06/02/2026

BIZ & FINANCE FRIDAY | FEB 6, 2026

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China Unicom awarded Malaysia Digital status

SOLS Energy boosts delivery, talent pipeline to support solar ATAP rollout KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Solar Accelerated Transition Action Programme (Solar ATAP) took effect on Jan 1. Spearheaded by the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (Petra), Solar ATAP aims to bring affordable solar solutions to both residential and commercial sectors. In line with this, SOLS Energy yesterday announced an increased focus on execution and workforce readiness, aimed at supporting the practical delivery conditions needed for rooftop solar adoption to scale safely and sustainably across homes and businesses. “What determines success next is execution; quality, consistency, and the people who can deliver it,” said Jaran Walia, deputy CEO of SOLS 24/7 Group. “Our role is to strengthen the last mile: ensuring systems are installed well, customers understand what to expect, and support continues after commissioning, so adoption grows in a way the public can trust.” SOLS Energy emphasised rooftop solar often accelerates fastest when access is clear, but trust is built through what customers experience on the ground: competent workmanship, transparent guidance, and reliable support when questions arise after installation. The company is prioritising delivery readiness across its operations, including installation processes. AirAsia Malaysia general manager Datuk Captain Fareh Mazputra said: “The strong demand for our first fifth-freedom route between Taipei and Fukuoka last year is a clear testament to the success of this strategy, with an average passenger load factor of over 90% since the service commenced.” AirAsia steps up fifth-freedom expansion strategy with new route SEPANG: AirAsia Malaysia is accelerating its fifth-freedom expansion strategy with the introduction of a new Kaohsiung-Osaka route, operated as part of its Kuala Lumpur-Kaohsiung service, marking the next phase of the airline’s network growth across North Asia. Building on the success of its first fifth-freedom route launched last year, flying from Kota Kinabalu to Fukuoka via Taipei, AirAsia continues to scale this strategy by expanding beyond traditional point-to-point routes and creating new connectivity opportunities across its network. The addition of this Kaohsiung-Osaka route strengthens connectivity between Taiwan and Japan while leveraging Kuala Lumpur as a key origin hub within the airline’s broader network. Starting from June 15, 2026, AirAsia will be operating the new route connecting Kaohsiung to Osaka with daily flights in addition to the existing Kuala Lumpur Kaohsiung route. The new fifth-freedom sector enhances the airline’s presence in North Asia and supports growing demand for travel between Taiwan and Japan, while offering guests with more seamless travel options across multiple markets through AirAsia’s robust network.

as incubators for technological transfer. These labs are intended to allow Malaysian enterprises to access and localise advanced global capabilities – such as the Yuanjing LLM – to supercharge domestic AI application development. Commenting on the award, MDEC CEO Anuar Fariz Fadzil said the Malaysia Digital status conferred on China Unicom Operations (Malaysia) reflects Malaysia’s continued momentum in strengthening high-value digital infrastructure to support AI-driven growth. “China Unicom’s leadership in AI-as-a-Service and its regional delivery capabilities demonstrates how advanced digital services can be scaled responsibly to meet the evolving needs of enterprises across Southeast Asia. “This milestone further solidifies Malaysia’s position as a trusted hub for AI innovation and next-generation digital services, in line with the ambitions of the AI Nation 2030 agenda.” CUMY’s AIaaS framework will also be supporting AI triage and remote patient monitoring to increase medical service efficiency in urban and rural communities; integrating IoT and AI to streamline transportation networks and national supply chains; and providing scalable AI platforms and language processing tools to help local businesses automate workflows.

o Company set to accelerate national digitalisation through AI-as-a-Service and collaborative innovation

KUALA LUMPUR: China Unicom Operations (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (CUMY) has officially been awarded Malaysia Digital (MD) status by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC). This milestone marks a strategic evolution for CUMY as it expands beyond traditional telecommunications into a high-value digital service provider, dedicated to supporting Malaysia’s ambition of becoming a regional AI and data powerhouse. Building on the foundation of Malaysia’s Digital Economy Blueprint and the Malaysia Madani vision, CUMY is prioritising a modular AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS) framework designed to address real-world challenges by providing localised, intelligent digital solutions across critical sectors. In the realm of Smart City & Urban Intelligence, CUMY is deploying comprehensive tools including Video Analytics as a Service (VAaaS), integrated smart citizen applications, and intelligent energy monitoring systems. These solutions are designed to enhance public safety and drive data-led urban governance in alignment with national digital priorities. In a statement yesterday, Chief Statistician Malaysia Datuk Sri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin stated: “The accommodation and food & beverage service activities index increased by 3.1%, compared to 3.4% increase in the previous quarter. “This was driven by the restaurants and mobile food service activities index (3.5%) and beverage service activities (3.0%).” Meanwhile, he added, the transportation index rose by 2.2%, up from a 0.5% increase in the previous quarter, mainly driven by the passenger air transport index, which recorded an increase of 7.1%. The Education index also rose by 1.5% (Q3 2025: 1.4%), driven by secondary education (2.3%) and Higher education (1.6%). Other indices that recorded an increase were health (0.7%), real estate activities (0.6%) and professional (0.5%). Mohd Uzir said: “In contrast, the arts, entertainment & recreation index declined by 3.8%, after a slight increase of 0.4% in the previous quarter. The information & communication index also recorded a slight decrease by 0.1%.” The chief statistician further elaborated that “on a quarter-on-quarter basis, the SPPI increased by 0.3%, compared to 0.1% in the previous quarter”. This increase was mainly contributed by transportation (1.2%) and accommodation and food & beverage service activities (0.8%) indices. Additionally, the real estate activities, education, and health indices each recorded an increase of 0.2%, while the professional index increased by 0.1%, similar to the previous quarter.” However, the arts, entertainment & recreation index declined by 3.3%, while the information &

UniCom country head Zoe Li Zehui emphasises that while the company brings advanced global capabilities, “local partnerships are the key to unlocking their true potential” and creating “contextually relevant and impactful” solutions. CUMY is further deepening its commitment to the local ecosystem by expanding its Middle and back office operations in Malaysia. This hub serves as a strategic base to support the group’s wider Southeast Asian operations, serving as the engine for regional delivery, localisation, and technical support. UniCom regional deputy general manager Sarah Zhang said: “Malaysia is a strategic base for our regional growth. “By expanding our middle and back-office operations here, we are demonstrating our long-term commitment to the Malaysian digital ecosystem”. This growth is expected to create high-value jobs and ensure digital solutions remain deeply integrated with regional requirements. A core component of CUMY’s strategy is the active exploration of Joint Laboratories to serve

Services Producer Price Index up 1% in Q4 of 2025 PUTRAJAYA: The Services Producer Price Index (SPPI) rose by 1% in the fourth quarter of 2025, maintaining the same rate for the third consecutive quarter, said Department of Statistics, Malaysia.

index (1.8%), and education (1.3%) indices. Other indices that recorded an increase were health (0.7%), professional (0.6%) and real estate activities (0.2%). In contrast, the transportation index declined by 0.4% and information & communication index recorded a slight decrease of 0.1%.

communication index remained unchanged. Mohd Uzir summarised that the SPPI recorded a marginal increase of 0.9% in 2025, compared to a 0.7% rise in 2024. The increase was primarily driven by the accommodation and food & beverage service activities (3.4%), followed by arts, entertainment & recreation