StarBiz
LIFESTYLE
Welcome to the new-look movie set, where the quiet hum of a coding floor has replaced the cacophony of cameras, clapperboards and shouted directions. The Collective Artists Network, a top talent agency for Bollywood A-listers, is now engineering...
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Steady economic growth forecast
KUALA LUMPUR: The World Bank raised Malaysia’s economic growth forecast for 2026 to 4.4% from 4.1%, citing resilient domestic demand despite escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. “Malaysia enters this crisis period from a position of...
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FBM KLCI steady in choppy markets
PETALING JAYA: The two-week truce between warring parties in the Gulf region has provided relief to global markets, but a reset in investor expectations will depend on clearer signals of an end to the conflict and the full reopening of the Strait of...
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No shocks for stocks
PETALING JAYA: The initial public offering (IPO) market may see a slowdown this year in Malaysia given the cautious sentiment on the ground now stemming from ongoing geopolitical concerns. Most listings have been on the ACE Market in recent times,...
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Steady flight in tougher skies
SEPANG: Airasia X Bhd is entering the second half of 2026 facing one of its toughest operating environments since emerging from the pandemic. However, management believes strong travel demand across Asean, disciplined network management, and the...
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Ringgit
PETALING JAYA: Solid fundamentals and a resilient domestic economy should continue to prep up the ringgit’s strength, despite mixed signals still emanating from the Middle East conflict, say economists. However, they acknowledge that, if the newsflow...
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CAPITAL MARKETS
The global economy has now been knocked off a stronger growth path, opines the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. An analyst concurs as he says this war is unlike the geopolitical and political surprises over the past year, which...
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High-five for MAG
PETALING JAYA: The Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) has not made any solid decisions to cancel any additional flights other than the ones they have already, nor increase ticket prices for now. President and group chief executive officer Captain...
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Mild impact from rebate cut
PETALING JAYA: The impact of Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) lowering the rebate to 0.47 sen per kwh from 2.15 sen per kwh (or from RM0.0215 to RM0.0047 per kwh) will be slight for affected users in Peninsular Malaysia, unless the rebate is reduced...
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Cheah’s last pitch
PETALING JAYA: Sunway Group founder and chairman Tan Sri Sir Dr Jeffrey Cheah is making a last-ditch effort to convince shareholders of IJM Corp Bhd to accept Sunway Bhd’s Rm11bil cash-and-share offer, with the closing date looming just around the...
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Airasia X weathers oil spike
KUALA LUMPUR: While concerns surrounding rising oil prices linger unabated as the war in Iran continues, Airasia X Bhd’s prospects remain steadfast in line with demand growth, said the group’s founder and Capital A Bhd chief executive (CEO) Tan Sri...
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Stable and defensive market
PETALING JAYA: The property market remains broadly attractive to investors despite prevailing geopolitical uncertainties, say experts. However, they have cautioned that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has introduced additional layers of risk...
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COVER FEATURE
Pension reform is becoming increasingly unavoidable in the country as longer life expectancy and rising fiscal pressures impact the system. Datuk Nik Amlizan Mohamed, outgoing chief executive officer of Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (Diperbadankan) or KWAP,...
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Sunway makes case for IJM buy
PETALING JAYA: Sunway Bhd believes its offer to acquire IJM Corp Bhd is appropriately valued amid some scepticism from the general public and an early rejection from the latter’s major 13.5% shareholder, Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB). The group...
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Palm oil gets a war boost
PETALING JAYA: Crude palm oil (CPO) prices appear to be tethered to oil price movements for the time being. Oil has seen its importance in the workings of the global economy, underscored once again by the ongoing conflict at the Strait of Hormuz. It...
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Gamuda Land sets sights on doubling profit
PETALING JAYA: A Rm10bil launch pipeline across all markets in 2026 sets the stage for newly appointed Gamuda Land chief executive officer Gim Teck Yew, who stepped into the role in December last year. Fresh from his tenure as the deputy chairman and...
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Labour market steady for now
PETALING JAYA: The ongoing conflict within the Middle East is not expected to have any immediate repercussions on the local labour market, say economists. However, a prolonged situation lasting several months could eventually have adverse effects on...
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Base MHIT plan sustainable, accessible
PETALING JAYA: Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) believes rising medical costs are a real concern for many Malaysian families, following discussions with stakeholders, including from the government, the private healthcare sector and consumer groups. While...
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CAPITAL MARKETS
The wild swings led by oil since the start of the Iran war have institutional investors turning to exotic hybrid options to trade crossmarket gyrations. Money managers are putting on over-the-counter cross-asset hybrid options, leading to significant...
