The "Super Season" Synergy: How TikTok Enables Discovery and Connection during Malaysia’s 60-Day Cultural Peak
TikTok has officially termed this period the "Super Season", a profound celebration of Malaysia’s "Muhibbah" spirit. Looking back at 2025, the platform saw a 100% growth in video views during the Ramadan period, hitting a staggering 92 billion views. Video views surge by as users look for recipes and spiritual inspiration. Merging URL with IRL: The " Scripted Series " allows brands to tap on authentic creator-led short video content series, to turn entertainment into deep audience engagement. The " " allows brands to tap on authentic creator-led short video content series, to turn entertainment into deep audience engagement.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 25, 2026 01:13 UTC
1,000 participate in ‘CNY birthday’
BUTTERWORTH: Over 1,000 devotees gathered at the Tow Boo Keong Temple here to toss yee sang along a 210m stretch for the seventh day of Chinese New Year touted by the community to be “everyone’s birthday”. Now into its 15th edition, the annual event saw carrots, radishes, vegetables and crackers neatly arranged in two long rows for the mass toss. “The event enabled devotees and the public to come together and take part in the tossing,” he said on Monday night at the temple in Jalan Raja Uda. Tourists Guo Na and Chen Xiao Lian, both 31, from Anhui in China, said they were fascinated by the scale of the tossing. “We have watched lion dances and drum performances, but we have never seen a yee sang tossing of such scale,” said Guo.
Source:The Star
February 25, 2026 01:05 UTC
A lifeline for deferred dreams
“TAR UMT became the lifeline I needed. ALSO READ : TAR UMT has ‘galloped’ a long way“The lecturers are helpful and attentive. For Loh Hiew Yin, 22, the decision to join TAR UMT was a life-changing experience, too. The final-year international business student enrolled for a diploma course when the institution was known as Tunku Abdul Rahman University College. For him, TAR UMT was more than a place of lectures and exams.
Source:The Star
February 25, 2026 00:58 UTC
Cashless boom set to continue
PETALING JAYA: As more Malaysians opt for e-wallets over physical cash for their daily needs, the Association of Banks in Malaysia (ABM) is anticipating a further surge this year in the adoption of cashless payments. While younger adults remain the most active users due to their comfort with technology, ABM said adoption among older age groups is steadily rising. Yee also said access remains a challenge in cashless adoption in rural areas, and though adoption of cashless services is growing in remote places. Centre for Market Education chief executive officer Carmelo Ferlito said physical money must remain fully acceptable for transactions, as refusing cash altogether raises institutional and legal questions. Others prefer budgeting discipline through physical cash.
Source:The Star
February 25, 2026 00:55 UTC
Eight injured in three-vehicle crash near Kg Gajah
IPOH: Eight people have been injured in a three-vehicle collision involving a lorry and two cars on Jalan Teluk Intan-Bota near Kampung Gajah. He said the lorry driver escaped unhurt. He said there was a family of five in the first car. The woman was trapped in the vehicle and suffered injuries," he said. "All injured victims were taken to hospital for further treatment," he said.
Source:The Star
February 24, 2026 22:40 UTC
Tech stocks power gains after AI-fueled selloff
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. jumped about 9% on Meta Platforms Inc.’s plans to spend billions on its gear. “This ‘we’re here to help, not hurt’ message from Anthropic is helping to trigger a fairly healthy rebound rally in software,” he said. “AI disruption risk is not new information, but the catastrophizing seems overdone,” said Andrew Tyler, who runs the Global Market Intelligence team at JPMorgan Chase & Co. The business cycle should limit equity drawdown risk despite AI disruption and concerns over geopolitical shocks, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. strategists, including Andrea Ferrario and Christian Mueller-Glissmann. “While somewhat elevated valuations do increase the risk of smaller corrections, our current optimistic macro baseline and broadly supportive market sentiment should limit drawdown risk,” they added.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 24, 2026 22:17 UTC
Announcement of EPF dividend rates expected on Saturday (Feb 28)
PETALING JAYA: The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) is expected to announce its annual dividend rates this Saturday (Feb 28). The expected announcement will be made during a briefing at its headquarters in Menara KWSP in Kwasa Damansara, carried out by its CEO Ahmad Zulqarnain Onn. Experts believe that it could maintain the dividend rate for conventional savings at 6.3% or possibly reach 6.5%. This is despite the EPF adopting a more cautious stance over fourth quarter performance. For 2024, both the conventional and syariah EPF funds reported dividends of 6.3%.
Source:The Star
February 24, 2026 20:51 UTC
Dividend payouts up to companies' boards of directors, says Liew
KUALA LUMPUR: it is up to a company's board of directors to decide if dividends are paid out, says Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong. According to the AG's report, there is no regulation that compels government companies to pay dividends if they are profitable and solvent. For Cenviro Sdn Bhd and Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd (CFSB), the decision not to pay dividends was in line with their respective dividend policies and actual cash positions. "Meanwhile, Sirim Calibration Sdn Bhd and Sirim Academy Sdn Bhd deferred dividends during a phase of financial recovery and asset reinvestment. For the financial year 2023, Sirim Academy returned to stability and declared dividends with Board approval," he said.
