Malaysia Morning News For February 5

Malaysia factories off to slow start in 2019
After hitting a record low in December 2018, Malaysia’s manufacturing industry rose marginally in January but remains in negative territory, according to Nikkei Malaysia’s Purchasing Manager Index (PMI).
— Malay Mail

Malaysia Airports offers clarification on PSCs in response to AirAsia civil suits
CAPA publishes more than 400 global News Briefs every weekday, covering all aspects of the aviation and travel industry.
— CAPA

Foreign investors snap RM147m of local equities last week
Foreign funds snapped up RM146.8 million net of local equities during the holiday-shortened week for the week ended February 1, resuming their entry into Bursa Malaysia for the fourth consecutive week.
— New Straits Times

CIMB Research cautious on construction sector amid ECRL uncertainty
CIMB Equities Research has made a stance of underweight on the construction sector after confusion over the East Coast Rail Line (ECRL) project.
— Malay Mail

Malaysian vehicles with unpaid fines may be barred from entering Singapore – enforcement from April 1
Singapore has announced that starting from April 1, foreign vehicles with outstanding summonses for traffic offences could be denied entry into the country.
— Paultan.org

Top 10 tech trends set to drive Malaysia’s IT sector
Over 21 per cent of Malaysia’s GDP will be digitalised by 2022, with the digital economy central to its journey towards becoming a high-income nation.
— ChannelAsia

F&N foresees challenging FY19, 1Q profit up 15%
Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd (F&N) anticipates challenging market conditions on price pressures and higher competition despite starting its fiscal year on a higher earnings base.
— The Malaysian Reserve

Hadi Discontinues London Court Case Against Sarawak Report
Sarawak Report once again owes thanks to many Malaysians who came to our support against attempts at legal bullying by the political party PAS, which through Hadi sought to force a retraction and discredit this site in advance of the last election.
— Sarawak Report

Perodua sells 20,100 units in Jan
Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) sold over 20,100 vehicles in the first month of the year, 13.6% more against 17,700 units done in January 2018, led by the new Perodua Myvi.
— The Sun Daily

After suing AirAsia, Malaysia Airports says Aviation Commission decided on passenger service charge, not them
Referencing its ongoing court case with budget carrier AirAsia over the passenger service charge at Klia2, MAHB clarified that the increased rates were set by the Malaysian Aviation Commission in order to lower Klia2’s subsidies.
— Business Insider

Top criminal lawyer joins team to prosecute Najib
TOP criminal lawyer V. Sithambaram will be added to the government’s team for next week’s money laundering case against Najib Razak, the former prime minister’s first trial since his fall from grace.
— The Malaysian Insight

Preservation of multi-racial bond will be Malaysia’s bedrock for unity
The Chinese New Year is an occasion which should be celebrated with much gratitude and fully utilised to strengthen the bonds of friendship and unity among Malaysians at all levels of society.
— New Straits Times

Student-run food bank places hope on national programme
FOR the past four years, the Helwa’s Kitchen food bank run by university students for their needy cohorts has been struggling to keep afloat, so much so that its weekly handouts have been cut down to twice a month.
— The Malaysian Insight

Crackdown on unauthorised sites
The days of accessing illegal streaming content through Android boxes are numbered as Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry are cracking down on these unauthorised sites.
— The Star Online

Sabah construction grinds to a halt because of power abuse
MISMANAGEMENT and power abuse in Sabah’s top planning authority is slowing down most construction projects there, to the extent developers are supporting the problematic Sabah Central Board’s removal.
— The Malaysian Insight

MyCar driver offers sex services to passenger
MyCar, an e-hailing service, has lodged a police report on the misconduct by one of its drivers believed to have offered sexual services to a passenger, as viralled on social media on Jan 27.
— FMT

Malaysia ready to facilitate Southern Thailand peace dialogue upon request, says Rahim Noor
Malaysia is ready to facilitate fresh dialogues between Majlis Syura Patani (Mara Patani) and the government of Thailand in the effort to bring peace to restive southern Thailand.
— The Star Online

Malaysian police detain busking couple ‘abusing’ baby
A Russian couple accused of violently swinging their four-month-old baby during a street performance to fund their world tour have been detained, Malaysian police said Monday (Feb 4).
— Channel NewsAsia

Inside the 300-Foot 1MDB Yacht Malaysia Is Trying to Sell for $130 Million
It boasts a gym, pool, gallery, beauty salon and helipad — not to mention space for sleeping 22 guests — and it’s up for sale at around half its purchase price. Yet finding a buyer for the 300-foot superyacht Equanimity, one of the most striking assets at the heart of the 1MDB scandal, is not proving to be an easy task.
— Bloomberg

Dr M: Let’s pledge to defend stability and harmony of Malaysia
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has reminded Malaysians not to be taken in or be influenced by groups threatening the country’s peace and harmony.
— The Star Online

60% of cancer cases in Malaysia detected late: Dr Dzulkefly
An estimated 60% of cancer cases in the country are detected at late stages, either at Stage III or IV, according to Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (pix).
— The Sun Daily

Malaysia has fastest mobile network in South East Asia: Tutela
Malaysia has faster and more consistently available mobile networks than Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia, a report by mobile quality measurement company Tutela has said.
— Zdnet

Big Banks, Big Four and Billionaires Should Cough Up Over 1MDB
A single mum can go to jail for stealing milk for her child, but the big four accountancy firms seem to have returned to a sense of impunity along with banks. Accountacy giant Deloitte today immediately pushed back over the relatively modest ‘maximum penalty‘ exacted for their part in assisting ex-PM Najib cover up the heist of the century.
— Sarawak Report

Expect heavy traffic at land checkpoints ahead of Chinese New Year
Motorists can expect long queues at the Causeway over the Chinese New Year period, with some travellers reporting delays of more than three hours before clearing Malaysian Customs on Friday.
— The Star Online

Firms remain upbeat of higher output
Manufacturers in Malaysia are optimistic that their output will be higher this year, IHS Markit said.
— New Straits Times

MEI: O&G sector records positive online hiring throughout 2018
Online recruitment activity in the oil and gas (O&G) sector remained positive throughout 2018, up eight per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) in December, according to the Monster Employment Index (MEI).
— The Borneo Post

JaGaApp for Sabah, Sarawak
Red Ideas Holdings Bhd has set plans to expand its flagship product JaGaApp – a private residential community platform, to cover wider communities in Peninsular and East Malaysia.
— New Straits Times

Malaysians, Chinese lead record influx of tourists to Indonesia
Malaysians and Chinese make up the most visitors to Indonesia in 2018. (Bloomberg pic)
— FMT News

Keep calm and invest in the local economy, Guan Eng tells Malaysians in CNY greeting
In his first Chinese New Year greeting as finance minister, Lim Guan Eng has called on Malaysians to invest in the country’s recovering economy and to always stay united.
— Malay Mail

Sarawak spice shop all decked up for Chinese New Year
Shop owner Mohd Jaya is all too happy to decorate his shop, no matter what the celebration.
— FMT News

Feature photo Shahir Ramlan

This week’s Malaysia morning news feature photo acknowledges Chinese New Year, 2019.

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.