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Trade surplus widens in February
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s trade is expected to remain strong, as there are no current signs of revision to any global growth forecasts as yet. Williams Business Consultancy Sdn Bhd founder and economist Geoffrey Williams told Starbiz that despite the...
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Solid outlook for Sunway Healthcare
KUALA LUMPUR: Sunway Group could be looking at a dual-listing for its newly listed health arm, Sunway Healthcare Holdings Bhd. Founder and chairman Tan Sri Sir Dr Jeffrey Cheah said both the Singapore Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange had...
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Still a sound offer
PETALING JAYA: Sunway Bhd’s voluntary takeover offer for IJM Corp Bhd is still on the table despite speculation that the risks are now higher, following the offer’s rejection by Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB). Government-linked investment companies...
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IJM outlines value-unlocking plans
PETALING JAYA: Shareholders of IJM Corp Bhd will have to weigh whether their investment is better served by the company remaining an independent listed entity or by accepting Sunway Bhd’s voluntary takeover offer announced in mid-january at RM3.15 per...
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Diversification drives growth
PETALING JAYA: IGB Commercial Real Estate Investment Trust (IGB Commercialreit) sees portfolio diversification as a key pillar of its long-term growth strategy. Deputy chief executive officer Irene Sin May Lin said the REIT will continue to evaluate...
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COVER FEATURE
The Securities Commission’s Capital Market Masterplan 20262030 aims to modernise Malaysia’s markets and attract stickier global investors. Chairman Datuk Mohammad Faiz Azmi says the plan marks a strategic shift for a changed world, targeting market...
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The test of war
PETALING JAYA: Ship attacks are rising in the Straits of Hormuz, countries are scrambling to shore up oil supplies and several nations have rolled out work-from-home to save energy usage. The Iran war, which extends to the Straits of Hormuz where...
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Domestic sectors likely to withstand current pressures
PETALING JAYA: Despite the surge in geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the sharp spike in oil prices, Malaysia’s equity market outlook remains constructive. Investors are becoming more cautious and shifting towards safer sectors. Even so,...
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Potential for rebound
PETALING JAYA: The FBM KLCI is showing tentative signs of relief, as the potential de-escalation in the Middle East conflict lifts sentiment – but uncertainties remain. Yesterday, as at press time, Brent crude eased to US$93 per barrel after US...
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Collaboration crucial for RM6.3 trillion CMP goal
KUALA LUMPUR: The Securities Commission (SC) has set an ambitious target to grow the Malaysian capital market by nearly 50% over the next five years under its newly unveiled Capital Market Masterplan 2026–2030 (CMP). Chairman Datuk Mohammad Faiz Azmi...
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Manufacturing outlook to remain intact
PETALING JAYA: As tensions mount in the Middle East following the attack on Iran, manufacturers are indicating a slowdown in their businesses, with firms cutting jobs in February at the joint-strongest pace since August 2020 amid weaker output and new...
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PERSPECTIVES
The current US administration’s approach has transformed the global risk landscape. Policy unpredictability has given rise to a new layer of geopolitical uncertainty, now widely dubbed “Trump risk”, compelling institutional investors to adjust their...
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Limited impact from Hormuz Strait closure
PETALING JAYA: Concerns are arising on the effects of the Hormuz Strait closure due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. This has resulted in major disruption to shipping for all sectors, causing freight rates and charter levels to...
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CP Group moves deeper into M’sian grocery market
PETALING JAYA: Thailand’s largest conglomerate, the Charoen Pokphand Group (CP Group), is buying a Malaysian premium supermarket operator for Rm1.7bil – six years after it bought Tesco Plc and renamed it Lotus’s. The group is using the same...
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DNB, TM tussle on access deal
PETALING JAYA: Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) and Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) are locking horns over access agreements between the two, with the situation possibly heading to the courts. Yesterday, DNB, which was created back in 2021 by the government to be...
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M’sia risks missing out on oil gains
KUALA LUMPUR: Rising tensions in the Middle East are keeping global oil prices elevated, creating both opportunities and uncertainties for Malaysia’s oil and gas (O&G) sector. Experts warn that while Brent Crude could hold between US$70 and US$80 per...
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Healthcare giant targets Rm2.9bil IPO
PETALING JAYA: Sunway Healthcare Holdings Bhd (SHH) is confident the market will see value in the company’s maximum initial public offering (IPO) price of RM1.45 per share, despite there being talk that the price is relatively elevated compared to...
