Sarawak has inaugurated its first Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Digital Research Conference at the International Digital Economy Conference Sarawak (IDECS26), focusing on transforming academic research into practical applications. The event, held at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching, was opened by the Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development, Roland Sagah Wee Inn.

The conference highlights Sarawak’s commitment to integrating research with industry and public services, supported by  RM26m in translational research funding and 357 projects. The CoE aims to foster collaboration between researchers and industry, featuring projects on cancer risk awareness, precision irrigation, and waste management.

The CoE’s network includes six Sarawak-based universities and five international partners, such as the National University of Singapore and the University of Melbourne. This collaboration aims to enhance research in areas like digital health, smart cities, and green energy.

Yang Berhormat Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn emphasised the importance of developing local technological capabilities, stating, “We must also build the capability to understand them, improve them and develop solutions of our own.” The conference continues with discussions on building a connected research ecosystem and opportunities for researchers to present their work.

IDECS26, organised by the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation, Sarawak Multimedia Authority, and Sarawak Information Systems, serves as a platform for global collaboration in the digital economy. The event concludes on 6 October, with further discussions on research collaboration and industry engagement.

Emart24 Malaysia has announced Maryam You Narae, popularly known as Maryam DurianKimchi, as its new brand ambassador. This collaboration aims to celebrate the fusion of Korean culture with Malaysian everyday life, under the tagline “Two Worlds, One Seoul” (Dua Dunia, Satu Seoul).

Maryam, a content creator from Seoul, has gained popularity in Malaysia for her engaging content on Korean food and family cooking, amassing over 47 million views on TikTok. Her unique connection to both Korean and Malaysian cultures makes her an ideal fit for Emart24, which seeks to make Korean-inspired food more accessible to Malaysians.

The partnership debuts with the launch of the K-Rasa Fusion of Flavours menu, available from 15 September 2026. The menu features halal-certified dishes such as K-Pizza Tteokbokki and K-Reamy Korean Udon, alongside refreshing drinks like Strawberry Pop Yoghurt Milk. These offerings cater to the growing Malaysian interest in trendy Korean food.

Maryam will be featured in Emart24’s campaign communications, including digital content and in-store materials, bridging Korean heritage with the convenience store experience. “Maryam brings warmth and authenticity that makes Korean culture feel close to home for Malaysians,” said Vuitton Pang, CEO of Emart24 Holdings Sdn Bhd.

Looking ahead, Emart24 plans to expand the collaboration with Maryam into product development and exclusive consumer experiences, including co-created halal-focused dishes and limited-edition merchandise. With 110 stores nationwide, Emart24 continues to strengthen its position as a destination for affordable Korean street food and culture in Malaysia.

Malaysia Airlines has entered a strategic partnership with PT Bank Central Asia (BCA) and Novus Technologies to bolster travel, payments, and digital connectivity between Malaysia and Indonesia. The collaboration, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding, seeks to integrate solutions across payments, financial services, data, marketing, and loyalty programmes, enhancing the experience for travellers and businesses in the region.

The partnership is structured around five strategic pillars: payments and financial services, foreign exchange and treasury solutions, data and artificial intelligence, marketing collaboration, and loyalty ecosystems. This initiative aims to streamline cross-border payment experiences, optimise foreign exchange capabilities, and leverage data-driven customer insights.

Bryan Foong, CEO of Airline Business from Malaysia Aviation Group, highlighted Indonesia’s significance as a key international market, citing strong travel demand and business links. “By integrating travel, payments, loyalty, and digital capabilities, we aim to unlock new opportunities and support the continued growth of the Malaysia-Indonesia corridor,” he stated.

Armand Hartono, Deputy President Director of BCA, emphasised the importance of serving customers beyond Indonesia’s borders, whilst Ricardos Khoury, CEO of Novus Technologies, noted the role of Novus as the technology bridge between the two ecosystems.

This partnership builds on Malaysia Airlines’ strong presence in Indonesia, where it was recently recognised as the Most On-Time International Airline 2026 by Indonesia’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The collaboration promises to deliver enhanced value for both consumers and businesses, facilitating smoother transactions and stronger economic ties between the two nations.

MSIG Insurance Malaysia Bhd has reaffirmed its commitment to community resilience by continuing its partnership with EPIC Homes, focusing on supporting Orang Asli families with housing and fire insurance protection. This collaboration, ongoing since 2018, aims to enhance the financial security and living conditions of these communities.

