Nestlé Omega Plus, in collaboration with Yayasan Jantung Malaysia (YJM) and Institut Jantung Negara Foundation (IJNF), is intensifying efforts to promote heart health awareness among young Malaysians. This initiative comes as part of World Heart Month and aligns with the World Heart Federation’s 2026 theme, “Don’t Miss A Beat.” The campaign aims to address the alarming statistics from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2023, which revealed that a significant number of young Malaysians remain undiagnosed with key cardiovascular risk factors.

The initiative will provide 10,000 health screenings and heart-health education sessions to encourage early preventive action. Nestlé Omega Plus will also maintain its annual contribution of $21,000 (RM100,000) each to YJM and IJNF to support outreach and education efforts. Additionally, the Nestlé Omega Plus Walk A Million Miles 2026 virtual challenge will take place from 1 September to 31 October, with a physical walk scheduled for 19 September in Putrajaya.

Nestlé Omega Plus is also expanding its product line with the introduction of Nestlé Omega Gold UHT, designed to offer healthy beverage options for busy adults. This new product contains ActiCol plant sterols, potassium, and inulin, which aid in cholesterol reduction, blood pressure maintenance, and blood sugar control, respectively.

The initiative underscores the importance of early heart health awareness and preventive measures, aiming to empower young Malaysians to take charge of their cardiovascular health. As heart disease risk factors often develop unnoticed in youth, this campaign seeks to foster healthier lifestyle habits from an early age.

InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is set to open its first resort in Malaysia this December, introducing the InterContinental Penang Resort. Nestled on the serene shores of Teluk Bahang, the resort promises a blend of luxury and cultural immersion, offering guests a unique experience amidst the tropical rainforest and the Andaman Sea.

The resort will feature 348 rooms and suites, including exclusive access to Club InterContinental for enhanced privacy and personalised service. Dining options will be diverse, with four restaurants and bars: Sulam for Peranakan cuisine, Paradiso for Italian dining, SHINKA for Nikkei cuisine, and Coastal for oceanfront dining. The Gemala Spa will provide wellness experiences inspired by Penang’s multicultural healing traditions.

Family-friendly facilities include the Planet Trekkers Kids Club and an interactive games room for teenagers. The resort also boasts a Grand Ballroom, meeting rooms, a boardroom, and outdoor lawns for events and corporate gatherings.

General Manager Jeffrey Seward highlighted the resort’s connection to Penang, stating, “Guests will be able to wake up beside the Andaman Sea, explore Teluk Bahang’s quieter coastline, taste Peranakan flavours at Sulam, enjoy sunset moments at Coastal, and then retreat to the calm of Gemala Spa.”

The opening of InterContinental Penang Resort marks a significant milestone for the brand in Malaysia, aligning with its vision of offering modern luxury that is deeply connected to its locale. Further details on the opening and reservations will be announced in due course.

Dusit International is set to unveil its latest venture, Dusit Princess Ipoh, on 1 October 2026. Located in the heart of Ipoh, Malaysia, the hotel promises to deliver Thai-inspired hospitality, offering a strategic base for exploring the city’s historic and culinary attractions. This marks Dusit’s third branded property in Malaysia, following Dusit Princess Melaka and ASAI Gamuda Cove.

Situated near the Perak Turf Club and just minutes from Ipoh city centre, the hotel is ideally positioned for both leisure and business travellers. Sultan Azlan Shah Airport, offering direct flights from Singapore, is a mere 10-minute drive away. The hotel features 268 rooms across five categories, including Family Suites with kitchenettes, catering to extended stays and family visits.

Guests can enjoy a range of amenities, including an outdoor pool, a Kids Club, and a 6,580 sq ft fitness centre. The Atrium, the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant, offers panoramic views of Ipoh’s limestone hills and serves a mix of local and international cuisine. For events, the hotel provides three flexible venues, including the Kinta Ballroom, which can accommodate up to 400 guests.

Chanin Donavanik, Group CEO of Dusit International, highlighted Ipoh’s potential to attract international visitors, citing its convenient access from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. “We are building on the strengths of an established property to support that growth whilst helping guests connect more deeply with the destination,” he said.

To celebrate its opening, Dusit Princess Ipoh is offering special rates starting from $57 (approximately RM 230) per night, including a daily food and beverage credit. This offer is valid until 31 December 2026.

Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) has announced a series of strategic developments aimed at enhancing regional connectivity and aviation services. From December 2026, Malaysia Airlines will resume flights to Busan, South Korea, marking its return to the route after nearly three decades. Additionally, Firefly, a sister airline, will launch direct services to Kunming, China, marking its entry into the Chinese market.

