13/05/2026

BIZ & FINANCE WEDNESDAY | MAY 13, 2026

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KL prime office market sustains recovery trajectory

MPOB brings over 200 technologies to market

SEREMBAN: The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) has com mercialised more than 200 tech nologies, encompassing various innovations, in the country’s palm oil and agri-commodity sectors to date, thereby contributing to the sustainability and progress of the sector. MPOB director-general Datuk Dr Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir said the technology includes farm mechanisation and automation, oil palm biotechnology and ge nomics, science-based crop pro tection, processing and manu facturing technology, value-added products and oleochemicals, as well as digital systems and farm management platforms. “At MPOB, we have developed a lot of technology. The technology that we developed has been mostly utilised and practised by the industry. “So we are opening up opportunities for companies and industries involved to evaluate and employ the technology to increase productivity,” he told reporters after the opening of the MPOB National Agricultural and Food Engineering Convention 2026, themed “Revolutionising Field Operations: Automation, Digitalisation, AI and Future Ready Technologies”, here yesterday. Meanwhile, he said MPOB has introduced nine new technologies this year through the palm oil technology transfer programme, which focused not only on the plantation sector but also on the development of food products and palm oil-based industrial applications. – Bernama

PETALING JAYA: Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) yesterday launched SME Perkasa, a targeted financing initiative to help SMEs manage rising costs and cash flow pressures in an increasingly demanding operative environment. The bank is committing RM1 billion in approvals over the next 12 months, with each eligible business able to access financing of up to RM1 million and a six-month principal payment deferment. A defining feature of SME Perkasa is its speed of access. Eligible SMEs can receive disbursements within 48 hours upon full document execution, enabled by a dedicated fast-track credit assessment workflow that draws on customers’ existing transaction and banking relationship data with Maybank to accelerate evaluation. This allows SMEs to respond quickly to immediate cash flow needs and operational pressures, without compromising on credit discipline. The initiative is available to existing Maybank SME customers across 10 priority sectors affected by the current environment – including logistics, wholesale distribution, construction, food supply chains, fabricated metals PETALING JAYA: Kuala Lumpur’s prime office market sustained its recovery trajectory in first quarter 2026 (Q1 2026), supported by improving occupier traction and a limited near-term supply pipeline, according to Knight Frank’s latest Asia-Pacific Office Highlights report. Prime rental rates grew 1.3% quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q) to RM6.12 per square foot (psf) per month, while occupancy rates continued to rise with vacancy down 2.6% q-o-q to 22.1%. “Growth in Q1 2026 was primarily driven by sustained demand for premium quality assets with transit oriented accessibility and ESG compliance, particularly within Tun Razak Exchange and other established corporate hubs such as Mid Valley City, KL Eco City and Bangsar South. These locations continued to experience strong occupier interest, which pro gressively translated into improved rental and occupancy performance,” said Knight Frank Malaysia office strategy and solutions senior executive director Teh Young Khean. o Rental and occupancy rates continue to rise, segment in city remains best value proposition regionally

Ooi: Rising preference for fitted spaces.

Armstrong: Sentiment remains resilient. or improving rents, up from 17 in Q4 2025. Occupier behaviour has held firm, even as some firms are expected to defer leasing and expansion decisions in the near term. “Sentiment across Asia-Pacific has remained broadly resilient. The sustained impact on energy costs due to the conflict further strengthens the case for well-located, energy-efficient offices with strong access to transport nodes. In an uncertain environment, real estate is increasingly viewed as a strategic enabler of business stability and long-term growth, rather than a discretionary cost,” said Knight Frank occupier strategy and solutions global head Tim Armstrong. Knight Frank’s Asia-Pacific Office Highlights report provides a snapshot of the prime office market across the Asia-Pacific region, tracking rental growth, vacancy rates and leasing trends in 24 cities.

