04/02/2026

BIZ & FINANCE WEDNESDAY | FEB 4, 2026

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GD Xchange Experience Centre reflects GDEX’s digital pivot

essential antimicrobial therapies across the market. Pfizer (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd cluster head (Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines), Deborah Seifert said, they apply science and their global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. DKSH vice president, healthcare and head, country leadership, Sandeep Tewari said: “This partnership reflects our shared commitment to improving patient outcomes by ensuring timely access to innovative and essential antimicrobial therapies. “By combining Pfizer’s strong scientific leadership with DKSH’s proven commercial capabilities and extensive distribution network, we aim to deliver greater value to healthcare providers and patients nationwide, providing better health care for all.” Together, DKSH Malaysia and Pfizer are committed to strengthening infection management in Malaysia and advancing patient care through timely access to essential therapies. MISC secures 20-year LNG shipping deal from Petronas arm KUALA LUMPUR: MISC Bhd has received a letter of award (LoA) from Petronas LNG Ltd (PLL) for the provision of long term liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipping services, in volving three newbuild LNG carriers. MISC said under the LoA issued on Jan 30, 2026, it will charter the three newbuild LNG carriers to PLL for 20 years each, with services com mencing in 2029 and provided through its wholly owned subsidiaries. “The time charters include commercial, project execution and operational risks inherent to the industry. MISC will take appropriate measures to miti gate through established con trols, experience and opera tional expertise,” the maritime conglomerate disclosed in a filing with Bursa Malaysia yesterday. MISC said in parallel with the LoA, it has entered into shipbuilding contracts with Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuild ing (Group) Co Ltd for the construction of the three LNG carriers. It said the project will not affect MISC’s share capital, and is not expected to have a material financial impact on the group for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2026. – Bernama

already use, the problem is solved,” he said. The group has allocated more than RM3 million for the ex perience centre, primarily for renovation and facilities, and expects a relatively fast return on investment. Teong said the centre also delivers immediate cost savings by reducing the need for external venues for partner events and business engagements. “We are very focused on ROI (return on investment). Even from operational savings alone, the returns come back quite quickly,” he said. Looking ahead, Teong said, GDEX remains open to mergers and acquisitions to strengthen its tech nology offerings in areas where the group currently lacks in-house capabilities. “The tech direction cannot stop. This is just the beginning, and we will pivot even stronger into this area,” he said. While the group continues to face intense competition in the courier segment, Teong said GDEX will focus on business-to-business customers and service quality rather than aggressive price com petition, while using technology as a hedge against volatility in the logistics market. “Logistics will remain a key business for us, but technology will continue to play a bigger role in ensuring sustainability and long term growth,” he said. PETALING JAYA: DKSH Business Unit Healthcare, a partner for companies seeking to grow their healthcare business in Asia and beyond, has entered into a partnership with Pfizer (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of the global pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc, to provide comprehensive distribution, sales and marketing services for Pfizer’s anti-infectives portfolio throughout Malaysia. Pfizer’s anti-infectives portfolio comprises a strong mix of established therapies that play a vital role in treating moderate to severe infections, alongside newer, clinically robust antimicrobial treatments. Under this collaboration, DKSH will manage end-to-end commercial operations, including warehousing, nationwide distribution, and inte grated sales and marketing support across all healthcare channels. By combining Pfizer’s scientific innovation with DKSH’s extensive commercial infrastructure and deep market expertise, the collaboration aims to significantly broaden access to

Bursa Malaysia approval in 2024 to pivot more aggressively into tech nology-related businesses. He added that technology adoption has not only opened new revenue streams, but has also improved efficiency across GDEX’s logistics operations, supporting the group’s turnaround efforts. “Initially, we went into

efficiency and scalability. “The experience centre brings all our technology partners together to collaborate, share use cases and demonstrate how different tech nologies can be applied in real business environments,” he told reporters after the launch. According to Teong,

Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) offers a scalable develop ment model throughout the region, predicated on its seamless cross border logistics and efficient flow of goods, according to Khazanah Research Institute chairman Nungsari Ahmad Radhi. He said the JS-SEZ is seen as a bilateral development framework that can transform regional develop ment approaches, especially through direct cooperation between Johor and Singapore. “I hope this initiative also involves the movement of goods, where a form of limited ‘customs union’ can stimulate growth by leveraging the economic positions of Johor and Singapore,” he told Bernama. He said the same development model can be adapted in border areas such as Kedah, Perlis and Kelantan with Thailand’s southern provinces; Tawau, Sabah, with Indonesia’s East Kalimantan; and Kuching, Sarawak, with West Kalimantan. He said the development approach based on cross-border integration can accelerate regional growth and strengthen Malaysia’s The GD Xchange Experience Centre, which was officially launched by Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani yesterday, is designed as a collaborative, hands-on platform where businesses can experience end-to-end technology supply chain solutions, ranging from cloud services and cybersecurity to artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics and smart retail systems. GDEX managing director and group CEO Teong Teck Lean ( pic) said the centre serves as a one-stop hub for businesses to visualise, test and adopt technologies that are increasingly critical to operational PETALING JAYA: GDEX Bhd is doubling down on technology-driven services as a core growth pillar, with the launch of the GD Xchange Experience Centre marking a key milestone in the group’s trans formation from a traditional courier into an integrated logistics and technology solutions provider. Ű BY DEEPALAKSHMI MANICKAM sunbiz@thesundaily.com o Group doubles down on tech-driven services as it transforms into integrated logistics and solutions provider

GD Xchange enables businesses, particularly SMEs, to access advanced technologies that would otherwise be costly or complex to implement independently. The centre also functions as an internal collaboration space for GDEX, its prin cipals, customers and channel partners to co develop solutions. “Many companies

tech to make our logistics more efficient. But as we went deeper, we found that customers also wanted these tech solu tions. That’s why we ex panded further,” he said. The GD Xchange eco system brings together global technology leaders such as Microsoft, Amazon Web Services and Shopify, alongside

regional partners, enabling integrated solutions across supply chain management, order and warehouse management systems, e-commerce enablement and data analytics. Teong cited e-invoicing as a practical example of how bundled solutions can lower adoption barriers for SMEs. GDEX’s point-of sale system, ZeoNex, includes an e invoicing module provided at no additional cost, helping businesses comply with regulatory require ments without incurring extra expenses. “For many companies, e invoicing is very difficult. But if it’s embedded into a solution they Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said the JS-SEZ, which is now moving from the planning phase to imple mentation, is expected to combine Johor’s resources and workforce with Singapore’s capital, technology and global network to attract quality investments. Meanwhile, Malaysia University of Science and Technology provost Barjoyai Bardai said the JS-SEZ was expected to have an initial impact with increased investment senti ment, particularly in the high-value industrial, logistics and support services sectors. He said the JS-SEZ also has the potential to reactivate the economic value of existing assets, such as Forest City, through its integration into the more productive Johor Singapore economic ecosystem. He said the move should be seen as a structural improvement initiative to ensure that the large investments could be optimised continuously. He said the successful imple mentation of the JS-SEZ would also depend on policy clarity, efficient joint governance and the ability to attract quality investments that could generate spillover effects to the local economy.

know they need technology, but they can’t visualise how it works. When they come here and see everything live, decision-making becomes faster and more informed,” he said. GDEX’s technology arm currently contributes close to 20% of the group’s total revenue, a share that Teong expects to rise further as demand for digital solutions accelerates. While logistics still accounts for about 80% of group revenue, the technology segment has recorded strong double-digit growth over the past two years. “This is already a core component of GDEX,” Teong said, noting that the group received shareholder and role as a regional economic hub. So far, JS-SEZ has recorded impressive performance, with a total of RM91.1 billion in approved investments as of the third quarter of 2025, surpassing other states, including Selangor (RM51.9 billion), the Federal Territory (RM45.9 billion) and Penang (RM23.7 billion). Nungsari said the development of the Iskandar region in southern Johor for almost two decades has received a boost via the implementation of the JS-SEZ, which formalises Singapore’s involvement more comprehensively. He said the integration of Tanjung Pelepas Port with Singapore Port could potentially create one of the world’s largest maritime hubs. Besides, he said, Senai Inter national Airport could be utilised through closer cooperation, while Pengerang could operate in parallel with Singapore as the world’s leading crude oil downstream logistics and processing centre. “This not only involves investment and property development, but also integrated logistics development, which can provide economic benefits to both countries,” he said. Previously, Economy Minister

JS-SEZ offers scalable development model throughout region: Economists JOHOR BAHRU: The Johor

DKSH to distribute, market Pfizer’s anti-infective therapies in Malaysia