19/08/2025

BIZ & FINANCE TUESDAY | AUG 19, 2025

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Oxford Innotech to ride on automation, robotics

Strong demand for Johor Plantations’ RM200m second tranche of SRI sukuk PETALING JAYA: Johor Plantations Group Bhd (JPG) has issued its Series 2 Sukuk Wakalah-IMTN amounting to RM200 million in nominal value under its Islamic medium-term notes programme. The issuance is part of the Sukuk Wakalah programmes established by JPG in August 2024, comprising an Islamic commercial papers programme and the IMTN programme, with a combined aggregate limit of up to RM3 billion. During the book-building process, strong demand was recorded for the issuance, achieving a final bid-to-cover ratio close to five times. The healthy demand enabled JPG to tighten the yield, closing at a final yield of 3.70%, which was more favourable than the initial price guidance. Proceeds from the sukuk Issuance will be utilised to finance syariah-compliant capital expenditure for the development of JPG’s Integrated Sustainable Palm Oil Complex (iSPOC), a project identified as a green initiative under JPG’s Sustainable Finance Framework. Managing director Mohd Faris Adli Shukery said: “The positive reception to this issuance underscores investor confidence in our long term growth strategy. iSPOC is a key downstream expansion initiative that will enable us to diversify into higher-value specialty oils and fats production, strengthening our product portfolio and capturing greater value along the supply chain. By aligning this growth with our environmental stewardship initiative goals, we are not only creating new market opportunities but also ensuring that our business expansion supports responsible and sustainable practices.” This issuance qualifies as a Sustainable and Responsible Investment Sukuk under the Securities Commission Malaysia’s SRI Sukuk Framework. China Mobile enters PETALING JAYA: Maxis Bhd, an integrated telco, has partnered with China Mobile International (CMI) to launch CMLink, CMI’s mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) business, in Malaysia. The partnership was formalised during the 2025 China Mobile SEA Cooperation Conference held in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 13. This partnership deepens the ongoing collaboration between CMI and Maxis to accelerate growth and innovation in the telecommunications sector. CMLink will be hosted on Maxis nationwide network, leveraging its fast, reliable, and secure mobile network to deliver a seamless voice and data experience across 4G and 5G. Maxis said it looks forward to supporting CMI’s network needs through its advanced and integrated network capabilities, which combine extensive fibre infrastructure with a modern mobile network. The partnership marks CMI’s first MVNO venture in Malaysia, expanding its global CMLink footprint after launches in the UK, Singapore, Japan, Thailand and Italy. CMLink’s key features include one card, multiple numbers and China Malaysia data-sharing services. These services are tailored for students, and professionals living in and travelling to Malaysia, ensuring they stay connected between China and Malaysia. The collaboration builds on the longstanding relationship between Maxis and CMI, which was underscored by a memorandum of under standing signed in August 2024 to accelerate 5G initiatives and foster digital innovation. This partnership serves as a cornerstone of Maxis’ commitment to fostering the MVNO ecosystem in Malaysia. MVNO market in Malaysia via tie-up with Maxis

solve high staff turnovers. Its solutions have been deployed in over 100 countries, with more than 10,000 cobots in operation world wide supporting various industries such as automotive, E&E, semiconductor, new energy and food processing, to name a few. Ng said they are working with Jaka Robotics on a project for a US-based multinational contract manufacturer with presence in Penang to automate their assembly process by reducing manual operators and enhancing process consistency. He added that this is the first phase of the initiative with several more phases in the pipeline. “With the automation trend picking up pace in the face of rising cost pressures, we see a lot of growth potential in our automation and robotics division,” Ng said. Meanwhile, the group is in discussions to pursue larger-scale projects for its precision engineering components solutions and mechanical assembly solutions segments. “We are currently in discussions on several opportunities with our existing customers and hope to share some positive news in due course. We expect the fiscal year ahead to be very busy and remain confident in our long-term outlook,” Ng said.

PETALING JAYA: Integrated engineering solutions provider Oxford Innotech Bhd (OXB) is poised to capitalise on the rising adoption of automation in manufacturing as businesses increasingly seek solutions that enhance efficiency, ensure consistent quality and reinforce operational resilience in a competitive global market. OXB, which made its debut on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities on July 29, offers integrated engineering solutions, mechanical assembly solutions and auto mation and robotic solutions. Its automation and robotic solutions division designs and manufactures stand alone automated equipment, production line systems as well as provides smart factory systems solutions and technical support o Working with strategic partners, pursuing projects in precision engineering components and mechanical assembly solutions

services. Customers in this segment are mainly in semiconductor and electrical and electronics (E&E) industries. Managing director Ng Thean Gin said: “In the era of Industry 4.0, smart factory systems utilise a variety of technologies including artificial intelligence, big data analytics, cloud computing and the Industrial Internet of Things. At OXB, we work with proven strategic partners to deliver automation solutions to our customers. Shanghai-based Jaka Robotics Co Ltd is one such important partner to us.” Jaka Robotics is a global player in collaborative robotics with a presence in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Germany and the United States. It specialises in the development and pro duction of collaborative robots or cobots designed for the manufacturing industry with the objectives to increase production capacity and efficiency, reduce reliance on physical labour, improve worker safety and

Benyamin (right) accepting the Best International Airline of the Year Award in Sydney.

AirAsia X again wins Best International Airline of the Year at Australian awards

PETALING JAYA: AirAsia X (AAX) has again clinched the Best International Airline of the Year title at the Australian Aviation Awards 2025, marking its second consecutive win and reaffirming its strong and growing presence in the Australian market. The honour, presented at a gala ceremony in Sydney last Friday, recognises AAX’s continued excellence in delivering affordable, reliable and accessible international air travel for Australians. As part of its ongoing commitment to the market, AAX is increasing services during the peak travel period between December 2025 and January 2026 by adding three additional weekly flights from Kuala Lumpur to both Melbourne and Sydney, bringing each route to 14 weekly services. With this boost, AAX will operate double daily flights to both cities, its

“This recognition further fuels our commit ment to grow our footprint in Australia and continue delivering unbeatable value and service. We are here for the long haul, and we would like to thank all our Australian guests for choosing to fly with us, and the judges for placing their trust in what we do.” Australian Aviation editor Adam Thorn said: “AirAsia X continues to set the benchmark for international low-cost medium-haul travel. The judges were once again impressed by the airline’s strong passenger performance, strategic route development, and commitment to innovation and sustainability. This back-to-back recognition underscores AirAsia X’s leadership in the inter national low-cost sector and its commitment to making travel more accessible for Australians.”

highest frequency to date, offering even greater convenience and choice for travellers. Complementing AAX’s offering, three other airlines under the AirAsia brand also operate direct flights to Australia from Darwin, Adelaide and Perth, strengthening the group’s regional presence and its commitment to delivering low cost, high-value connectivity across the country. AirAsia X CEO Benyamin Ismail said: “We are incredibly proud to receive this award for the second year running. Australia is where our story began, and it remains one of our most important markets. In the last ten years, we have flown more than 10 million guests between Australia and Malaysia, with the majority of them being Australian travellers, a true reflection of the strong local support for our brand.