Malaysia Morning News For November 20

Malaysia’s Internet 26th fastest in the world
An Internet speed survey showed that Malaysia rose 10 spots last month to become the 26th fastest country in the world with an average fixed speeds of 61.97 Mbps.
— The Star Online

Malaysia received RM26.5b FDI in 1H18, China top contributor, says MITI
Malaysia has received foreign direct investment (FDI) worth RM26.5 billion between January and June 2018, according to the Ministry of International Trade and Industry.
— The Edge Markets

Najib Razak back at Malaysia’s anti-graft agency for solar panel probe
Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak was at the anti-graft agency again on Monday morning (Nov 19) to assist with investigations into a solar panel project for schools in Sarawak.
— Channel NewsAsia

NETS payment now available for Singapore shoppers in Malaysia
The next time you are headed for Malaysia, be sure to bring your NETS ATM card with you.
— Channel NewsAsia

Malaysia to announce 500MW LSS 3 solar tender in January
The third round of Malaysia’s Large-Scale Solar (LSS) tenders will for another 500MW of capacity and details will be annonuced in January, according to energy minister Yeo Bee Yin.
— PV Tech

RHB partners AirAsia to offer Big Loyalty Points
RHB Bank Bhd and AirAsia Big Loyalty today entered into a partnership to introduce a loyalty programme that enables RHB customers to accumulate AirAsia Big Points across selected retail banking products.
— The Sun Daily

Airasia, RHB offer customers with free flights
RHB Banking Group’s (RHB) customers can accumulate AirAsia Bhd’s loyalty programme AirAsia’s BIG points which can be redeemed for various products, including free flights.
— The Star Online

Malaysia’s 2019 budget—does it go far enough to protect biodiversity?
Malaysia’s 2019 budget included promises to protect the tropical Southeast Asian country’s rich natural heritage. But more needs to be done to address declining biodiversity—it’s a matter of national security, writes WWF Malaysia’s conservation director Dr Henry Chan.
— Eco-Business

Pharmaniaga net profit jumps four times higher to RM15.05m in Q3
Pharmaniaga Bhd posted a net profit of RM15.05 million in the third quarter ended September 30, four times higher than RM3.58 million same quarter last year, mainly attributed to increased demand from government hospitals.
— New Straits Times

MBE Malaysia taps e-commerce sector for growth
MBE Malaysia, the network of Mailboxes Etc retail shipping and business services outlets, is now under new management as it continues to tap into the thriving e-commerce sector in Malaysia.
— The Borneo Post

Telekom Malaysia shares down after acting CEO resigns
Shares in Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) fell in early trade Monday after it announced the resignation of acting group chief executive officer Datuk Bazlan Osman effective immediately.
— The Star Online

Malaysians should learn how to be happy
During a visit to Europe last month, I conversed with many Scandinavians and observed their lifestyles. This got me thinking about the topic of happiness.
— FMT

Malaysia sentences 130 illegal Myanmar workers to prison
Of 156 Myanmar nationals who were rounded up during a crackdown on undocumented workers in Malaysia earlier this month, 130 have been sentenced to three months in prison, a Myanmar diplomat said.
— Myanmar Times

Astro still exclusive provider of satellite broadcast services by default
Astro is still the exclusive provider of satellite broadcast services in Malaysia despite four other companies being granted a licence to operate as none of them have begun operations, says Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Eddin Syazlee.
— FMT

Malaysia Aviation Group announces new leadership
Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) has appointed Philip See as the new chief executive officer (CEO) of Firefly, effective January 1, 2019.
— New Straits Times

Sunway Construction posts RM36.41m net profit in 3Q18
Sunway Construction Group Bhd has posted a net profit of RM36.41 million for the third quarter ended September 30, 2018, an increase from RM33.72 million in the same quarter last year.
— New Straits Times

Local market sluggish on uncertain external economy
Local markets remained sluggish for most of the week just ended , taking the cue from several uncertain factors, including news that the US Federal Reserve was planning to tighten its monetary policy further coupled with declining oil prices and well as the post US mid-term elections.
— The Borneo Post

