Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Second Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM2) and related meetings, which were scheduled to be held in April, have been postponed.

In a statement today, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) said the postponement includes the 2020 APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting and the 2020 APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) Meeting.

It said that tentatively, the SOM2 and related meetings will be held June 15-26 followed by the MRT Meeting from June 27 to 28.

KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today announced that Malaysia will be placed under a nationwide restricted movement order from March 18 to March 31 to keep in control the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

The order, the first in the country’s history, was announced by the prime minister in a broadcast this evening brought live to the people from the national television.

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A fire killed five people at a refining and petrochemicals complex in southern Malaysia owned by Petronas and Saudi Aramco, authorities said on Monday.

It was the second fire in less than a year at the $27 billion Pengerang Integrated Complex (PIC) in Malaysia’s southern state of Johor.

Petronas [PETR.UL] and Saudi Aramco each have a 50% stake in the PRefChem joint venture, which owns and operates the refinery and some petrochemical plants at PIC.

KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Bursa Malaysia took another beating in early trade today as selling pressure from last week’s Friday the 13th persisted, with the FBM KLCI down 3.34 per cent.

At 9.10 am today, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) lost 44.99 points to 1,299.76 compared with Friday’s close of 1,344.75, after opening 25.38 points lower at 1,319.37 this morning.

On the broader market, losers trounced gainers 539 to 57, with 105 counters unchanged, 1,320 untraded and 31 others suspended. 

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - The United States should “think twice” before giving Malaysia back the money recovered from an anti-kleptocracy probe into state fund 1MDB, former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Friday, as the party accused of graft at 1MDB was back in power.

Mahathir, 94, abruptly resigned last month before being replaced by Muhyiddin Yassin, whose coalition includes the former ruling party United Malays National Organisation despite voters rejecting UMNO in the 2018 general election amid a backlash over the multi-billion dollar scandal at 1MDB.

PUTRAJAYA,  March 13 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The government has imposed a total travel ban on all individuals arriving from Denmark, effective from Saturday, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions) Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof.

The move was in line with Denmark’s decision to go into lockdown, he said at a news conference after chairing a Working Committee on COVID-19 meeting here Thursday.

KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 12 (NNN-BERNAMA) —  The global economy requires an economic stimulus package worth US$3.7 trillion in order to get back to the growth model as it navigates tempestuous times and uncertainty, says an analyst.

Juwai IQI Global chief economist Shan Saeed said at the start of the year, IQI shared with its clients that macroeconomic stability has come under increased scrutiny in many countries, especially in advanced economies. 

KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Malaysia’s new Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today announced his list of Cabinet members comprising 31 ministers, but for the first time in the country’s history, no name was listed for the post of Deputy Prime Minister.

Instead, Muhyiddin announced four senior ministers, namely Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali; Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob; Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof; and Education Minister Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin.

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia’s palace on Sunday denied allegations of a “royal coup” in appointing the country’s prime minister after veteran leader Mahathir Mohamad resigned, saying the king used his discretionary powers prescribed in the constitution.

The palace was responding to an editorial in the UK daily Guardian this week that said Malaysia’s king, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, had overturned a democratic election result by naming Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister despite the opposite camp claiming a majority.

KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission Chief Commissioner Latheefa Koya Friday confirmed that she had handed in her resignation letter to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Monday (March 2).

In a statement to the media, Latheefa said that the resignation was her own decision and speculations that pressure was brought upon her to do so was baseless.