So, my parents were the ones who really shaped me into who I am today,” said Shalby. So, he began his career at contractor companies serving both oil and gas (O&G) and non-O&G projects in Malaysia and Thailand. In a way, the transition was very important, and there was a lot of engagement with stakeholders and partners,” he said. Looking ahead, Shalby envisions Sarawak Asset as a benchmark for excellence, delivering efficient, sustainable operations while nurturing local talent. This is the story of a reserved boy from Miri who found his way home - not just to the place of his roots, but to the responsibility and privilege of shaping Sarawak’s energy future through PETRONAS.

Police have obtained a seven-day remand against two men held to assist investigations into an attack at a restaurant in Sungai Bakap yesterday, which left one man dead and two others seriously injured. - NSTP/AUDREY DERMAWANNIBONG TEBAL: Police have obtained a seven-day remand against two men held to assist investigations into an attack at a restaurant in Sungai Bakap yesterday, which left one man dead and two others seriously injured. "The magistrate has allowed my client to be remanded for one week to assist in investigations," he said when met. The two other injured men, aged 31 and 42, received treatment at the hospital. Several videos went viral on social media showing the injured victims, including one in critical condition.

The chaos in train services carrying passengers and vehicles between London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam — one of Europe's busiest international rail corridors — hit at the height of the New Year travel season. Eurostar, which runs passenger rail services, said on Wednesday morning that services had resumed following "a power issue in the Channel Tunnel on Tuesday and some further issues with rail infrastructure overnight". "We plan to run all of our services today [Wednesday], however due to knock-on impacts there may still be some delays and possible last-minute cancellations," it said. One train, Eurostar 9152, arrived in the northern French city of Lille from London at 0630 GMT, 11 hours later than its expected arrival time. "The tunnel has recovered its full capacity," said Getlink GETP.PA, which operates the tunnel infrastructure and the Le Shuttle service.

(Dec 31): Emerging Asian equities traded mixed on the last day of 2025 on Wednesday but were set for their strongest annual gains in years, buoyed by strong fundamentals and rising capital flows into growth markets, amplified by an AI-driven investment boom. Taiwan's stock market was another major beneficiary of the global AI phenomenon and its related flows, soaring 26% in 2025, its third consecutive year of robust growth. "The artificial intelligence investment cycle is still the dominant narrative," Anthony Doyle, chief investment strategist at Pinnacle Investment Management in Sydney, wrote in a note. The Thai baht was set to close 2025 around 9% stronger against the US dollar, driven by online gold trading as bullion soared. On the final trading day of 2025, most currencies were trading mixed: the rupiah ticked higher to a 10-session peak, while the Thai baht hovered around a one-week low.

Since taking office, Anwar has visited China four times, demonstrating his strong will to promote China-Malaysia relations. Exchanges at various levels increased significantly, yielding impressive achievements to boost the cultivation of a high-level strategic China-Malaysia community with a shared future. Built on a foundation of mutual respect and shared benefits, the China-Malaysia cooperation has prospered in various fields, laying the foundation for its continued prosperity in the long run. As the year draws to a close, we are reminded to embrace the new year with continued trust and cooperation to develop a China-Malaysia community with a shared, prosperous future. Together, these efforts could bring greater benefits to the people of Malaysia, China and the broader Asean region, contributing to lasting world peace, stability and common prosperity.

KUCHING: Several areas around Kuching city were hit by floods this morning after heavy rains continued since midnight. "The caller informed that their home area had been flooded and needed assistance to evacuate them to a safe place," according to the statement. It is understood that currently there are two temporary evacuation centres (PPS) that will be opened but detailed information has not yet been updated. Earlier, the Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) issued a continuous rain warning at alert level for several areas in Sarawak starting Wednesday until Jan 1, 2026. MetMalaysia announced that among the areas expected to be affected are Kuching, Serian, Samarahan, Sri Aman and Betong.- Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia closed the morning session lower, weighed down by continuous profit-taking amid a lack of fresh catalysts, tracking the softer regional market movement. At 12.30 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 10.19 points, or 0.6 per cent, to 1,674.34 from Tuesday’s close of 1,684.53. On the index board, the FBM Emas Index slid 56.81 points to 12,271.73, the FBMT Top 100 Index declined 59.61 points to 12,076.78, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index fell 35.74 points to 12,083.83. The FBM Mid 70 Index went down 20.11 points to 16,810.34, and the FBM ACE Index lost 12.03 points to 4,849.27. -- BERNAMATAGS: Bursa Malaysia, FBM KLCI, Wall Street, Public Investment, midday

Chew said the syndicate offered various fraudulent schemes, including bogus investment opportunities, love scams and the sale of non-existent items. Chew said he and other Malaysians were then taken to Thailand, where they were handed over to Malaysian Embassy officials. On Dec 20, Sinar Harian reported that 31 Malaysians who fell victim to an online job scam syndicate in Myawaddy had been safely repatriated. Wisma Putra said the Foreign Ministry, through its embassies in Bangkok and Yangon, successfully facilitated the repatriation of 31 Malaysian nationals. "Their identities were confirmed earlier by officials from the Malaysian embassy in Bangkok during a previous repatriation operation in early December.

