21/05/2026

THURSDAY | MAY 21, 2026

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Longer business licence terms to benefit 95,000 traders from July PUTRAJAYA: Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s initiative to introduce business licence renewals of up to three years beginning July 1 is expected to benefit nearly 95,000 licence holders while strengthening a more business-friendly and efficient urban business ecosystem. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh said the initiative was introduced to ease the burden of annual licence renewals, which often place pressure on traders, especially towards the end of the year. “They (traders) can still choose to renew their licences annually but those who are able now have the option to renew for two or three years. “If they have no compounds or outstanding payments, they will be eligible for discounts if they opt for the two or three-year renewal period,” she told a joint press conference with Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Fadlun Mak Ujud yesterday. Yeoh said City Hall would offer a 5% discount on licence fees for two-year renewals and 10% for three-year renewals. She said the initiative would also benefit traders seeking financing from banks or financial institutions, as licences valid for a longer duration could strengthen confidence in the stability of a business. In addition, Yeoh said the move could help reduce operational and hidden costs incurred by traders during each renewal process, including the need to repeatedly submit documents. “The implementation of multi-year licence renewals is expected to reduce the burden of annual renewals, save time and compliance costs, while improving the efficiency of service delivery to the business community,” she said. She said City Hall remained committed to making Kuala Lumpur more business friendly by reducing unnecessary bureaucracy and processes. “We just want to make KL really business-friendly to everybody and to ease doing business in KL,” she added. Meanwhile, Fadlun said City Hall has upgraded its e-License system to simplify its business licence renewal process, with transactions now taking only about three minutes online. He said under the improved system, licence holders no longer need to visit City Hall offices as payments can be made through an online payment platform before applicants print their licences themselves. “We have introduced the use of barcodes for monitoring purposes (on site). When we conduct inspections at premises, we only use the barcode.” Fadlun said the system enables real time monitoring of licence data, including the number of applications currently being processed and active licences. “At present, there are about 42,000 applications being processed and 92,263 active licences. These licences are dynamic in nature and continue to increase daily.” Fadlun said the renewal process has also been simplified with users only needing to make a few clicks to access the list of active licences and renew them directly through the system. He also explained that licence holders with outstanding payments must settle the arrears first before qualifying for the 10% discount and a three-year licence renewal. – Bernama

Govt rules out early polls

Ű BY KIRTINEE RAMESH news@thesundaily.com

o Anwar administration to focus on economy, welfare of the people and fiscal discipline: Fahmi

Separately, he said an incident involving journalists during a Johor convention was under review following a complaint lodged with the secretariat. He said investigations had been instructed to identify the circumstances of the incident and determine appropriate action, adding that journalists must be given full space to carry out their duties. “However, in crowded or confined situations, unwanted incidents can sometimes occur,” he said, adding that improvements would be made. On proposed restrictions for social media access for users under 16, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission would hold a dedicated briefing for the media to address technical and policy concerns, particularly on age verification methods using MyKad and eKYC systems. He said identity verification mechanisms are already widely used across various sectors, including e-wallet services and digital platforms, and stressed that personal data protection safeguards remain governed under the Personal Data Protection Act. “There is no contradiction in using official identification documents for age verification, especially when such practices already exist in other services.”

