logo
Carbon tax may dent steel sector's recovery

Carbon tax may dent steel sector's recovery

The Star18 hours ago
MALAYSIA'S commitment to decarbonisation is taking shape, with the government confirming that a carbon tax will be introduced in 2026.
While this presents an opportunity for Malaysia to price carbon and reduce emissions, investors are concerned about its potential impact on Malaysian export competitiveness.
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Full access to Web and App.
RM 13.90/month
RM 9.73 /month
Billed as RM 9.73 for the 1st month, RM 13.90 thereafter.
RM 12.39/month
RM 8.63 /month
Billed as RM 103.60 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Friendship Day 2025: where to celebrate with food and good vibes
Friendship Day 2025: where to celebrate with food and good vibes

Time Out

time22 minutes ago

  • Time Out

Friendship Day 2025: where to celebrate with food and good vibes

1. Pizza Data For this Friendship Day, Pizza Data launches an ideal combo to share among laughs, music, and lots of cheese: it includes a pizza of your choice, a portion of fainá bites, and a drink for $20,750 (with 22% off the original price). Available at their locations, with the option to add more fainá, pizza, or the DATA Cream (the house's star dessert) at a special price. A simple, tasty, and effective proposal to celebrate straightforwardly and with pure datazo vibes. Where: Locations in Palermo, San Isidro, and Nordelta. 2. Kuro Kuma In the heart of Chinatown, Kuro Kuma stands out as one of this year's new hotspots. Their Friendship Day proposal combines Asian cuisine for sharing, modern decor with murals and oriental touches, and a powerful signature cocktail menu. With dishes like pad thai, tteokbokki, Malaysian flying noodles, and Sichuan-style ribs, the restaurant invites you to celebrate among intense and festive flavors. On Sunday 7/20, from noon until 1 a.m. (and until 2 a.m. on weekends), you can toast with drinks inspired by the 7 Gods of Fortune or creative mocktails, all in a 300 m² room, with a patio, open kitchen, and bar run by Lean Milan. 3. Le Blé For this Friendship Day, Le Blé launches a special brunch to share between two: includes coffee or tea, juices, lemonades, viennoiseries, scones, country bread with dips, a savory option, and something sweet, all for $45,000. Ideal to celebrate friendship with flavor and no rush. Available at all Le Blé branches from July 20 to 21. There's also a social media challenge with prizes for those who share their experience. 4. Buche Salumería For Friendship Day, Buche by Julio Figueroa offers two ideal combos to celebrate at home, with artisanal cold cuts and cheeses. Options for eight people with empanadas, charcuterie boards, dessert, and beers. The Feast combo ($125,000) includes empanadas, a cold cuts and cheese platter, dessert, and 8 beers. The Epic combo ($205,000) adds two themed boards: France and Spain à la Buche. Available until 7/15 here. 5. Fornole In Villa Urquiza, Fornole celebrates Friendship Day with a special proposal led by women: on Sunday, July 20, from 12:30 to 4 p.m., the kitchen team will be female-led, offering an exclusive midday menu with starter, main course, drink, and dessert for $28,000. The main dish: Roman-style gnocchi, with a choice of red wine braised osso buco or a veggie version with oyster mushroom cream and scallions. The experience includes homemade breads with koji butter and a chocolate cream dessert. Also, all weekend there will be take-away promos (buy 4 pizzas and get a Margarita free) and a special dine-in menu for $45,000 with fainá, pizza of choice, drinks, and dessert. 6. Concepción Pizza y Vino Concepción Pizza y Vino celebrates Friendship Day with two special analog nights: on Saturday 7/19, Diego Escobar spins vinyls of funk, soul, and disco; and on Sunday 7/20, Jerónimo Tapuerca closes the weekend with classics on CD and vinyl. From 8 p.m., there will be 2-for-1 on Alfonsina vermouth, wine by the glass, and winter sharing plates. 