07/02/2026

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Commerce.Asia supports rise of creator-led brands o Executive chairman says challenge lies in scaling and sustaining growth without compromising product quality or eroding trust

Company secures second contract from same Australian firm within three weeks

PETALING JAYA: Consumer behaviour is changing, and the shift is clear – trust is no longer anchored in faceless brands but increasingly placed in individuals, relation ships and communities. Commerce.Asia executive chairman Ganesh Kumar Bangah said this change is fuelling the rise of a new category of creator- and influencer-led brands. “Unlike traditional businesses built on advertising spend and distribution reach, these brands are built on credibility, direct engagement and a loyal community. “Creators are not guessing what the market wants. They already live inside their audience’s world. They understand what their com-munities value, what problems they face, and what drives their buying decisions – often with a level of insight large corporates struggle to match,” he said at the launch of Numinara, a beauty brand introduced by actress and singer-songwriter Diana Danielle. Ganesh said while it has become easier than ever to build and launch a brand, scaling one remains a fundamentally different challenge. “Today, a product can be introduced quickly, and demand can emerge almost overnight. However, sustainable growth requires far more than market attention. It demands operational discipline, supply chain control, reliable fulfilment, structured capital planning, and the ability to scale without compromising product quality or eroding brand trust.” The core challenge creators face is scaling, which is where many of them struggle most, Ganesh said. “When a product launched on a platform like TikTok Shop gains traction, sales can surge within days, but what looks like success on the surface often creates intense operational pressure behind the scenes, where demand is no longer the issue and execution becomes the real test.” Ganesh said scaling a brand also requires investment discipline and operational expertise, with decisions on pricing, pro motions, logistics, and capital allocation made with consistency and control. “Without experience, it is easy to overextend, underinvest, or lose visibility over costs, and without the right foundation, rapid growth can quickly become a liability rather than an advantage. “This is the gap Commerce.Asia was built KUALA LUMPUR: Precision machining and engineering supporting services provider Ambest Group Bhd expects higher revenue growth from future orders as supported by sustained demand from the semiconductor sector and artificial intelligence (AI)-related requirements. Ambest managing director Tan Beng Beng said the group is seeing continued order inflows from both existing and new customers, driven largely by AI focused demand. “Today’s technology is (undergoing) upgrades. I think semiconductor is one of the very important parts, while AI can evolve in all sectors, so I believe demand will keep growing,” he said at the company’s post-listing press conference. At the opening gong, Ambest debuted on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia at 29 sen, a premium of 4 sen over its initial public offering price of 25 sen, with 18.35 million shares traded. It closed at 34.5 sen, 9.5 sen or 38% higher than the IPO price, on 164.785 million shares traded. Tan said Ambest is positioning itself to support the

PETALING JAYA: Integrated engineering solutions provider Oxford Innotech Bhd, through wholly owned subsidiary CG Solutions Enterprise Sdn Bhd, has accepted a second letter of award from the Singapore office of an Australia-based data centre and computer room infrastructure specialist. The contract involves the supply of critical steel infrastructure and precision metal com ponents for an advanced data centre airflow management system. The data centre’s end user is one of the world’s largest cloud and e-commerce plat forms. Oxford Innotech managing director Ng Thean Gin said it is very encouraging to have secured the second data centre project from the same customer within three weeks. “We are honoured that they have placed their trust and confidence in our technical expertise and delivery capabilities. With another RM4.8 million job secured, the group’s total data centre-related contract wins to date amount to RM9.6 million,“ he said in a statement. Beyond the air flow management system, he said, the group is actively pursuing the qualification of other precision components for a wide range of data centre products offered by its Australian client. “We intend to leverage our first delivery to demonstrate our technical capabilities to deliver high-quality components that meet stringent specifications, paving the way for further opportunities in the pipeline. “Looking forward, we are confident to secure more projects in the hyperscale data centre as well as the semiconductor segments as demand picks up pace this year,“ Ng said. The contract will commence this month, with completion expected by end of 2026, contributing positively to the group’s earnings. OXB was listed on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia on July 29, 2025, and raised RM41.6 million, primarily earmarked for capacity expansion and capability enhancement to support future growth.

Ganesh (centre right) and Diana (centre left) launching the Numinara brand.

journey towards gentler, more honest personal care. The brand reflects growing consumer demand for products aligned with trust, transparency and community-driven recommendations. Under the partnership model, Diana contributes the brand values and community trust, while Commerce.Asia delivers end-to end execution across marketplace operations, fulfilment, logistics, performance optimi sation, and operational discipline. This will enable a content-to-commerce approach that converts creator-driven demand into scalable, repeatable growth without compromising brand integrity. Looking ahead, Ganesh said Numinara is the first of several creator-led brands Commerce.Asia plans to support across multiple sectors, with a clear focus on long term product-market fit, measured expansion, and sustainable brand building.

to solve, by providing creators with the infrastructure, discipline and execution required to convert momentum into sustainable, long-term growth,” he said, adding that the launch of Numinara serves as a successful case study of how creator-driven demand can be converted into sustainable commercial scale. Numinara is a Malaysian vegan personal care brand inspired by traditional Asian beauty wisdom, positioned around cruelty-free, vegan principles and recyclable packaging, reflecting a broader emphasis on ethical production and environmental responsibility. The brand crossed RM1 million in sales in under six months, underscoring the growing viability of creator-led brands when supported by disciplined execution, operational infra-structure and end-to-end e commerce capabilities. Numinara follows Diana’s personal

Market debutant Ambest expects AI-linked orders to boost revenue growth

rising technological complexity in the semiconductor supply chain by focusing on higher-precision, more complex machining components. The company is strengthening its front-end semiconductor capabilities while upgrading technical readiness to meet increasingly demanding customer specifications. At the same time, Tan said, the group is working to diversify its industry exposure by pursuing additional certifications, including in the medical and aerospace segments, as part of efforts to mitigate sector concentration risks. Regarding post-listing plans, he said the group is commissioning new machines at its Facility 42A in Bayan Lepas, Penang. The facility is currently being used partly for warehousing while installation and testing of production machinery are ongoing to prepare for manufacturing scale-up. It is expected to be fully utilised once approvals are obtained for the expansion of the production floor, with full operations anticipated by the end of the year, Tan said. – Bernama

Tan (left) at Ambest Group’s debut on Bursa Malaysia yesterday. – BERNAMAPIX