Latest news with #HariRayaAidiladha
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
No bull: Trader loses RM100,000 to fake ‘Datuk' promising lucrative cattle rearing investment
JOHOR BARU: A honey product trader lost more than RM100,000 after being lured into investing in a cattle-rearing project in Thailand by a businessman with a 'Datuk' title. Mazli Hamzah, 37, said he first met the businessman in 2024 and exchanged contact numbers with him for business networking purposes. 'In March this year, he called me saying he wanted to meet as he was interested in helping grow my business, including marketing my product overseas. 'We met frequently after that, but in July, he told me about a business opportunity involving investment in a cattle-rearing farm in Thailand, where the cows were meant for Hari Raya Aidiladha,' he said during a press conference at a shopping mall here on Monday (July 28). Mazli added that he was initially sceptical about the offer, but the man, who is in his 40s, later brought him to meet a Tabung Haji officer at Menara Tabung Haji in the city centre. He claimed that both men mostly discussed the cattle-rearing project, which convinced him that it was a legitimate business opportunity. 'Earlier this month, I handed the businessman more than RM100,000. Soon after that, he kept asking me for more money, which made me suspect that he just wanted my money. 'Everything was done verbally, with no black-and-white agreement between us. However, he did provide me with a receipt after I gave him the money to invest,' he said. Mazli added that he continued calling the businessman for updates on the investment, but his calls and WhatsApp messages went unanswered. 'I then went to his restaurant in Bandar Dato Onn and saw him sitting a few tables away. I called his mobile phone, which he glanced at but ignored. 'When I approached him, he saw me and immediately left the restaurant,' he said, adding that he has since lodged a police report. It is learnt that the businessman was fined RM200,000 by the Sessions Court here last year for using a fake 'Datuk' title from Pahang. He had admitted to fraudulently using a letter of endorsement for recipients of a degree, medal or award from Pahang Darul Makmur, believed to be a fake document. The businessman also pleaded guilty to an alternative charge of displaying the Darjah Indera Mahkota Negeri Pahang emblem on his vehicle at the same time and place, which was also believed to be fake. When contacted, Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Raub Selamat confirmed that a police report had been lodged and said investigations were ongoing. He added that the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
New Straits Times
7 days ago
- General
- New Straits Times
Headlights trigger flashbacks of Gerik bus crash, says Alza driver
SUNGAI PETANI: The sight of headlights behind him at night still triggers haunting memories for Mohd Lutfi Radzi, 37, who is faced with lingering trauma from a horrific accident that claimed 15 lives in Gerik last month. "Whenever I see lights approaching from behind at night, it brings me back to that moment," said the school teacher, who admitted that he remains deeply affected, especially when driving through dark stretches of road. Although emotional scars have gradually faded, Lutfi said the early days following the crash, particularly when his wife and children were still hospitalised, were the most difficult. "The memory is still vivid, but things are slowly improving. We have to keep moving forward as a family. In fact, we will soon travel along the same road again to visit my in-laws in Kemaman, Terengganu," he told reporters after receiving a visit from Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar at his home in Bukit Banyan yesterday. On June 9, Lutfi was behind the wheel of a Perodua Alza multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) when it collided with a bus at KM53 of the East-West Highway (Jalan Raya Timur-Barat) in Gerik, Perak. The family was heading home to Baling after celebrating Hari Raya Aidiladha in Kemaman. The crash claimed the lives of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students and left many others injured. Lutfi said his wife, Nurul Ain Zakaria, 36, and their two children, who were also injured in the incident, are now in stable condition but still require rest and should avoid strenuous activity. "As a whole, my family is about 80 per cent healed. My wife, who suffered five broken ribs, can now manage light chores such as sweeping and washing dishes but she takes frequent breaks. "Our eldest daughter, Nur Aisyah Nafisah, 6, who broke her right thigh, can move about but isn't allowed to place weight on the injured leg yet. While our youngest, Muhammad Ahsan Nafis, 2, only sustained minor bruises and scratches," he added. Lutfi said both his wife and daughter are expected to return to school by September, depending on their recovery progress. He also expressed his gratitude to all who have offered support and prayers, especially the education community. "I want to thank the media as well, and apologise for not being able to speak while I was in the hospital. My physical and emotional state back then just didn't allow it. "My heartfelt appreciation also goes to the State Education Department, Baling District Education Office, and fellow teachers from SK Malau and SK Tembak for their moral support and generous contributions," he added.
