NEWLY appointed Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh has dismissed race-based criticism of her appointment as the first non-Malay to hold the portfolio. The Cabinet reshuffle announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Dec 16 sparked online debate, particularly about the appointment of non-Malays to both the Minister and Deputy Minister positions for Federal Territories. Drawing on this experience, our administration will prioritise close cooperation with all Federal Territories MPs. “It is vital to preserve traditional Malay villages in Federal Territories. Yeoh also shared her vision for the Federal Territories to be “clean in form and substance.”“This is not just about cleanliness but also clean in governance.

KOTA TINGGI: About 3,000 to 5,000 officers and personnel of the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) nationwide are ready to be mobilised in the event of a second wave of floods. APM Training Management Division director Kol (PA) Effendy Ali said operations would also be supported by Civil Defence Auxiliary (CDA) teams, whose membership currently totals around 5,000. He urged the public, particularly residents in low-lying areas, to stay alert and make early preparations, including safeguarding themselves, their families and important documents. State APM director Kol (PA) Mohd Zul Khairi Shamsuddin said all of them were previously housed at SK Bukit Mentok PPS. He said all victims were allowed to return to their residences at 6pm yesterday following improved weather conditions.

KUANTAN: A trader lost about RM500,000 after falling victim to a business scam promoted on social media. He said the victim was told to bear the upfront costs in return for a 30% commission. “Using his EPF savings and personal funds, the man made ­several payments exceeding RM500,000. “He initially received RM8,300 in profits, which convinced him to continue,” Comm Yahaya said in a statement. When no additional profits were forthcoming and he was asked to put in more money, the trader realised he had been deceived and lodged a police report in Bentong.

Unadjusted shipments also gained 6.8%, while overall imports rose 0.7%, resulting in a trade surplus of US$3.8 billion (RM15.5 billion). Auto exports dropped 13%, and petrochemicals showed weakness tied to higher input costs and US protectionist measures. Still, Governor Rhee Chang Yong noted that much of the improvement in the growth outlook was driven by gains in chips and IT. Barclays said it expects exports to expand 2.1% next year, but excluding semiconductor-related exports, imports and investment, growth would only be about 1.1%. That ongoing divergence in performance adds to the difficulties for policymaking at the BOK, already complicated by weakness in the currency and frothy property prices in the South Korean capital.

But here in the tropics, another oil quietly plays a similar role: palm olein, the liquid fraction of palm oil. Between 1992 and 2017, nine controlled clinical trials across Malaysia, Australia, India, China, Denmark and Italy, compared palm olein with olive oil, canola oil, and groundnut oil. Price and practicalityIn Malaysia today, the price difference is striking:Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO): RM72.50/kgPure olive oil: RM70.95/kgPalm olein: RM6.90/kgEVOO is prized for its fruity, grassy, or nutty aroma, with a complex taste balancing bitter, peppery, and sometimes sweet notes. Pure olive oil, a blend of refined olive oil with 10% to 15% EVOO, has a milder flavour and is suitable for frying and baking. ConclusionSo, do you know where to find the olive oil of the tropics?

A community health initiative offering 300 free prostate‑specific antigen (PSA) screenings to the public has been launched. The programme by Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur runs until Dec 31 or while allocations last. In a statement, the hospital said prostate conditions continue to rise in Malaysia, and many men often delayed seeking treatment because they assumed urinary symptoms were “normal with age”. Prostate cancer remains the third most common cancer among Malaysian men, with one in 117 having a lifetime risk of being diagnosed with it. PSA screening is especially recommended for men aged 40 and above, those with urinary symptoms, individuals with a family history of prostate or breast cancer, and anyone who prefers an annual prostate health check.

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 22): Southern Score Builders Bhd (KL:SSB8) is offering to take over engineering services firm Nova Pharma Solutions Bhd in a deal worth over RM14 million. The mandatory takeover at 37 sen per share was triggered after Southern Score acquired 33% of Nova Pharma from the LEAP Market firm’s chief executive officer Khoo Boo Wie on Monday, a bourse filing showed. “The offeror does not intend to maintain the listing status” of Nova Pharma on the LEAP Market if the takeover is successful. Nova Pharma is listed on the LEAP Market, in which trading is available only to sophisticated investors, back in 2018 at an initial public offering price of 20 sen per share. He has also granted Southern Score, among others, a first right of refusal to purchase his remaining shares in Nova Pharma in the event of any post-acquisition disposal.

INVESTORS may likely find some value by putting money in bonds next year, with favourable macroeconomic and policy conditions expected throughout the year coupled with supportive domestic interest rates. Experts also reckon with the worst of the global tariff increases behind us – at least for now – the fixed income market will be all the more compelling.

