20/02/2026

BIZ & FINANCE FRIDAY | FEB 20, 2026

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PETALING JAYA: DKSH Business Unit Healthcare has entered into a strategic partnership with Osteopore Ltd to enhance the distribution, com mercial coverage and operational excellence of its dental solutions in Malaysia. Through the collaboration, DKSH will support the nationwide distri bution of Osteopore’s advanced dental products, expanding access to innovative regenerative technologies for dental professionals across the country. DKSH will also provide full market expansion services, including sales, marketing, distribution and logistics, as well as customer engagement and channel management, to drive Osteopore’s growth across key healthcare and dental channels. The partnership builds on DKSH’s strong track record in healthcare distribution and its role as a trusted partner to leading medical tech nology and life sciences companies. By combining Osteopore’s product innovation with DKSH’s extensive commercial capabilities, both organisations aim to accelerate market adoption and enhance standards of care in dental and regenerative medicine. Osteopore CEO Dr Yujing Lim said they look forward to their partnership with DKSH Malaysia, shortly after the PETALING JAYA: For many Malaysian SMEs, WhatsApp has quietly over taken email as the primary channel for customer engagement, reflecting how businesses are adapting to the country’s mobile-first communication culture. Jeffri Shahul Hamid ( pic ), founder and CEO of Enginemailer, said SMEs are increasingly relying on WhatsApp for enquiries, bookings, promotions and after-sales support because it mirrors how Malaysians already communicate in their daily lives. “With close to 90% of Malaysians using WhatsApp, conversations are immediate and informal, and they often lead to faster conversions compared to email,” he said. Email, however, has not lost its relevance. Jeffri noted that it remains critical for structured, permission based communication such as newsletters, marketing campaigns and official business updates. While email engagement tends to be slower, it is still effective for scalable, planned communication that does not require an instant response. “The most effective SMEs recognise that WhatsApp and email serve different roles,” he said, adding that successful businesses use both channels strategically, depending on the customer’s stage and intent. Despite the widespread use of messaging apps, many SMEs are still struggling with structured communication systems. Jeffri said this is largely because customer messaging has grown faster than businesses’ internal processes. “WhatsApp makes it easy to start conversations, but without structure, those conversations become scattered across personal phones, shared devices and different WhatsApp versions,” he said. Over time, this leads to lost Ű BY DEEPALAKSHMI MANICKAM sunbiz@thesundaily.com

WhatsApp tops email as SMEs rethink customer engagement

small teams handle higher volumes of enquiries without increasing headcount. “The future of customer commu nications is intelligence-driven,” he said, pointing to agentic AI systems that can interpret messages, draft responses and

improve and consistency for small teams. Jeffri said managing both channels from one system reduces operational friction and allows businesses to choose the right channel without switching tools or duplicating work. “Speed matters, but response times

o Enginemailer founder and CEO says shift reflects how Malaysians communicate in mobile-first culture, successful businesses use both channels strategically

support decision-making beyond scripted replies. Better communi cation infrastructure is also key for SMEs looking beyond Malaysia. Jeffri said centralised and automated systems allow small teams to serve international clients con sistently, regardless of time zones or geography. Finally, Jeffri high lighted the role of locally built platforms in sup

consistency and relia bility matter more for customer trust,” he said. “WhatsApp delivers timely, personal messages, while email supports structured, longer form communication.” From a compliance standpoint, Jeffri said one of the most com mon mistakes SMEs make is using informal WhatsApp setups

unknowingly handing over their customer databases. In some cases, these databases may be resold, damaging brand reputation and customer trust. “Once customer data is leaked or misused, the impact is very difficult to reverse,” he said, stressing the im portance of using compliant platforms that meet PDPA (Personal Data Protection Act) and GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) standards. Cost and mindset remain the biggest barriers to adoption. Jeffri said many SMEs still see communication systems as an expense rather than an enabler, preferring manual solutions that feel cheaper in the short term but create inefficiencies over time. “There is also a belief that basic messaging is ‘good enough’ until the business starts to scale,” he said, adding that this often leads to fragmented communication and staff burnout. Integrating WhatsApp and email on a single platform can significantly