PETALING Despite continued political speculation over a possible early general election, the Unity government has moved to put the matter to rest by reaffirming its commitment to serve a full term. All component parties also reiterated their support during Cabinet discussions, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said yesterday. The 16th General Election (GE16) is due only by February 2028 under the current parliamentary mandate. Speaking at his weekly press conference, Fahmi, who is also the government spokesman, said the matter had been previously raised by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and was again acknowledged by the Cabinet in its latest meeting. “The commitment was reiterated in today’s Cabinet meeting.” Fahmi said the reaffirmation reflects continued political stability within the administration, enabling the government to remain focused on key national priorities, including economic recovery and public welfare. He said the prime minister had expressed appreciation for the continued support of coalition partners within the Madani JAYA: SUBANG: Berjaya Air has launched the world’s first ATR 72-600 premium business-class-only flight service from Subang Skypark, targeting niche leisure destinations and non scheduled charter demand amid rising aviation costs and ongoing global supply chain challenges. Independent non-executive director of Berjaya Aviation Group of Companies, Datuk Chester Voo said the airline’s business model focuses on underserved routes and smaller scale premium travel instead of competing directly with conventional carriers on high frequency routes. “We are not looking to compete with traditional airlines. We are looking to carry dedicated 26 passengers who want to travel in comfort and quietly at their own time,” he told reporters after the launch yesterday. Voo said Berjaya Air currently operates one aircraft, with a second aircraft expected to arrive in October. He said the airline plans to operate between four and six flights daily with the first aircraft, increasing to about 10 flights daily once the second aircraft enters service. He added that the airline’s 26-seat aircraft is configured entirely for business-class travel, with onboard meals prepared by chefs from Berjaya Hotels and Resorts. “The airline would focus on destinations within a two-and-a-half hour flight radius, including Redang and Langkawi, where we also have Ű BY QIRANA NABILLA MOHD RASHIDI newsdesk@thesundaily.com

government, including Barisan Nasional, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS). According to Fahmi, the stable political environment allows the government to address economic challenges, particularly those linked to external developments in West Asia while safeguarding the welfare of Malaysians. He added that the prime minister also noted a more prudent and cost-conscious approach in the organisation of national programmes, including Youth Day and Teacher’s Day celebrations, as well as other official government events. Fahmi said these measures reflect a broader push towards fiscal discipline and more targeted public spending aligned with current national needs, without compromising programme objectives. He added that early efforts to streamline operating expenditure across ministries have begun to show positive results, while public service delivery remains unaffected.

Priority, he said, continues to be placed on strengthening frontline services in the health, security and education sectors. The Cabinet also welcomed an initiative by the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers to conduct a survey identifying key challenges faced by the industrial sector, which will help the government formulate more targeted and effective policies. On parliamentary matters, Fahmi said preparations for the upcoming Dewan Rakyat meeting beginning June 22 were underway, with two parliamentary seats confirmed to have been vacated. He also said expenditure rationalisation efforts had reached about 50% of the overall target, although a detailed breakdown by ministry had yet to be finalised. “However, the prime minister has stated that the estimated target or priority allocation has reached about 50% of the overall goal.” Fahmi clarified that there were no Cabinet discussions on the resignation of MPs or government officials as part of governance conditions.

Berjaya Air premium flights take off

Voo said Berjaya Air’s all-business-class cabin offers a luxury travel experience focused on comfort and personalised service. – AMIRUL SYAFIQ/THESUN

resort operations. “We are also looking at destinations such as Koh Samui and several points in Indonesia. Currently, there is no Malaysian operator flying directly to Koh Samui.” Voo also said the aircraft would support non-scheduled charter services during festive peak periods, offering travellers an alternative premium travel option within Peninsular Malaysia. He said the airline is also positioning itself as a solution provider for non-scheduled charter services, especially during peak travel periods such as festive seasons.

first aircraft.” Voo highlighted that among the destinations being considered are Koh Samui, Medan, Pekanbaru, Batam and Langkawi. He said the airline is also planning bundled travel offerings involving hotel stays and travel vouchers through collaborations with hospitality partners and Berjaya affiliated resorts. He added fares are expected to be priced below conventional business-class offerings by traditional airlines, with round-trip fares from Subang starting from around RM2,000.

“Instead of chartering a plane with 150 or 180 seats, customers can opt for a smaller 26-seat aircraft designed as a business-class concept focused on ambience and onboard dining,” he said. Voo said operations are scheduled to begin on May 22 with flights between Subang and Redang. “This will be followed by a ‘W cycle’ route connecting Singapore’s Seletar Airport, Redang and Subang to attract Singaporean tourists travelling directly to the island destination. “Initially, each route will operate three times weekly using the