In response to increasing travel demand, Malaysia Airlines will also increase flight frequencies to Brisbane, Surabaya, and Fukuoka. The airline will operate daily flights to Fukuoka from 1 December 2026, up from five weekly flights. Brisbane services will become daily from 25 October 2026, and Surabaya will see an increase from 14 to 16 weekly flights starting 1 November 2026.

MAG is also investing in its culinary capabilities with a new in-flight catering facility near Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), set to be completed by Q4 2028. This facility will double meal production capacity to approximately 50,000 meals daily, enhancing the in-flight dining experience and creating new employment opportunities.

Captain Nasaruddin A. Bakar, President and Group CEO of MAG, stated, “We are continuing to grow with purpose, strengthening our network where there is demand, reconnecting established markets and expanding into new ones.”

These initiatives are part of MAG’s Long-Term Business Plan 3.0, aimed at reinforcing Kuala Lumpur’s role as a regional aviation hub and supporting Malaysia Airlines’ ambition to become one of the world’s top 10 global airlines by 2030.

Malaysia Airlines has resumed its direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Fukuoka, marking a significant enhancement in its connectivity with Japan. The service, which began on 2 September 2026, operates on a Boeing 737-8 and is the only direct connection between the two cities. This route will run up to five times weekly, contributing to a total of 26 flights per week between Malaysia and Japan.

The inaugural flight, MH56, departed Kuala Lumpur International Airport and was met with a lively send-off, celebrating Fukuoka’s vibrant culture. Passengers were treated to a Japanese-themed event, complete with food stalls and commemorative merchandise. The flight recorded an impressive load factor of 88% outbound and 90% inbound.

Upon arrival in Fukuoka, the aircraft received a water cannon salute, and a special ceremony was held in collaboration with Fukuoka International Airport Co., Ltd. The event was attended by key figures, including the Ambassador-designate of Malaysia to Japan and representatives from Malaysia Aviation Group and Fukuoka International Airport.

This service not only enhances Malaysia Airlines’ network but also supports the Malaysia Airlines-Japan Airlines Joint Business partnership. Through a codeshare arrangement, passengers can connect seamlessly to various domestic destinations in Japan. Additionally, the route offers travellers from Japan convenient onward connections via Kuala Lumpur to destinations across Malaysia, ASEAN, South Asia, and Australasia, aligning with the Visit Malaysia 2026 initiative.

To celebrate the resumption, Malaysia Airlines is offering up to 30% savings on bookings made by 14 September 2026, with additional discounts for Enrich members and VISA card payments.

Hong Leong Bank has launched the HLB opus, a groundbreaking credit card crafted from ceramic, marking Malaysia’s first Visa Infinite Privilege payment experience. Available exclusively by invitation, the card targets a select group of clients, offering unparalleled access to a global ecosystem of travel, dining, wellness, and lifestyle privileges.

The HLB opus card, derived from the Latin word for work or achievement, is designed to reflect the success and resilience of high-net-worth individuals. The card’s unique ceramic composition, created using Convego® Ceramic technology, provides a scratch-resistant surface with a luxurious tactile finish. This innovation positions the card as a symbol of achievement and exclusivity.

Andrew Jong, Managing Director of Personal Financial Services at HLB, stated, “HLB opus celebrates our clients’ lives. Every success is hard earned, born of ambition, tempered by grit, lifted by community, rooted in family, and anchored in identity.” The card is part of HLB’s “One Bank” model, integrating business, corporate, and personal financial services to enhance client experiences.

The card’s benefits include unlimited access to Plaza Premium Lounges worldwide, Visa private club access, and status matches with Harrods Gold and other luxury brands. Additionally, the card offers an exclusive points conversion tier with Malaysia Airlines’ Enrich programme, providing significant rewards for overseas spending.

The introduction of HLB opus underscores HLB’s commitment to innovation and client-centric services, reinforcing its position as a leader in the financial sector.

Roomie, a leading hospitality guest engagement platform in Malaysia, has introduced the country’s first integrated payment gateway tailored for the hotel and tourism sector. This innovative solution allows guests to pay for services such as room bookings, room service, and entertainment directly through their preferred booking or chat channels, enhancing convenience and reducing payment friction.

The gateway supports popular regional e-wallets, including Alipay for China and Southeast Asia, UPI for India, and GCash for the Philippines. This integration is particularly timely as Malaysia extends its Visit Malaysia Year to 2027, with China and India remaining key source markets. In the first quarter of 2026, China recorded 1.4 million visitor arrivals, whilst India contributed over 1.5 million visitors in 2025.

