09/12/2025

BIZ & FINANCE TUESDAY | DEC 9, 2025

15

Alibaba Cloud, MDEC launch SME digitalisation scheme

Pelaburan Hartanah to

GROW with SAP in modernising core business ops PETALING JAYA: Malaysian real estate investment holding company Pelaburan Hartanah Bhd (PHB) has chosen GROW with SAP to modernise its core business operations, laying the foundation for long-term growth and innovation in Malaysia’s competitive property market. GROW with SAP allows organisations to digitally transform using a standardised framework, tools and guidance. Established in 2006 under the purview of Yayasan Pelaburan Bumi putra, PHB is mandated to enhance Bumiputera participation in the ownership of prime commercial real estate across Malaysia through its syariah-compliant unit trust fund, Amanah Hartanah Bumiputera (AHB). In a statement yesterday SAP noted that PHB manages a portfolio worth over RM11 billion – encompassing office, retail, healthcare, logistics and education properties in key urban centres. As PHB advances its strategic business transformation and expands its portfolio, the company has demon strated resilience and delivered tangible results, providing stable and consistent income to AHB unitholders. However, with this growth, the company has also faced increasing digital challenges, such as aging and fragmented systems. “It was clear that we needed a unified digital backbone that could eliminate inefficiencies, reduce compliance risk, and help us manage our growing portfolio with greater agility,” said PHB group managing director/CEO Mohamad Damshal Awang Damit. “With GROW with SAP, we are making a strategic investment in our future, connecting finance and real estate operations through one intelligent cloud platform.” PHB’s move to GROW with SAP enables it to consolidate its operations into a single, cloud based enterprise resource planning environment. The solution integrates finance operations with contract and lease management, delivering real-time insights, streamlined workflows, and automated compliance with Malaysian accounting standards. By eliminating data silos and manual processes, PHB expects to strengthen data accuracy, reduce operational risk, and gain faster decision-making capabilities. “PHB’s decision to adopt GROW with SAP underscores how leading organisations in Malaysia are embracing cloud innovation to stay ahead,” said SAP Malaysia managing director Vipin Chandran. PHB plans to go live with the new platform by January 2026, with future ambitions to explore AI-driven insights and automate processes such as Procure-to-Pay.

o Initiative designed to accelerate transformation of Malaysia’s small and medium enterprises PETALING JAYA: Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, in partnership with Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), yesterday launch the SME Digitalisation Programme – a comprehensive initiative designed to accelerate the digital transformation journey of Malaysia’s small and medium enterprises and small and medium-sized businesses. Developed in support of MDEC’s Business Digitalisation Initiative, the programme aims to empower Malaysia’s SMEs to harness the full potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing, technologies that underpin pro ductivity, innovation and global com petitiveness. Recognising that micro, small and medium enterprises are vital to Malaysia’s socioeconomic development and central to achieving the 2030 gross domestic product growth targets outlined in the 13th Malaysia Plan, this initiative addresses a critical national priority. Built around four key pillars of digital transformation – awareness, upskilling, adoption and Innovation – the programme is designed to accelerate digital adoption, strengthen the SME ecosystem and foster sustainable, innovation-led growth for local businesses. “By focusing on SMEs, this programme ensures that a broad segment of Malaysia’s business ecosystem can harness the transformative potential of AI and cloud technologies, said finternational business and senior vice-president of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group president Feifei Li.

The programme is built around four key pillars of digital transformation – awareness, upskilling, adoption and Innovation.

Li added that leveraging Alibaba Cloud’s advanced technologies in AI and cloud computing, they are excited to partner with MDEC to empower Malaysian businesses to innovate, scale, and thrive in the digital economy – driving sustainable growth and strengthen competitiveness at scale. MDEC CEO Anuar Fariz Fadzil remarked, “Malaysia’s SMEs are an integral part of our aspiration to become an AI-nation by 2030. The ability to adopt advanced digital tools, particularly AI and cloud technologies, is critical to strengthening our competitive edge. Through this strategic public-private collaboration with Alibaba Cloud, we aim to bridge the digital divide and uplift our SMEs. By equipping businesses with accessible and impactful digital solutions, we are accelerating nationwide digital adoption and establishing the foundations of a resilient innovation-led economy.” The SME Digitalisation Programme will roll

