01/12/2025

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MONDAY | DEC 1, 2025

AdipoLABs to invest over RM100m in M’sia next year

Ű BY HAYATUN RAZAK sunbiz@thesundaily.com

KUALA LUMPUR: The Bureaucratic Red Tape Reform (RKB) initiative under the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (Miti) is already translating into tangible impact, improving service delivery, reducing red tape and fostering a more business friendly environment. For the aerospace industry, Miti focuses on expanding access to financing for local companies, parti cularly small and medium enterprises, to support technology adoption and automation upgrades. RKB is driven by the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC), an agency under Miti that leads the implementation of the programme. On Sept 22, 2025, Micron Concept Aerostructures Sdn Bhd secured RM50 million in aerospace funding through partnerships with Malaysian Industrial Development Finance Bhd and MBSB Bank Bhd. This included RM10 million in equity funding from Malaysian Technology Development Corporation under the Aerospace and Electrical and Electronics Ecosystem Investment Fund, complemented by RM40 million in debt facilities from the financial partners. The initiative supports the Malaysian Aerospace Industry Blueprint 2030, KUALA LUMPUR: South Korean medical device company AdipoLABs Co Ltd is targeting more than RM100 million in new investments in Malaysia next year as the country becomes its Asia-Pacific hub. AdipoLABs Healthcare (M) Sdn Bhd co-founder and director Moses Balagopal said the upcoming invest ment represents a significant step up from the company’s initial RM10 million commitment eight years ago. “When we started, the investment was about RM10 million. It is now considerably larger. I won’t go into specifics, but we are looking at expanding into three-digit invest ment levels – above RM100 million – next year,” he told SunBiz . Moses said Malaysia has evolved into the group’s operational hub due to its strategic location, cost-efficiency and the team’s proven ability to deliver consistent clinical, opera tional and after-sales support. “Malaysia is central, and language can be a challenge for Koreans. This makes Malaysia ideal. It is also very affordable when converted into US dollars. Malaysian operations are extremely cost-effective,” he explained. The company is currently in Phase 2 of its Malaysian expansion, with Phase 3 – an assembly plant – planned within the next three years. “With the assembly plant, around 80% of our operations will be based in Malaysia, creating more jobs and enhancing economies of scale. It will be far more advantageous for Malaysia,” Moses said. AdipoLABs initially focused solely on the domestic market before expanding through partners and licensing arrange

o After launching its Asia-Pacific hub in the country last week, South Korean medical device company plans to have assembly plant here within the next three years

ments to Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia. About four to five years ago, the group received approval from its Korean manufacturer to represent the brand across Asean. “Today, we even have clients from as far as the UAE, Qatar, Turkey and Australia. That effectively positions us within the Asia–Pacific region. We approached the manufacturer to represent them across the entire region, and they readily agreed,” Moses said. Looking ahead, the company is exploring opportunities in Australia, Turkiye, Eastern Europe and India, subject to medical device licensing requirements. “Medical devices require regu latory approval in every market. We have a network of doctors and medical practitioners throughout Asia-Pacific, and it is through this network that we continue to grow.” Moses said the company remains

committed to expanding access to cancer hyperthermia treatment, the core technology of its Korean principal. “Many people are familiar with radiotherapy or chemotherapy, but hyperthermia is another option. There is clinical evidence supporting it, and outcomes are often better.” On revenue expectations, Moses noted that providing precise numbers is challenging due to high operating costs. “The devices are still manufactured in Korea and traded in US dollars. The costs are substantial.” However, he said Phase 3 – assembly in Malaysia – is expected to significantly reduce costs and make the devices more affordable for partners across the region. “At this stage, I’m unable to share further details. But in the near future, we hope to do so.” Last week, AdipoLABs Co Ltd officially opened its Asia-Pacific central hub, operating through its Malaysian subsidiary, AdipoLABs Healthcare,

Moses says Malaysia has evolved into the group’s operational hub due to its strategic location, cost-efficiency and the team’s proven ability to deliver consistent clinical, operational and after-sales support.

