ANKARA, Turkey: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be conferred the Order of the Republic during the Prime Minister's three-day official visit to Turkiye. Malaysian Ambassador to Turkiye Sazali Mustafa Kamal said the award is Turkiye's highest honour conferred on foreign leaders for strengthening Malaysia-Turkiye diplomatic relations. "This award is the highest form of recognition bestowed on a leader who has brought Malaysia and Turkiye closer and strengthened bilateral ties," he said at a press conference in conjunction with the Prime Minister's visit to Turkiye here on Tuesday (Jan 6). Sazali said the award will be presented by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday (Jan 7). Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, is visiting Turkiye as part of Malaysia's efforts to further strengthen the long-standing bilateral relations between the two countries.

China will ratchet up resources to deepen reforms related to the market-oriented allocation of data elements and accelerate the cultivation of a unified national data market in 2026, as part of a broader push to unleash the value of data resources and advance the building of a "Digital China", according to the country's top data governance regulator. The conference stressed the need to formulate and implement the "Digital China" development plan, foster an open, shared and secure unified national data market, vigorously promote the deep integration of data-driven technological innovation and industrial innovation, and boost data sector development. China previously unveiled a plan for overall digital development, vowing to make important progress in the construction of a "Digital China" by the end of 2025. By 2035, the nation is expected to be at the global forefront of digital development. Mei Hong, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said digital transformation in traditional industries — such as manufacturing, transportation and energy — has become the main battlefield in the development of the digital economy.

The US military’s ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is set to swiftly reroute the country’s oil exports back toward the United States – and away from China. A smooth transition in Caracas will likely result in a rapid rerouting of Venezuelan oil exports, re-establishing the United States as the major buyer of the country’s volumes. Although the US crude oil mix dramatically changed following the boom in domestic shale oil – a light grade – in the early 2010s, many refineries still require heavy grades to optimise operations. Venezuelan exports collapsed to zero between 2020 and 2022 after Trump imposed direct oil sanctions on the state-owned energy company PDVSA. China accounted for more than half of Venezuela’s crude exports of ‍768,000 bpd last year, according to data from analytics firm Kpler.

The new manufacturing line will increase its printing output to 44 million decks annually from 19 million decks, it noted. The new manufacturing line is slated to be installed by the end of the third quarter of 2026 (3Q2026) with operations commencing in 4Q2026. This is possible because its card manufacturing line will use specialised, automated machines that can print, cut, laminate, inspect and package different types of cards. Mega Fortris said it chose to expand its existing plant after facing difficulties finding suitable industrial space in Macau and rising rental costs. By focusing its card manufacturing operations in Malaysia instead, the group expects to save about RM11.2 million in capital spending.

SYDNEY, Jan 6 (Reuters) - ‌Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from ‌next week's Australian Open warm-up tournament ‌in Adelaide to focus on being ready for the year's first Grand Slam at Melbourne ‍Park. The 24-times major champion, ‍who won the ‌Adelaide International in 2023, made the announcement in ‍a ​statement on social media. "To all my fans in Adelaide, ⁠unfortunately I'm not quite physically ready ‌to compete in the Adelaide International next week," ⁠the 38-year-old ‍Serbian said. "My focus is now on my preparation for the Australian Open and I look forward to arriving in Melbourne soon and seeing all the tennis fans in Australia." Djokovic will be bidding for ‌an 11th Australian Open crown and record 25th Grand Slam title at Melbourne Park.

KANGAR (Jan 6): Police have seized 259 bitcoin mining machines along with various supporting equipment, with an estimated total value of RM958,000, during separate raids at seven premises in Kangar town and Kuala Perlis. Perlis police chief Datuk Muhammad Abdul Halim said the raids revealed that Tenaga Nasional Berhad (KL:TENAGA) suffered estimated losses of RM15.55 million due to bitcoin mining activities believed conducted using stolen electricity. “The raids were carried out under Ops Cantas Elektrik between 9am and 5.40pm on Dec 31 following public information regarding power supply disruptions caused by excessive energy usage. “Inspections found that all the premises involved had carried out illegal electricity connections without meters to operate bitcoin mining activities, believed to have been running for between three months and a year. The case is being investigated under Section 427 of the Penal Code and Section 37 of the Electricity Supply Act 1990.

(Jan 6): Reliance Industries Ltd’s shares tumbled after analysts warned of rising competition in the retail sector, where the Mukesh Ambani-controlled conglomerate is a major player. Shares of the oil-to-telecom major closed 4.5% lower on Tuesday (Jan 6), marking its worst day since June 2024. The selloff also weighed on the nation’s key stock gauges, where Reliance has the second-biggest weighting, causing them to trail regional markets. The selloff erased more than US$10 billion (RM40.53 billion) in market capitalisation for the country’s largest firm by market value. Reliance shares jumped 29% in 2025, beating the benchmark NSE Nifty 50 Index’s 11% gain.