Source:The Star
February 24, 2026 20:31 UTC
Over 10 families evacuated as storm tears through Taiping
IPOH: Storms tore through the Taman Damai area in Taiping on Tuesday (Feb 24), blowing off roofs, uprooting trees, and leaving more than 10 families unable to return to their homes. Larut, Matang and Selama District Disaster Management Committee chairman Mohd Nasrul Menhat said several houses sustained damage, some with their roofs completely ripped off, while debris and uprooted trees blocked access to others. He added that affected residents have not been allowed to return to their homes as cleaning and safety works had yet to be completed. “A temporary relief centre was opened at the Taman Kaya Multipurpose Hall to provide shelter for those displaced,” he said in a statement on Tuesday (Feb 24). Mohd Nasrul urged all relevant departments and agencies to work closely together to ensure the welfare of the victims is safeguarded as clean-up operations continue.
Source:The Star
February 24, 2026 18:22 UTC
UK confident its trade deal with US still stands despite latest Trump tariff move
LONDON (Feb 24): British trade minister Peter Kyle said he was confident the trade deal Britain struck last year with the United States would still stand despite US President Donald Trump's latest move to apply a 10% global import tariff. The United States began collecting the temporary new 10% tariff on Tuesday but the Trump administration was working to increase it to 15%, sowing confusion over US tariff policies in the wake of last week's Supreme Court defeat. But Kyle said he was confident following engagement with the US administration in recent days that a deal reached between the two countries last year would still stand. "It was the best deal and it remains the best deal, and the fundamental terms that we had negotiated with the United States remain in place," Kyle told a parliamentary committee. Last year, Britain negotiated an 'Economic Prosperity Deal' that applied a basic 10% tariff, and preferential terms across a range of industries, including cars, planes and agriculture.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 24, 2026 17:22 UTC
No such thing as 'corporate mafia' says MACC
PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) denies the existence of a "corporate mafia". "The MACC also considers this a recycled issue deliberately revived to tarnish the commission's image and reputation. The MACC added that the police are currently investigating the matter and that it would cooperate fully. "The MACC urges any individual who possesses credible information or evidence relating to corruption or misconduct to lodge an official report with relevant authorities. Previously Bloomberg reported on the existence of a "corporate mafia" and allegations of chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki's shareholding.
Source:The Star
February 24, 2026 17:07 UTC
Kota Melaka MP calls for Azam Baki to step down
KUALA LUMPUR: A Pakatan Harapan MP is calling for Tan Sri Azam Baki to step down as Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief. "Either he goes or we have to go," said Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka) in a strongly-worded message when debating the Auditor-General's Report in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (Feb 24). Khoo said this is the second time Azam's ownership of shares has come under scrutiny. Azam Baki must resign," he said. He said voters would "punish" the ruling party in the next general election if Azam continues to serve as MACC chief.
Source:The Star
February 24, 2026 17:00 UTC
Anwar meets Armed Forces top brass at Wisma Perwira
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim held a meeting with the top leadership of the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) at Wisma Perwira here Tuesday (Feb 24). The meeting, which lasted about an hour, was also attended by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and Chief of Defence Forces General Datuk Malek Razak Sulaiman. Also present were Defence Ministry secretary-general Datuk Lokman Hakim Ali, Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) director-general Datuk Seri Sollehuddin Alyubi Zakaria and Deputy Public Service director-general (Operations) Datuk Mohd Shaiful Ibrahim. It is learnt that the discussions focused on national security and defence preparedness, strengthening governance, and the welfare of MAF personnel. After the meeting, Anwar also attended the Defence Ministry's Ihya Ramadan programme at the Khalid bin Al-Walid Mosque, and joined the congregants for Zohor prayers before distributing bubur lambuk (savoury porridge) to those present.
Source:The Star
February 24, 2026 16:33 UTC
Terengganu exco member Hanafiah claims trial to power abuse charge
The 66-year-old Chukai assemblyman entered his plea after the charges were read before Judge Azman Mustapha. The second charge alleges he committed the same act for another son on June 18, 2020, at the same location. Mohd Fadly also sought to exempt Hanafiah from surrendering his passport, arguing that his family and official duties require him to remain in the country, eliminating any flight risk. The court approved bail of RM30,000 with one surety and ordered Hanafiah to report monthly to the MACC office. Earlier media reports alleged that Hanafiah abused his position as a state exco member and chairman of a government-linked company to secure employment for his two sons at state-owned subsidiaries.
Source:The Star
February 24, 2026 16:31 UTC
Controversial US envoy's nomination removed, says report
PETALING JAYA: Controversial conservative influencer Nick Adams's nomination as the US ambassador has been removed. You might want to consider waiting a few days so you can break the news to your dozens of readers. Good luck on your hit piece, son,” he replied to an email from the Australian publication on Feb 24. It was also reported that Adams was absent from a long list of nominations resubmitted to the Senate in January. The nomination was met with an uproar from Malaysians protesting it, following Adams disparaging remarks about Islam and the Palestinian cause.
Source:The Star
February 24, 2026 16:27 UTC