28/05/2026

BIZ & FINANCE THURSDAY | MAY 28, 2026

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VentureTech takes strategic stake in Pacton Technologies

WCT delivers steady Q1 performance amid volatile environment

PETALING JAYA: VentureTech Sdn Bhd, a government-backed impact investment company, has invested in Pacton Technologies Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian technology company specialising in artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, to enhance its AI- and IoT-powered aquaculture manage ment platform, FishSpeak. The investment will support Pacton’s next phase of growth, including the advancement of its AI capabilities, scaling of commercial deployments, and expansion into key Asean markets such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Brunei and the Philippines. Pacton’s FishSpeak platform combines proprietary computer-vision models, AI advisory and selective IoT integration to deliver real-time aquaculture intelligence for fish and shrimp farms. The platform supports water quality assessment, feeding optimisation, early disease-risk detection, and farm performance insights through a WhatsApp-native interface, enabling farmers to receive alerts, record activities, and act on AI-generated reco mmendations with lower operational com plexity than conventional sensor-heavy systems. FishSpeak has demonstrated early traction through its participation under the MDEC Digital AgTech Programme, with deployments across more than 50 aquaculture sites nationwide. The platform is also advancing regional expansion initiatives, including commercial engagement opportunities in Indonesia, where aquaculture operators are seeking scalable digital solutions to improve productivity, disease management, and farm level operational efficiency. Commenting on the investment, VentureTech CEO Azizan Jaafar said, “This investment reflects VentureTech’s continued focus on advancing innovative Bumiputera-led companies in high growth, high-value (HGHV) sectors that contribute towards strengthening Malaysia’s economic resilience and national capabilities. Pacton’s AI-driven solution addresses critical challenges in aquaculture, particularly around o Companies to accelerate expansion of AI-driven aquaculture management platform across Asean

PETALING JAYA: WCT Holdings Bhd – an investment holding company involved in engineering and construction, property development and investment in and management of retail malls and hotels, and food and beverage – recorded revenue of RM455.3 million in the first quarter ended March 31, 2026 (Q1’26) compared to RM472.1 million in the preceding year’s corresponding quarter (Q1’25). Profit attributable to equity holders in Q1’26 was RM4.6 million compared to RM12 million in Q1’25. The engineering and construction division recorded RM246.2 million in revenue (55% of the total) and RM5.4 million in operating loss, compared to RM224.9 million and an operating profit of RM7.1 million, respectively, in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. The higher revenue recorded in the current period was primarily attributable to accelerated construction progress across ongoing projects. Meanwhile, the property development and property investment and management divisions, and the food and beverage segment contributed about 34% and 11% respectively to the group’s consolidated revenue. The property development division recorded revenue and operating profit of RM152.2 million (Q1’25: RM175.3 million) and RM27.6 million (Q1’25: RM29.4 million), respectively. The higher revenue and operating profit recorded in the corresponding quarter of the previous year was primarily supported by higher land sales. To date, WCT’s unbilled sales stand at RM1.02 billion. The property investment and management division, and food and beverage segment registered revenue of RM46.9 million and an operating profit of RM9.1 million (Q1FY25: RM71.9 million and RM36.9 million). The lower revenue and operating profit were mainly due to absence of contributions from Paradigm Mall Johor Bahru and Bukit Tinggi Shopping Centre following the injection into Paradigm REIT on June 19, 2025. Group managing director Datuk Lee Tuck Fook said, “Amid a volatile and uncertain external environment, WCT remains focused on strengthening the performance of its core businesses while staying selective in pursuing new opportunities. The group will continue to navigate market headwinds prudently, supported by its diversified portfolio across engineering and cons truction, property development, retail malls, hotels, food and beverage, and business aviation. “While the operating landscape is expected to remain challenging, WCT’s diversified portfolio provides a broader base of resilience. We remain encouraged by sustained demand for well-planned developments in strategic locations, while our retail malls and hotel portfolio, as well as food & beverage segment are expected to remain supported by resilient consumer spending, higher tourist arrivals and the Visit Malaysia Year 2026 initiative,”he added. WCT reported basic earnings per share of 0.29 sen compared to basic earnings per share of 0.77 sen recorded in the preceding year’s corresponding quarter.

Azizan (third from left) and Faisal Shadli (third from right) together with the team.

FishSpeak across Malaysia and the region. Aquaculture farmers face real operational challenges, from rising feed costs and disease outbreaks to limited access to reliable farm data. “FishSpeak was built to make advanced AI accessible at the farm level, using computer vision and familiar tools such as WhatsApp to help operators make faster, better, and more data-driven decisions. This investment will accelerate our mission to improve productivity, sustainability and profitability for aquaculture operators across Asean.” VentureTech said in a statement that this investment reinforces its role in nurturing technology-driven companies that contribute to socio-economic development, including improving farmer income, enabling digital adoption among smallholders, and supporting sustainable food production systems. It is also aligned with the aspirations of the Bumiputera Economic Transformation Plan 2035, particularly in advancing Bumiputera participation in HGHV industries .

The group’s pipeline is underscored by healthy orders in hand of RM924.9 million as at March 31, providing earnings visibility until 2027. The orders comprise the supply of cables and conductors to power utility companies, EPCC (engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning) contractors and resellers. To support the growing orders and supply chain resilience, Southern Cable commissioned its new aluminium furnace facility in April, boosting annual aluminium rod production capacity from about 20,000 tonnes to more than 60,000 tonnes. The increased upstream capacity will support higher cable and wire output and improve efficiency. Furthermore, the group’s new plastic compound facility is scheduled to be com missioned this quarter. The facility will increase annual plastic compound capacity to 12,000 tonnes from 7,800 tonnes currently. productivity, operational efficiency and long term sustainability within the industry.” He added, “Beyond its commercial potential, FishSpeak also supports broader national priorities in food security and agri-tech innovation through the application of advanced technologies. As the aquaculture industry continues to evolve, technology-driven solutions like FishSpeak will play an important role in enhancing industry competitiveness, improving farmer outcomes, and accelerating digital adoption across the ecosystem.” Aquaculture continues to face longstanding challenges such as delayed disease detection, feed wastage, and limited digital adoption, all of which affect productivity and operational sustainability. Through its AI-driven approach, FishSpeak has demonstrated measurable operational improve ments across pilot deployments, including stronger feed efficiency, improved farm visibility, and earlier risk detection capabilities. Pacton founder and managing director Faisal Shadli Arshad said, “We are honoured to receive VentureTech’s support as we scale

Southern Cable reels in higher net profit of RM33.2m in first quarter PETALING JAYA: Cable and wire manufacturer Southern Cable Group Bhd recorded a net profit to RM33.2 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026 (Q1’26), up 21% from RM27.4 million in the corresponding quarter last year. The bottom-line growth was achieved on the back of strong market demand, alongside lower administrative expenses and higher other income. Group revenue rose 10.7% to RM432.7 million in Q1’26 from RM390.8 million previously, driven by higher sales volume to fulfil increasing domestic and overseas orders. power cables and wires to the United States, supported by deliveries to a foreign contractor for Malaysia’s East Coast Rail Link project.

Domestically, revenue remained resilient at RM365.1 million, up 1.5% year-on-year from RM359.7 million previously. The steady performance continued to be underpinned by sustained demand for power cables and wires, driven by rapid data centre developments, ongoing grid enhancements, renewable energy initiatives and construction projects. Concurrently, overseas revenue surged 117.2% to RM67.5 million from RM31.1 million previously, mainly due to higher exports of

Southern Cable’s steady performance continued to be underpinned by sustained demand for power cables and wires. – SOUTHERN CABLE PIC