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CAPITAL MARKETS
Malaysia’s equity market is set to see capital rotate more decisively towards companies that can prove their environmental, social and governance credentials, as sustainability metrics shift from peripheral disclosures to core valuation drivers.
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Maybank 4Q25 net profit at Rm2.7bil
KUALA LUMPUR: The country’s largest lender Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) remains cautiously optimistic on its outlook and will continue to pursue “disciplined” growth amid improving economic conditions of its home markets of Malaysia, Singapore and...
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Market integrity pivotal
PETALING JAYA: There is an urgent need to put market integrity at the top of the country’s agenda. The call grows even more resonant amid the “corporate mafia” allegations made against the Malaysian Anti-corruption Commission (MACC) recently. This is...
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Growth momentum intact
PETALING JAYA: As the global trading environment continues to change, the markets are likely to remain unpredictable pursuant to the latest US tariff policy. The abrupt change due to the US Supreme Court ruling on reciprocal tariffs being seen as...
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Malaysia set to gain from lower tariff
PETALING JAYA: The latest shake-up in US import tariff policy has injected fresh uncertainty into global trade. As it stands, Malaysian exports to the United States may now face a 15% duty, down from 19% earlier, following an agreement between the two...
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Property market eyes new heights
PETALING JAYA: Steady economic growth, continued infrastructure development, and stable financing conditions are expected to spur the Malaysian property market to new highs this year. Industry experts and observers are optimistic, if not hopeful, that...
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COVER FEATURE
Nestled among oil palm estates in Bestari Jaya, Kuala Selangor, a vast former tin-mining pond is being transformed into one of South-east Asia’s largest floating solar farms. While Malaysia has already built more than 2GW of large-scale solar capacity,...
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Small caps to gain from earnings, VM 2026
PETALING JAYA: The tail-end of the year of the Wood Snake has been kind for the FBM KLCI as the bourse gallops into the Fire Horse period, having seen a rise of close to 5% year-to-date (y-t-d). Given the premier index’s encouraging performance thus...
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Ambition meets reality in rare earths
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia aims to move up the rare earths value chain, but licensing bottlenecks, weak upstream supply and a lack of processing capacity risk stalling that ambition. Rare earth elements (REES), a group of 17 metallic elements, are...
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Trade likely to surpass 2025’s record
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s trade is poised to hit another record in 2026, although growth pace is expected to moderate as the full impact of the United States’ reciprocal tariffs and currency volatility weigh on external demand, economists...
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M’sian households walk the debt tightrope
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s household debt is broadly expected to remain manageable in 2026, although it could pose an underlying risk if the US tariffs are prolonged and cause a slowdown in the global economy. Economists, however, opined that despite...
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LIFESTYLE
Snow and ice may have brought travellers to China’s winter cities, but it is food, shopping and leisure services that are increasingly shaping how long they will stay and how they will experience the trip.
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Stunning 4Q finish for Malaysia
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s economy looks primed to smash expectations, with recent high-frequency data suggesting the growth appears capable of topping 6% in the fourth quarter of financial year 2025 (4Q25). The strong momentum may carry into...
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Foreign fund interest set to continue
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is benefitting from a global trend which focuses on switching money from expensive US stocks to much cheaper stocks which are found in developing-country markets. Hong Kong billionaire and chairman of family office Cheah...
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Khazanah weathers 2025 volatility with 5.2% returns
KUALA LUMPUR: Khazanah Nasional Bhd is keeping its focus on key emerging markets such as India and China, as returns from foreign public market investments outperformed other asset classes in 2025. Khazanah managing director Datuk Amirul Feisal Wan...
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IPI to slow this year after surpassing expectations
PETALING JAYA: The industrial production index (IPI), which beat consensus expectations in December, is expected to lose its momentum this year, amid more pronounced impact from US tariffs and external headwinds on exports. December 2025’s IPI further...
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Tech upcycle cushions industrial growth
PETALING JAYA: Despite external headwinds, economists are positive on Malaysia’s industrial production growth in 2026, underpinned by strong domestic demand and the global technology sector upcycle. Although there could be a slight moderation in...
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COVER FEATURE
The government’s base medical and health insurance/takaful plan has faced criticism from health experts who argue that the priority should be strengthening the public healthcare sector, as around 80% of Malaysians lack medical insurance. The worry is...
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Base MHIT to cover pre-existing illnesses
KUALA LUMPUR: Individuals with pre-existing medical conditions will be offered coverage under the base medical and health insurance/takaful (MHIT) plan, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad says. Dzulkefly said the government is concerned...
