MalaysianUpdates

Category: Business & Corporate

  • Propel Global Kekal Berdaya Tahan Walaupun Hasil Lebih Rendah Pada S3 TK2026

    Propel Global Kekal Berdaya Tahan Walaupun Hasil Lebih Rendah Pada S3 TK2026

    Propel Global Berhad, penyedia perkhidmatan minyak dan gas, telah melaporkan keputusan kewangan bagi suku ketiga berakhir 31 Mac 2026 dengan hasil sebanyak RM18.6 juta, berbanding RM23.6 juta pada tempoh yang sama tahun sebelumnya. Kumpulan turut merekodkan kerugian sebelum cukai sebanyak RM6.8 juta berbanding RM0.9 juta pada S3 TK2025.

    Prestasi hasil yang lebih rendah ini dipengaruhi terutamanya oleh penurunan sumbangan daripada segmen Perkhidmatan Teknikal, khususnya berkaitan aktiviti pengebilan kemajuan bagi projek pembinaan yang berada pada fasa akhir penyiapan. Walaupun begitu, impak ini sebahagiannya diimbangi oleh sumbangan lebih kukuh daripada segmen minyak dan gas yang disokong oleh penyatuan keputusan Min Soon Transport Company Sdn. Bhd. selepas pengambilalihan pada Disember 2025.

    Segmen minyak dan gas mencatatkan hasil sebanyak RM16.2 juta dengan keuntungan sebelum cukai sebanyak RM1.1 juta. Prestasi ini dipacu oleh aktiviti EPCC serta pengiktirafan keuntungan daripada pelupusan Propel Maxflo Sdn. Bhd., walaupun terdapat tekanan daripada penurunan aktiviti projek tertentu dalam tempoh suku tersebut.

    Segmen Perkhidmatan Teknikal pula mencatatkan hasil sebanyak RM0.8 juta dengan kerugian sebelum cukai sebanyak RM5.7 juta. Penurunan ini disebabkan oleh pengurangan aktiviti projek pembinaan, pelaksanaan awal kontrak baharu serta penurunan kerja mekanikal dan elektrikal, selain kesan kerugian rosot nilai ke atas penghutang perdagangan.

    Bagi segmen Teknologi Maklumat dan Komunikasi, hasil menurun kepada RM1.2 juta dengan kerugian sebelum cukai sebanyak RM0.2 juta berbanding keuntungan pada tempoh sama tahun sebelumnya. Ini berpunca daripada ketiadaan sumbangan projek sekali sahaja yang direkodkan pada tahun sebelumnya.

    Segmen lain-lain mencatatkan kerugian sebelum cukai sebanyak RM2.0 juta, lebih baik berbanding RM3.8 juta pada tahun sebelumnya, disokong oleh keuntungan nilai saksama pelaburan tersenarai yang membantu mengurangkan tekanan kos pentadbiran dan perbelanjaan korporat.

    Bagi tempoh sembilan bulan berakhir 31 Mac 2026, Propel Global mencatatkan hasil sebanyak RM57.0 juta berbanding RM86.3 juta pada tempoh yang sama tahun sebelumnya, dengan kerugian sebelum cukai meningkat kepada RM16.8 juta. Penurunan ini dipengaruhi oleh aktiviti EPCC yang lebih perlahan, pengurangan sumbangan ICT serta kesan kerugian rosot nilai penghutang perdagangan.

    Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Kumpulan, Angeline Lee, menjelaskan bahawa prestasi suku tersebut mencerminkan cabaran operasi serta perubahan dalam kitaran projek. Walaupun begitu, Kumpulan terus memberi tumpuan kepada pelaksanaan projek secara berdisiplin, pengurusan kos yang lebih ketat serta penyertaan dalam peluang pertumbuhan yang lebih strategik.

    Menurut beliau, segmen minyak dan gas kekal sebagai penyumbang utama keuntungan, manakala penyatuan Min Soon Transport mula memberikan impak positif kepada operasi Kumpulan. Pada masa yang sama, Propel Global sedang memperkukuh kehadirannya dalam sektor infrastruktur pusat data, infrastruktur digital dan tenaga baharu.

