Malaysian Paperwww.thesun.my RM1.00 PER COPYRM1TUESDAYDEC 2, 2025SCAN MENo. 8991 PP 2644/12/2012 (031195) Relief as Kg Sg Baru redevelopment kicks off after long delay ‘Residents look forward to receiving promised condo units within agreed timeframe.’ Report on—page 5Seniors who go missing due to cognitive decline, dementia, Alzheimer’s, abandonment or elder abuse face rising risks of injury or death without immediate action, warn experts.Report on hpage 2‘China remarks on M’sia-US trade pact rare instance’ Move reflects concern over national interests and increasingly assertive diplomatic posture: ExpertHajiji wants fast, decisive results from new CabinetSabah CM confident his new team has the experience to push development plans forward.Call for silver alert systemThe main idea of a silver alert mechanism is to quickly inform the public, authorities and relevant agencies when a senior goes missing, increasing the chances of finding them safely. – AI-GENERATED PIC BY AZURA ABAS /THESUNReport on—page 3 Report on hpage 4
TUESDAY | DEC 2, 20252/thesundailyFOLLOW ON FACEBOOK/Malaysian PaperChina pushes back on M’sia-US trade agreement PETALING JAYA: China’s public remarks on Malaysia’s new trade pact with the United States, as well as similar agreements involving Cambodia, have raised eyebrows in diplomatic circles. However, analysts say the concerns may be overstated and Malaysia still has room to manoeuvre as it balances relations with both superpowers. Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Dr Oh Ei Sun said the comments represent an uncommon instance of Beijing openly raising concerns with Malaysia over a bilateral agreement involving another country. “China’s move reflects both its concern that this matter could harm its national interests and its increasingly assertive diplomatic posture.” He added that this is partly oAssertive remarks unusual, but Putrajaya still has room to manoeuvre: AnalystŰ BY HARITH KAMAL [email protected] pact may unsettle investors, says academicPETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s newlyinked Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) with the United States has triggered geopolitical ripples, with China voicing concern, raising questions over how Putrajaya could continue to balance its two biggest economic partners. While Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has sought to downplay the unease, analysts say investor sentiment, particularly from China, could still take a hit. UPM Putra Business School Associate Professor Dr Ida Md Yasin said the situation is “actually a concern,” highlighting the position of China as one of Malaysia’s largest trading partners. She added that aligning with US export controls and sanctions could create operational hurdles for Malaysian companies with deep Chinese linkages. “In my opinion, there would be an impact. Many people have mentioned that there could be future trade implications. “However, the prime minister and Tengku Zafrul have said not to worry about it. So I do not know how far we could go until it actually happens. But if it does happen, it may be too late.” She also said the agreement may unsettle long-term Chinese investors. “If the US sets conditions that prevent us from continuing with China, then as a Chinese investor, I would feel that my investment in Malaysia is unstable, especially since we are talking about 10, 20, or 30 years down the road.” Ida said Malaysia must preserve a neutral investment environment. “The ART agreement was signed with the US, but we did not sign a similar agreement with China. “So, in that sense, it does not appear neutral.” Responding to Anwar’s remarks that concerns had been exaggerated and Malaysia had clarified to Beijing that bilateral cooperation could continue, she said uncertainty could linger. “Time is ticking and we should not rush into signing. Or, if we do sign, it must be amended in a way that is fair to both parties.” Economist Prof Geoffrey Williams however, took a more upbeat view, echoing the stance of the prime minister that the concerns may be overstated. “The agreement between Malaysia and the US has a long list of commitments to change policies but no mandate or timetable to do so, so there is a lot of flexibility and autonomy built in.” He added that Malaysia’s trade indicators remain healthy. “Overall trade, exports and the trade balance have improved during 2025, and trade with China also remains very strong. “So investors should not worry too much. For now, a wait-and-see approach is best.” – By Harith KamalNext posting for Tengku Zafrul to be announced tomorrow: PMKUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz’s next posting would be announced tomorrow, as he paid tribute to the performance of the outgoing investment, trade and industry minister. Anwar described the leadership of Tengku Zafrul at Miti as “highly commendable”, adding that his work over the past two years earned him national recognition. “Tengku Zafrul will not be here for much longer. He still has responsibilities that cannot simply be set aside. “The Miti minister will complete his term on Dec 2, and I will announce the next steps on Dec 3. “This is also a recognition of his achievements. Over the past year or two, while I was attending to many tasks abroad, Miti and its team have performed exceptionally well under his leadership, demonstrating both excellence and strong values,” he said at the launch of Perodua’s new EV, the QV-E. Tengku Zafrul, who has helmed Miti for three years, thanked the prime minister for the opportunity. “It is time to move on, but I am confident the ministry will continue to thrive under capable hands.” When asked about his next role, he said he had yet to be briefed. “As the prime minister mentioned, I have been given the chance to continue serving in whatever capacity is needed. “I am also waiting to learn more. InsyaAllah, we would know about my new responsibilities soon.” Anwar poses for a photograph with Perodua CEO Zainal Abidin Ahmad (centre) and Tengku Zafrul next to QV-E vehicles during the launch. – AFPPICbecause China is facing, in a sense, a confrontation with the US. “It is an open secret that the US and China are confronting each other geopolitically, and on other issues.” He also said high-tech electronics supply chains play a central role in the dispute. “China is the largest trading partner for most Asean countries, including Malaysia and is deeply integrated into electronics supply chains. “Any move that minimises China’s role is seen as harmful to its national interest. “That is why they are pushing this matter openly.” He said despite the pressure, Malaysia appears determined to maintain its position in US-led high-tech supply chains. “We can only take things step-bystep as these two superpowers confront each other. “At times, we may need to align more closely with one side, and at other times with the other depending on how our national interest is best served. “In this particular case, Malaysia would resolutely want to remain part of the US-led supply chain.” He added that from Washington’s perspective, the arrangement would naturally reduce China’s role, explaining Beijing’s concern. He also said Malaysia needs to stay involved in the new high-tech electronics supply chain. “If that is a condition set by the US, we would have to bite the bullet and accept it.” Oh also said Putrajaya could continue exploring trade deals with China to help “diffuse the situation”. Yesterday Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim assured that China’s concerns over Malaysia and Cambodia’s recent trade agreements with the US have been addressed and should not be overstated. “China sought some clarification and we have provided it. “I do not think the issue should be exaggerated: China remains an important trading partner for Malaysia. “There were some points that required clarification, which we have already conveyed,” Anwar told reporters after launching the new Perodua electric vehicle, the QV-E. He added that during his bilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, he emphasised that “nothing in the agreement” prevents Malaysia from continuing its cooperation and collaboration with China. The remarks of the prime minister follow foreign media reports last week suggesting that Beijing had expressed concerns over the trade deals, highlighting the delicate balancing act countries face amid the intensifying rivalry between Washington and Beijing. The dispute stems from the signing of the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade between Malaysia and the US during President Donald Trump’s visit to the Asean Summit in October. The deal carries provisions that nudge Malaysia toward aligning with Washington on national security issues such as export controls, investment screening and sanctions. While China has long urged countries to avoid agreements that might undermine its interests, this public complaint marks an unusually blunt diplomatic response.Tengku Zafrul was first appointed senator in 2020 before joining the Cabinet under then–prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. He continued to serve in subsequent administrations, including that led by Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. On Nov 13, he informed Anwar of his intention to support his successor once his tenure ends. His Cabinet position cannot be extended as he has already completed two terms in the Senate. Meanwhile, Anwar said there was no need for a major Cabinet reshuffle. “We need to fill a few vacancies.. But considering this Cabinet would only be in place for another year and a half, a full reshuffle is not necessary. “I am still considering the necessary steps, but filling these vacancies is essential.” Adjustments to the Unity government line-up are expected this month following the Sabah state election. Key posts to be filled include the Miti portfolio vacated by Tengku Zafrul, the Economic Ministry, the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry and the Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Ministry. It has also been reported that the senatorships of Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and Religious Affairs Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar end today. As first-term senators, they remain eligible for reappointment. At the same event, Anwar lauded the QV-E launch; Malaysia’s first homegrown battery electric vehicle, calling it proof that local engineering capability could rise to global standards when backed by discipline, collaboration and a clear national vision. The prime minister said the fully developed EV, delivered in just 28 months, marked a critical step in industrial renewal under the New Industrial Master Plan 2030. “Some were anxious that Malaysia was too late in the technology race. But our partners have proven that even if we start behind, resilience and focus could close the gap. What Perodua has achieved is nothing short of remarkable.” – ByHarith Kamal and Deepalakshmi ManickamSee alsopage 14
TUESDAY | DEC 2, 20253Call for national alert systemas more seniors go missingPETALING JAYA: As Malaysia’s population ages, experts are calling for a nationwide alert system to locate missing seniors, warning that vulnerable adults – particularly those with dementia or cognitive impairments – face rising risks of injury, neglect or death without immediate action. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia public health medicine specialist Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh said numerous seniors go missing each year due to cognitive decline, dementia, Alzheimer’s, abandonment or elder abuse. “Missing seniors are exposed to immediate dangers such as hypothermia, heatstroke, drowning, hunger, falls and injuries. “Some are found dead, while others suffer worsening of existing medical conditions. If they drive, there’s the risk of accidents that could harm themselves and others.” Sharifa stressed that the dangers extend beyond immediate injury. oDementia, neglect and weak support structures leave elderly Malaysians exposed to injury and death: Public health expertŰ BY HARITH KAMAL [email protected] urge stronger silver response frameworkPETALING JAYA: Caregivers of elderly Malaysians say a nationwide silver alert system could save lives but they warn that practical challenges may limit its effectiveness. For Nuraida Rahman, 50, who cares for her mother with early-stage dementia, the concept is “good in theory”, but she questions how effective it would be in practice. “With social media and technology today, missing persons alerts already exist in some form, although often inconsistently.” “A silver alert could have better research behind it, but who would want to advertise it on media platforms like radio or newspapers? Cases involving missing older people, especially those who wander occasionally, rarely get proper coverage. I don’t think media companies would be too keen either.” Despite such reservations, Nuraida welcomed the idea of a coordinated alert system. “Anything that increases the chance of finding seniors safely is worth exploring. The challenge will be turning it into something practical that reaches people fast enough.” Siti (not her real name), who looks after her elderly father, said a silver alert could make a real difference for families like hers. “I think the idea is very good. Many elderly people are senile and tend to wander by themselves. They are not always techsavvy, don’t use phones regularly and may not remember important details like home addresses. “A system that quickly alerts authorities and the public could prevent small wanderings from turning into dangerous situations.” Siti added that caregivers often live under constant anxiety. “Even a short absence or lack of updates can be terrifying. “A silver alert could give families peace of mind, knowing there is a coordinated approach to locate their loved ones before something worse happens.” Another caregiver, Johan (not his real name), who cares for his grandmother, offered a slightly different perspective. “The idea is promising, but the system must be simple and widely understood. It won’t help if only authorities know about the alert and the public is unaware. “Elderly people often leave home quietly and if neighbours or local communities aren’t informed quickly, precious hours can be lost.” Johan emphasised the importance of combining technology with community involvement. “We need local volunteers, neighbourhood watch programmes and coordination with clinics and shops. Technology alone won’t solve the problem if people on the ground don’t know what to do when they see a missing senior. The system has to reflect the realities of elderly behaviour. Otherwise, it will just exist on paper.” Even so, he sees silver alerts as a potentially life-saving tool – but only if the system reaches the public, actively supports families and addresses the day-to-day realities of caring for the elderly. “A silver alert system must be practical, easy to understand and integrated within the community. Only then can it provide families with the support and peace of mind they desperately need,” Johan said. – By Harith KamalGovt aid to over-30s will continueKUALA LUMPUR: All government assistance for those aged 30 and above will continue despite the forthcoming reduction in the youth age limit, the Dewan Rakyat was told yesterday. Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said the Cabinet had approved a memorandum titled – Coordination of Government Support and Assistance for Youth Post-Enforcement of the Lowered Age Limit – which was tabled by her ministry at a meeting last Friday. “Even though they will no longer be classified as youth, we will ensure that the assistance reaches them,” she said in response to a supplementary question from Syahredzan Johan (PH-Bangi). Citing an example, she said grants provided by the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry for young people aged 30 and above will remain accessible. Similarly, special grants for young farmers under agricultural programmes will continue. The decision to lower the youth age limit to 30 stems from earlier amendments to the Youth Societies and Youth Development Act 2007 (Act 668) via the 2019 amendment bill (Act A1602), which lowered the maximum youth age from 40 to 30. The effective date for the new age cap has been set for Jan 1 next year. The redefinition of “youth” under the Act covers membership in youth societies or organisations, with youth-society office-bearers likewise constrained to the 18–30 age range and leadership terms reduced from six to four years. The government has sought to allay fears that those aged 30 and above would be left out – particularly in terms of access to support for entrepreneurship, agriculture and other sectors. Yeoh emphasised that the policy shift applies to the definition of “youth” in statutory youth organisations – it does not imply a withdrawal of broader governmental assistance to those who exceed the age threshold. – BernamaYeoh assured that even though those aged 30 and above will no longer be classified as youth, government aid will still be accessible to them, such as the grants provided by the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minisrty. – MASRY CHE ANI/THESUN“Prolonged exposure and trauma can have long-term health consequences. The lack of a formal mechanism to locate missing seniors compounds the problem.” To tackle such risks, she advocates establishing a silver alert system, modelled on programmes in the United States. A silver alert is a public warning system designed to help locate missing older adults, especially those who are vulnerable due to dementia, Alzheimer’s or other cognitive impairments. The main idea is to quickly inform the public, authorities and relevant agencies when a senior goes missing, increasing the chances of finding them safely. “The system would leverage technology, such as tracking tags, wearable devices or mobile apps to quickly locate missing seniors and prevent serious health outcomes. “Alerts should cover areas where seniors may face trauma from injuries or abuse.” However, Sharifa warned of structural challenges in implementing such a system. “Malaysia currently has too few geriatric specialists. While palliative care, physiotherapy and other elderly services are available through public and private clinics, a fully coordinated alert system involving police, healthcare, telecommunications providers and the public is not yet ready.” She recommends preventive measures at family and community level. “Families can equip seniors with tracking devices, accompany them outdoors, hire assistance, run errands on their behalf and ensure they carry phones with home address information.” Sharifa said safeguarding seniors requires a coordinated approach through technology, healthcare support and community vigilance. She also highlighted social and financial pressures affecting the elderly. “Financial strain and neglect contribute to abuse and abandonment. “While the National Policy for Older Persons exists, there are currently no laws penalising families who exploit or neglect seniors, although a supporting bill is in development.” Informal caregivers face challenges as well, she added. “Services exist, but gaps remain. There is no standardised compensation for those caring for the elderly at home.”See alsopage 11
TUESDAY | DEC 2, 20254@thesundailyFOLLOW ON TWITTER Malaysian PaperAnti-Bully Bill 2025 tabled for first reading KUALA LUMPUR: The Anti-Bully Bill 2025, which aims to establish dedicated mechanisms for handling bullying complaints, was tabled for first reading in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the second reading is scheduled for tomorrow. The Bill, comprising 54 clauses, seeks to prevent and manage bullying cases in educational and other institutions, establish an AntiBully Tribunal, raise awareness and strengthen prevention efforts and provide for related matters. Clause 29 sets out the tribunal’s jurisdiction to hear bullying complaints filed by a parent or guardian of a victim in accordance with the Act. Clause 30 provides for the exclusion of the courts’ jurisdiction once a bullying complaint is lodged with the tribunal. Subclause 31(4) states that in any proceedings involving a child, the tribunal must conduct the hearing in an informal, child-friendly manner suitable to the child’s age, maturity and circumstances. The tribunal must prioritise resolving bullying complaints through mediated agreements, provided both parties give informed consent to the mediation process and the tribunal has determined that mediation is appropriate. When parties reach an agreement during mediation, the tribunal shall approve and record the resolution, which will then take effect as if it were an award of the tribunal. In making an award under Section 42, the tribunal may issue one or more orders, including directing an adult respondent to publish an apology to the victim. It may also issue an order requiring the respondent to remove any bullying-related content from social media platforms, electronic devices or digital storage, and an order for the respondent to pay compensation or damages of up to RM250,000 for any loss or damage suffered by the victim. – Bernama‘Causeway expansion feasible, but needs planning’SINGAPORE: Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan said the expansion of the Johor–Singapore Causeway is technically feasible, but would require detailed planning and coordination between both countries. “Theoretically, is it possible? Yes, but there would be a lot of details to coordinate,” he said during a conversation with participants of the Malaysian Journalists’ Visit Programme in Singapore. Despite being more than a century old, the Causeway remains a durable and vital link between the two nations. “I am glad our ancestors built infrastructure – pipes, roads, systems – that have lasted. In the modern age, we change phones or computers every few years. The Causeway was built to last.” Vivian also highlighted the importance of economic and Asean integration, especially the relationship between Singapore and Malaysia. “We must make this work. If we cannot, then other Asean countries, which face even greater challenges, would struggle to integrate themselves. So let us work on it.” He also highlighted the complexity of border management at the Causeway compared to airports. “At an airport, every flight is scheduled, and you know exactly how many passengers are coming. The Causeway is different. People could walk, drive, take a bus, car, taxi or train. The volume and unregulated nature of arrivals and departures are a challenge.” The six-lane, 1.056km Causeway, which includes a railway track and pedestrian footpath, links Johor Bahru in Malaysia to Woodlands in Singapore. It is one of the busiest border crossings in the world. He added that efforts to ease congestion are underway, with the upcoming Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link as a major step forward. “While travellers continue to face long delays, especially during peak periods, both governments are now moving decisively to improve cross-border travel. If the RTS comes on time, it would make a real difference in the lives of thousands.” The four-kilometre RTS Link, connecting Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru to Woodlands North in Singapore, is expected to be completed by December 2026 and operational in early 2027. It is projected to carry up to 10,000 passengers per hour per direction, with an estimated daily ridership of about 40,000. Vivian acknowledged the frustrration of commuters, adding that improving the “lived experience” of daily crossings remains a shared priority. Concrete steps include the RTS Link and major redevelopment of Woodlands Checkpoint to handle increased people movement. “We are redeveloping Woodlands Checkpoint to manage the expanded flow both ways. We would also explore more technological solutions.” – BernamaCabinet must deliver fast, decisive results: HajijiPETALING JAYA: Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the state’s newly appointed Cabinet must deliver fast and decisive results, adding that he is confident the line-up has the experience to push development plans forward. He also said the new administration must ensure the uninterrupted rollout of key initiatives under the Sabah Maju Jaya 2.0 roadmap, which remains the backbone of the state’s long-term growth agenda. While congratulating the new ministers, he reminded them that the mandate they now carry is immense, one that demands dedication, integrity and a commitment to serve every Sabahan, without exception. “Our duty is to the people, and that responsibility must be honoured fully.” He was speaking at a press conference in Sri Gaya yesterday, shortly after the swearingin of the new Cabinet at Istana Seri Kinabalu. His statement was read by newly appointed Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam. He said the ceremony marked an important moment for Sabah, reinforcing the administration’s resolve to prioritise the welfare of the people and steer the state towards a more secure and prosperous future. Joachim, who is also acting Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president, is one of three deputy chief ministers in the new Cabinet. The others are Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) secretary-general Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun and United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) president Datuk Ewon Benedick. The trio took their oaths before Sabah Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Musa Aman during the ceremony. GRS chairman Hajiji on Sunday was sworn in as Sabah’s 17th chief minister following the state election. GRS secured 29 of the 73 seats contested, followed by Warisan (25), BN (six), Independents (five), Upko (three), STAR (two), while PN, KDM and PH won one seat each. The full Cabinet composition was unveiled at the same sitting: Sabah Cabinet line-upChief Minister0 Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor (GRS) Deputy Chief Ministers 0 DCM I: Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Joachim Gunsalam (GRS) o‘Our duty is to the people’Ű BY HASHINI KAVISHTRI KANNAN [email protected] 0 DCM II: Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun (GRS) 0 DCM III: Datuk Ewon Benedick (Upko) Ministers0 Works and Utilities: Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Joachim Gunsalam (GRS) 0 Finance: Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun (GRS) 0 Industry, Entrepreneurship and Transport: Datuk Ewon Benedick (Upko) 0 Local Government and Housing: Datuk Arifin Arif (GRS) 0 Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry: Datuk Jamawi Jaafar (PH) 0 Rural Development: Datuk Rubin Balang (GRS) 0 Education, Science, Technology and Innovation: Datuk James Ratib (GRS) 0 Tourism, Culture and Environment: Datuk Jafry Ariffin (BN) 0 Women, Health and People’s Wellbeing: Datuk Julita Mojungki (GRS) 0 Youth Development, Sports Advancement and Creative Economy: Datuk Nizam Titingan (GRS)Joachim (top), Masidi (middle) and Ewon (bottom) are sworn-in to their new positions by Tun Musa during an official ceremony at Istana Seri Kinabalu. –BERNAMAPIC
TUESDAY | DEC 2, 20255Zara reported sexual harassment, court toldKOTA KINABALU: The Coroner’s Court was told yesterday that Zara Qairina Mahathir had lodged a sexual harassment complaint barely a month after enrolling at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Tun Datu Mustapha. The school’s discipline assistant head Nurul Syahadah Ibrahim, 38, testified that the disciplinary unit received the report on March 14, alleging that the incident occurred while Zara was asleep in her dormitory. “Yes, Zara lodged a complaint of alleged sexual harassment by a Form Two student while she was sleeping. She claimed that the student had sniffed her private parts. However, our investigation found that the student had only sniffed the blanket she was using before taking it to be washed. “After recording written statements and interviewing all the students involved, the disciplinary unit concluded that the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding, and the student had no inappropriate intention, acting only out of playfulness. “I personally asked the student to demonstrate how she sniffed the blanket,” she said, testifying as the 54th witness. She gave the evidence when questioned by lawyer Datuk Ram Singh, who represents one of the five teenagers accused in the Zara bullying case. Asked whether she believes the Form Two student’s demonstration, Nurul Syahadah said: “Yes.” Ram Singh then asked if she believes Zara’s complaint. She said the disciplinary unit required corroboration because Zara had allegedly been asleep during the incident. “We needed evidence from her roommates, namely Student A and the Form Two student. At that time, Student A was folding clothes.” On a separate claim that a senior known as “Kak M” had once told Zara, “If I touch you, you will bleed”, the witness said the student was not a gangster. She said the remark came after Zara and Student A had allegedly body-shamed Kak M’s younger sister by calling her “chipsmore” due to a mole on her mouth. Nurul Syahadah also confirmed that the “Circle 19” group still exists at the school, although its members, who are still enrolled, are barred from forming factions. She agreed that the group had used obscene language towards other students but said she was unsure whether the matter required a police report. A visibly frustrated Ram Singh replied that he would lodge a report himself to prevent “another death” at the school. He later filed the report at the Luyang police station and urged authorities to act against the alleged group and the school. Zara, 13, died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17, a day after she was found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory. The inquest continues. – BernamaCall to probe causes of recurring floodsPETALING JAYA: The Consumers Association of Penang has called on the government to establish a national committee of experts, including civil society representatives, to investigate the root causes of Malaysia’s recurring floods and recommend effective solutions. Its president Mohideen Abdul Kader cited the Special Report on the Impact of Floods in Malaysia 2024 by the Statistics Department, which estimated total flood-related losses last year at RM933.4 million. Losses in the agricultural sector alone rose to RM185.2 million, up from RM120.6 million in 2023. The association stressed that floods, increasingly affecting states including Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu and Selangor, should not be attributed solely to heavy rainfall. “Rainfall is a common annual phenomenon. The question is, how do we manage it?” said Mohideen, highlighting rapid urban development without long-term planning as a major contributor.“The expansion of impermeable surfaces, narrow drains and the removal of natural green areas, including hills, floodplains and trees, have worsened flooding. “Deforestation and hill development leads to soil erosion and landslides, increasing sediment in rivers and reducing their capacity to channel rainwater,” it added. Irresponsible garbage disposal further clogs drains, contributing to waterlogging. “This will not be the last flood disaster. Many residents are worried about the impact of the next heavy rain on their homes and communities.” The association called for stricter development controls, including environmental, drainage, transport and social impact assessments for every project.“Measures such as slope protection, better monitoring of development, urban greening and riverbank protection should be prioritised to reduce flood risks. “While we cannot stop the rain, we could prevent or mitigate flood damage if we address the root causes.” As of yesterday, 14,040 flood evacuees from 4,518 families remain in temporary relief centres across eight states. The Social Welfare Department’s InfoBencana portal reports that 171 centres have been activated in the affected areas.Ű BY HARITH KAMAL [email protected] denies claims of unlawful seizurePUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has firmly denied claims of unlawful seizure, confirming that businessman Albert Tei personally signed the inventory of items confiscated during his arrest on Friday. Its Strategic Communications Division said the items, comprising phones, an iPad and a digital video recorder, were surrendered by Tei to MACC officers. A copy of the List of Seized Moveable Property, issued under Section 33 of the MACC Act 2009, was handed to him on Friday. “MACC categorically refutes the baseless allegation that its officers seized Tei’s belongings without following proper procedure. The commission consistently carries out its duties in accordance with the provisions of the law and regulations established within its jurisdiction,” it added, addressing a news portal report alleging unlawful action. A lawyer representing Tei’s wife has claimed that the seizure was unlawful, giving MACC until tomorrow to provide a full inventory of the property taken in connection with Tei’s arrest at his Puchong residence. Tei’s arrest is tied to an ongoing probe into allegations that he offered a bribe to Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, the former senior political secretary to the prime minister, reportedly to secure the return of funds given to several Sabah assemblymen. – BernamaKg Sg Baru redevelopment begins after years of delayPETALING JAYA: After nearly a decade of uncertainty, the long-delayed Kampung Sungai Baru redevelopment has begun, offering cautious relief and renewed hope to residents. Zaliha said the project would provide residents with modern, spacious and comfortable homes while recognising the community’s patience throughout the drawn-out process. – AMIRUL SYAFIQ/THESUNoAuthorities urged to maintain open communication and respond to residents’ needs consistentlyŰ BY KIRTINEE RAMESH [email protected] Kebajikan Pemilik Hartanah Kampung Sungai Baru chairperson Sanita Yunus said residents are eager to return to their neighbourhood once the redevelopment is completed. “Our biggest hope is to come back to Kampung Sungai Baru and receive the promised condominium units within the agreed timeframe.” She added that despite years of hurdles and disputes, residents who backed the redevelopment have remained steadfast. “The developer has never given up through many challenges over the past nine years. Their commitment gives us confidence that this project will finally become a reality.” Association committee member Eddy Zulkarnain B. Bukhari echoed the sentiment, stressing that the community wants the project to move forward without further disruption. “We hope the development proceeds smoothly and as quickly as possible. Our worry is that certain external parties, who may not understand the real situation, are trying to interfere.” He noted that the developer has acted responsibly throughout negotiations. “For nine years, the developer has consistently paid monthly rentals to residents. With their reputation and experience, we are confident.” He urged authorities to maintain open communication and respond to residents’ needs consistently. “We want professionalism and continued support so that the majority of residents, who have waited far too long, could finally enjoy a more comfortable life,” he said, calling on Malaysians to view the redevelopment positively. Some residents expressed relief and optimism. “We are happy to finally see progress, but we just want fair compensation and comfortable homes. This is our lifelong community,” said a long-time resident. Others voiced concern about cultural displacement. “Kampung Sungai Baru is more than buildings. We hope the heritage and community identity are not lost,” said another resident. For some, trust would only come with visible results. “We have been promised many times before. Hopefully, everything is transparent and on schedule. We cannot afford more delays,” said a third resident. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the project would provide residents with modern, spacious and comfortable homes while recognising the community’s patience throughout the drawn-out process. Zaliha announced several key upgrades, including three-bedroom, three-bathroom homes ranging between 900 and 1,200 square feet, free maintenance for the first year, followed by a 70% discount from the second to the 10th year, and home fittings such as air-conditioning units and kitchen hoods valued at RM2 million. A new RM15 million road connecting the area to the Ampang–Kuala Lumpur Elevated Expressway would also be built, fully funded by the developer. “I will personally monitor the project’s progress together with relevant agencies and residents to ensure it is completed within the stipulated timeline,” said Zaliha. Plans for redevelopment began in 2016, with negotiations stretching until 2020. The project faced strong resistance from a minority group disputing compensation rates and questioning the fairness of the land acquisition process, resulting in legal challenges and prolonged delays. Despite the hurdles, residents expressed hope that this marks a turning point and their decade of waiting would finally lead to a better future in the place they have always called home.
