KUCHING: Verification delays, weak connectivity and slow reimbursements risk blunting the impact of the government’s plan to expand Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) outlets from 3,000 to 10,000, according to the Sarawak Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) SCCI deputy president Albert Tang said the chamber supports the expansion, noting its
KUCHING: Open-market home prices are being pushed higher as developers absorb the cost of capped affordable housing and pass it through to medium-cost units, particularly affecting the M40 segment. Responding to remarks by Sheda Institute chairman Datuk Jeffrey Ng Tiong Lip, Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers’ Association (SHEDA) adviser
KUCHING: Payment reliability is becoming a daily operational pressure for Malaysian businesses as cashless transactions move from convenience to necessity. Paydibs chief executive officer Tee Kean Kang said that by 2026, digital payments will no longer be optional. Instead, they will be a consumer-driven requirement that reshapes how businesses operate.
KUCHING: Reports of younger employees leaving their jobs within 12 to 18 months are beginning to surface among Sarawak employers, according to business groups. The Secretary-General of the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sarawak (ACCCIS) and the Sarawak Business Federation (SBF), Datuk Jonathan Chai, said neither organisation
KUCHING: Smaller Bumiputera-owned firms in Sarawak are struggling to retain young employees amid rising job-switching trends, according to the Sarawak Bumiputera Entrepreneurs Chamber (DUBS). Its president, Datuk Abang Helmi Ikhwan said concerns raised by the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) over frequent job changes among young workers are valid. “The factors
KUCHING: A 1,780 FBM KLCI target for the end of 2026 is back on the table as the ringgit strengthens and the return gap widens in favour of equities. AFFIN Group Research Head, Loong Chee Wei, said the index is up 2 per cent year-to-date and is at 1,715 currently.
KUCHING: Small cap index in Malaysia ended with a 12 per cent reduction last year, leaving them at a 50 per cent valuation discount to the FBM KLCI. AFFIN Group Research Head, Loong Chee Wei, said the pricing gap is now shaping where investors and research houses are looking for
KUCHING: Malaysia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth is expected to be in the region of 4.3 per cent in 2026, compared with 4.6 per cent last year. AFFIN Group’s Chief Economist, Alan Tan, said Malaysia is heading into 2026 in a position of strength, but the outlook remains optimistic and
KUCHING: Sarawak has emerged as a rapid expansion market for AFFIN Bank, with its branch network rising from six to 13 in under eight months. AFFIN Bank Bhd President and Group CEO, Datuk Wan Razly Abdullah, said the AFFIN Hikmah Exchange Branch sits at the heart of the group’s Sarawak
KUCHING: Malaysia’s 2026 project pipeline is sharpening the power supply test as data centres push demand higher. AFFIN Group Research Head, Loong Chee Wei, said the coming build phase is spreading beyond the central region, with more states drawn into the capacity-building cycle. “By capacity-building, I think infrastructure spending will