    Melalui Propel CMT Sdn. Bhd., Kumpulan telah memperoleh LOA bernilai kira-kira RM70 juta untuk kerja-kerja sivil dan struktur bagi pembangunan pusat data di Johor Bahru, dengan potensi nilai keseluruhan projek yang boleh mencecah sehingga RM325 juta. Selain itu, pesanan kerja tambahan bernilai sehingga RM59.04 juta turut diperoleh bagi pembangunan infrastruktur sokongan projek tersebut.

    Dalam masa yang sama, kerjasama strategik bersama Sabah Energy Corporation Sdn. Bhd. dan Reservoir Link Energy Bhd untuk meneroka pembangunan loji janakuasa gas modular di Sabah menandakan usaha berterusan Kumpulan dalam memperluaskan portfolio kepada sektor tenaga rendah karbon dan penyelesaian infrastruktur moden.

    Propel Global kekal komited untuk memperkukuh operasi, meningkatkan kecekapan kos dan mengembangkan peluang dalam sektor bernilai tinggi. Dengan portfolio yang semakin pelbagai merangkumi minyak dan gas, perkhidmatan teknikal, ICT, pusat data dan tenaga, Kumpulan terus berada pada landasan untuk pertumbuhan jangka panjang yang lebih stabil dan mampan.

  • Axteria Group Berhad Strengthens Executive Team with Key Leadership Appointments

    Axteria Group Berhad Strengthens Executive Team with Key Leadership Appointments

    Axteria Group Berhad is a public-listed property development and property management company on the Main Market. Axteria Group Berhad has announced several changes to its board of directors and senior management as part of an ongoing leadership realignment aimed at strengthening execution, governance continuity and long-term business growth.

    As part of the leadership transition, Ku Chong Hong has been appointed Chief Executive Officer effective 29 May 2026. His appointment is expected to provide clearer executive leadership and stronger management oversight as the company continues to sharpen its focus on property development, project execution and value creation. In addition, Oh Bang Han has been appointed Chief Operating Officer effective the same date, further strengthening Axteria’s operational leadership capacity.

    The company has also appointed Lai Jian Hong as Chief Financial Officer, effective 29 May 2026, succeeding Sea Hong Peng who will step down from the role on the same date due to personal commitments. Lai is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and the Malaysian Institute of Accountants, and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Finance (Hons) from the University of the West of England, Bristol.

    Lai brings more than a decade of experience in assurance and corporate finance, having started his career with Grant Thornton Malaysia as an auditor. He previously served as Chief Financial Officer of DS Sigma Holdings Berhad and Mestron Holdings Berhad, where he played a key role in leading both companies through their respective IPO exercises on Bursa Malaysia’s ACE Market. Prior to his CFO appointment, he joined Axteria as Financial Controller on 1 May 2026.

    In line with the board realignment, Woo Wai Onn @ Foo Wai Onn has resigned as Group Managing Director, while Kenny Woo Chi Yoong has stepped down as Executive Director, both effective 29 May 2026 due to personal commitments. The company confirmed that there are no disagreements with the Board and no other matters requiring disclosure to shareholders in relation to the resignations.

    The newly appointed CEO, Ku Chong Hong, stated that the leadership realignment marks an important step for Axteria as it strengthens management focus and execution discipline for the company’s next phase of development. The Board also expressed appreciation to the outgoing directors and CFO for their contributions, while noting that the strengthened financial leadership will support the company in evaluating opportunities and reinforcing its operational platform.

    The Board believes the refreshed leadership structure will enable Axteria to move forward with greater clarity, accountability and operational focus. With strengthened executive leadership and enhanced financial oversight, the company is better positioned to pursue its strategic priorities while maintaining prudent governance, financial discipline and long-term stakeholder value creation.

    Looking ahead, Axteria remains committed to strengthening its property development and management platform, with continued emphasis on project execution, capital discipline and selective growth opportunities that support sustainable long-term performance.

  • Usahasama Global: Inovasi Kolagen Nano Biri-Biri dari Australia Kini Menembusi Dunia

    Usahasama Global: Inovasi Kolagen Nano Biri-Biri dari Australia Kini Menembusi Dunia

    Dua pemain industri yang berakar umbi di Malaysia serta disenaraikan di bursa antarabangsa kini bergabung tenaga untuk memacu inovasi dalam sektor kesihatan global, anti-penuaan dan kesejahteraan. Holista Colltech Limited (ASX: HCT) dan Swang Chai Chuan Limited (HKEX:2321) secara rasmi mengumumkan penubuhan usahasama strategik 50:50 melalui Ovicoll Pty Ltd, sekali gus menandakan satu langkah penting dalam usaha memperluaskan kejayaan serantau mereka ke pasaran global.

