15/07/2025

BIZ & FINANCE TUESDAY | JULY 15, 2025 15 ‘OPR cut could ease household debt burden, lift disposal income’ KUALA LUMPUR: GX Bank Bhd said the overnight policy rate (OPR) cut to 2.75% from 3% could potentially address the household debt service ratio while providing a reprieve in disposable income. CEO Kaushik Chowdhury said this could in turn alleviate concerns about rising living costs. “Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) decision to adjust the OPR to 2.75% is strategic and timely, carefully calculated to balance the needs of Malaysians against the potential impact of the current global and political economic climate. “This demonstrates a commitment to ensuring Malaysia’s economy is steady, resilient, and sustainable,“ he told Bernama yesterday. According to Chowdhury, safeguarding Malaysia’s financial resilience is a shared responsibility, and as a digital bank, GX Bank is ideally positioned and committed to assisting Malaysians in this regard. Meanwhile, Maybank Investment Bank Bhd said in a research note yesterday that the monetary easing will help cushion the tariff shock impact. It said short-term rates across Asean have fallen despite the Federal Reserve holding rates steady so far this year. Short-term interest rates have fallen especially sharply in Singapore (- 110bps) on safe haven inflows. expansion in global sales outlook, primarily external demand for consumer electronics and artificial intelligence-related semiconductors. Aside from this, Malaysia’s pharmaceutical industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.4%, reaching RM9.6 billion by 2027. The growth of Malaysia’s E&E and pharmaceutical industries is expected to continue to drive the demand for new or expanded cleanroom facilities, creating opportunities for cleanroom operators. In addition, leveraging the proceeds raised from the group’s IPO, the iCents board is confident that it will be able to execute its business strategies and plans as disclosed in the prospectus. Further, the iCents board is optimistic that the group’s business expansion plans will contribute positively to the financial performance for the upcoming financial years. “Premised on the above, the board believes that the prospects of the group remain positive,“ it said. iCents is scheduled to be listed on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia on July 17. Alliance Islamic Bank Bhd is the principal adviser, sponsor, sole underwriter, and placement agent for the IPO exercise.

Maybank grants US$150m green loan to Austria’s AT&S

KUALA LUMPUR: Cleanroom and other facility services provider iCents Group Holdings Bhd recorded revenue of RM18.85 million for the third quarter (Q3) ended March 31, 2025, mainly derived from the other facility services, which contributed RM13.13 million or 69.68% to the group’s revenue. This was followed by cleanroom services, which contributed RM5.72 million or 30.32% to the group’s revenue, the company said in a Bursa Malaysia filing yesterday. This is the first interim financial report for Q3’25. There are no comparison figures for the same period last year because no interim report was prepared. For the nine months of FY25, the group recorded revenue of RM62.78 million, of which the cleanroom services and other facility services contributed 70.88% and 29.12% respectively. For Q3 and the 9-month of FY25, the group recorded a gross profit of RM4.9 million and RM15.24 million, respectively. After accounting for one-off listing expenses of RM0.49 million in Q3, the group posted an adjusted profit before tax (PBT) of RM2.96 million and an adjusted profit after tax (PAT) of RM2.33 million. For the 9-month period, after adjusting for listing-related expenses KUALA LUMPUR: Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) is granting a sustainability-linked loan (SLL) amounting to US$150 million (RM638 million) to Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik Malaysia Sdn Bhd (AT&S). In a statement yesterday, the bank said the landmark transaction marks the first SLL issued by a Malaysian and Southeast Asian commercial bank to AT&S, and the first such facility by a local lender to a multinational company in Malaysia’s semiconductor sector. Maybank said the financing would support the development of AT&S’s first high-end integrated circuit (IC) substrate plant at Kedah’s Kulim Hi-Tech Park that will include state-of-the-art equipment and closed-loop recycling systems, adhering to AT&S’s comprehensive sustainable energy framework. o First sustainability linked funding by a Southeast Asian bank to an MNC in Malaysia’s chip sector

Funding will help AT&S build a cutting-edge IC substrate plant in Kulim, aligning with Malaysia’s push to lead in sustainable semiconductor manufacturing. – ATS WEBSITE

investment of over US$1 billion in Malaysia follows the demand from its global clients, and reflects its confidence in Malaysia’s semiconductor ecosystem and its growth trajectory. “It also aligns with the ambitions of Malaysia’s National

in developing its first IC substrate facility in Kulim, a project that not only marks a significant milestone for the company but also further reinforces Malaysia’s position in the global semiconductor value chain. “The financing aligns with our strategic focus on the semiconductor ecosystem in Southeast Asia, where we have identified financing opportunities,” he said.

The targets attached to the SLL include reducing annual greenhouse gas emissions by 31% by March 31, 2028, using fiscal year 2022 as the baseline.

“Asean central banks have been cutting policy rates since the start of 2025, including in Indonesia (-50bps), Thailand (-50bps), the Philippines (- 50bps) and Malaysia (-25bps),“ it added. On July 9, BNM reduced the OPR by 25 basis points (bps) to 2.75%. iCents posts RM18.85m revenue in Q3 ahead of ACE Market listing The facility will produce advanced IC substrates, essential components to meet surging demand for high performance data processors, data centres, and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. Maybank Global Banking Group CEO Datuk John Chong said from 2021 to the end of the first quarter of 2025, Maybank mobilised RM125.46 billion in sustainable finance across Asean, surpassing its RM80 billion target by 2025. “We are pleased to support AT&S AT&S president/CEO Michael Mertin said the company’s sizable Semiconductor Strategy and the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 to position the country as a leading hub for advanced manufacturing,” he said. – Bernama

From left: iCents Group executive directors Tan Wei Ying and Foo Siang Leng, substantial shareholder Faye Khor Fei Yi, managing director Ir. Ts. Vincent Ong Mum Fei, independent non-executive chairperson Lim Bee Vian, Alliance Islamic Bank Bhd CEO Rizal IL-Ehzan Fadil Azim, Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd group chief corporate & institutional banking officer Teoh Chu Lin, and Alliance Islamic Bank Bhd head/senior vice-president, coverage & origination of Islamic capital markets Lim Shueh Li.

The manufacturing sector’s value added contribution is projected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5%, mainly supported by the HGHV industries. Additionally, the E&E industry in Malaysia is projected to expand in 2025, driven by the continued

growth, high-value (HGHV) end-user industries such as electrical and electronics (E&E), pharmaceuticals and others. This was outlined in the group’s prospectus dated June 25, 2025, based on an independent market research report.

totalling RM1.02 million, the group recorded an adjusted PBT of RM10.58 million and an adjusted PAT of RM7.9 million. iCents, in the Bursa Malaysia filing, said the performance of the cleanroom industry is dependent upon the performance of high