm oil export levies. The size of the subsidy depends on the difference between crude oil and crude palm oil prices. "For B50, reviews are being continuously conducted and we must monitor the difference between crude oil and crude palm oil prices." An official with the energy ministry previously said that Indonesia would likely increase its palm oil export levy.

Tan Jie Sen, said a probe must be conducted into the company set to profit from the venture and the tender process used to award the project. COURTESY PICKUALA LUMPUR: Selangor MCA Youth has urged the state government to investigate allegations of corruption, conflicts of interest, and governance failures surrounding a proposed large-scale pig farming project in Tanjong Sepat. Its chief, Tan Jie Sen, said a probe must be conducted into the company set to profit from the venture and the tender process used to award the project. "This includes the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report that approved the project in Tanjong Sepat despite early protests from residents. He stressed that large-scale pig farming hubs should not be located near residential areas, particularly those with a Muslim majority.

MELAKA: UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh said he will abide by the decisions made by Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh regarding the positions he currently holds. He said this was because both parties had previously selected him to contest as a Melaka state assemblyman and to serve as the Melaka rural development, agriculture and food security executive councillor. He was attending the mediation process following a defamation suit filed against him in 2024 by Seputeh Member of Parliament Teresa Kok. Meanwhile, Muhamad Akmal, in a post on his Facebook social media page, said his intentions and heartfelt thoughts had been conveyed to Ab Rauf at the Chief Minister's Office the same day. He said Ab Rauf was the individual responsible for introducing UMNO's struggle to him since his days as a student leader and had taught him much about leadership and the spirit of struggle.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 13): Velocity Capital Partner Bhd (KL:VELOCITY) has sold off its entire 6.46% stake in MMAG Holdings Bhd (KL:MMAG) for RM9.43 million, citing exposure to further downside risks. Velocity Capital noted its executive director See Toh Kean Yew sits on MMAG’s board as a non-interested and non-executive director, as the company’s board representative. Future Star’s MMAG shares were tied to Velocity Capital’s moneylending arm, Velocity Capital Sdn Bhd. Previously, Farhash’s holdings were also parked under a pledged securities account with Velocity Capital. Shares in Velocity Capital were unchanged at 4.5 sen at the noon break, valuing the company at RM55.95 million.

(Jan 13): South Korea’s main stock exchange plans to extend trading hours as the benchmark index powers toward South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s election campaign target of 5,000. The proposal, which is in line with global trends, comes after smaller exchange Nextrade introduced pre- and after-market trade in March. The Kospi has risen every trading day this year, taking gains to around 10%. Hyundai Motor Group stocks have also been on a tear amid optimism over the group’s humanoid robot and robotaxi businesses. Despite the surge in stocks, the local currency has remained under pressure, falling more than 2% against the greenback in 2026.

PUTRAJAYA (Jan 13): The Court of Appeal has allowed Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh’s appeal in her defamation suit against former inspector general of police Tan Sri Musa Hassan, and ordered Musa to pay Yeoh RM250,000 global damages. Federal Court judge Datuk Azimah Omar, who led the Court of Appeal bench, overturned the High Court’s decision and ruled that the judicial commissioner had erred in her decision and that warrants appellate intervention. Musa had defamed Yeoh at a forum at Universiti Teknologi Mara six years ago. Azimah sat with judges Datuk Dr Choo Kah Sing and Datuk Dr Shahnaz Sulaiman. Video taken by Hafiz Yatim/The Edge

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 13): theedgemalaysia.com highlighted six stocks with momentum at Bursa Malaysia’s afternoon close on Tuesday. Two showed positive momentum, while another four showed negative momentum. It merely tells you which stocks are seeing higher-than-normal volume and price movements. But the “+ve” (suggesting a rising price trend on volume) and “-ve” (suggesting a falling price trend on volume) indicators should give readers a better idea of what the market is buying and when to sell. However, each stock has an accompanying fundamental score and valuation score to help readers evaluate the attractiveness of the stocks if they want to ride the momentum.

(Jan 13): Hyundai Motor Co group stocks have added around US$24 billion (RM97.34 billion) in market value so far this month as investor excitement over robotics extends into the new year. Hyundai Motor shares trade at 8.3 times forward earnings estimates, below the benchmark Kospi’s 10 times. The big gains in Hyundai Motor stocks come as investors hunt for AI beneficiaries in the world of physical applications, with new share listings helping add to the frenzy. HD Hyundai Robotics Co, part of a separate Korean business group, has hired banks to work on a Seoul initial public offering. Hyundai Motor Group has said it has no concrete plan for an IPO of the US-based robotics firm, which it bought in 2020.

A recent social media post shows the “Ipoh tree” at Railway Station Square in Ipoh, Perak, looking dry and completely leafless. One can be seen at the Railway Station Square, while the other is located at Persiaran Sultan Azlan Shah in Taman Lapangan Terbang. "MBI also noted that the Ipoh tree is a forest species that requires ample space and a natural environment to grow healthily. "While another Ipoh tree planted at the Ipoh Airport field is thriving because of its open surroundings, the one at the square site is limited in space and surrounded by structures, posing challenges to long-term growth," she added. Ng said that from a public safety standpoint, the Ipoh tree produces highly toxic sap, making it unsuitable for widespread planting or use as an ornamental tree in public parks.

PETALING JAYA: Sultan Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has decreed that there should be no more pig farming operations in Tanjong Sepat, Kuala Langat, with existing farms to be shut down in stages and fully relocated to Bukit Tagar. Sultan Sharafuddin said the relocation from Tanjong Sepat to Bukit Tagar must be carried out in an orderly manner and in compliance with all legal requirements and relevant regulations. Sultan Sharafuddin stressed that there was no intention or plan to export any output from such farming operations. "The findings of the study must be used as the main basis to determine the scale, capacity and land size for pig farming operations in Bukit Tagar, so that they remain reasonable and controlled." Sultan Sharafuddin also said that the Selangor government will not provide any financial allocation or make investments for any pig farming operations in the future, including in Bukit Tagar.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 13): The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) will launch an official national reference price for used cooking oil (UCO) in the first quarter of this year. Announced by Minister of Plantation and Commodities Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad, the measure is designed to improve market transparency, promote fair trading, and protect smaller industry players from price manipulation. The benchmark, to be introduced by the MPOB, comes amid rising demand for UCO as a feedstock for biofuels and palm-based chemical products, she said on Tuesday. “This benchmark will provide clearer price signals, support fair trading practices and help protect industry players, especially small operators, from price manipulation and incorrect information,” she said in her opening speech at the Palm Oil Economic Review and Outlook Seminar 2026. She added that the MPOB will continue “to strengthen governance, [as well as] clear tracking and market oversight to ensure that UCO is managed in a safe and orderly manner”.