TUESDAY | DEC 2, 20256Duck farmer forms business from hobbySEREMBAN: While many young Malaysians pursue careers in the digital and tech sectors, a former school administrative assistant has taken a different path, developing a duck farming venture that has become one of Negeri Sembilan’s leading producers of eggs and meat. Driven by determination and a structured marketing strategy, Azwan Zainudin has recorded sales of nearly RM2 million this year through the production of fresh eggs, salted eggs and meat supplied across the state and to Selangor. The 35-year-old, who began with only 100 ducks in 2020, now operates a 1.15ha farm with about 1,000 Khaki Campbell layer ducks in Kampung Kayu Ara, Mambau under Azwan Farm. “I started merely as a hobby. Before this, I operated a roadside food stall in Rasah and later a café and restaurant, but due to Covid-19, I had to close the business. That was when I began to consider a more stable path. “I decided on duck farming after seeing the consistent demand for fresh eggs and the broad market potential, besides the relatively easy care involved. My late father also kept ducks, so I was familiar with it.” The youngest of four siblings said in the early stages, he used his own savings to purchase ducks, feed them and build the coop, while also working part-time as a personal driver to support the farm’s operations. “The first six months were the toughest as I had to wait for the ducks Azwan acknowledged that support from the state government and related agencies played a significant role in strengthening his business. – BERNAMAPICoNearly RM2 million sales recorded through production of meat, fresh and salted eggsKUALA LUMPUR: Leaving a stable corporate career for the unpredictable world of entertainment is a move many hesitate to make, but for actress Thasha Krishnakumar (pic), the leap was necessary. Before entering the acting scene, Thasha spent four years working as an auditor with major international firms KPMG and Ernst & Young. “Acting had always been my passion, but I remained cautious about pursuing it, knowing the risks involved. “For women especially, joining the entertainment industry earlier is better because certain roles come with age limits.” Understanding that she needed financial stability during the transition, Thasha started an online business in 2021 called Kedailah. The brand began on Instagram before expanding to TikTok, providing her with additional income as she pursued acting full-time. Her acting journey took off with “Unnodu Naan Iruppen”, a Naavin Samrat short film released on YouTube in 2018. Her performance caught the attention of prominent local director Dr Vimala Perumal, who cast her in Tamiletchumy 2 in a supporting role. She later appeared in her first feature film, “Undercover Rascals”, before securing a lead role in the pet-themed series “Ramarajan”. Thasha’s major breakthrough came with the Astro Vinmeen series “Uppuroti Chidambaram”, directed by Shalini Balasundaram. Playing a negative character for the first time, she said the role opened new doors in her career. “People started recognising me after that. Even kids and elderly viewers began noticing me,” said the 31-year-old actress from Seremban, who is the youngest of three sisters. She also appears in “Pasanga 3”, the highly anticipated continuation of the popular Pasanga franchise. The third season will begin airing on Dec 8 with more than 200 episodes lined up for the year. Thasha is vocal about improving working conditions for local artistes, noting that inconsistent shooting schedules make it difficult for actors to sustain themselves. She added that cinema operators should consider lowering ticket prices, especially for B40 families, to encourage more Malaysians to return to theatres amid competition from streaming platforms. Thasha noted that many Malaysian Tamil talents move to the Indian industry due to limited opportunities and financial challenges locally. She urged agencies such as the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia to take a more active role. “If the corporation could provide funding or co-produce films, it would give more hope to directors and aspiring actors.” She has also faced cyberbullying, especially on platforms such as TikTok, on which she livestreams. She said while regulations have improved, education begins at home. “People who want to bully will always find a way. It begins with family. Children must be taught how to speak kindly and respect others.” Over time, she has learned to manage negativity with a balance of firmness and restraint, responding only when necessary. Thasha was raised by a single mother after losing her father at age 12. She credits her mother for instilling independence, resilience and financial discipline. – Bernamato start laying eggs, and during the Covid-19 period many restaurants were not operating. I tried selling fresh eggs to basic goods traders, but demand was low.” To avoid losses, he took the initiative to turn some eggs into salted eggs using the brine-pickling method, which lasts longer and is easier to market, Bernama reported. Azwan acknowledged that support from the state government and related agencies played a significant role in strengthening his business. He received grants from the Negeri Sembilan Islamic Religious Affairs Department and the Negeri Sembilan Entrepreneur Fund in 2023, as well as financing from a bank. “I also received an egg-washing machine and feed supplies from the state Veterinary Department, and they carry out annual inspections of the livestock,” said Azwan, who is assisted by two part-time workers. Aside from raising layer ducks, Azwan has been operating a duck farm for meat production in Jelebu since early this year, producing up to 3,000 ducks a month for supply to well-known restaurant chains, including in Kuala Lumpur, as well as factories, markets and the local community. He said 30 duck eggs are sold at RM30 while duck meat is priced at RM25 for 1.5 kg, with the products also marketed through online platforms, allowing customers from various locations to place orders easily. Azwan has earned several recognitions, including the Negeri Sembilan Halal Cottage Entrepreneur Icon 2023 and Business Expansion Award from Agrobank. He expressed hope to expand his market nationwide and aims to develop an agro-tourism farm where visitors can experience life on a duck farm firsthand.Former auditor leaves desk job for silver screen
TUESDAY | DEC 2, 20257Preload cyber safety app, India orders phone makersBENGALURU: India’s Telecoms Ministry has privately asked smartphone makers to preload new devices with a state-owned cyber security app that cannot be deleted, a government order showed. India is one of the world’s largest telephone markets, with more than 1.2 billion subscribers, and government figures show the app, launched in January, has helped recover more than 700,000 lost phones, including 50,000 in October alone. Apple, which has previously locked horns with the telecoms regulator over development of a government anti-spam mobile app, oTelecoms Ministry cites security threatsMilitaries come to aid of Asia flood victimsPADANG: Sri Lanka and Indonesia deployed military personnel yesterday to help victims of devastating flooding that has killed nearly 1,000 people across four countries in Asia in recent days. Separate weather systems brought torrential, extended rainfall to Sri Lanka and large parts of Sumatra, southern Thailand and northern Malaysia last week. Arriving in North Sumatra yesterday, President Prabowo Subianto said “the worst has passed, hopefully”. The government’s “priority now is how to immediately send the necessary aid”, with particular focus on several isolated villages, he said. Prabowo has come under increasing pressure to declare a national emergency in response to flooding and landslides that have killed at least 442 people, with hundreds more missing. Unlike his Sri Lankan counterpart, he has also not publicly called for international assistance. The government has sent three warships carrying aid and two hospital ships to some of the worsthit areas, where many roads remain impassable. In Sri Lanka, the government called for international aid and used military helicopters to reach people Hat Yai residents shop for flood-damaged products. – REUTERSPICSingapore schools tighten smartphone rules to combat digital distractions SINGAPORE: The Education Ministry will impose a stricter ban on smartphones and smartwatches in secondary schools from next month in a push to combat digital distractions. Guidelines in the city-state, one of the world’s most digitally connected populations, bar secondary school students from using their devices in the classroom. This will be broadened to include non-lesson time, with students required to keep phones in designated storage areas such as lockers or school bags during school hours. The goal is “to create a school environment that prioritises students’ learning and enhances their engagement, fostering healthier habits on screen use and better wellbeing”, the ministry said on Sunday. “Screen use among students has been shown to displace important activities such as sleep, physical activity and social interactions with friends and family.” Schools may allow smartphone use by exception “where necessary”, the ministry said in a statement. A growing number of countries are taking similar action, with 40% of education systems now banning smartphones in school, according to Unesco. Next week Australia will go a step further with a world-first ban on social media for under-16s. On its website Unesco highlighted some stringent school bans, such as a requirement in China’s Zhengzhou “that parents provide written consent that a phone was really needed for pedagogical reasons”. – AFPThailand extradites Vietnamese activistBANGKOK: A Vietnamese activist who was granted refugee status by the UN has been extradited by Thailand to Vietnam where he faces a decade in prison, his lawyer said yesterday. A Thai appeal court ruled last week to allow the extradition of Y Quynh Bdap, who had lived in exile in Thailand since 2018. A Vietnamese court sentenced him in absentia in January last year for terrorism offences. Bdap was convicted for remotely orchestrating 2023 attacks in which gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on two police posts in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, killing nine people in a rare act of violence against the communist authorities. He has denied the allegations. “Thai immigration said Bdap was handed over to Vietnamese officials without giving further details. We have no news about his fate,” said his lawyer Nadthasiri Bergman. The handover happened on Friday, she said. A spokesman for the Thai immigration department could not be immediately reached yesterday. The Thai corrections department said on Friday that it had coordinated with Thai police to transfer Bdap back to Vietnam. Bdap was granted refugee status by the United Nations but he had been detained in a Bangkok prison since December when he was jailed for staying in the country without proper travel documents. UN-affiliated experts warned last year that Bdap would be at risk of “torture or other ill-treatment or punishment” if sent back to Vietnam. Sunai Phasuk, an adviser at Human Rights Watch, wrote on X that Bdap was extradited “despite concerns from the UN, human rights groups, Thailand’s National Human Rights Commission and western governments that he will face unjust prosecution, including 10 years prison term”. Vietnamese police have said Bdap is the founder of Montagnards Stand for Justice and accused him of directing people there to carry out the 2023 attacks. The group advocates freedom of religion for Vietnam’s hill tribes and ethnic minority groups, which have been branded “terrorists” by the authorities. Montagnards, the collective name for various tribes in the Central Highlands, sided with the US-backed south during Vietnam’s decades-long war. Some have called for more autonomy, while others abroad advocate independence for the region. – AFPis among the companies, such as Samsung, Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi bound by the new order. The Nov 28 order, seen by Reuters, gives major smartphone companies 90 days to ensure that the government’s Sanchar Saathi app is pre-installed on new mobile phones, with a provision that users cannot disable it. For devices already in the supply chain, manufacturers should push the app to phones via software updates, the ministry said in its order, which was not made public and was sent privately to select companies. The government said the app was essential to combat “serious endangerment” of telecom cyber security from duplicate or spoofed IMEI numbers, which enable scams and network misuse. Apple’s iOS powered an estimated 4.5% of 735 million smartphones in India by June, with the rest using Android, Counterpoint Research says. While Apple pre-installs its own proprietary apps on phones, its internal policies prohibit installation of any government or third-party app before sale of a smartphone, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said. “Apple has historically refused such requests from governments,” said Tarun Pathak, a research director at Counterpoint. “It’s likely to seek a middle ground: instead of a mandatory pre-install, they might negotiate and ask for an option to nudge users towards installing the app.” Apple, Google, Samsung and Xiaomi did not respond to requests for comment. India’s Telecoms Ministry also did not respond. A 14- to 17-digit number unique to each handset, the IMEI, or International Mobile Equipment Identity, is most commonly used to cut off network access for phones reported to have been stolen. The government app allows users to report suspicious calls, verify IMEIs and block stolen devices through a central registry. With more than 5 million downloads since its launch, the app has helped block more than 3.7 million stolen or lost mobile phones, while more than 30 million fraudulent connections have also been terminated. The government says it helps prevent cyber threats and assists tracking and blocking of lost or stolen phones, helping police to trace devices, while keeping counterfeits out of the black market. – Reutersstranded by flooding and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah. At least 340 people have been killed, Sri Lankan officials said yesterday, with many more still missing. Floodwaters in Colombo peaked overnight, and with rain now stopped there were hopes that waters would begin receding. Some shops and offices began to reopen. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who declared a state of emergency to deal with the disaster, vowed to build back. “We are facing the largest and most challenging natural disaster in our history,” he said in an address to the nation. “Certainly, we will build a better nation than what existed before.” By Sunday afternoon, rain had subsided across Sri Lanka but lowlying areas of the capital were flooded and authorities were bracing for a major relief operation. Military helicopters have been deployed to airlift stranded residents, and deliver food, though one crashed just north of Colombo on Sunday evening. Much of Asia is in its annual monsoon season, which often brings heavy rain, triggering landslides and flash floods. But the flooding that hit Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia was also exacerbated by a rare tropical storm that dumped heavy rain on Sumatra. – AFP
TUESDAY | DEC 2, 20258Korean church leader on trial for graftSEOUL: The leader of one of South Korea’s largest churches stood trial yesterday accused of bribing the country’s former first lady with gifts including a designer handbag and a diamond necklace. The arrest of Han Hak-ja in September rocked the Unification Church, which claims to have 10 million followers worldwide and controls a business empire. The 82-year-old defendant, known to her followers as “holy mother”, also faces graft charges over cash payments to a lawmaker linked to disgraced president Yoon Suk Yeol. o82-year-old ‘Holy mother’ denies chargesHK police arrest more suspects in fire probeHONG KONG: Authorities here said yesterday they had arrested 13 people for suspected manslaughter in an investigation into the city’s deadliest fire in decades, pointing to substandard renovation materials for fuelling a blaze that has claimed at least 151 lives. Police continued to sweep the seven burnt-out towers engulfed in Wednesday’s disaster at the Wang Fuk Court estate, finding bodies of residents in stairwells and on rooftops, trapped as they tried to flee the flames. More than 40 people are still missing. “Some of the bodies have turned into ash, therefore we might not be able to locate all missing individuals,” said police official Tsang Shuk-yin. Tests on several samples of a green mesh that was wrapped around bamboo scaffolding on the buildings at the time of the blaze did not match fire retardant standards, officials overseeing the investigations told a news conference. Contractors used substandard materials in hard-to-reach areas, effectively hiding them from inspectors, said Chief Secretary Eric Chan. Foam insulation used by contractors also fanned the flames and fire alarms at the complex were not working properly, officials have said. Thousands have turned out to pay tribute to the victims, who include at least nine domestic helpers from Indonesia and one from the Philippines, with lines of mourners stretching more than a kilometre along a canal next to the estate. Vigils are also due to take place this week in Tokyo, London and Taipei, authorities said. Amid pockets of public anger over missed fire risk warnings, Beijing has warned it would crack down on any “anti-China” protests. At least one person involved in a petition calling for an independent probe and a review of construction oversight among other demands was detained for around two days, sources familiar with the matter said. Police have declined to comment on the case. Hong Kong Security Mourners break down next to a makeshift flower memorial near the housing complex yesterday. – REUTERSPICB R I E F SPROSECUTORS INDICT SEOUL MAYOR SEOUL: Prosecutors indicted the mayor of Seoul yesterday for allegedly violating political funding laws. Prosecutors accuse Oh Se-hoon, 64, of the conservative People Power Party of arranging for a supporter to cover the cost of opinion polling ahead of the 2021 by-election. They said the mayor had a businessman pay 33 million won (RM92,551) over five occasions to fund polls, in breach of the Political Funds Act. The indictment was launched by a team of lawyers investigating alleged corruption linked to jailed former first lady Kim Keon Hee. Oh has denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the indictment as a “political scheme”. – AFP FOUR CHARGED OVER CHILD ABUSE MATERIAL SYDNEY: Police here said they had charged four men in relation to child sex abuse material online. They are accused of possessing, distributing and facilitating child abuse material through a website administered internationally. Police arrested the four men on Thursday, including a 26-year-old man accused of playing a leading role in the group. The man was charged with 14 offences including using a carriage service to make available and access child abuse material. The other three men, aged 39, 42, and 46, were arrested in a block of flats and charged with offences related to child abuse material. – AFP DHAKA COURT JAILS FORMER PREMIER’S KIN DHAKA: A court here sentenced Sheikh Rehana, sister of former premier Sheikh Hasina, to seven years in prison yesterday for corruption in a case involving the grabbing of lucrative plots in the capital. Rehana’s daughter Tulip Siddiq, who is a British lawmaker, was handed a two-year sentence, said Khan Mainul Hasan, prosecutor for the Anti-Corruption Commission. Hasina, who was given the death penalty for crimes against humanity last month, and 14 other government officials were condemned to five years of imprisonment. – AFPHan’s defence team denied that she had bribed former first lady Kim Keon Hee or that lawmaker, insisting the gifts were arranged by a former church official acting independently and without her knowledge, Yonhap news agency reported. Prosecutors rejected the claim, saying Han’s alleged offence was “extremely egregious”. They said church members had donated to the organisation despite their financial hardship, only for the funds to be used for “bail payments and illicit political ties”, according to Yonhap. In August, Han told her followers in a video message: “I have never ordered any unlawful political request or monetary transaction.” Han took over leadership of the Unification Church after the death of her husband Moon Sun-myung, who founded the assembly in 1954 after he was rejected by mainstream Protestant churches. Moon claimed to be the second coming of Jesus Christ and the church has a rigid, hierarchical culture.Han, who has 14 children with Moon, is referred to by followers as God’s “only begotten daughter” and the “holy mother”. The church rose to global prominence in the 1970s and 80s, becoming known for mass weddings often held in stadiums. Over the decades, it amassed a business empire that spans construction, food, education and the media, including the ownership of Washington Times and Sunmoon University. But it also came under repeated scrutiny over how it obtained financial donations from members and its links to politicians. Japan this year took legal action to order the Japanese chapter of the Unification Church dissolved, after the gunman who killed former prime minister Shinzo Abe was believed to have targeted him over grudges against the church. In Seoul, Han will have to answer allegations that she gave luxury goods worth around 82 million won (RM231,496) to Yoon’s wife Kim, herself under arrest over charges of bribery and stock-market manipulation. Han is also suspected of having conspired to pay 100 million won to a People’s Party MP in 2022 in a bid to seek favour with Yoon, who went on to win the presidency that year. A separate trial will open on Dec 9 with Han facing charges that she violated the political parties act. Prosecutors believe she had directed more than 2,000 church members to sign up for Yoon’s People Power Party ahead of a party convention to influence its outcome. Han was briefly released in November to undergo eye surgery but has returned to pre-trial custody. She is seeking bail. “We explained to the court that the charges against Han differ from the facts, and fully detailed the health difficulties she faces due to her age and medical conditions,” the Unification Church said in a statement. “Proper treatment and recovery are essential for uncovering the truth.” – AFPChief Chris Tang also declined to comment on specific operations at a press conference yesterday. “I’ve noticed that some people with malicious intent, aiming to harm Hong Kong and national security, have taken advantage of this painful moment for society,” he said. “Therefore, we must take appropriate action, including enforcement measures.” The buildings being scoured for remains are the worst damaged and the search may take weeks, authorities have said. Images shared by police showed officers clad in hazmat suits, face masks and helmets, inspecting rooms with blackened walls and furniture reduced to ashes, and wading through water used to douse fires that raged for days. Throngs of officers arrived at the site early yesterday to continue their search of the burnt-out buildings. The apartment blocks were home to more than 4,000 people, according to census data, and those that escaped must now try to get their lives back on track. More than 1,100 people have been moved out of evacuation centres into temporary housing, with a further 680 put up in youth hostels and hotels, authorities said. With many residents leaving behind belongings as they fled, authorities have offered emergency funds of HK$10,000 (RM5,304) to each household and provided special assistance for issuing new identity cards, passports and marriage certificates. Residents of Wang Fuk Court were told by authorities last year they faced “relatively low fire risks” after complaining about fire hazards posed by the renovations, the city’s Labour Department said. The residents raised concerns last year, including about the potential flammability of the mesh used to cover the scaffolding, a department spokesperson said. – Reuters
TUESDAY | DEC 2, 20259Arms makers see record revenues STOCKHOLM: Sales by the world’s top 100 arms makers reached a record US$679 billion (RM2.8 trillion) last year, as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza boosted demand, researchers said yesterday, but production issues hampered deliveries. The figure was 5.9% higher than the year before, and, over the 2015-2024 period, revenues for the top 100 arms makers have risen 26% according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri). “Last year global arms revenues reached the highest level ever recorded by Sipri as producers capitalised on high demand,” said Lorenzo Scarazzato, researcher with the Sipri Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme. Researcher Jade Guiberteau Ricard said “it’s mostly driven by Europe”, although “all areas have increased except for Asia and Oceania”. Ricard said the increased demand in Europe was tied to the war in Ukraine and “the threat perception of Russia by European states”. According to Sipri, demand from Ukraine and countries militarily supporting it and which need to replenish stockpiles helped drive demand. Ricard said many European countries are also looking to expand and modernise their militaries, “which will present a new source of demand”. The United States is home to 39 of the world’s top 100 arms makers, including the top three: Lockheed Martin, RTX (formerly Raytheon Technologies) and Northrop Grumman. US arms makers saw their combined revenues rise 3.8% to reach US$334 billion last year, nearly half of the world’s total. At the same time, the authors of the report noted that budget overruns and delays plague several key US-led programmes, like the F-35 fighter jet and the Columbia-class submarine. The 26 of the top 100 arms maker which are based in Europe saw aggregate revenues grow by 13% to US$151 billion. Czech company Czechoslovak Group saw revenue spike by 193% – the sharpest increase of all the top 100 – reaching US$3.6 billion. The company benefited from the Czech Ammunition Initiative which provides artillery shells for Ukraine. – AFPUS freeze on asylum decisions to stayABOARD AIR FORCE ONE: President Donald Trump said on Sunday his administration intends to maintain a pause on asylum decisions for “a long time” after an Afghan national allegedly shot two National Guard members near the White House, killing one of them. When asked to specify how long it would last, Trump said he had “no time limit” in mind for the measure, which the Department of Homeland Security says is linked to a list of 19 countries already facing US travel restrictions. He said: “We don’t want those people. You know why we don’t want them? Because many have been no good, and they shouldn’t be in our country.” The administration issued the pause in the aftermath of the shooting in Washington on Nov 26, that left 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom dead and another guardsman critically wounded. A 29-year-old Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, has been arrested and charged with first degree murder. Lakanwal had been part of a CIA-backed “partner force” fighting the Afghan government, and entered the United States as part of a resettlement programme following the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Lakanwal had been granted asylum in April, under the Trump administration, but officials have blamed what they called lax vetting by the government of Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden for his admission to US soil during the Afghan airlift. Trump wrote after the shooting he planned to “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries to allow the US system to fully recover”. – AFPSAS covered up Afghan war crimes: WhistleblowerLONDON: Senior UK special forces leaders covered up potential war crimes in Afghanistan, a former high-ranking officer has told a public inquiry, according to evidence released yesterday. The officer alleged two former directors of the special forces and others failed to act on concerns that units carried out unlawful killings while operating in the country more than a decade ago. The inquiry, which opened in 2023 at London’s Royal Courts of Justice, is investigating the accusations about the special forces’ conduct in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013, including the killing of women and children. “I was deeply troubled by what I strongly suspected was the unlawful killing of innocent o‘Units carried out unlawful killings’people,” the whistleblowing officer, known only to the inquiry as N1466, said in witness testimony. He said he came “to the view that the issue of extrajudicial killings was not confined to a small number of soldiers or a single sub-unit ... but was potentially more widespread”. Mansour Aziz, the uncle of two Afghan children seriously injured by UK special forces while their parents were allegedly shot dead in their beds, spoke to the inquiry in a short 2023 video, the Guardian reported. “Even to this day they are grieving the incident that happened to us ... We are asking for the court to listen to these children and bring justice,” he said. The whistleblower said senior officers had impeded his efforts to “do the right thing” and that he “lost confidence” in their willingness to report the allegations to military police. The inquiry, led by a senior UK judge, is scrutinising two investigations conducted by the royal military police, which is responsible for the policing of army personnel. It follows legal challenges by the families of some of the dozens of people allegedly murdered by British special forces, in particular during night raids. Afghan families have accused units of the famous Special Air Service, widely known by its SAS acronym, of conducting a “campaign of murder” against civilians. The BBC reported in 2022 that one SAS squadron had killed at least 54 people, including detainees and children, in suspicious circumstances during one sixmonth tour of Afghanistan. The whistleblower said concerns about possible “war crimes” were first flagged to the director of special forces in early 2011 but not acted on. No charges have been brought by police in the case raised by Mansour Aziz under Operation Northmoor probe, which was set up in 2014 to examine the accusations. Three soldiers were referred to the Service Prosecuting Authority, but none was prosecuted. – AFPPope urges Lebanese to embrace reconciliationBEIRUT: Visiting Pope Leo XIV urged the Lebanese people on Sunday to embrace reconciliation and remain in their crisis-hit country, while calling on its leaders to put themselves fully at the service of their citizens. The pope, bearing what he described as a message of peace, had previously visited Turkiye, where he kicked off his first overseas tour since being elected leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics in May. Long hailed as a model of coexistence, multi-confessional Lebanon is nonetheless plagued by sectarian and political rifts, and has seen waves of emigration. Since 2019 it has been ravaged by successive crises, from an economic collapse widely blamed on official mismanagement and corruption, to a devastating Beirut port blast in 2020, to the recent war between Hezbollah and Israel, which many Lebanese fear could return. Leo told officials, diplomats and civil society representatives in a speech at the presidential palace that “there are times when it is easier to flee, or simply more convenient to move elsewhere. It takes real courage and foresight to stay or return to one’s own country”. He urged Lebanese people to take up the “path of reconciliation”, and called on the country’s leaders to place themselves “with commitment and dedication at the service of your people”. No real reconciliation process was undertaken following Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war, and the latest conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has deepened divisions. Lebanon rolled out the red carpet and a 21-gun salute for Leo, who was greeted at the airport by children and a brass band as ships at the port sounded their horns. Two Lebanese military aircraft escorted his plane on descent. Hundreds of people standing along the roadside braved heavy rain to greet the pope along his route to the presidential palace. “The pope is not just for Christians but for Muslims too, and we love him a lot ... We want him to bless our land,” said Zahra Nahleh, 19, from Lebanon’s war-ravaged south, who was waiting to welcome the pontiff. Leo told journalists on the plane that his tour had “a special theme of ... being a messenger of peace, of wanting to promote peace throughout the region”. He went on to emphasise that theme in his speech at the presidential palace, using the word “peace” more than 20 times, without mentioning any specific conflicts. – AFPPope Leo delivering his speech yesterday in front of the tomb of Saint Charbel Makhlouf at the Monastery of Saint Maroun, in the mountainous village of Annaya. – AFPPIC
