4/09/2025

BIZ & FINANCE THURSDAY | SEPT 4, 2025

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Pos Malaysia expands EV fleet with 136 new vans

Maybank, Byond Tech help SMEs in succession planning KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian tech nology company Byond Tech Global Bhd, developer of the HR-tech platform MySyarikat, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) to launch business continuity and estate planning solutions tailored for small and medium enterprises. Byond Tech founder and CEO Malik Hairuddin said the collaboration is Malaysia’s first integration of HR and estate planning aimed to address the gap in SME succession planning. “Many business owners prioritise day-to-day operations but delay legacy and continuity planning, leaving com panies exposed when unexpected events occur,”he told reporters after the MoU signing ceremony yesterday. Malik highlighted that Malaysia’s workforce of about 15 million gives Byond Tech a large addressable market, with MySyarikat currently serving 180,000 active users. “We aim to grow MySyarikat’s user base to one million within the next two to three years, roughly 10% of the country’s workforce.” He added that the collaboration supports Malaysia’s broader digital isation and financial literacy goals, giving SMEs a more holistic ecosystem that covers the full business lifecycle – from recruitment to retirement, growth to succession. “Both parties aim to support SMEs not just in managing teams, but in planning for long-term protection and continuity. “This collaboration is about looking ahead, legacy and continuity shouldn’t be afterthoughts, and with Maybank, we’re giving business owners the tools to plan with clarity and confidence.” Maybank Trustees Bhd CEO Nor Fazlina Mohd Ghouse said succession planning is a critical area that is often misunderstood or neglected, particularly among SMEs. “Without an effective succession plan, businesses may face considerable risk and instability when the unexpected happens.” She said that as a leader in trusts and in conventional and Islamic estate planning, Maybank Trustees is breaking down the barriers to legacy solutions through the collaboration. “Ultimately, we want to empower business owners to plan wisely and protect what they have worked so hard to build,” she added. Launched in 2019, MySyarikat is a cloud-based human capital manage ment platform that helps SMEs and mid-sized enterprises streamline HR processes – from recruitment, on boarding, and payroll, to e-claims, e leave, training, and compliance. With plans to expand regionally and go for an initial public offering (IPO), Byond Tech is growing its ecosystem of partnerships, financial tools and value added services around MySyarikat. “We plan to go for an IPO in 2028 on the ACE Market. So, this colla boration is part of our strategic planning to get there,” Malik said. Ű BY HAYATUN RAZAK sunbiz@thesundaily.com

structural challenges. Mail volumes have plunged from 1.3 billion letters in 2012 to about 300 million annually today, while footfall at post offices has fallen by nearly 18% a year in recent times due to digitalisation. “We cannot make mail come back and we cannot reverse the trend of customers transacting online instead of visiting post offices,” he said. “That creates structural revenue challenges while delivery costs keep rising with new housing develop ments. Our job is to find new models that work for the people, employees and shareholders.” Still, Brewer said investments in EVs and renewable energy are proving cost-effective. “Everything we do in sustainability must tick three boxes: good for people, good for the planet and good for our profit and loss. The EV fleet and solar panel rollouts meet all three.” The new vans were supplied by Weststar Maxus and leased through Yinson GreenTech, which will provide after-sales support, tele matics and route optimisation tech nology. Weststar Group managing director Tan Sri Dr Syed Azman Syed Ibrahim said the partnership is part of Malaysia’s wider climate ambitions. “The Maxus eDeliver 3 is a symbol of innovation and environmental responsibility. Together with Pos Malaysia, we are contributing to the nation’s low-carbon future,” he said. Weststar Automotive Division CEO Syed Muhammad Ammar Syed Azman said that policies under Budget 2025 have helped create a positive environment for EV adoption. Yinson GreenTech managing director Kelvin Soon said his