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Advancing the digital economy
KUALA LUMPUR: Menara Merdeka 118’s official launch as Malaysia’s first MD Nexus has prompted about 50 other companies to seek out the same status. The MD Nexus recognition is led by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corp (MDEC) accredits strategic...
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Bursa eyes high-quality IPOS
PETALING JAYA: As Bursa Malaysia seeks larger, higher-quality initial public offerings (IPOS) to meet its Rm28bil market capitalisation target this year, market observers say execution, not ambition, will determine whether the exchange can...
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Caution persists for O&G services
PETALING JAYA: Petroliam Nasional Bhd’s (PETRONAS) latest Activity Outlook for 2026 to 2028 reinforces analysts’ cautious view on Malaysia’s oil and gas (O&G) services sector, with activity expected to remain uneven and several upstream segments facing...
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Bond market to attract inflows
PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian bond market is set to continue its resiliency in 2026, with foreign investors flocking into ringgit bonds, especially long-tenured government bonds. Experts attributed this positive momentum to favourable domestic and...
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COVER FEATURE
The Rm329bil tourism receipts target for this year under Visit Malaysia 2026 is ambitious but increasingly achievable, with Rm186.4bil recorded in the first eight months of 2025. The upside is expected to spill over into equities, benefitting...
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PETRONAS to safeguard production supply
PETALING JAYA: Petroliam Nasional Bhd (PETRONAS) seeks to sustain domestic hydrocarbon production close to two million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d), amid maturing fields, rising costs and growing energy security concerns. According to the...
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Stronger ringgit to help M’sia cross high-income line
PETALING JAYA: As Malaysia continues to celebrate the appreciation of the ringgit, especially since the local note has whizzed below the psychological RM4.00 to US$1 barrier earlier this week, it is perhaps sobering to consider what this means on a...
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Better trade figures likely this year
KUALA LUMPUR: A stronger ringgit is not seen as an impediment to trade growth, as the government still forecasts it to grow from its present record levels by up to another 5% in local currency terms this year. The increasing value-added nature and...
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How long can the ringgit keep rising?
PETALING JAYA: The ringgit touched the RM3.96 mark against the US dollar yesterday, a level not seen since June 2018. This keeps the ringgit as Asia’s best performer, outperforming major currencies including the Japanese yen and Singapore...
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Low oil prices no threat to deficit goals
PETALING JAYA: The current low crude oil price, due to the oversupply in the global energy market, will not derail Malaysia’s fiscal deficit target for 2026 and beyond, economists say. They attributed this to the government’s reduced dependence on...
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COVER FEATURE
Malaysia is estimated to attract about Us$40bil (Rm162bil) in data centre (DC) investments by 2030. The spike in DCS is alarming, with some government officials taking a second look at matters. Should a moratorium be imposed? Is a bubble in the making?
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Growth forecast to cool in 2026
KUALA LUMPUR: The economy may be heading into a slower growth phase this year, but Ambank Group chief economist Firdaos Rosli says the moderation reflects a “normalisation” after last year’s front-loading boost rather than a sharp downturn, with...
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Strata overhang to ease if prudence continues
KUALA LUMPUR: The property overhang situation could ease further if more developers adopt a cautious approach and be more discerning in their launches. A growing number of property developers have taken more proactive steps in recent times to conduct...
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Charting next growth phase with ROAR30
KUALA LUMPUR: Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) has unveiled its new five-year strategy, ROAR30, which will focus on delivering shareholder value through continued improvements in the lender’s return on equity (ROE). The strategy, which will run until...
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Alliance Bank confident of standalone growth
KUALA LUMPUR: Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd has assured investors that it is well-positioned to grow independently and organically, while denying knowledge of any potential merger and acquisition (M&A) exercise. Its chief executive officer Kellee Kam...
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Ringgit strength to be short-lived
PETALING JAYA: Optimism surrounding the ringgit may be short-lived, with Maybank Investment Bank Bhd expecting the currency to weaken in the second half of financial year 2026 (2H26) amid a stabilising US dollar and shifting global market...
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Is a bull run in the pipeline?
PETALING JAYA: The “sell America” trade and improved investor sentiment looks likely to support Bursa Malaysia in the immediate future as the local benchmark plays catch-up to regional markets. The money moving into banks like Malayan Banking Bhd,...
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Kinergy powers up
PETALING JAYA: Kinergy Advancement Bhd is emerging as a new name in Malaysia’s independent power producer (IPP) space. Having built its reputation as a clean energy contractor, the group is now pushing deeper into asset ownership, including by...
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