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New Straits Times
25-05-2025
- New Straits Times
Businessman loses RM5.3mil in investment scam
KUALA LUMPUR: A 67-year-old businessman has lost RM5.3 million after falling victim to a fraudulent, non-existent investment scheme. Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said preliminary investigations revealed that the scam involved an advertisement on the Google app promoting a fake investment scheme known as Primus Pacific Partners. He said the victim clicked on the advertisement and was redirected to WhatsApp, where contact was established via phone call with a woman who introduced herself as 'Ms Ng', claiming to be an investment coach. "The victim was given an explanation about the investment and was added to a WhatsApp group. "He followed the investment scheme for about a week. "The suspect, 'Ms Ng', then instructed the victim to register as a new investor on a platform named he said in a statement today. Hussein said that at the outset, the victim received an initial return of RM24,308.48, which increased his confidence in the scheme. The victim then made 13 fund transfers totalling RM5.3 million to three different bank accounts. Hussein said the victim was promised returns based on market rates, but when he attempted to withdraw his investment profits, he was told to pay various tax charges. Police have opened an investigation paper under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' jail, whipping, and a fine upon conviction. Police have urged the public to remain vigilant against investment schemes on social media, especially those offering unrealistic returns or involving financial platforms not approved by Bank Negara Malaysia or the Securities Commission Malaysia. Those who encounter suspicious or fraudulent calls may contact the National Scam Response Centre at 997 for verification, advice, or to lodge a report.
BusinessToday
23-05-2025
- Business
- BusinessToday
Malaysia's Labour Market Remains Resilient, Q1 Data Review
Malaysia's labour market demonstrated continued strength in the first quarter of 2025, according to a recent review by the Department of Statistics. The nation recorded a substantial labour force of 17.23 million individuals, maintaining a stable unemployment rate of 3.1 per cent. The report highlighted a significant year-on-year expansion of the labour force, growing by 2.7 per cent to reach the aforementioned 17.23 million. This growth propelled the labour force participation rate upwards by 0.2 percentage points to 70.7 per cent. The number of employed persons also saw a positive trend, increasing by 3.0 per cent to 16.70 million. Consequently, the employment-to-population ratio rose to 68.6 per cent. In parallel, the number of unemployed individuals experienced a decline of 5.0 per cent, translating to 27.5 thousand fewer people without jobs, resulting in the steady unemployment rate of 3.1 per cent. A notable trend was the continued decrease in the number of employed persons working less than 30 hours per week, which fell by 11.1 per cent compared to Q1 2024, reaching 242.7 thousand individuals. This decline was attributed to strong domestic demand throughout the first quarter of 2025, leading to a drop in the rate of time-related underemployment to 0.9 per cent. Furthermore, skill-related underemployment, which disproportionately affects tertiary-educated individuals, also saw a positive development. It decreased by 0.7 percentage points to 35.7 per cent in Q1 2025, although it still constitutes a significant portion of the employed population with higher education. On the demand side, the economic sector witnessed a 1.4 per cent year-on-year increase in the total number of jobs, reaching 9.06 million. Filled jobs, representing 97.9 per cent of the total, also grew by 1.4 per cent to 8.87 million. Job openings, indicated by the number of vacancies, rose by 1.2 per cent to 194.1 thousand during the quarter. Additionally, the number of jobs created in the economic sector saw a substantial increase of 3.4 per cent year-on-year, reaching 33.2 thousand. The report also linked the robust labour market performance to Malaysia's overall economic expansion of 4.4 per cent. Labour productivity, measured by value added per employment, registered an increase of 1.3 per cent, reaching RM24,580 per person in Q1 2025. Total hours worked also surged by 3.3 per cent to 9.76 billion hours, resulting in a 1.0 per cent growth in labour productivity per hour worked, bringing the level to RM42.5 per hour. The Department of Statistics concluded that Malaysia's labour market remains resilient, supported by stable domestic activity and consistent government policies. Growth in key sectors such as manufacturing and services, coupled with strong domestic demand and government initiatives like investment incentives and infrastructure development, have fostered a favourable economic environment. These factors are expected to continue supporting employment creation, particularly in high-skilled sectors, and contribute to improved household incomes.
