29/04/2026

BIZ & FINANCE WEDNESDAY | APR 29, 2026

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Penang retains status as Malaysia’s top exporter o State contributes 46.7% to country’s total shipments to foreign destinations in March

continuity in this context. “Our diversified portfolio of trusted brands, extensive local manufacturing footprint and broad distribution network, in combination with our downstream supply chain capabilities, continue to provide a solid foundation to navigate this environment and deliver another year of resilient commercial and financial results,” said Aranols. He also said that they will continue to focus on keeping their brands relevant and accessible, executing consistently across all channels, and managing costs with discipline. RIFAR is the SC’s second climate adaptation and resilience challenge, building on the significant success of the inaugural Coastal Flooding Adaptation & Resilience (Cofar) Challenge held in 2025. This initiative involved 220 students from 29 universities to develop adaptation solutions for Carey Island, Selangor. SC chairman Datuk Mohammad Faiz Azmi said “Rivers are the circulatory system of this nation, supplying 80% of the country’s rawwater supply and run through our most economically vital corridors. The capital market values ideas that are both technically sound and financially viable. Following the success of Cofarifar, we are confident that Malaysia’s university students can contribute to the integrated solutions needed for our river basins.” SC’s Rifar challenges youth to contribute to river sustainability PETALING JAYA: The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) yesterday launched the River Flooding Adaptation & Resilience (Rifar) challenge to empower youth to contribute ideas and actions that strengthen the resilience of Malaysia’s rivers. This initiative is a collaboration with partners in university engagement, real-world implementation of flood mitigation measures and technical expertise in river resilience and sustainability. This nationwide competition invites university students to help address the escalating threat of river flooding through two distinct categories – an awareness track focused on creative communication, to drive public consciousness and community action about Malaysia’s river health and an interdisciplinary innovation track where teams develop a flood mitigation intervention for Taman Sri Muda. RIFAR forms part of the SC’s Transition, Resilience & Adaptation in Capital Markets (TRAC) initiative. It is in line with SC’s broader objectives to strengthen the role of capital markets in mobilising finance for climate transition, adaptation, and resilience, as outlined in the Capital Market Masterplan 2026-2030.

The export volume index also rose by 12% in line with increases in the indices of mineral fuels (+26.1%), manufactured goods (+19.4%) and machinery & transport equipment (+17.8%). Meanwhile seasonally adjusted export volume index increased by 13.4% from 158.9 points to 180.1 points. Referring to the annual comparison, both the exports unit value index and the volume index expanded by 2.3% and 5.9% respectively. The import unit value index also increased by 1.8% in March 2026, resulting from the increases in the indices of mineral fuels (+17.1%), animal & vegetable oils & fats (+0.7%) and food (+0.1%). Meanwhile, the import volume index also increased by 6.8% in 2026 as compared to the previous month, driven by the increases in the indices of chemicals (+15.3%), machinery & transport equipment (+10.5%) and manufactured goods (+10%). The seasonally adjusted import volume index increased by 6.3% from 152.9 points to 162.5 points. A year-on-year comparison showed that the import unit value index declined by 1.7%, while volume index edged up by 12.3%. Malaysia’s terms of trade declined 0.3% month-on-month to 124.4 points in March 2026, driven by the decrease in the index of mineral fuels (-10%), animal & vegetable oils & fats (-0.5%) and manufactured goods (-0.1%). Meanwhile, Malaysia terms of trade increased 4.1% year-on-year from 119.5 points in March previous year. resilience of our business and the strength of our household brands. In an environment marked by heightened global uncertainty, our focus remains on ensuring full continuity in our operations, contributing to the nation’s food security, building on the strength and reach of our broader value chain ecosystem, in strong partnership with our suppliers, distributors and customers.” He added that while the external environment in 2026 is defined by volatility and increased uncertainty, they are confident in the strength of their fundamentals and their ability to ensure

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia’s total trade for March 2026 amounted to RM273 billion with exports and imports recording RM148.8 billion and RM124.2 billion, respectively. Chief statistician Malaysia Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said that Malaysia’s exports in March 2026 reached RM148.8 billion, marking a year-on-year increase of RM11.4 billion (+8.3%). The increase in exports was attributed to the higher exports in Penang (+RM17.6 billion), Johor (+RM1.8 billion), Sabah (+RM607.3 million), Perak (+RM357 million), Terengganu (+RM224.2 million), Kedah (+RM162.6 million) and WP Labuan (+RM21.2 million). However, exports fell in Selangor by RM4.6 billion, WP Kuala Lumpur (-RM1.2 billion), Malacca (-RM1.1 billion), Pahang (-RM1 billion), Sarawak (-RM831.6 million), Negeri Sembilan (-RM439.7 million), Kelantan (-RM112.7 million) and Perlis (-RM6.5 million). Penang remained as the top exporter with a contribution of 46.7%, followed by Johor (17.6%), Selangor (14.3%), Sarawak (5.9%) and WP Kuala Lumpur (2.8%). Elaborating on imports performance, Mohd Uzir stated that imports in March 2026 increased RM11.7 billion (+10.4%) as compared to the same month in year 2025.

The increase in imports was attributed by the higher imports in most states such as Penang (+RM7.3 billion), Selangor (+RM3.3 billion), Kedah (+RM1.4 billion), Johor (+RM1 billion), Perak (+RM458.6 million), Negeri Sembilan (+RM336.3 million), Sabah (+RM14 million), Kelantan (+RM13.5 million) and Perlis (+RM7.5 million). However, imports fell in WP Kuala Lumpur by RM558.5 million, Sarawak (-RM445.9 million), Malacca (-RM250.3 million), Pahang (-RM215.9 million), Terengganu (-RM59.8 million) and WP Labuan (-RM15.5 million). Mohd Uzir said Penang dominates Malaysia’s imports with a share of 28.1%, followed by Selangor (24.8%), Johor (22%), WP Kuala Lumpur (7.5%) and Kedah (5.6%). Meanwhile, Malaysia’s export unit value index in March 2026 increased by 1.4% from 153.1 points in the previous month to 155.3 points. Import unit value index also increased by 1.8% from 122.6 points to 124.8 points. In the meantime, Malaysia’s terms of trade decreased 0.3% month-on-month from 124.9 points to 124.4 points in March 2026. Mohd Uzir said the export unit value index increased by 1.4% in March 2026, attributed to increases in the index of mineral fuels (+5.4%), chemicals (+0.6%) and machinery & transport equipment (+0.5%). compared to the same period last year. The improvement was driven by solid topline growth, enabled by strong commercial execution and brand activations throughout Chinese New Year and Ramadan/Aidilfitri, alongside disciplined cost management and ongoing operational efficiencies across the value chain. This was further supported by a downward correction in the prices of key commodities such as coffee and cocoa. Nestle Malaysia CEO Juan Aranols said,“We have delivered a solid start to the year, reflecting the

Nestle Malaysia delivers another quarter of resilient growth PETALING JAYA: Nestle Malaysia’s sales for the first quarter of 2026 reached RM1.88 billion, representing a 6.3% increase compared to the corresponding quarter of 2025.

Growth during the quarter was primarily supported by solid growth in domestic sales, up 7.4% year-on-year, while export markets continued to contribute positively, increasing by 2.5%, though at a more moderate pace than in previous quarters. Profit before tax for the quarter increased to RM271.9 million, while profit after tax rose to RM205.1 million, progressing significantly