KUALA LUMPUR, 15 September 2026 — Moneywave is entering a new phase of growth, combining more than three decades of experience in money services with a physical-and-digital model designed around how people and businesses move money today.

Operating since 1994, Moneywave has moved its headquarters from Pandan Indah to Wisma MCA, Jalan Ampang, where its new flagship brings currency exchange, international remittance and business payment solutions under one roof.

The company currently operates five outlets across West and East Malaysia, with remittance services covering more than 60 currencies.

The New Phygital

Moneywave’s new proposition, described as “phygital”, is built around giving customers flexibility between physical and digital channels.

Customers will be able to start their journey on their phone and complete it at an outlet, or begin at an outlet and continue digitally.

One planned capability will allow customers to lock an FX rate on their phone and collect later at the counter.

The company’s mobile app is scheduled to launch in Q4 2026.

Moneywave CEO Aiman Kallahan said the company’s approach was shaped by more than 30 years of understanding customers’ money-moving needs.

“We spent thirty years learning what people need when they move money. Wisma MCA is where we build the outlet around that, instead of asking customers to fit the counter.”

The company believes digital convenience and face-to-face accessibility can work together, particularly for customers such as foreign workers sending money home, families supporting relatives overseas, students, travellers and small businesses making cross-border payments.

From Heritage to the Future

The new flagship also reflects Moneywave’s long history.

A collection of rare international banknotes from one founder’s personal collection, accumulated over more than 30 years, is displayed at the premises.

What began as an interest connected to his work eventually became a lifelong hobby, offering a glimpse into how money itself has evolved over the decades.

Moneywave sees the Wisma MCA flagship as a blueprint for future outlets, combining physical accessibility with its expanding digital capabilities.

Regulated by Bank Negara Malaysia, the company says its broader vision is to make “Sending Money Like a Message” a daily reality for customers.

With its flagship now open and the mobile app planned for Q4, Moneywave is positioning its next chapter around a simple proposition: digital when convenient, physical when needed. – NMH

The post Moneywave’s Next Chapter: Where Physical Meets Digital first appeared on NMH.

KUALA LUMPUR, 11 September 2026 — Ada lagu dan muzik yang kita dengar dan kemudian kita lupakan. Namun ada juga lagu yang melekat dalam ingatan, membawa kita kembali kepada zaman muda, kenangan bersama insan tersayang, atau kisah pahit manis kehidupan yang pernah kita lalui.

Di sebalik setiap lagu itu, ada susuk manusia. Ada pemuzik yang menghabiskan masa bertahun-tahun di atas pentas, di studio dan di kelab-kelab. Ada yang bermain muzik ketika masyarakat sedang menikmati zaman kegemilangan industri hiburan, dan ada pula generasi muda yang kini cuba mencari tempat dalam dunia muzik yang semakin mencabar.

Namun apabila lampu pentas dipadamkan, kehidupan mereka tidak semestinya semeriah persembahan yang disaksikan penonton. Bagi Persatuan Pemuzik Malaysia (Musicians for Musicians – MfM), inilah realiti yang perlu diberi perhatian.

Menerusi MfM Benefit Showcase 2026 – “Rocking for a Cause”, persatuan itu bukan sahaja mahu mengumpulkan dana untuk membantu pemuzik yang memerlukan, tetapi mahu mengetengahkan persoalan lebih besar: Bagaimana memastikan pemuzik Malaysia mempunyai masa depan yang lebih terjamin?

Konsert amal tahunan keempat itu akan berlangsung pada Sabtu, 10 Oktober 2026, mulai jam 4 petang di Dewan Tunku, Kelab Golf Negara Subang (KGNS), Petaling Jaya.

Bukan Sekadar Bantuan Ketika Kesusahan

Presiden MfM, Francis Danker, melihat cabaran pemuzik hari ini daripada perspektif yang lebih jauh. Menurutnya, pemuzik tidak seharusnya hanya menerima bantuan apabila mereka jatuh sakit, tidak mampu bekerja atau sudah berada dalam keadaan kewangan yang kritikal.

Mereka memerlukan pekerjaan yang berterusan.

Mereka memerlukan ruang untuk bermain muzik.

Mereka memerlukan pendapatan yang membolehkan mereka menyimpan untuk hari tua dan, yang paling penting, menjalani kehidupan dengan bermaruah.

“Kami perlu memberikan pemuzik-pemuzik ini satu talian hayat. Kami perlu memberikan mereka satu tempat yang boleh mereka harapkan,” kata Danker.

Beliau berkata ramai pemuzik, khususnya veteran dan anak muda yang baru memasuki industri, semakin sukar mendapatkan tempat persembahan secara konsisten. Lebih menyedihkan, terdapat juga pemuzik yang sudah membuat persembahan tetapi terpaksa menunggu berminggu-minggu untuk mendapatkan bayaran.

Bagi mereka yang hidup dari satu persembahan ke satu persembahan, kelewatan kecil boleh membawa kesan besar.

“Mereka ini bekerja dari hari ke hari. Mereka perlukan pendapatan kecil itu. Tetapi pendapatan itu pun mereka tidak terima,” katanya tentang masalah bayaran yang sering dihadapi oleh segelintir pemuzik. Justeru, MfM mahukan bantuan kepada pemuzik dilihat bukan hanya sebagai amal, tetapi sebagai satu bentuk pelaburan terhadap masa depan komuniti muzik negara.

Hotel Boleh Menjadi Pentas Baharu

Danker percaya satu penyelesaian yang praktikal ialah kerjasama antara kerajaan, industri pelancongan, hotel dan komuniti muzik.

Beliau mencadangkan supaya hotel dan pusat peranginan, khususnya hotel bertaraf lima bintang, menyediakan ruang persembahan secara tetap kepada pemuzik tempatan.

Bagi beliau, pendekatan itu bukan sahaja membuka peluang pekerjaan, malah boleh menjadi sebahagian daripada pengalaman budaya yang ditawarkan kepada pelancong.

Malaysia mempunyai khazanah muzik yang luas. Alat muzik seperti sape, gambus, sitar dan rebana boleh digabungkan dengan instrumen moden untuk menghasilkan persembahan yang segar tanpa kehilangan identiti tempatan.

“Kenapa kita tidak boleh memainkan muzik menggunakan sape dan menggabungkannya dengan rebana? Satukan kedua-duanya dan hasilkan sesuatu yang berbeza,” katanya.

Malah, dengan nada berseloroh, beliau bertanya:

“Siapa kata anda tidak boleh memainkan ‘Hotel California’ menggunakan sape? Tunjukkan kepada mereka!”

Di sebalik gurauan itu tersimpan satu gagasan yang serius — muzik Malaysia tidak perlu sekadar dipelihara sebagai warisan lama. Ia boleh dihidupkan semula, dikembangkan dan diperkenalkan kepada dunia dalam bentuk baharu.

Danker turut melihat lagu-lagu daripada zaman P. Ramlee hingga generasi selepasnya sebagai khazanah yang boleh disusun semula untuk pendengar masa kini.

“Mereka mahu merasai budaya kita, menikmati makanan kita, melihat hasil kraftangan kita dan mendengar muzik kita.”

Jika ruang seperti ini diwujudkan secara konsisten, pemuzik bukan sahaja mendapat peluang bekerja, malah mungkin memperoleh bentuk pekerjaan yang lebih stabil, termasuk faedah seperti caruman KWSP.