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, speaking during his working visit to China, called for stronger collaboration to counter rising uni lateralism and protectionist policies, while stressing the need to safeguard the stability of global industrial and supply chains. At the Malaysia-China High-Level Business Dialogue in Beijing, Anwar engaged with 10 leading Chinese enterprises spanning strategic sectors – including engineering and infrastructure, energy, advanced manufacturing, fintech and digital economy, food and agriculture, cultural and creative industries, healthcare, robotics and green tech nology. He addressed their queries, welcomed their interest in Malaysia and reaffirmed the government’s strong commitment to fostering mutually beneficial partnerships. The dialogue was organised by KUALA LUMPUR: Pos Malaysia Bhd has expanded its electric vehicle (EV) fleet with 136 new Maxus eDeliver 3 vans, marking a step forward in its goal of becoming a fully electric logistics operator by 2030. The handover, held in conjunction with World EV Day 2025, extends the national courier’s EV fleet to 1,252 two-wheelers and 400 vans, the largest in Malaysia’s logistics sector. For the first time, the new vehicles will also be deployed in East Malaysia. Group CEO Charles Brewer said the transition to cleaner transport is both a sustainability commitment and a financial necessity. “We want our operations to be free of carbon dioxide by 2050. Today’s delivery is not just about adding vehicles, it’s about making sure we evolve rapidly as an organisation,” he said. “These electric vans reduce delivery costs by around 30% compared to internal combustion engine vehicles, while also lowering our environmental footprint.” Brewer acknowledged that while Pos Malaysia has been modernising since 2021, the company faces o Handover of vehicles a step forward towards becoming fully electric logistics operator by 2030 Ű BY DEEPALAKSHMI MANICKAM sunbiz@thesundaily.com

A ceremony was held to mark the handover of the new Maxus eDliver 3 vans to Pos Malaysia.

target of 600 in the pipeline. While Brewer declined to comment on the timing of a financial turnaround, citing market regu lations, he stressed that sustain ability investments are part of a broader transformation strategy. “This is good for our people, good for the planet and good for our finances. Every letter and parcel we deliver must embed environmental stewardship and responsibility. The future of delivery is electric,” he said. Brewer emphasised that the rollout of these vehicles is not just symbolic but operationally signi ficant, enabling Pos Malaysia to serve more customers with cleaner technology while lowering long term fuel and maintenance costs. “Our investments in electrification also demonstrate our readiness to embrace future green innovations in logistics,” he concluded. MCBC’s role as a bridge for bilateral economic cooperation, highlighting opportunities in advanced manu facturing, digitalisation, artificial intel ligence and green economy colla boration. The dialogue gathered more than 120 leading Chinese captains of industry, providing a strategic platform to advance Malaysia’s New Industrial Master Plan 2030 objectives to attract high-value investments, strengthen supply chain resilience and position Malaysia as a trusted hub for Asean and beyond. The dialogue concluded with sub stantive exchanges on major projects and industrial chain integration. The successful outcome reflects the strong momentum in Malaysia China economic relations and both countries’ determination to build a sustainable, resilient, and future oriented partnership.

company remains committed to supporting Pos Malaysia’s fleet transition. “Our collaboration reflects a shared responsibility to accelerate the logistics sector’s shift toward greener operations.” According to Pos Malaysia, each EV van reduces about 1.11 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Collectively, its EV fleet has already clocked 7.2 million kilometres of emission-free deliveries, equivalent to circling the globe 179 times. The company has set a target of 100% green first- and last-mile deliveries by 2030, while remaining flexible to future technologies such as hydrogen or autonomous vehicles. By 2050, it aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across its operations. Beyond EVs, Pos Malaysia is installing solar panels across its network of post offices and hubs, with 17 sites already equipped and a

Anwar urges stronger M’sia-China cooperation to counter protectionism BEIJING: Malaysia has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening Malaysia China cooperation, emphasising the mutual benefits and strategic alignment of both nations’ develop ment agendas. MCBC chairman Senator Tan Sri Low Kian Chuan delivered keynote remarks. Ren stressed the importance of deepening trade and investment ties and enhancing supply chain inte gration. Low, meanwhile, reaffirmed

Anwar was the guest of honour at the Malaysia-China High-Level Business Dialogue in Beijing.

the Malaysia–China Business Council (MCBC) in collaboration with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT). Anwar attended the dialogue as the guest of honour, together with Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul

Abdul Aziz, Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Transport Minister Anthony Loke and Malaysian Ambassador to China Datuk Norman Muhamad. CCPIT chairman Ren Hongbin and