    Kerjasama ini memberi tumpuan kepada pembangunan kemudahan pengeluaran kolagen nano berasaskan biri-biri yang berteknologi tinggi di Collie, Australia Barat. Usahasama ini menggabungkan kekuatan kedua-dua pihak, iaitu kepakaran saintifik serta inovasi bioteknologi daripada Holista Colltech yang tersenarai di Australia, bersama kekuatan modal dan rangkaian pengedaran luas Swang Chai Chuan yang tersenarai di Hong Kong.

    Antara kelebihan utama perikatan strategik ini ialah pembangunan kolagen berasaskan ovine (biri-biri) yang bersifat neutral dari segi budaya dan agama, menjadikannya diterima secara universal serta berpotensi sebagai alternatif “halal” untuk pasaran global. Selain itu, kemudahan ini turut memanfaatkan kelebihan biosekuriti bertaraf dunia di Australia, yang menempatkan satu-satunya populasi biri-biri di dunia yang diperakui bebas Scrapie dan mempunyai risiko BSE yang sangat rendah menurut Pertubuhan Kesihatan Haiwan Sedunia (WOAH).

    Keunikan ini diperkukuh lagi dengan kawalan sempadan ketat Australia sejak penubuhan persekutuannya pada tahun 1901, yang membantu mengekalkan status bebas penyakit tersebut. Usahasama Ovicoll Pty Ltd ini turut direka untuk mempercepatkan pengembangan pasaran global dengan memanfaatkan kekuatan gabungan kedua-dua syarikat dalam penembusan pasaran antarabangsa.

    Sebagai sebahagian daripada strategi komersial, Holista turut memeterai perjanjian dengan Regenerex Pharma, sebuah syarikat yang sedang berkembang dalam sektor pembalut luka, bagi memperluaskan aplikasi teknologi kolagen ini dalam bidang perubatan dan penjagaan kesihatan.

    Holista Colltech Limited (ASX: HCT) ialah syarikat kesihatan dan kesejahteraan yang disenaraikan di Australia dengan operasi utama di Malaysia. Syarikat ini memberi tumpuan kepada penyelesaian bioteknologi berasaskan sains merangkumi suplemen pemakanan, bahan makanan sihat, kolagen ovine dan kawalan jangkitan.

    Sementara itu, Swang Chai Chuan Limited (HKEX:2321) merupakan peneraju dalam sektor barangan pengguna cepat laris (FMCG) yang disenaraikan di Hong Kong. Kumpulan ini menyediakan perkhidmatan pengedaran, logistik dan pergudangan menyeluruh di Malaysia bagi pelbagai produk makanan, minuman dan barangan isi rumah.

  • Breaking Barriers: First-Ever Malaysian Appointed as Global Chair of Prestigious Legal Powerhouse LAWorld

    Breaking Barriers: First-Ever Malaysian Appointed as Global Chair of Prestigious Legal Powerhouse LAWorld

    In a historic milestone for the Malaysian legal profession, Dato’ Mohamed Ridza Abdulla, Managing Partner of Mohamed Ridza & Co, has been appointed as the Global Chair of LAWorld, an international network of independent law firms. The appointment was formally approved on 8 May 2026 following a unanimous vote by members during the LAWorld Annual General Meeting held in Lisbon, Portugal. This election marks the first time a Malaysian has been chosen to lead the prestigious global organization since its inception three decades ago, signaling a significant shift in the leadership landscape of international legal networks.