This year, MSIG Malaysia completed two new homes for Orang Asli families in Simpang Pulai. In July, 31 employees, including CEO Ang Yien Chia, joined EPIC Homes volunteers to build the first home. A second team of 25 employees completed another home in September. Ang Yien Chia highlighted the importance of the initiative, stating, “We aim to give Orang Asli homeowners greater confidence that they have financial support should unforeseen events occur.”

The partnership has already proven its value; in 2025, an insurance claim funded repairs for a storm-damaged home. John-Son Oei, CEO of EPIC Homes, praised the collaboration, noting, “Building a home is about much more than constructing walls and a roof—it creates the foundation for families to live with security, stability, and hope for the future.”

As of August 2026, MSIG Malaysia has contributed to the protection of over 300 homes. The initiative not only provides immediate housing solutions but also ensures long-term resilience through fire insurance coverage. This effort underscores MSIG Malaysia’s dedication to empowering underserved communities and fostering sustainable impact.

The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS) and the Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in enforcing competition law. This agreement, signed by CCS Chief Executive Alvin Koh and MyCC CEO Datuk Haji Iskandar Ismail, aims to strengthen fair and competitive markets in both countries.

The MoU, witnessed by key officials from both nations, builds on the existing relationship between the two competition authorities. It establishes a framework for closer collaboration, facilitating the exchange of information and coordination on enforcement actions in cases of mutual interest. This partnership is expected to benefit consumers and businesses operating across Singapore and Malaysia.

Alvin Koh highlighted the significance of the MoU, stating, “As geographic neighbours, Singapore and Malaysia share close and growing economic ties, and businesses increasingly operate across both markets. This MoU is a meaningful step forward in our partnership with MyCC – one that allows us to promote fair and competitive markets for the benefit of consumers and businesses in both Singapore and Malaysia.”

The MoU is available on the CCS website for public access. This development underscores the commitment of both nations to uphold competitive practices and protect consumer interests, potentially leading to more robust economic interactions between the two countries in the future.

Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) has entered into a Sale and Purchase Agreement with Airbus to acquire Sepang Aircraft Engineering (SAE), a subsidiary of the Airbus Group. This strategic move, announced on 1 October 2026, is part of MAG’s Long-Term Business Plan 3.0, aimed at enhancing its engineering and maintenance capabilities and expanding its aviation services portfolio.

The acquisition is expected to strengthen Malaysia’s position as a regional aerospace hub by 2027, pending regulatory approvals. Captain Nasaruddin A. Bakar, President and Group CEO of MAG, highlighted the importance of this acquisition amidst a challenging year for the aviation industry. He stated, “We remain focused on making disciplined investments in areas where we see a clear pathway to sustainable value creation.”

SAE’s expertise in A320 maintenance, along with its dedicated paint hangar and specialised component repair services, will complement MAB Engineering’s existing capabilities. This will enable MAG to offer a wider range of maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) solutions to both existing and new third-party customers across ASEAN and beyond.

The transaction is subject to approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia, with MAG working closely with SAE and other stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition. This acquisition is seen as a significant step in supporting Malaysia’s ambition to become a leading regional aerospace hub, leveraging the country’s competitive cost-to-skill advantage and established engineering expertise.

Allianz Malaysia Berhad has announced the incorporation of Allianz Labuan Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary, effective from 1 October 2026. This new entity, based in the Federal Territory of Labuan, Malaysia, aims to offer life insurance solutions tailored for the high-net-worth segment, featuring products denominated in foreign currencies.

The establishment of Allianz Labuan is a strategic move to enhance Allianz Malaysia’s presence in Labuan, recognised as one of Asia’s leading international financial hubs. By doing so, the company seeks to accelerate its growth and reinforce its position as a prominent life insurer both regionally and globally.

Allianz Malaysia, a subsidiary of Allianz SE, operates through two main insurance subsidiaries: Allianz General Insurance Company (Malaysia) Berhad and Allianz Life Insurance Malaysia Berhad. In 2025, Allianz General achieved Gross Written Premiums (GWP) of RM3.68b, whilst Allianz Life recorded a GWP of RM4.01b, marking it as one of the fastest-growing life insurers in Malaysia.

The move to establish Allianz Labuan underscores Allianz Malaysia’s commitment to expanding its market reach and offering innovative insurance solutions to meet the diverse needs of its clientele. As the company continues to grow, it remains focused on leveraging its expertise to deliver value and security to its customers.