10TUESDAY | DEC 2, 2025Education matters remain an important component of Malaysian society. Today the landscape is fast paced with new exciting developments in technology such as AI, coding, virtual reality, and cybersecurity, leading the way for changes in curriculum development. To showcase the latest and most updated content, we invite you join us in 2025, and be part of our Education Focus!Contact us now for special deals on digital, video and print advertising.Malaysian Paper 03-7784 6688 [email protected] barriers blocking sustainable changeTHE numbers are staring at us. Numbers do not lie. With just five years until the 2030 deadline, the UN reports that only a fraction of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are on track. In the meantime, climate change accelerates, biodiversity plummets and inequality deepens. In this race against time, science, technology and innovation (STI) are not just tools; they are our most powerful engine for achieving sustainable development. Yet, this engine is sputtering. It needs more fuel. Significant challenges threaten to derail its potential, demanding urgent attention and systemic change. Markets and political cycles prioritise immediate returns and quick wins. Sustainable solutions often require long-term R&D (research and development), patient capital and systemic shifts with payoffs decades away. Venture capitals chase software, not carbon capture while governments fund pet projects over foundational research. This misalignment starves crucial sustainable innovation of oxygen. While overall R&D spending grows, a minuscule fraction targets specific sustainability challenges like clean water access for the poorest or desertification reversal. Funding is often fragmented, risk-averse and concentrated in developed nations, leaving Global South innovators and critical “unsexy” technologies under-resourced. Bridging the “valley of death” between lab prototype and scalable deployment remains a major hurdle. Even when sustainable technologies emerge, profound inequalities block their deployment. High costs, intellectual property barriers, lack of local technical capacity and inadequate infrastructure prevent communities most vulnerable to climate change and poverty from accessing life-saving innovations. This risks creating a two-tiered world – one with cuttingedge green tech and another left further behind. Researchers, engineers, policymakers, entrepreneurs and communities often operate in isolation. Universities focus on publications, startups chase markets, governments regulate reactively and communities lack input. This lack of coordination stifles holistic solutions and slows the translation of knowledge into actionable, context-specific technologies. Pilots succeed but widespread adoption fails. Scaling sustainable technologies faces immense logistical, regulatory, financial and cultural barriers. Building new supply chains, retraining workforces, updating archaic regulations and shifting consumer behaviour require coordinated efforts far beyond the innovator’s lab. Innovation isn’t inherently good. New local knowledge systems formally into research agendas. Make rigorous ethical, social and environmental impact assessments mandatory for publicly funded R&D and major tech deployments. Systematically analyse potential unintended consequences of emerging technologies before they scale. 0 Develop adaptive governance frameworksGovernments must proactively reform regulations, invest in enabling infrastructure (smart grids and circular economy hubs) and create markets (for example, through green public procurement). De-risking instruments (guarantees, first-loss capital) are crucial for attracting private investment into scaling. The potential of STI to drive sustainable development is undeniable – from revolutionary clean energy to AI-optimised agriculture and accessible medical breakthroughs – the solutions can exist. But harnessing this potential isn’t automatic; it requires confronting the uncomfortable realities of misaligned incentives, inequitable access, fragmented efforts and unintended risks head-on. We need nothing short of a global compact for sustainable innovation – one that redefines success, prioritises equity, fosters unprecedented collaboration and invests with unwavering commitment in our shared future. The crisis is profound but so is our capacity for ingenuity. The time for tinkering is over; the time for transformative action in how we leverage STI for sustainability is now. Our future depends on it. Datuk Dr Ahmad Ibrahim is affiliated with the Tan Sri Omar Centre for STI Policy Studies at UCSI University and is an adjunct professor at the Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies, Universiti Malaya. Comments: [email protected] sustainable technologies faces immense barriers. Building new supply chains, retraining workforces, updating archaic regulations and shifting consumer behaviour require coordinated effortsfar beyond the innovator’s lab. – BERNAMPICCOMMENT by Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Ibrahimtechnologies can create new problems like e-waste from renewables, ethical AI dilemmas or bioengineering risks. Insufficient foresight, ethical frameworks and inclusive governance can lead to solutions that solve one problem while creating another or exacerbating existing inequalities. Effective innovation for complex sustainability challenges requires robust, accessible data on climate impacts, resource flows and social needs. Significant gaps persist, especially in developing regions. Furthermore, integrating indigenous knowledge and local context with scientific research is often overlooked, leading to ineffective or inappropriate solutions. Overcoming these challenges requires a paradigm shift, moving beyond incremental fixes to systemic transformation: 0 Governments should mandate SDG alignment in public R&D funding Create long-term innovation funds with patient capital and implement carbon pricing and regulations that make unsustainable practices costly, driving market demand for green solutions. The private sector must embrace ESG investing not as PR strategy but as a core strategy. Develop internal “sustainability venture” arms and support open innovation platforms focused on SDG. Increase high-risk, high-reward grants for early-stage sustainability tech and focus on bridging the deployment gap in underserved regions. 0 Promote open-source hardware and software for sustainability Negotiate tiered IP licensing for essential tech in low-income countries. Invest massively in STEM education and technical and vocational training globally, with a focus on local problemsolving. Direct significantly more funding to and support research leadership within developing nations. Build robust local innovation ecosystems. Create mandated multistakeholder platforms (government, academia, industry and civil society) for each major SDG challenge. 0 Establish “living labs” where solutions are co-created and tested with communities Build open-access global data platforms for sustainability metrics. Integrate indigenous and
11TUESDAY | DEC 2, 2025In British Columbia, civilsociety initiatives like BC Silver Alert pilot alert systems for seniors with dementia. – REUTERSPICTime to pull handbrake on overloaded lorries ACROSS Malaysia’s highways, heavy lorries thunder forward carrying cement, steel, food and countless essentials. They are vital to our economy, yet when overloaded beyond legal limits, they shift from engines of commerce into silent threats. It is time we confront this reality with honesty and resolve. The data is alarming. From January to October 2024 alone, 825 lorries were involved in fatal crashes, contributing to more than 5,300 deaths nationwide. Between 2019 and 2024, accidents involving heavy vehicles claimed 1,457 lives, with hundreds more left seriously injured. These are not just numbers, they represent families shattered and futures altered forever. The risk is undeniable. In 2023, PLUS reported that heavy vehicles accounted for 34% of fatal accidents, despite representing only 10% of traffic volume. The physics are simple and unforgiving: once an overloaded lorry loses control, momentum becomes deadly. Braking distances stretch, tyres overheat and the smallest error can result in catastrophic consequences. The damage extends beyond road safety. Overloading accelerates the deterioration of our highways and bridges. Pavements crack, structures wear prematurely and taxpayers ultimately pay for repairs – money that could instead support public transport, rural infrastructure or education. Every overweight journey sends an unseen bill to the public. In this context, the firm stance taken by Transport Minister Anthony Loke deserves recognition. Earlier this year, he formed a dedicated task force following several high-profile accidents and introduced high-speed weigh-in-motion systems to detect infringing vehicles in real time. These actions show a commitment not only to enforcement but also to modernising how the system operates.Equally significant is the proposal to expand liability. Under the proposed amendments, accountability will no longer rest solely with drivers or transport operators. Consignees – those who order and load the goods, may also face penalties if they pressure transporters to exceed weight limits. This is a crucial shift because many within the industry admit the pressure often begins upstream. Drivers are sometimes paid by weight, not trip. Small operators accept overloaded jobs because rates have been set unrealistically low. When the supply chain rewards overloading, enforcement alone cannot fix the issue. Some industry players argue stricter enforcement will raise logistics costs and burden smaller businesses. But Malaysia must face a larger truth: if an industry can only survive by breaking the law, the problem is not enforcement, it is the flaw in their business model. This moment is not a crisis created by stronger regulation; it is a correction after decades of inconsistent oversight, during which some came to view overloading as normal practice. Legal limits are not new but the seriousness with which they are now being upheld is. A safer logistics sector is not just a moral necessity, it is an economic one. Stable supply chains require reliable, well-maintained infrastructure. Investors and insurers favour regulated systems. If Malaysia is to become a competitive regional logistics hub, it must demonstrate that safety and compliance are non-negotiable. At the heart of this issue lies a human story. Every overloaded trip increases the risk borne by drivers and the public. Every life lost represents a cost far greater than delayed cargo or higher delivery fees. Ending this harmful culture is not about punishing the industry but about lifting it. Honest operators deserve a fair playing field. Drivers deserve dignity and safety. Malaysians deserve roads where the law is respected. The government has signalled the direction. Now the public must support it and industry must adapt. If we succeed, Malaysia will not only save lives, it will build safer highways, a stronger logistics sector and a future where progress never comes at the price of human life. Vanessa Scully serves as a special officer to the Ayer Keroh (Malacca) state assemblyman while Dr Sean Thum is a special functions officer to the deputy Communications minister. Comments: [email protected] elders? Activate Silver Alert!IMAGINE Atok wandering off for a stroll then vanishing – faster than a glass of teh tarik at a mamak table. Yet, unlike missing children, there is no NUR Alert for our seniors. And the numbers are shouting that we urgently need one. Enter the Silver Alert:nationwide, smart, respectful – with a touch of Malaysian flair – because our elders deserve far more than a shrug and a “biasa-lah”. Malaysia’s ageing reality is catching up fast: As of 2025, about 8% of Malaysians are aged 65 and above. This age group now makes up 11.6% – roughly 3.9 million people. Projections? By 2040, Malaysians aged 60 and above are expected to exceed 17% of the population. And this does not just mean more “senior discounts” at kedai makan. We are staring at a surge in agerelated issues – cognitive decline, dementia and all the “forget where I parked my Honda” moments. Today, an estimated 200,000 to 216,000 older adults in Malaysia live with dementia. By 2050, that number could balloon to 668,000 if we keep ignoring it. Translation: we are not just getting “older”; we are becoming a nation where senior citizens are no longer a fringe demographic but an increasingly mainstream one. This is why a Silver Alert isn’t some fancy idea; it is plain common sense. More seniors mean a higher risk of “wandering off and lupa jalan balik”. As life expectancy rises, more of our parents, grandparents and neighbours will fall into the “golden but vulnerable” zone. With dementia and other cognitive issues creeping up, the simple act of “going for a walk safely” is no longer guaranteed. Current support system? Kinda sus (lingo for suspicion). As of 2024, Malaysia has just over 60 trained geriatricians – that is roughly one specialist for every 10,000 older adults. Many dementia cases go undiagnosed or dismissed as “Mak lima-lah, tua, lupa sikit.” The signs often blur between normal ageing and real medical concerns. Families end up juggling caregiving like a part-time job with full-time stress. And while we loudly shout “Respect your elders!” at the dinner table, the moment they wander off, we suddenly realise we don’t have a system to help them. Birth rates are dropping and life expectancy is rising – a classic recipe for a future with more old folks than younglings. If we don’t build a robust elder-friendly safety net now, we’ll regret it later – with missing old folks, overburdened hospitals, exhausted caregivers and public panic. So yes, Silver Alert isn’t about charity; it is common sense. Learning from others This isn’t rocket science. Other countries have already set up systems to locate missing seniors. United States: Around 18 US states have Silver Alert programmes. Florida’s system fires alerts via highway signs, media and public notifications when seniors or adults with dementia go missing. North Carolina does the same, with law enforcement verifying cases before issuing alerts . Canada: In British Columbia, civil-society initiatives like BC Silver Alert pilot alert systems for seniors with dementia. Other provinces are lobbying for legal frameworks to support missing-vulnerable-adult alerts. Lessons to steal – shamelessly: Coordinated alerts that combine law enforcement, media, public engagement and technology actually work. Funding and training are key. And yes, these countries manage to keep seniors safe without causing unnecessary panic or stigma. Malaysia wouldn’t be reinventing the wheel, just giving it a local spin. How to make it smart, practical and sassy 0 National alert infrastructure: A system like NUR Alert, managed by the government, ready to send alerts the moment a senior goes missing. 0 Integration: Hospitals, police, transport hubs, community centres –if someone wanders into a clinic, LRT or pasar malam, the alert fires automatically. 0 Wearable ID or QR-coded bracelets: Stylish enough so elders don’t feel like criminals; functional enough that social-minded youths or Starbucks-obsessed teenagers can help. 0 Community engagement + public awareness + respect framing: No more “old bods gone wild” headlines. Think “lost heritage, lost stories” instead. Mobilise neighbourhood watches, shopkeepers, bus drivers – basically everyone – to help guide Atok and Makcik back safely before they wander into the next pasar malam or random street. 0 Funding and policy: Treat ageing as a national agenda, not an optional side-project. Train more geriatricians, fund elder-care services, support caregivers and integrate Silver Alert into national welfare planning. A dash of Malaysian realism Some politicians will shrug:“Elderly? We have bigger problems –inflation, rising chicken price.” Aiyo. But if Atok gets lost 100km away, who gets called first? NUR Alert works for kids but now we need VIP-level chaos control for seniors. Sure, some elders may resist ID bracelets. The reply: “Atok, this isn’t a name tag. This tag keeps you safe. It ensures you don’t end up makanMaggi with strangers in Penang.” And don’t even think elders won’t wander far. Atok already has a history of “adventure walking” and Makcik’s curious spirit may land her in someone else’s rumah terbuka. Without Silver Alert, it’s everyone panicking while the elders enjoy free kuih and kopi. Cultural twist: Malaysians love a bit of chaos but we love family more. Picture the kampung: everyone knows everyone and news travels faster than a WhatsApp forward. A Silver Alert harnesses this communal energy. Imagine a unified alert system, QR bracelets and neighbours ready to track lost elders like national treasure hunts. It’s fun, safe and culturally resonant – no foreign tech buzzwords required. Training and manpower: let’s make it sustainable. One geriatrician for every 10,000 seniors? Not enough. We need more trained medical staff, social workers and community volunteers ready to respond whenever someone wanders off. Schools and universities can pitch in too – younger Malaysians get a sense of responsibility and elders gain safety. Win-win. Final word: Do it now or sit back and watch Atok and Makcik turn your neighbourhood into a missingpersons episode. We praise seniors as “the backbone of civilisation” and “living kampung history books”. When they wander and vanish, shrugging it off as normal ageing is lazy and irresponsible. Silver Alert is not charity; it’s common sense. When an elder goes missing, it is not just a lost person; it’s lost memory, lost stories and lost heritage. Malaysia cannot afford to lose people we love without raising the alarm. Azura Abas is the associate editor of theSun. Comments: [email protected] MAKCIKBY AZURA ABASCOMMENT by Vanessa Scully and Dr Sean Thum
12 EDUCATION NEWSTUESDAY | DEC 2, 2025MONBanking & Finance TUESEducation News/Health & Wellness WEDESG THURPropertyWinners in Commonwealth essay competition THE Royal Commonwealth Society, in the UK, honoured Malaysians Chan Zi Yu, aged 10 and 16-year- old Ferdiana Osmund with gold awards at the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2025. As the world’s oldest international writing competition, it is open to nationals and residents of all Commonwealth countries and territories. According to the organising committee of the competition, 2025 was a record-breaking year, attracting 53,434 entries from across 56 member countries of the commonwealth. The gold award is top-tier recognition within the competition. Chan, who is currently enrolled at SJKC Chen Moh in Petaling Jaya, won the award with her entry titled “The Magical Door to Sanrio Land” in the junior category of the competition, under 14 years of age. She chose to write on the topic of embarking on a very special journey, where a secret door is discovered and that takes the writer into her favourite book. An excerpt from her essay proved unique and imaginative, “I was casually eating in the dining room, then when I went back to my room to read my favourite book, ‘The Sanrio Land’, I saw something strange. As I was flipping the pages, when I reached page 117, I saw a weird sentence that said, “Hey! Touch this and you can teleport to Sanrio Land!”. I always read this book, and I never saw Cinnamoroll say this before. I have exactly read this book 18 times and never seen this sentence. So, I touched the small tree in the picture, and in the blink of any eye, WHOOSH! I teleported to the exact tree I had touched in the book. “I was greeted by Cinnamoroll, Kuromi,Pompompurin,BadtzMaru, and Hello Kitty. “I was so stunned, speechless, and surprised. Even though I was oMalaysians show talent and creativity in crafting original storiesŰ BY DHARSHINI GANESONshocked, I also greeted them and gave them a big hug. “I was in Sanrio Land.” Sherry Wong, Chan’s mother said: “From a young age, Zi Yu has shown a remarkable passion for learning English independently. She was especially inspired and encouraged by her pre-school teacher, whose care and attention helped nurture her love for the language. “Through a report, we learnt that Zi Yu is a natural interpersonal learner, thriving in environments that encourage connection and engagement. Her dedication to improvement is evident in her achievements. She attended Cambridge English classes and was recognised for her achievements in the exams,” she added. Her mother also added that Zi Yu chose one of her favourite authors as Geronimo Stilton and when asked why she chose that particular author, her answer was, “inside the book is quite interesting, which no other book has it, with colourful words and pictures.” Chan’s final ambition is to be recognised as an author of her own books. Apart from books, she also has a love for badminton and volleyball, which she plays regularly. Another student from Sabah, Ferdiana, 16 yrs, won a Gold award in the senior category and is currently enrolled in her first year, pursuing automative technology at Keningau Vocational College. Her essay titled, “Huminodun: the spirit of sacrifice in Sabah’s sacred soil”, was centred on the ledgendary figure in Sabah’s Kadazandusun culture. The essay chronicled the original story of Huminodun, who according to folklore, willingly sacrificed herself for the well-being of the Dusun community during a severe drought and failing crops. Huminodun, according to legend is the daughter of the creator deity Kinoingan, who voluntarily offered herself as a sacrifice to restore life to earth. After her body was laid to rest, the first rice crop grew from her remains, providing sustenance to the local community. Till today, her sacrifice is celebrated annually through the Kaamatan festival celebrated every May. Psychological safety in schools‘SEKOLAH Selamat 2.0’ brought together leading experts in education, psychology and public health to urgently address the rising tide of emotional distress among Malaysian students at an academic forum held recently at Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) Kuala Lumpur campus. The consensus among panellists was clear, mental health is no longer a peripheral issue but a critical survival skill requiring a multi-sectoral and systemic overhaul of the current education ecosystem. The forum was attended by the current chairman of TAR UMT’s board of governors and alumni Council, Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy, President of TAR UMT, Prof Dato’ Indera Dr Lee Sze Wei, school counsellors and educators. The forum began with a compelling keynote address delivered by Dr Lee who stressed that mental health and emotional resilience in schools are ‘very timely and very hot topics’ that concern not just schools, but society as a whole. Dr Lee also issued a strong call to action, urging all stakeholders, including management, teaching staff, parents, families and the government to collaborate, emphasising that prevention is always better than solving the problem after it escalates. Associate Professor Datuk Dr Monna Ong Siew Siew, who is the lead researcher of the ‘Sekolah Selamat 2.0’ collaboration, presented the initiative which seeks to strengthen educational safety through new elements such as psychological safety, mental well-being, digital literacy and systematic, evidence-based intervention. Dr Monna cited alarming statistics, including a 17.7% rise in recorded physical bullying cases from 2023 to 2024 and a 60% increase in students reporting symptoms of depression, anxiety and post-pandemic stress. The proposed framework expands the definition of school safety from a physical focus to psychological, social, and emotional dimensions. The proposed phased implementation plan includes a pilot test in 200 schools nationwide and the training of 10,000 teachers starting in 2026. She also proposed establishing a National Mental Health and School Crisis Intervention Council. The forum then proceeded with a dynamic panel discussion featuring experts from diverse fields, each providing practical and systemic perspectives. Dr Nazrul Azizi, current president of Young Minds Malaysia highlighted the emotional pressures faced by the current ‘hyperconnected’ generation of students. He argued that schools may be underestimating the need for emotional literacy and responsible gadget use. Imatul Nor Hazizan, serving as the psychology officer at the Titiwangsa Health Office, identified the biggest gap in the current school-to-health referral pathway as the lack of a structured system for the early detection of emotional distress, especially since students often exhibit ‘quiet symptoms’ such as withdrawal, sleep deprivation, or somatic complaints (physical pain) rather than obvious behavioural issues. Dr Chuah Hooi Mei, the Programme Leader of FSSH, TAR UMT focused on the challenges faced by parents as primary caregivers and (from left) Assoc Prof Dr Lim Chia Yien, the forum’s moderator, with all the panellists, Prof Dr Ananda Kumar, Dr Nazrul, Imatul, Dr Chuah, Tan and Wong. noted that a major barrier is the lack of a one-stop online platform for them to find reliable help and information. Principal of SMJK Chong Hwa KL, Tan Siew Choo shared that the biggest operational barriers are the vast amount of administrative tasks and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) that overburden teachers, leaving them with insufficient time and knowledge to address students’ mental health. Wong Su Zane, vice-president of Life Line Association Malaysia, endorsed the multi-level crisis intervention model of Sekolah Selamat 2.0 as realistic. She urged all adults to ‘stop everything, drop everything, and listen’ when a student is willing to speak, and to change their opening question from “What’s wrong with you?” to the more empathetic “What happened to you?”. The forum concluded on a constructive note, with shared aspirations that the ‘Sekolah Selamat’ 2.0 proposal will continue to gain traction and contribute to building a school environment where psychological safety and student wellbeing are prioritised.Being a young winner has encouraged Chan to continue her journey towards achieving her ambition to be an author.Ferdiana used local folklore to create her original story related to Kadazandusun culture.
TUESDAY | DEC 2, 2025EditorialT: 03-7784 6688 F: 03-7785 2625 E: [email protected] AdvertisingT: 03-7784 8888 E: [email protected] MESmaller outflow of US$1.17b from Asian markets last weekKUALA LUMPUR: Foreign investors were net sellers across the eight markets in the week ended Nov 28, with total outflows reaching US$1.17 billion (RM4.83 billion), about 5.8 times less than in the week before. MBSB Investment Bank Bhd’s (MBSB IB) Fund Flow Report for the period said South Korea posted its fourth straight week of net foreign outflows, with an outflow of US$1 billion, the largest outflows in the region, as investors turned cautious following the Bank of Korea’s hawkish hold. “The Philippines ended its three-week consecutive streak of net foreign inflows, registering US$54.6 million in net foreign outflows. This was despite the trade deficit narrowing to US$3.83 billion in Oct 2025, the smallest in five months. “Thailand extended to a five-week consecutive streak of net foreign outflows, totalling a modest US$34.7 million, while Vietnam continued to post weekly net foreign outflows since late July, with the previous week’s total outflows at US$22.1 million,” it said.For Malaysia, MBSB IB said foreign investors extended a two-week consecutive streak of net selling, registering RM484.8 million in outflows. “Friday (-RM484.5 million) and Monday (-RM328.4 million) were the only days that saw net foreign selling, while Thursday saw the largest inflow at RM158.3 million, followed by Wednesday (RM120.5 million), and Tuesday (RM49.4 million),” it said. MBSB IB said that the top three sectors that recorded net foreign inflows last week were financial services at RM226 million, telecommunication and media at RM154 million, and consumer products and services at RM69.6 million. Meanwhile, the top three sectors that recorded net foreign outflows were utilities at RM420.5 million, industrial products and services at RM310.1 million, and construction at RM63.6 million. MBSB IB said that local institutions extended a two-week consecutive streak of net buying at RM356.4 million. “Similarly, local retailers logged their second consecutive streak of net buying at RM128.4 million. “The average daily trading volume saw a broad-based increase: local retailers registered a 9.3% increase, while local institutions and foreign investors recorded increases of 1.2% and 42% respectively,” it added. – BernamaOrkim IPO’s public portion oversubscribed nearly 12 timesPETALING JAYA: The public portion of marine transport company Orkim Bhd’s initial public offering (IPO) has been oversubscribed, reflecting strong investor confidence in the group’s prospects. The public balloting for the IPO was conducted yesterday, with encouraging participation from both retail and institutional investors, marking another key milestone in Orkim’s journey towards its listing on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia. The group received a total of 6,767 applications for 256.8 million shares, corresponding to the 20 million shares made available for application by the Malaysian public, representing an oversubscription rate of 11.84 times. The Bumiputera portion attracted 3,430 applications for 120.1 million shares, oversubscribed by 11.01 times, while the remaining public portion recorded 3,337 applications for 136.7 million shares, oversubscribed by 12.67 times. The 8 million shares reserved for eligible directors, employees, and persons who have contributed to the group’s success, together with the institutional offering, were also fully subscribed. Orkim chairman Datuk Abdul Hamid Sh Mohamed said the company is encouraged by the strong support and confidence shown by investors. The oversubscription reflects market recognition of Orkim’s track record, capabilities and resilience. “As we approach our listing, our focus remains on strengthening our fleet, driving operational efficiency through technology, and expanding our service offerings to support Malaysia’s energy and maritime logistics ecosystem. “We will continue to uphold the highest standards of safety, compliance, and governance as we steer Orkim towards long-term, sustainable growth,“ he said in a statement. CIMB Investment Bank Bhd is the principal adviser, joint bookrunner, managing underwriter and joint underwriter for the IPO. RHB Investment Bank Bhd acts as the joint bookrunner and joint underwriter, while Affin Hwang Investment Bank Bhd is the joint underwriter.Hong Leong Islamic Bank shifts focus to wealth solutionsKUALA LUMPUR: Hong Leong Islamic Bank Bhd (HLISB) expects strong demand in the Islamic wealth management segment for financial year 2026 (FY26), driven by growing consumer interest in syariah-compliant savings, protection and investment solutions. CEO Dafinah Ahmed Hilmi said HLISB – which contributed 18.9% to Hong Leong Bank’s net income and 14.5% to group profit before tax in Q1 FY26 – is shifting its strategic focus towards Islamic wealth management as it enters its next phase of growth. “When we talk about our propositions and our commitment to supporting wealth management, the mandate before us is substantial. As I mentioned, it goes beyond individual clients – it also encompasses entrepreneurs and businesses. Every stage of their journey has implications for Islamic wealth management,” she told reporters at HLISB’s 20th Anniversary celebration and media briefing yesterday. She added that the bank is strengthening its reach across the mass, affluent and high-networth segments. “Our target segment is clear. We cover all segments – mass, affluent and high net worth – and we have strategies tailored for each,” she said. Dafinah shared that HLISB will introduce new and enhanced wealth solutions next year as part of its refreshed strategic direction. The upcoming offerings will be anchored on its five-pillar Islamic wealth management framework, covering wealth creation, accumulation, preservation, purification and distribution. “We will be looking at more developments next year, ahead of Hari Raya,” she said. Dafinah highlighted that Malaysia’s low takaful penetration rate of 25% underscores Dafinah says Hong Leong Islamic Bank will introduce new and enhanced wealth solutions next year as part of its refreshed strategic direction. oHLISB celebrates 20th anniversary, enhances reach to cover all segments – mass, affluent and high net worth – with strategies tailored for each Ű BY HAYATUN RAZAK [email protected] in financial resilience, as many households still lack adequate protection amid mounting economic pressures. “Today, many people remain underprotected. HLISB plans to leverage the group’s takaful arm, Hong Leong MSIG Takaful, to strengthen protection solutions for our customers.” She said HLISB, as a key contributor within the Hong Leong Financial Group, will continue to grow across retail banking, SME financing and wealth management throughout FY26. “We operate within a leveraged banking model, drawing on the parent bank’s distribution and network. What is most important is that our products are syariah-compliant and guided by strong syariah governance,” she added. Hong Leong Bank group managing director and CEO Kevin Lam said HLISB continues to serve as a core growth engine for the group. “This trajectory is evident in our Q1 FY26 results announced last week, where financing assets expanded 7.8% year-on-year and now account for 23.4% of HLB’s total financing. HLISB recorded a PBT (profit before tax) of RM197 million, contributing 14.5% to the group’s overall performance for the period.” He emphasised that Islamic banking is not merely an alternative to conventional banking, but a value-based proposition that complements it. “Our renewed focus blends the wisdom of maturity with the agility of a startup to drive sustainable wealth for our customers.” HLISB signed a memorandum of understanding with University College of MAIWP International to expand its waqaf initiatives. Focused on healthcare needs, the partnership will channel customer contributions towards medical equipment and patient care, transforming personal success into social impact by recognising community well-being as part of holistic wealth. For retail customers, HLISB continues to reward disciplined financial behaviour through the HLB Meezani Account-i, a syariah-compliant unrestricted investment account. Designed to support wealth creation, the account rewards more than 23,000 customers with daily, weekly, quarterly and annual returns, while offering flexible access to funds.
