Malaysia Morning News For March 18

Foreign net fund outflow reduces to RM472.2mil
Foreign net outflow of funds between Monday and Thursday reduced to RM472.2 million against RM709.9 million recorded in the same period last week.
— New Straits Times

Malaysia threatens WTO challenge to EU’s move to drop palm biofuel
Malaysia on Saturday threatened to bring a World Trade Organisation (WTO) challenge if the European Union goes ahead with recommendations to phase out palm oil from transport fuel used in the bloc.
— Reuters

Third national car project will help Malaysians learn automotive knowledge: Mahathir
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the government’s move to launch its third national car project was to enable Malaysians to learn and understand automotive engineering technology.He said Malaysians lacked knowledge in automotive engineering industry.
— The Sun Daily

PTPTN: RM3b allocated for 190,000 student loans annually
The National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) will still be able to give out student loans annually in spite of the huge debt chalked up by previous recipients, said PTPTN chairman Wan Saiful Wan Jan.
— Malay Mail

Ministry to continue with sustainable infrastructure development
The Ministry of Works will continue promoting and implementing sustainable infrastructure development through the Construction Industry Transformation Plan (CITP).
— The Borneo Post

ECER on track to sustain equitable and inclusive growth
The government, through the East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC), has reaffirmed its commitment to the various projects and programmes in the East Coast Economic Region (ECER) to sustain socio-economic growth and uplift the wellbeing of the people in the region.
— The Sun Daily

Govt warns stern action against traders who raise price of face masks
The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDNHEP) will be taking stern actions against traders who raise unreasonably high prices for five types of face masks, which are categorised as controlled items.
— The Sun Daily

Health Dept to probe ambulance refueling incident
The Sarawak Health Department is carrying out a detailed investigation into the case of a patient who passed away after an ambulance allegedly delayed sending him to the hospital.
— The Borneo Post

M’sian start-ups are regional finalists in the Alipay-NUS Enterprise Social Innovation Challenge
Three Malaysian start-ups have been selected regional finalists in the Alipay-NUS Enterprise Social Innovation Challenge (The Challenge) for their innovative waste management solutions.
— New Straits Times

Chilled by Christchurch shootings, Muslim Malaysians find Kiwi warmth again
While New Zealand remains on high alert for more terror strikes, a number of Muslim Malaysians living in the land of the long white cloud have been heartened by the show of solidarity and support from Kiwis in the aftermath of the mosque killings.
— Malay Mail

Malaysian charged over child exploitation material in Perth
A 36-year-old Malaysian has been arrested and charged after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers allegedly found child exploitation material on his mobile phone at Perth International Airport.
— FMT

Malaysia to bring home 23 Malaysians detained in Syria
The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) is in the process of bringing home 23 out of 51 Malaysians being detained in Syria for their alleged involvement in terrorism.
— Channel NewsAsia

Singapore, Malaysia crawling towards a better relationship
Singapore and Malaysia agreed on something. These days, that counts as news. Last week, it was announced that the two governments would suspend (but not withdraw) the extensions of port limits that brought them into conflict.
— Malay Mail

5 best camping adventures in Malaysia
Living or working in a busy and hectic city like Kuala Lumpur can be pretty stressful. Over time, its extreme traffic jams and abundance of concrete structures can leave one feeling lethargic and in great need of a holiday getaway.
— FMT

Alha Alfa to invest RM2m in cosmetics factory
Alha Alfa Rich Legacy Sdn Bhd has set aside an initial RM2 million to set up its own cosmetics factory in Kajang, Selangor.
— New Straits Times

Family businesses should plan early and explicitly identify successors
More family businesses should plan early and explicitly communicate with their successors, the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) Family Business Survey Report 2018 revealed.
— New Straits Times

Pestech to jointly bid for LSS project with Japanese firm
Pestech International Bhd is collaborating with Japan-based RS Renewables K.K. to bid for large scale solar photovoltaic plants (LSS 3) in Peninsular Malaysia.
— The Sun Daily

Fresh confrontations near Mulu National Park, natives block logging machinery from clearing forest
Fresh confrontations have erupted between native communities and workers of an oil palm company at the fringes of Mulu National Park in northern Sarawak.
— The Star Online

