Malaysians Can Now Travel Visa-Free to China for 90 Days — Here's What It Means In a landmark step toward deepening bilateral ties, Malaysia and China have officially implemented a mutual visa exemption agreement, allowing passport holders from both countries to enjoy visa-free entry for short-term visits. What’s New? Effective immediately, Malaysian citizens can enter China without a visa for up...

Marina Bay Sands Expansion: Elevating Singapore's Luxury Tourism Singapore's Marina Bay Sands (MBS) is taking a bold step to reinforce its status as one of the world's most iconic integrated resorts. The planned Marina Bay Sands expansion—known for now as IR2—promises to redefine luxury tourism and entertainment in Asia, with an investment estimated at US$8 billion. This development isn't just an...

Avaland’s Avenue25 Connects to USJ21 LRT with New Pedestrian Linkway Avaland Bhd has taken a significant step forward in enhancing urban connectivity and walkability with the groundbreaking of a 300-metre covered pedestrian walkway and link bridge that will directly connect its Avenue25 mixed-use development to the USJ21 LRT Station. The project, launched on June 13, reaffirms Avaland’s commitment to...

IHG’s First voco Hotel in Malaysia to Open in Kuching: A New Chapter for Sarawak’s Hospitality Scene Global hospitality giant IHG Hotels & Resorts has announced the debut of its fast-growing voco brand in Malaysia, with the voco Kuching set to open next year. This marks a strategic milestone not only for IHG but also for Sarawak’s evolving tourism and commercial landscape, as the state...

OCBC Bank Provides RM351 Million Financing for Major Developments in Johor-Singapore SEZ In a move that underlines the growing strategic importance of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Bhd has extended RM351 million in financing to See Hong Chen Group and EXSIM, two rising property powerhouses in southern Malaysia. The financing will support three significant real...

Berjaya Land Exits Vietnam With RM202 Million Hanoi Project Stake Sale Berjaya Land Bhd (KL:BJLAND) has announced the disposal of its 80% stake in Berjaya-Handico12 Co Ltd (BHandico12), the master developer of Hanoi Garden City, marking its exit from a long-held international project in Vietnam. The cash deal, valued at 1.239 trillion Vietnamese dong (approximately RM201.96 million), is expected to be...

RM15 Billion Green Islamic Financing Secured for DayOne’s Data Centres in Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone In a major boost to Malaysia’s digital economy and cross-border connectivity with Singapore, Singapore-based DayOne has secured RM15 billion in multi-currency financing for the development of its anchor data centre facilities within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ). The...

Malaysia’s SST Expansion Takes Effect: Separating Myth from Reality Malaysia’s expanded Sales and Service Tax (SST) regime officially took effect on July 1, sparking plenty of debate—and no small amount of confusion—among consumers and businesses. While some worry it will trigger blanket inflation or become a “GST in disguise,” experts argue these fears are largely misplaced. Here, we break...

Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040 Gazetted: A New Chapter for Urban Renewal and Sustainable Growth The Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040 (KLLP2040) has officially been gazetted and comes into effect today, marking a historic milestone in Malaysia’s urban planning journey. With its official launch set for June 24 by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, this plan outlines a bold new vision for the capital...

BNM Cuts OPR to 2.75%: Is This the Start of a Rate-Cut Cycle? Malaysia’s central bank has reduced the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) by 25 basis points, bringing it down to 2.75% from 3%, the first time it has been below 3% since March 2023. While the move is widely seen as pre-emptive support for growth amid global uncertainties, economists are split on whether this signals the start of a broader...