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 22): The Magistrate's Court on Monday acquitted and discharged rapper Wee Meng Chee, better known as Namewee, of the charge of administering drugs into his body. Magistrate S Arunjothy ruled this after deputy public prosecutor Amritpreet Kaur Randhawa informed that the pathology results were negative and the prosecution had withdrawn the charge. "The court acquits and discharges the accused from the charge and the bail money (RM2,000) is returned," said Arunjothy. Earlier, lawyer Joshua Tay representing Namewee said that since the pathology report was negative, there was no prospect of prosecuting the accused, and his client should be discharged and acquitted of the charge. However, the man still faces a charge of possessing drugs suspected to be ecstasy weighing approximately 5.12 grammes in a hotel room at Jalan Conlay here, at 4.30pm, on Oct 22.

KUALA LUMPUR: High Court judge Justice Alice Loke has begun delivering her decision in the judicial review filed by Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is seeking to serve the remainder of his prison sentence at home. On Monday (Dec 22) morning, Justice Loke stated: “As the existence (of the addendum order) is no longer in dispute, the production of the original document is no longer the case.”She added that the validity or otherwise of the addendum order will determine its enforceability. Najib, the former prime minister, is currently serving a six-year jail sentence for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving RM42mil siphoned from SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former 1MDB subsidiary. He is asking the court to verify whether an alleged addendum order - supposedly issued by former Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and granting him house arrest - is genuine. On Feb 2 last year, the Pardons Board reduced Najib’s original 12-year jail term and RM210mil fine to six years’ imprisonment and a RM50mil fine.

KUALA LUMPUR: The King and Queen of Malaysia, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim and Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, congratulated the Malaysian contingent on winning a total of 231 medals at the SEA Games Thailand 2025. In a post on Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar’s Facebook page yesterday, Their Majesties expressed pride in the fighting spirit and high level of commitment displayed by the country’s athletes throughout the Games. The King and Queen also expressed their appreciation to the National Sports Council, coaching staff, officials and all parties involved, both directly and indirectly, in ensuring the success of the national contingent. A new blueprint: The Malaysian contingent’s achievement in this year’s SEA Games serves as a catalyst for the country’s sporting excellence and an inspiration for the younger generation to continue striving for greater heights, say Sultan Ibrahim and Raja Zarith Sofiah. The SEA Games Thailand 2025, which officially concluded on Saturday, saw Malaysia finish fourth overall with a haul of 57 gold, 57 silver and 117 bronze medals, while host nation Thailand topped the medal standings with 233 gold, 154 silver and 112 bronze medals.

(Dec 22): A Chinese smelter and Antofagasta plc agreed to set fees for processing copper concentrate at a record low for 2026, after tough negotiations that reflected a market facing abundant refining capacity but tight global ore supplies. The people did not name the Chinese smelter. The global copper market has come under strain this year as a number of trends coincided. That combination has spurred expectations for a further slump in processing fees and, potentially, a breakdown of the industry’s benchmark pricing system. The fees typically account for about one-third of their incomes, according to Wood Mackenzie Ltd.Spokespeople at top Chinese smelters Jiangxi Copper Co and Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group declined to comment.

More than half a million people in the country have been displaced from their homes by two weeks of deadly border clashes with neighbouring Thailand, Phnom Penh’s interior ministry said. The renewed fighting between the South-East Asian neighbours this month, including with tanks, drones and artillery, has killed at least 22 people in Thailand and 19 in Cambodia, according to officials. Around 400,000 people have been displaced in Thailand due to the reignited border conflict, Bangkok has said. Foreign ministers of Asean nations, including Cambodia and Thailand, are set to meet today in Kuala Lumpur for talks aimed at finding a diplomatic solution. China sent its special envoy for Asian affairs to Cambodia and Thailand last week, with Beijing aiming to “rebuild peace”.

KUALA LUMPUR: Gold futures on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives are likely to trade higher this week, tracking gains in US Commodity Exchange (Comex) gold, as investors position ahead of key economic data. RHB Research said in a note last Friday that Comex gold is likely to make a renewed attempt to break above resistance at US$4,400 per troy ounce. Market attention this week will turn to the US third-quarter gross domestic product data, due tomorrow. On a week-on-week basis, the spot-month December contract edged up to US$4,331.30 per troy ounce from US$4,324.50 previously. The January 2026 contract rose to US$4,349 per troy ounce from US$4,341.40 a week earlier.

KUALA LUMPUR: Putrajaya has saved RM800mil through the implementation of the Budi Madani RON95 (Budi95) programme since Sept 30, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said the savings resulted from better targeting of fuel subsidies so that they are enjoyed only by Malaysians. Anwar said targeted fuel subsidies had been debated for more than 20 years by successive governments. Since the Budi95 initiative was launched on Sept 30, 16.55 million Malaysians have been approved to enjoy subsidised RON95. Average usage among private recipients stood at 98.2 litres per month in October, well below the 300-litre monthly quota.