Teh: Premium quality assets in demand. While prime office rents continue to rise, Kuala Lumpur remains the most value-driven market in the Asia-Pacific, with occupancy costs of US$21.46 (RM85.08) psf per year. This positions it favourably to international occupiers relative to regional peers such as Perth, with occupancy costs of US$61.10 (RM242.14) psf per year, and Hong Kong, which headlines the rankings at US$158.96 (RM629.96) psf per year. Growth in the Kuala Lumpur market reflected broader regional trends, as Asia-Pacific’s prime office markets sustained their recovery momentum. Rents across the region rose 0.8% q-o-q, despite the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. Sustained demand from India and Australia drove expansion, while 18 of 24 monitored cities recorded stable

and industrial goods, petrol station dealers, agriculture, furniture, machinery importers, and courier services. SME customers from other sectors may also apply, subject to assessment. SME Perkasa builds on Maybank’s sustained commitment to the segment. Group community financial services loans in Malaysia grew 6.7% year-on year in FY25, reflecting continued momentum in serving SMEs. The initiative also aligns with Maybank’s broader ambition under its ROAR30 strategy to mobilise RM100 billion in SME financing by 2030, reinforcing the bank’s role in supporting SMEs. Maybank community financial services group CEO Syed Ahmad Taufik Albar said, “SMEs are navigating a far more demanding operating environment today, with rising costs and tighter cash flows becoming immediate concerns. In such con ditions, access to financing alone is not enough – speed of access is equally critical. With SME Perkasa, we are prioritising both, ensuring businesses can obtain the funding they need within 48 hours, alongside the advisory support to help them respond decisively and stay resilient.” “Rising construction and energy costs, as well as adaptive reuse incentives for older buildings in Budget 2026, are driving developers to rethink existing spaces, rather than building new. This supports demand and rental growth for quality, future ready offices, while older stock faces mounting pressure amid changing occupier preferences. We are also seeing a preference for fitted spaces, which offer occupiers enhanced speed-to-operation and premises suitability while eliminating high upfront capital expenditure,” said Knight Frank Malaysia group managing director Keith Ooi. Flight-to-quality leasing trends are expected to continue amid a tighter supply pipeline in Kuala Lumpur in the near term, with just 0.12 million sq ft of net lettable area (NLA) projected for completion in 2026 and 0.27 million sq ft in 2027.

Maybank rolls out RM1b rapid financing for SMEs

Betamek, UTP complete child detection tech project PETALING JAYA: Betamek Bhd, an original design manufacturer and a player in electronics components manufacturing for the automotive industry, announced that subsidiary Betamek Research Sdn Bhd (BRSB), in collaboration with Universiti Tek nologi Petronas (UTP), yesterday conducted the closure presentation for the child presence detection (CPD) technology project titled “SafeSync 360: Next Gen-Info tainment with Child Guard Technology”.

The project marks a significant milestone for Malaysia’s automotive technology ecosystem as it achieved Technology Readiness Level 6 and fulfilled all assessment requirements under the Asean NCAP 2026-2030 protocol for CPD Technology evaluation. This achievement represents a major breakthrough as the project is recognised as the first CPD technology researched, designed, and developed by a Malaysian company in Malaysia. The colla boration combines Betamek’s automotive electronics expertise with UTP’s research and innovation capabilities to develop an advanced in-vehicle safety solution aimed at enhancing child safety and reducing

The SafeSync 360 project marks a significant milestone for Malaysia’s automotive technology ecosystem.

and advanced automotive safety applications. Moving forward, BRSB will continue to work towards the com mercialisation of the CPD technology for deployment in both Malaysia’s electric vehicle and internal com bustion engine automotive seg ments. The initiative is expected to strengthen Malaysia’s position in automotive innovation and support the nation’s aspiration to become a regional hub for advanced auto motive technologies.

the risk of children being un intentionally left inside vehicles. The SafeSync 360 system integrates next-generation info tainment capabilities with intelligent child guard technology, supporting the growing demand for smarter and safer mobility solutions in the automotive industry. The project also serves as a platform for BRSB to diversify into broader innovations involving radar sensor technology, enabling future development of intelligent sensing