Daily Express
15-05-2025
- Daily Express
Medical staff charged with using fake documents to claim overtime
Published on: Thursday, May 15, 2025 Published on: Thu, May 15, 2025 By: Cynthia D Baga Text Size: The court was told that the trio had forwarded their second representation letters to reduce the amount of their charges under Section 471/465 of the Penal Code. Kota Kinabalu: The Special Corruption Court set June 23 this year for further mention the case involving three medical staff charged with using fake documents to claim overtime. Judge Jason Juga fixed the date for Nurse Naliah Saliwat, 38, medical assistant officers Aemy Melanie Elon, 34, and Junior Justin, 35, pending the outcome of the trio's representation letters from the prosecution's office in Putrajaya. Advertisement The court was told that the trio had forwarded their second representation letters to reduce the amount of their charges under Section 471/465 of the Penal Code. The prosecution informed the court that the outcome of the representation letters is still pending. The trio who were not represented, told the court that they had nothing to say. Naliah has nine charges, Aemy has 14 charges and Junior has nine charges. On the first to eight counts, Marvilta is accused of using fake documents in claiming the overtime between Dec 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021 amounting to RM24,482.88. Meanwhile, Naliah on the first to ninth counts, is accused of using fake documents in claiming overtime between July 17, 2020 and Aug 12, 2021 amounting to RM29,100.82. Meanwhile, Aemy on the first to 14 counts, is accused of using fake documents to claim overtime between April 7, 2020 and Aug 5, 2021 amounting to RM41,922.94. Junior on the first to ninth counts, is accused of using fake documents in claiming overtime between July 17, 2021 and Aug 12, 2021 amounting to RM36,155.51. The charges stated that the trio who were staff at the Inanam Health Clinic, here allegedly submitted the fake documents among others were Jadual Extended Hours, copy of Jadual Bertugas Perkhidmatan Lanjutan Klinik Inanam, list of names of personnel on call duties and a copy of Kad Perakam waktu. The offence under Section 471 of the Penal Code, punishable under Section 465 of the same Code, carries a jail term of up to two years, a fine, or both, on conviction. The court ordered their bail to be extended pending the date. Meanwhile, another Nurse Marvilta Michael Poudi, 36, who have eight charges for using fake documents, will go trial on Aug 25–26 this year. Counsel Sylester Kuan who defended Marvilta, said that he received instructions from his client to proceed with the trial. On the first to eight counts, Marvilta is accused of using fake documents in claiming the overtime between Dec 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021 with the total amount of RM24,482.88. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
14-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Shafie voices concern over heavy reliance on oil and gas
Published on: Thursday, May 15, 2025 Published on: Thu, May 15, 2025 Text Size: 'If prices stay low, Sabah could lose hundreds of millions in revenue which is enough to wipe out the projected RM24 million surplus and push the state budget into a deficit,' Shafie said. Kota Kinabalu: Warisan President Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal expressed concern about Sabah's heavy reliance on oil and gas revenue, which accounts for over 40 per cent of projected income. 'The State Government's calculations are based on an oil price of USD76 per barrel, but current prices hover around USD60. 'If prices stay low, Sabah could lose hundreds of millions in revenue which is enough to wipe out the projected RM24 million surplus and push the state budget into a deficit,' he said. He also noted the State's alarming unemployment rate of 7.9 per cent in the third quarter of 2024 (highest in Malaysia) representing over 170,000 jobless Sabahans. 'We want to work together with the rakyat to save Sabah so our children can inherit a future filled with hope and a Sabah we can all be proud of,' he said in a statement, Wednesday. He accused the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Government of mismanaging the State's record RM6.4 billion budget for 2025, claiming it has failed to address the fundamental issues facing Sabahans. Shafie said despite having a budget twice the size of Selangor's and six times larger than Penang's, Sabah remains the poorest state in Malaysia. 'Despite the record budget, Sabah remains the poorest state in Malaysia. Eight out of the 10 poorest districts in the entire country are in Sabah,' he said. 'If the economy is really growing as GRS claims, why are people still struggling to find jobs?' he said. He said employed Sabahans continue to face wage stagnation with median monthly earnings increasing by just RM18 from RM1,864 in Q1 2023, while food prices remain the highest nationwide. Shafie said half of Sabah's workers earn less than RM2,000 a month. He also raised concerns about child welfare in Sabah, pointing out that one in four Sabahan children under five is stunted, the highest rate in Malaysia. 'This reflects a failure in nutrition, rural healthcare and education. The GRS government has failed to plan for the next generation,' he said. He also expressed concern over recent corruption cases in the education sector, including a school principal in Kudat charged with making false claims amounting to RM85, 000 and two education officers remanded for allegedly receiving bribes tied to school maintenance contracts worth over RM600,000. 'These cases reflect a failure in governance. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has repeatedly reported misuse of funds and false claims in Sabah's education system but GRS has done little to fix the system or hold those in power accountable,' he said. Additionally, he criticised the State Government for what he described as wasteful spending on publicity events while neglecting essential infrastructure and services. 'All across Sabah, we see and experience water cuts and murky supply, frequent electricity outages disrupting homes and businesses, crumbling roads riddled with potholes that isolate rural communities and skyrocketing prices of basic goods that continue to hike the cost of living.' * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
BusinessToday
12-05-2025
- Business
- BusinessToday
Malaysia Boosts African Trade Ambitions With Strategic Visit
The Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani recently led a high-level Malaysian government delegation to Pacific Inter-Link Sdn Bhd's (PIL) regional hub, Golden Africa Kenya Limited (GAKL), to deepen Malaysia's economic ties with Africa. Established in 2012, GAKL has grown into a vital operational base for PIL's African expansion, with a focus on palm oil and essential consumer products. The facility stands as a testament to the company's long-term investment strategy and its role in supporting industrial development and regional trade. The delegation's presence highlighted the importance of public–private partnerships in fostering sustainable economic growth and cooperation between Malaysia and African markets. Malaysia-Africa bilateral trade continues to gain momentum, recording nearly RM24 billion in total trade value in 2023. Malaysia's key exports — palm oil, petroleum products and electronics — are increasingly sought after across African markets, while imports from the continent include key commodities such as minerals and agricultural goods. Joining the ministerial delegation were His Excellency Ruzaimi Mohamad, Malaysian High Commissioner to Kenya, and other senior government representatives. The visit provided an opportunity to witness firsthand the socio-economic impact of Malaysian investments in Africa, including job creation, knowledge transfer, and value-added manufacturing. The Malaysian delegation's visit also reflects a broader strategy to elevate Malaysia's trade footprint in Africa and capitalise on the continent's emerging market potential. With its established presence, PIL is well-positioned to catalyse expanding Malaysian exports and foster industrial partnerships across the region. As Malaysia continues to engage African markets, PIL stands at the forefront of that journey, bridging continents through commerce, sustainability and shared prosperity. Related
