Malaysia Morning News For August 1

Malaysia’s PPI declined by 1.8% in June 2019
Malaysia’s Production Price Index (PPI) declined by 1.8% year-on-year (yoy) in June 2019, led by agriculture, forestry & fishing (-9.2%), mining (-6.4%), water supply (- 1.8%) and manufacturing (-0.8%).
— The Sun Daily

Selangor eyeing new law to unleash state enforcers against illegal foreign traders
A new Selangor enactment is being drawn up to empower local authorities to deal with foreigners illegally using local business licences, a state exco said today.
— Malay Mail

SRC Trial: Ex-AmBank manager used her RM55k to prevent Najib’s cheque from being rejected
The AmBank relationship manager in charge of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s personal current accounts had deposited RM55,000 of her own money into one of his accounts to avoid a cheque from bouncing back in 2014, the High Court.
— Malay Mail

Sarawak government greenlights RM300 fixed allowance for councillors, says Abang Johari
Local government councillors in Sarawak will now receive a fixed allowance of RM300 a month besides their meetings allowance, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg announced today.
— The Borneo Post

Malaysia working to tighten laws on forest protection, says deputy minister
Malaysia is working on reforms to its decades-old forestry laws, and will consider suggestions from green activists on how to better protect its rainforests, a minister said on Wednesday.
— New Straits Times

RM6m for smart initiative projects in Seberang Prai
The Penang government has set aside about RM6 million annually for smart initiative projects in Seberang Prai.
— The Sun Daily

Malaysia, Philippines sign MoU to collaborate on healthcare
Malaysia and the Philippines have agreed to collaborate in various areas of healthcare through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) here today.
— The Edge Markets

Dr M: Malaysia a weak country that must learn to survive among powerful nations
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said while Malaysia accepts the fact that it’s a small, weak country and that it was imperative to learn how to survive amongst other powerful nations.
— Malay Mail

Real estate agents group raises alarm over unlicensed reps
Over 100,000 real estate agents are operating without a licence in the country, Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents (MIEA) president Lim Boon Ping said.
— Malay Mail

MIER unveils economic progress, cost of living indices
The Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) launched its Genuine Prosperity Index (GPI) and the Cost of Living Indicator (CLI) on Monday, which is expected to be published in the fourth quarter of the year.
— The Sun Daily

New Malaysian king crowned amid reports of predecessor’s divorce from Russian beauty queen
Malaysia has installed a new British-educated king after the shock abdication of the former monarch to marry a former Russian beauty queen.
— Telegraph

Malaysia’s New Sex Scandal: Look Beyond the Politics
The scandal is also demonizing an already persecuted LGBT minority.
— The Diplomat

Big is beautiful in Malaysian stocks as foreign funds return
Bigger is better in battered Malaysian equities as investors expect larger stocks to outperform smaller ones in the second half of this year.
— FMT

IG Tech teams up with Malaysian companies
IG Tech Group, a Cambodian enterprise, yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with four Malaysian tech companies aiming to expand their operations in the Kingdom.
— Khmer Times

Major review of PH manifesto needed to face public displeasure: Kit Siang
While the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government has not performed too badly economically since coming into power, Cabinet members must not overlook the disappointment shown by the rakyat over its unfulfilled election promises.
— The Sun Daily

BNM approves RHB, Tokio Marine insurance unit sale talks
Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has given the green light to RHB Bank Bhd to commence negotiations with Tokio Marine Asia Pte Ltd for the proposed disposal of its stake in RHB Insurance.
— The Sun Daily

Discussion between Home and Agriculture Ministries at final stage
The Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries (MoA) is now in the final process of discussions with the Home Ministry on methods of disposing off foreign boats seized.
— New Sarawak Tribune

MB: Selangor will punish firms behind Sungai Selangor pollution
Selangor Mentri Besar Amirudin Shari said his administration will take action against any institutions or companies that are found guilty of the diesel contamination at Sungai Selangor that left over a million households.
— Malay Mail

