KUALA LUMPUR: The domestic market is expected to remain range-bound in the final days of 2025 trading, with a prevailing cautious sentiment amid a lack of buying catalysts. The FBM KLCI dropped 3.33 points to 1,677.66 after late buying in the previous session pushed it into positive territory. Rakuten Trade said traders remain sidelined due to another holiday-shortened trading week, although the market remains poised to close 2025 on a positive note. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 249.04 points, or 0.51%, to 48,461.93, the S&P 500 fell 24.19 ⁠points, or 0.35%, to 6,905.75 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 118.75 points, or 0.50%, to 23,474.35. Of actives, TWL was flat at 2.5 sen, MQ Technology rose 0.5 sen to nine sen and Mega Fortris slid 1.5 sen to 78.5 sen.

SHANGHAI: Demand for Chinese lithium batteries will likely slump in early 2026 due to an expected tumble in domestic electric vehicle (EV) sales and slowing battery exports, the secretary general of China’s passenger car association says. China is the global leader in battery technology manufacturing and exports, and is benefitting from a worldwide boom in demand for batteries used in EVs and power networks. A big drop in demand will hurt battery makers including Contemporary ‍Amperex Technology Ltd and ‍EVE Energy. China’s lithium battery exports to the European Union, its biggest overseas market, rose 4% in 2025 from a year ago, while exports to the United States tumbled 9.5%. The drop in US-bound exports suggests rising demand for energy storage from the US artificial intelligence boom is not lifting demand for Chinese batteries, Cui said.

1 Shi Yuqi of China is still unsure how he will spend the 1.2 million yuan (RM692,600) prize money after claiming the King’s Cup title. Yuqi produced a commanding performance to defeat defending champion Anders Antonsen of Denmark 22-20, 21-7, bringing the 2025 season to a spectacular close, at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center on Sunday. Antonsen, though unable to retain his crown, still had reason to smile, pocketing 600,000 yuan (RM346,300) for finishing as runner-up. I’m still waiting for an opportunity to see what I need in my daily life,” Yuqi said after the match. For the record, he is the defending champion of this year’s event, having ironically defeated Antonsen in the final 21-8, 21-15.

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia is against any attempt to use the self-declared "Republic of Somaliland" or any other territories to forcibly transfer already-displaced Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. "We express opposition to any attempts to use Somaliland or any other territory as a destination for the forceful transfer or displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. On Monday (Dec 29), Israel became the first country to recognise Somaliland as an independent state, sparking condemnation from many countries, including China, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia. There has been criticism over Israel’s surprise recognition of Somaliland as an independent state, as several international reports said it had proposed the resettlement of displaced Palestinians there. At the same time, Somaliland said the decision by Israel to recognise its independence would not have anything to do with the Palestinian issue.

(Dec 30): US investment firm KKR & Co has received first negotiation rights to take Yomeishu Seizo Co private, the Japanese company said, marking the latest move towards a buyout in the busiest year ever for corporate deals in the Asian nation. Yomeishu said in a statement on Tuesday that it’s uncertain whether the US firm will launch a tender offer in January, and that nothing has been decided. Two auctions have been held to date with multiple funds including KKR making bids, they said. The decision on whether to proceed with a tender offer will be made after finalising the terms with Tokyo-based investment firm Yuzawa KK, Yomeishu’s largest shareholder. If the conditions are met, the tender offer will be carried out, the people said.

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 30): Chin Hin Group Bhd (KL:CHINHIN) said its 95%-owned subsidiary, Kayangan Kemas Sdn Bhd (KKSB), has initiated arbitration proceedings against the main contractor of the Intel Pelican Project in Bayan Lepas, Penang, seeking about RM201 million following a contract dispute. In 2022, Exyte’s Malaysian unit awarded a RM330 million contract to KKSB for shell and core works on the Intel Pelican Project. According to Chin Hin, disputes arose during the project, including over the assessment of extensions of time, certification of interim payment claims, and payment of outstanding sums due under the subcontract. Additionally, KKSB is seeking a 795-day extension to complete the works, while contending that Exyte is not entitled to impose liquidated damages. Accoding to Chin Hin, citing legal advice and a preliminary assessment of the claims, KKSB has a "good arguable case", though the final recovery amount will depend on the tribunal's findings.

OIL prices rose by more than $1 on Monday as investors weighed talks between the U.S. and Ukrainian presidents on a possible deal to end the war in Ukraine against potential oil supply disruption in the Middle East. Brent crude futures rose $1.33, or 2.2%, to $61.97 a barrel by ‌1416 GMT while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up $1.31, ⁠or 2.3%, at $58.05. Zelenskiy added that ⁠a meeting ‍with ​Russia would be possible only after Trump and European leaders agree on a Ukraine-proposed ⁠framework for peace. Strong Chinese waterborne crude imports were also keeping markets tighter elsewhere, said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo. He added that $60 a barrel was the soft floor for Brent, with prices expected to ‍recover slightly in 2026 because non-OPEC+ supply growth is likely to stall in the middle of 2026.

