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QX3WTKT0G1L0 (Bloomberg) -- The final day for Malaysia's special parliament sitting on Monday has been postponed indefinitely because of the risk from a recent outbreak of Covid cases. Keywords: 0751538DSW; ASIA; BUSINESS; COS; GEN; GOV; POL; WORLD EN 0751538DSW ASIA BUSINESS COS GEN GOV POL WORLD The final day for Malaysia's special parliament sitting on Monday has been postponed indefinitely because of the risk from a recent outbreak of Covid cases. [Extracted from the article]

Keywords: AZN@LN; ASIA; BUSINESS; COS; DRG; GOV; HEA; INDUSTRIES; WORLD EN AZN@LN ASIA BUSINESS COS DRG GOV HEA INDUSTRIES WORLD Malaysia will allow people to use AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine on a voluntary basis and exclude the shots from its inoculation program amid public concerns about their safety. Malaysia has secured Covid vaccines from various producers, enough to inoculate nearly 110% of the population, Khairy said. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Funding Societies, Southeast Asia's biggest digital financing platform for small- and medium-sized firms, said it is buying Singapore-based payment firm CardUp as part of its expansion. The purchase will compliment Funding Societies' lending products and allow its users to manage expenses, receive payments, and borrow funds on a single platform, it said in a statement. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia's state-owned investment firm Johor Corp. could seek to raise about 1 billion ringgit ($227 million) in an initial public offering of its plantation unit, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The state-owned firm took Kulim private in 2016. [Extracted from the article]

"Taking into account the challenges of the cost of living and the recent rise in food prices, the government decided to provide additional cash assistance", Ismail said. (Bloomberg) -- Malaysia announced plans to provide direct aid to low-income households, mimicking steps taken by neighbor Singapore to reduce the hit from surging inflation on the most vulnerable groups. [Extracted from the article]

High commodity prices, stoked in part by the war in Ukraine as well as supply chain snarls that have complicated transport and logistics, have forced food and beverage companies globally to raise their product prices. (Bloomberg) -- Berjaya Food Bhd., which operates Starbucks and chicken-based restaurant chain Kenny Rogers Roasters outlets across Malaysia, is looking to curb costs internally rather than pass on rising production costs to consumers. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia's Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the government will introduce a moving ceiling price for consumer products, as part of its efforts to funnel subsidies to the needy and strengthen food security. The council decided to enhance the cooperation between the federal and state governments to boost the area of land meant for agriculture in a bid to reduce dependence on food imports, according to the statement. [Extracted from the article]

Owndays's holders L Catterton Asia and Mitsui & Co. picked the buyout firms for final negotiations after running a sale process for the asset, the people said. (Bloomberg) -- Private equity firms Longreach Group and Navis Capital are in exclusive talks to buy Japanese eyewear retailer Owndays Inc., according to people with knowledge of the matter. [Extracted from the article]

Malaysia Smelting Set to Boost Output as Tin "Finds Balance" (Bloomberg) -- Malaysia Smelting Corp., one of the world's biggest tin producers, aims to boost its output by 20% over the next couple of years as part of its growth strategy. Buy Rating The outlook could mean "solid earnings" for companies including Malaysia Smelting, Kenanga Investment Bank's analyst Teh Kian Yeong wrote in a recent note, adding he expects 2022 to be a record year for the company due to elevated prices. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysian offshore oil and gas services firm Icon Offshore Bhd. is in advanced talks to buy a maintenance, repair and operations business that will help it diversify earnings and boost profitability, its top executive said on Monday. Icon's outlook for the next few years will be good and will be supported by the sustained high crude oil prices and order book, Hadian said. The planned deal is estimated to provide at least a 30% increase in net income and will help mitigate the cyclical nature of the company's earnings, Hadian said. [Extracted from the article]

YTL Communications Sdn., a unit of YTL Power International Bhd. controlled by tycoon Francis Yeoh, is one of two telecommunication firms that have signed up to use Digital Nasional's 5G infrastructure so far, a May 1 Bernama report cited Musa as saying. The 16 billion-ringgit cost, outlined by Marshall, covers mainly 5G network equipment and infrastructure, of which Ericsson is a provider, according to Digital Nasional's official website. [Extracted from the article]