BIZ & FINANCETUESDAY | DEC 2, 202514Perodua rolls out QV-E, Malaysia’s first homegrown EVautomotive ecosystem. “This initiative not only reduces reliance on imports but also opens opportunities for local investment and improves workforce capabilities,” Zainal Abidin said. “Since Perodua’s establishment, we have spent RM119 billion on local components, including RM11 billion this year alone, underscoring the scale of impact our EV programme will have.” The QV-E, which carries a retail price of RM80,000 excluding insurance and battery, was developed at the company’s Smart Mobility Plant over 28 months. Acknowledging that battery costs and longevity are major concerns for EV owners, Zainal Abidin unveiled Perodua’s Batteryas-a-Service model, which separates the vehicle body from the battery and offers a lifetime battery guarantee. “This concept is our solution to reduce owner anxiety. We are also introducing a battery passport system to track battery composition and usage, as well as an end-of-life Perodua’s QV-E, which retails at RM80,000 excluding insurance and battery, was developed at the company’s Smart Mobility Plant over 28 months. – BERNAMAPICoCEO says project reflects more than just a product launch, it’s a significant learning process for the company and the industryAnalysts maintain ‘overweight’ call on banksKUALA LUMPUR: Analysts have maintained their “Overweight” calls on the banking sector, citing resilient earnings, loan growth and attractive dividend yields despite ongoing margin pressures. Kenanga Investment Bank Bhd said the sector continued to demonstrate earnings resilience following the recent results season, although most banks reported a sequential dip in net interest margins, indicating that margin pressures may persist until the first half of calendar year 2026, when long-term deposits mature.It said Maybank, CIMB, RHB Bank and AmBank benefited from writebacks arising from successful corporate restructurings, enabling them to reinforce their provisioning buffers. “While banks with regional exposure have increasingly presented results on a constant-currency basis to normalise the effects of a stronger ringgit, domestic operations have remained stable and continued to support overall performance. “We maintain our ‘Overweight’ stance on the sector,” it said. Meanwhile, Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd (HLIB) said system loan growth remained resilient in October 2025 at 5.4% year-on-year, underscoring stable lending activity despite a softer deposit backdrop due to weaker current account and savings account and foreign currency inflows.“Leading indicators have moderated. Interest spreads narrowed further owing to lower loan yields, and we expect NIM compression to persist into the fourth quarter of 2025 before elevated deposit costs eventually stabilise,” it said.HLIB maintained its “Overweight” stance on the sector, supported by undemanding valuations, dividend yields exceeding 5% and a favourable risk-reward profile. It reiterated “Buy” ratings on Affin, Alliance Bank, AmBank, CIMB, Maybank, Public Bank and RHB. “The sector continues to offer compelling value, currently trading at about minus two standard deviations from its pre-Covid-19 five-year mean price-tobook ratio despite delivering comparable return on equity,” it said. – BernamaAmBank, Huawei in RM350m supply chain financing dealKUALA LUMPUR: AmBank Group and Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd have signed a RM350 million supply chain financing deal to advance Malaysia’s digital infrastructure. In a joint statement yesterday, AmBank Group said the financing underscores its commitment to support the nation’s long-term digital and economic aspirations. “Through this collaboration, AmBank Group aims to support the rollout of Malaysia’s second 5G network and strengthen the country’s digital infrastructure. “The group will facilitate foreign direct investment by delivering customised financial solutions that meet the needs of multinational corporations operating in Malaysia and drive national digital transformation in alignment with Malaysia’s vision for a future-ready, technology-driven economy,” the statement said. AmBank Group said the banking relationship highlights its role as a trusted financial partner to global technology leaders and reaffirms the bank’s dedication to enabling strategic foreign direct investment (FDI) that contributes to Malaysia’s economic growth. AmBank Group managing director of business banking Christopher Yap said the agreement underscores their long-standing banking relationship with Huawei Malaysia and their shared vision of driving Malaysia’s digital transformation. “This RM350 million supply chain financing facility demonstrates the progressive growth of our partnership with Huawei Malaysia and our confidence in supporting Malaysia’s digital ambitions at scale.” – BernamaKUALA LUMPUR: Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) has taken a decisive step into Malaysia’s electric vehicle (EV) market with the launch of the QV-E, the nation’s first homegrown battery electric vehicle (BEV), signalling the company’s commitment to a fully integrated, localised EV ecosystem. Describing it as “a significant learning process for the company and the industry”, president and CEO Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Ahmad said the QV-E is as much about building human capital and industry capability as it is about producing vehicles. “We are very proud to present an electric car made by Malaysian hands. This model represents the culmination of collaboration between our engineers, local vendors and academic partners, all working together to build something uniquely Malaysian,” he said during the launch yesterday. Zainal Abidin highlighted that the project reflects more than just a product launch, saying that the EV development involved close collaboration with local universities, including Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Kuala Lumpur and Universiti Tenaga Nasional, to cultivate technical expertise in EV and battery technologies. On the supply side, 52 local vendors are currently involved in producing components for the QVE, a figure that Zainal Abidin expects to grow to 70 by 2030. The company is targeting 50% component localisation by early 2026, rising to 70% by the end of the decade, in line with its strategy to strengthen Malaysia’s domestic Ű BYDEEPALAKSHMI [email protected] He stressed that the launch of the QV-E is symbolic of a broader transformation: “From Malaysian hands comes Malaysian mobility. Our goal is not just to build a car, but to develop a comprehensive EV ecosystem, one that supports local vendors, generates new skills, and strengthens the national economy.” With production starting at 500 units per month and plans to ramp up to 3,000 units by the third quarter of 2026, Perodua is poised to make a tangible impact on the local automotive industry and set a blueprint for homegrown EV success in Southeast Asia, Zainal Abidin said. He concluded by emphasising the importance of cooperation and longterm commitment from all stakeholders.“This achievement is the result of strong strategic collaboration between Perodua, the government, local vendors, universities and partners. Let us continue to work together to strengthen Malaysia’s EV ecosystem, advance green mobility and build a sustainable future for the country,” he said.programme to recycle or repurpose batteries safely,” he said. A digital ecosystem supports the QV-E through the Perodua Secure mobile application, offering connectivity, mobility-as-a-service functionality and monitoring features. Zainal Abidin emphasised that these systems are critical for integrating the QV-E into a wider EV ecosystem, beyond just the vehicle itself.Perodua has incorporated advanced safety features, including the Child Presence Detection System, which monitors vital signs and movement in the second-row seat and footwell area, even under fabric covers. “Every feature in the QV-E has been created with advanced safety, comfort, and functionality in mind,” Zainal Abidin said. “It is a product of detailed research and a commitment to quality, representing the Malaysian industry at its best.” Zainal Abidin outlined a clear longterm EV strategy for Perodua, targeting 20% of total sales by 2030 with eventual expansion to 80%, supported by ongoing government collaboration.
BIZ & FINANCETUESDAY | DEC 2, 202515CAB Cakaran net profit surges to RM20m in Q4PETALING JAYA: CAB Cakaran Corporation Bhd reported a 105.13% year-on-year surge in net profit to RM20 million for the fourth quarter ended Sept 30, 2025 (Q4 FY25), delivering its eighth consecutive quarter of net profit without government subsidies and demonstrating the strong operating efficiency of its integrated poultry business. Revenue dipped 3.75% to RM569.73 million, due to lower trading volume of feed and reduced sales of broilers. Earnings per share for Q4 FY25 stood at 2.85 sen, up from 1.39 sen a year ago. The company said the decline was mainly attributable to lower contributions from the integrated poultry division. Despite lower revenue, the group achieved an operating profit of RM22.15 million, up 34.24%, driven primarily by stronger performance from the integrated poultry division. The board has proposed a final dividend of 1 sen per share for the financial year ended Sept 30, 2025. The entitlement date and payment date for the dividend will be determined later. The poultry division’s operating profit increased significantly, mainly due to a 10% reduction in feed costs compared to the same period last year, as well as higher dividend income from a subsidiary. For the whole of FY25 CAB Cakaran’s net profit increased 20.11% to RM90.65 million, while revenue was marginally down by 0.43% to RM2.31 billion. The group’s cash position rose to RM218.84 million from RM186.78 million a year ago. The group’s retail division has finally turned around this quarter, delivering an operating gain of RM0.33 million, compared to a loss of RM0.22 million in the same quarter of last year. The retail division posted a higher revenue of RM38.97 million, supoEighth successive profitable quarter without govt subsidies, 1 sen final dividend proposedM’sian manufacturing PMI turns positive in November, marks first expansion in 18 monthsPETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 50.1 in November from 49.5 in October, signalling the sector’s first expansion in 18 months and reinforcing expectations of a strong quarter despite earlier concerns over weaker conditions stemming from higher US tariffs. Kenanga Investment Bank Bhd (Kenanga IB) said the renewed momentum was underpinned by a surge in new orders, which reached a 43-month high as steady client confidence, recent product launches and a milder slowdown in export demand helped sustain growth. Its research arm said that although output volumes continued to contract, the pace of decline eased as firms navigated raw material shortages, intensifying competition and higher tax burdens. “Inventories increased for the first time in 41 months as manufacturers actively replenished stocks to support rising order volumes. “Cost pressures, however, intensified, with input prices climbing sharply for the second consecutive month on the back of rising raw material costs and tax obligations. These increases filtered through to clients, resulting in the steepest rise in output charges in 15 months,“ Kenanga IB said in a note yesterday. Even so, it said, firms remained optimistic, with business sentiment reaching its highest level since July 2013, buoyed by new product pipelines, expansion plans and stronger customer demand. Kenang IB says exports of the E&E sector should stay resilient as they remain exempt from higher tariffs. – BERNAMAPICHengyuan Refining back in the black in third quarterPETALING JAYA: Hengyuan Refining Company Bhd reported a net profit of RM21.04 million for the third quarter ended Sept 30, 2025 (Q3’25), returning to the black from a net loss of RM165.1 million during the same period a year ago, and achieving its highest quarterly net profit since FY22. The strong performance was mainly driven by enhanced plant efficiency and higher production yields, resulting from Hengyuan’s focus on operational excellence. In addition, higher crack spreads, which have risen year-onyear and year-to-date compared to the same periods in 2024, contributed to an improved gross margin for the company. Revenue declined 12% to RM3.62 billion in Q3’25, from RM4.12 billion a year ago. The dip in revenue was due to reduced product prices and was further exacerbated by the weakening of the US dollar against the ringgit. Chief financial officer Yeo Bee Hwan (pic) said the company posted its strongest quarterly result since FY22, driven by persistent efforts and investments to enhance plant efficiency, improve yields, and seize new opportunities to expand its business. “In Q3 FY25, Hengyuan benefited from higher year-onyear crack spreads. Concern over supply cuts is driving strong demand for middle distillates such as diesel and jet fuel, which has been positive for margins. “While the global oil market remains volatile, Hengyuan will continue to focus on operational efficiency, product quality, and prudent financial management. We remain committed to our target of returning to profitability by 2026,“ she said in a statement. On Oct 23, 2025, Hengyuan raised gross proceeds of RM234 million following oversubscription of its rights issue. The majority of the proceeds will be used to purchase additional crude oil feedstock, the primary raw material for refining and manufacturing petroleum products, to enhance production efficiency, reduce unit costs per barrel and strengthen the company’s competitiveness. On Oct 30, 2025, the company’s warrants issued pursuant to the rights issue began trading on the main market of Bursa Malaysia. ported by additional sales from two newly opened outlets during financial year 2025. The increase in revenue, together with an insurance claim of RM0.37 million, contributed positively to the division’s performance. To date, CAB Cakaran has 16 retail outlets, comprising Pasaraya Jaya Gading Sdn Bhd and Home Mart Fresh & Frozen Sdn Bhd. Group managing director Christopher Chuah Hoon Phong said the Q4 earnings mark the company’s eighth consecutive profitable quarter since the discontinuation of government subsidies. “Our sustained growth, especially on an operating level, demonstrates that we are efficient and can thrive without subsidies. Furthermore, these results were also achieved without the contribution from Cargill Feed Sdn Bhd. “Shareholders approved our acquisition of Cargill Feed on Nov 5, and we are set to complete it this month. This will allow us to consolidate Cargill’s earnings from next year onwards fully. While this is an earnings accretive acquisition, Cargill Feed is presently operating only at 60% capacity. We intend to reach full capacity over the next two years. “This acquisition will also unlock a reliable, cost-effective supply of animal feed for the group, thereby fully supporting our long-term growth plans,” he said in a statement. To recap, CAB Cakaran acquired commercial animal feed manufacturer Cargill Feed for RM231 million in cash in July this year. The move will help CAB Cakaran strengthen its poultry business by producing its own animal feed for over 100 broiler and breeder farms across Peninsular Malaysia. Earlier last month, CAB Cakaran announced it will kickstart its Indonesian operations with its partner and Indonesia’s biggest conglomerate, The Salim Group. “These plans will be imple-mented by the second quarter of 2026. We are now proactively executing this joint venture to ensure that operations can start soon. We foresee FY26 to be a growth year for CAB Cakaran as we recognise contributions from our new venture with Cargill Feed. “Despite the bright outlook, we will continue to work hard and be diligent in ensuring all our businesses are run efficiently and deliver good profit,” Chuah said.“This renewed confidence translated into higher employment, which grew at its fastest pace since September 2022, effectively ending a four-month decline,“ it said. On the manufacturing outlook, Kenanga IB said the PMI readings point to stable conditions despite lingering tariff uncertainties. Export-oriented sectors redirected shipments to other markets as US shipments fell in October. Steady domestic demand also supported manufacturing activity. “However, caution remains as the lagged impact of US tariffs may weigh on external demand after the year-end festive season. “Even so, exports of the E&E sector should stay resilient as they remain exempt from higher tariffs, while domestic-oriented manufacturing will benefit from firm domestic demand, continued government spending under Budget 2026 and the rollout of the 13th Malaysia Plan,“ Kenanga IB noted. A strong November PMI indicates robust mid-fourth quarter of 2025 manufacturing activity, likely sustaining expansion through year-end and challenging earlier expectations of a slowdown, it said. Together with mining recovery, steady services and firm domestic demand, growth is poised to outperform current estimates. “Nevertheless, we maintain our 2025 GDP growth forecast at 4.5% for now, with an upside bias to upgrade to 4.8% if current momentum persists,“ Kenanga IB said.
BIZ & FINANCETUESDAY | DEC 2, 202516VinFast mulls petrol engines to extend EV range: SourcesVinFast, Vietnam’s largest carmaker by sales, does not break down foreign market sales. A Vingroup affiliate is fast expanding Vietnam’s EV charging network. REEVs, like hybrids, use two power sources, an electric motor and an ICE, but unlike hybrids, the ICE does not drive the car in REEVs. It only recharges the battery when needed, extending driving range. VinFast stopped producing petrol-fuelled cars and shifted to electric vehicles in 2022. That year, it also joined the COP26 declaration on green transition for cars, pledging to sell exclusively zero-emission vehicles in leading markets by 2035 and globally by 2040. REEVs produce emissions, but usually less than plug-in hybrids. Reuters could not establish whether VinFast plans to develop REEV technology in-house or acquire it. “There is no change to our overall strategy,” Vingroup said, adding official details would come “at the appropriate time”. In 2023, VinFast held nearly 80 patents, far fewer than Tesla’s 347 patent families or the thousands held by the major traditional carmakers, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization. Chinese electric carmakers, including Li Auto and Leapmotor, produce REEVs, while legacy automakers are developing similar options. Facing severe air pollution, Vietnam plans restrictions on petrol-powered vehicles, starting with a ban on petrol motorbikes central Hanoi from mid-2026. – ReutersVinFast’s exhibition booth at the 32nd Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show in Tangerang, Greater Jakarta. – AFPPICoCompany says always looking for opportunities to develop new productsIndonesia’s October exports unexpectedly fall JAKARTA: Indonesia posted a smaller-than-expected trade surplus in October after exports unexpectedly fell, official data showed yesterday, amid curtailed demand from China and weak shipments of mining products. The surplus stood at US$2.4 billion (RM9.9 billion), smaller than the US$3.72 billion forecast by economists polled by Reuters and September’s US$4.34 billion surplus. It was the smallest monthly surplus since April, according to LSEG data. Exports dropped 2.31% from a year earlier to US$24.24 billion. Analysts had predicted 3.38% growth. The decline was due to lower shipments of coal and copper products, a Statistics Indonesia official told reporters. The contraction stems from weaker demand from China, amid a softening economy and ongoing normalisation of trade with the United States following a tit-for-tat escalation in tariffs earlier this year, said Permata Bank economist Faisal Rachman. Indonesian exporters had front-loaded their shipments to the US ahead of the onset of tariffs in August. Meanwhile, the country’s biggest copper producer, Freeport Indonesia, experienced a fatal mud-flow disaster at its Grasberg complex in September, which forced the company to temporarily halt production. It has since resumed operation at its two smaller mines in Grasberg, but it lowered its production targets for 2025 and 2026 due to ongoing recovery work at the complex. Southeast Asia’s biggest economy has enjoyed a relatively large trade surplus almost every month in 2025, supported by higher shipments of palm oil, gold and jewellery – and even as prices of its top commodities, coal and nickel, remain weak. Imports contracted by 1.15% to US$21.84 billion in October amid lower demand for consumer goods and raw materials. Separately, Indonesia’s annual inflation rate slowed to 2.72% in November, slightly less than analysts’ median forecast of 2.77% and comfortably within the central bank’s 1.5% to 3.5% target range, data showed yesterday. The inflation rate stood at 2.86% in October. Core inflation, which excludes government controlled prices and volatile food items, was steady at 2.36% in November. – ReutersThai central bank planning measures to ease strong bahtBANGKOK: Thailand’s central bank is planning measures to ease the upward pressure on the baht, including having banks tighten their controls on gold-related foreign exchange transactions and requiring major gold traders to supply their transaction data. The baht has strengthened by 7% against the dollar so far this year to be Asia’s second-best performing currency. The baht’s appreciation is seen as a threat to the competitiveness of the export and tourism sectors. The Bank of Thailand is closely monitoring the baht and will act on any volatility to reduce the impact on businesses, it said in a statement. The BOT said it will propose the Finance Ministry increase the limit for foreign income that does not need to be repatriated to US$10 million per transaction, up from the current US$1 million per transaction, to take effect this month. The higher limit would provide greater flexibility for the private sector in managing foreign currency and ease the pressure on the baht to rise by reducing the amount of foreign exchange being brought into the country. Earlier yesterday, central bank governor Vitai Ratanakorn said he saw room to cut interest rates, but added such a move had only a limited impact on an economy facing structural problems. The central bank has cut its policy rate four times over the past year, taking it to a three-year low, to support a sluggish economy. Its next policy review is on Dec 17, and some economists expect a further rate reduction. BOT unexpectedly left the key rate unchanged at 1.50% at its review in October. – ReutersSouth Korea market watchdog wary of FX risks for retail investorsSEOUL: The chief of South Korea’s financial market watchdog said yesterday authorities would review protection measures for retail investors regarding foreign exchange risks amid persistent weakness in the won currency. “From the perspective of consumer protection, we will review whether the matters related to hedging foreign exchange risks for overseas investments are being fully explained by financial firms,” Lee Chan-jin, the governor of the Financial Supervisory Service, told a press conference. Lee was speaking on an earlier government announcement that authorities would conduct inspections on protection measures for retail investors, adding that they do not plan to regulate overseas stock investments. The won has weakened more than 4% against the dollar so far this quarter, which the country’s central bank last week attributed to increasing overseas investments by residents and sales of domestic stocks by foreigners. There is no sign of risks for financial firms in terms of foreign exchange exposure, Lee said. “On the contrary, some insurance firms are making profit,” he said. Regarding ongoing investigations into private equity firm MBK Partners over its sale of troubled supermarket chain Homeplus and media reports of potential heavy sanctions, Lee said a decision would be made this month. MBK, in response to a request for comment, said: “MBK Partners has been doing its best to protect investor interests, according to relevant laws and articles of association.” It said it would give a full explanation in any future proceedings with the regulator. Lee also said authorities, who are also investigating local banks over their sales of equity-linked derivatives, would take into account their efforts to compensate investor losses. Recent data leaks at financial firms and other South Korean companies, including cryptocurrency exchange Upbit, Lotte Card and e-commerce retailer Coupang, raise the need for stronger regulations, Lee said, criticising companies for being negligent in their data security. – ReutersHANOI: Vietnamese electric carmaker VinFast is considering equipping some of its cars with small internal combustion engines (ICE) to recharge batteries and extend driving ranges, according to three people familiar with the plan and job ads, in a partial shift from its existing all-electric production. The Nasdaq-listed start-up is trying to boost sales and expand overseas to rein in growing losses that are weighing on parent company Vingroup, Vietnam’s largest conglomerate by market capitalisation. The plan under review involves using petrol-fuelled options to extend range, the three sources told Reuters, requesting anonymity as the information was not public. One of the sources said a team was tasked lat month to explore turning VinFast’s VF9 SUVs into range-extended electric vehicles (REEVs) by equipping them with a small petrol engine used solely to recharge the battery. A second source said the company was considering hybrid models. All sources said the plans were preliminary. VinFast posted at least three LinkedIn job ads in November seeking REEV experts. Asked about the plans, Vingroup, which handles communications for VinFast, told Reuters it would “not overlook opportunities to research and develop new products that align with customer preferences, needs, and market trends”. VinFast currently produces about a dozen models, mostly compact city cars, and sold about 104,000 units domestically in the first nine months of the year, nearly 95% of its global sales. The VF9, its priciest vehicle, accounts for roughly 1% of sales in Vietnam, and is also shipped to the US and Canada, but in low numbers.