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 30): WTEC Group Bhd (KL:WTEC) has announced its partnership with China’s Jiangsu ChengFeng New Materials Co Ltd’s subsidiary to develop and supply polyurethane foam for automotive and electrical and electronic applications across Asean markets. In an exchange filing on Bursa Malaysia, WTEC said the sales framework agreement was signed by its wholly-owned WTEC Sdn Bhd. WTEC said the partnership will allow the group to expand its product offerings in the automotive and electrical and electronic (E&E) segments, targeting higher-value markets within Asean. It also expects the framework to support business growth by strengthening WTEC’s position and reinforcing its capabilities as a manufacturer of foam products. Polyurethane foam is a synthetic material that is commonly used in products such as mattresses, refrigerators, construction panels and car seats due to its insulation and cushioning properties.

(Dec 30): Ocado Group plc has ended exclusive arrangements to supply its automated grocery warehouse technology as investor pressure grows following setbacks to its partnership with Kroger Co in the US. The UK company said its exclusivity terms in deals with supermarkets in the US and elsewhere have expired. The move means Ocado can sell more of its technology to other retailers around the world, according to a statement on Tuesday. Last month the company said it still sees significant growth in the US market, even as it announced the Kroger warehouse closings. Ocado’s client in Canada, Sobeys, halted the planned launch of its automated warehouse in Vancouver last year, and both companies ended their exclusivity agreement at that time.

PETALING JAYA: Shin Yang Group Bhd has appointed Richard Ling Peng Liing, 60, as its chief executive officer with effect from Jan 1, 2026. In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, Shin Yang said Richard Ling served as the chief operating officer of Shin Yang since 2023, overseeing operational execution, internal controls, and cost management initiatives. In a separate filing, the company stated Jeremiah James Sadasivan, 48, will succeed Richard Ling as chief operating officer of Shin Yang effective Jan 1, 2026. Richard Ling has been with the Shin Yang Holding Group since 1997. He was promoted to financial controller and company secretary of Shin Yang in 2009, and was later redesignated as chief financial officer, leading the group’s finance, accounting, taxation and corporate secretarial functions.”

PETALING JAYA: Heavy rain in parts of Selangor this afternoon (Dec 30) caused flash flooding along the New Pantai Expressway (NPE), says Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia (LLM). In a post on X, the LLM reported a flash flood on NPE@E10 at KM18.9 east-bound from the Taman Maju Jaya U-Turn. The Taman Maju Jaya area is often a hotspot for flash floods and traffic congestion, especially near the U-turn towards Jalan Klang Lama. According to the Meteorological Department’s website, several areas in Selangor and the Federal Territories are expected to experience heavy rain and thunderstorms until 6pm today. “The Strong Wind and Rough Sea Warning has also been updated until Jan 2 2026 for the South China Sea,” the department said.

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 30): A creditor has filed an application for Maju Holdings Sdn Bhd to be placed under interim judicial management in light of offers to take over the highway concessionaire. The company also sought a review of financial records, management and administration, and to verify the debts owed by Maju Holdings. Another creditor, Bridgex Sdn Bhd, is supporting Pembinaan Melima’s application to put Maju Holdings under interim judicial management. Bridgex backs Pembinaan Melima’s bidBridgex, another company which Maju Holdings owes close to RM68 million, is supporting Pembinaan Melima’s application for Maju Holdings to be placed under interim judicial management, according to its counsel Ivanpal Singh Grewal. Suhendran dismissed Maju Holding’s application for the company to be placed under judicial management and allowed Bridgex’s application for the company to be wound-up be heard.

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 30): HeiTech Padu Bhd (KL:HTPADU) has secured a RM17.62 million contract from the Ministry of Health to supply ICT equipment and provide a network upgrade to Miri Hospital in Sarawak. The letter of award was accepted by the information technology system integration company on Monday, according to its exchange filing on Tuesday. The two-year contract, commencing Feb 1, 2026, also encompasses a study, plan, design, delivery, installation, configuration, testing and commissioning of the ICT equipment.

(Dec 30): UK utility Octopus Energy Group Ltd has agreed to sell a stake in software unit Kraken Technologies at a valuation of US$8.65 billion (RM35.08 billion) as an initial step toward spinning the business off. In its first funding round, Octopus sold about US$1 billion of equity in Kraken to a consortium of new and existing shareholders, it said in a statement. The funding round is being led by D1 Capital Partners and new investors including Fidelity International, Durable Capital Partners and an arm of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board. The demerger will enable Kraken to operate as a fully independent technology platform with its own governance and leadership, according to Octopus. After that, Origin will hold a direct interest of 22.7% in Kraken and 22.7% in Octopus.

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu has resigned as Perak Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman. The Bersatu vice-president said he is stepping down in view of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's resignation as Perikatan chairman. Secretary-general Datuk Seri Azmin Ali and several other PN leaders earlier also stepped down following Muhyiddin’s announcement. "Therefore, I hereby announce my resignation as the Perak Perikatan chairman effective Jan 1, 2026," Ahmad Faizal said in an official statement on Tuesday (Dec 30). He also expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the leadership and members of Perak PN’s component parties.