PETALING JAYA: IOI Properties Group Bhd (IOIPG) remains cautiously optimistic about its prospects ahead, supported by a strategic launch pipeline across Malaysia and Singapore. “In the Klang Valley, upcoming launches include a new residential phase at Bandar Puteri Puchong and the roll-out of industrial factory layouts and land plots at IOI Industrial Park @ Banting under the IOI Industrial Park Series,” he said in the company’s annual report. “With a portfolio spanning 9.77 million sq ft across retail and office assets, the segment remains a key pillar of the group’s recurring income. In 1Q26, IOIPG achieved RM473.6mil in property sales, with local projects contributing RM384.2mil or 81% of total sales, while projects in China contributed RM89.4mil, or 19%. In Malaysia, sales were primarily driven by the Klang Valley region at RM243.4mil, while the Johor region registered RM141.7mil in sales.

TOKYO (Dec 29): Bank of Japan (BOJ) policymakers debated the need to continue raising interest rates with some calling for "timely" action to curb future inflationary pressure, a summary of opinions at their policy meeting in December showed on Monday. At the Dec 18-19 meeting, the BOJ raised its policy rate to a 30-year high of 0.75% from 0.5%, taking another landmark step in ending decades of huge monetary support and near-zero borrowing costs. The summary showed many board members seeing the need for further increases to the BOJ's policy rate, which remained significantly negative in inflation-adjusted terms. Another opinion said the weak yen and rising long-term interest rates were due in part to the BOJ's policy rate being too low relative to inflation. "Raising the policy rate in a timely manner could curb future inflationary pressure and help hold down long-term interest rates," the second opinion showed.

Lacking mental health support, woman’s life spirals downwardsBUKIT MERTAJAM: Until six years ago, she had lived a quiet, stable life, earning a living as a clerk. Then her mental health began to unravel. Tan has since been admitted to Bukit Mertajam Hospital for a comprehensive medical assessment and treatment, including for her mental health condition. Consultant psychiatrist Dr Prem Kumar Chandrasekaran from Penang Adventist Hospital said that under the Mental Health Act, anyone may apply for help if an individual poses a danger to themselves or others. He stressed that treatment for mental illness must begin with a thorough psychiatric assessment, as different conditions require different approaches.

KUALA LUMPUR: A weak magnitude 3.4 earthquake occurred in Bukit Kepong, Pagoh, Johor at 8.55am, on Sunday (Dec 28). In a statement on Sunday, the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) said the epicentre of the earthquake was located 2.4°North and 102.7° East with a depth of 10km, 16km Southwest of Segamat, Johor. ALSO READ: Minor 2.7-magnitude earthquake recorded in Segamat, says MetMalaysia“Tremors were felt in several areas in Johor and Melaka. “The Malaysian Meteorological Department will continue to monitor the situation,” it said in the statement.

KUALA LUMPUR: A video showing the alleged abuse of two babies by a caretaker has led to the arrest of a suspect. Cheras OCPD Asst Comm Aidil Bolhassan said police received three reports over the alleged abuse of two babies at a nursery. “Cheras police confirm that reports of abuse involving two babies aged six and nine months have been lodged. “A total of three reports were received, and investigations led to the arrest of a 26-year-old Malaysian woman on Dec 16,” he said, adding that the suspect is a staff member of the nursery. Several CCTV videos uploaded on social media by one of the victim’s parents allegedly show a caretaker manhandling and slapping two babies.

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia is expected to trade largely sideways this week, as holiday conditions continue to dampen market activity, says an economist. IPPFA Sdn Bhd director of investment strategy and country economist Mohd Sedek Jantan noted that with most major macroeconomic and corporate catalysts already priced in, the year-end rally is likely to lose momentum, while trading volumes should remain subdued. He said the market will be closed on Thursday for the New Year holiday, and Friday’s session is likely to be broadly flat. “Even so, the FBM KLCI is on track to close the year above the 1,643 level, delivering a positive outcome for 2025. “This would represent the first instance in the post-pandemic period of two consecutive years of market gains, reinforcing the view that Malaysia’s equity market has moved onto a firmer structural footing,” he said.

This shift reflects a broader change in how public listed companies (PLCs) engage with investors and and the investment community. From a regulatory standpoint, the emphasis is on ensuring that PLCs maintain accessible, accurate and compliant IR practices. Companies that communicate clearly and consistently tend to attract a base of long-term investors who understand the business model and risks. Categories will include best company in IR by sector, best CEO and CFO in IR, outstanding IR team and best ESG integration in IR. Inside the modern IR toolkitEffective IR rests on practical building blocks, with several core components forming robust IR.

(Dec 29) : Global capital is coming back to Southeast Asia’s stock markets this month, positioning the cohort as one of the must-watch pockets of global finance for 2026. Asean markets have “very different growth engines behind them,” he said. Some Asean markets like Vietnam are also seen gaining from global supply-chain shifts away from China and the Federal Reserve’s expected interest-rate cuts. In Indonesia, investors are wary about President Prabowo Subianto’s populist policies. At the same time, should the AI theme continue to win favor among investors, Asean markets will struggle to shake their underperformance.