BIZ & FINANCETUESDAY | DEC 2, 202517Rupee at record low despite blowout growth printMUMBAI: The Indian rupee fell to a record low yesterday as sluggish trade and portfolio flows, coupled with the lack of a US-India trade deal, overshadowed the impact of stellar economic growth. The rupee declined to 89.7575 against US dollar, dipping past its previous record low of 89.49 hit about two weeks ago. The drop came right after India posted a blowout GDP number that exceeded all expectations. The economy expanded 8.2% in the September quarter. The rupee ranks among Asia’s worst-performing currencies this year despite resilience in domestic economic fundamentals which have boosted shares to record highs. The losses on the rupee would have been larger if not for the regular intervention from the central bank, traders say. Bankers said the robust growth has offered little respite to the currency, which remains pressured by the lack of progress on a US-India trade deal, importer hedging activity, and a balance of payments position that has turned less supportive. The maturity of positions in the non-deliverable forwards market also hurt the rupee, traders said, while state-run banks were spotted offering dollars intermittently. A “calibrated” rupee depreciation is “both inevitable and desirable” in the current macroeconomic environment, economists at J.P. Morgan said in a note. The longer there is no trade deal, the greater the onus on rupee depreciation would be to provide that offset, the economists said. Comments from US and Indian officials last month had raised hopes that the steep 50% tariffs on Indian exports would soon be reduced, but a deal has not been finalised. The US tariffs have dented trade and portfolio flows into Indian equities, leaving the currency reliant on central bank interventions for support. Foreign investors have net pulled out over US$16 billion from Indian shares over the year so far. India’s merchandise trade deficit hit an all-time high in October. The rupee’s rough patch has brought down its 40-currency real effective exchange rate, a measure of competitiveness, to undervaluation territory. At the end of October, the measure stood at 97.47, per central bank data. A level below 100 signals that a currency is undervalued relative to those of its trading partners. Last month, the International Monetary Fund reclassified India’s foreign exchange framework as a “crawl-like arrangement”, noting that “while the exchange rate has exhibited increasing two-way movement this year, there remains room for additional exchange rate flexibility”. – ReutersASX announcement platform still not fully operational as trading session ends SYDNEY: Embattled stock exchange operator Australian Securities Exchange is facing fresh pressure to enact its turnaround plan, after its announcements platform suffered an outage yesterday, forcing about 80 stocks to be placed on a trading halt. The exchange’s announcements platform went down just before 9am and was still not fully operational at the close of trade yesterday at about 4pm. The ASX said it had published some company announcements received after 11.22am but there was still a backlog of announcements that were due to be processed. “Earlier announcements remain impacted,” an ASX statement on its website showed, adding the exchange was working towards a full remediation of the issue. The ASX said it did not believe the outage was a cybersecurity-related incident. Companies due to release price-sensitive information during the outage were placed in a trading halt, according to an ASX spokesperson. As many as 80 stocks were affected, ASX said. ASX trading and settlement were not impacted. The outage is the latest in a string of problems for the stock exchange operator, which has been criticised by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the Reserve Bank of Australia for its performance. ASX chairman David Clarke told ASX investors in October a multi-year turnaround plan could not afford to fail, as the exchange battled the regulatory fallout following a 2024 trading settlement delay. Stockbrokers and Investment Advisers Association Chief Executive Judith Fox said the announcement platform malfunction had highlighted the ASX’s operational risk management problems which had concerned the industry group for some time. “There is still substantial work to be done to improve ASX’s risk management framework and today’s outage shows that improvements in risk culture take time but we need to see that its risk transformation plan is capable of success.” The ASX disruption comes after US-based CME Group, the world’s largest exchange operator, on Friday suffered one of its longest outages in years, halting trading across stocks, bonds, commodities and currencies. ASIC is engaging with the ASX on the market announcement platform outage, according to a spokesperson at the regulator. – ReutersAsia’s factories stumble amid global uncertaintiesBEIJING: Asia’s manufacturing powerhouses struggled with sluggish demand in November, extending declines in factory activity as progress in US trade negotiations failed to translate into a significant recovery in orders. A raft of purchasing managers’ indexes (PMIs) on Monday showed diverging conditions across the region, with China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan all reporting declines in activity while Southeast Asian economies mostly saw growth. In China, the world’s largest manufacturer, factory activity slipped back into contraction, a private-sector PMI showed, a day after Beijing’s official measure showed activity falling for the eighth consecutive month albeit at a slower pace. “Container throughput at Chinese ports was little changed last month compared to October. To the extent that demand did improve, it didn’t do much to support production amid already high inventory levels – the output component Employees move copper rod on a pallet on the production line for copper flat wire at the Wellascent factory in the China city of Ganzhou. – REUTERSPICoProgress in trade negotiations with America fails to revive demanddropped to a four-month low,” Zichun Huang, China economist at Capital Economics, said in a note. “And while the output price component edged up slightly, it stayed at a low level, pointing to persistent deflationary pressures.” Still, Capital Economics noted a general disconnect between the PMIs and hard trade data from across Asia. “Exports from most of Asia have been surging in recent months and we think the near-term outlook for export-driven manufacturing sectors in the region remains favourable,” Shivaan Tandon, Asia economist at Capital Economics, said in a separate report. Across Asia this year, businesses in major exporting nations have been scrambling to navigate the uncertainty created by US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs. While Trump’s trade deals with countries like Japan and South Korea and lowered tensions with China have given firms some confidence, many are still adjusting to the new US trade reality. Japan’s PMI showed new orders continued to decline, stretching the downturn to two-and-a-half years, blamed on factors such as a sluggish global business environment, tighter client budgets and subdued capital investment. Official data yesterday also showed Japanese corporate spending on factories and equipment rose 2.9% in July-September versus the same period a year prior, slowing from the previous quarter. South Korea’s factory activity contracted for a second month in November, though a finalised trade deal with the United States brought some clarity for manufacturers. Separate data showed Korean exports rose in November for a sixth consecutive month, beating market expectations, as chip sales hit a record on strong technology demand while autos also jumped after a US trade deal. Taiwan’s PMI showed factory activity continued to fall, but at a slower pace. Meanwhile, Asia’s emerging-market manufacturers remained outperformers with Indonesia and Vietnam both reporting brisk growth in factory activity and Malaysia swinging back to growth. India’s factory activity growth slowed from October’s strong reading, however the country’s PMI remained well above those of its peers, aligning with other indicators that show strong growth in Asia’s third-largest economy. Gross domestic product in the South Asian nation grew at its fastest pace in 18 months in the July-September period, data released on Friday showed, lifted by robust consumer spending. – Reuters
BIZ & FINANCETUESDAY | DEC 2, 202518Japanese property giants deepen push into IndiaMUMBAI: Japanese real estate developers are wading further into a tricky Indian market and more of their peers are expected to get their feet wet, drawn by rising rents in a rapidly growing economy as well as low construction costs. First case in point is Mitsui Fudosan, Japan’s biggest property developer, which forayed into India in 2020, partnering with local developer RMZ Real Estate to build an office complex in Bengaluru. Mitsui Fudosan could embark on fresh investment of ¥30-¥35 billion (RM785-RM929 million) or more in projects with either RMZ or other developers, said two sources with knowledge of the plans. Last month, members of Mitsui Fudosan’s management team were in Mumbai and the region around the capital New Delhi looking at opportunities, they added, declining to be identified as the information was private. Mitsui Fudosan declined to comment. RMZ declined to comment on the potential new investment. RMZ Real Estate CEO Avnish Singh did say, however, that Japanese developers are kicking into higher gear now that trust with local partners has been established. “The floodgates can open and have opened,” he said. Sumitomo Realty and Development, Japan’s No.3 developer which describes Mumbai as its second engine of growth after Tokyo, has committed US$6.5 billion across five projects in the city, including two sites added this year. It is also scouting for land around a Workers walk past a construction site by Goisu Realty, the Indian subsidiary of Sumitomo Realty & Development Company, in Mumbai. – REUTERSPICoDevelopers lured by surging rents for premium buildings and low construction costsAmazon, Google launch multicloud serviceSAN FRANCISCO: Amazon and Google introduced a jointly developed multicloud networking service on Sunday to meet growing demand for reliable connectivity the companies said in a statement, at a time when even brief internet disruptions can cause major outages. The initiative will enable customers to establish private, high-speed links between the two companies’ computing platforms in minutes instead of weeks. The new service is being unveiled a little over a month after an Amazon Web Services outage on Oct 20 disrupted thousands of websites worldwide, knocking offline some of the internet’s most popular apps, including Snapchat and Reddit. That outage will cost US companies between US$500 million and US$650 million in losses, according to analytics firm Parametrix. The new offering combines AWS’ Interconnect–multicloud with Google Cloud’s Cross-Cloud Interconnect, to improve network interoperability, according to announcements by the two cloud providers. “This collaboration between AWS and Google Cloud represents a fundamental shift in multicloud connectivity,” said Robert Kennedy, vice president of network services at AWS. Rob Enns, vice-president and general manager of cloud networking at Google Cloud, said the joint network is intended to make it easier for customers to move data and applications between clouds. Salesforce is among the early users of the new approach, Google Cloud said in a statement. AWS provides computing power, data storage and other digital services to companies, governments and individuals and is the world’s largest cloud provider, followed by Microsoft’s Azure and Google Cloud. Tech companies including Alphabet, Microsoft and Amazon are investing billions to build infrastructure that can handle surging internet traffic with the growing demands of artificial intelligence, as the need for computing power to support these services accelerates. Amazon’s cloud business delivered robust growth in the third quarter, generating US$33 billion in revenue; more than double that of Google’s US$15.16 billion. – ReutersSwiss billionaire calls for higher tax on richZURICH: A prominent Swiss billionaire has called for higher taxation of the rich as his country overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to introduce a 50% tax on inherited fortunes of 50 million Swiss francs (RM256 million) and above. Alfred Gantner, a co-founder of private equity firm Partners Group, said increasing concentration of wealth was a global problem in remarks published yesterday in Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger, which interviewed the entrepreneur last week. “It can’t be that a few people in this country have huge fortunes and others don’t know how they’re going to pay their health insurance and their rent,” Gantner, who also refers to himself as Fredy, was quoted as saying. If nothing is done to address the problem, then the “Elon Musks, Mark Zuckerbergs and Fredy Gantners will amass a whole lot more money in the next 20 years”, Gantner said. Switzerland is one of the world’s top wealth management hubs and around 2,500 taxpayers in the country have assets worth more than 50 million francs, according to Swiss tax authorities. Over 78% of Swiss voters in a referendum on Sunday rejected the proposed inheritance tax, more than polls had forecast. Gantner, who described luck as an important part of accumulating a large fortune, said inheritance taxes were not the way forward, arguing they can easily be circumvented. “We need progressive wealth taxation,” he said. “For example, one could say that above 200 million Swiss francs, taxes of 1% are due. At half a billion, it would be 1.2%, at one billion, 1.5%, and so on.” Gantner, who is pushing for Switzerland to reject an agreement that will deepen its economic ties with the European Union, appears at number 1045 in the 2025 Forbes Billionaires list with an estimated net worth of US$3.5 billion. – ReutersTesla car registrations drop sharply in France and DenmarkPARIS: Tesla’s November registrations in France and Denmark halved from a year ago, as the EV maker struggled to reverse market share losses in Europe despite the launch of a new range of its best-selling Model Y.Monthly registrations, a proxy for sales, slumped 58% in France to 1,593 vehicles sold, and by 49% to 534 cars in Denmark, where the Model Y was the 23rd most popular vehicle with 206 units sold, official data showed. Tesla’s slowdown in Europe began late last year, after its CEO Elon Musk publicly praised right wing political figures, setting off protests across the region. Musk has gone relatively quiet on politics in recent months, but Tesla’s European business has not recovered, signaling more fundamental problems. Analysts pointed to growing competition in a crowded European market, especially from new entrants from China, and Tesla’s aging lineup. While Musk spent much of this year focused on the carmaker’s robotics pursuits and winning shareholder approval for his freshly minted US$1 trillion pay package, Tesla tried to win back buyers by launching a refreshed Model Y earlier this year. In October, it unveiled lower priced versions of its staple Model Y SUV and Model 3 sedan, with the latter not yet available in Europe. In Denmark, November registrations of the Model 3 increased by 29% to 326 cars, making it the country’s 8th most sold car. – Reuterssoon-to-be operational Navi Mumbai city airport for new investment, said a senior industry source familiar with its strategy. The source declined to be named because the information was confidential. Sumitomo Realty did not respond to a request for comment. Japanese companies are far from the only overseas investors keen on Indian property. US investment firm Blackstone, for example, is India’s biggest commercial landlord, and roughly half of its US$50 billion in Indian assets are in real estate. Like Blackstone, most foreign players purchase existing assets given India’s notorious reputation for construction delays that can leave prospective tenants and buyers high and dry. Although reforms in recent years have improved construction timelines and created a new framework to resolve disputes, acquiring land can be very slow, involving much red tape. “Japanese investors are one of the few willing to take development risk. They like to roll up their sleeves,” said Singh. Despite red-tape headaches, the returns can be worthwhile. “Expected returns in the Japanese market are maybe around 2-4%. In India, you can easily expect 6-7%,” said Seiji Ota, a partner at Deloitte India who focuses on Japanese investments in the country. Ota and Singh said a number of other Japanese developers want to make their first foray into India and are assessing opportunities to develop office, retail and hotel projects. Japanese companies and funds have boosted investment in overseas real estate by a fifth this year, according to a survey by Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Research Institute conducted in September. While the US and Australia remain long-favoured markets, interest in India notably spiked, with 41% of those surveyed intending to invest, up 6 percentage points from a year earlier. One key draw for Japanese developers is India’s low labour costs. Hiring an electrician or a plumber, for example, costs just US$2 an hour. Constructing premium office buildings of up to 20 floors costs more than US$8,000 per square metre in New York, around US$5,300 in London and $4,000 in Tokyo, but is just US$656 in Mumbai, data from real estate consultancy Turner & Townsend shows. Just as importantly, rents for premium office space have surged in India on the back of economic growth that has averaged 8% over the past three fiscal years. Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex – its central business district – led growth in commercial rents for the Asia Pacific region in the third quarter with a jump of 14.2%, according to CBRE, a commercial real estate services and investment firm. That was followed by Tokyo’s central five wards which rose 10.2%, while India’s national capital region and Seoul’s central business district both climbed over 9%. Japanese firms’ preference for designing a building from scratch allows them to bring in technology not used in India. Sumitomo Realty’s first project in Bandra Kurla Complex is using a steel structure that enables very wide floor plates and thus pillar-less offices – something that Indian developers cannot do yet, said the source familiar with its strategy. The firm expects to charge a 30%-40% premium over normal rents in the area for this design feature, the source added. JPMorgan will be a tenant in the building, according to two sources and a copy of the lease. Other Japanese developers in the Indian market include Daibiru Corp, which started with investments in office deals in two cities last year. It is now scouting for land and could even look at developing residential buildings and data centres, said Anand Jayaraman, South Asia CEO of its parent Mitsui O.S.K. Lines. – Reuters
BIZ & FINANCETUESDAY | DEC 2, 202519STOCKS CLOSING (RM) +/- (RM) VOLUME (’00) KLK 19.100 -1.100 17,568 MPI 31.360 -0.560 1,384 PPB 10.580 -0.420 9,330 INARI 1.930 -0.260 488,546 VERSATL-WA 0.120 -0.230 150 BIPORT 5.150 -0.150 10 PANAMY 7.200 -0.150 1,784 AJI 13.520 -0.140 361 HLBANK 21.000 -0.140 12,204 INARI-C4C 0.010 -0.140 15,046 KGB 5.200 -0.110 13,182 MUDA 0.775 -0.105 60 CANONE 1.750 -0.100 417 NIKKEI-CT 0.600 -0.100 731 RANHILL 1.700 -0.100 21,519 ASIAFLE 1.340 -0.090 1,344 ECOWLD 2.110 -0.090 12,315 FRONTKN 4.250 -0.090 22,461 HSI-CWM2 0.230 -0.090 600 HUMEIND 3.010 -0.090 3,160STOCKS CLOSING (RM) +/-(RM) +/-(%) VOLUME (’00)HSI-PWLG 0.145 -0.025 -14.71 3,991,655 HSI-PWLO 0.100 -0.020 -16.67 3,113,203 HSI-PWL4 0.130 -0.020 -13.33 2,044,528 HSI-CWK3 0.170 +0.005 +3.03 1,383,246 HSI-CWKH 0.180 - - 1,281,263 BAIDU-C4 0.160 +0.010 +6.67 1,077,487 HSI-CWK8 0.085 - - 924,984 ALIBABA-C49 0.125 +0.015 +13.64 620,930 TANCO 1.160 +0.030 +2.66 578,795 ZETRIX 0.815 -0.010 -1.21 510,749 INARI 1.930 -0.260 -11.87 488,546 HSI-CWKO 0.240 +0.010 +4.35 455,636 GENM 2.350 - - 337,858 PTRANS 0.260 - - 316,053 ZETRIX-CAL 0.190 +0.005 +2.70 305,000 AQUAWALK 0.380 +0.035 +10.15 298,517 TWL 0.025 - - 291,887 FOODIE 0.385 -0.015 -3.75 279,749 PLS-WA 0.165 - - 265,541 CATL-C2 0.440 +0.025 +6.02 243,312SUNBIZ presents a summary of the day’s trading activity on Bursa Malaysia and other markets in an easy to digest format.MARKET ROUND-UP: DEC 1[ Sources: Bursa Malaysia, Bernama, shareinvestor.com and websites DISCLAIMER: The data and reports are provided as a service to investors. Sun Media Corporation Sdn Bhd shall not be liable or responsible for any consequences resulting from usage of the information.Top 20 ActivesTop 20 Losers (By RM)Bursa IndicesINDEX CLOSING DAILY DAILY CHANGE CHANGE (%)DJIA (US) 47,716.42 +289.30 +0.61 S&P 500 (US) 6,849.09 +36.48 +0.54 NASDAQ (US) 23,365.69 +151.00 +0.65 NYSE (US) 21,824.67 +111.54 +0.51 EURO STOXX 50 (EUR) 5,656.13 –12.04 –0.21 FTSE 100 (UK) 9,713.41 –7.10 –0.08 DAX (GER) 23,634.12 –202.67 –0.83 NIKKEI 225 (JPN) 49,303.28 –950.63 –1.89 TOPIX INDEX (JPN) 3,338.33 –40.11 –1.19 HANG SENG INDEX (HK) 26,033.26 +174.37 +0.67 CSI 300 (CHN) 4,576.49 +49.82 +1.10 SHANGHAI SE COM (CHN) 4,103.63 +26.59 +0.65 KOSPI INDEX (SK) 3,920.37 –6.22 –0.16 SENSEX INDEX (IND) 85,552.94 –153.73 –0.18 ASX 200 (AUS) 8,565.20 –48.88 –0.57 ALL ORDINARIES INDX (AUS) 8,866.38 –52.31 –0.59 FBM KLCI 1,624.57 +20.10 +1.25 STRAITS TIMES INDEX (S’PORE) 4,526.22 +2.26 +0.05 MSCI ASIA PACIFIC 223.24 –0.26 –0.12 WTI (US$/BBL.) 59.73 +1.18 +2.05 BRENT (US$/BBL.) 63.55 +1.17 +1.88 GOLD (COMEX) (US$/T OZ) 4,281.90 +27.00 +0.63 SILVER (COMEX) (US$/T OZ) 57.90 +0.75 +1.32 PLATINUM (US$/T OZ) 1,686.0700 +15.30 +0.92 COPPER (COMEX) (US CENTS/LB.) 528.35 +1.15 +0.21 COPPER 3MO (LME) (US$/MT) 11,189.00 +249.50 +2.28 CORN (US CENTS/BU.) 445.75 –1.75 –0.39 WHEAT (US CENTS/BU.) 534.00 –4.50 –0.84 SOYBEAN OIL (CBOT) (US CENTS/LB.) 51.93 –0.12 –0.23 COCOA (ICE) (US$/MT) 5,439.00 –65.00 –1.18 RUBBER (S’PORE) (US CENTS/KG) 171.50 –1.10 –0.64 World Stocks/CommoditiesAs at 6pm, Dec 1STOCKS CLOSING (RM) +/- (%) VOLUME (’00) INARI-C4C 0.010 -93.33 15,046 EKOVEST-C71 0.010 -71.43 1,500 INARI-C3T 0.020 -66.67 2,850 KOSSAN-C82 0.005 -66.67 1,001 VERSATL-WA 0.120 -65.71 150 ZETRIX-C9G 0.025 -61.54 300 MALAKOFC65 0.035 -58.82 7,501 HSI-PWLQ 0.025 -58.33 1,395 BAT-C37 0.005 -50.00 2,713 CKI-CC 0.005 -50.00 15,701 INARI-C3P 0.010 -50.00 910 INSAS-WC 0.005 -50.00 12,372 MALAKOFC67 0.010 -50.00 2,500 PHB 0.005 -50.00 99,049 RL-WA 0.005 -50.00 3,230 SCBUILD 0.005 -50.00 725 SIMEPROP-C48 0.005 -50.00 10,899 SUPERMX-C5G 0.010 -50.00 12,207 ZENTECH 0.005 -50.00 25,840 ZETRIX-C9E 0.040 -50.00 200Top 20 Losers (By %)STOCKS CLOSING (RM) +/- (RM) VOLUME (’00) NESTLE 111.600 +4.700 1,015 DLADY 31.400 +1.400 756 PETDAG 20.600 +0.780 2,898 BLDPLNT 16.500 +0.700 206 HLIND 15.640 +0.640 4,038 ALLIANZ 19.500 +0.520 2,518 F&N 34.880 +0.380 834 ALLIANZ-PA 19.700 +0.300 170 CIMB 7.950 +0.300 221,549 CITAGLB-WB 0.450 +0.250 1,215 DKSH 5.100 +0.220 1,570 AXIATA 2.620 +0.210 64,383 SCICOM 1.230 +0.210 77,968 LYSAGHT 2.500 +0.200 10 PMETAL 6.900 +0.190 69,949 HLFG 17.620 +0.180 3,205 PCHEM 3.170 +0.170 52,420 EDGENTA 1.030 +0.160 95,964 UTDPLT 28.380 +0.160 1,208 TM 7.570 +0.150 39,414Top 20 Gainers (By RM)STOCKS CLOSING (RM) +/- (%) VOLUME (’00) CITAGLB-WB 0.450 +125.00 1,215 AEON-C41 0.010 +100.00 3,898 AXIATA-C1U 0.030 +100.00 9,536 GENTINGC3U 0.040 +100.00 2,201 RHONEMA-WA 0.010 +100.00 21,897 EDGENTA-CS 0.105 +90.91 29,133 TENAGA-C3G 0.025 +66.67 55,473 MSC-CV 0.070 +55.56 5,455 BAUTO-C50 0.030 +50.00 1,000 CWG-WA 0.030 +50.00 135 GENTINGC4D 0.030 +50.00 5,210 INARI-HE 0.075 +50.00 28,100 LCTITAN-CW 0.015 +50.00 5,460 PCHEM-C1K 0.015 +50.00 11,170 PETDAG-C13 0.015 +50.00 8,514 SINARAN-WB 0.015 +50.00 105 TXCD-PA 0.015 +50.00 501 CIMB-C1Z 0.120 +41.18 12,570 MERIDIAN 0.035 +40.00 13 CIMB-C2B 0.090 +38.46 1,687Top 20 Gainers (By %)INDEX CHANGEFBMEMAS 11,998.87 +82.90 FBMKLCI 1,624.57 +20.10 CONSUMER PRODUCTS 532.78 +6.85 INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS 165.96 +1.93 CONSTRUCTION 311.99 -2.42 FINANCIAL SERVICES 18,785.45 +209.50 ENERGY 749.45 +1.67 TELECOMMUNICATIONS 476.60 +5.88 HEALTH CARE 1,506.39 -12.06 TRANSPORTATION 1,003.16 -2.57 PROPERTY 1,062.91 -3.10 PLANTATION 8,033.92 -38.20 FBMSHA 11,903.46 +52.56 FBMACE 4,831.91 +7.29 TECHNOLOGY 56.35 -1.28 TURNOVER: 3.987 billion VALUE: RM2.791 billion1,624.57 pts Dec 1, 2025FBM KLCI rises 1.25% on bargain-hunting, rebalancing BURSA Malaysia started the final month of the year on a firmer footing, with the key index 1.25% higher at yesterday’s close, supported by renewed bargain hunting and year-end portfolio rebalancing by institutional investors. The FBM KLCI rose 20.10 points, or 1.25%, to 1,624.57. The broader market was negative, with decliners surpassing gainers 681 to 526. A total of 505 counters were unchanged, 977 untraded, and 10 suspended. IPPFA Sdn Bhd director of investment strategy and country economist Mohd Sedek Jantan said sector performance was broad-based, but the most significant moves came from heavyweights led by financial services, telecommunications and media, as well as industrial products and services sectors. “This rotation signals improving risk appetite as investors tilt back towards cyclical and domestic-demand-linked counters after last week’s risk-off positioning,” he told Bernama. Mohd Sedek said market sentiment was supported by encouraging macro signals as Malaysia’s seasonally adjusted S&P Global Malaysia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index edged up from 49.5 in October to 50.1 in November. “The improvement reinforces the view that manufacturing conditions may be stabilising, with firms reporting stronger optimism about future output. Indeed, business confidence rose to its highest level since July 2013, underpinned by expectations of production scaling, new product pipelines, and more resilient customer demand,” he said. Among heavyweights, Maybank perked up 6 sen to RM9.97, Public Bank added 1 sen to RM4.36, CIMB jumped 30 sen to RM7.95, while Tenaga Nasional and IHH Healthcare gained 14 sen each to RM13.32 and RM8.40, respectively. -69.91 43.49%38.57% 17.94% 11.89 58.021-Dec-2025
BIZ & FINANCETUESDAY | DEC 2, 202520SUNBIZ presents extracts of a selection of commentaries and research reports received from stockbrokers on counters that could be of interest to investors.[Compiled by SunBiz Team DISCLAIMER: The information is extracted from stockbrokers’ commentaries and research reports and do not represent the views or opinions of Sun Media Corporation Sdn Bhd. It is not a solicitation, recommendation or an offer to buy or sell the equities featured. Sun Media Corporation shall not be liable or responsible for any consequences resulting from usage of the information.FOREIGN CURRENCY SELLING TT/OD BUYING TT BUYING OD 1 US Dollar 4.2000 4.0520 4.0420 1 Australian Dollar 2.7580 2.6450 2.6290 1 Brunei Dollar 3.2340 3.1320 3.1240 1 Canadian Dollar 2.9970 2.9110 2.8990 1 Euro 4.8660 4.7060 4.6860 1 New Zealand Dollar 2.4120 2.3210 2.3050 1 Singapore Dollar 3.2340 3.1320 3.1240 1 Sterling Pound 5.5530 5.3750 5.3550 1 Swiss Franc 5.2490 5.0230 5.0080 100 UAE Dirham 115.4200 109.3600 109.1600 100 Bangladesh Taka 3.5190 3.2720 3.0720 100 Chinese Renminbi 59.6100 57.0600 N/A 100 Danish Krone 66.7900 61.4200 61.2200 100 Hongkong Dollar 54.3900 51.6500 51.4500 100 Indian Rupee 4.7900 4.4500 4.2500 100 Indonesian Rupiah 0.0263 0.0232 0.0182 100 Japanese Yen 2.7130 2.5870 2.5770 100 New Taiwan Dollar N/A N/A N/A 100 Norwegian Krone 42.4800 39.0500 38.8500 100 Pakistan Rupee 1.5500 1.3700 1.1700 100 Philippine Peso 7.2600 6.8200 6.6200 100 Qatar Riyal 116.2100 110.3200 110.1200 100 Saudi Riyal 112.8800 107.1600 106.9600 100 South Africa Rand 25.3700 22.9100 22.7100 100 Sri Lanka Rupee 1.4300 1.2500 1.0500 100 Swedish Krona 45.7300 41.6200 41.4200 100 Thai Baht 13.6300 12.0800 11.6800Exchange Rates Source: Malayan Banking Bhd/BernamaRinggit flat against US dollar ahead of FOMC meetingCelcomDigi accepts MCMC spectrum assignmentPETALING JAYA: CelcomDigi Bhd has accepted the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission’s (MCMC) assignment of spectrum for 2x5 MHz in the 1800MHz spectrum frequency band and 2x20 MHz in the 2600MHz spectrum frequency band. The assignments are effective Nov 30, 2025, and remain in effect until June 30, 2032, for the 1800MHz band and June 30, 2027, for the 2600MHz band. CelcomDigi has made price component payments of RM292.5 million to MCMC for both bands and will commit cumulative annual payments totalling RM120 million over the assignment period for each band. The assignments will ensure CelcomDigi’s network capabilities and the quality of experience for all customers. It also affirms the company’s commitment to infrastructure investments to meet rising connectivity and digitalisation needs in Malaysia. The 1800MHz and 2600MHz spectrum bands are key frequencies commonly deployed for 4G LTE and to bolster 5G capacity. With the latest allocations, CelcomDigi is expected to enhance network performance and better accommodate the rising data needs of Malaysian users and enterprises. The company noted that the newly awarded spectrum will further strengthen its long-term growth trajectory as it progresses with the nationwide network integration and modernisation efforts following the Celcom–Digi merger.MARKETS/FROM THE BROKERS THE ringgit ended flat against the American dollar yesterday as traders adopted a wait-and-see approach ahead of the US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting next week. At 6pm, the ringgit stood at 4.1300/1365 versus the greenback compared to last Friday’s close of 4.1300/1350. Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said traders will also monitor US economic data, especially the US ISM Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index for November, for further guidance on market direction. “The consensus estimate stands at 49.0 points compared to 48.7 in October. “The ISM Index for the manufacturing sector has been hovering below the 50-point demarcation line for eight straight months, suggesting that manufacturers have remained pessimistic for quite sometime,” he told Bernama. At the close, the ringgit trended lower against major currencies. It slid versus the British pound to 5.4644/4730 from 5.4528/4594 at last Friday’s close, weakened against the euro to 4.7995/8070 from 4.7768/7825 previously, and declined vis-a-vis the Japanese yen to 2.6594/6637 from 2.6420/6456. The local note also fell against Asean currencies. It slipped versus the Singapore dollar to 3.1880/1932 from 3.1813/1857 at the end of last week and dropped against the Indonesian rupiah to 247.8/248.3 from 247.6/248.0. The ringgit also depreciated vis-a-vis the Thai baht to 12.9026/9290 from 12.8245/8472 previously and eased against the Philippine peso to 7.05/7.07 from 7.04/7.06.SDS Group posted a core net profit of RM7.32m, down 24.9% YoY for 2QFY26, mainly due to margin compression from both retail and wholesale segments amid softer consumer spending. Cumulative 1HFY26 core net profit came in below our and consensus expectations, meeting only 41% of full-year estimates. The discrepancy in our forecast was largely due to lower retail footfall, which typically carries higher margins. We revise our FY26F-28F earnings forecasts downward by an average of 11% as we lower our sales assumption for the retail segment given the lower footfall. We expect SDS to post stronger earnings in 3QFY26, mainly driven by the year-end festive spending. Additionally, we think that the lower raw material prices and the strengthening of the ringgit may lead to an uptick in SDS’ profit margins. 2QFY26 revenue declined 4.9% YoY to RM86.5m, mainly due to lower revenue from the retail segment given the decline in consumer footfall. The wholesale segment also fell 2.8% YoY on weaker sales volume. QoQ, both retail and wholesale segments improved by 1.1% and 2.5% respectively, attributable to the better sales from mid-autumn festive products. 2QFY26 core net profit fell 24.9% YoY to RM7.3m, primarily due to lower topline contribution against a largely fixed operating cost base, resulting in net profit margin compression (-2.3% ppts YoY). QoQ, the core net profit rose 4.1%. Although consumer sentiment is expected to remain subdued in the near term amid ongoing macroeconomic uncertainties, we believe SDS’ earnings will be resilient, supported by prudent cost management and seasonal year-end spending. Outperform with RM0.83 TP. – PublicInvest Research, Nov 27IN 3QFY25, LBS Bina delivered net profit of RM29.3m (+6.1% YoY, +8.0% QoQ), which came in within expectations. YTD, group net profit of RM84.6m (-9.6% YoY) constituted about 75% of our and consensus full-year profit forecast. Again, development projects within the Klang Valley such as KITA @ Cybersouth, LBS Alam Perdana, Prestige Residence and Idaman projects remained the largest revenue and PAT contributor, whereby their revenue accounted for 86% of the group’s revenue in 9MFY25. We understand that the group’s performance YTD was slower YoY as certain development projects were completed or nearing their completion stage. Elsewhere, the group has achieved 9MY25 pre-sales of RM886.7m (9MFY24: RM956.1m), which is only about 59% of FY25 sales target of RM1.5bn. However, we understand that as at 20 November, group pre-sales have increased to RM1.13bn (or 75% of FY25 sales target), which is well on track as launches are mostly taking place in 2HFY25. It has about RM359m in bookings. 9MFY24’s RM956.1m only accounted for 59% of the group’s FY25 sales target of RM1.5bn. However, we understand now the group has sold about RM1.13bn (or 75% of FY25 sales target) as at 20 November 2025, which is well on track as launches are mostly taking place in 2HFY25. It has about RM359m in bookings which indicate that it could still meet its FY25 sales target. Group pre-sales were predominantly from the Klang Valley (72%), while Johor and Pahang contributed 14% and 13% respectively. Unbilled sales were steady at RM1.4bn in 3QFY25. Separately, it has launched projects worth about RM1bn in 9MFY25. We maintain our Outperform with unchanged TP of RM0.67. – PublicInvest Research, Nov 27TNB reported a 3QFY25 core net profit of RM933.1m, higher 5.8% QoQ and tripled YoY. The improvement was driven by higher electricity sales and a more favourable fuel cost environment, with total generation costs broadly flat QoQ and significantly lower YoY, despite stronger demand, underpinned by lower delivered coal prices. This brings 9MFY25 core earnings to RM2,879.2m, broadly meeting our full year estimate at 72.5%. TNB had earlier revised its demand growth projection to 2.8-3.8% (from 3.5-4.5%), yet 9MFY25 demand remained subdued at only 1.6%, weighed by persistent softness in the industrial segment while growth was driven mainly by commercial load. Nevertheless, revenue resilience under the RP4 framework continues to safeguard cost recovery and support TNB’s expanding capex programme for grid and distribution upgrades. The recent Ministry of Finance approval of TNB’s Reinvestment Allowance (RIA) application under Schedule 7B further restores tax clarity and reduces structural tax risk by allowing future qualifying capex to be deducted against income. Electricity demand continued to improve in 3QFY25, recording a 3.9% YoY to 34,653GWh, bringing actual demand closer to the levels assumed under RP4. This improvement, together with the new tariff schedule implemented in July 2025, resulted in only minimal Other Regulatory Adjustments (ORA) during the quarter, as revenue recovery was more closely aligned with actual consumption. The commercial sector remained the main contributor with 9.8% YoY growth, while the industrial segment contracted 3.6% YoY. However, on a YTD basis, overall demand growth remains modest at 1.6%, still below TNB’s revised full-year target of 2.8-3.8%. We reaffirm our Outperform call with a DCF-derived TP of RM16. – PublicInvest Research, Nov 27Tenaga Nasional Bhd Outperform. Target price: RM16SDS Group Bhd Outperform. Target price: RM0.83Source: PublicInvest Research Source: PublicInvest Research Source: PublicInvest Research Dec 1, 2025: RM0.395LBS Bina Group Bhd Outperform. Target price: RM0.67Dec 1, 2025: RM0.715 Dec 1, 2025: RM13.32
Beauty in bottlesBrands brinking into new markets for kids – P22TUESDAY | DEC 2, 2025EditorialT: 03-7784 6688 F: 03-7785 2625 E: [email protected] AdvertisingT: 03-7784 8888 E: [email protected] SCAN MEWEEKLYFOCUSMONDAYTechnology and social mediaTUESDAYFamily and parentingWEDNESDAYFashion and beautyTHURSDAYHomeand livingFRIDAYTravel and leisureSATURDAYFood and beveragep23 Tactically combatting allergies in M’sian children p24 Taking local elderly care up by several notches p25 Deeper celebration of diversity in Zootopia 2– 123RFPIC
LYFETUESDAY | DEC 2, 202522/thesuntelegramFOLLOW ON TELEGRAMmRAM/Malaysian PaperBeauty products for younger marketS HOULD kids be using beauty face masks? Dermatologists say no, but a growing number of companies are targeting a new generation of kids who have grown up with TikTok skincare and make-up routines. The cosmetics industry and parts of the internet have been abuzz since the launch of Rini, a beauty company pitched at children as young as three and backed by Shay Mitchell, a Canadian actress. It is a bundle of five hydrating face masks for kids, including everyday varieties named Puppy, Panda and Unicorn, selling for around US$35 (RM144.69) on its website. Another growing American brand, Evereden, sells products for pre-teens such as face-mists, toners and moisturisers and claims annual sales of over US$100 million. Fifteen-year-old YouTuber Salish Matter, unveiled her brand Sincerely Yours in October drawing tens of thousands of people – and police reinforcements – to a launch event at a New Jersey mall. “Kids’ skin does not need cosmetics, apart from daily hygiene products – toothpaste, shower gel – and sun cream when there is UV exposure,” said Laurence Coiffard, a researcher at the University of Nantes in France who co-runs the Generation Alpha sees many young girls adopting make-up, skincare and hair routines more typical of older teenagers or their mothers. – ALL PICS FROM 123RFoDriven by TikTok, trends by new beauty brands target kidsBeuaty products that target kids are part of a broad society-wide trend.Cosmetics Watch website. Beauty products that target kids are part of a broad societywide trend. Many young girls in Gen Alpha – a marketing term for people born between 2010 and 2024 – are adopting make-up, skincare and hair routines more typical of older teenagers or their mothers. The most precocious have become known as “Sephora Kids” – a reference to the popular French beauty retailer –as they seek to copy popular TikTok or YouTube influencers, some of whom are as young as seven. Coiffard cited research showing underage users of adult cosmetics and creams had a higher risk of being exposed to endocrine disruptors and phytoestrogens which can disrupt hormone development and contribute to developing skin allergies in later life. ‘Get ready with me’ Molly Hales, an American dermatologist at Northwestern University in Chicago has spent several months posing on TikTok, as a girl of 13 who was interested in beauty routines. After creating a profile and liking several videos made by minors, the algorithm of the Chinese-owned site “saturated” her and fellow researcher Sarah Rigali. The duo went on to watch 100 videos in total from 82 different profiles. In one, a kid developed a burning rash after smearing 14 different products on their face. Another showed a girl supposedly rising at 4.30am to complete her skincare and make-up routine before school. The most popular videos were titled “Get Ready with Me”, with the routines featuring on average six different products, often including adult antiageing creams, with an average combined cost of US$168. “I was shocked by the scope of what I was seeing in these videos, especially the sheer number of products that these girls were using,” Hales told AFP. Her research was published in American journal, Pediatrics in June. Several “disproportionately represented” brands, such as Glow, Drunk Elephant or The Ordinary, market themselves as healthy, supposedly natural alternatives to chemical-laden competitors. The top 25 most-viewed videos analysed by Hales contained products with an average of 11 and a maximum of 21 potentially irritating active ingredients for pediatric skin. Not necessaryThe pitch from new child brands such as Rini, Evereden or Saint Crewe is that they are orienting tweens and teens to more suitable alternatives. “Kids are naturally curious and instead of ignoring that, we can embrace it. With safe, gentle products parents can trust,” Rini co-founder Mitchell told her 35 million followers on Instagram. Hales said she had “mixed feelings” about the emergence of the trend, saying there is a potential benefit of providing less harmful products to young girls. But they are “really not necessary” and “perpetuate a certain standard of beauty, or an expectation around how one needs to care for the health and beauty of the skin by sticking to a very costly and time-intensive daily routine,” she said. The products risked “steering girls away from better uses of their money, time and effort”, she added. Pierre Vabres, a member of the French Society of Dermatology, believes there is also a pernicious psychological effect to introducing children to beauty products and encouraging them to stick to beauty routines. “There’s a risk of giving the child a false image of themelves, even eroticised, in which they are ‘an adult in miniature’ who needs to think about their appearance in order to feel good,” he told journalists in Paris this month.