7. Siete Mares Siete Mares celebrates Friendship Day with a proposal to share at home: sushi + Corona beer combos available for take away on Saturday 7/20. Two options: 28 pieces + 2 beers ($41,000) or 40 pieces + 4 beers ($57,800), cash payment only. Ideal if you're in the North Zone and want to toast with good sushi without leaving home. 8. Mondongo & Coliflor Mondongo & Coliflor, the cantina in Parque Chacabuco, joins the celebrations with a special proposal: it will open for the first time at night on Sunday, July 20, in addition to its usual lunchtime service. Ideal for celebrating with friends with hearty dishes like tripe empanadas, stews, homemade pasta, grilled meats, and XL milanesas. All in a relaxed atmosphere, with history and good wines to toast properly. 9. La Casa Blanca de Habana With a neighborhood spirit and community focus, this pizzeria in Villa Pueyrredón proposes a special action: those who eat at the venue on Sunday 7/20 and post a story tagging the profile, or bring a photo with friends for the memory corkboard, get a voucher for a mozzarella pizza to redeem in the dining room, Sunday through Thursday, for a whole month. Additionally, during July and August, they launch products paying homage to neighborhood friends' businesses, like a pizza with salmon, capers, and cream cheese inspired by @biendebiencafe or a napolitana that reinterprets the classic hot dog from the Neme kiosk. 10. Bestial Fly Bar This Friendship Day, Bestial Fly Bar invites you to celebrate from their rooftop in Palermo with a unique experience. From 10 p.m., the night fills with live music, performances, and creative cocktails served in the iconic 'bestial heads,' perfect for toasting with Fernet Branca. The food proposal fuses Nikkei, European, and Latin American flavors, with dishes like sushi rolls, poke bowls, and empanadas with Peruvian spices. All in a sophisticated setting, with 360° panoramic views, vertical gardens, and striking design. Reservations recommended. 11. BlindCafé Throughout July, BlindCafé invites you to discover their Japanese pastries, with infusions and sharing pieces in menus for 2 people at $30,000 or 4 people at $60,000. On Sunday 7/20, Friendship Day, there will be 2-for-1 appetizers and the full menu available all day, ideal for celebrating with friends in a unique atmosphere. Located in Chacarita, BlindCafé combines the delicacy of classic Japanese techniques with Western creativity in its desserts, also offering a coffee cocktail menu inspired by exclusive fragrances. Open from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., it also offers fragrance and coffee tastings by reservation. 12. Muyè In an old house in Recoleta, Muyè celebrates Friendship Day with a special night: on Friday, July 19, there will be a live DJ, chill & house music, and a multi-course menu designed to share among friends. The proposal includes options like grilled oyster mushrooms, roasted carrots, white fish with pea puree, or sirloin steak with vegetables, and desserts like toffee cake or chocolate cream. All accompanied by wines, cocktails, and a warm setting blending history, design, and good energy. 13. Sole di Parma In Tigre's historic center, Sole di Parma is a corner smelling of sourdough and Italian memories. For this Friendship Day, July 20, they extend their hours until 10 p.m. and offer a special promo: homemade sandwiches (like their Hot Pastrami with artisanal pastrami and cucumber relish) + artisanal vermouth with soda and lots of ice, all at a friendly price. Ideal to toast among laughs and chats, in a relaxed atmosphere with an open kitchen. 14. Sifón Sifón celebrates Friendship Day on Sunday, July 20, with a proposal perfect for sharing: from noon, the grill fires up offering dishes like skirt steak with creamy potatoes, picanha sandwich with fries, lamb kafta, or mushroom skewers with hummus. You can also order from the regular menu, with vermouths, cocktails, and soda as the stars. 15. Ostende Ostende, a vintage bodegón in Colegiales, celebrates Friendship Day with a proposal that appeals to nostalgia and homemade flavors: on Sunday, July 20, the star dish will be a homemade meatloaf, perfect for sharing among friends and toasting like in classic Sunday lunches. Set up like you're at the Atlantic coast, Ostende combines comforting cuisine, neighborhood spirit, and a warmth that invites you to spend long hours around the table.