SME Bank completes book building for RM600m IMTNs
Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia Bhd (SME Bank) has completed the book building exercise for RM600 million government guaranteed Islamic medium term notes (IMTNs).
— The Sun Daily

Orderbook gains from Pan Borneo Highway
It hasn’t been an easy year for Corporate Malaysia, with political upheaval, policy changes and plenty of uncertainty hanging about. This was seen following the release of the latest round of financial results for 2018.
— The Borneo Post

HDC remains optimistic of target RM50 billion halal export
Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC) remained optimistic of hitting RM50 billion export target by 2020, despite recording a lower halal export of RM40 billion last year, says vice president Hanisofian Alias.
— The Borneo Post

How far should the Mahathir government go to keep Malaysia Airlines aloft?
Just two years after Malaysia sold the Chinese a 49.9 per cent stake in its national car, its government is debating the future of another national icon – Malaysia Airlines (MAS).
— South China Morning Post

Sabah cannot be complacent in attracting tourists
Sabah cannot be overly complacent with its achievement in attracting a great number of tourists to the State, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.
— Daily Express

Malaysia regulator asks Goldman to defend Role in 1MDB deals
Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) has asked Goldman Sachs Group to defend its role in transactions involving troubled state fund 1MDB at the risk of administrative sanctions.
— Islamic Business and Finance

C For Corruption
C4 is a phrase with many red button crime and corruption connotations in Malaysia. It was the name of the military explosive used in the high-profile murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu and is also adopted by a prominent anti-corruption NGO (Centre to Combat Corruption & Cronyism – C4).
— Sarawak Report

Sabah’s nearly 4m population makes it No 2
Statistics Department firgures show Sabah has the second highest population in Malaysia after Selangor at 3.9 million in 2017. In the city alone, there are 553,900 people, 51.5pc male and 48.5pc female.
— Daily Express

PH’s new AP system won’t help Bumiputeras, says economist
Putrajaya’s decision to bring 36 approved permit (AP) holders under its new Open AP policy is not the right way to help Bumiputeras, says an academic.
— FMT

Embassy of Malaysia holds food bazaar in Kuwait
People visit a food bazaar in Kuwait City, capital of Kuwait, on March 16, 2019. The Embassy of Malaysia in Kuwait held the food bazaar of Malaysian cuisine here on Saturday.
— Xinhua

Malaysian Bar chief asks why Vietnamese suspect in Kim Jong Nam murder case was not freed
Malaysia’s top council of lawyers asked the attorney-general to explain the release of an Indonesian suspect in the murder of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s half-brother, but not a second suspect who is Vietnamese.
— The Straits Times

Consultation: Malaysia Seeks Feedback on Proposed ICO Framework
The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) has published a consultation on a framework for Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs). The SC is one of many financial regulators that are seeking to better understand digital assets while investigating potential regulatory environments to create an effective ecosystem.
— Crowd Fund Insider

Discount markets for essentials to be started nationwide, says Rural Development Minister
The Pasar Jualan Jimat Harapan Rakyat, a market where goods are sold at lower prices, will be started throughout the country to help lighten the burden of the public, especially lower-income (B40) households.
— The Star Online

MAS can be turned around — it just needs guts to do it
Its engineering division was once a world-renowned player in the maintain, repair and overhaul market, serving more than 100 airline customers.
— FMT News

Fomema rolls out foreign worker biometric fingerprint verification system
The Foreign Worker Health Screening Biometric System aimed at tackling the issue of identity theft will be fully implemented by April, the Foreign Workers Medical Examination Monitoring Agency (Fomema) said.
— Malay Mail

Parents steering kids away from STEM subjects for easier SPM, says ASM chief
Parents are contributing to the decline in the number of students taking science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects, Academy of Sciences Malaysia chief executive officer Hazami Habib said.
— Malay Mail

Organise more STEM activities, state govt urged
Teachers are hoping that the state government will organised more Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) related activities for students.
— New Sarawak Tribune

Feature photo Future Malaysia

This week’s Malaysia morning news feature photo acknowledges International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, March 21.

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.