LYFETUESDAY | DEC 2, 202523Building fortified immunity in kidsAN increase in childhood allergies, seems to be a surfacing trend where urban living and vibrant cityscapes define daily life. What was once considered a minor nuisance has become a significant health concern, with triggers ranging from dust mites to severe food reactions. According to estimates, one in five Malaysian children may develop allergies, underscoring the urgent need for parents to understand, manage and prevent these conditions. Allergies are more than just sneezes or skin rashes, they can deeply affect a child’s quality of life. Urban living exposes children to higher allergens such as dust mites, pollution and smoke. While parents cannot control everything, they can take steps to make their homes safer havens. Most common allergens in Malaysia and recognising symptomsDust mites are the most common triggers for respiratory allergies in Malaysia. They thrive in humid conditions and hide in bedding, soft furnishings and carpets. Pet dander is another major factor. Even hypoallergenic pets can still provoke reactions in sensitive children. Though less common than in Western countries, food allergies can include reactions to peanuts, shellfish and milk. Pollen and mould also pose challenges, particularly in damp urban areas. Allergy symptoms can vary and typically appear between two to three years of age, although food allergies may develop as early as six months while respiratory allergies, such as hay fever, often happens around five or six years of age. Respiratory triggers can cause sneezing, coughing, wheezing or nasal congestion. Allergic rhinitis, the most common childhood allergy, is characterised by sneezing, a runny Parents should introduce allergenic food carefully, experts say. oManaging your child’s allergies, one step at a timeChildren playfully celebrating nature at Taman Tugu TAMAN Tugu, in collaboration with Museum of Science Arts and Innovation for Children recently celebrated Children’s Day @ Taman Tugu with “A Day Just for Kids” event. This year’s celebration sees nearly 2,000 attendees coming together to celebrate and create memories. Children from Rumah Titian Kaseh were also invited to join the celebration. The affair offered fun activities, including performances from Wangsa Culture Kids, a magic show and a mini music party. Attendees also participated in mini carnival games, a colouring contest and face painting. As a rehabilitated 66-acre urban forest park in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, Taman Tugu continues to connect communities to nature through inclusive programmes, environmental education and community-driven events. This well-planned celebration forms part of Taman Tugu’s ongoing efforts to promote environmental awareness among young Malaysians and families, introducing them to the importance of forest, biodiversity and green spaces in a fun and interactive manner. Inspired by the Malay proverb melentur buluh biarlah dari rebungnya, which means the shaping of minds begins from a young age, Taman Tugu aims to nurture children’s appreciation for the environment, encourage outdoor activity, foster creativity and confidence while inspiring care for nature from a young age. Wangsa Culture Kids performing at the recent Children’s Day celebration.nose and nasal blockage. Vomiting or diarrhoea can indicate food allergies, while skin reactions such as rashes or eczema may signal environmental or dietary causes. Parents should be vigilant of recurring symptoms and stay on watch. If a child frequently reacts after eating certain foods or being in specific environments, it is worth investigating further. Keeping a symptom diary helps to identify patterns and triggers. Ignoring allergies can have lasting effectsThe risks of untreated allergies go far beyond temporary discomfort. Persistent allergic rhinitis can lead to chronic sinusitis or asthma, which disrupt a child’s sleep, focus and everyday activities. Alarmingly, asthma rates in Malaysian children have surged from 6.4% to 9.4% among six and seven-year-olds and from 9% to 13% among 13–14-yearolds. Asthma triggered by untreated allergies can be life-altering if not properly managed. It is heartbreaking to see children struggle with something that can often be prevented or controlled. What parents can doWhile allergies can feel overwhelming, here are some simple but effective steps parents can take to reduce allergen exposure and manage symptoms that can make a big difference. Clean and declutter by using dust-mite-proof covers and vacuuming regularly. Eliminate smoke exposure, even particles on clothes can aggravate allergies exponentially. Manage pet allergens: Keep pets out of bedrooms and consider rehoming if unmanageable. Introduce allergenic foods carefully and under medical guidance. Foods like eggs and peanuts are appropriate between four and six months of age, but avoid whole peanuts to prevent choking. Choose air purifiers wisely: Avoid fragrances or chemicals that irritate sensitive airways. Allergy trends and mythsThe belief that children will naturally outgrow allergies, among other misconceptions about allergies persist. While some do, a lot of allergies persist into adulthood and if not managed properly, are capable of impacting the quality of life. Avoiding triggers like cold drinks will help prevent respiratory issues, is another myth. With proper management, children with asthma or allergic rhinitis can enjoy normal activities without unnecessary restrictions. Parents may also worry about inhaler dependency, but inhalers are not addictive. They are life-changing tools that help children breathe freely and thrive. As conditions improve, reliance on medication can be reduced gradually. The pandemic has also influenced allergy trends. Lockdowns temporarily reduced kids’ exposure to infections, easing respiratory symptoms, but limiting opportunities for immunity-building. Reduced exposure meant kids missed out on essential immunity-building that left them more vulnerable post-Covid. Gradually reintroduce your kids to diverse environments while maintaining good hygiene. This helps you to identify potential allergens, while their natural defences rebuild. Managing childhood allergies requires teamwork between parents and healthcare providers. Regular check-ups with a paediatrician is essential for early detection and treatment. The early years are crucial for long-term health. Stay informed, take action and do not hesitate to seek medical advice. Every step you take now will help your child live a healthier, happier life.This article is contributed by Dr Noor Zehan Abdul Rahim, consultant paediatrician and paediatric respiratory specialist at Sunway Medical Centre in Sunway City.
LYFETUESDAY | DEC 2, 202524/theSunMediaFOLLOW ON YOUTUBE/Malaysian PaperReimagining elderly care in MalaysiaA demographic revolution is sweeping across Malaysia, poised to redefine our society and challenge our healthcare system. By 2030, more than 15% of Malaysians will be aged 60 and above as we face a critical crossroad where the traditional hospital-centric model of care is no longer sufficient. However, this shift is not a crisis. Instead, it is a powerful opportunity to reimagine how we care for our older Malaysians and build a society that honours ageing with dignity, independence and purpose. Geriatric gap: Wake-up call for healthcare Geriatrics, the branch of medicine focused on older adults, is no longer a niche specialty. It is a national priority. Older adults face a unique blend of physical, cognitive, emotional and social challenges. These often manifest as complex “geriatric syndromes” such as frailty, falls, incontinence, and cognitive decline, which require coordinated, interdisciplinary care. Yet, Malaysia currently has only 67 geriatricians, far short of the estimated 700 needed to meet growing demand. This shortage is compounded by a healthcare workforce stretched thin, unattractive financial incentives in geriatrics and longer training pathways compared to countries such as Australia and Singapore. The consequences are severe: long waiting times, delayed diagnoses and overburdened hospitals. But this gap also presents a By 2030, more than 15% of Malaysians will be aged 60 and above. – FREEPIKPICoSupporting, empowering seniorschance to invest in a better future. By training more geriatricians and empowering primary care doctors with geriatric knowledge, we can build a healthcare system that truly supports ageing well. Unspoken challenge: End-of-life care, autonomy One of the most delicate, sensitive, often avoided topics – which is a vital aspect of elderly care – is end-of-life planning. Nearly 70% of deaths in Malaysia occur among those aged 60 and above, yet conversations about care preferences are often avoided. Without legal tools such as advanced directives or durable power of attorney, families and doctors are left guessing what their loved ones would have wanted. Advance Care Planning empowers older adults to make informed decisions about their treatment and care. It ensures their wishes are respected, even in their final days. Normalising these discussions is not just compassionate, it is essential for a healthcare system that values dignity and autonomy. Community innovation: Lighting the way forward Despite the challenges, Malaysia is already seeing progress. The National Policy for Older Persons (Dasar Warga Emas Negara) promotes holistic well-being, covering health, social engagement, environment, economy and spirituality. Programmes such as Pusat Aktiviti Warga Emas help seniors stay socially connected and active. Social enterprises are also stepping up. Teman MY Ventures PLT, for example, pairs older adults with trained companions called “Temanions” who assist with daily tasks and provide emotional support. This model not only improves quality of life but also creates meaningful jobs in the caregiving sector with growing demand. Affordable care: Legacy worth preserving Malaysia’s public healthcare system has long been praised for its affordability. Outpatient clinic visits cost just RM1, ensuring access for all. But with two-thirds of outpatient visits occurring in public clinics, this policy is under pressure. To sustain this legacy, we must find ways to balance affordability with quality. Strengthening community clinics, investing in geriatric training and integrating public-private partnerships can help maintain access while improving care. Legislation, technology, road ahead Big changes are on the horizon. The upcoming Senior Citizens Bill promises to protect older adults from financial scams, abuse and neglect. It will also enshrine their rights to healthcare, safety and dignity, bringing Malaysia closer to international best practices. But legislation alone is not enough. Care for older persons in Malaysia is still improvable. A unified, cross-sector strategy is needed to ensure consistent, effective care. Technology can play a key role in this aspect. Telemedicine, wearable health devices and digital platforms can connect patients with doctors, monitor health remotely and educate caregivers. But tech must enhance and not replace the human connection. Community engagement and volunteer programmes remain vital to combat loneliness and promote holistic health. Call to action: Building compassionate future together The future of care of older Malaysian depends on all of us to create a united, multi-sectoral approach. Healthcare providers, policymakers, social enterprises, families and communities must come together to bridge the geriatric gap and create a system that values ageing as a stage of life that is not declining, but filled with potential. We must invest in training, reform policies, embrace innovation and foster empathy and compassionate culture. As Malaysia’s older population grows, so must our commitment to honouring their dignity and lifelong contributions. Ageing should not be seen as a burden, but as a stage of life worthy of respect, innovation and empathy. By shifting from a hospital-centric model to a community-integrated system, Malaysia can ensure its elders live with independence, dignity and comprehensive care.This article is contributed by Assoc Prof Dr Yau Weng Keong, director of the Active Ageing Impact Lab at Taylor’s University and Dr Liong Siok Fuang, senior lecturer & family medicine specialist at the Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya.
LYFETUESDAY | DEC 2, 202525Zootopia 2 embraces diversityTHE sentient animals of the fictional city of Zootopia are back with a fairytale for our times, examining how the powerful exploit our prejudices, in a family-friendly movie Disney hopes will be a big holiday hit. Nine years after the Oscar-winning first instalment, Zootopia 2 – known as Zootropolis 2in some markets – delves deeper into a world that has grossed over a billion dollars at the global box office, despite – or because of – its clear moral ambition. “The great thing about these movies is that they are like fables. These animals are a great way for us to hold a mirror up to human nature and the mistakes that we make,” Byron Howard, one of the two directors, said in Los Angeles. We are plunged back into the city of Zootopia, a modern metropolis where predators and prey have learned to coexist without devouring each other, but stereotypes continue to influence relations. Judy, the first rabbit to join the city’s police force, has proven to her macho colleagues – buffaloes, hippos and warthogs – that she deserves her place in the investigative department. Along the way, she forges an unexpected partnership with Nick, a solitary fox whose past as a con artist proves to be a valuable asset in uniform. Exploiting stereotypesThe budding friendship will be tested by a high-stakes heist, carried out during the city’s centennial gala by a snake, a species long banned from the city. But when it comes time to arrest the culprit, Judy learns the rattlesnake – Gary – is simply trying to uncover a secret to restore his family’s honour. “We have a lot of misconceptions about reptiles and snakes in general,” says co-director Jared Bush. But Gary is “the most kind-hearted, warm, vulnerable character I think we’ve ever made.” Over Nick’s objections, Judy lets her quarry escape – turning her and her partner into fugitives and setting them on the path to discovering how Zootopia’s rulers have exploited stereotypes to keep reptiles out of the city. Shakira (centre) and her sons Milan Pique Mebarak (left) and Sasha Pique Mebarak attend the world premiere of Zootopia 2 in Los Angeles. – AFPPICoDisney continues battle against prejudice amid Trump’s AmericaKiefer Sutherland gets Christmas glow up in Tinsel Townthat starts off the movie not the best version of themselves and through the Christmas spirit and his daughter, becomes the better version of himself. I think that’s a very kind of heartfelt, warm Christmas message,“ Sutherland said at the film’s premiere in London recently. “I’ve never done a song and dance number before, so that was a real challenge for me and very exciting. After 40 years of doing this as a profession, to be able to find new things to try, makes me really grateful,” Sutherland, 58, said. The film also stars Rebel Wilson as the pantomime’s choreographer Jill. Theodora Williams, daughter of pop star Robbie Williams and actress Ayda Field, makes her acting debut as Jill’s daughter Cara. “My mum gave me advice to enjoy the moment. I was really worried about working on my accent because I don’t normally have a Yorkshire accent and I forgot the accent and just was in the moment and it worked out perfectly,” she said. Tinsel Town is directed by Chris Foggin, who set out to make a movie all generations could watch together at Christmas. A celebration of the British pantomime tradition, it also stars Katherine Ryan as Mack’s agent and Derek Jacobi as Albert, who has devoted his life to the theatre form. “It celebrates Britishness, but it also celebrates kindness. It’s got a big, warm heart. My goodness, don’t we need that right now,” said actress Maria Friedman who plays a member of the troupe. Tinsel Town was released in select US theatres and digital platforms last Friday and debuts on Sky Cinema in the UK on Dec 5. – ReutersSutherland (right) is stepping into the festive season with Tinsel Town – a warm, witty and wonderfully British Christmas comedy. – PIC FROM KIEFERSUTHERLANDACTOR Kiefer Sutherland, whose career spans four decades, said he got to expand his repertoire in the new Christmas movie Tinsel Town. Sutherland stars as past-his-prime Hollywood actor Bradley Mack. Deemed difficult and temperamental, Mack finds work drying up after he wraps the seventh instalment of his action movie franchise and is left with no choice but to accept an offer to appear in a play in England. But instead of London’s West End, Mack finds himself cast in a small town’s traditional Christmas pantomime production. Sutherland showcases his singing and dancing skills as well as a range of emotions as Mack connects with his colourful co-stars and his estranged young daughter. “I thought it was really heartwarming to follow a character Like every odd couple, Judy and Nick clash repeatedly as they battle to the inevitable happy ending. “They have very different ways of looking at the world. “It was really fun for us to put them through the ringer and to basically have them look at each other and say: ‘Are these differences too much for our partnership to succeed?’”said Howard.A pro-diversity fableWith a soundtrack that includes catchy pop from Shakira – who also reprises her role as a gazelle –Disney has produced a pro-diversity tale that appears at odds with the current moment. As with the first instalment, released in 2016 at the beginning of Donald Trump’s first term, this lesson in living together jars with the direction America has taken under a president who routinely disparages immigrants and has worked to undermine the notion of inclusivity. Disney, which conservatives accuse of being “woke”, has been the target of an investigation by the Federal Communications Commission, which is examining its hiring practices. But for the creators of Zootopia, these parallels with current events are simply a coincidence of timing for a story intended to be timeless and which took several years to develop. “As human beings, there’s this natural tendency to look at a difference in someone else and to worry about it, or have an opinion about it. What we’re trying to say with this movie is, yes, those differences exist, but we’re stronger because of them,” said Bush. – AFP
LYFETUESDAY | DEC 2, 202526@thesundailyFOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM@tMalaysian PaperNotable deaths of 2025FROM Hollywood legends to a trailblazing pope, a heavy-metal heavyweight and a fashion king, here are some of 2025’s most notable deaths. January 0 1: David Lodge, British novelist best known for his campus trilogy series, aged 89 0 5: Costas Simitis, Greek former prime minister (1996–2004) and architect of the country’s eurozone entry, aged 88 0 7: Jean-Marie Le Pen, former French far-right leader and losing presidential run-off candidate who co-founded the National Front party, aged 96 0 16: David Lynch, US director behind Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive and the cult television series Twin Peaks, aged 78 0 30: Marianne Faithfull, British singer and actress, best known for her hit song As Tears Go By, aged 78 February 0 4: Karim Aga Khan IV, philanthropist and imam of the Armani, famed Italian fashion designer. oActors, artistes, activists on list of those who departed during yearBritish zoologist and primatologist Goodall. – ALL PICS FROM AFPBollywood actor Dharmendra. Ismaili Nizaris, a branch of Shia Islam, aged 88 0 8: Sam Nujoma, guerrilla leader who became Namibia’s first president after it won independence from South Africa in 1990, aged 95 0 18: Gene Hackman, Oscar-winning US actor known for The French Connection and Unforgiven, aged 95 April 0 1: Val Kilmer, Hollywood actor who shot to fame playing Iceman in the original Top Gun, aged 65 0 13: Mario Vargas Llosa, Peruvian writer and Nobel literature laureate in 2010, aged 89 0 21: Jorge Mario Bergoglio, or Pope Francis, from Argentina, elected in 2013 as the first Latin American pontiff, an outspoken reformist who put the poor at the heart of his papacy but stopped short of overhauling traditional doctrine, aged 88 May 0 13: Jose “Pepe” Mujica, Uruguay’s leftist ex-president (2010–2015), a cult figure for his modest lifestyle, aged 89 0 23: Sebastiao Salgado, French-Brazilian photographer, famed for large black-and-white photographs depicting wildlife, landscapes and people around the world, aged 81 0 24: Marcel Ophuls, Oscar-winning filmmaker who blew the lid off the myth that France resisted its World War II Nazi occupiers in The Sorrow and the Pity, aged 97 June 0 3: Edmund White, American novelist, key figure of queer literature, aged 85 0 9: Frederick Forsyth, British thriller writer of The Day of the Jackal fame, aged 86 0 11: Brian Wilson, musician and co-founder of the Beach Boys, aged 82 0 26: Lalo Schifrin, Argentina-born composer who created themes for a host of hit Hollywood films and television shows – including Mission: Impossible, aged 93 July 0 22: Ozzy Osbourne, British frontman of Black Sabbath, one of the pioneers of heavy metal, aged 76 0 24: Hulk Hogan, icon of professional wrestling in the 1980s who became an actor, aged 71 0 31: Robert Wilson, American director of original stage and opera works, aged 83 August 0 7: Jim Lovell, US astronaut who commanded the Apollo 13 Moon mission which nearly ended in disaster in 1970, aged 97 0 17: Terence Stamp, British actor who was an emblem of London’s “Swinging Sixties”, aged 87 September 0 4: Giorgio Armani, Italian luxury king and fashion designer to the stars, aged 91 0 6: Rosa Tarlovsky de Roisinblit, prominent activist for the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo group which campaigned for victims of Argentina’s 1976–1983 dictatorship, aged 106 0 6: Rick Davies, co-founder and lead singer for British rock band Supertramp, aged 81 0 10: Charlie Kirk, right-wing activist, influencer and close ally of US President Donald Trump, shot during an event in the western state of Utah, aged 31 0 16: Robert Redford, American cinema legend in front of and behind the camera, who worked to promote independent cinema, aged 89 0 23: Claudia Cardinale, Italian-French sixties screen siren and muse of Luchino Visconti and Federico Fellini, aged 87 October 0 1: Jane Goodall, British primatologist who transformed the study of chimpanzees and one of the world’s most revered wildlife advocates, aged 91 0 11: Diane Keaton, actress, known for her Oscar-winning performance alongside Woody Allen in 1977’s Annie Hall as well as The Godfather, aged 79 November 0 3: Dick Cheney, considered the most powerful vice president in US history as George W. Bush’s number two during the Sept 11, 2001 attacks and ensuing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, aged 84 0 6: James Watson, Nobel medicine laureate co-credited with the discovery of DNA’s double-helix structure, known for his racist and sexist remarks, aged 97 0 24: Dharmendra, India’s hugely popular Bollywood star, aged 89 0 24: Jimmy Cliff, Jamaican reggae star who helped transform the island’s music into a global cultural phenomenon, aged 81. – AFP
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Auctions are conducted via eBidding on Wednesday - 3 December from 9.05am onwards. All are invited to join our PUBLIC AUCTION. Viewing inspection on Tuesday - 2 December at 9.30am - 5.30pm.All unsold bank repossessed vehicles will be reauctioned on the following Wednesday until the vehicles are sold. Download Pickles Auctions app to view all auction listings or visit www.pickles.my322 NoticesIN THE MATTER OF THECOMPANIES ACT 2016ANDIN THE MATTER OFHAPPY TEAM GLOBAL (M) SDN BHDRegistration Number: 199601030124 (402476-W)(In member’s voluntary winding-up)NOTICE OF RESOLUTIONAt an Extraordinary General Meeting ofHappy Team Global (M) Sdn Bhd dulyconvened and held on 27 November2025, the following resolutions were passed to approve a member’svoluntary winding up of the Company:-SPECIAL RESOLUTION – MEMBER’S VOLUNTARY WINDING UP(i) That the Company be wound upvoluntarily by way of a member’svoluntary winding up pursuant toSection 439(1)(b) of the CompaniesAct 2016;(ii) That the liquidator may exercise anypowers in accordance with Section456 and the Eleventh Schedule ofthe Companies Act 2016; and(iii) That in accordance with theArticles of Association of theCompany, the liquidator be hereby authorised to distribute to themembers the whole or any part ofthe assets of the Company.ORDINARY RESOLUTION – APPOINTMENT OF LIQUIDATORThat in accordance with Section 445(1)of the Companies Act 2016, Mr. Loo HinLam of No. 17, Elitis Dahina, Valencia,47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor DarulEhsan, be hereby appointed as theliquidator for the purposes of such winding up.LOO HIN LAMLiquidatorPetaling JayaDated this: 2 December 2025IN THE MATTER OFTHE COMPANIES ACT, 2016ANDIN THE MATTER OFBOOMING WEALTH SDN. BHD. (Company No:200701011800(769805-D))(In Members’ VoluntaryWinding-Up)(Incorporated in Malaysia)NOTICE OF FINAL MEETINGNOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT pursuant to Section 459 of theCompanies Act, 2016 that a FinalMeeting of the Members of theCompany will held on 2nd January 2026, at 10.00 a.m., at 2552A (1stFloor), Persiaran Raja Muda Musa,41100 Klang, Selangor for thefollowing purpose :-1. To receive and consider theLiquidator’s Statement ofAccounts showing the manner inwhich the winding up has beenconducted, and2. To consider and, if thought fit,pass the following resolutionas Ordinary Resolution: “Thatthe books, accounts, anddocuments of the Company andof the Liquidator be destroyed 3 months after the Company hasbeen dissolved.”3. To approve and accept theresignation of Liquidatorpursuant to Section 513(3) of theCompanies Act 2016.LIM LENG BUNG & YET KIONG SIANG(Joint Liquidators)Klang2nd December 2025NOTE:Any member entitled to attendand vote at this meeting is entitledto appoint a proxy who need notbe a member of the company toattend and vote instead of him.The instrument appointing theproxy must be deposited at theLiquidator’s office not less than 48hours before the time appointed forholding the meeting.IN THE MATTER OFTHE COMPANIES ACT, 2016ANDIN THE MATTER OFK. S. TAN SDN. BHD.[Company Registration No.197501002705 (24421-K)](IN MEMBERS’ VOLUNTARY WINDING-UP)NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuantto Section 439(2) of the CompaniesAct, 2016, that the Special Resolutionsset out below were duly passed by themembers of the company on the 29thNov 2025:“That the Company be wound upvoluntarily by way of a members’voluntary liquidation and thatNAGARAJAN A/L THAMBIAH [NRIC No:530523-10-5505] of 3rd Floor, No. 122,Jalan Thamby Abdullah, Off Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Brickfields, 50470 KualaLumpur, be and is hereby appointedas Liquidator to act for the purpose ofwinding up the company’s affairs anddistributing its assets.”TAN BIAN HINDirectorKuala Lumpur2nd Dec 2025IN THE MATTER OFTHE COMPANIES ACT, 2016ANDIN THE MATTER OFK. S. TAN SDN. BHD.