The toys distributor received applications for 523.69 million shares worth about RM130.92 million from the Malaysian public, according to a bourse filing statement on Tuesday (Jan 6). The Bumiputera public tranche was oversubscribed nearly 20 times, while demand from non-Bumiputera investors exceeded available shares by close to 37 times. “We are heartened by the positive response to our IPO, which reflects investors’ confidence in Semico Capital’s business fundamentals and growth potential. Semico distributes toys from 68 brands, including Pop Mart — renowned for its Labubu plushies — and holds authorised distributorships for ACE Amusement, UNIS and Jakar. The group ventured into video game arcade and amusement machine trading two decades ago and currently operates a family entertainment centre at The Mines.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 6): Waste management services provider 5E Resources Holdings Bhd has received approval from Bursa Malaysia for its listing on the ACE Market. "As we progress towards our ACE Market listing, we remain focused on expanding our operational capabilities, strengthening our recovery and recycling technologies, and supporting Malaysia’s transition towards a circular economy,” 5E Resources chief executive officer Lim Te Hua said in a statement. Through its subsidiaries, 5E Resources provides scheduled waste management services, including testing, collection, recovery and recycling. The group also trades in chemicals and recovered products, and manages 34 of the 77 regulated scheduled waste categories. The new scheduled waste management facility in Batang Padang, Perak, is estimated to cost RM110.66 million, including machinery and equipment.

She described her statements in a MalaysiaNow report as a "narration of my struggle to uplift justice for the residents of Bestari Jaya estate". As I had said, the submission for the Lembah Bestari PPR had been approved by the previous (BN) government and this was verified by my predecessor Datuk Seri Noh Omar. Lim is suing Zuraida and the operator of the MalaysiaNow news portal, MNow Sdn Bhd, over claims she made during last year's Kuala Kubu Bharu by-election, that Lim did not approve the construction of the Bestari Jaya PPR. Zuraida agreed with Sankara that the Pakatan Harapan government had required all previous projects to be re-evaluated, including the Bestari Jaya PPR project, shifting from direct negotiation to open tender. “I went back to Berjaya (group) to inform them that the direct negotiation was off, and they agreed to allocate the estate land for the PPR project.

NEW DELHI (Jan 6): India's competition watchdog has found market leaders Tata Steel, JSW Steel, state-run SAIL and 25 other firms breached antitrust law by colluding on steel selling prices, a confidential document shows, putting the companies and their executives at risk of hefty fines. JSW declined to comment, while Tata Steel, SAIL and the executives did not respond to Reuters queries. Reuters reported in 2022 the watchdog raided some small steel companies as part of an investigation into the industry. JSW Steel has 17.5% of the Indian market, Tata Steel 13.3% and SAIL 10%, according to data from commodities consultancy BigMint. The CCI has asked the steel companies to submit their audited financial statements for the eight financial years to 2023, the October order showed.

LONDON (Jan 6): Oil prices edged slightly higher on Tuesday as the market weighed expectations of ample global supply this year against uncertainty around Venezuelan crude output after the US capture of President Nicolas Maduro. What seems obvious, nonetheless, is that oil supply will be sufficient in 2026, with or without an increase in production from the Opec member," said PVM Oil analyst Tamas Varga. The administration of US President Donald Trump plans to meet US oil executives this week to discuss boosting Venezuelan oil production, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. Reliance Industries said it was not expecting any Russian crude oil deliveries in January, which could cut India's Russian oil imports this month to their lowest in years. President Trump had warned on Sunday that the US could impose further increases to import tariffs on India over its Russian oil purchases.

New initiative to demystify oral healthKUALA LUMPUR: The visually-impaired can now experience an innovative approach to empowering oral health literacy through the “Feel The Smile” Flip Chart. The joint effort by the Federal Territories Kuala Lumpur & Putrajaya Health Department dental division and the Malaysian Association for The Blind (MAB) was launched in conjunction with World Braille Day 2026 on Sunday. “The Health Ministry is currently implementing reforms by shifting from the ‘sick-care’ concept to ‘health-care’ which is based on disease prevention. MAB deputy president Datin Fauziah Mohd Ramly said dental health played a vital role in a ­person’s physical, emotional and social well-being. “For the blind and visually impaired community, dental health challenges are often compounded when preventive and treatment information is not ­presented in an easily understood and accessible format.

Julan, 68, is one of several artisans in the village keeping alive the age-old Melanau craft of making terendak. Nowadays, the terendak has found a new purpose as ­souvenirs and decorative items while remaining an important symbol of the Melanau cultural heritage. It is also worn as part of the Melanau traditional costume ­during cultural ceremonies and festivals. “Each district has its own weaving design. She maintains the traditional colours of red and black in her pieces but also incorporates other colours in some designs.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim departed for Türkiye on Tuesday (Jan 6) to lead the Malaysian delegation on an official visit to strengthen bilateral relations. Anwar was accompanied by his wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. The Prime Minister's official visit to Turkiye runs from Jan 6 until Jan 8 and forms part of ongoing efforts to further enhance the long-established bilateral relationship between Malaysia and Turkiye. During the visit, Anwar was scheduled to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and co-chair the Malaysia-Turkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting. The visit also reflects the shared commitment of Malaysia and Turkiye to deepen strategic cooperation in a more structured and comprehensive manner.