Tax Refunds to Be Credited in Stages Starting the Second Week of March 2026

News | 08 March 2026

Many taxpayers in Malaysia look forward to tax season not only as a time to fulfil their obligations, but also with the hope of receiving a tax refund. For the 2025 assessment year, the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia has announced that eligible tax...

Malaysia May Need a Smarter Fuel Subsidy Plan if Oil Prices Stay Elevated

News | 06 March 2026

Malaysia's fuel subsidy debate is back in focus, and this time the pressure is coming from outside the country. Economists are warning that if the conflict involving Iran keeps global oil prices elevated, the government may need to rethink how it sup...

DNB Pushes Back On TM’s Attempt To End Their 5G Agreement

News | 04 March 2026

Malaysia's 5G story just picked up another twist. After Telekom Malaysia (TM) revealed it had signed a three-year 5G wholesale agreement with U Mobile, the assumption was pretty straightforward: TM would transition away from DNB's wholesale 5G access...

Health-Tech in Singapore Is Getting Very Practical, Very Fast

News | 27 February 2026

A lot of people hear "health-tech" and picture futuristic gadgets that feel a bit far-off. But in Singapore right now, the focus is much more down-to-earth: tools that help patients recover function sooner, avoid invasive procedures, and catch diseas...

Bank Negara Malaysia Gives XTransfer Conditional Approval: What It Means (And Why SMEs Should Care)

News | 27 February 2026

If you do any kind of cross-border business, you already know the pain points: onboarding that takes forever, FX rates that feel like a mystery box, and transfers that move on "their time," not yours. That's the problem XTransfer is trying to solve —...

MCMC Blocks Access to LGBTQ+ Dating Websites in Malaysia, Eyes Next Steps for Mobile Apps

News | 26 February 2026

Malaysia's communications minister, Fahmi Fadzil, has confirmed that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has blocked access to LGBTQ+ dating websites in Malaysia. The confirmation came through a written parliamentary reply i...

Twelve Police Officers Held After Alleged Crypto Extortion in Kajang Raid

News | 21 February 2026

A police raid in Kajang that was initially presented as an anti-scam operation has now turned into a major internal misconduct case, after 12 police officers were arrested over allegations that they extorted cryptocurrency from foreign nationals duri...

Chinese New Year 2026 in Malaysia: when “two days off” quietly turns into a longer season

News | 17 February 2026

Chinese New Year 2026 lands right in the middle of a very Malaysian calendar moment, where cultures, travel plans, and public holidays all bump into each other in the most predictable way possible: everyone wants to be somewhere else at the same time...

Sunway Healthcare’s IPO could reset the “hospital sector” benchmark

News | 12 February 2026

Malaysia's private healthcare space is about to get a very public spotlight. Sunway Healthcare Holdings Bhd is preparing for a listing that analysts believe will set a new valuation record for the local hospital sector — at least for a while. That "f...

Maybank’s new blockchain pilot: tokenised ringgit deposits, but for real-world payments

News | 11 February 2026

Maybank has kicked off a new pilot project that sounds very "future finance," but the goal is actually quite practical: make cross-border payments faster, safer, and more efficient for businesses that move money across multiple countries. The bank is...

Govt May Block Foreign Credit Cards at Petrol Stations, as Subsidy Leak Concerns Grow

News | 10 February 2026

If you've ever paid for petrol using the outdoor "pay-at-pump" terminal, you'll know how quick and convenient it is. But that convenience is now part of a bigger discussion, because the government is looking at whether overseas-registered credit card...

The RM100 SARA Aid Is Credited Yesterday, and Yes, Frozen Food Is Now on the List

News | 10 February 2026

If you're one of the Malaysians eligible for the RM100 SARA cashless aid, yesterday was the day it starts landing and becoming usable. Like the previous round, the assistance is aimed at helping with everyday essentials, and the funds remain usable r...

A Weekend Toll Break for Chinese New Year Travel

News | 09 February 2026

If you're planning to balik kampung, visit relatives, or just escape the city for a couple of days, here's a small but very real win for your wallet: the government has announced a 50% toll discount for Chinese New Year travel, happening on 14 and 15...

Malaysia’s First AI Data Centre Protest Is a Sign the Conversation Has Changed

News | 08 February 2026

For the past couple of years, Malaysia's data centre story has mostly been framed as a win: big names coming in, billions in investment, and a growing reputation as a regional hub for cloud and AI infrastructure. But in Johor, that narrative has now...

Malaysia shuts the door on e-waste imports with an “Absolute Prohibition”

News | 05 February 2026

Starting today, Malaysia has moved from "controlled" e-waste imports to a full stop. Electronic waste (e-waste) is now officially placed under the Absolute Prohibition category in the Customs (Prohibition of Imports) Order 2023. In plain terms, this...

IRB’s e-Invoice Push Is Already Paying Off

News | 05 February 2026

Malaysia's move toward e-Invoice isn't just about modernising paperwork. Six months into the rollout, the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) says it's already turning e-Invoice data into something very real: better visibility, better matching, and better tax...

China’s reported “yes, but…” on H200 chips

News | 01 February 2026

A new report says the Chinese government has given DeepSeek conditional approval to buy NVIDIA's H200 AI chips, with the details of those conditions still being finalised. The same reporting also says three other major buyers in China have been clear...

Road closures in Kuala Lumpur for Thaipusam 2026

News | 30 January 2026

If you're driving in (or through) Kuala Lumpur around Thaipusam weekend, this is one of those times where planning ahead isn't optional. With major roads being closed in stages to support the chariot procession, even a "normal" short drive can turn i...

ShopeePay just added Money+, and it’s basically “let my idle e-wallet balance earn something”

News | 28 January 2026

ShopeePay has rolled out a new feature called Money+, an in-app investment option that's meant to feel more like a daily-use wallet feature than a "serious investing platform." You can access it from the ShopeePay app (and it also shows up through th...

AWS and Exabytes Are Putting Real Money Into Cloud Skills in Malaysia

News | 23 January 2026

Malaysia's "digital talent gap" isn't a new topic, but it's one of those problems that keeps showing up everywhere once you look closely. Companies want people who can build and secure cloud systems, automate deployments, work with data, and now incr...