PM says Putrajaya in difficult position as no country really wants Dr Zakir Naik
Malaysia is not keen for Dr Zakir Naik to be here, but is hard-pressed to deport him elsewhere as “many countries” will not accept the controversial Islamic preacher either, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said.
— Malay Mail

Can’t ship waste to Australia? Buy an island and dump it there, activists tell Lynas Corp
Lynas Corp should purchase an uninhabited island and ship out its waste there instead of building a permanent disposal facility (PDF) here, anti-Lynas lobby Save Malaysia Stop Lynas (SMSL) said.
— Malay Mail

Najib says absent from Agong’s installation because seat swapped at last minute
Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak asserted today that his absence from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s installation yesterday was because his seating position was changed early in the morning.
— Malay Mail

Selangor shuts down six illegal plastic recyclers in Ijok, but health hazards remain
The Selangor government has acted against 10 illegal plastic recycling factories in Ijok and shut down six of them, Hee Loy Sian said told the state legislative assembly here today.
— Malay Mail

Petronas among firms eyeing stake in India’s Bina oil refinery
Malaysia’s Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) and a consortium led by Japan’s JXTG Holdings Inc are among the companies interested in buying a stake in India’s Bina oil refinery, a source close to the matter said.
— The Sun Daily

Government can study queue-cutting for haj by elderly
Senior citizens may be allowed in the future to cut queue to perform the haj.Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Fuziah Salleh said that, currently, cutting queues by senior citizens had not been established as a policy by the Pilgrims Fund Board (TH).
— The Sun Daily

Chong: My loyalty is with Sarawakians, not GPS
Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen said his loyalty lies with the people of Sarawak and not with the ruling elites of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
— The Borneo Post

Witness admits using her own money to regularise Najib’s account
A former bank officer who handled Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s account in AmBank told the High Court here today that she had to use her own money to regularise the account in 2014.
— The Sun Daily

Sabah DCM gives statement to police over ‘forced conversions’ Facebook post
Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau said he has given his statement to the police for their investigation against him over a Facebook post alleging forced conversions in the state.
— Malay Mail

Tiong: Zuraida’s criticism on tuai rumah allowances shows typical ignorance of state affairs
Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin has shown a typical ignorance and misunderstanding of Sarawak’s state of affairs when she criticised the state government of not handling tuai rumah’s allowances ‘professionally’, said Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.
— The Borneo Post

Report: Proposed highway buyouts on hold for review
The Finance Ministry’s proposal to acquire highway toll concessions for RM6.2 billion has been paused for a re-examination of the offered price, according to government sources.
— Malay Mail

‘Deep state’ slows the reformation of New Malaysia: Kit Siang
Iskandar Putri MP Lim Kit Siang said that the “deep state” is in fact an important reason why institutional reforms for a New Malaysia has not been as rapid as they should be.
— The Sun Daily

‘Innovative financing schemes will push up house prices’
The rise of innovative financing schemes for the property market will lead to higher house prices and home buyers strapping themselves with mortgages that they cannot afford, said Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB) Research.
— The Sun Daily

Streamyx price cuts seen as negative for TM
The price cuts announced by Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) for its Streamyx plan is a negative for the company, due to the impact on earnings and costs, said analysts.
— The Sun Daily

18 accused ordered to enter defence in UPNM cadet officer Zulfarhan case (Updated)
The High Court today ordered 18 students of the Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) to enter their defence on charges of murdering and injuring their varsity mate, cadet officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain, two years ago.
— The Sun Daily

Puma ups 2019 ambitions after strong Q2, Man City deal
A Manchester City sponsoring deal has resulted in Puma’s strong sales and profits in its second quarter.
— FMT News

Illegal waste dumping needs continuous action to be tackled
Pollution is becoming a hot issue with the topic making headlines in the media and getting the attention of various quarters as it not only affects the environment but also involves the daily lives of the people.
— The Sun Daily

Don’t be fooled into taking money, Tanjong Tokong fishermen tell southern counterparts
Tanjong Tokong fishermen has warned their counterparts in the south of the island not to be fooled by any compensation the state government offered under the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project.
— Malay Mail

