Malaysia

SINGAPORE, March 5 (NNN-BERNAMA) — An ease in the Malaysian economy as well as the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak seemed to have taken a toll on its tycoons, says Forbes Asia, which released its 2020 Forbes Malaysia Rich List Thursday.

Forbes Asia said the wealth of the country’s 50 richest fell for a second straight year due to a weaker ringgit and a decline of close t 10 percent in the country’s benchmark stock index.

Their collective net worth of US$79 billion is down 7.0 per cent from a year ago, it said.

PUTRAJAYA, March 5 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for now will be in charge of all federal ministries and departments until the appointment of new Cabinet ministers.

Muhyiddin’s ministerial functions were stated in the Federal Government Gazette, Ministers of the Federal Government (No.2) Order 2020 uploaded on the Attorney-General’s Chambers’ website.

BANGKOK, March 4 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The second peace dialogue meeting between the Thai government and  Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) concluded on a positive note, where both sides discussed a number of technical and administrative issues to pave the way for long-term peace in Thailand’s violence-wracked South. 

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Muhyiddin Yassin took office as Malaysia’s new prime minister on Monday, capping a week of political chaos caused by the shock resignation of Mahathir Mohamad, and as the country’s economy weakens mainly due to the spread of the coronavirus.

In a marked difference from the administration of his outspoken 94-year-old predecessor, the publicity-shy Muhyiddin, 72, made no public remarks to state media called for his first day in office.

KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 2 (NNN-BERNAMA) – Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, Khazanah, on Monday (today), reported a turnaround in overall performance for 2019, with record profits of 7.36 billion ringgit (1.75 billion U.S. dollars) from operations, contributed by higher divestment gains and lower impairments, and robust portfolio returns.

The group said, it achieved an operating profit in 2019, against a loss of 6.27 billion ringgit (1.49 billion U.S. dollars) in 2018. It also declared a dividend of one billion ringgit (0.24 billion U.S. dollars) for 2019.

KUALA LUMPUR, March 1 (NNN-Bernama) — “Thank you everyone.” That was the caption of a video uploaded by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad soon after Muhyiddin Yassin was sworn in as the new Malaysian premier Sunday.

‘Don’t be shy,” said his wife, Dr Siti Hasmah when she hugged Dr Mahathir, believed to be in his office at Yayasan Al-Bukhary, Sunday.

The 94-year-old statesman then replied, “Sudahlah” (It’s enough) as he continued hugging his wife after he was requested to do so by those present in his office.

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia’s 94-year-old Mahathir Mohamad lost out in the battle to become prime minister on Saturday as the king named former interior minister Muhyiddin Yassin after a week of political turmoil sparked by Mahathir’s resignation.

The decision could again reshape politics in the Southeast Asian country less than two years after an alliance of Mahathir, and old rival Anwar Ibrahim, 72, swept out the former ruling party that had been tarnished by corruption scandals.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 29 (NNN-BERNAMA) – Dr Mahathir, who resigned earlier this week as Malaysia’s Prime Minister, reemerged as a candidate for the post today (Saturday), after receiving support from the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.

In response to the statement that he had supported Muhyiddin Yassin, a former Deputy Prime Minister and the president of Mahathir’s own Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) party, Mahathir said, he did not sign any statutory declaration in support of any individual.

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Uncertainty grew over the political fate of Malaysia’s 94-year-old Mahathir Mohamad on Friday after the royal palace rejected a plan for selecting a new prime minister announced by the man who has dominated the country for decades.

Mahathir’s party dropped him as its candidate for the premiership, and chose his next-in-line Muhyiddin Yassin, four days after the world’s oldest head of government plunged Malaysia into turmoil by resigning unexpectedly.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 (Bernama) — For the first time in Malaysia’s history, Parliament will get to decide on who becomes prime minister.

This follows the announcement by Interim Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad Thursday that a special sitting of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house of Parliament) will be held on Monday (March 2) for MPs to elect the eighth prime minister to end the political crisis the country is mired in now.