Data centres to boost construction jobs in 2H25
Data centres to boost construction jobs in 2H25

The Star

time2 hours ago

  • The Star

Data centres to boost construction jobs in 2H25

PETALING JAYA: The second half of 2025 (2H25) will see more job flows coming the way of construction companies, driven by key structural themes such as the expansion of data centres (DCs) and the ongoing development of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, which is gaining traction. Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB) Research said the DC award cycle in 2H25 follows multiple award decisions for DC tenders made in 1H25, including five multibillion ringgit tenders for one US-based hyperscaler. 'For the DC segment, we take a 'big is better'' view, anticipating further inroads to be made by sector's big-three players (namely Gamuda Bhd , Sunway Construction Group Bhd and IJM Corp Bhd ), riding on competitive advantages such as balance sheet strength, track record and the ability to leverage their integrated structures, including access to building material supply chains and bundled offerings in power and water infrastructure,' HLIB Research said in a report. While concerns have arisen from reports of potential artificial intelligence (AI) chip export curbs on Malaysia, these remain unconfirmed and lack actionable details. HLIB Research added that Malaysian contractors' reliance on US and Western hyperscalers for large DC projects somewhat mitigates these uncertainties, with exemptions possible – this remains their base case. Year-to-date contracts awarded have totalled RM28.9bil, marking a 39.5% year-on-year (y-o-y) growth. 'In 1H25, total DC-related contracts awarded came in at RM3.3bil (31% y-o-y fall), a slower pace when compared to the frenetic pace achieved in 1H24,' it said. Beyond DC projects, HLIB Research said 2H25 could see subcontract and system package awards for the Penang light rail transit, as well as progress on major Sabah and Sarawak road projects such as the Sabah–Sarawak Link Road. As for the commercial segment, including residential projects built on commercial land, HLIB Research said uncertainty over the sales and service tax (SST) treatment could weigh on activity in the third quarter of 2025. Developers may delay project launches until there is clarity on how SST will be applied to such developments. HLIB Research said the recent removal of the SST exemption for the construction sector, from 0% to 6%, should be manageable overall as most contracts allow for cost adjustments. 'We retain our 'overweight' sector call, anticipating sustained contract flows in 2H25 anchored by DCs, infrastructure rollout and still buoyant private sector sentiment. In our view, contractors broadly can still add to order books from the DC segment as well as infrastructure projects.' HLIB Research said forward sector valuations remains palatable, trading at price-to-earning and price-to-book multiples of 19.1 times and 1.3 times, respectively.

[Watch] The BMW Driver Who Has No Money To Pay Toll
[Watch] The BMW Driver Who Has No Money To Pay Toll

Rakyat Post

time2 hours ago

  • Rakyat Post

[Watch] The BMW Driver Who Has No Money To Pay Toll

Subscribe to our FREE A BMW driver in Malaysia has become internet famous for the most ridiculous reason possible: refusing to pay a toll fee. It was Tuesday morning at the Lima Kedai toll station in Johor. A BMW pulls up to the toll booth but can't get through – maybe their card was dead, maybe they forgot their wallet. Who knows. So they do something that seems nice: put on hazard lights and reverse to let the car behind them go first. That car belonged to someone named Farah, who had a dashcam running – she pays her toll like a normal person. The barrier lifts. She drives through. That's when the BMW driver decided to get creative. Instead of waiting or figuring out how to pay, they just floored it and tailgated right behind Farah's car through the toll booth. Free ride. Zero ringgit paid. The Internet Reacts Farah posted the dashcam footage on TikTok, and Malaysian social media went nuts: 'Driving a BMW but can't afford the toll? Make it make sense.' 'Expensive car, cheap behaviour.' 'This is just embarrassing.' And honestly? They're right. This person is driving a car worth hundreds of thousands of ringgit, and they're pulling stunts to avoid paying whatever the toll fee was, whether it's a few ringgit or more, depending on where they entered the highway. Why People Are Mad It's not really about the money. It's about fairness. Everyone else pays their tolls like adults. When someone with a luxury car decides the rules don't apply to them, it isn't very pleasant. Additionally, it's entirely unnecessary. If you can afford a BMW, you can afford a toll fee. The video went viral across Malaysian social media, and although the BMW driver remains anonymous, their license plate is clearly visible in the footage. Will anything happen to them officially? Probably not. However, the internet shame is real, and in 2025, it can sometimes be worse than any fine. Meanwhile, the BMW driver gave everyone else a perfect example of why dashcams exist. Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store