    LAWorld operates as a non-exclusive legal network comprising nearly 70 independent mid-sized law firms, representing more than 1,500 lawyers practicing across over 100 cities worldwide. The network is designed to offer clients direct access to high-quality local legal expertise across various jurisdictions while maintaining the personalized, partner-led service culture of its member firms. Dato’ Mohamed Ridza’s elevation to the global chair follows nearly twenty years of dedicated involvement with the network, beginning in 2007 when Mohamed Ridza & Co first joined as the Malaysian representative firm. His leadership journey within the organization includes previous tenures as Treasurer and Chair of the Asia Pacific region. b

    Dato’ Mohamed Ridza Abdulla, Managing Partner of Malaysian law firm Mohamed Ridza & Co

    In addition to this global leadership transition, the network has also strengthened its regional talent pipeline with the appointment of Muhammad Akhlil, a senior associate at Mohamed Ridza & Co, as the Director of LAWorld’s NextGen Programme for the Asia Pacific region. This initiative is dedicated to cultivating the next generation of legal practitioners within member firms by focusing on leadership development, cross-border exposure, and the nurturing of emerging talent. Together, these appointments underscore a growing influence of Malaysian legal expertise on the international stage, providing a structured gateway for local clients to access overseas expertise and for international investors to engage with recognized Malaysian counsel.

    As he assumes the role of Global Chair, Dato’ Mohamed Ridza has established a strategic roadmap focused on expanding the network’s footprint in underrepresented regions such as Africa and the Gulf. His priorities include enhancing regional collaboration, scaling the NextGen Programme through international secondments, and strengthening digital governance across the network. By building a broader professional ecosystem, he aims to better support the cross-border needs of clients in an increasingly interconnected global market. Dato’ Mohamed Ridza noted that being part of such a network aligns with Malaysia’s historical identity as a trading nation, allowing the firm to act as a seamless one-stop center for both local and international clients navigating global markets.

    Dato’ Mohamed Ridza expressed his gratitude to the senior leadership teams of the member firms for their trust, acknowledging the significant responsibility of ensuring LAWorld continues to reach new heights in legal excellence. He highlighted that the personal nature of the network’s membership allows for expedited, high-quality legal advice across the globe, distinguishing it from other international legal structures. With his appointment taking effect immediately, the Malaysian legal community celebrates a new era of global representation and connectivity within the international commercial and legal landscape.

  • Audience Lab Soundtech Named Exclusive NEXO Partner, Elevating Johor’s Premium Audio Scene

    Audience Lab Soundtech Named Exclusive NEXO Partner, Elevating Johor’s Premium Audio Scene

    The professional audio landscape in Southern Malaysia has reached a new pinnacle as Audience Lab Soundtech Sdn Bhd is officially appointed as the exclusive strategic partner for NEXO, the globally renowned French professional audio brand. This landmark collaboration, formalized by NEXO’s exclusive Malaysian distributor Audio Solutions Sdn Bhd, aims to revolutionize the region’s live event and production standards by bridging the gap between international engineering excellence and local market expertise.

    The partnership coincides with the highly anticipated Southern Malaysia debut of the NEXO Alpha+ Series in Johor, a move that signals the state’s rapid transformation into an emerging hub for world-class live entertainment and high-performance technical productions.

    Audience Lab Soundtech MD Shao Ming Teo (right) receives the official appointment letter from NEXO’s Joe White, formalizing their strategic partnership in Southern Malaysia.

    NEXO’s expansion into Johor follows a successful debut in Kuala Lumpur and brings with it a storied legacy of French engineering that dates back to 1979. The brand’s systems are already the backbone of Malaysia’s most iconic entertainment venues, including the Arena of Stars at Genting Highlands, Zepp Kuala Lumpur, and Mega Star Arena.

    By securing this strategic partnership, Audience Lab Soundtech is positioned to lead the deployment of NEXO’s wider portfolio—including the Geo M, P Series, and ID Series—across Southern Malaysia, ensuring that local theatres, rental productions, and event spaces have direct access to the same premium quality found in major global sports stadiums and concert halls.

    Joe White, NEXO’s Business Development Manager for Asia & Australia, delivering a detailed walkthrough of the Alpha+ Series highlights to a captivated, full-house audience.

    Central to this new chapter is the introduction of the NEXO Alpha+ Series, a next-generation hybrid system that redefines power and precision for large-scale environments. This modular “Three-Box” configuration integrates the strengths of point-source and line-array technologies, delivering an extraordinary peak SPL of 148dB.

