Following the urgency for healthcare system reform outlined in our first article, Malaysia’s healthcare system requires more than recognition of its pressures; it demands a carefully-planned roadmap. In 2023, the government launched the Health White Paper (HWP), a 15-year blueprint aiming to modernise healthcare financing, delivery and governance. It is a national statement about the type of healthcare system Malaysia aspires to have. If Malaysia hopes to create a healthcare system that is resilient, equitable and future-ready, vision and action must go hand in hand. This is the second in a five-part series on healthcare reform that will be published weekly.

The three-day official visit to Turkiye couldn’t have been timelier or more strategic and underscores a paradigm shift. To be sure, he did not go to Ankara as a passing sojourner, for this was the third visit to Turkiye since becoming Prime Minister. This is exemplified in the inaugural Malaysia–Turkiye High-Lev­el Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), underlining the key word “strategic” and signifying the transition from mere cooperation (seen as being contingent on the vagaries of leadership status) to one that is more secure and predictable. Naturally, it demands long-term commitment across a broad spectrum of interests, not the least being the core sectors in trade, defence and security, and techno­logy. Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah is Institute of Strategic and International Studies (Isis) chairman.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 12): Sunway Bhd (KL:SUNWAY) said IJM Corporation Bhd (KL:IJM) shareholders who accept its takeover offer announced on Monday (Jan 12) will not be entitled to the dividend-in-specie related to the listing of its healthcare business. “We have announced earlier that there is a dividend-in-specie for the listing of our healthcare business shares to our shareholders. IJM shareholders who take up our shares will not be entitled to that dividend-in-species, unfortunately, due to the difference in timing,” said Sunway president Datuk Anuar Taib. Last month, Sunway announced that the Securities Commission Malaysia had approved the proposed listing of Sunway Healthcare Holdings Bhd (SHH) on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia. Currently, SHH is an 84%-owned unit of Sunway City Sdn Bhd (SunCity), which in turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sunway.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 12): Total chaos erupted after an explosion occurred at HELP University, Bukit Damansara here on Monday morning. “When I was escaping, I saw a female student in the cafeteria trapped under a ceiling board and she was unable to move. I also saw someone else in the kitchen area who was scalded due to the blast,” she told the media at the location of the explosion. The witness, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was unable to determine the condition of the victims and could not help them as she was in a state of panic. “Most of the area in the building [hit by the explosion] houses university management offices, several classrooms and the cafeteria.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 12): Favelle Favco Bhd (KL:FAVCO) is acquiring French crane manufacturer Seram Industries SAS for between €7.5 million and €10 million (RM35.6 million and RM47.5 million), cash. Seram is known for its patented hydraulic balancing crane system which reduces energy consumption and delivers efficient lifting solutions for the global recycling and industrial waste management sector. Besides manufacturing, it also designs, installs, trains and maintains lifting cranes and electric conveyors for industrial waste plants. Favelle Favco’s board said the proposed acquisition will strengthen the group’s product portfolio and align with its long-term strategy to expand lifting solutions and automated heavy equipment offerings. By integrating Seram’s patented technology and engineering expertise, Favelle Favco expects to gain a strategic foothold in the industrial waste and recycling equipment market while enhancing technical capabilities, operational efficiency and global competitiveness.

Defence counsel Robert Pang argued for leniency on Monday citing Lai’s advanced age, health and prolonged isolation since he was detained in 2020. Hong Kong authorities have decried such remarks as interference and insisted that Lai received a fair trial. Justice Esther Toh countered that the isolation was Lai’s “own choice” for security reasons. Prosecutors also disputed the claims about weight loss, citing records purportedly showing Lai weighed 80kg upon his 2020 admission and 79.2kg this month. Pang questioned if the initial weight was a typo and should have been 90kg, given Lai weighed 86kg in June 2024.

Although gains in both are expected to continue regardless of what happens to Greenland, investors face the dilemma of how to position for any longer-term fallout. For investors hoping for less risk after last year's tariff turmoil, the news makes for an uncomfortable start to 2026. European defence stocks hit fresh all-time highs on Monday and last week posted their biggest weekly jump in over five years, with a 10% gain. If Europe must rely less on the US for its defence, it is no surprise that investors are buying European defence stocks, a sector that's more than tripled since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Political risk hard to priceBeyond buying gold and defence stocks, other trades are more difficult for investors to pick.