visibility over customer histories, inconsistent responses and missed messages. Costly third-party solutions further complicate matters, as some platforms charge based on database size, forcing SMEs to delete contacts or restart lists once costs rise. “This discourages long-term relationship building and causes email to be treated as optional, even though it’s critical for retention,” he said. The risks extend beyond ineffi ciency. Jeffri said SMEs often under estimate the long-term damage caused by unstructured communi cation, including erosion of customer trust, lost repeat purchases and limited scalability. “Fewer than 30% of Malaysian SMEs have adopted structured automation or digital communication systems, yet customer expectations for fast and consistent commu nication keep rising,” he said. Another growing concern is data security. Jeffri warned that many SMEs rely on third-party vendors to mass-broadcast WhatsApp messages,

porting Malaysia’s broader digital isation agenda. Unlike foreign tools, local platforms are designed around PDPA requirements, regional norms and local cost structures. “By adopting local platforms as part of the national digital stack, Malaysia can accelerate digital adoption, improve citizen experience and reduce reliance on foreign systems,” he said. As SMEs face rising competition and customer expectations, struc tured communication may no longer be optional, it is becoming a foun dation for sustainable growth. moved decisively higher, briefly surpassing US$70 (RM274) per barrel, while the upward momen tum in crude prices has been further supported by prolonged nego tiations between the US and Iran over a potential nuclear agreement. This have contributed to height ened uncertainty around future supply dynamics and reinforced a geopolitical risk premium in the oil market, MBSB IB said. “That said, despite the recent uptick in crude prices, the broader trend indicates that oil remains range-bound, largely trading within the US$60-US$70 per barrel band. “While prices have strengthened on renewed geopolitical concerns, it continues to sit well below the one year high of US$82.03 per barrel, suggesting that the current move reflects a risk premium rather than a structural shift in underlying supply demand fundamentals,” it added. MBSB IB said its top pick for the sector remains Dialog Group Bhd due to its defensive midstream exposure, anchored by its extensive tank terminal and infrastructure assets. “The group’s earnings profile is largely underpinned by long-term take-or-pay contracts and lease arrangements, providing stable and recurring cash flows that are largely insulated from short-term crude price volatility,” it said. – Bernama

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between Personal, WhatsApp Business and the official WhatsApp Business API. “Messages often sit on personal phones or unmanaged accounts, with no clear records of consent or access control,” he said, exposing businesses to unnecessary PDPA and reputational risks. Looking ahead, Jeffri believes automation combined with AI will shift from a “nice-to-have” to a necessity for SMEs. As customer expectations rise, automation helps WhatsApp

DKSH to market, distribute Osteopore’s advanced dental products in Malaysia

MBSB remains ‘neutral’ on O&G sector amid geopolitical tensions

KUALA LUMPUR: MBSB Investment Bank Bhd (MBSB IB) has continued to maintain a “neutral” stance on the oil and gas (O&G) sector, reflecting a still-challenging macroeconomic backdrop based on the recent geopolitical developments in the Strait of Hormuz. In a note yesterday, MBSB IB said this outlook reinforces its view that crude oil prices are likely to remain depressed, as the market continues to grapple with a structural surplus of crude supply, which is expected to cap sustained upside despite intermittent geopolitics-driven price movements. It said Iran’s temporary closure of selected sections of the Strait of Hormuz, alongside live-fire military exercises, marks a rare escalation in its approach to a key global energy artery, though the action was limited in duration and scope. “While Iran’s actions underscore the latent geopolitical risk em bedded in global energy markets, the current incident appears tactical rather than structural. Unless disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz become sustained or escalate into direct military confrontation, the impact is expected to remain short lived, consistent with prior geopolitical flare-ups observed in recent years.” It said amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, Brent crude futures

Dr Lim (left) and Sandeep at the signing ceremony.

biomimetic bioresorbable implants, while Osteopore is a leading partner for companies seeking to grow their healthcare business in Asia. DKSH Malaysia vice-president, healthcare and head, country leadership, Sandeep Tewari said Osteopore’s technology has the potential to be first-in-class in Malaysia, and we are excited to support the launch of this innovative solution and make it accessible to healthcare professionals and patients across the market. “Clinicians within our network have expressed strong interest in Osteopore’s products, especially when bone regrowth and augmentation are required.” and

clinical study comparing Osteopore’s polycaprolactone membrane with a collagen membrane. “With local clinical data being generated by the leading research university hospital, University Malaysia in Malaysia, we can expect to leverage the clinical outcomes to support in-market adoption. “As we continue to realign and strengthen our sales and distribution channels in a progressive and organised manner, we look forward to a strong partnership with DKSH Malaysia to introduce a technology that is experiencing growing traction in the market,” he said in a statement. DKSH Business Unit Healthcare is a global leader in 3D-printed