MUFG Bank, Ltd. has received approval from the Labuan Financial Services Authority to operate an Islamic Banking Window from its Labuan Branch, commencing operations on 1 October 2026. This strategic move allows MUFG to offer a range of Shariah-compliant financial products alongside its conventional services, catering to diverse client needs in Malaysia and beyond.

The new Islamic Banking Window strengthens MUFG’s presence in Malaysia, enhancing its ability to support cross-border business and investment flows across ASEAN, Japan, and EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa). By leveraging Labuan’s status as an international financial centre, MUFG aims to provide comprehensive Shariah-compliant solutions across regional and global markets.

Islamic finance, guided by Shariah principles, offers alternatives to conventional interest-based lending, focusing on sustainability and real economic ties. This sector has seen global growth, particularly in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, and is attracting interest from non-Islamic investors.

MUFG has a strong track record in Islamic finance, with operations in Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia. Established in Kuala Lumpur in 2008, MUFG’s Islamic banking platform has expanded to include Islamic capital markets, supporting significant sukuk mandates for Indonesia and the Philippines.

Motohide Okuda, MUFG Malaysia’s CEO, highlighted the importance of the Labuan window: “Building on the expertise we have developed in Malaysia over many years, the enhanced platform enables us to better support growing demand from Japanese, Malaysian and international corporates for Shariah-compliant financing solutions.”

The Labuan branch’s Islamic banking operations mark a significant step in MUFG Malaysia’s development as a strategic Islamic finance hub, enhancing its capacity to deliver Shariah-compliant solutions and contributing to Malaysia’s economic and industrial growth.

Malaysia Airlines and China Southern Airlines have announced an expansion of their codeshare partnership, adding five new routes between Malaysia and China. Effective from 25 October 2026, the collaboration will now include flights connecting Kuala Lumpur with Shenzhen, Changsha, Xiamen, Chengdu, and Zhengzhou. This move aims to provide travellers with increased flexibility and smoother connections across both airlines’ networks.

The expanded partnership underscores the significance of the Malaysia-China market, which both airlines highly value. Malaysia Airlines has recently launched new services to Chengdu, Shenzhen, and Changsha, whilst China Southern Airlines has increased capacity on its Kuala Lumpur-Guangzhou and Shenzhen routes. This expansion means that all Kuala Lumpur-related routes operated by the two airlines in the Malaysia-China market are now under the codeshare arrangement.

Captain Nasaruddin A. Bakar, President and Group CEO of Malaysia Aviation Group, stated, “Malaysia Airlines is pleased to further strengthen its partnership with China Southern Airlines and offer customers more ways to travel between Malaysia and China.” He emphasised the strategic importance of China for Malaysia Airlines and the benefits of enhanced connectivity.

Han Wensheng, President of China Southern Air Holding Company Limited, highlighted the growth potential of the Malaysian market, noting that the partnership will offer passengers more diversified travel options and support the Belt and Road Initiative.

This expanded cooperation is expected to bolster tourism, trade, and business ties between the two countries, providing greater value to customers and enhancing air connectivity in the region.

The Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2026 has concluded with record-breaking sales of RM6.78b, significantly exceeding its initial target of RM5b. Held from 23 to 26 September, the event saw a 120% increase in sales compared to RM6.05b in 2025, highlighting its pivotal role in expanding Malaysia’s halal trade ecosystem.

MIHAS 2026 attracted 69,104 visitors from 93 countries, a notable rise from 50,340 visitors in 2025. This growth underscores the event’s expanding international appeal, with exhibitors and buyers from 58 countries participating. The International Sourcing Programme (INSP) alone generated RM4.02b, marking a 10.9% increase from the previous year.

Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), Dato Indera Abu Bakar Yusof, emphasised the event’s success in creating opportunities for Malaysian businesses, particularly Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). “MIHAS 2026 demonstrates that the platform is not only growing in terms of sales but is also creating greater opportunities for Malaysian businesses,” he stated.

The integration of Agentic AI at MIHAS 2026 facilitated over 22,000 AI-assisted business appointments, resulting in RM28m in sales. This digital transformation is set to continue until 2027, allowing businesses to engage with potential buyers beyond the exhibition.

The event’s success reflects Malaysia’s growing halal export sector, which reached RM68.52b in 2025. MIHAS continues to support Malaysian SMEs in accessing international markets, aligning with Malaysia’s target of RM80b in halal exports under RMK13.