Shafee wins bid to set aside AG’s order of contempt against him
High Court judge Mohd Firuz Jaffril says Attorney-General Tommy Thomas’s application to initiate contempt proceedings against Shafee Abdullah is lacking in particulars on the charges.
— FMT News

Bomba sees red after nearly 5,000 fire hydrants vandalised this year in Sarawak
A total of 4,928 fire hydrants in the state were vandalised between Jan 1 to July 31 this year.
— The Borneo Post

Bentong MP urges Pakatan to reject Lynas
Pakatan Harapan must not allow Lynas Corp to retain its rare earth processing waste in the country, Bentong MP Wong Tack said today.
— Malay Mail

109,022 women, housewives registered with i-Suri as at June
A total of 109,022 women including housewives had registered with the Suri Voluntary Incentive Scheme (i-Suri) up to June this year, said Women, Family and Community Development Deputy.
— New Sarawak Tribune

All five Selangor Bersatu reps want a stop to calls for Mahathir to resign
All five Selangor assemblymen from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) today urged various quarters to stop calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (pix).
— The Sun Daily

18 accused in murder of UPNM cadet officer Zulfarhan ordered to enter defence
The High Court today ordered 18 students of the Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) to enter their defence on charges of murdering and injuring their varsity mate, cadet officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain, two.
— Malay Mail

Azmin’s lieutenants deny boycotting PKR meetings
Two PKR leaders aligned with Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali’s faction insisted today that their absence from the party’s central committee meetings were not intentional.
— Malay Mail

Reservoir Park to reopen this Saturday, authorities report seven strays caught so far
Reservoir Park will be officially reopened this weekend (Saturday) after several days of being closed due to a dog catching operation initiated after several joggers were bitten by suspected rabies-infected strays.
— The Borneo Post

Zahid’s seven visa corruption charges transferred to Shah Alam court
The sessions court here today allowed an application by former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pix) to transfer to the Shah Alam sessions court his case on seven counts of corruption in relation to Malaysia’s foreign visa system (VLN).
— The Sun Daily

Kuang rep claims over half of Selangor assemblymen ‘silently’ want Dr M to stay as PM
More than 50 per cent of Selangor assemblymen support Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to remain in office until the end of this parliamentary term, Sallehudin Amiruddin claimed today.
— Malay Mail

AMMB ups dividend payout for FY20
AMMB Holdings Bhd has guided a dividend payout ratio of up to 45% of its profit for the financial year ending March 31, 2020 (FY20).”
— The Sun Daily

Danajamin guarantees Brecon Synergy’s islamic medium term notes
Danajamin Nasional Bhd is guaranteeing RM160 million of the RM200 million Islamic Medium Term Notes (IMTN) issued by Brecon Synergy Sdn Bhd, under its IMTN programme of up to RM450 million.
— The Sun Daily

No plan to merge ITBM with DBP, Senate told
There is no plan as yet to merge the Malaysian Institute of Translation and Books (ITBM) with the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), the Dewan Negara was told today.
— The Sun Daily

Singapore’s Bambu secures US$10M to grow its SaaS-based robo-advisory solutions
Bambu claims it has established product market fit as a robo-advisor technology provider to more than 15 financial institutions globally Bambu, a Singapore-based startup providing digital wealth technology for B2B businesses across the globe, announced today it has closed US$10 million in a Series B round of funding, co-led by third-time investor Franklin.
— e27

GOF, Customs Dept seize contraband, vans worth RM608,715 in Miri
The General Operations Force (GOF) 12th Battalion and Sarawak Royal Customs Department seized contraband and two vans worth RM608,715 during an integrated operation dubbed “Ops Libas” here yesterday.
— The Borneo Post

Govt urged not to tap groundwater
Environmental groups have urged the government not to tap groundwater to meet growing water demand.They cautioned against the cost involved and the harm from the process to the environment.
— The Sun Daily