The measures come days after Ismail abolished the approved permit rules for imports of food items including chicken, coconut and evaporated milk to secure adequate food supplies in the country. (Bloomberg) -- Malaysia will halt exports of 3.6 million chickens a month from June 1 and scrap the approved permit requirement for importing wheat until production and prices stabilize, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia will halt monthly exports of 3.6 million chickens starting June 1 and scrap the approved permit requirements for imports of poultry and wheat, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said in a statement. The government also set a ceiling price of 8.9 ringgit ($2) per chicken and said it would recognize more slaughterhouses abroad to boost local supplies amid rising prices and living costs, according to the statement on Monday. [Extracted from the article]

"Given the many parallels between Sarawak and Norway, Sarawak was particularly interested in the lessons to be learned from Norway, given that it had around 25 years experience in developing the fund", Abang Johari said. (Bloomberg) -- The Malaysian state of Sarawak is in talks with Norway about setting up a sovereign wealth fund, Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg said in a statement on Saturday. [Extracted from the article]

The GDP data justifies the rate lift off by BNM, said Phoon, whose baseline forecast for the next rate hike is in September. "If there are signs of growth picking up in the second quarter, another rate hike could be on the table in July", said Winson Phoon, head of fixed-income research at Maybank Securities in Singapore. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia's economy grew at a faster-than-expected pace in the first quarter of the year as activity picked up with the easing of virus restrictions. The GDP data justifies the rate lift off by BNM, said Phoon, whose baseline forecast for the next rate hike is in September. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia's economy grew at a faster-than-expected pace in the first quarter of the year as activity picked up with the easing of virus restrictions. Digging Deeper The expansion last quarter compares to the 3.6% pace in the previous three-month period ended December, and comes despite the country grappling with the outbreak of the omicron variant of coronavirus and damaging flash floods GDP grew 3.9% on a quarter-on-quarter basis, beating estimate for a 2.5% expansion ©2022 Bloomberg L.P. [Extracted from the article]

READ: Bursa Malaysia 1Q Net Drops 44%, Expects 2022 to be Moderate (1) Here are some of Muhamad Umar's other comments: Bursa Malaysia expects the local equity market to be rangebound for now due to global uncertainties The Malaysian equity market's forward looking price-to-earnings ratio is attractive Bursa Malaysia does not plan to offer preferential voting rights in the foreseeable future ©2022 Bloomberg L.P. "Our lead stream is strong, we have pent-up availability, the market support for IPOs this year has been very good", Bursa Malaysia Bhd. chief executive officer Muhamad Umar Swift said in a Bloomberg TV interview. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia's top fund manager Permodalan Nasional Bhd. has been engaging with Sime Darby Plantation Bhd. on the steps taken by the world's largest oil palm planter to solve its ongoing labor issues. READ MORE: Sime Darby Plantation: Company Outlook Sime Darby Plantation Submitted Comprehensive Report to U.S CBP Cargill Says Sime Didn't Adequately Address Forced Labor Reports Sime Darby to Submit Labor Assessment to U.S. CBP by End-April ©2022 Bloomberg L.P. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Grab Holdings Ltd., an RHB Bank Bhd. consortium and a group involving Sea Ltd. were granted licenses to run digital banks in Malaysia, providing the firms with a way to tap into the booming e-commerce market. RHB, the fourth-largest bank in Malaysia, bid together with local wireless carrier Axiata Group Bhd.'s Boost Holdings. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia's Finance Ministry said the depreciation of the ringgit will be cushioned by the country's strong external position and robust fundamentals. "Due to Malaysia's open economy and market determined exchange rate, fluctuations in the ringgit are influenced by both global and domestic factors", the finance ministry said. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund is betting on real assets and health care investments to help cushion it from inflation that's forcing central banks around the world to raise borrowing costs and eating into longer-term returns. "Inflation remains the biggest risk", Khazanah Nasional Bhd. managing director Amirul Feisal Wan Zahir said in a Bloomberg TV interview Thursday. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Hibiscus Petroleum Bhd. is considering listing a special purpose acquisition company in Singapore that could raise as much as S$200 million ($147 million), according to people familiar with the matter. Blank-check companies raised about $316 million through first-time share sales in the city-state, accounting for 95% of all the funds raised via IPOs in the country, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia's police ruled out offering plea bargains with any party linked to the investigation involving Nicky Liow, who was charged with 26 counts of money laundering by a court on Tuesday. Liow was put under investigation in March 2021 for his involvement in organized crime and cases under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012, the police said. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Private equity firm TPG Capital Asia is nearing an agreement to buy IHH Healthcare Bhd.'s medical education arm in a deal valued at about $300 million, according to people with knowledge of the matter. IHH, Asia's biggest hospital group by market value, is in advanced talks with TPG on the divestment of International Medical University, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the process is private. [Extracted from the article]