    Designed for maximum efficiency, the system allows for fast, single-operator rigging, which significantly reduces setup times for festivals and concerts without compromising on acoustic clarity. During a recent immersive showcase in Johor, the system’s dynamic range and sonic headroom were brought to life, demonstrating why the Alpha+ is considered the definitive evolution of the original 1990s Alpha Series that once revolutionized the global industry.

    The appointment of Audience Lab Soundtech reflects a deliberate strategy to strengthen the professional audio ecosystem beyond the Klang Valley. Andrew Lee, Director of Audio Solutions, emphasized that Audience Lab’s deep technical proficiency in managing large-scale projects makes them the ideal partner to elevate industry standards in the south. Matching this sentiment, Shao Ming Teo, Managing Director of Audience Lab Soundtech, noted that the arrival of the Alpha+ Series empowers local players to execute productions that meet stringent international benchmarks.

    As Johor continues to evolve as a key destination for major events, this strategic alliance ensures the region is equipped with the high-performance tools necessary to deliver unforgettable, world-class auditory experiences.

  • Snowflake Expands AI Data Cloud with Malaysia’s ILMU Sovereign LLM

    Snowflake, the AI Data Cloud company, today announced the integration of ILMU Malaysia’s homegrown sovereign large language model (LLM) developed by YTL AI Labs into its platform, enabling organisations in Malaysia to run generative AI on governed enterprise data through Snowflake’s secure governance framework. The integration is further strengthened by Snowflake’s availability on the AWS Asia Pacific (Malaysia) region, enabling secure, in-country deployment of enterprise AI capabilities.

    With this move, Snowflake becomes among the first global AI and data cloud providers to support integration with a locally developed sovereign LLM within a fully in-country deployment. This enables enterprises to accelerate AI adoption while meeting stringent data governance and residency requirements.

    The integration of ILMU gives enterprises access to a sovereign LLM specifically trained on Malaysian linguistic nuances and cultural contexts. This strengthens Snowflake’s AI capabilities through a deeper understanding of Bahasa Melayu, Manglish and regional dialects, enabling more accurate interpretation of locally contextualised enterprise data. Organisations can therefore unlock greater value from their data by developing AI-driven applications that are more relevant, accurate and locally attuned without compromising performance or scalability.

    By enabling ILMU to operate within Snowflake’s governed environment, sensitive data remains securely managed under Snowflake’s established security framework. This allows organisations to adopt AI while ensuring proprietary data remains within national borders and under full governance controls. The capability is especially important for regulated industries such as the public sector, financial services, telecommunications and retail, where data governance and residency are critical requirements.

    The collaboration reflects growing enterprise demand in Malaysia for AI solutions that combine local data governance requirements with broader efforts to strengthen the country’s position in the global AI economy.

    “With Malaysia’s RM2 billion Sovereign AI Cloud commitment underscoring data localisation as a national priority, organisations need AI solutions they can trust to keep their data onshore,” said Satchit Joglekar, Regional Vice President, Snowflake ASEAN. “With Snowflake now available in the AWS Asia Pacific (Malaysia) region and the integration of ILMU into our platform, we are giving Malaysian enterprises the confidence to adopt AI securely within their enterprise data environment, in the language their customers speak, without compromising governance or compliance.”

    Foong Chee Mun, CEO of YTL AI Labs, described the integration of the ILMU sovereign LLM with the Snowflake environment as a significant milestone in localising high-performance AI. He said YTL AI Labs has focused on providing the sovereign infrastructure needed to support these workloads and that seamless access to Malaysia’s national language model through a secure global platform like Snowflake would allow Malaysian enterprises to deploy AI solutions that are culturally relevant, legally compliant and hosted within Malaysia.

    The ILMU integration and Snowflake’s availability in the AWS Asia Pacific (Malaysia) region come at a time when enterprise use cases in Malaysia are increasingly translating into practical applications of governed AI.

    “At Ryt Bank, our priority is to provide secure and innovative financial services that truly serve Malaysian customers,” said Nic Ngoo, Chief Technology Officer of Ryt Bank. “YTL AI Labs provides ILMU — a sovereign, locally built LLM and AI services that allow our bank to build the world’s first AI-powered bank that redefines the banking experience. With ILMU and Snowflake’s in-country deployment, our customers can bank using natural, culturally nuanced language for everything from transferring money and seeking personalised financial advice to seamless customer support, while ensuring the highest standards of data residency and governance.”