KOTA KINABALU: The state government must explain the continued presence of stateless children begging along main roads in the state capital, despite an allocation of RM250,000 meant to address the issue. “What is the status of the RM250,000 allocation approved in 2022 to address the issue of Palauh children or stateless minors who continue to beg around Kota Kinabalu City? “These children are still seen at traffic lights near Wawasan Plaza, Wisma Merdeka, and the Post Office, begging from motorists. This reflects a poor image of Kota Kinabalu that sees so many foreign tourists,” he said in a statement Sunday (Dec 28). However, after the initial pilot project, the state has yet to announce any fresh initiatives, though James had indicated that more guidelines were needed from state and federal governments in handling stateless children.

PETALING JAYA: Several PAS leaders have made cryptic remarks on social media following the appointment of Perlis Bersatu chief Abu Bakar Hamzah as the new Mentri Besar. Meanwhile, Dato Nik Amar suggested that loyalty and friendship were “difficult concepts” for Bersatu in a Facebook post. The appointment follows a political crisis in Perlis, where eight Perikatan Nasional assemblymen – three from PAS and five from Bersatu – reportedly submitted statutory declarations (SDs) to withdraw their support for Shukri. The three PAS assemblymen, Saad Seman (Chuping), Fakhrul Anwar Ismail (Bintong), and Ridzuan Hashim (Guar Sanji), subsequently had their memberships terminated and their seats declared vacant. Both PAS and Bersatu reportedly submitted one candidate each for the Mentri Besar position.

Together at last: Master Hoo conducting a ritual wedding during the funeral wake of a young couple who died in a motorcycle accident in Johor. Instead, those in attendance at the ghost wedding ceremony would be dressed in mourning attire as the bride and groom had died. However, he presided over such a ceremony just two months ago for a young couple – aged 18 and 20 – who were killed in a motorcycle accident near Tangkak, Johor. Loo said the wedding ceremony took place during their funeral wake. He explained that ghost weddings originated in China thousands of years ago and that some Chinese families in Malaysia still observe the practice.

PETALING JAYA: MN Holdings Bhd can expect a RM1.2mil boost to its profit after tax (PAT) over financial year 2026 (FY26) and FY27 after its recent contract win. MN Holdings, via a consortium, secured a TNB contract to upgrade the 132kV submarine power cable system between Kuala Perlis and Langkawi, adding an effective RM17.7mil to its order book. TNB’s projects currently account for 44% of MN Holdings’ total order book. This contract marks MN Holdings’ second TNB contract win in FY26, bringing year-to-date (y-t-d) new wins to 7.7% of Phillip Capital Research’s RM600mil order replenishment assumption for FY26. Both Phillip Capital Research and Maybank IB retained their earnings forecast for MN Holdings, as the contract win aligns with their existing assumptions.

PETALING JAYA: Analysts are mostly positive about Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd ’s (KLK) strategic joint venture (JV) with Mah Sing Group Bhd to develop an industrial park in Kulai, Johor. Meanwhile, MBSB Research said it expects the partnership between KLK and Mah Sing to be mutually beneficial and strategically positioned to enhance KLK’s industrial business. The collaboration capitalises on KLK’s sizeable land holdings, while leveraging Mah Sing’s proven development capabilities and strong brand equity in Johor. The proceeds may enhance shareholder value, either through a potential special dividend payout or via reinvestment into new brownfield estates,” said MBSB Research. The research house kept its “neutral” call on KLK with an unchanged TP of RM20.23 per share.

Institutions use Jibor to determine interest rates for bank deposits, swaps and consumer loans, among other things. “Indonia is considered to better reflect interest rate movements in the market,” said Benny Aroeman, the head of markets at Citibank Indonesia. While the central bank has lowered the benchmark interest rate by 125 basis points so far this year, lending rates have only fallen 24 basis points. Jibor, for instance, is determined by quotations from 17 contributing banks, while Indonia is based on all transactions that occurred in the overnight interbank money market. Average daily interbank transactions reached 15.4 trillion rupiah — or around 63.5% of total money market transactions — throughout 2025, according to the central bank.

Corporate general manager Mohd Norlisam Mohd Nordin said the waste management company had initiated early preparations to ensure services remained uninterrupted, particularly in flood-prone areas throughout the northeast monsoon season. He added that the company would continue to work closely with the state government, local councils and Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) in implementing flood preparedness operations. “The collaboration also covers preparations at temporary evacuation centres, including ensuring there are enough wheelie bins and that waste collection is carried out on schedule. Mohd Norlisam also highlighted the importance of proper wheelie bin management during the rainy season to prevent bins from collecting rainwater, which could disrupt solid waste collection operations. He advised residents and business owners to keep their wheelie bins covered and avoid placing them in areas prone to water accumulation.