14/10/2026

BIZ & FINANCE WEDNESDAY | OCT 14, 2026

16 Finexus helps banks prepare for BNM’s Project STREAM

EPCC specialist wins RM36m

contract for wafer processing facility PETALING JAYA: iCents Group Holdings Bhd, a specialist in the design, engineering, procurement, con struction and commissioning (EPCC), has accepted a letter of award (LoA) from a Malaysian subsidiary of a US based company to undertake works for the turnkey development of a semi conductor wafer processing facility in Selangor, with a total potential project value of RM36.15 million. The semiconductor wafer pro cessing facility development is planned to be undertaken across four phases, with the current LoA covering two stages of works under Phase 1, carrying a total potential contract value of RM36.15 million. Stage 1, valued at RM21.05 million, has been formally awarded to VC Engineering, while Stage 2, valued at RM15.01 million, has its scope of works identified under the LoA and remains subject to a subsequent written award notice from the employer. Both values are exclusive of Sales and Service Tax. iCents managing director Vincent Ong Mum Fei said the award reflects their capabilities in delivering inte grated EPCC solutions, and they remain focused on building their track record in supporting the evolving require ments of high-technology industries. Executive director Foo Siang Leng said their immediate priority is to ensure the efficient execution of the awarded works while maintaining the quality, technical standards and cost discipline expected by their customers. The project is expected to contri bute positively to the group’s net assets and earnings per share for the financial year ending June 30, 2027 until its completion. Looking ahead, iCents remains focused on strengthening its position in high-specification industries, parti cularly semiconductors, data centres, pharmaceuticals and advanced manu facturing. Supported by its cleanroom engi neering expertise, manufacturing capa bilities and comprehensive facility solutions, the group will continue to pursue opportunities in Malaysia and selectively expand its regional presence in Thailand and Indonesia, while maintaining a disciplined approach towards project execution and cost management.

o SaaS technology company’s AIRStream designed to ease financial industry’s burden amid shift in regulatory reporting

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s banking industry is preparing for a significant shift in regulatory reporting as Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) advances Project STREAM (Statistical Re porting Modernisation). As outlined in BNM’s bulletin for the second quarter of 2026, the initiative will move reporting entities away from manual, template based reporting towards automated, API enabled submissions of granular, machine readable data. With data collection for the initial phase one covering deposits, payments and derivatives, banks have a finite window to prepare their systems and processes to meet BNM’s man date. BNM Project STREAM has a five-year timeline. Project STREAM is guided by three principles – collect once, use many times; automate collection; and future-proof re porting. The initiative responds to challenges BNM identified under the current framework, namely duplicate reporting of similar data across multiple datasets, significant manual effort in compiling submissions through web-based interfaces and Excel templates, and aggregated, periodic reporting that limits access to more timely and granular information. The scale of the transition is already driving demand across Malaysia’s banking sector. Finexus is currently engaged on Project STREAM with 12 banking groups, representing 23 of Malaysia’s 58 licensed banking institutions, or about 40% of the sector. A further three banking groups are formally evaluating its AIRStream platform through ongoing tender processes. According to BNM, the standardised data models and API-driven automation will reduce or eliminate manual reporting, while higher quality submissions will enable faster and more

granular open data, benefiting the public as well as banks themselves through better peer benchmarking and analytics. BNM has also noted that reporting entities stand to gain the most by applying these principles across their internal systems, not only at the point of submission, supporting a more data-driven, AI-ready financial sector and initiatives such as Open Finance. Finexus’ AIRStream, Automated Intelligence Reporting for STREAM, is designed to reduce that transition burden without requiring banks to rebuild their existing technology en vironments. AIRStream integrates with existing bank platforms and automates the transformation, validation and reconciliation of the granular data required for regulatory submission. The platform also reconciles information against banks’ General Ledgers and existing BNM reporting systems, helping identify dis crepancies before submission while reducing manual intervention. For banks weighing how to meet Project STREAM requirements without adding another major technology programme, Finexus estimates that AIRStream could reduce total implementation and operating costs by around 20% over five years, while cutting the internal manpower required by more than half compared with building and running the capability in-house. Its configuration-led design also means later STREAM phases can be absorbed with less need to rework core systems as requirements expand. These benefits are already being demonstrated in live production. AIRStream is deployed at one Malaysian digital bank, which has been submitting STREAM data since November 2025. In the first quarter of 2026, the platform