    Among the early adopters is property developer S P Setia Bhd (Setia), which recently received a Malaysia Technology Excellence Award for its AI innovations in the real estate sector, including AI sales agents and AI vision-based inspection solutions.

    “As one of the nation’s leading property developers, Setia has long been entrusted with shaping communities that reflect the values, aspirations and way of life of Malaysians,” said Datuk Zaini Yusoff, President and Chief Executive Officer of Setia. “This integration represents a strategic milestone in how we elevate the property journey through personalisation and innovation. By leveraging Snowflake’s local data infrastructure and AI capabilities built for the Malaysian market, we look forward to continuously improving how we engage with customers in language that feels natural and familiar across every touchpoint — from home discovery to property management — while reinforcing the trust that underpins our long-standing leadership in the industry.”

    Snowflake is the platform for the AI era, helping enterprises innovate faster and derive greater value from data. More than 13,300 customers worldwide, including hundreds of the world’s largest companies, use Snowflake’s AI Data Cloud to build, use and share data, applications and AI solutions. Further information is available at snowflake.com (NYSE: SNOW).

  • Nestlé Malaysia and JAKIM Reinforce Long-Standing Partnership to Empower Communities and Elevate Halal Integrity

    Nestlé Malaysia and JAKIM Reinforce Long-Standing Partnership to Empower Communities and Elevate Halal Integrity

    Nestlé Malaysia and the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) have formalized a renewed strategic commitment to the national Halal agenda through the launch of the SYNERGY (Strengthening Your Network and Ecosystem for Resilient Growth) initiative. Under the thematic banner of ‘Memacu Halal, Memperkasa Komuniti’, the partnership seeks to fortify an inclusive and sustainable Halal industry, further cementing Malaysia’s leadership within the global Halal economy.

    JAKIM has commended Nestlé Malaysia for its sophisticated end-to-end Halal ecosystem—a framework the company has refined since it first pioneered Halal practices in the 1970s. Serving as the Global Centre of Halal Excellence for the Nestlé Group, the Malaysian division now acts as a primary knowledge hub, exporting local expertise across its international network to enhance global trust in Malaysian Halal standards.

    The partnership underscores the necessity of a unified front between regulators and industry leaders to maintain the integrity of the Halal value chain. Nestlé’s commitment is evident from its certified manufacturing facilities to its extensive grassroots outreach. By aligning with JAKIM, the company is scaling initiatives designed to empower Malaysian youth, support local entrepreneurs, and optimize the national supply chain, ensuring that the benefits of the Halal economy reach all levels of society.

    Education and human capital development remain central to this long-term strategy. Key highlights include:

    • Halal@School: A collaboration with Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) that has introduced Halal values to over 6,000 students.
    • Halal@STEM: Launched in 2025 to encourage secondary students to explore science through a Halal lens, supported by the inaugural HalalSTEM Expo.
    • Nestlé Youngpreneurs Programme: A business mentorship initiative that has equipped 200 university students with practical insights into Halal best practices.

    Beyond education, Nestlé Malaysia continues to drive capability-building within the SME sector. Since 2010, its SME Mentoring Programme has assisted more than 1,200 enterprises in achieving Halal certification. In a more recent development, Nestlé and JAKIM introduced a specialized mentoring program for third-party logistics (3PL) providers, engaging 27 companies to ensure rigorous compliance across the entire logistics and delivery network.

    Through these multifaceted efforts—including a nationwide awareness podcast with the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM)—Nestlé Malaysia and JAKIM are ensuring that Halal remains a core organizational and national value, providing a resilient foundation for the future of the global Halal sector.

  • Castrol Reaches Milestone with 3,000+ Branded Workshops Across Malaysia

    Castrol Reaches Milestone with 3,000+ Branded Workshops Across Malaysia

    Castrol Malaysia has strengthened its position in the country’s lubricant market by expanding its network to more than 3,000 branded workshops nationwide, marking a new milestone in how vehicle owners access professional and trusted vehicle care through the Castrol Auto Service and Castrol Bike Point networks. With this extensive network operating across major towns and cities throughout Malaysia, Castrol now provides nationwide access to reliable and professional vehicle servicing for motorists.