Focus Malaysia
22-07-2025
- Automotive
- Focus Malaysia
Affordable cars dominate market as consumers downtrade amid economic pressures
TOTAL industry volume (TIV) plunged 19% month-on-month (MoM) largely due to scheduled plant maintenance shutdowns during the Hari Raya Aidiladha holidays. Meanwhile, TIV declined 6% year-on-year (YoY) mainly due to the shifting of new models launches toward the second half (2H) for this year by Perodua and other Japanese marques. 'Looking ahead, we believe July 2025 TIV will be much higher than June 2025 TIV with full production month and attractive mid-year sales bonanza,' said Kenanga. National marques stood their ground, reaping market share from the non-nationals marques, especially Perodua, backed by strong sustained demand in the affordable segment, attractive new launches, and a downtrading trend by mid-market buyers. Within the non-nationals marques, Mazda suffered the most due to slower new launches and being affected by intense competition from Chinese marques. We have the passenger vehicle segment in June 2025 at 49,804 units. A two-speed automotive market locally will persist stretching to end-2025 and flowing into calendar year 2026 (CY26). It will be business as usual for the affordable segment as its target customers, that is, the B40 and lower tier M40 groups, will be spared the impact of the impending RON95 subsidy rationalization and could also potentially benefit from the introduction of the progressive wage model. Government is still finalizing the mechanism to use for the RON95 subsidy rationalisation and expects that 90% of the Malaysian will not be affected. The upper-tier M40 and T15 groups may hold back from buying new cars, down-trade to smaller cars or switch to hybrids and EVs to cut their fuel bills upon the introduction of fuel subsidy rationalisation. Concurrently, household bills will also be affected by the higher fuel bills, as well as expected 14% increase in base tariff for the higher-end usage which could also drive consumers to switch to solar-panels, in-turn boosting the demand for EV to funnel the excess grid electricity. Additionally, EV routine maintenance costs are considerably lower than ICE's due to fewer moving parts and wear & tear parts. Vehicle sales will also be supported by new BEVs that enjoy SST exemption and other EV facilities incentives up until CY25 for CBUs and CY27 for CKDs. The new registration for BEVs leapt from 274 units in CY21 to over 3,400 units in CY22, 13,301 units in CY23, and 21,789 units in CY24 (based on the Ministry of Transport's press release), or 3% of TIV. We expect more favourable incentives from the government which has set a national target for EVs and hybrid vehicles of 20% of TIV by CY30 and 38% by CY40. Meanwhile, the government will speed up the approval for charging stations. The number of proposed charging stations is currently at 4,477 (4,161 built to date) and this should more than double to 10,000 by end-CY25. —July 22, 2025 Main image: ptc
New Straits Times
18-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Malaysia's Q2 GDP projected to grow 4.5pct
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's economy is estimated to grow 4.5 per cent in the second quarter of 2025, slightly higher than the 4.4 per cent recorded in the previous quarter, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). The preliminary estimate signals that Malaysia's economic growth momentum remained steady in April and May, with expectations of stronger performance in June. For the first half of 2025 (1H25), the economy is projected to expand moderately by 4.4 per cent, staying close to the government's official target range of 4.5 to 5.5 per cent for the full year. Chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the economy continued to expand in the second quarter of 2025, supported by firm consumer demand despite ongoing global challenges. He said domestic consumption remained the key growth driver, backed by public sector salary adjustments, school holidays and seasonal spending during Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Hari Raya Aidiladha. He added that a stable labour market with low unemployment and inflation further strengthened household spending. "On top of that, the continued implementation of cash assistance programmes such as Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) and Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) also contributed to sustained household spending throughout the quarter," he said in a statement. By sector, Mohd Uzir said manufacturing showed mixed performance, with growth of 5.6 per cent in April before moderating to 2.8 per cent in May. This was driven by sustained activity in the electrical and electronics subsector and strong demand from domestic-oriented industries, as reflected by the Industrial Production Index. Similarly, wholesale and retail trade sales, which indicate consumer and business activity, rose 4.4 per cent in May, easing from 4.7 per cent in April, mainly supported by steady wholesale and retail trade performance. However, the external sector posted mixed results, with trade activities growing at a slower pace in May due to weaker demand for exported goods. "While domestic spending remains the main pillar of the economy, the external sector faces challenges influenced by tariff-related developments and ongoing global political uncertainties," he said. Mohd Uzir said services remained the key growth driver in the second quarter of 2025 (2Q25), recording a 5.3 per cent increase compared with 5.0 per cent in the first quarter, mainly contributed by wholesale and retail trade, transport and storage as well as business services. The manufacturing sector grew 3.8 per cent, supported by the production of electrical, electronic and optical products, vegetable and animal oils and fats, and food processing. The construction sector registered double-digit growth for six straight quarters, rising 11 per cent, driven mainly by non-residential buildings and special trades activities. The agriculture sector increased 2.0 per cent, fuelled by the palm oil subsector.
Barnama
18-07-2025
- Business
- Barnama
Malaysia 2Q GDP Forecast To Expand 4.5 Pct, Fuelled By Robust Domestic Demand -- DOSM
BUSINESS KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's economy is forecast to grow by 4.5 per cent in the second quarter of 2025 (2Q 2025) based on advance gross domestic product (GDP) estimates, slightly outpacing previous quarter's 4.4 per cent. Growth is expected to be driven by robust domestic demand amid global headwinds, according to the Statistics Department Malaysia (DOSM). In a statement today, DOSM said growth momentum was sustained in April and May, with a stronger performance anticipated in June. "Overall, the economy is estimated to have grown moderately by 4.4 per cent in the first half of 2025," it said. Chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said domestic consumption remained the key driver, significantly boosted by the lingering effects of public sector wage adjustments, school holidays and seasonal spending during both Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Hari Raya Aidiladha. A stable labour market, together with low unemployment and inflation rates, further reinforced household spending. 'Cash assistance programmes such as Sumbangan Asas Rahmah and Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah also contributed to sustaining household consumption during the quarter," he said. Mohd Uzir noted that the manufacturing sector experienced varied performance in 2Q, growing by 5.6 per cent in April and moderating to 2.8 per cent in May. "This growth was largely attributed to sustained activity in the electrical and electronics sub-sector and robust demand from domestic-oriented industries, as indicated by the Industrial Production Index.