(Jan 12): A debt advisory firm asked China Vanke Co dollar bondholders to consider calling a default on the embattled developer’s notes, based on cross-default clauses, people familiar with the matter said. That’s as long as creditors representing at least 25% of the outstanding amount of any dollar bond agree. The debt adviser’s outreach comes as dollar bondholders confront a grim outlook, with Barclays estimating that in a worst-case scenario, recovery rates could be as low as 0.9%. In its earlier proposals to creditors, Vanke offered to pay interest within the grace period and floated unspecified credit enhancements while seeking a 12-month deferral on principal repayments. Separately, Houlihan Lokey Inc also approached Vanke’s dollar bondholders earlier, seeking to advise them.

CHUKAI: Black solid material believed to be coal fallen from a drifting barge that struck nearby rocks has polluted Teluk Kalong Beach near here. A visitor, Ahmad Amadi Ali, 29, from Paka, Dungun, said he was shocked to find black solid material scattered along some 500m of the shoreline when he visited the beach on Monday (Jan 12). A trader at the beach, Ahmad Firdaus Che Yahaya, 43, said he noticed the coal-laden barge drifting not far from the beach last Thursday. "Later, I saw the beach area begin to be covered with coal as the solid material was carried ashore by the waves during high tide," he said. He said Telaga Simpul and Senajang beaches were two other beaches nearby that were reported to be polluted with coal.

IPOH: An elderly woman was killed after a motorcycle crashed into her in front of Dewan Bukit Pagar in Tapah. Tapah OCPD Superintendent Abdul Malik Hasim said the victim, in her 80s, was crossing the road at Jalan Bidor Lama before the incident at about 6.55am on Monday (Jan 12). "The motorcyclist, a policeman in his 20s, was on his way to work in Tapah town. "The woman sustained serious injuries and was confirmed to have died on the spot by the Tapah Hospital assistant medical officer," he said. Supt Abdul Malik said the case is being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act for reckless driving causing death.

KUALA LUMPUR: An explosion at a private university in the city has resulted in one death and at least nine injuries, including four students. ALSO READ: Contractor killed in explosion at private KL university, say copsKuala Lumpur police chief Comm Datuk Fadil Marsus said that authorities received a call about the incident at 11.40am. The explosion invpolved an air-conditioning compressor located in a maintenance area next to the cafeteria on the fourth floor of the university building. “The victims sustained various injuries, including burns and injuries from flying debris, as the explosion was powerful enough to damage the walls in the affected area,” he added. He also mentioned that the police and the Fire and Rescue Department conducted inspections to mitigate the risk of a secondary explosion.

KUALA TERENGGANU: A company director lost RM2.95mil after falling victim to an online investment scam last year. He said the victim, who was promised returns of between 10% and 25% on his investment capital, registered for the scheme via a website link provided by the suspect. "The victim, from Tok Jembal, was also instructed to download an application purportedly to enable the investment profits to be credited to his account. Azli said the victim realised he had been scammed when attempts to transfer funds from the application to his bank account failed. The victim lodged a police report at 11.06am Saturday (Jan 10), and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.

MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki told the Malay language daily that the officer was released at midnight on Sunday (Jan 11). “He is expected to be called back at 10am today to continue recording his statement,” he said on Monday (Jan 12). On Sunday, the officer was called to the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya at 11am to complete investigations into the alleged misuse of funds. Local media previously reported that a senior Army management officer is being investigated by the MACC and will be charged soon in connection with corruption allegations. Azam reported that the investigation involving the individual is nearing completion and, if the Attorney General agrees, the senior officer would be brought to court for prosecution.

(Jan 12): UK employers cut back their hiring again in December, according to a closely watched survey that is likely to add to the Bank of England’s concerns about a weakening jobs market. The Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG said permanent staff placements fell at the steepest rate since August, as businesses grappled with rising costs and weak sentiment in the wake of Labour’s tax-raising budget on Nov 26. Hiring for temporary roles also fell, albeit at a milder rate. Recruiters surveyed by REC and KPMG also reported a sharp increase in job seekers, largely driven by redundancies, while demand for staff weakened. After cutting jobs last year, companies also reported they forecast employment to decline a further 0.4% in 2026, the weakest outlook since 2020.

The US dollar index posted its steepest drop in three weeks against a basket of major currencies. In East Asia, equities in Taipei climbed as much as 1.3% to a record and just shy of the 30,700-level. The South Korean benchmark is up nearly 10% in seven sessions after a 75.6% rally in 2025, while the Taiwanese gauge added 25.7% last year. The South Korean won slipped as much as 0.7% to its lowest since Dec 24, extending losses to a ninth session. South Korean authorities summoned seven local banks to scrutinise a rise in US-dollar deposits amid won weakness, officials and bank sources said.