Selangor seeks broadband link for all admin centres statewide within three years
The Selangor government is confident of developing its broadband connectivity to link all its administrative centres in the next three years, state executive councillor Izham Hashim said today.
— Malay Mail

Discussion between Home and Agriculture Ministries in final stage – Salahuddin
The Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries (MoA) is now in the final process of discussions with the Home Ministry on methods of disposing off foreign boats seized for fishing in national waters.
— The Borneo Post

Discussion between home and agriculture ministries in final stage: Salahuddin
The Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries (MoA) is now in the final process of discussions with the Home Ministry on methods of disposing of foreign boats seized for fishing in national waters.
— The Sun Daily

King Salman sponsors 20 Malaysian pilgrims for haj
The King of Saudi Arabia, King Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud, is sponsoring 20 Malaysian pilgrims to perform the haj under the 2019 Saudi King’s guests programme.
— The Sun Daily

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman sponsors 20 Malaysian pilgrims for Haj
The King of Saudi Arabia, King Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud, is sponsoring 20 Malaysian pilgrims to perform the Haj under the 2019 Saudi King’s guests programme.
— Malay Mail

Sarawak PH members mere followers: Minos
A political analyst has deemed last Sunday’s Sarawak Pakatan Harapan (PH) dinner here as a propaganda disaster.
— New Sarawak Tribune

Zakir Naik: Interpol’s decision proof of my innocence
Controversial preacher Zakir Naik (pix) has hailed Interpol’s decision to not issue a red corner notice (RCN) against him as proof of his innocence.
— The Sun Daily

Khazanah’s M+S sells office, retail assets to Allianz Real Estate, Gaw Capital for S$1.575 billion
M+S Pte Ltd, in which Khazanah Nasional Bhd has a 60% stake, is disposing of its entire stake in Ophir-Rochor Commercial Pte Ltd (ORC) to Allianz Real Estate and real estate private equity firm Gaw Capital Partners for S$1.575 billion (RM4.725 billion).
— The Sun Daily

Bursa records largest weekly foreign net outflow in six weeks
Foreign funds sold RM53.4 million net of local equities on Bursa Malaysia last week, marking the largest weekly foreign net outflow in six weeks.
— The Sun Daily

Youth have a bigger voice with reduced voting age
The younger generation will have a bigger voice, given the historic passing of amendments to the Federal Constitution on July 16, allowing 18 to 20-year-old Malaysians to vote.
— New Sarawak Tribune

Traditional musician Kamrul Hussin is bent on pushing boundaries
Multi-instrumentalist and percussionist Kamrul Hussin, the son of the late Hussin Yusoff (a master Kelantanese rebab player), has always believed in the idea of fusing traditional musical instruments with modern forms of music.
— Star2.com

Penang low-medium cost house buyers say forced to pay double the price
Many of them have taken their complaints to CAP, which wants the state government to put a stop to the alleged practice of charging for ‘compulsory’ additional packages.
— FMT News

Delight turns to ire for Penang buyers after state doubles price of low-cost flats for reno and ‘sea view’
When administration officer Erman Kamal Mustafa Kamal received an offer letter from the Penang government for a RM72,500 after waiting for 12 years, he was elated.
— Malay Mail

‘Whatever happens, I will stick to the promise I made’, says Dr M of Anwar as successor
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has once more said he will keep his promise to step down sometime this term and let Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim take over as head of government, come what may.
— Malay Mail

Four men rob Bangi goldsmith shop of jewellery worth RM700,000
Four men robbed a goldsmith shop at a hypermarket in Bandar Seri Putra, Bangi, near here of RM700,000 worth of jewellery yesterday, according to the police.
— The Sun Daily

Cops: Four men robbed Bangi goldsmith shop of jewellery worth RM700,000
Four men robbed a goldsmith shop at a hypermarket in Bandar Seri Putra, Bangi, near here of RM700,000 worth of jewellery yesterday, according to the police.
— Malay Mail

Feature photo Polis Diraja Malaysia

This week’s Malaysia morning news feature photo focus on World Day against Trafficking in Persons, July 30.

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).

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