out a series of targeted initiatives including educational campaigns, interactive workshops, webinar series, and ready-to-use solution kits, all designed to support SMEs at every stage of their business journey and empower them to turn challenges into growth. With practical upskilling and real-world application at its core, the initiative empowers SME to become a digitally capable force that drives Malaysia’s national digital transformation goals under the Malaysia Digital initiative. In a statement yesterday, it said, this collaboration reinforces Alibaba Cloud’s commitment to advancing Malaysia’s digital economy by empowering local businesses with secure, scalable, and accessible technologies. Through this programme Alibaba Cloud and MDEC are bridging capability gaps, nurturing innovation, and contributing to a robust, inclusive and resilient digital ecosystem across the nation.

MBSB IB: Foreigners net purchased RM11.6 million on Bursa last week KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign investors snapped a two-week net selling streak on Bursa Malaysia, returning as marginal net buyers, with purchases totalling RM11.6 million. media at RM58.6 million. Meanwhile, the top three sectors that recorded net foreign outflows were utilities at RM351.9 million, healthcare at RM108.1 million and technology at RM86.7 million. US$1.45 billion (US$1 = RM4.11) of net foreign inflows. “Only India and the Philippines saw outflows, while the rest saw inflows, led by Taiwan, followed by South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand,” it said.

MBSB Investment Bank Bhd’s (MBSB IB) Fund Flow Report for the week ended Dec 5 reported that Tuesday, Dec 2, saw the strongest inflow of RM155.7 million, followed by Monday at RM58.0 million and Wednesday at RM50.5 million. “Thursday and Friday were the only days to record net foreign selling at RM80.3 million and RM172.3 million, respectively,” it said. The top three sectors that recorded net foreign inflows last week were financial services at RM532.0 million, industrial products and services at RM83.0 million, and telecommunication and

Local institutions recorded a second consecutive week of net inflows amounting to RM83.0 million, while local retailers turned net sellers last week with net outflows totalling RM94.6 million. The average daily trading volume (ADTV) saw a broad-based decline, with local retailers down 3.3%, local institutions falling by 20.6%, and foreign investors dropping 28.8%. Regionally, foreign investors reversed a four week consecutive net selling streak, registering

Taiwan extended its second consecutive week of net buying, registering US$1.28 billion in net foreign inflows. South Korea turned net buyers, reversing a four-week streak of consecutive net selling and registering US$1.14 billion in net inflows. “Indonesia extended to a nine-week consecutive net buying streak, registering US$149.4 million in net foreign inflows,” MBSB IB added. Bernama

ACSR sets out approach to non-compliance in sustainability reporting PETALING JAYA: The Advisory Committee on Sustainability Reporting (ACSR), chaired by the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC), yesterday announced its approach to addressing non compliance with regulatory sustainability reporting requirements developed in alignment with the National Sustainability Reporting Framework (NSRF). This is in acknowledgement of the period of transition for reporting entities to adopt the IFRSŽ Sustainability Disclosure Standards (ISSB Standards). face in meeting the new sustainability reporting standards due to, among others, a lack of resources, the quality of external data or the difficulty in obtaining necessary expertise.” He added that their approach is to balance the need for compliance with the varied levels of readiness across reporting entities. compliance generally, this may be addressed through active engagement and corrective action, among others. However, reporting entities’ failure to take corrective action to address the deficiencies may result in the relevant authorities taking appropriate enforcement action.

Launched in September last year, the NSRF marks a significant step forward in advancing Malaysia’s corporate sustainability agenda. It is applicable for listed issuers on Bursa Malaysia’s Main and ACE Markets, as well as large non-listed companies (NLCos) with annual revenue of RM2 billion and above. SC chairman Datuk Mohammad Faiz Azmi said, “We recognise the challenges companies

As such, emphasis will be made on capacity building and skills enhancement during the review process to ensure reasonable and meaningful progress by reporting entities in disclosing consistent, comparable and reliable sustainable information. In the case of non

In instances of willful or serious non compliance/breaches, such as fraudulent and/or misleading material disclosures/omissions, enforcement action remains an essential safeguard to uphold standards and protect public interest, the SC said in a statement.

The SC, together with Bank Negara Malaysia, Bursa Malaysia, the Companies Commission of Malaysia and the Audit Oversight Board, will focus on a phased and practical approach in reviewing disclosures.