- 31 bilateral deals have been signed between China and Malaysia
- Malaysia is partnering with Japan for hydrogen development
- South Korea to dump more than RM100 bil to prop up its semiconductor industry
IN Malaysia
Xi’s official visit to Malaysia – 31 bilateral deals signed
During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s second visit to Malaysia in 12 years, the Chinese Premier and PM Anwar Ibrahim witnessed the signing of 31 memoranda of understanding, agreements, and notes between Malaysia and China. The MOUs signed also include the one touching on the ‘Two Countries Twin Parks’, which was initially launched 12 years ago via the Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park (MCKIP). Recently, to further deepen the ‘Two Countries Twin Parks’ agenda, Malaysia based AREA Group and Shenzhen Government Procurement Association signed a RM94.9 bil MOU.
Now, the Twin Parks initiative has include two Malaysian sites – Pentas Industrial City at Delapan SBEZ in Kedah and COMPASS in Selangor. Xi’s visit to Malaysia is at the invitation of the Malaysian King, Sultan Ibrahim and is part of Xi’s three-leg tour to Southeast Asia countries. While Southeast Asian countries are welcoming Xi with open arms (up to a point for Malaysia, major highways were closed to make way for the Chinese delegation), US President Donald Trump viewed it differently. Trump said that tour is probably intended to ‘screw’ the US. Quoting Trump – “ That’s a lovely meeting. Meeting like, trying to figure out: ‘How do we screw the United States of America?”.
Taken with a pinch of salt, Trump is probably the guy who is jealous that his crush is being courted by other guys. Trump got no game lah.
In related news, the police have confirmed that the car explosion at a petrol station near the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Tuesday was not an act of sabotage or a criminal incident. The explosion, which occurred shortly after the motorcade of Chinese President Xi Jinping passed the area, was caused by the car’s technical fault at its battery compartment. KLIA police chief ACP Azman Shari’ said the public should not panic or be misled by rumours circulating on social media. Ehem.
Source: https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/751810
The milk business is getting competitive as more sapi are getting into the game
F&N chief executive officer Lim Yew Hoe announced that the first batch of 2,500 dairy heifers from Chile has arrived at its integrated dairy farm in Gemas, Negeri Sembilan. Although they opt not to proceed with with the initial plan to import cattles from the US, however Lim stated that the Chilean Holstein cattle have been 100% genomically tested and have a Genomic Total Performance Index (GTPI) that is on par with the performance standards of the heifers originally planned to import from the US. With an initial investment of RM1.3 bil, the dairy farm is capable of producing 100 mil litres of fresh milk yearly for local and international markets. The farm will also be equipped with a corn farm to be used as the main feedstock for the cattle.
Source: https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/751696
The hydrogen ambition in Sarawak is still alive and well
PM Anwar Ibrahim has reaffirmed the country’s commitment, alongside Japan, to strengthening cooperation in the development of new energy sources, particularly hydrogen. PETRONAS and the Sarawak state government will take up the leading role in this effort as the latter is positioning itself as the leader on hydrogen development in Malaysia, guided by its Hydrogen Economy Roadmap. Japan, one of the world’s early adopters of hydrogen technology, has expressed strong interest in working with ASEAN nations, including Malaysia, to ensure reliable supply chains and sustainable energy exchange in the region.
While the US is pursuing a unilateral policy in its approach with other countries, the rest of the world, including Malaysia, is still standing strong peluk-ing the multilateralism in their global conduct.
While talking about PETRONAS, our sole Fortune 500 company has offloaded a 50% stake in an oil field in Argentina to Vista Energy, the second-biggest crude producer in Argentina’s burgeoning Vaca Muerta shale patch, for a whopping RM6.62 bil. As part of the deal, PETRONAS will also receive a 7% stake in Vista, worth RM1.32 bil. The deal all but cements the exit of PETRONAS from Argentina, after it previously also withdrew from a liquefied natural gas venture with state-run YPF SA.
Source: https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/751875
Around the S.E.A.
Nvidia is sounding the alarm bells
Nvidia said that due to the ban on selling its H20 chips to China, imposed by the US, the company may have to bear a RM24.3 bil cost in the form of writedowns during the current quarter, tied to inventory and commitments for the chip. Nvidia designed the H20 chip in response to 2023 measures that restricted another China-focused processor, the H800, which the company debuted following the initial curbs. The H20 is intended to be less powerful, and it does not perform as well as Nvidia’s top-of-the-line offerings for the training of models.
Source: https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/751709
While China is developing its own chips’ independence, the country may look at its neighbour for the short term, as the South Korean government has announced a RM102.6 bil package to support South Korea’s semiconductor industry, in response to the increasing uncertainty caused by the US tariffs. Semiconductors are a crucial industry in South Korea, with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix ranking among the world’s top chip makers despite being overtaken by some rivals in areas like chip design and contract chip manufacturing. Last year, semiconductor exports were at RM625.4 bil, which accounted for 21% of South Korea’s total, according to government data.
Source: https://www.lowyat.net/2025/348130/south-korea-announces-rm102-billion-for-its-chips-industry/
For your EYES only
If you are a retail investor and has been struggling to attain a double-digit return from your investment, just give up and open up Bank Rakyat’s account instead, as the bank just announced a 17% dividend for FY2024, up from 15% in FY2023. Bank Rakyat has been performing consistently over the past few decades – delivering double-digit dividend payouts for over 20 years.
Bank Rakyat has declared a 17% dividend for FY24, amounting to RM486.32 million — up from 15% in FY23.
The bank has maintained double-digit dividend payouts for over 20 years.
— BFM News (@NewsBFM) April 16, 2025