[Company Registration No.197501002705 (24421-K)](IN MEMBERS’ VOLUNTARY WINDING-UP)NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that thecreditors of the above named companywhich is being wound up voluntarilyare required on or before 2nd Jan 2026to send their names and addresseswith particulars of their debts or claimsand the names and addresses of theirsolicitors (if any) to the undersigned,the Liquidator of the said Company;and if so required in writing from thesaid Liquidator, the creditors are tobe represented by their solicitors orpersonally to come in and prove theirdebts or claims at such time and placeas shall be specified in such notice orin default thereof they will be excludedfrom the benefits of any distributionmade before such debts are proven.Kuala Lumpur2ndDec 2025NAGARAJAN A/L THAMBIAHLiquidator3rd Floor, No. 122,Jalan Thamby Abdullah,Off Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Brickfields,50470 Kuala Lumpur.322 Notices 322 NoticesDALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI MALAYA DI PULAU PINANGDALAM NEGERI PULAU PINANG, MALAYSIAPENGGULUNGAN SYARIKAT NO: PA-28NCC-132-08/2025Dalam Perkara Seksyen 465(1)(e) Akta Syarikat 2016danDalam Perkara Kaedah-Kaedah (Penggulungan) Syarikat 1972danDalam Perkara MY US FOOD SDN. BHD. (No. Syarikat: 201801035130 / 1297157-K)ANTARALOW WEE HENG(NO. K/P: 730425-10-5495) … PEMPETISYENDANMY US FOOD SDN BHD(No. SYARIKAT : 201801035130 / 1297157-K) … RESPONDENNOTIS PERINTAH PENGGULUNGANDalam Perkara MY US FOOD SDN BHD (No. Syarikat : 201801035130 / 1297157-K).Perintah Penggulungan dikeluarkan pada 6 November, 2025.Nama dan Alamat Pelikuidasi yang dilantik oleh Mahkamah Yang Mulia ini:Pegawai PenerimaJabatan Insolvensi Malaysia(Bahagian Likuidasi)Cawangan Pulau Pinang Aras 9Bangunan Persekutuan Pulau PinangJalan Anson, 10400 Pulau PinangBertarikh pada 11 November, 2025................t.t................Peguamcara untuk PempetisyenTetuan KS Chew & AssociatesNOTIS ini dikeluarkan oleh Tetuan KS Chew & Associates, peguamcara untuk Pempetisyen yang beralamat di Unit 09-08, 9th Floor, Menara K1, No. 1, Lorong 3/137C, Off Jalan Kelang Lama, 58000 Kuala Lumpur.No. Tel :03 - 7773 0988 No. Fax : 03 - 7773 3178No. Ruj : KSCA/L/LWH/078/2024322 NoticesIN THE MATTER OF THECOMPANIES ACT 2016ANDIN THE MATTER OFJAB CAPITAL BERHADRegistration Number: 199501034782 (363984-X)(In member’s voluntary winding up)NOTICE OF RESOLUTIONAt an Extraordinary General Meetingof Jab Capital Berhad duly convenedand held on 27 November 2025, thefollowing resolutions were passedto approve a member’s voluntary winding up of the Company: -SPECIAL RESOLUTION – MEMBER’SVOLUNTARY WINDING UP(i) That the Company be wound upvoluntarily by way of a member’svoluntary winding up pursuant toSection 439(1)(b) of the CompaniesAct 2016;(ii) That the liquidator may exercise anypowers in accordance with Section456 and the Eleventh Schedule ofthe Companies Act 2016; and(iii) That in accordance with theArticles of Association of theCompany, the liquidator be hereby authorised to distribute to themembers the whole or any part ofthe assets of the Company.ORDINARY RESOLUTION – APPOINTMENT OF LIQUIDATORThat in accordance with Section445(1) of the Companies Act 2016,Mr. Loo Kit Sern Bryan of No. 17, ElitisDahina, Valencia, 47000 Sungai Buloh,Selangor, be hereby appointed as theliquidator for the purposes of such winding up.LOO KIT SERN BRYANLiquidatorPetaling JayaDated this: 2 December 2025Job Descriptiont#VJMEJOHBOETVTUBJOJOHTUSPOHXPSLJOHSFMBUJPOTIJQXJUIBEWFSUJTJOHBHFODJFTBOEDMJFOUTt/FXCVTJOFTTEFWFMPQNFOUBOECVTJOFTTSFUFOUJPOt$PODFQUVBMJTFQMBOBOEFYFDVUFDSFBUJWFBOEJOOPWBUJWFNBSLFUJOHDBNQBJHOTUPFOIBODFCSBOEWJTJCJMJUZBOEFOHBHFNFOUt$SFBUFEFWFMPQBOEDPOUJOVPVTMZJNQSPWFNBSLFUJOHNBUFSJBMQSFTFOUBUJPOTBOEQSPQPTBMTUIBUTIPXDBTFPVSQSPEVDUTTFSWJDFTFGGFDUJWFMZRequirementst41.MFWFMXJUIBUMFBTUUXPZFBSTPGFYQFSJFODFt%JQMPNBPS#BDIFMPSTEFHSFFJOCVTJOFTTNBSLFUJOHPSPUIFSSFMBUFEGJFMETt'SFTIHSBEVBUFTBSFFODPVSBHFEUPBQQMZUSBJOJOHXJMMCFQSPWJEFEt(PPEDPNNVOJDBUJPOQSFTFOUBUJPOQSPCMFNTPMWJOHBOEPSHBOJTBUJPOBMTLJMMTt1BTTJPOBUFJODMJFOUTFSWJDJOHt1PTTFTTPXOUSBOTQPSUBOEXJMMJOHUPUSBWFMt\"CMFUPTUBSUXPSLJNNFEJBUFMZOfficebased in Petaling Jaya(Five-day week)MEDIA SALES - SpecialistSend in your CV with your photo via email to : [email protected] SALES -Representative/Agent (Freelance)Requirementt.JOJNVNPOFZFBSTBMFTFYQFSJFODFJODMBTTJGJFEBEQSJOUBOEEJHJUBMBEWFSUJTJOHt5IPTFXJUIPVUTBMFTFYQFSJFODFCVUXJUINFEJBBEWFSUJTJOHLOPXMFEHFNBZBMTPBQQMZt\"UUSBDUJWFDPNNJTTJPOQBDLBHFBOEJODFOUJWFTt\"CMFUPTUBSUJNNFEJBUFMZt$FOUSBM/PSUIFSO4PVUIFSO&BTU$PBTUBOE4BCBI4BSBXBL302 JobsIN THE MATTER OF THECOMPANIES ACT, 2016ANDIN THE MATTER OF COMPANIES(WINDING UP) RULES,1972ANDIN THE MATTER OFGREEN CRESCENT RESOURCES SDN. BHD. (In Liquidation)(Reg. No.: 199401017801(303479-U))By order of the High Court of Malaya at ShahAlam, in the State of Selangor dated 30th dayof October, 2025, Lee Ewe Hock of ForvisMazars Restructuring Services PLT, WismaGolden Eagle Realty, 11th Floor, South Block,No 142-A, Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala LumpurMalaysia has been appointed liquidator of theabove-named company.Lee Ewe HockLiquidatorDated this2nd of day of December, 2025IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIESACT, 2016ANDIN THE MATTER OF COMPANIES(WINDING UP) RULES, 1972ANDIN THE MATTER OFGREEN CRESCENT RESOURCES SDN. BHD. (In Liquidation)(Reg. No.: 199401017801(303479-U))NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Creditors ofthe said Company which is being wound up bycourt, are required on or before 2nd January 2026, to send their names and addresses andthe particulars of their debts or claims andthe names and addresses of their solicitors(if any) to the undersigned, the Liquidator ofthe said Company, and, if so required in writingfrom the Liquidator are by their solicitors orpersonally to come in and prove their debtsor claims at such time and place as shall bespecified in such notice or in default thereofthey will be excluded from the benefit ofany distribution made before such debts are proved.Lee Ewe HockLiquidatorForvis Mazars Restructuring Services PLT,Wisma Golden Eagle Realty, 11th Floor, South Block, No 142-A,Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala LumpurMalaysiaTel: +60 3 2702 5222Dated this 2nd day of December, 2025IN THE HIGH COURT OF MALAYAAT IPOHIN THE STATE OF PERAK DARULRIDZUAN, MALAYSIA(COMMERCIAL DIVISION)COMPANIES (WINDING-UP)NO. : AA-28NCC-91-11/2025In the Matter of Section 465 (1)(e) andSection 466 (1)(a) of the CompaniesAct, 2016AndIn the Matter of Dreamlike DevelopmentSdn. Bhd. (Company No. 1286867-W)AndIn the Matter of Companies(Winding-Up) Rules 1972BETWEENTAGHILL PROJECTS SDN BHD[Company RegistrationNo.: 201001036909 (920832-W)]… PETITIONERANDDREAMLIKE DEVELOPMENT SDNBHD [Company Registration No.:201801024847 (1286867-W)]… RESPONDENTADVERTISEMENT OF PETITIONNOTICE is hereby given that a Petitionfor the winding-up of the abovenamedCompany by the Ipoh High Court was,on the 12th November 2025 presentedto the said Court by TAGHILL PROJECTSSDN BHD of D-21-0, Kinrara Niaga,Jalan BK 5A/2B, Bandar Kinrara, 47180Puchong, Selangor.And that the said Petition is directed tobe heard before the Court sitting at theIpoh High Court at 9:00 o’clock in theforenoon on the 23rd February 2026;and any creditor or contributory of thesaid Company desiring to support oroppose the making of an Order on thesaid Petition may appear at the time ofhearing by himself or his Counsel forthat purpose; and a copy of the Petitionwill be furnished to any creditor orcontributory of the said Companyrequiring the same by the undersignedon payment of the regulated charge forthe same.The Petitioner’s address is at D-21-0,Kinrara Niaga, Jalan BK 5A/2B, BandarKinrara, 47180 Puchong, Selangor.The Petitioner’s Solicitors is MessrsJayne Siau & Min Wei of E1-1-03, Jalan1/152, Taman OUG Parklane, 58200Kuala Lumpur.Dated this 19th November 2025t.t.……………………………………Messrs Jayne Siau & Min WeiSolicitors for the PetitionerabovenamedNOTE: Any person who intends toappear on the hearing of the saidPetition must serve on or send by postto the abovenamed Messrs JayneSiau & Min Wei of E1-1-03, Jalan1/152, Taman OUG Parklane, 58200Kuala Lumpur, a Notice in writingof his intention so to do. The Noticemust state the name and addressof the person, or if a firm, the nameand address of the firm, and must besigned by the person or firm or his ortheir Solicitors (if any) and must beserved, or if posted, must be sent bypost in sufficient time to reach theabovenamed not later than twelveo’clock noon on 22nd February 2026.[REF: JS/L/01477.1125]322 Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2016ANDIN THE MATTER OFRAINBOW PARAGON SDN. BHD.199101015045 (225357-H)(In Members’ Voluntary Winding-Up)NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the final meeting of the members of the abovenamed company, called under the provision of Section 459(2) of the Companies Act, 2016 will be held at No 37A, Jalan Seruling Dua, Taman Sri Kulai Baru 2, 81000 Kulai, Johor on 07th January 2026 at 10.00 a.m.The meeting is called to receive the liquidators’ accounts and any explanations they may give, to confirm the liquidators’ remuneration and to authorize the retention and subsequent destruction of the company’s books and records.KulaiDated this: 02nd December 2025 LAI HON CHUNGLiquidator322 NoticesSCAN ME T: 03-7784 6688 F: 03-7785 2625 E: [email protected] | DEC 2, 2025 Virat masterclass as India edge ProteasVIRAT KOHLI’S record-extending 52nd oneday international century laid the groundwork for India’s 17-run win over South Africa yesterday, getting the hosts off to a winning start in their three-match series after the visitors swept the Tests the previous week. Former captains Virat and Rohit Sharma, who have retired from Tests and Twenty20 internationals, delighted the Ranchi crowd with a 136-run partnership for the second wicket, helping India set a target of 350 that got them the victory despite Corbin Bosch’s heroic last-wicket stand for the visitors. “It’s always fun to watch them play like that, play with that freedom... put oppositions under pressure, make them look silly at times and just show the world why they are who they are,” Indian captain KL Rahul said. India were put to bat after losing their 19th ODI toss in a row, and Yashasvi Jaiswal (18) departed in the fourth over, making way for Virat. After Tony de Zorzi dropped Rohit in the same over, the veteran duo made few mistakes. Rohit (57) hit spinner Prenelan Subrayen (0-73) for back-to-back sixes before completing his fifty in 43 balls, his third half-century in a row. He fell lbw to Marco Jansen (2-76), whose ball kept low and hit Rohit’s hind leg in front of the stumps. Ottniel Baartman (2-60) dismissed Ruturaj Gaikwad and Washington Sundar soon after, leaving India on shaky ground at 200-4. But Rahul (60) helped Virat steady the ship as the two added 76 runs for the fifth wicket until Virat mis-timed an effort to hit it over extra cover, and Ryan Rickelton ran in to take the catch with a dive. Virat’s player-of-the-match knock of 135 from 120 balls, which included seven sixes and 11 fours, gave Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja (32 off 20) the stability they needed to hammer away, as India added 72 runs in the last seven overs to post 349-8. – Reuters
SPORTSTUESDAY | DEC 2, 202528‘Call me Chucky’ Verstappen revels in McLaren’s Qatar horror show FORMULA ONE champion Max Verstappen revelled in McLaren’s strategy horror show at the Qatar Grand Prix yesterday as the Red Bull driver won again, days after the team’s boss compared him to a movie monster who keeps on coming back. “He can call me Chucky,” grinned the Dutchman after winning under the Lusail floodlights from third place on the grid. McLaren, who had both cars disqualified in Las Vegas a week earlier while Verstappen won, had swept the front row with Oscar Piastri on pole and championship leader Lando Norris – seeking to clinch the title – alongside the Australian. Then it all went wrong again for the champions. Verstappen passed Norris at the start and pitted from second on lap seven when the safety car was deployed, while the McLarens stayed out and paid the price –Piastri ending up second and Norris fourth. That rocketed Verstappen up to second in the championship, 12 points behind Norris with only the Abu Dhabi finale remaining and four ahead of Piastri. At the end of August the Dutch driver had been 104 points off Piastri’s lead. “I didn’t expect to win today, that’s for sure,” Verstappen told Sky Sports television. “Looking at pure pace, we were not on the same level as McLaren, but we made the right call, as most of the grid did, in boxing under the safety car. “That almost gives you a free pit stop and that made the race for me. “For sure, that call at the pit stop made me win the race today.” Red Bull reinforced that feeling by sending Hannah Schmitz, the team’s principal strategy engineer, up to the podium to share Verstappen’s fizzy celebrations under the floodlights. Verstappen said he did not think McLaren had messed up by trying to be fair to both drivers, not wanting to disadvantage one over the other in the title battle if they had doublestacked them at a pitstop, but just made a wrong call. “It was about missing the whole pit stop opportunity,” he said. “On pure pace they are faster, but as it showed today again anything is possible.” McLaren chief executive Zak Brown had likened Verstappen earlier in the week to “that guy in a horror movie, that right as you think he’s not coming back, he’s back.” Vegas was a blow and yesterday was a shock for McLaren, who have already won the constructors’ crown for a second year in a row. This weekend will truly be a nightmare if Verstappen denies them a same-season title double for the first time since Mika Hakkinen in 1998. “I think on pure pace it will be tough but a race like today also shows that it’s not always straightforward, a Grand Prix, and a lot of things can happen,” said Verstappen. “So I’m probably relying a little bit on that.” – ReutersQatar blow hurts more than Vegas: Piastri OSCAR PIASTRI said it hurt more to finish second for McLaren in Qatar yesterday than to be disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix a week earlier. The Australian had qualified on pole position for yesterday race at Lusail, after winning the Saturday sprint, but a team strategy blunder cost him a win and knocked him from second to third in the Formula One championship. “We didn’t get it right with the strategy. The pace was very strong. I didn’t put a foot wrong. Just a shame,” said Piastri. Over the team radio, he had confessed to being simply speechless. With one race to come in Abu Dhabi next weekend, Piastri is 16 points adrift of championship-leading teammate Lando Norris, who started on the front row and finished fourth on Sunday. Verstappen is now second and 12 points off the lead. “I think on a personal level, I feel like I’ve lost a win today,” Piastri told reporters. “You know, in Vegas, I lost a P4. Obviously for the team it was a pretty painful weekend. But yeah, I think for me personally this probably hurts more.” “It’s certainly not a catastrophe,“ added the Australian. “I think we made a wrong decision today. I think that’s clear. But it’s not like the world ended. Obviously it hurts at the moment but with time things will get better.” Piastri has won seven races this year, and was 34 points clear of Norris before the results tailed off dramatically with his last win at Zandvoort at the end of August. He was at least back on the podium on Sunday for the first time in seven races and was the man to beat all weekend. “I feel like you always become stronger through some of these moments,” said the Australian, who can still become his country’s first champion since Alan Jones in 1980. “But it all depends on how you deal with it. So I’m sure we’ll get through it. But yeah, obviously at the moment it does hurt.” – ReutersLANDO NORRIS had his first chance to win the Formula One championship in Qatar yesterday but a McLaren strategy error meant the Briton will have to try again in Abu Dhabi next weekend. The wrong call on whether to pit after the safety car was deployed on lap seven cost Oscar Piastri a likely win and Norris a place on the podium. Piastri finished second and Norris was fourth behind Red Bull’s winner Max Verstappen. Four-times world champion Verstappen is now second in the standings, 12 points off the lead, but Norris would have been champion had he won. He still will be if he finishes at least third at Yas Marina, regardless of where his rivals end up. “It is not our greatest day, it is not our greatest weekend,” the 26-year-old told reporters. “But I don’t know if anyone saw the run of results I had before? They were great. I put myself in this position and I am still happy. “It was not my finest day in terms of driving and putting things together. That is life. Everyone has bad weekends. I take it on the chin, we all take it on the chin, and we will see what we can do next weekend.” Team boss Andrea Stella said Piastri deserved to win and Norris should have been on the podium He admitted his team made a costly strategic blunder yesterday that cost his title-chasing drivers a victory and a podium finish. “It was a decision not to pit and in fairness we didn’t expect everyone else to pit,” said Stella. “Obviously, once everyone pitted, it makes that the right thing to do. “When you have the lead car, you don’t know what the others are going to do. The main reason was related to not expecting everyone else to pit so it was a decision. “And as a matter of fact it wasn’t the correct decision.” Both drivers and Stella made clear they were expecting to review the race and the decision-making before reaching any conclusions about their approach to the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend where Norris can clinch the title if he finishes on the podium.– ReutersNot our finest day, says Norris 1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)3. Carlos Sainz (Williams)4. Lando Norris (McLaren)5. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)6. George Russell (Mercedes)7. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)8. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)10. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)11. Alex Albon (Williams)12. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)13. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)14. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)15. Esteban Ocon (Haas)16. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) DNF: Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber), Oliver Bearman (Haas), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls).WORLD C’SHIP STANDINGS DRIVERS1. Lando Norris (GBR) 408pts, 2. Max Verstappen (NED) 396, 3. Oscar Piastri (AUS) 392, 4. George Russell (GBR) 309,5. Charles Leclerc (MON) 230, 6. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) 152, 7. Kimi Antonelli (ITA) 150, 8. Alex Albon (THA) 73, 9. Carlos Sainz (ESP) 64, 10. Isack Hadjar (FRA) 51, 11. Nico Hulkenberg (GER)49, 12. Fernando Alonso (ESP) 48, 13. Oliver Bearman (GBR) 41, 14. Liam Lawson (NZL) 38, 15. Yuki Tsunoda (JPN) 33, 16. Esteban Ocon (FRA) 32,17. Lance Stroll (CAN) 32, 18. Pierre Gasly (FRA) 22, 19. Gabriel Bortoleto (BRA) 19, 20. Franco Colapinto (ARG) 0, 21. Jack Doohan (AUS) 0. CONSTRUCTORS1. MCLAREN 800PTS - CHAMPIONS, 2. Mercedes 459, 3. Red Bull 426, 4. Ferrari 382, 5. Williams 137, 6. Racing Bulls 92, 7. Aston Martin 80, 8. Haas 73, 9. Sauber 68, 10. Alpine 22.RESULTSSainz secures fifth place for Williams CARLOS SAINZ expected Qatar to be his hardest race of the year and ended up celebrating a surprise second podium of the season that secured fifth place in the championship for his resurgent Williams team. The Spaniard has now taken twice as many top three placings in 2025 as Lewis Hamilton, the seven-times world champion who replaced him at Ferrari in January and has yet to finish higher than fourth. “I think it’s my proudest day in Williams,” he said after finishing third behind Red Bull’s race winner Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. “Happiest? Maybe Baku, because I was just so happy to get my first podium for the team… I think I feel really proud of everyone. “Just very proud of myself but mainly the whole team for the weekend that we’ve executed.” The points left the former champions on 137 points and fifth, 45 clear of Racing Bulls with a maximum 43 still to be won in the final round in Abu Dhabi. Ferrari are fourth, 245 points ahead, but fifth marks the best season for Williams since 2017. Last year they ended up ninth with just 17 points. “I was proud of Carlos and the team when we got our first podium in Baku,” said team boss James Vowles. “The second is a dream come true, but perhaps more importantly at a track that was almost our worst last year. And we’ve come back, we’ve reinvented ourselves and the result is there for everyone to see.” – ReutersVERSTAPPEN396NEEDS TO WIN + NORRIES P4 OR LOWERNORRIS408NEEDS P3PIASTRI392NEEDS TO WIN + NORRIES P6 OR LOWER
SPORTSTUESDAY | DEC 2, 202529REAL MADRID were held to a third consecutive La Liga draw in a 1-1 tie at Girona yesterday, allowing Barcelona to retain pole position. Azzedine Ounahi fired the hosts into a surprise lead before half-time, with Kylian Mbappe earning Madrid a point from the penalty spot. After Barcelona beat Alaves on Saturday to move top of the table, Madrid needed a victory at Girona to reclaim top spot but now sit second, a point behind the champions. Earlier Alberto Moleiro helped Villarreal, third, move back ahead of fourth-place Atletico Madrid with a stoppage time winner in a 3-2 victory at Real Sociedad. Real Madrid’s draw increases the pressure on Madrid coach Xabi Alonso, after recent rumours suggesting his future is insecure in the Madrid dugout. “We are up there, it’s all very even, it’s a long season and we have to continue,” Alonso told reporters. “I liked the reaction from the players. It was not enough to turn it around but we were close, and we have to continue with the unity we have, being selfcritical enough, and wanting to win away from home.” Madrid travel to face Athletic Bilbao on Thursday for a fourth consecutive league match on the road, a game moved because of the club’s participation in the Spanish Super Cup in January. “The table will be hard-fought, there will be lots of movement,” added Alonso. Mbappe and Arda Guler fired off target for Madrid early on in a hotly-contested but scrappy clash, in front of a raucous home crowd. French superstar Mbappe had a goal ruled out for handball moments before Morocco international Ounahi fired Girona ahead, rifling home from just inside the area to stun their illustrious visitors. Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a stunning save to tip away Vanat’s drive across goal before Los Blancos fought back. After having a goal disallowed for offside Vinicius was clumsily felled in the box by Hugo Rincon. Mbappe smashed the resulting penalty into the bottom left corner past Gazzaniga’s dive for his 14th La Liga goal of the campaign. “Absolutely not the result we wanted tonight, but the league is still on and very long,” wrote Mbappe on social media network Instagram. “We need to change this dynamic and show who we are as a team.” Villarreal playmaker Moleiro netted twice in the second half of a thrilling game in San Sebastian. Villarreal secured their fifth consecutive league win to stay firmly in the Spanish title fight. Ayoze Perez sent the visitors ahead midway through the first half and teed up Moleiro for Villarreal’s second soon after the break. Real Sociedad fought back strongly, with Carlos Soler netting on the hour mark. The Basque side ramped up the pressure and levelled in the final stages through a spectacular Ander Barrenetxea freekick. However, Moleiro had the final say, firing home in the 95th minute to maintain his team’s momentum. “We had that little bit of luck to get three very important points, as important as they were difficult (to get),” said Marcelino. “To get 32 points out of a possible 42 to me seems a stunning achievement.” – AFPBig blow for AlonsoMadrid title hopes dented at Girona in third straight drawLens go top for 1st time in 21 yearsFLORIAN THAUVIN scored a brace to fire Lens to the top of the French Ligue 1 table with a 2-1 victory at Angers yesterday. Victory took Lens a point clear of reigning French and European champions Paris Saint-Germain, who lost surprisingly 1-0 at Monaco on Saturday. Marseille could also have taken over top spot this weekend but were held to a 2-2 home draw by Toulouse and sit third. It is the first time that Lens have been top of Ligue 1 since August 2004, but coach Pierre Sage was not getting carried away. “We’re very happy that it’s happened, but despite everything, on a CV, being top after 14 matches doesn’t secure you a job, I would imagine,” he said. “We’re going to aim to keep progressing, to manage our matches better so that we don’t feel at the end that everything is difficult for 10 or 12 minutes,” he added, criticising his team for having wobbled when leading 2-0. Former Newcastle United flop Thauvin opened the scoring for Lens on the stroke of half-time with a rocket-like left-footed strike that gave Angers’s Congolese goalkeeper Melvin Zinga no chance. Thauvin, 32, who spent much of his career at Marseille, added the second 17 minutes from time with a deflected shot that wrong-footed Zinga. But just three minutes later, Harouna Djibirin gave the hosts a lifeline, slotting home the rebound after Lens goalkeeper Robin Risser pulled off a fine save to deny Prosper Peter. Lens had VAR to thank for holding onto the victory as the television match official overturned a late penalty award to Angers. It was a fourth straight league win for Lens and seventh in their last eight matches. Elsewhere, Moroccan Hamza Igamane scored the winner two minutes from time to send Lille up to fourth with a 1-0 success at Le Havre. Strasbourg missed the chance to move fifth as they lost 2-1 at home to Brest. Lowly Lorient moved out of the relegation zone as two goals from Senegalese forward Sambou Soumano helped them to a 3-1 success over out-of-sorts Nice, who lost for the sixth time in a row in all competitions. Although they sit 10th in the 18-team Ligue 1, Nice coach Franck Haise insisted they are now in a relegation dog fight. That is certainly the case for third-frombottom Nantes after they lost 3-0 at Lyon, who are sixth after Uruguayan Martin Satriano’s brace – his first goals in Ligue 1. –AFPNAPOLI joined AC Milan at the top of Serie A yesterday after winning 1-0 at title rivals Roma, as Inter Milan kept pace with the leading pair by beating Pisa 2-0. David Neres stroked home the only goal of a feisty game in the 36th minute at the Stadio Olimpico, ending a blistering counter-attack with a calm finish which put Napoli on 28 points. Napoli are behind Milan on goal difference and just one point ahead of both Roma and Inter Milan in a tight Scudetto battle, in which Antonio Conte’s team will host Juventus in a week’s time. “To come to Rome and play with authority and personality like we did wasn’t easy because Roma came into the game on the back on some positive results,” said Conte to DAZN. “We’ve sent a message to ourselves, that if we want it we can have it.” Bologna will move level with Roma and Inter if they beat Cremonese overnight and Vincenzo Italiano’s team could have their say in the destination of the title which they last won in 1964. Roma have been waiting 24 years to be crowned kings of Italy and yesterday’s defeat was already their third against a direct rival this season after also being beaten by the two Milan clubs. Napoli have bounced back from a meltdown before the last international break and put in a classic away performance, denying Roma any real chances and pouncing at the first opportunity. Conte had to do without Kevin De Bruyne, AndreFrank Anguissa and Billy Gilmour – as well as longterm absentee Romelu Lukaku – but has found an effective attacking recipe with Neres and Noa Lang, who buzzed around centre-forward Rasmus Hojlund. It was Hojlund who burst forward and perfectly slipped in Neres for his third goal of the season, while robust defending kept Roma away from Vanja Milinkovic-Savic’s goal. Roma offered little in reply, failing to break through Napoli’s backline until the 90th minute, when Milinkovic-Savic did enough to keep out Tommaso Baldanzi’s low drive from the edge of the area. “What is disappointing is that we weren’t able to perform with the right rhythm, and I think we paid a bit for playing on Thursday,” said Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini. “We weren’t quick enough and when you take too many touches, the ball moves slower and it becomes more difficult.” Lautaro Martinez smashed home Pio Esposito’s low cross in the 69th minute and then ensured Inter would claim the points when he tapped in from close range with seven minutes remaining. “I’m happy because we won and that’s what we wanted after two defeats… I work for the team, myself and my family, I leave the talk to others,” said Martinez to DAZN. “I hope it continues, I’ve still got plenty of time on my contract, I’m happy here and the fans love me… the team comes before everything else.” – AFPNapoli join Milan at Serie A summitHamburg leave it late, Frankfurt salvage drawFABIO VIEIRA scored in the final minute of stoppage time to give 10-man Hamburg a 2-1 win at home to Stuttgart in the Bundesliga yesterday. Hamburg’s first win since early October took them four points clear of the relegation spots. Former Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi converted a stoppage-time penalty to spare Eintracht Frankfurt’s blushes in a 1-1 draw at home to lowly Wolfsburg. Robert Glatzel put promoted Hamburg in front midway through the opening half, blasting in a right-footed shot after Alexander Rossing-Lelesiit cleverly beat three defenders in midfield before laying on the assist. Former Brighton striker Deniz Undav had Stuttgart level early in the second-half, pouncing to tap in the rebound from a wellhit Jamie Leweling shot for his sixth goal in three league games. Reduced to 10 men when RossingLelesiit picked up a second yellow with nine minutes remaining, Stuttgart were caught upfield pushing for a winner when Fabio Balde released Arsenal loanee Vieira to score from close range. Glatzel praised the “unbelievable” home fans in Hamburg’s 57,000-strong Volksparkstadion for helping push the side to victory. “The atmosphere here is so unique. I’ve seen it here before, but it’s always something truly special” he said. Wolfsburg had lost eight of their previous nine but were the better side in Frankfurt and should have opened the scoring when Mohamed Amoura somehow chipped a pinpoint Christian Eriksen cross over the bar. With 66 minutes gone, Sael Kumbedi looped a delightful cross across the face of goal to Aaron Zehnter, who volleyed through Frankfurt goalkeeper Michael Zetterer’s legs for the opener. In the fourth minute of stoppage time, a VAR review showed a foul on Arthur Theate in the box, earning Frankfurt a penalty. Belgium forward Batshuayi converted to snatch a draw but the point was not enough to lift Frankfurt past sixth-placed Stuttgart and back into the European placings. – AFPGirona’s Azzedine Ounahi (left) in action with Real Madrid players during yesterday’s La Liga match at the Estadi Montilivi. – REUTERSPIC