“The strong response to this Nasdaq Equity High Income Fund reflects investors’ demand for both income and growth opportunities in the technology sector, with the flexibility to invest in different currencies such as the US dollar. The fund provides a disciplined way to capture long term technology growth while giving Malaysian investors access to sophisticated, institutional grade investment strategies. We are pleased to make it available to our clients through Maybank branches network nationwide,” said MAM CEO Hisham Hamzah. Meanwhile, Blackrock Systematic Group for EMEA and Apac head Ahmed Talhaoui said that by bringing together human expertise, advanced technology and data-driven insights, leading towards its implementation. He said improved air connectivity could benefit the business and tourism sectors while making travel between Miri and the Klang Valley more convenient. “I believe better air transport links are important for a city like Miri, which has tremendous potential for further growth. More flight options mean greater convenience for residents and more opportunities to stimulate local economic activity,” he said. – Bernama processed around 565 million granular records, averaging more than six million a day, with each daily cycle of transformation, validation, reconciliation and submission completed in under three hours. Finexus Group founder, managing director and CEO Clement Loh ( pic ) said, “Project STREAM is an important step in strengthening Malaysia’s financial infrastructure for the future. AIRStream reflects our belief that Malaysian technology can do more than respond to regulatory change, giving banks a more resilient path forward while demonstrating that homegrown innovation can support systems of national importance.” BNM has described Project STREAM as a shared journey that can only succeed through close collaboration with the financial industry. AIRStream demonstrates how homegrown technology can support that journey, helping banks protect existing investments and reduce operational disruption as the sector moves towards a more data-driven and innovative financial ecosystem. AIRStream is built on over 26 years of Finexus’ regulatory reporting experience, with solutions supporting more than 30 banks.

New Miri-Subang flight service to take off on Dec 1 KUALA LUMPUR: Miri residents will have another air travel option when a new flight service to Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang (Subang Airport) begins operations on Dec 1. Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Chiew Choon Man said the new route would benefit residents who frequently travel for work, business, education, medical treatment and family commitments. greater convenience to travellers, particularly in accessibility and onward land transport. “I welcome this announcement because the addition of this route is not just about providing more flight options, but also about enhancing Miri’s connectivity with the country’s main economic centres,” he said in a statement yesterday. Chiew, who is also the Miri Member of Parliament, said he had previously met with Batik Air to discuss the possibility of introducing the route and welcomed the positive developments He said Subang Airport’s proximity to central Kuala Lumpur and surrounding areas would offer

MAM offers M’sian investors access to Nasdaq Equity High Income Fund PETALING JAYA: Maybank Asset Management Sdn Bhd (MAM) is offering Malaysian investors access to its Nasdaq Equity High Income Fund, a feeder fund that invests in the BlackRock Systematic Nasdaq Equity High Income Fund (target fund), managed by BlackRock. BlackRock Systematic’s investment approach can analyse opportunities at scale and support disciplined decision-making.

Nasdaq-100-linked growth participation while seeking regular income distributions. Firstly, the fund provides exposure to leading technology and innovation-driven companies with the Nasdaq universe and the broader US equity market, investing on a long-only basis to offer participation that closely tracks the Nasdaq-100. Secondly, the fund leverages Blackrock’s Systematic capabilities, applying artificial intelligence and big data analytics to support investment research and decision-making. Thirdly, the fund targets an annual income distribution of 9% to 10% per annum, generated primarily through a covered call strategy applied to selected Nasdaq-100 constituents together with dividend income.

He added that combining exposure to innovative Nasdaq-listed companies with their systematic investing capabilities and an income focused approach can offer a differentiated way to pursue long-term growth and income objectives. Denominated in ringgit as the base currency, the fund is offered in multiple currencies including ringgit, ringgit (hedged), US dollar, Singapore dollar (hedged) and Australian dollar (hedged), with minimum initial investment amount of RM10,000, US$10,000, A$10,000 and S$10,000 respectively.

The fund seeks to provide both income and capital growth by combining exposure to leading technology and innovation-driven companies with a disciplined income strategy. Since its launch on Aug 6, the fund has surpassed RM100 million in assets under management with the MYR Hedged Class delivering a total return of 4.47% as at Sept 25. The fund’s strategy is anchored on three complementary pillars designed to provide