Persoalan masa depan pemuzik juga berkait rapat dengan kesinambungan generasi.

Daripada Legenda Kepada Generasi Baharu

Setiausaha Kehormat MfM, Latifah Abdullah, berkata persatuan itu mempunyai lebih 800 ahli berdaftar, daripada usia 18 tahun sehingga pemuzik dalam lingkungan 80-an. Sekitar 300 hingga 400 daripadanya merupakan ahli aktif.

Katanya, lebih ramai pemuzik muda perlu mengenali MfM kerana generasi tersebut membawa pandangan, pengalaman dan idea yang berbeza.

“Kami mahu mereka tahu bahawa kami wujud. Kami perlu diiktiraf,” katanya.

Atas semangat itulah “Rocking for a Cause” turut menjadi ruang pertemuan antara pemuzik muda dan veteran.

Tahun ini, MfM akan memberi penghormatan kepada 20 pemuzik yang telah mengabdikan antara 40 hingga 50 tahun dalam Industri musik. Ia merupakan penghargaan yang cukup bermakna kepada insan yang mungkin selama ini hanya dikenali oleh nama mereka dalam dunia muzik, tetapi jarang diraikan atas keseluruhan perjalanan hidup mereka

Malam Untuk Mengenang Mereka Yang Pernah Mencipta Sejarah

Barisan persembahan tahun ini juga sarat dengan nostalgia. Electric Orgasm bakal meraikan reunion 50 tahun, manakala Datuk Francissca Peter, Goblokes, Heavy Machine, Dato’ Leonard Tan, Lighthouse bersama Vijay David, Royston Sta Maria, Os Pombos, The Polymaths bersama Raja Singham dan The Studio 10 Experience turut akan beraksi di pentas.

Konsert ini juga memberikan penghormatan kepada nama-nama yang pernah membentuk muzik Malaysia seperti The Falcons Malaysia, Sons of Adam, Ollie daripada Heavy Machine, The Strollers dan Alleycats.

Bagi Heavy Machine, penghormatan khusus akan diberikan kepada pemain saksofon Olie, yang kini kurang sihat. Anak perempuannya dijangka membuat persembahan bersama kumpulan tersebut bagi menggantikannya. Segmen penghormatan turut mengenang pemuzik yang telah meninggal dunia, termasuk Seha dan Gani.

Tetamu Dari Jauh

Royston Sta Maria, yang akan datang dari Australia dijangka menyampaikan “Mulanya Di Sini” sebagai sebahagian daripada ‘tribute’ kepada rakan-rakan seperjuangan.

Bagi Royston, konsert itu mempunyai makna yang jauh lebih besar daripada sebuah persembahan.

“Ini merupakan sebuah konsert yang hebat, apabila pemuzik berkumpul dan menggunakan bakat mereka untuk mengumpulkan dana bagi membantu rakan-rakan pemuzik yang menghadapi kesusahan atau tidak mampu bekerja disebabkan masalah kesihatan.”

⁠Sasaran RM100,000, Tetapi Nilai Kemanusiaannya Lebih Daripada Itu

MfM menyasarkan kutipan sebanyak RM100,000 menerusi konsert tahun ini. Sumbangan itu akan digunakan untuk membantu pemuzik yang memerlukan, di samping sebahagian sumber diharapkan dapat disalurkan kepada usaha pembangunan industri muzik.

Antara pihak yang menyumbang untuk acara tersebut ialah itu ialah Weststar, yang telah memberikan sokongan selama beberapa tahun, selain KJ&S dan Memories bagi aspek produksi, bunyi dan pencahayaan.

MfM sendiri bergerak dengan semangat kesukarelawanan. Ahli jawatankuasanya terdiri daripada pemuzik — ada yang masih aktif dan ada yang telah bersara — yang meluangkan masa tanpa bayaran.

“Semua ahli jawatankuasa adalah pemuzik, dan kami semua melakukan kerja ini tanpa bayaran. Tugas kami adalah untuk melihat siapa yang boleh kami bantu,” kata Danker. Dan mungkin di situlah terletaknya jiwa sebenar “Rocking for a Cause”.

Ia bukan semata-mata tentang RM100,000.

Ia tentang seorang pemuzik yang mungkin memerlukan bantuan ketika sakit. Tentang sebuah keluarga yang kehilangan pencari rezeki. Tentang seorang veteran yang pernah menghiburkan ribuan manusia tetapi kini tidak lagi mempunyai tempat untuk bermain. Dan tentang anak muda yang mempunyai bakat, tetapi tidak tahu di mana hendak memulakan perjalanan.

Muzik telah menjadi sebahagian daripada kehidupan rakyat Malaysia selama beberapa generasi. Kini, tiba masanya masyarakat bertanya: siapa yang akan menjaga mereka yang selama ini menjaga muzik kita? Pada 10 Oktober nanti, apabila gitar dipetik, dram dipalu dan suara bergema di Dewan Tunku, yang diraikan bukan hanya lagu-lagu lama dan legenda muzik.

⁠Yang Diraikan Ialah ‘Manusia Di Sebalik Muzik’

Kerana sesebuah lagu mungkin hanya mengambil masa beberapa minit untuk dimainkan, tetapi kesannya boleh bertahan sepanjang hayat.

Dan seperti kata Danker:

“Kita mahu melakukan perkara ini untuk golongan muda. Membina satu platform untuk mereka.”

Mungkin itulah “Rocking for a Cause” yang sebenar, bukan sekadar mengumpul wang untuk hari ini, tetapi membina talian hayat supaya muzik Malaysia terus mempunyai manusia yang mampu menyambungnya esok.

BUTIRAN ACARA

MfM Benefit Showcase 2026 – Rocking for a Cause
Sabtu, 10 Oktober 2026
4.00 petang dan seterusnya
Dewan Tunku, Kelab Golf Negara Subang (KGNS), Petaling Jaya

Tiket:
•⁠ ⁠Ahli MfM: RM85
•⁠ ⁠Kemasukan umum: RM105 seorang, termasuk minuman percuma
•⁠ ⁠Meja Standard: RM1,050 untuk 10 orang
•⁠ ⁠Golden Hearts: RM3,000
•⁠ ⁠Diamond Hearts: RM5,000

The post Rocking For A Cause: Apabila Muzik Menjadi Talian Hayat Pemuzik first appeared on NMH.

It began with defeat. It may yet end with a comeback.

There was a time, not very long ago, when Barisan Nasional (BN) looked like a political relic.

GE14 in 2018 was supposed to be the end of BN as Malaysians had known it. After six decades in power, the coalition was swept out by Pakatan Harapan (PH), and the country was suddenly introduced to the intoxicating promise of a “New Malaysia”.

For many, it was supposed to be a new beginning.

For others, it became something very different.

What followed was political upheaval — governments rising and falling, defections, realignments and, after GE15, the unlikely marriage of old rivals in the Unity Government.

But beneath all the manoeuvring, something else was happening.

BN was learning how to survive.

And more importantly, it was learning how to come back.

Today, the signs are no longer subtle.

BN’s stunning performance in Johor in July — winning 48 of 56 state seats and a two-thirds majority — was more than a state election victory. It was a psychological breakthrough.

Three weeks later came Negeri Sembilan, where BN won 18 of 36 seats and returned to power after eight years, forming the state government with PN support.

Two states.

Two confidence-boosting results.

And suddenly, the conversation has changed.

BN is no longer behaving like a coalition fighting merely for survival.

It is beginning to look like one preparing for the next battle.

From “New Malaysia” to Political Fatigue

Perhaps the biggest irony of the post-GE14 story is that the forces that were supposed to bury BN may have contributed to its resurrection.

The collapse of the first PH government, the Sheraton Move and successive changes of administration left many voters exhausted.

And Malays, above all, are loyal to a fault.

For a sizeable section of the Malay electorate, 2018 meant seeing the traditional political establishment dismantled, familiar leaders prosecuted and the country plunged into prolonged political uncertainty.

Najib Razak became the most potent symbol of that rupture.

The former prime minister was convicted in the SRC International case and subsequently faced further convictions in the larger 1MDB proceedings. He remains in prison.

Yet politically, Najib has never disappeared.

For his supporters, he has become a symbol of what they regard as selective justice and political persecution.

And the pressure has not ended with Najib.

More BN-era leaders are finding themselves in court, with cases involving Tabung Haji and Felda among those drawing attention, and more cases potentially to come.

Whether these cases are viewed as accountability or political persecution, their cumulative effect within BN is difficult to ignore.

The more its leaders come under legal pressure, the more the coalition’s members appear to be closing ranks.

And that solidarity extends beyond UMNO. For the component parties, it can reinforce the sense that BN’s survival — and their own political future within it — are intertwined.

The old BN instinct of standing together may be returning.

The Unity Government’s Uncomfortable Contradiction

When BN entered the Unity Government with PH after GE15, it was widely seen as a marriage of necessity.

For Anwar Ibrahim, it provided the numbers and stability needed to govern.

For BN, it provided something equally valuable: time.

Time to regroup. Rebuild its machinery. Reconnect with voters. And remind Malaysians that BN was still there.

The irony is difficult to miss.

The coalition that was supposed to be transformed by the post-GE14 order was given the opportunity to rebuild from within it.

That does not mean BN is about to leave the Unity Government.

But politically, the distance between BN and PH increasingly looks wider than the Cabinet table suggests.

At the UMNO general assembly today, Zahid made the distinction plain: BN is in the Unity Government, but it is not the same thing as being in the “Madani Government”.

It may sound semantic.

Politically, it is anything but.

It is a reminder that BN has its own identity, its own constituency and, increasingly, its own political calculations.

Johor Changed the Mood

If one moment shifted BN’s confidence, it was Johor.

UMNO won 36 seats, MCA eight and MIC four. PH managed eight, while PN and the other parties were shut out.

The message was clear: BN could still win — and win big.

Then came Negeri Sembilan, where its return to power through an arrangement with PN reinforced the momentum.

For Zahid, the results could hardly have come at a better time.

BN’s political stock is rising, even as PH grapples with the difficult task of defending its reform credentials, managing internal contradictions and keeping a sprawling coalition together.

And then there is Najib.

The Najib Question Refuses to go Away

This week, Najib submitted a fresh application for clemency.

The Federal Territories Pardons Board met today, but his application was deferred to a future meeting.

There was no Najib pardon today.

But politically, the issue had already brought the fault line between UMNO and PH into sharp focus.

PH said those convicted of corruption and abuse of power should serve their full sentences. UMNO pushed back against what it saw as an attempt to prejudge the constitutional powers of the King.

Zahid’s position was more carefully calibrated: leave the matter to the King and the Pardons Board.

But there was little ambiguity about Najib’s emotional significance to UMNO’s grassroots.

At the assembly, Zahid spoke of expecting “good news”.

He also acknowledged another figure deeply woven into the Najib story.

When he asked Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor to stand in the Dewan Merdeka, the gesture was about more than protocol.

It was a public acknowledgement of a woman who remains deeply woven into the history and emotional landscape of UMNO’s grassroots.

For those who believe Najib was treated unfairly, her presence — and Zahid’s decision to recognise her — was significant.

It was a reminder that Najib and Rosmah remain part of the emotional memory of a significant section of UMNO, and that their story is far from over in the hearts and minds of their supporters.

The Quiet Separation

Perhaps that is where BN’s revival becomes most interesting.

There has been no dramatic announcement that BN is leaving the Unity Government.

No grand declaration of war.

No political divorce.

Instead, there appears to be something quieter: a psychological separation.

BN can remain in government while increasingly behaving like a coalition preparing for life beyond it.

Johor gave it confidence.

Negeri Sembilan reinforced it.

The Najib issue has energised its grassroots.

And every disagreement with PH provides another opportunity to remind supporters that BN is not PH.

That distinction is becoming increasingly important.

BN no longer needs to convince its supporters that it can survive.

It needs to convince them that it can win.

And that is a very different political proposition.

The Next Question: Can BN Become More Than UMNO?

For decades, BN’s strength lay in bringing different communities and political traditions under one umbrella.

UMNO was its dominant force, certainly. But MCA, MIC and the other component parties were never merely decorative. They gave BN a genuinely multi-ethnic political machine with roots in different communities.

Johor offered a glimpse of that again.

MCA doubled its representation from four seats to eight. MIC won four.

They were part of the victory.

And now another part of BN’s revival deserves attention: the emergence of a younger generation of leaders.

But this is not necessarily a generation seeking to leave the past behind.

Quite the opposite.

Many grew up during Najib’s years as prime minister. They watched his rise, his fall and his transformation into “Bossku”. For many, he remains a political role model.

His influence also has a remarkable digital dimension.

An ILHAM Centre analysis in May found Najib to be Malaysia’s most followed political figure across six major social-media platforms, with 9.35 million followers, including 4.6 million on Facebook.

For BN’s young Turks, social media is their natural political battleground — and Najib remains one of the most powerful figures occupying that space.

So “young” does not necessarily mean a break with Najib or the old BN.

It may mean something quite different: a younger generation carrying forward a political legacy they still believe in, using the tools and language of a different Malaysia.

That is the story Emma Harith will explore in Part Two — the component parties, new faces and young leaders who may determine whether BN’s resurgence lasts.

Because if BN really is rising again, the story is no longer simply about whether UMNO can regain power.

It is about whether Barisan Nasional can reinvent itself without losing the identity that made its supporters loyal to it in the first place.

For now, one thing is increasingly difficult to deny.

The coalition that was supposed to have died in 2018 is very much alive.

After Johor and Negeri Sembilan, it is no longer merely trying to survive.

It is beginning to believe it can come back.

Perhaps that is the real story of the rise — and rise — of Barisan Nasional. – NMH

The post The Rise And Rise Of Barisan Nasional first appeared on NMH.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 — Malaysian musicians need more than occasional financial assistance when they fall sick or into hardship — they need a sustainable platform that allows them to earn a living, build savings and grow old with dignity, says Musicians for Musicians (MfM) president Francis Danker.

Danker said the music fraternity had reached a point where musicians, particularly veterans and younger players entering the industry, were struggling to find regular places to perform, with many also facing delayed or non-payment for their work.

“We don’t get any help from the government. We just got to help ourselves,” he said at a press conference here today to announce MfM’s fourth annual benefit concert, “Rocking for a Cause”, which will be held on Oct 10 at Dewan Tunku, Kelab Golf Negara Subang (KGNS), Petaling Jaya.

But Danker stressed that the association’s role should not be confined to helping musicians who were already in crisis.

“We have to think of the future. We have to think of the younger people that are coming up. We cannot leave them alone,” he said.

He proposed that the Government, tourism industry and hotels work with the music fraternity to establish dedicated entertainment spaces featuring Malaysian musicians, particularly in five-star hotels and resorts.

His vision is to see modern musicians performing alongside traditional musicians, creating a distinctly Malaysian sound for both domestic audiences and international tourists.

“Why can’t we play with a sape and combine it with the rebana? Put them together and create something different,” he said.

“Every resort must have a lounge — not a bunch of Filipinos, but really local musicians. Spreading our culture.”

Danker said Malaysia already had a rich musical heritage and a wealth of traditional instruments and songs which could be reinvented for contemporary audiences.

“We have so many of our old tunes from P. Ramlee’s time until here, which we can redo and modernise. And that’s what the tourists want to see,” he said.

“They want to taste our culture, they want to eat our food, they want to see our handicraft, and they want to hear our music.”

He suggested that traditional instruments such as the sape, gambus, sitar and rebana could be combined with modern equipment and contemporary arrangements.

“Who says you cannot play ‘Hotel California’ on a sape? Show them!” he said, drawing laughter and applause from those present.

For Danker, creating regular employment is also about giving musicians a future beyond performing from one gig to another.

Everybody May Want To Be A Musician

“If all the hotels take us in and give us work, can you imagine? Everybody may want to be a musician, everybody wants to work, everybody wants to form their own kind of fusion band,” he said.

Such a platform, he added, could also provide musicians with more stable employment benefits such as EPF contributions, giving them some financial security when they grow older.

Danker, who recalled starting out in music because he had not passed his Standard Six examination, said the situation facing musicians today was markedly different from the 1970s.

“During my time, we had Filipino bands, Indonesian bands, Singapore bands. We had bands from Jamaica. And we were always working,” he said.

“You know why? Because we had more clubs than bands. Today, they are all gone. There are no more clubs.”

He said the disappearance of entertainment venues had left many talented musicians without a dependable place to work.

“It’s tough out there. These musicians are all talented people,” he said, adding that the association regularly received complaints from musicians who had performed at venues but were still waiting weeks to be paid.

“These people are working on a day-to-day basis. They need that small income. And that also they don’t get paid.”

From Helping the Old to Building A Future for the Young

MfM honorary secretary Latifah Abdullah said the association currently has more than 800 registered members, ranging from 18 to musicians in their 80s, with about 300 to 400 considered active members.

She said one of MfM’s key objectives was to make younger musicians more aware of the association and what it could offer them.

“We want them to know that we exist. We exist. We need to be recognised,” she said.

Latifah said younger musicians also brought different perspectives and ideas to the fraternity, making their participation important to the association’s future.

“We need more younger generation to come in because their perception, their ideology, everything is different,” she said.

Deputy president Edwin Nathaniel said the benefit concert was also intended to bring together different generations of musicians while recognising those who had devoted decades to the Malaysian music industry.

This year, MfM will honour 20 musicians who have spent between 40 and 50 years in the industry and are still active, with the identities to be revealed during the concert itself.

Among the performers lined up are Electric Orgasm, marking its 50-year reunion, Datuk Francissca Peter, Goblokes, Heavy Machine, Dato’ Leonard Tan, Lighthouse featuring Vijay David, Royston Sta Maria, Os Pombos, The Polymaths featuring Raja Singham and The Studio 10 Experience.

The concert will also feature tributes to legendary musicians and bands that helped shape Malaysia’s music scene.

Nathaniel said Heavy Machine would be among those receiving a special tribute, particularly to saxophonist Olie, who is unwell. His daughter is expected to perform with the band in his place.

Mulanya Di Sini

A tribute will also be paid to musicians who have passed on, including Seha and Gani, with Royston Sta Maria expected to perform “Mulanya Di Sini” as part of the tribute.

Royston, who is travelling from Australia for the event, said he was pleased to be part of a concert that uses music to support fellow musicians facing difficult circumstances.

“I think it’s a wonderful concert where musicians come together to use their talents to raise money to help their fellow musicians who have fallen on hard times or are unable to work due to their health situation.”

He also urged the media and public to support the event.

“I hope the press will give this show their full support and the public will also get their tickets soon to make this night a success and an unforgettable experience,” he said.

Target of RM100,000

Nathaniel said MfM is hoping to raise RM100,000 from this year’s benefit concert.

The association has received support from several sponsors, including Weststar, which has backed the event for several years, while KJ&S and Memories are among those providing sponsorship and support for the production, sound and lighting.

The money raised will go towards supporting musicians in need, while MfM also hopes to channel part of its resources towards developing the music industry.

“This is our goal, to raise that amount of money, but it all depends on the turnout and the last-minute corporate sponsors,” Nathaniel said.

He described MfM as a zero-based NGO, with the committee members themselves volunteering their time.

Danker said this spirit was at the heart of the association.

A Committee of Musicians

“Everyone in the committee are all musicians — still playing, retired — everybody is just doing it for nothing. Just to see who we can help.”

He said MfM had already assisted musicians facing illness and hardship, including helping families when musicians died with little or no financial resources.

But he insisted that the fraternity could not simply continue responding to crises after they occurred.

“We need to give these musicians a lifeline. We need to give them a place where they can depend on,” he said.

“We want to do this for the younger people. Set a platform for them.”

And that, perhaps, is the deeper message behind Rocking for a Cause: not merely to raise money for musicians who have fallen on hard times, but to remind Malaysians that the people who created, performed and preserved the country’s musical soundtrack also need a place in its future.

“We cannot let the young musicians think this persatuan is only for old people, old musicians,” Danker said.

“We need to do this. We have no choice.” – NMH

Event details

MfM Benefit Showcase 2026 – Rocking for a Cause
Saturday, Oct 10, 2026
4pm onwards
Dewan Tunku, Kelab Golf Negara Subang (KGNS), Petaling Jaya

Tickets include MFM member tickets at RM85, while general admission is RM105 per person, inclusive of a complimentary drink. Table packages are also available, including Standard (RM1,050 for 10 pax), Golden Hearts (RM3,000) and Diamond Hearts (RM5,000).

The post ‘We Need A Lifeline’: MFM President Calls For Hotels To Open Their Stages To Malaysian Musicians first appeared on NMH.

KUALA LUMPUR, 03 September 2026 — Impact investing does not necessarily mean accepting lower returns, with investors increasingly looking at whether environmental and social outcomes – ESGs – can translate into stronger businesses, greater market share and ultimately better financial performance.

That was one of the key messages from the “Beyond Impact & ESG: Investing for Outcomes and Returns in Southeast Asia” panel at the Malaysia Private Capital Forum 2026, where speakers discussed efforts to establish a clearer relationship between impact outcomes and investment returns.

The session, moderated by Jamie He of Lockton Companies, brought together representatives from PRI, Impact Circle, AiSED and Bintang Capital. The official programme identified the panellists as Chee Leng Hor, Melissa Ong, Zehan Teoh and Ee Rong Song.

Impact Investing: Beyond the Label

One of the speakers said the aim was to generate empirical data showing whether improved environmental performance could translate into financial value through greater brand equity, larger market share and operating-cost savings.

On the social side, greater gender diversity and stronger employee engagement were cited as factors that could improve organisational performance and, eventually, financial returns.

But the speaker was careful not to claim that the relationship had already been conclusively established.

“It’s our own experiment … I don’t have the answer,” the speaker said, adding that the objective was to try different approaches and see how they performed.

That admission was significant: the argument for impact investing was not presented as a settled formula, but as an area where investors are increasingly attempting to establish a measurable link between non-financial outcomes and financial performance.

The panellists also challenged what they described as a misconception that incorporating impact necessarily compromises returns.

Examples were cited of impact funds that had consistently ranked in the top quartile of performance, as well as a Singapore-based impact fund pursuing venture-style returns.

There was, however, recognition that the time required to demonstrate outcomes can vary significantly between sectors.

Agriculture, for example, may require a longer investment horizon than the conventional 10-year fund period before the full impact of an investment can be demonstrated.

From ESG Reporting to Measurable Outcomes

The discussion also suggested that impact investing is increasingly moving beyond the traditional ESG reporting framework.

The panellists pointed to mainstream venture capital investors beginning to identify outcomes aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, even when environmental considerations are not the original investment thesis.

An education-technology company in Vietnam was cited as an example. Rather than measuring only the number of students enrolled, investors were looking at improvements in students’ academic performance.

That shift — from counting activities to measuring outcomes — was central to the panel’s argument.

As one speaker put it, going “beyond ESG” does not mean abandoning ESG.

It means moving past labels and reporting requirements towards outcomes that are more concrete and measurable.

The distinction between public and private markets was also raised. Listed companies operate within more standardised ESG disclosure requirements, while private capital investors have greater flexibility to develop their own methods of measuring outcomes.

ECF and P2P: From Access to Capital to Getting a Return

The next discussion turned from impact investing to a more immediate question for Malaysian businesses: what happens after companies get access to alternative capital?

The panel on “From Crowd to Capital Stack: The Next Phase of ECF and P2P in Malaysia” examined the development of equity crowdfunding and peer-to-peer financing after more than a decade of operation.

Malaysia was the first jurisdiction in the Asia-Pacific region to establish an equity crowdfunding framework, with the framework introduced in 2015, while P2P financing was regulated in 2016. The moderator noted that ECF had raised close to RM1 billion through 445 campaigns, while P2P financing had raised RM11.3 billion across 150,000 campaigns.

But the headline numbers mask a significant challenge: exits.

For ECF investors, getting into a company is only the beginning. If there is no credible route to an exit, investors ultimately cannot realise their returns.

Elain Lockman said exits remained one of the biggest challenges after a decade of ECF activity, while Goh Boon Peng said his platform had only seen its first project exit after six years.

Investor education is another concern.

Lockman pointed to competition from other investment products and said retail investors needed to better understand alternative investments, particularly at a time when investment scams were also rising.

The Money Comes With Responsibility

For issuers, the challenge is not simply raising money.

Panellists repeatedly returned to governance, reporting and accountability.

Goh said some SME founders did not initially understand their responsibilities towards investors, while Lockman stressed that money raised from investors was not simply the founders’ own money.

“It’s this hard-earned income of other people’s money that you have to give a return,” she said.

The panel argued that companies need to treat fundraising as part of their broader business strategy rather than something they turn to only when cash runs short.

For companies hoping eventually to move towards an IPO, governance, internal controls, reporting and shareholder responsibilities become even more important.

Goh described efforts by his platform to encourage issuers to participate in CEO roundtables and regular sessions on compliance, internal controls and other aspects of running a company.

Building a Capital Stack

The discussion also highlighted a more mature view of alternative financing: ECF and P2P do not necessarily have to compete with venture capital, private equity or bank financing.

Instead, different forms of capital can work together.

P2P financing, for example, can provide working capital without requiring founders to dilute their equity, while ECF can provide equity capital for longer-term growth.

Vincent Soh said P2P financing could potentially serve a much larger portion of Malaysia’s alternative-debt market, while institutional investors were increasingly participating in the space.

The panellists also highlighted growing cooperation across different parts of the capital stack.

Rather than seeing ECF, P2P, venture capital and private equity as isolated channels, participants said greater collaboration could help fill financing gaps and create a more robust funding ecosystem.

From One-Off Fundraising to the Next Round

Another emerging theme was repeat capital.

Companies that raise money through ECF need to plan beyond their first fundraising round, particularly if they intend to scale.

Goh said his platform had companies that had raised at least twice, with several raising three times, while stressing that issuers should plan for two or three fundraising rounds rather than assuming one campaign would be sufficient.

But repeated fundraising also brings another issue: valuation.

The moderator warned that a high valuation at one stage is meaningless if the company cannot sustain it. A subsequent “down round” can create significant problems for both founders and investors.

The ultimate objective, Goh suggested, should be to build towards a credible destination — potentially an IPO — with valuations and growth expectations grounded in realistic benchmarks.

Taken together, the two afternoon discussions pointed to a common theme.

Whether the investment is driven by impact outcomes or alternative financing, the industry is moving beyond simply asking whether capital can be raised.

The harder questions are becoming: What does the capital achieve? Can those outcomes be measured? Can the business grow? Can investors ultimately realise a return? And can the company become strong enough to attract the next round of capital?

For Malaysia’s evolving private-capital ecosystem, those may be the questions that matter most. – NMH

The post Beyond ESG: Impact Investing Is About Better Business, Not Lower Returns first appeared on NMH.

KUALA LUMPUR, 03 September 2026 — The Malaysia private capital landscape has an opportunity to play a greater role in accelerating the country’s economic transformation by turning emerging challenges into solutions — and, crucially, into investable opportunities, Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong said today.

Speaking at the opening of the Malaysia Private Capital Forum 2026 at Menara AFFIN @ TRX, Liew said the global economy was undergoing a fundamental shift from an era focused on efficiency towards one increasingly shaped by resilience.

Malaysia Private Capital at an Inflection Point

He described the current environment as an opportunity for Malaysia to “leapfrog” economically, while noting that the country must be prepared to tackle the challenges accompanying a changing global order.

The forum, organised by the Malaysian Private Capital Association (MPCA) under the theme “Malaysia Forward: Rewiring Capital Flows in an Ascending World”, brought together investors, fund managers, entrepreneurs, policymakers and other players in the private-capital ecosystem.

Liew’s keynote followed opening remarks by MPCA Organising Chairman Dr Chris Daniel Wong and MPCA Chairman Ng Sai Kit. The programme then moved into a series of discussions on private credit, institutional investors, venture capital, impact investing and Malaysia’s position as a regional private-capital hub.

From Efficiency to Resilience

Liew’s central argument was that the post-pandemic world is no longer organised around the same assumptions of global efficiency that dominated the previous era.

The move towards resilience, driven partly by geopolitical tensions and more fragmented global supply chains, could create openings for Malaysia.

He pointed to the country’s relatively strong economic performance as evidence of that resilience, with GDP expanding 6% in the second quarter of 2026 and first-half growth reaching 5.7%.

Among the areas contributing to growth, he highlighted Malaysia’s participation in the global artificial intelligence boom, particularly through semiconductors and data centres, alongside palm oil, oil and gas, tourism and services.

But for Liew, the opportunity is not simply to attract more investment into existing industries.

It is to move Malaysia further up the value chain.

From Trading Nation to Technology Nation

Liew said Malaysia needs to continue its transition from a trading nation towards becoming a technology nation.

That means strengthening the country’s position across the semiconductor ecosystem, including outsourced semiconductor assembly and testing (OSAT), advanced packaging, integrated circuit design and semiconductor equipment.

Malaysia’s position as a middle power could also become an advantage as geopolitical tensions increasingly divide the global technology landscape.

Liew described Malaysia as occupying an “indispensable middle” in the global technology and tax landscape, suggesting that the country could serve as a bridge between different economic and technology ecosystems.

Investment Opportunities Beyond Kuala Lumpur

Another theme in Liew’s address was the need to look beyond Kuala Lumpur when considering Malaysia’s next phase of growth.

He identified urban revitalisation as one potential investment opportunity, arguing that instead of continually expanding cities outward, Malaysia should look at rebuilding inner-city areas, repurposing vacant buildings and creating mixed-use urban spaces.

He cited the changing landscape of Kuala Lumpur itself, where the relocation of some financial institutions to newer centres such as Merdeka 118 and Tun Razak Exchange has contributed to vacant buildings in parts of the city. Rather than viewing this solely as a problem, he suggested it could create opportunities for redevelopment.

Liew also called for greater decentralisation of financial expertise.

Penang and Kulim, for example, could develop deeper financial capabilities around technology and semiconductors, while Sarawak’s economic opportunities are closely linked to energy. Johor, meanwhile, has the potential to become a hub for cross-border supply-chain integration with Singapore.

The idea is to bring capital and financial expertise closer to the industries and regions where new opportunities are emerging.

Malaysia’s ASEAN Opportunity

Liew also sees Malaysia’s existing financial infrastructure as an important advantage in the competition for regional capital.

In particular, he pointed to the country’s Islamic finance ecosystem and private-capital networks as platforms that could be leveraged to facilitate regional transactions and investments.

That would position Malaysia not merely as a domestic investment destination, but as a base from which capital can flow into the wider ASEAN market.

The emphasis on regional connectivity also echoed the broader objectives of the forum, where participants examined how Malaysia could strengthen its position within Southeast Asia’s increasingly competitive private-capital landscape.

Demographics: Challenge and Opportunity

Liew also highlighted demographic change as an area where a significant challenge could become an investment opportunity.

Malaysia remains relatively young, with a median age of around 31, but the country is simultaneously moving towards an ageing society.

He offered an unusually simple illustration of the trend: a local factory supplying Malaysia and neighbouring countries is now producing fewer baby diapers and more adult diapers.

For Liew, such changes point towards growing opportunities in healthcare, aged care and public-private investment in services for older Malaysians.

The broader point was that demographic changes should not simply be viewed as future policy burdens. They can also signal where new markets, businesses and investment opportunities will emerge.

From Challenges to Capital

Liew’s message to the private-capital community was ultimately about recognising where Malaysia’s next opportunities may lie — and having the ambition to convert them into investable propositions.

But as the forum’s subsequent sessions would demonstrate, identifying opportunities is only one part of the equation.

MPCA chairman Ng Sai Kit, in his opening remarks, stressed that global capital remains available but has become “more concentrated, more selective and more demanding.” He argued that Malaysia needs not only more deals, but stronger capital formation, credible exit pathways and the ability to return capital to investors.

That sets up perhaps the more difficult question for Malaysia’s private-capital ecosystem: can the opportunities identified today be translated into businesses that can scale, generate returns and ultimately give investors a credible route to exit?

It was a question that would run through many of the discussions that followed. – NMH

The post Malaysia Private Capital: Liew Urges Turning Economic Challenges Into Investable Opportunities first appeared on NMH.

Selama hampir tujuh tahun, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor bukan sahaja berdepan proses mahkamah.

Beliau turut berdepan “mahkamah masyarakat” — dan di media sosial, hukuman sudah lama dijatuhkan.

Pelbagai cerita diulang sehingga menjadi “fakta” bagi ramai orang. Antaranya, dakwaan bahawa wang projek solar hibrid RM1.25 bilion itu ialah wang untuk anak-anak sekolah di pedalaman Sarawak yang akhirnya digunakan untuk kepentingan peribadi.

Tetapi hari ini, Mahkamah Rayuan membuka satu lagi ruang untuk bukti diuji.

Panel tiga hakim yang dipengerusikan Datuk Azhahari Kamal Ramli, bersama Datuk Dr Choo Kah Sing dan Datuk Muniandy a/l Kannyappan, membenarkan Rosmah mengemukakan keterangan tambahan, termasuk keterangan baharu daripada saksi pendakwaan ke-16, Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah.

Ini bukan bermakna Rosmah sudah bebas.

Mahkamah juga belum memutuskan bahawa keterangan baharu itu benar.

Tetapi mahkamah memutuskan ia cukup penting untuk didengar dan diuji.

Persoalan Yang Sejak Dulu Mengganggu

Saya mengikuti perbicaraan ini dan berada di mahkamah ketika banyak perkara berlaku.

Sejak awal, saya tertanya-tanya tentang kedudukan Rizal Mansor — yang pada mulanya didakwa bersama Rosmah sebelum menjadi saksi pendakwaan.

Saya juga tertanya-tanya mengenai persoalan asas: siapa sebenarnya melihat wang itu diserahkan kepada Rosmah?

Keterangan baharu Rayyan kini menimbulkan persoalan bahawa beliau sendiri tidak melihat Rizal menyerahkan atau mengenal pasti beg wang kepada Rosmah, dan pengetahuannya mengenai perkara itu datang daripada orang lain.

Begitu juga dakwaan bahawa arahan dan komunikasi berkaitan bayaran disampaikan melalui Rizal, bukan secara langsung daripada Rosmah.

Ini bukan bermakna dakwaan baharu itu sudah terbukti.

Tetapi bukankah persoalan-persoalan sebegini patut diuji di mahkamah, bukan dihukum di media sosial?

“Today Justice Has Been Served”

Selepas keputusan itu, peguam utama Rosmah, Datuk Amer Hamzah Arshad, berkata:

“Today justice has been served.”

Beliau juga berkata mengenai keterangan baharu itu:

“We want it to be tested.”

Dan saya rasa di situlah letaknya makna keputusan hari ini.

Rosmah belum menang.

Sabitannya belum diketepikan.

Tetapi selepas tujuh tahun, dia akhirnya mendapat peluang untuk membawa persoalan-persoalan itu kembali ke tempat yang sepatutnya.

Bukan Facebook.
Bukan TikTok.
Bukan netizen.

Mahkamah.

Dan bagi seseorang yang telah bertahun-tahun dihukum, dicaci dan dilabel oleh masyarakat, saya rasa sedikit kelegaan itu memang wajar.

Tujuh tahun dihukum. Hari ini, akhirnya didengar. – NMH

The post Rosmah Mansor: Tujuh Tahun Dihukum, Hari Ini Akhirnya Didengar first appeared on NMH.

For almost seven years, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor has lived with a public verdict.

On social media, she was not merely portrayed as a woman convicted of corruption. She became something much larger in the public imagination — the woman who had supposedly taken money meant for schoolchildren in rural Sarawak.

The story was repeated so often that the allegation became, for many, a fact.

Yet the criminal justice system does not operate on repetition.

It operates on evidence.

And that is why Tuesday’s decision by the Court of Appeal is significant.

The court has not acquitted Rosmah yet. It has not declared the new evidence to be true. But it has allowed fresh evidence from key prosecution witness Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah to be heard and tested before the High Court.

After seven years, that is no small development.

A Case Built Around Witnesses, Money And Attribution

One of the things that troubled me throughout the trial was the central role played by Datuk Rizal Mansor.

Rizal was initially charged alongside Rosmah before becoming a prosecution witness.

That transition inevitably made his evidence something that deserved particularly careful scrutiny.

The defence’s new evidence now raises questions about precisely that.

Rayyan says Rizal allegedly used the names of other public officials when seeking money from Jepak. More importantly, he says payment-related communications and alleged instructions were conveyed through Rizal, rather than directly from Rosmah.

That, on its own, does not prove Rizal lied.

But it raises an obvious question:

When a crucial allegation is communicated through an intermediary, how certain can we be that the intermediary was accurately conveying the instructions of the person he claimed to represent?

That question becomes even more important when the intermediary himself was once an accused person in the same case.

Did Rosmah Actually Receive The Money?

Another issue that has always troubled me is the evidence surrounding the alleged receipt of the RM1.5 million.

The public version of the story is remarkably simple: money was allegedly brought to Rosmah’s house.

But criminal cases are not decided by the simplicity of a story.

They are decided by what a witness actually saw, what he knows personally, and what he was told by somebody else.

The defence’s fresh evidence is significant here.

Rayyan now says he did not personally see Rizal point out or identify the bag to Rosmah, nor did he observe any reaction from her demonstrating knowledge of the bag. According to his present account, it was Saidi who subsequently told him about the money.

That creates a very important evidential question.

If a witness’s knowledge of an alleged payment comes not from what he personally witnessed, but from what another person subsequently told him, how much of the evidence is firsthand and how much is derivative?

That is not something that should be decided by social media.

It is precisely the kind of question that should be tested through cross-examination.

And now, because of Tuesday’s ruling, it will be.

The Courtroom Versus The Court Of Public Opinion

I was in court during the original proceedings.

I remember the atmosphere. I remember the way Rosmah was spoken about and spoken to.

There were moments when I was deeply uncomfortable with the manner in which the prosecution approached her, including the insistence that she be referred to as “OKT” — orang kena tuduh — rather than by her title, Datin Seri.

Of course, Rosmah was an accused person. There is nothing improper about calling an accused person an accused.

But there is a larger principle at stake.

The purpose of a trial is to determine whether an accused person is guilty — not to begin with the assumption that guilt has already been established.

That distinction matters enormously when the person being tried is already being condemned outside the courtroom.

What We Thought We Knew May Now Have To Be Examined

The new evidence from Rayyan goes beyond the question of whether he remembers events differently today.

He alleges that he was pressured and discouraged from disclosing matters he says he had previously conveyed during the investigation. His account is now contained in sworn material, and the defence points to an earlier affidavit from 2020 as part of the context.

The defence says this could affect the reliability of evidence that formed part of the basis for Rosmah’s conviction.

That is why Tuesday’s ruling matters.

The Court of Appeal has essentially said: these are questions that deserve to be heard.

Not accepted.

Not presumed to be true.

Heard and tested.

A Small Measure of Vindication

After seven years of being called every imaginable name, there is something quietly significant about that.

Rosmah has not been vindicated in the sense of being cleared.

Her conviction remains.

Her substantive appeal remains to be decided.

But Tuesday’s decision has given her something that every accused person should be entitled to: a proper opportunity to have potentially material evidence examined before the court.

And, importantly, that is how her lawyers themselves characterised it.

“Today justice has been served,” lead counsel Datuk Amer Hamzah Arshad said outside court.

He was not suggesting that the new evidence had already been proven. On the contrary, he acknowledged that its truthfulness and reliability would have to be tested before the High Court.

“We want it to be tested. We want it to be shown to the world” that the additional evidence is credible and reliable, he said.

That distinction matters.

The defence’s press statement made essentially the same point, describing the ruling as an important opportunity for evidence which Rosmah maintains was not properly before the original trial court to now be “heard and scrutinised in open court.” After years of litigation, the statement said, she would finally have the opportunity to have these matters tested through the judicial process.

That is not an acquittal. It is not a finding that the new evidence is true.

It is something more modest — but, after seven years, still significant.

The door has been opened for the evidence to be heard and tested.

Before we decide who is guilty, before we turn allegations into memes and memes into “facts”, perhaps we should allow the evidence to speak.

After seven years, Rosmah has been given another opportunity to do just that. – NMH

The post Seven Years Of Being Judged: Why The Rosmah Ruling Matters first appeared on NMH.

There was something unsettling about the sight of three former prime ministers facing separate legal proceedings in Malaysia today.

For some, it was apparently a moment to celebrate. For others, an opportunity to gloat.

I find that response disappointing.

Not because former prime ministers should be above the law. They should not.

Not because those who have held the highest political office should not be held accountable. They absolutely should.

And certainly not because anyone should be protected if there is evidence of corruption, abuse of power or personal enrichment.

But because the spectacle raises a much bigger question — one that goes far beyond Najib Razak, Muhyiddin Yassin, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, UMNO or Bersatu.

What does this say about the way Malaysia understands executive power, political accountability and the exercise of judgement at the highest level of government?

That is a question Corporate Malaysia and investors should be asking.

Nobody should be above the law. But neither should every decision become a potential crime.

A Prime Minister is elected precisely because we expect that person to make decisions.

Some will be good. Some will be bad. Some will be controversial. Some will ultimately prove to be mistakes.

That is governance.

Prime ministers make decisions on infrastructure, procurement, national security, foreign investment, subsidies, GLCs, public-private partnerships and economic policy — often with incomplete information and competing interests.

If a decision made in good faith subsequently produces a bad outcome, that does not automatically make it corrupt.

There is a fundamental difference between bad judgement and criminal conduct; policy failure and abuse of power; political accountability and criminal liability.

If we lose sight of those distinctions, we risk creating a government culture in which nobody wants to make a decision.

Imagine being the next Prime Minister

Imagine being a newly elected Prime Minister.

You are expected to make bold decisions, attract investment, approve major projects and take calculated risks in the national interest.

Then you look at the leaders who came before you and ask:

“If I make a difficult decision today, can someone ten years from now decide that my judgement was wrong and turn that decision into a criminal allegation?”

That is not a healthy question for any executive government to contemplate.

Nor is it healthy for civil servants, government-linked companies, boards and corporate executives who must implement those decisions.

The result can be decision paralysis.

People stop taking responsibility. Approvals multiply. Everyone wants another committee, another opinion, another layer of protection.

The safest decision becomes the one nobody makes.

And countries do not become competitive that way.

Investors are looking for predictability

Foreign investors do not simply ask whether Malaysia has good infrastructure, skilled workers or attractive incentives.

They ask whether Malaysia is predictable.

Can a company rely on a government contract?

Will a regulatory decision survive a change in administration?

Are institutions independent?

Are rules applied consistently?

Can legitimate business decisions be defended years later?

Capital is mobile. Investors can choose Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore or elsewhere.

The competition is not merely about tax rates or incentives.

It is about confidence.

Today’s enforcement action can, of course, send a positive message if it demonstrates that no political leader is above the law.

But there is another side to the equation.

If investors begin to believe that legitimate executive decisions can be revisited years later through a politically charged lens, that too becomes a risk.

The rule of law must mean more than the ability to prosecute. It must also mean predictability in how the law is applied.

Should Prime Ministers have some protection while in office?

Perhaps Malaysia should be prepared to have this difficult conversation.

We could consider a form of qualified immunity for a sitting Prime Minister in respect of bona fide official acts undertaken in the exercise of constitutional and executive functions.

Not blanket immunity.

Not immunity for corruption, bribery, embezzlement, personal enrichment or deliberate abuse of office.

Rather, protection for legitimate executive decision-making while a person is entrusted with running the government.

The principle should be simple:

Protect the office. Do not protect corruption.

Once the person leaves office, accountability should resume.

But any reform must be extremely careful about retrospectivity. Parliament should not create a new criminal offence and then apply it to conduct that was lawful when it occurred.

If Malaysia is serious about reforming the relationship between executive authority and legal accountability, the answer should be to establish clear rules for tomorrow — not rewrite yesterday’s criminal law.

This is not about protecting three men

Perhaps this is what some of my friends are missing when they snicker at today’s events.

You can believe that Najib should answer for whatever the courts determine.

You can believe Muhyiddin should face trial.

You can believe Ismail Sabri should answer the charge brought against him.

And you can still believe that Malaysia needs to think very seriously about what this means for the institution of executive government.

Those positions are not contradictory.

This is not about Malays.

It is not about UMNO.

It is not about Bersatu.

It is not even about three former prime ministers.

It is about whether Malaysia is building a political system governed by strong institutions — or one in which every change of government risks turning the decisions of the previous government into a new battlefield.

That distinction matters enormously to Corporate Malaysia.

It matters to CEOs and boards. It matters to civil servants. It matters to foreign investors.

And it matters to the next Prime Minister.

We should want our Prime Ministers to be afraid of breaking the law.

We should not want them to be afraid of making a decision.

Malaysia needs leaders who can exercise judgement, institutions capable of holding them accountable, and laws clear enough to tell the difference.

That is not weakness.

That is institutional maturity.

And perhaps, instead of laughing at three former Prime Ministers appearing in court on the same day, we should be asking ourselves a much more consequential question:

What kind of country do we want the next Prime Minister to inherit — and what kind of country do we want investors to believe Malaysia is? – NMH

The post When Former Prime Ministers Go to Court, What Message Are We Sending Investors? first appeared on NMH.

KUALA LUMPUR, 23 August — The BRICS-ASEAN Chamber of Commerce has announced the establishment of an independent commission for trade and economy, with its president Thayalan Nathan describing the initiative as a step towards strengthening economic links between BRICS and ASEAN.

The announcement was made at the BRICS-ASEAN Business Round Table 2026 at Mines Beach Resort today, where business leaders, diplomats and trade representatives discussed opportunities spanning trade, investment, tourism, technology and economic development.

While details of the commission’s structure and mandate were not disclosed at the event, the announcement came against a backdrop of calls for closer commercial links between ASEAN, BRICS and emerging markets.

BRICS and the Opportunity Beyond Tourism

One of the more substantive proposals came from Kapten Mahadzir Tan Sri Mansor, president of the Malaysia International Tourism Development Association (MITDA), who argued that tourism should be viewed not simply as an industry but as an economic engine.

He challenged the conventional focus on tourist arrival numbers, asking instead what economic activity is activated by each visitor.

A tourist does not simply purchase a flight, hotel room or meal, he said. The visitor creates demand across airlines, hotels, restaurants, transport providers, retail, technology companies and other businesses, and may subsequently return, bring family members, recommend a destination or even become a business partner or investor.

“One tourist is not one transaction,” was the central message of his presentation, which argued that each visitor can activate an entire economic ecosystem.

Mahadzir said the economic cycle begins with tourism creating demand, which drives business activity, trade and investment, eventually generating employment and income.

He also highlighted technology as an increasingly important part of that cycle, with modern tourism driven by digital booking, artificial intelligence and data, cybersecurity, digital payments, smart destinations, mobility and digital marketing.

“Tourism connects the physical and digital economy,” he argued.

MITDA Proposes BRICS-ASEAN Tourism Bridge

Against this backdrop, Mahadzir proposed a BRICS-ASEAN Tourism Bridge, describing it as a potential mechanism for connecting the tourism ecosystems of the two groupings.

The concept goes beyond connecting destinations, he said, bringing together people, cultures, businesses, markets, investment, technology and economies.

He also proposed a broader BRICS Tourism Economic Alliance, bringing together government, the tourism industry, businesses, investors, technology companies and SMEs.

Under the model, government provides the enabling environment, industry develops products and experiences, businesses create transactions, while investors build capacity.

Mahadzir said the opportunity was not merely about increasing tourist flows but about asking a more fundamental question: how much economic value does each tourist activate?

He also linked tourism to wider regional cooperation, arguing that when people travel, they meet; when they meet, they develop greater understanding; and when businesses connect, they trade.

The proposed tourism bridge was therefore presented not only as an economic initiative but also as a potential platform for greater people-to-people engagement between BRICS and ASEAN.

Mauritius Sees Malaysia as Gateway to Africa

The broader push for stronger cross-regional economic links was echoed by Mauritius High Commissioner to Malaysia Rabin Gungoo, who positioned Mauritius as a potential gateway for Malaysian businesses, education providers and investors seeking access to Africa.

Gungoo said there were already strong education links between Mauritius and Malaysia, noting that about 3,000 Mauritian students are currently studying in Malaysia.

He called for more Malaysian educational institutions to establish campuses in Mauritius, saying they could serve not only Mauritian students but also students from other African countries, including Madagascar and Seychelles.

The High Commissioner also highlighted Mauritius’ French- and English-speaking environment as an advantage for businesses and students seeking to operate across different markets.

Beyond education, Gungoo encouraged Malaysian investors to use Mauritius as a platform to penetrate the wider African market, pointing to the country’s existing links and trade arrangements with African countries.

He also noted existing Malaysia-Mauritius trade in areas including automotive products, dried fruits and water, suggesting that the relationship could be expanded further.

The remarks provided a practical dimension to the broader BRICS-ASEAN discussion, with Mauritius presenting itself as a bridge through which Malaysian education, trade and investment could reach African markets.

From Tourism to Wider Economic Connectivity

The discussions at the round table pointed towards a broader interpretation of regional economic cooperation — one in which tourism, education, technology, trade and investment are interconnected rather than treated as separate sectors.

For Malaysia, the emerging opportunity lies not only in attracting visitors or promoting destinations, but in using tourism and business connectivity to activate wider economic relationships across ASEAN, BRICS and markets beyond the two blocs.

The BRICS-ASEAN Business Round Table brought together diplomatic representatives, business leaders and trade stakeholders to explore these opportunities, with the day’s programme also featuring networking and business pitching sessions. – NMH

The post BRICS-ASEAN Chamber Unveils Independent Commission To Strengthen Trade and Economic Ties first appeared on NMH.