SPORTSTUESDAY | DEC 2, 202530 READ OUR HERE/thesun Malaysian PaperEmery hails Villans turnaround at homeASTON VILLA boss Unai Emery praised his players for the way they have turned their season around after a 1-0 win at home to Wolves moved them into the top four of the Premier League. Boubacar Kamara’s stunning goal secured Villa a seventh win out of eight lLeague games. They look a different team to the start of the campaign, where a dreadful summer transfer window led to a lacklustre beginning as they failed to win any of their opening five games and scored just one goal. Emery’s men now look set to compete at the top end of the Premier League once again, though the Spaniard is remaining grounded. “The table is, of course, now better how we can see it,” Emery said. “We are going to be humble and realistic. We will focus on each match. We have Brighton away on Thursday. “I am very happy, we were excited and motivated to play here in our fortress. They competed fantastic and overall I am so happy. “How we are responding after our poor start, we are feeling strong and comfortable. The players are taking responsibility and working hard every day to have the opportunities we had to do. “Of course I was worried and I was responsible, I tried to share my worries with the players two months ago and we are remembering it every day. “The most important is how the players are taking responsibility. We try to set our level high in everything. “The most important thing is how the players responded to my message, because if they were not responding in the way I wanted it would be impossible. They are getting the commitment we need.” Wolves boss Rob Edwards says his side’s performance “was a step in the right direction”, even if the League table continues to make grim reading. Wanderers have lost 11 of their 13 games and look certain to drop to the Championship, but this was their best performance of the season. “I feel sick that we’ve lost, like the lads will do and everyone connected to the club, but we went about it in the best way possible to try and win,” he said. “I certainly hope it will give us belief. I thought at times we looked really, really good, and went right up against them. “So there was a lot to like about the performance.” – The Independent MANCHESTER UNITED secured a crucial 2-1 comeback victory at Crystal Palace on Sunday, ending the hosts’ long unbeaten home run and providing a much-needed response after their disappointing loss to 10-man Everton. Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount struck in the second half, lifting United to seventh in the Premier League table. Manager Ruben Amorim praised his side’s fight, stating: “It’s important to win every game and again today was proof that if you play the same way but increase the way we fight for every ball and the small details, the certainty on the pass, the movements, we work on that in a different pace, we can beat anyone.” This hard-fought triumph marked only United’s second away victory in their last 12 games, achieved at Selhurst Park, a notoriously tough venue where Palace had not lost in the League since February. Despite the hosts dominating the first half, Amorim, still under pressure after United’s stumbling start to the season, was pleased with his team’s heightened intensity after the interval. Amorim elaborated on the turnaround, explaining: “We increased the rhythm in the second half. We took advantage of the opponent that we felt even in the first half, the last 15 minutes, (Palace) were tired. “But the main change was the intensity and the pace of our game, even quality when we connect, especially with Josh in the second half, was different. “So I think in the end, we deserved the three points, and I’m really happy to give that to the fans.” Zirkzee, who started in place of the injured Matheus Cunha, scored his first League goal in almost a year and his fourth since joining United in 2024. Amorim underlined the striker’s overall contribution, not just the goal: “It is so important for a striker to score a goal. “He is not playing many minutes but the way he responds in the second half is really important. It’s more important than just the goal. “Again the small details — win one first ball for us to win the second ball. The connection is so important for our game. The goal is really important for our team and for him.” – The IndependentAmorim praises Devils’ intensityŰ BY JONATHAN VEALŰ BY LORI EWINGHurzeler happy to avenge Forest humblingBRIGHTON boss Fabian Hurzeler was happy to erase bad memories from the City Ground after his side earned a 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest. The Seagulls avenged the 7-0 defeat they suffered here back in February, with the victory helping them climb to fifth in the Premier League table. Sean Dyche’s halftime plans would have changed when Brighton broke the deadlock right before the interval with their 13th shot of the half as Maxim De Cuyper grabbed his second goal of the season. Brighton sealed all three points in the 88th minute through substitute Stefanos Tzimas’ first goal of the league campaign following a mistake from Morato. Hurzeler admitted they came to the City Ground to “clean the air” following their humbling loss last season. The German said: “We started the game good, we arrived here with some memories regarding last season but we came here to clean the air, not only ourselves but the fans and happy they can have a good weekend. “We suffered in certain moments in the second half. They brought some quality but we defended the box well. “How you stick together and suffer through this period was impressive and on top of that we created a lot of chances. “Overall it was a good performance. We know last season we weren’t at our highest level here, it was a bad moment for everyone in the club but the most important thing is how you react and come back. “It’s important to prepare the best next for Aston Villa which will be a big challenge.” Nottingham Forest boss Dyche admitted his side lost the game in the opening 20 minutes. He said: “After the first 20 minutes where we’ve been a long way off where we’ve been. We didn’t start right and then regripped the game and were strong and then to give away a soft goal was disappointing after weathering a storm. “Second half we gave a strong performance. Fatigue at the end of the half and we switched off.” – The IndependentRelief for SlotReds boss hails Isak’s ‘important’ first EPL club goalŰ BY ANDY SIMSCody Gakpo shoots to score Liverpool’s second goal during the English Premier League match against West Ham United at the London Stadium yesterday. – AFPPICARNE SLOT admitted Alexander Isak’s first Premier League goal for Liverpool was important for both him and the club. Sweden striker Isak had just one Carabao Cup goal to his name following his protracted £125 million (RM725m) summer switch from Newcastle. But his well-taken strike against the Hammers, and Cody Gakpo’s stoppage-time goal, fired stuttering champions Liverpool – on a run of nine defeats in 12 matches in all competitions – to a much-needed 2-0 victory. “It’s very important for us as a team that we went 1-0 up, but I think it was also important for him because I think it was his third or fourth chance of this game,” Reds head coach Slot said. “I don’t think there was much more than 10 minutes in him to go, so then to score just before you come off was important for us, but also for him.” Slot took drastic action in a bid to halt their alarming slide by dropping Mohamed Salah for Isak. It was a big call, and the first time the Egypt striker had been left out of a Premier League starting line-up since April 2024, also at West Ham in a 2-2 draw. That day Salah had a stand-up row with manager Jurgen Klopp on the touchline before going on as a late substitute. This time he did not get on at all, with Slot replacing Isak with Hugo Ekitike shortly after his goal. “Mo has had an unbelievable career here at this club and will have a very good future at this club because he’s such a special player,” Slot added. “We have four games in 10 days with only 14 to 15 outfield players available for us. Then you have to decide once in a while to make a certain line-up and you try to pick the best line-up for every single game.” Liverpool were worthy winners, but they were helped by West Ham who, as they so often do, rolled out the claret and blue carpet to a team in need. There was also a ludicrous red card for Lucas Paqueta, when the Brazilian was booked for dissent by referee Darren England, went back for a second moan and was duly sent off. Hammers boss Nuno Espirito Santo said: “I think we started well in the game. We required better accuracy, crossing and shooting. But we were in the game. “How we conceded was disappointing. But we kept trying until the end, yeah.” The defeat came hours after it was announced West Ham great Billy Bonds had died. Nuno added: “We felt that we wanted to do another thing that can honour the memory of Billy Bonds, and it was not to be.” – The Independent
SPORTSTUESDAY | DEC 2, 202531DOMESTIC serial winners Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) believe that Sunday night’s 2-0 semifinal, return-leg win over Kuching City FC is just the right tonic ahead of their FA Cup final against Sabah FC on Dec 14. Southern Tigers head coach Xisco Munoz lauded his team for a strong performance and character throughout the match against Kuching City at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Iskandar Puteri, Johor, creating numerous chances and maintaining control from start to finish. He stressed that while the 4-1 aggregate victory was important, it was equally vital that they display the same level of commitment, character and intensity in the final against Sabah. “One of the things the team can do moving forward is to close games efficiently and make the most of the chances created. When you have many chances, you must kill off the game,” he said at the post-match press conference. He also reflected on the absence of star player Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi due to injury and the club’s efforts to ensure his full recovery ahead of the FA Cup title showdown. “I miss him 100%. Arif is one of the best players in Asia. Losing a player of his quality is always difficult. “We are working very hard to get him back to full fitness. The positive thing is that when he returns, he will come back stronger, and that is what matters the most,” he said. As for their Asean Club Championship (ACC) match against Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC at the Morodok Techno National Stadium in Cambodia on Thursday, Munoz emphasised focus, intensity and upholding the club’s values. Meanwhile, Kuching City FC head coach Aidil Sharin Sahak admitted that the match against JDT was a tough ask, acknowledging the champions as being stronger and more established. “JDT are always a better team compared to us. We are a new club working to get better every year. And I think we have already created history by reaching the semifinals, which is already a big moment for the club,” he said. Aidil Sharin, while acknowledging the challenges his team faced with a limited squad and the absence of key players, praised his team for pushing JDT to the limit. “It’s unfortunate that we faced a team like JDT in the semi-finals. But, at the end of the day, the boys gave their best and showed that they have the quality to play against a big team,” he added. In Sunday’s match, JDT scored through Bergson Da Silva (25th minute) and Eddy Israfilov (82nd minute). In the other semifinal return-leg match, Sabah FC and 10-man Selangor FC had to go through a dramatic penalty shootout after they were tied 3-3 for the night and 5-5 on aggregate at the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Stadium. Sabah then created history by qualifying for the FA Cup final for the first time, prevailing 5-4 in the shootout. – BernamaJDT get perfect boostMunoz hails FA Cup semifinal win over Kuching FCNew Zealand deny Malaysia third spot in Sultan Azlan Shah CupNEW ZEALAND captured third place at the expense of hosts Malaysia after they defeated their opponents 6-1 at the 31st edition of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Invitational Hockey Tournament at Azlan Shah Hockey Stadium on Sunday. The Kiwis, champions in 2012 and 2015 are taking back the bronze medal home for the seventh time. The homesters were two-goals down after just seven minutes. Kiwi skipper Sam Lane found the net five times in the fifth, seventh, 33rd, 34th and 41st minute. The other goal was scored by James Hickson in the 29th minute. Malaysia’s lone goal came from Faizal Shaari in the 43rd minute. Malaysian coach Sarjit Singh said: “We conceded two early goals and tried to chase but gave away the third. By then the boys knew the game was going to be tough . “We could have scored a few goals but no finishing,” he added, with Kiwi keeper Leon Hayward proving a stumbling block to Malaysian players. Sarjit’s counterpart Greg Nicol said: “We plan to play the best hockey on the last day of the tournament. Malaysia always a tough team to play at home. “Obviously we are looking back at the tournament and performance,” he added. Earlier Canada who are making their 11th appearance edged Korea 4-3 for the fifth and sixth placing. Canada goals came from Sean Davies (11th, 49th min), Brendan Gyraliuk (43rd , 53rd min). Korea playing for the 23rd time found the net through Yang Jihun(18th min), Kim Hyeonhong (58th, 60th min) – P. Chandra Sagaran BELGIUM made a triumphant return to the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Invitational Hockey Tournament to lifted the trophy after they edged India 1-0 in a thrilling final at Azlan Shah Hockey Stadium in Ipoh, Perak on Sunday night. Thibeau Stockbroekx’s 34th minute goal was good enough for them to emerge champion in the six nation tournament after a 17-year hiatus. The intense match, which was graced by Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah and Raja Permaisuri Perak Tuanku Zara Salim, attracted some 3,000 spectators. The world No. 3 ranked Belgians competed in 2008 and finished sixth but this time around they made sure to take home the trophy. India, who have won the Cup five times, the last being declared as joint winners with Korea in 2010, tried hard to win the match. First half saw both teams missing several chances. Belgium came to a Ipoh with a reputation of coming runners-up in the FIH Men’s 2024-2025 Pro League. It was more celebration for Belgium when Vincent Vanasch was declared the Best Goalkeeper, followed by Tom Boon who was named the Player of the Tournament. Belgium coach Shane McLeod said: “We are happy and excited with the victory… it was a tough game. India has always been a strong team. “It is always wonderful to have European teams like Belgium, and other team such as New Zealand and Australia including Asian teams compete in this beautiful tournament. “This victory comes at a moment when we are preparing for the new FIH Pro League which is just 10 days away. “We came here in 2008 and only managed sixth spot but today we are champion,” he added. Indian coach Craig Fulton said: “It was a tough and entertaining match for the fans… we could not get the one goal to go to the next level. “Credit to Belgium for the victory… nevertheless I am sure the youngsters have learned a lot from this experience. “This tournament provides the best opportunities for the teams and we move on to our training for the World Cup and Asian Games,” he added. Meanwhile,New Zealand’s Sam Lane received the top scorer award with nine goals. The Kiwis took third spot after they defeated Malaysia 6-1. Korea who finished at the bottom of the table had some consolation when they took home the Fair Play award.Triumphant return for BelgiumŰ BY P. CHANDRA SAGARANENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Aston Villa 1 (Kamara 67) Wolves 0, Chelsea 1 (Chalobah 48) Arsenal 1 (Merino 59), Crystal Palace 1 (Mateta 36-pen)Manchester United 2 (Zirkzee 54,Mount 63), Nottingham Forest 0 Brighton 2 (De Cuyper 45+1, Tzimas 88), West Ham 0 Liverpool 2 (Isak 60, Gakpo 90+2). P W D L F A Pts Arsenal 13 9 3 1 25 7 30 Man City 13 8 1 4 27 12 25 Chelsea 13 7 3 3 24 12 24 Aston Villa 13 7 3 3 16 11 24 Brighton 13 6 4 3 21 16 22 Sunderland 13 6 4 3 17 13 22 Man Utd 13 6 3 4 21 20 21 Liverpool 13 7 0 6 20 20 21 Crystal Palace 13 5 5 3 17 11 20 Brentford 13 6 1 6 21 20 19 Bournemouth 13 5 4 4 21 23 19 Tottenham 13 5 3 5 21 16 18 Newcastle 13 5 3 5 17 16 18 Everton 13 5 3 5 14 17 18 Fulham 13 5 2 6 15 17 17 Nottm Forest 13 3 3 7 13 22 12 West Ham 13 3 2 8 15 27 11 Leeds 13 3 2 8 13 25 11 Burnley 13 3 1 9 15 27 10 Wolves 13 0 2 11 7 28 2LA LIGA: Real Sociedad 2 (Soler 61, Barrenetxea 87) Villarreal 3 (Perez 31,Moleiro 57, 90+5), Sevilla 0 Real Betis 2 (Fornals 54, Altimira 69), Celta Vigo 0 Espanyol 1 (Garcia 86), Girona 1 (Ounahi 45) Real Madrid 1 (Mbappe 67-pen).TOP 6 P W D L F A Pts Barcelona 14 11 1 2 39 16 34 Real Madrid 14 10 3 1 29 13 33 Villarreal 14 10 2 2 29 13 32 A. Madrid 14 9 4 1 27 11 31 Real Betis 14 6 6 2 22 14 24 Espanyol 14 7 3 4 18 16 24SERIE A: Atalanta 2 (Kossounou 41, Lookman 52) Fiorentina 0, Lecce 2 (Coulibaly 20, Banda 22) Torino 1 (Adams 57), Pisa 0 Inter Milan 2 (Martinez 69,83), Roma 0 Napoli 1 (Neres 36). TOP 6 P W D L F A Pts AC Milan 13 8 4 1 19 9 28 Napoli 13 9 1 3 20 11 28 Roma 13 9 0 4 15 7 27 Inter Milan 13 9 0 4 28 13 27 Bologna 12 7 3 2 21 8 24 Como 13 6 6 1 19 7 24BUNDESLIGA: Freiburg 4 Mainz 0, Eintracht Frankfurt 1 Wolfsburg 1, Hamburg 2 Stuttgart 1.TOP 6 P W D L F A Pts B. Munich 12 11 1 0 44 9 34 RB Leipzig 12 8 2 2 22 13 26 B. Dortmund 12 7 4 1 21 11 25 B. Leverkusen 12 7 2 3 28 17 23 Hoffenheim 12 7 2 3 25 17 23 Stuttgart 12 7 1 4 21 17 22FRENCH LIGUE 1: Strasbourg 1 Brest 2, Angers 1 Lens 2, Le Havre 0 Lille 1, Lorient 3 Nice 1, Lyon 3 Nantes 0.TOP 6 P W D L F A Pts Lens 14 10 1 3 24 12 31 Paris SG 14 9 3 2 27 12 30 Marseille 14 9 2 3 35 14 29 Lille 14 8 2 4 28 17 26 Rennes 14 6 6 2 24 18 24 Lyon 14 7 3 4 21 15 24RESULTS & STANDINGSYoung Tigers get hit for sixTHE national men’s junior hockey squad suffered their first loss after falling 6-0 to the Netherlands in their second Group E match of the 2025 Junior World Cup in Tamil Nadu, India, on Sunday. In the match held at the Madurai International Hockey Stadium, Nor Saiful Zaini’s boys, who defeated Austria 5-1 on Saturday, were unable to contain the relentless attacks of the Dutch side who are also two-time runners-up. The Netherlands went ahead as early as the ninth minute through a field goal by Casper van der Veen, before the same player doubled their lead a minute later. Joppe Wolbert compounded the Young Tigers’ misery further with two goals within a minute, a penalty corner in the 20th minute and a penalty stroke in the 21st minute. Thies Bakker then put the Dutch comfortably ahead at 5–0 with a field goal in the 28th minute, before Tjeerd Boermans completed the team’s emphatic victory in the 42nd minute. After two matches, the Netherlands lead Group E with six points, while England sits second, sharing three points with Malaysia in third place, and Austria is fourth without any points. Malaysia will next face England in their third match today. – Bernama Belgium’s Roman Duvekot (right) controls the ball and is pushed by India’s Sanjay during the 31st Sultan Azlan Shah Cup at the Azlan Shah Hockey Stadium yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC
theSun is published and printed by Sun Media Corporation Sdn Bhd (221220-K) of Lot 6, Jalan 51/217, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 03-7784 6688 • Tel (Editorial): 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7785 2625 Email: [email protected] • Tel (Advertising): 03-7784 8888 Email: [email protected] www.thesun.my Free access to iPaper PDF Download SCAN MEMalaysian PaperRead iPaper at Malaysian Paperor download from appthe App Store or Google PlayTM.Malaysian PaperSCAN ME TUESDAY | DEC 2, 2025Arsenal’s Mikel Merino (left) and Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo lay injured after a tackle from Caicedo that earned him a red card during yesterday match. – AFPPICMIKEL ARTETA praised his Arsenal side at the end of an “immensely difficult” week after they drew 1-1 with 10-man Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The Gunners started a Premier League match with neither William Saliba nor Gabriel in defence for the first time this season, Martin Odegaard and Viktor Gyokeres only fit enough for the bench and Leandro Trossard injured, they had to come from a goal down to take a point that put them five clear at the top of the table. The sending-off of Moises Caicedo in the first half for a studs-up tackle on the ankle of Mikel Merino seemed to leave the match there for the taking, but after Trevoh Chalobah headed Arsenal in front, there was a sense of relief that the leaders had survived with a point thanks to Merino’s leveller. Despite playing against 10 men for almost an hour, Arteta reflected instead on what his side had achieved in the previous seven days after thrashing Tottenham in the north London derby and the Champions League win over Bayern Munich. “It’s been a big week,” he said. “The derby, how emotional and the necessity to win, then Bayern Munich. “We lost players in those games, today we had to play a partnership we haven’t played before in a really difficult match. The captain is still not here, the No. 9 is not here, Kai (Havertz) is not here, we lost Leo. “The team had to react to that. It’s been a positive week because the difficulty was immense. But I have this flavour that today we should have won the game, and we haven’t.” Saliba was missing after receiving a knock in training and will be assessed again ahead of Thursday’s game against Brentford, whilst Gabriel is set for a longer layoff. “It’s been a headache because we have to have a lot of option and changes in the last few months,” said Arteta. “This (Saliba’s absence) was unexpected. Today was a great learning match for all of us.” Arteta named Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie as his centreback pairing for the first time in the Premier League. “The beauty of it is that you have players so willing to play, so willing to connect with each other. We will build a relationship even better,” Arteta added. “So today was a great learning match for all of us and as well gives you the assurance that whoever is there is going to perform. “Right from the beginning you could sense how much was at stake. Every duel and action was full gas, very short sequences of play. “With the 10 men we expected a different game, we plan it, we went through it in the second half. They get a free kick and they score. Then it becomes a very tricky game to play. “Overall I think that when you don’t win with 10 men for 45 minutes you have to be disappointed. But you have to know the week we had, a tough opponent. “They did everything they can again. They’ve never played together so we need to build that synergy. There were a lot of things happening before the game. The spirit of the team is in tact.” The Arsenal manager will need those who come in to keep performing as he confirmed that it would be “weeks” before Gabriel’s return to the first team. Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca accepted the dismissal of Caicedo but questioned why Tottenham’s Rodrigo Bentancur had not been sent off for a similar challenge on Reece James when the teams met earlier in November. There was also what looked to be an elbow from Piero Hincapie on Chalobah that left the Chelsea defender’s face bloodied but brought only a yellow card. “Moises is a red card, but why Bentancur against Reece was not?” said Maresca. “As managers we try to understand why they judge in different ways. We struggle to understand. “Trev one, I asked the referee, he said it was not an elbow. They judge in different ways. He has a black eye, he was with ice at half-time.” James was outstanding in the centre of midfield but when asked if he will be able to play on Thursday at Leeds, Maresca said: “The reality is no. “We have a game on Thursday, for Reece we need to manage him and control his situation.” – The Independent/AgenciesArteta heaps praise on Arsenal after ‘immensely difficult’ weekArsenal’s Mikel Merino (centre) scores against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge yesterday. – REUTERSPICProud Gunners