    These workshops are designed to offer drivers and riders consistent access to high-quality servicing, supported by Castrol’s trusted product range, collectively serving up to half a million customers each month and reflecting the brand’s strong relationship with everyday motorists. The continued expansion highlights Castrol’s commitment to strengthening its market presence, improving service standards and enhancing accessibility for consumers across the country, while also leveraging digital tools such as the Castrol Motorist App and Google Business integration to improve convenience and workshop visibility.

    According to Joshua Tan, Head of Marketing for Castrol Malaysia and Singapore, this milestone represents more than growth, as it reflects trust built over time. He added that each Castrol-branded workshop represents reliability and professionalism, aligned with the company’s mission to make quality vehicle care more accessible to all vehicle owners, while continuing to drive industry progress through technology, training and strategic partnerships.

    Each Castrol-branded workshop provides professional vehicle maintenance services along with a comprehensive range of Castrol lubricants, supported by global standards and technology. Vehicle owners can also benefit from the Castrol Motorist App, which offers features such as service booking, maintenance tracking and loyalty rewards, delivering added convenience and enhancing the overall customer experience.

    This expansion is supported by continued investment in partner training, digital solutions and long-term customer engagement initiatives, aligning with Castrol’s vision of sustainable growth and leadership in the automotive service industry. Businesses interested in joining the Castrol branded workshop network can obtain more information or register their interest through Castrol Malaysia’s official website.

  • Razorpay Curlec Clinches Top Honour for Digital Customer Experience in Payments at 2026 Digital CX Awards

    Razorpay Curlec Clinches Top Honour for Digital Customer Experience in Payments at 2026 Digital CX Awards

    Malaysia-based payment gateway Razorpay Curlec has been named winner of the ‘Best PayTech for Digital Customer Experience (CX) – Payments’ at The Digital Banker’s Digital CX Awards 2026. The award recognises the company’s commitment to enhancing digital payment journeys through advanced technology and innovation.

    The Digital Banker, a globally trusted research and intelligence organisation, evaluates financial institutions based on their ability to transform customer experience. The Digital CX Awards are widely regarded as a benchmark for excellence in delivering seamless and innovative digital financial services.

    This year’s competition featured more than 1,600 entries from over 200 financial institutions globally. Entries were assessed based on innovation, engagement, personalisation, and overall user experience, including advancements in API systems, automation, and real-time engagement tools.

    Kevin Lee, Country Head and CEO of Razorpay Curlec, accepted the award in Singapore and acknowledged the team’s contribution to the company’s success. He reiterated the company’s goal of building inclusive financial infrastructure that supports businesses at every stage of growth.

    Razorpay Curlec offers a unified payment experience with multiple options including Tokenised Cards, Apple Pay, BNPL services, and installment plans across Visa and Mastercard. The platform is designed to simplify transactions while maximising conversion rates for merchants.

    Its payment system is powered by the Shield risk engine, which analyses billions of data points in real time to ensure secure and reliable transactions. The company is also testing agentic payment solutions in Malaysia to adapt to changing consumer trends.

    With the digital economy in Southeast Asia projected to reach US$234 billion by 2025, the demand for integrated financial solutions continues to grow. Razorpay Curlec now supports over one million businesses worldwide and more than 5,000 SMEs and enterprises in Malaysia.

    The company reports transaction success rates above 90 percent, alongside AI-driven improvements that have increased merchant revenue by up to 10 percent. It has processed over 11.5 million transactions, achieving 65 percent year-on-year growth.

  • Inaugural SME Showcase Connects Entrepreneurs, Investors, and Industry Leaders

    Inaugural SME Showcase Connects Entrepreneurs, Investors, and Industry Leaders

    The inaugural SME Market Expansion Showcase, officially presented to the business community today, brought together more than 30 curated businesses and serious industry visitors at CityStage @ KL City Walk, located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle. The showcase went beyond a traditional marketplace, serving as a dynamic business growth platform where brands gained exposure, conducted direct sales, and forged strategic partnerships. The programme focused on key areas such as direct customer engagement, on-the-spot sales opportunities, industry forum sessions, and networking with decision-makers, creating a high-energy environment designed to help participants learn, connect, and grow.