alongside Red & Blue Co Ltd. The new regional office – the company’s first and only hub in Asia-Pacific – marks a key step in expanding its medtech footprint across the region. AdipoLABs CEO Han Sung-ho said the expansion aims to strengthen the company’s leadership in noninvasive healthcare and support the development of a robust medtech ecosystem in Malaysia and Asean. “As a research- and development

driven medical company, our presence here will help drive knowledge transfer, foster R&D collaboration, provide industry-standard training and en hance the country’s preventive healthcare capabilities,” he said at the official launch. In addition, AdipoLABs signed two memoranda of understanding with the University of Cyberjaya to advance healthcare innovation, clinical research and talent development.

Red tape reform initiative showing positive impact on local aviation sector

CPO futures tipped to remain slightly bullish on weather concerns

KUALA LUMPUR: The crude palm oil (CPO) futures contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives is expected to remain slightly bullish this week due to weather-related factors, a trader said. Palm oil trader David Ng said recent flood conditions in several parts of Malaysia could reduce production, raising concerns over supply and supporting prices. “Recent strength in the soybean oil market could also lend support to the palm oil market this week,” he told Bernama. Meanwhile, Interband Group of Companies senior palm oil trader Jim Teh said the market this week is expected to remain volatile, describing it as a “yo-yo market”, as China is currently purchasing soybean from the United States. He said the trading range is expected to hover between RM3,800 and RM3,900 per tonne, which would help clear the high physical stocks recorded in October. “With these kinds of prices, we attract more buyers. Physical demand will come from India, Pakistan, the European Union, the Middle East, the US and China,” he said. Compared with previous week’s

Friday, last week’s Thursday session saw the December 2025 contract remain unchanged at RM4,050 per tonne, the January 2026 contract climb RM18 to RM4,081 per tonne, and the February 2026 contract advance RM21 to RM4,090 per tonne. March 2026 rose RM25 to RM4,103 per tonne, April 2026 increased RM24 to RM4,106 per tonne, while the May 2026 contract improved RM17 to RM4,101 per tonne. Weekly trading volume declined to 319,379 lots from 481,674 lots last week, while open interest eased to 282,153 contracts from 287,400 contracts previously. The physical CPO price for December South stood at RM4,100 per tonne. On Friday, trading on Bursa Malaysia’s derivatives market was halted at 10.36am due to a Globex system outage. The exchange said all derivatives products traded on Globex, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group’s electronic platform for global derivatives trading, were affected. Bursa Malaysia said it would notify stakeholders once the issue is resolved.

which targets RM55.2 billion in annual revenue and 32,000 aerospace jobs by 2030, as well as the New Industrial Master Plan 2030. MPC deputy director general Dr Mazrina

“With greater financial support, companies have been able to invest in training programmes, re search and development (R&D) and advanced machinery, which in turn has driven the need for a more skilled workforce. “Industry 4.0, imple mented as part of capa city expansions, has fostered the development

Mohamed Ibramsah ( pic ) said Miti’s financing faci litation has made notable strides in strengthening Malaysia’s aerospace supply chain, particularly by addressing the financing barriers faced by local SMEs. “By providing access to affordable and low-interest financing, these initiatives enable aerospace companies to upgrade production capabilities, increase productivity, expand capacity and meet growing domestic and global demand for aerospace parts. “Additionally, through strategic financing and equity support, the industry has been able to enhance its technical capabilities, thereby im proving overall competitiveness in the global aerospace supply chain,” she told Bernama. Mazrina said there has been a positive impact on high-skilled job creation within the aerospace sector as a result of improved access to financing.

of specialised roles in automation, R&D and technical operations, contributing to the creation of higher-paying positions in the sector,” she said. Mazrina also noted that Micron Concept Aerostructures is already part of the original equipment manu facturer supply chain, having re ceived the “first article” project before securing financing. Moving forward, Mazrina said MPC projects that the financing facilitation initiatives could generate up to RM17 million in compliance cost savings if around 50 SMEs implement the proposed projects. This estimate is based on the potential for streamlined processes, reduced administrative burdens and improved access to affordable financing options.