Star Biz7

Malaysia’s growth story has a missing piece

Behind Malaysia's expectation-beating economic performance lies a more sobering reality, with the headline numbers telling only part of the story.

MY Value Up

MY Value Up must measure up

Four months into Malaysia's corporate governance push under the MY Value Up initiative by Bursa Malaysia and the Securities Commission (SC), the question is becoming harder to avoid: How will investors know whether the programme is actually working?

Short Position

Zero tolerance for corruption

There has been a slew of corruption cases that made the news recently, which does nothing good for Malaysia's reputation nor for instilling trust in institutions. There is also an economic cost to corruption, and the impact is felt in everyday lives of the people, both citizens and non-citizens alike.

Star Biz7

Suzhou builds photonics powerhouse

In a spotless factory floor in Suzhou, eastern China's Jiangsu province, invisible beams of light are becoming the new fuel for the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution.

Star Biz7

An appetite for fresh snacks

With on-site preparation, minimal additives and short shelf lives, freshly made snacks are winning over health-conscious consumers and reshaping the retail landscape in Changsha, Hunan province.

Insight

AI could end Wall Street’s EPS obsession

The artificial intelligence (AI) boom is reshaping the earnings season, pulling attention away from earnings per share (EPS) beats and misses as the focus shifts instead to cold hard cash.

Insight

Changing face of growth

Malaysia, according to the government, has shown strong gross domestic product (GDP) growth. But strangely, the people are not feeling it.

Star Biz7

Big Tech’s debt drives credit risk

Big Tech's borrowing spree is set to keep reshaping credit markets in the months ahead, with the ripple effects likely to spread well beyond the companies funding artificial intelligence (AI) and data-centre expansion.

Star Biz7

A new reality for crypto

The next phase of crypto could look very different from the boom years that made digital assets a mainstream investment story, with institutional money increasingly flowing into a smaller pool of established tokens, stablecoins and blockchain-based financial products rather than the wider crypto market.

Insight

The evolving Malaysian dilemma

As Merdeka approaches, it is worth reflecting on the founding promise of the Federation of Malaya and, later, Malaysia.

Insight

Rebuilding institutional confidence

Of late, there have been a series of exposés in terms of financial scandals in our country plaguing some major government-linked investment corporations (GLICs) and institutions.

Star Biz7

Building momentum selectively

Malaysia's construction sector is heading into a more selective phase, with private-sector projects continuing to drive growth while the release of major public infrastructure contracts remains uneven.

Star Biz7

Mr. Robot comes to town

A pair of robotic arms reaches for a row of canned drinks on a store shelf. Closing one steely palm around a can, the robot firmly picks it up and places it on another rack. It then repeats the action over and over, growing more precise each time.

Insight

Malaysia’s GST dilemma

The government's latest suggestion that Malaysia could combine elements of the sales and service tax (SST) and the goods and services tax (GST) may sound like a technical exercise in tax design.

Insight

A costly shot in the Arm

Despite some unnecessary brouhaha about the Arm Holdings Inc deal with the Malaysian government, it is good to see more local companies making attempts to secure the licences.

Short Position

Ekovest’s rights issue tests investors’ faith

The more important question surrounding Ekovest Bhd's proposed RM355.85mil rights issue is not whether minority shareholders will subscribe.

Insight

Tale of two transactions seeking greater control

Last week, this column discussed distorted market valuation methods that could hide a true fair value of a company, and this week, another perspective on valuation is presented to give readers points to ponder as to whether these transactions are seen as fair or otherwise.

Insight

When legal betting loses, illegal betting wins

Malaysia has a curious contradiction when it comes to gambling. On the one hand, the government licenses and regulates legal number forecast operators (NFOs) such as Sports Toto Bhd and Magnum Bhd.

Short Position

Lotte Chemical Titan sale sparks hope but challenges remain

Lotte Chemical Titan Holding Bhd (LCT) is back in the spotlight over reports that its South Korean parent, Lotte Chemical Corp, is reviving plans to sell the loss-making Malaysian petrochemical producer, while also pursuing a partial divestment of its Indonesian operations.

Economy

Malaysia’s total trade surges 24.7% to RM2.16 trillion in January-July 2026

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's total trade has reached RM2.16 trillion for the period of January-July 2026, expanding by 24.7 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y), driven by strong export demand, according to the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE).