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BIZ & FINANCE SATURDAY | JULY 12, 2025

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Malaysian Paper

/thesundaily /

Manufacturing sales in May reach RM158.7b

F&B manufacturer A1 AK Koh eyes new markets next year KUALA LUMPUR: Food and beverage manu facturer A1 AK Koh Group Bhd aims to tap into new markets in 2026, focusing on the hotel, restaurant and catering segment. CEO Koh Lian Jie said the company is looking to appoint one or two distributors locally and internationally to help expand its reach within the segment. “We are also working to strengthen our export market by identifying more overseas distributors to help penetrate foreign markets,“ he told a press conference after the company’s listing ceremony here yesterday. A1 AK Koh Group made its ACE Market debut with its share price opening flat at 25 sen, unchanged from the initial public offering price, with 30.44 million shares traded. The counter ended the day half a sen lower at 24.5 sen, with 29.62 million shares traded. Koh did not disclose specifically the countries the company is targeting, but said its focus would be on Western countries as it aims to introduce locally flavoured products such as laksa. The company is actively participating in exhibitions such as Food and Hotel Asia and the Thailand International Food Exhibition to seek potential customers. On the company’s outlook, Koh said demand for its products is expected to rise moderately next year. It foresees a stronger pickup in 2027 once its new factory is operational. The company said in its prospectus that the new factory comprises two buildings – a production floor spanning 17,000 sq ft and a storage area of 17,000 sq ft. The buildings are expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2026 (Q4’26), while the semi-automated production line is scheduled to be operational in Q4’27. The company is targeting a 5% to 10% growth within two years by capturing market share from competitors. It aims to raise revenue contribution from exports to 35% from the current 22% and reduce domestic contribution to 65% from 77%, Koh said. – Bernama Maybank Singapore, chamber to support halal, JS-SEZ initiatives KUALA LUMPUR: The Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SMCCI) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Maybank Singapore Ltd to advance halal-focused initiatives and support the growth of small and medium enterprises in both countries. In a joint statement yesterday, SMCCI and Maybank Singapore stated that the partnership will focus on the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) and will extend across the wider Asean region. “SMCCI will provide guidance to its members on business setup, market entry, workspace solutions, policy updates and market intelligence. “Maybank will complement SMCCI’s efforts with its full suite of banking solutions, while continuing its successful collaboration through its ‘myimpact Microbusiness Programme’, which empowers underserved entrepreneurs through business training, mentorship and seed funding,” it said. About 300 SMCCI members are expected to benefit from enhanced support and expanded regional opportunities. SMCCI president Dr Abdul Malik Hassan said the chamber is seeing a rising demand from its members to explore opportunities in the JS-SEZ and the region, especially in the halal sector. “By partnering with Maybank, we are strengthening the support ecosystem for entrepreneurs who are ready to take that step,” he said. – Bernama

metals (4.3%) and manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment (3.5%). On a month-on-month comparison, domestic-oriented industries declined 3.9%. Mohd Uzir said 2.4 million employees were recorded in this sector in May, on a 0.9% augmentation (April: 1.2%). On a month-on-month basis, the number of employees in this sector marginally decreased by 0.1%. “Salaries and wages paid in the manufacturing sector posted an increase of 1.6% (April: 2.4%), amounting to RM8.3 billion in May 2025. Furthermore, the salaries and wages paid improved by 0.2% compared with RM8.3 billion recorded in the pre ceding month,” he said. Mohd Uzir said that in the first five months this year, manufacturing sector sales value amounted to RM794.7 billion, an increase of 3.8% compared to the same period of 2024 (3.3%). The number of employees increased by 0.9% to 2.4 million persons, while salaries and wages increased by 1.9% to RM41.9 billion. – Bernama

1.1% to RM158.7 billion against RM160.4 billion recorded in the prior month,” he said in a statement. Mohd Uzir said the sales value in the ex port-oriented industries, which accounted for 71.1% of total sales, grew by 2.7% in May 2025 (April: 5.1%). The performance was primarily due to the increase in the manufacture of vegetable, animal oils and fats by 15.9% (April 2025: 12.2%). Meanwhile, the manufacture of com puters, electronics and optical products expanded by 4.9% (April 2025: 10.2%t), and the manufacture of machinery and equip ment not elsewhere classified advanced by 7.7% (April: 9.5%). On a month-on-month (m-o-m) com parison, export-oriented industries re bounded to 0.1% (April: -3.3%). Likewise, the domestic-oriented industries expanded by 1.9% in May, following a 3.6% increase in April. The performance was supported by robust growth in the manufacture of food processing products at 10.5% in May (April: 10%), as well as in the manufacture of basic

PETALING JAYA: Hwajing Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd has formed a strategic partnership with Chinese cruise line Astro Ocean Cruise to bring MV Piano Land to Malaysia. An agreement signing ceremony was held recently at the Penang Port Commission in George Town. The agreement was signed between Hwajing Travel managing director Kenny Cheong and Astro Ocean Cruise vice president Jian-feng Tong. It was attended by Penang Port Commission chairman and Tourism Malaysia deputy chairman Datuk Yeoh Soon Hin. “In line with Transport Minister Anthony Loke’s vision to position Malaysia as a premier homeport destination, we are committed to driving the nation’s cruise tourism agenda forward,“ said Yeoh. “By encouraging travellers to begin and conclude their cruise itineraries in Malaysia, we aim to boost tourist arrivals, create local employment opportunities, and showcase Malaysia’s vibrant culture, heritage, and cuisine on the global stage. “With the right strategy, cruise tourism holds tremendous potential to deliver sustained economic benefits and uplift communities across the country,“ he said. Cheong said welcoming MV Piano Land to Malaysia reinforces Hwajing Travel’s commitment to making cruise holidays more accessible and enriching for both Malaysian and Southeast Asian travellers. “This milestone comes at a special time for us, as Hwajing celebrates its 36th anniversary this year. We look forward to playing a key role in developing Malaysia into a thriving homeport hub for international cruises.” Tong said, “The deployment of MV Piano Land is a key milestone in the company’s strategic expansion across Asia. We believe a unique ‘culture and cruise’ model will effectively stimulate cruise travel demand in Malaysia and surrounding markets.” Scheduled to make its maiden voyage on Nov 30, MV Piano Land will be the first Chinese cruise ship to be homeported in Malaysia. KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s manufacturing sector sales value rose 2.4% year-on-year (y o-y) to RM158.7 billion in May compared with a 4.7% y-o-y growth in April, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the May sales value growth was mainly contributed by the food, beverages and tobacco sub-sector, sustaining the strong expansion with a 13% increase, against April’s 10.8% expansion. “This growth was also supported by the electrical and electronics (E&E) products and the non-metallic mineral products, basic metal and fabricated metal products sub sectors, which rose by 5% (April 2025: 9.6%) and 3.7% (April 2025: 4.6%), respectively. “However, the sales value dropped by o Up 2.4% year-on-year but 1.1% lower than in previous month

Hwajing, Astro Ocean form partnership, Chinese cruise vessel to homeport in Malaysia

From left: Tong, Yeoh and Cheong at the agreement signing ceremony.

Hwajing will also feature a special six-night New Year Countdown Cruise, sailing from Port Klang to Singapore, Nha Trang and Hong Kong. Guests on board will enjoy a festive celebration at sea, culminating in a fireworks display over Hong Kong’s iconic skyline, viewed directly from the ship as it welcomes 2026 in grand style. The partnershjip with Astro Ocean Cruise marks Hwajing Travel’s second major international cruise collaboration, following last year’s homeporting of Italian cruise ship Costa Serena , which is operated by Costa Cruises.

Its itineraries will include a three-day, two night sailing (Penang-Port Klang-Penang) and a four-day, three-night voyage covering Penang, Langkawi and Port Klang. Passengers will be able to embark from either Penang or Port Klang, offering convenience and accessibility for Malaysian travellers, as well as those from neighbouring countries. The introduction of MV Piano Land homeport operation is expected to stimulate tourism, boost local economies and offer Malaysians and neighbouring markets more seamless access to cruise holidays. In addition to the regular itineraries,