Roomie’s CEO, CS Goh, highlighted the gateway’s role in improving transaction conversion rates by 40%, compared to the industry’s 80% cart abandonment rate. “Our goal is to help hotels improve transaction conversion, reduce abandoned orders, and unlock more opportunities for upselling,” he stated.

The platform also facilitates mobile check-in and check-out, consolidating guest communications across various channels into a single interface. This not only streamlines operations but also enhances guest satisfaction by reducing booking abandonment and improving service consistency.

Roomie aims to double its client base of 100 hotels across Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam within the next year, further solidifying its position in the hospitality technology market.

Maybank has announced a 2.4% year-on-year increase in net profit for the second quarter of FY26, reaching RM2.69b. The first half of the financial year saw a total net profit of RM5.17b. This performance was bolstered by disciplined cost management and a significant reduction in net impairment provisions.

The bank’s profit before tax for the quarter rose by 3.7% to RM3.64b, with a return on equity improving to 12.0% from 11.6% the previous year. Net operating income was reported at RM7.51b. Maybank’s net fund-based income increased by 1.9%, whilst wealth management and investment banking-related fees surged by 61.5% and 58.4%, respectively.

Singapore played a crucial role in the group’s regional performance, with loans expanding by 3.4% year-on-year. Community Financial Services loans in Singapore grew by 7.4%. Group loans overall increased by 2.7%, driven by growth in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.

Maybank’s liquidity and capital positions remain robust, with a Group CASA ratio improving to 41.5% and a CET1 ratio of 14.92%. The bank declared an interim dividend of 31 sen per share, translating to a payout ratio of 72.5%.

Chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Ir. Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa highlighted the group’s strong financial foundations, whilst CEO Dato’ Sri Khairussaleh Ramli emphasised the progress in strategic priorities and technology-driven customer engagement. Looking ahead, Maybank aims to sustain its growth trajectory and advance its sustainability agenda, with significant investments planned in technology and sustainable finance.

Malaysian deep tech startup nanoSkunkWorkX (nSWX) has successfully raised US$2m in a seed funding round led by Singapore’s Tin Men Capital. This investment aims to address the global bottleneck in AI chip packaging by enhancing the efficiency of energy, heat, and electronic signal transfer in advanced devices. Co-founded by former NASA principal investigator Amani Salim and MIT-trained Iqbal Shamsul, nSWX has developed a core platform and three product lines with less than US$1.5m in pre-seed capital.

The funding will enable nSWX to qualify semiconductor partners, scale its interface-engineering process, and advance hydrogen validation and diagnostic programmes across Asia. The company’s lead product, nSD-I, is designed to improve heat dissipation and current capacity in AI chip packaging without replacing existing copper components. “The cost of building and operating AI infrastructure can be dramatically reduced through small efficiency gains,” said Iqbal Shamsul, Co-Founder and CEO of nSWX.

nSWX’s graphene-copper films have demonstrated the ability to transfer heat more than twice as effectively as traditional copper, offering potential reductions in AI inference costs and improved compute per watt. The startup is also working on improving charge transfer in green hydrogen and advancing diagnostics through a joint R&D programme with the U.S. Navy.

Jeremy Tan, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Tin Men Capital, expressed confidence in nSWX’s potential, highlighting the team’s understanding of physics and capital efficiency. The startup’s participation in the SemiconStart Malaysia cohort and recognition in the Baker Hughes Energy Ideas Generation Programme further underscore its promise in the tech ecosystem.

Cybersecurity company F6 has uncovered that Singapore and Malaysia are among the top 10 countries globally for payment cards sold on underground markets. In 2025, Singapore ranked 7th with 130,769 cards, whilst Malaysia was 9th with 101,705 cards. The findings are part of F6’s 2025-2026 Cyber Threat Landscape Report, set for release on 31 August.

The report highlights the scale of the global fraud economy, with over 16.5 million payment cards compromised during 2025 and the first half of 2026. Malaysia maintained its position in the top 10 in the first half of 2026 with 22,824 cards, whereas Singapore dropped out of the top 20. Australia also featured prominently, with 39,498 cards in the same period.

A single compromised card typically fetches between $10 and $20 on underground markets. The United States led the global rankings with more than 8.6 million cards sold in 2025, followed by the UK, Canada, France, and Australia.

These findings underscore the persistent threat of payment card fraud in the Asia-Pacific region, highlighting the need for enhanced cybersecurity measures. As the report’s release approaches, it is expected to provide further insights into the evolving landscape of cyber threats and the impact on global financial security.