Other contenders include applications involving public and private companies: A joint venture between Southeast Asia's biggest ride-hailing and food delivery firm Grab Holdings Ltd. and Singapore's mobile phone network operator Singapore Telecommunications Ltd., known as Singte. (Bloomberg) -- Malaysia's largest mobile phone network operator and fourth largest bank are among key contenders to win one of five coveted digital banking licenses in the Asian nation, which could unlock a slice of the booming e-commerce market. [Extracted from the article]

"The growing technology and payment landscape have prompted the Bank Negara Malaysia to actively assess the potential of banks' digital currency central or the central bank's digital currency (CBDC)", Mohd Shahar said. (Bloomberg) -- Malaysia has no intention of recognizing cryptocurrencies as legal tender, Deputy Finance Minister I said in parliament on Thursday. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Private equity firm Actis is considering the sale of an Indonesian private education company in a deal that could be worth around $100 million, according to people familiar with the matter. It took over several of Abraaj's vehicles in 2019, after the Middle Eastern firm collapsed amid allegations of misusing investor funds. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysian dairy producer Farm Fresh Bhd. jumped in its trading debut in Kuala Lumpur, following the Southeast Asian country's largest initial public offering since July. "We like Farm Fresh for its strong market presence in Malaysia's dairy industry, local and regional expansion plans. Farm Fresh, which has a unit of sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd. among its investors, is reviving the IPO market in Kuala Lumpur at a time of slow activity in traditional venues due to rising interest rates and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia should adopt Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as legal tender, the deputy minister of the Communications and Multimedia Ministry said. While financial regulation falls under the Finance Ministry and entities under it such as the central bank and the securities regulator, The Ministry of Housing and Local Government also has jurisdiction over "digital financial activities", Zahidi said. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia's Communication Ministry has proposed to the government that crypto currency such as bitcoin be adopted as legal transfer, its deputy minister Zahidi Zainul Abidin told Parliament on Monday. Crypto currency falls under the purview of the country's central bank and Securities Commission, he added EARLIER: How a Malaysian Utility Is Trying to Stop Illegal Bitcoin Mining BNM Head Aims to Give Malaysians More Digital Options in Finance Malaysia's Central Bank Studies Need for a Digital Currency ©2022 Bloomberg L.P. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia expects the BA.2 subvariant of omicron will soon become dominant in the country, raising concerns given its possible higher transmission rate, health director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a statement on Monday. The BA.2 subvariant of omicron is driving up cases in Europe and now accounts for about 30% of infections in the U.S, where indoor-mask and vaccine requirements have largely been rolled back. [Extracted from the article]

Sabah is also Malaysia's biggest palm oil producing state, making up about 24% of total crude palm oil output; Malaysia is the world's second biggest palm oil grower. (Bloomberg) -- The Malaysia government will not entertain any territorial claim from any party over the Borneo state of Sabah, its Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said in a statement on Friday. [Extracted from the article]

"There are talks to launch another fund in the fourth quarter, where we are targeting $200 million", Raja Hamzah Abidin, RHL's co-founder and co-managing partner, said in an interview. (Bloomberg) -- RHL Ventures, a Malaysian private investment firm supported by the country's finance ministry, expects its assets to more than triple to 1 billion ringgit ($239 million) over the next five years, its top executive said. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Top Glove Corp., the world's largest rubber glove maker that reported a 97% plunge in quarterly profit on Wednesday, hasn't been spared the impact of the Ukraine war. Top Glove posted on Wednesday reported its lowest quarterly profit in two years for the December-February period as demand and selling prices of gloves returned to levels seen before the pandemic. [Extracted from the article]

Singapore on Saturday announced sanctions against Russia, marking the first and only country in Southeast Asia so far to do so without going through the UN. (Bloomberg) -- Malaysia has no intention of imposing sanctions against Russia, Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said, just days after neighboring Singapore in an unprecedented move censured the country over its invasion of Ukraine. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia will allow quarantine-free entry for fully vaccinated travelers from April 1, ending almost two years of stringent border controls introduced to contain the Covid-19 outbreak. VTL Pacts Malaysia recently allowed fully inoculated travelers from Thailand and Cambodia to skip quarantine from March 15. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia will allow quarantine-free entry for fully vaccinated travelers from April 1, ending almost two years of stringent border controls introduced to contain the Covid-19 outbreak. "For countries that still shut their borders, citizens still get benefit from VTL that were agreed between the Malaysian government and those countries", Ismail said. [Extracted from the article]