NIBONG TEBAL: Police have detained two men to assist in the investigation into a fatal attack at a Sungai Bakap restaurant on Thursday (Dec 30), in which a group of masked men armed with sharp weapons killed one man and injured two others. Penang police chief Datuk Azizee Ismail said the two men were detained in the state several hours after the incident. "The detained men are assisting with the case, which has been classified as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code," he told Bernama on Wednesday (Dec 31). Based on preliminary investigations, the victims were attacked by more than 15 masked men wielding sharp weapons. On Thursday, the media reported that a group of armed masked men attacked the victims around 4.30 pm, allegedly over a debt issue.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Smelting Corp Bhd (MSC) has appointed Nicolas Chen Seong Lee and Lam Hoi Khong as co-group CEOs, effective Jan 1, 2026. They will succeed Datuk Patrick Yong Mian Thong, who retires as group CEO on Dec 31, 2025, but will remain on the board of directors and in a supporting role as an advisor, providing strategic guidance and overseeing new projects. "Under the new leadership structure, Chen and Lam will jointly lead the group, with the co-leadership model designed to strengthen operational effectiveness, reinforce the group’s governance and enhance strategic execution, while ensuring continuity and sustainable growth. "In their respective roles, Chen will focus on the group’s operational, corporate and institutional matters, while Lam will oversee the group’s financial, sales/marketing, commercial and governance-related functions," said MSC in a statement.

GEORGE TOWN (Dec 31): A total of 122 extension projects are planned to be implemented in 2026 in Penang, covering public infrastructure, community facilities and special economic projects, which are expected to be realised smoothly. “As a rapidly developing state, the need for modern infrastructure and an efficient public transport system is increasingly urgent. "Generally, it can be driven through a green economy, creative industries, digital technology and social innovation that opens up new job opportunities without affecting the environment, by prioritising the balance between economic growth, social justice and sustainability. In his final term as chief minister, Chow is grateful and proud to see the state continue to move forward and play a significant role in national development. According to him, Penang's strength lies not only in its strategic location and rich historical heritage, but also in the spirit and ability of its people to drive sustainable, competitive, inclusive and change-ready economic growth.

Being a serial buyer, Catcha Digital’s earning growth is fed by investments in small but profitable businesses. Just as pressing is the risk of over-diversification, with Catcha Digital spreading into media, software and trade expos at a pace some investors fear could outrun its managerial bandwidth. The 50-year-old Grove is non-independent non-executive chairman of Catcha Digital and Elliott is a non-independent non-executive director. However, the company’s expanded share base kept its earnings per share growth more modest, rising to 1.63 sen in 9MFY2025 from 0.55 sen in FY2023. Now, whether the market buys the narrative of Catcha Digital’s M&A spree is the real test for 2026.

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 31): Malaysia Smelting Corporation Bhd (KL:MSC) has promoted its deputy chief executive officer Nicolas Chen Seong Lee and group chief financial officer Lam Hoi Khong as co-group CEOs effective Jan 1, 2026. His responsibilities included assisting the group CEO in overseeing legal, corporate, human resources, security, information technology, procurement and administrative matters. Lam, 55, has more than 30 years of experience in finance, accounting, corporate finance, auditing and taxation. Separately, MSC also announced the appointment of former Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Dr Maimunah Mohd Sharif as an independent non-executive director, effective Jan 1. Maimunah was in the news in early November after her tenure as the Kuala Lumpur mayor was shortened from the original end date of August 2026.

(Dec 31): China has adjusted its cash-for-clunkers programme that could impact lower-priced brands such as BYD Co, potentially reducing the boost to new car sales next year. To receive the maximum 20,000 yuan subsidy, a new car would need to cost at least 166,700 yuan. Even though the extension of trade-in subsidies is welcome news to the auto industry, the new conditions lend uncertainty to how much the programme will underpin demand in 2026. An earlier-than-anticipated withdrawal of the trade-in programme in some parts of the country this year hit auto sales, leading to an 8% drop in November during what is usually a peak time for demand. “The revised 2026 vehicle trade-in subsidy programmes will reduce support for mid-to-low-priced vehicles under 150,000 yuan, a shift from 2025 policies that offered uniform subsidy amounts,” the analysts wrote in a note.

(Dec 31): Zijin Mining Group Co is planning double-digit growth for its gold and copper production in 2026, after surging prices and expanding operations propelled annual profit to another record. In 2026, Zijin Mining will target mined gold and copper output at 105 tonnes and 1.2 million tonnes respectively, it said in a statement. The company aims to achieve a yearly 100-tonne gold output target two years ahead of schedule, it said in a separate statement on WeChat. Acquisitions of gold mines in Ghana and Kazakhstan and expansion at its Julong copper mine in China’s Tibet region have driven production growth, it added. Its recently spun-off gold unit, Zijin Gold International Co, said in a separate statement that estimated net income surged as much as 233% to US$1.6 billion (RM6.49 billion) in 2025.