    The one-day event attracted a strong turnout of SME owners, entrepreneurs, corporate professionals, decision-makers, as well as buyers and investors. Forum talks and panel discussions explored a wide range of topics, including market expansion strategies, the adoption of artificial intelligence for digital growth, access to financing and grants, smart scaling approaches, and the sharing of entrepreneurial success stories. The showcase also provided attendees with valuable direct access to founders and key decision-makers.

    In her welcome address, Tanker Collaborative Director Janet New highlighted the vital role of SMEs as the backbone of the economy, noting that the showcase aimed to build a meaningful ecosystem where entrepreneurs could access funding insights, embrace digital growth, prioritise health, and establish strategic partnerships for sustainable success. She also elaborated on the event’s objectives and emphasised the importance of maximising both booth presence and forum participation. She added that the true value of the event lies in active engagement, encouraging exhibitors to present not just products but solutions and collaboration opportunities, while urging visitors to approach each interaction with purpose and curiosity to strengthen the overall business ecosystem.

    A key highlight of the forum sessions was the focus on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and its role in measuring a company’s sustainability, ethical impact, and operational risks. Leading the ESG discussion was Stacia Lim, Director for Corporate Governance, who provided in-depth insights into integrating ESG into SME strategies and explained why it is no longer optional. She also outlined practical frameworks for adoption and noted that Malaysia’s National Sustainability Reporting Framework and amended Bursa Malaysia Listing Requirements now encompass Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, with a phased mandatory implementation leading up to 1 January 2027, significantly reshaping obligations for suppliers and SMEs.

    The discussion was further expanded in a panel session featuring Lim, Shu Yi Kuek, founder of KPL Corporate Advisory Sdn. Bhd., and Alan Chin, Vice President of Group Sustainability and Strategic Partnerships at Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad, moderated by Sally Yap of PeakJob Sdn Bhd. The session explored ESG in action, including access to grants, tax incentives, compliance requirements, and green financing opportunities, while also sharing practical case studies and strategies for unlocking green loans. Lim emphasised that ESG adoption does not have to be costly and encouraged SMEs to start from their current capabilities, while Chin highlighted that sustainability is not merely a compliance exercise but a competitive advantage that can position SMEs ahead of their peers.

    The discussion also touched on Malaysia’s new incentive framework, effective from 1 March 2026, which introduces a more targeted and outcome-based approach, with ESG practices as a key eligibility criterion. The framework will initially apply to the manufacturing sector, with the services sector timeline to be announced later, and offers incentives of up to 15 years.

    Other forum sessions included a health talk by Nutrition Consultant Dr. JC Wong from JC Lifestyle Coaching, who shared insights on protecting heart health through proper dietary practices, including understanding good and bad fats, reducing harmful oils, adopting suitable cooking methods, and managing cholesterol naturally. He later joined Dr. Anandarajah Shanmugam, co-founder of Healthy Lifestyle Solutions, in a panel discussion that explored heart disease beyond conventional medical and diagnostic approaches.

    Marketing influencer Kien Lim, founder of Attitude Ideology, presented on market expansion strategies for SMEs, covering entry into new markets, the use of digital channels, partnership models, and scaling without significant overheads. In the final panel session, Kien Lim was joined by Newspin Communication’s PR Director Marc Ng and Brand and Communication Consultant Clarence Koh to discuss content creation, public relations, social media, and the role of key opinion leaders in today’s attention economy. The session was moderated by Gina Woon, co-founder of Novela Boutique.

    Throughout the day, exhibitors were also given the opportunity to deliver 90-second introductions of their businesses during networking sessions, enabling them to showcase their offerings and connect with potential partners and clients.

    The event was organised by Tanker Collaborative Sdn Bhd, a dynamic event and business activation company with operations in Malaysia and Hong Kong. The company specialises in large-scale showcases, corporate events, and market expansion platforms, designing and executing high-impact experiences that connect brands, businesses, and communities. Through curated exhibitions and strategic collaborations, Tanker drives visibility, engagement, and measurable commercial outcomes, serving as a growth enabler for SMEs and enterprises seeking to expand their reach across regional markets. With a strong focus on execution excellence and results, the company continues to deliver seamless, purpose-driven events that transform ideas into impactful business opportunities.