Tenaga Nasional Bhd. has proposed a special tariff for Bitcoin mining operators in a move to fight electricity theft, its top executive said on Thursday. (Bloomberg) -- Power theft in Malaysia for cryptocurrency mining is a problem that's growing quickly. [Extracted from the article]

Southeast Asia's state-owned funds have so far been shielded from the crisis that has roiled global markets, with Singapore's Temasek Holdings Pte. saying its exposure to Russia and Ukraine is "insignificant." (Bloomberg) -- Malaysia's largest state-owned funds have no investments in Russia and Ukraine but expect the still-evolving crisis to exert an indirect impact on their performances. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia's state oil company Petroliam Nasional Bhd. swung to profit in the final three months of 2021, due to a smaller impairment loss, higher earnings and elevated crude oil prices. Petronas posted net income of 13.4 billion ringgit ($3.2 billion) in the December quarter, versus a 1.1 billion ringgit loss a year earlier, the company said in a statement on Tuesday. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia's state oil company Petroliam Nasional Bhd. swung to profit in the final three months of 2021, due to a smaller impairment loss, higher earnings and elevated crude oil prices. Petronas' capital investments in 2021 dropped 9% to 30.5 billion ringgit as several projects were hurt by prolonged movement restrictions and supply chain snarl-ups, Group Chief Financial Officer Liza Mustapha said. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- CIMB Group Holdings Bhd.'s shares slumped as much as 6%, set for the biggest intraday loss since March 2020, after the Malaysian bank posted a credit loss of 280.9 million ringgit ($67 million) last year due to a processing error that saw excess funds deposited in some customer accounts. Malaysia's second-largest bank, which counts sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd. as its largest shareholder, discovered the problem this year that related to a third-party remittance service, Group CEO Abdul Rahman Ahmad said Monday evening, confirming a report by Bloomberg News. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia will relax coronavirus testing requirements for some travelers starting Thursday, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said in a statement late on Monday. The exemption applies to those arriving in Malaysia via the vaccinated travel lane with Singapore, the Langkawi travel bubble, and short term business travel via one-stop centers, he said. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia's King urged the government to take measures to protect the environment and ensure that at least half of the country's land area remains forested, months after the nation suffered its worst floods in decades. Still, torrential rain in many states of peninsular Malaysia in December left dozens dead, displaced more than 61,000 people and cost the economy 8 billion ringgit ($1.9 billion) in lost production value. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- CIMB Group Holdings Bhd. could incur losses of as much as several hundred million ringgit due to a processing error that saw excess funds deposited in more than 10,000 customer accounts, according to people with knowledge of the matter. CIMB could acknowledge a charge related to the losses when it reports earnings, though they are not expected to have a material impact on the bank, they said. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- The former chief executive officer of Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd. said she is cooperating with Malaysia's anti-graft agency after recent allegations made against her. Rohana Rozhan issued a statement via her lawyers on Friday after ex-Goldman Sachs Group Inc. banker Tim Leissner said in a bribery trial that he had an affair with her and she blackmailed him into buying her a $10 million house. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- IHH Healthcare Bhd., one of Asia's largest private hospitals operator, is concerned the Ukraine crisis may worsen global shortages even though its main business is unlikely to suffer disruption because of the conflict. Russia's attack on Ukraine sparked huge volatility across global commodity markets on Thursday, sparking fears the crisis will exacerbate global supply chains already stretched thin by the pandemic. [Extracted from the article]

"The attack on Ukraine won't derail the current economic and corporate earnings recovery" in Malaysia, TA Securities said. (Bloomberg) -- Malaysia, a net exporter of crude oil and the world's No. 2 palm oil producer, stands to gain from the record-smashing gains in global commodity markets sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, analysts say. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- The daughter of Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak said she got a job with TPG Capital after Tim Leissner, an ex-Goldman Sachs Group Inc. banker and star witness in the ongoing bribery trial linked to 1MDB in the U.S, made the introductions. Leissner in his testimony on Tuesday said Najib wanted to get his children jobs at the bank in return for working with firm on $6.5 billion bond deals. [Extracted from the article]