Partnership cooperation agreement to boost Malaysia-EU trade ties, says Belgium state secretary
The partnership cooperation agreement (PCA) between Malaysia and the European Union (EU), which will be signed in January next year, is a big step forward to boost more bilateral and trade agreements between the two parties.
— Malay Mail

MRCB embarks on commercial and retail components for Penang Sentral project
The second phase of the Penang Sentral integrated mix development project, which entails the commercial and retail components sprawling over 409,000 sq ft, is expected to be completed in 2020.
— New Straits Times

Is Mahathir implying our constitution is discriminatory?
Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has said that implementing the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) would entail amending the Federal Constitution, and this is an almost impossible thing to do.
— FMT

Regional Survey Tracks Muslim Support for Terror Groups
Muslims in Malaysian are more likely to support global terror groups, including the Islamic State (IS) and the regional Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), than their counterparts in other Southeast Asian nations, researchers at a Malaysian polling firm said Monday.
— Benar News

Survey finds Malaysian Muslims sympathetic towards terrorism
A research firm has warned of a growing trend in support and tolerance for terrorist activities despite the findings from a recent survey that Muslims in Malaysia report low tendencies for direct participation in violent extremism.
— FMT

Paramount sells controlling stakes in three KDU colleges for RM38.5m
Paramount Corp Bhd’s move to streamline education assets continues with the proposed disposal of its controlling stakes in three KDU colleges to Australian education unit, UOWM Sdn Bhd for RM38.5 million.
— The Sun Daily

Malaysia’s Anwar named PKR party leader
Malaysia’s former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has been named president of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat, the leading party in the country’s the parliament’s ruling coalition.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)

CIMB makes new top management appointments
CIMB Group has announced changes and new appointments to its top management, with its current group chief financial officer (CFO) Shahnaz Jammal due to relinquish his current position to become CEO of the group’s wholesale banking business.
— The Star Online

Cuscapi to clinch e-govt concessionaire via Litar Pasifika buy for RM16m
Cuscapi Bhd is set to own one of the only two concessionaires that provide electronic government solutions and other related government services in Malaysia through the acquistion of the the entire stake in Litar Pasifika Sdn Bhd for RM16 million.
— The Sun Daily

Fitch Solutions lowers Malaysia growth forecast to 4.6% in 2018
Fitch Solutions Macro Research, unit of Fitch Group, lowers its forecast for Malaysia’s growth to 4.6% in 2018, from 5.1% previously, after weaker-than-expected 3Q numbers, it says in report.
— The Edge Markets

Malakoff’s unit get termination notice from Algeria water desalination plant offtakers
Malakoff Corp Bhd’s (MCB) associate company, Almiyah Attilemcania SPA (AAS), and its subsidiary, Tlemcen Desalination Investment Company SAS (TDIC), on Nov 18, 2018 received a Notice of Termination dated Nov 12, 2018 issued by offtakers, Sonatrach SPA and L’algerienne Des Eaux (ADE), for failure to honour remediation commitments.
— The Sun Daily

Shell Malaysia calls out to drivers with personalised digital billboard
Shell Malaysia brought to life its premium fuel, Shell V-Power , through a dynamic billboard which identifies drivers and urges them to give the premium fuel a try.
— Marketing Interactive

MISC’s Q3 profit halves to RM341m, 7 sen dividend proposed
MISC Bhd’s net profit halved to RM341 million in the third quarter ended September 30, 2018 against RM680.5 million in the previous corresponding period, due to lower contribution from all business segments.
— The Sun Daily

Top 5 tablet features for an affordable iPad Pro alternative in Malaysia
With the recent announcement of the new Apple iPad Pro, the new tablet actually looks really good and offers many cool features.
— Tech Nave

Feature photo Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO)

This week’s Malaysia morning news feature photo acknowledges International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women November 25

Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

Malaysia morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Malaysia news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.