Business

KUALA LUMPUR — Grab Malaysia has introduced 5-Star Eats, an in-app food guide endorsed by Tourism Malaysia, to bolster the gastrotourism sector in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VMY2026).

The initiative leverages millions of customers’ reviews within the Grab platform to help travellers discover top-rated local dining spots, as Malaysia positions food as a key tourism driver.

Grab Malaysia director of Commercial and Deliveries Tan Jiong Jian said the platform transforms authentic user feedback into a digital roadmap, enabling visitors to explore both hidden gems and iconic eateries seamlessly. 

“Food is the heart of the Malaysian experience, and the initiative ensures every traveller finds the best the country has to offer. In partnership with Tourism Malaysia, we are making it easier than ever for every traveller to explore Malaysia’s gastronomy landscape,” he said in a statement here today. 

The 5-Star Eats highlights merchants that consistently receive high ratings on a 0-5 scale, allowing users to browse curated food opinions by location and category while integrating navigation and ride services within a single platform. 

Beyond discovery, the initiative also aims to elevate small and medium food businesses by giving them greater visibility and positioning them as culinary ambassadors, thereby strengthening local ecosystems and supporting tourism growth nationwide.

To mark the launch, Grab unveiled a landmark street-art mural at Jalan Hang Kasturi, near Pasar Seni, symbolising the connection between digital discovery and the city’s vibrant, on-ground food scene. 

The Grab 5-Star Eats mural, created by local artist Nasuha Ibrahim, showcases the diversity of Malaysian cuisine and cultural heritage. The launch was also attended by Tourism Malaysia chairman Datuk Manoharan Periasamy and Tourism Malaysia senior director of Advertising and Digital, Akbal Setia.

“Grab is more than a mobility platform; it is a companion for every traveller exploring Malaysia. As we welcome millions of visitors for Visit Malaysia Year 2026, we are proud to use our technology and platform to make every journey simpler and every meal seamless, convenient, and enriching,” Tan said. 

With food influencing travel decisions for a majority of tourists, the initiative is expected to further position Malaysia as a leading culinary destination in the region. — BERNAMA

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BALIK PULAU — The creativity of an entrepreneur from Kuala Sungai Pinang here in producing pineapple dodol has given a fresh twist to a traditional delicacy long associated with Malaysian festive fare.

Founder of Dodol Tok Bri, Nur Aimi Razak (picture), 34, said the idea to commercialise pineapple dodol came about three years ago when she attended a course organised by the Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board (LPNM) in Penang.

Intrigued by the uniqueness and nutritional value of pineapples, she began exploring the fruit’s potential as the main ingredient for a new food product.

Nur Aimi said fresh MD2 pineapples are used in the production of the dodol, with the fruit blended before its extract is mixed with key ingredients such as glutinous rice flour, coconut milk and sugar using a processing machine.

She said the MD2 variety was chosen for its naturally sweeter taste and premium quality compared with other pineapple varieties, although selecting the fruit at the right stage of ripeness is crucial as it affects the final flavour of the dodol. 

“If the pineapple is too ripe, the acid content becomes higher and over time the dodol will be less sweet or slightly sour. The taste is also different if we use other varieties such as Josepine or Moris,” she told Bernama when met at her premises here recently.

Nur Aimi said producing pineapple dodol is more complex than making the traditional version, as the cooking process takes between 10 and 12 hours and requires careful control of heat to maintain the right balance of flavour and texture.

“Temperature control is very important and the heat cannot exceed 150 degrees Celsius. If the fire is too strong, the dodol texture will change, becoming more like caramel and darker in colour, whereas good dodol should have a golden-yellow hue,” she said.

The mother of three said perfecting the texture of pineapple dodol was no easy task and took more than a year of research and development before the product was ready to be commercialised in February last year.

She said one cooking machine can produce between 60 and 65 kilogrammes of dodol per batch, requiring about 28 kilogrammes of pineapple extract, while enzyme-based dodol processing technology learned from the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) helps produce a softer, chewier and longer-lasting texture. 

Recalling the beginnings of the family business, Nur Aimi, the eldest of four siblings, said Dodol Tok Bri was started by her mother, Rozaidah Mohd Kasim, 59, in 2011 with guidance from the Agriculture Department.

Initially, the business produced various coconut-based products such as rendang paste, peanut gravy and dodol. The name ‘Bri’ was taken from the nickname of her grandmother Sabri, whose real name was Siti Supiah Awang, who died in 2020.

“Because dodol received strong demand, especially during festive seasons, my mother decided to focus on producing dodol. Besides pineapple dodol, we also produce original, pandan and durian dodol using D24 and Musang King durians,” she said.

During festive periods, total production of Tok Bri dodol can reach up to 1.2 tonnes, with about 300 to 400 kilogrammes consisting of pineapple dodol.

Before joining the family business, Nur Aimi worked in the banking sector for five years before deciding to leave her job to focus full-time on the enterprise with her siblings.

Although Tok Bri pineapple dodol has only been marketed for about a year, the company’s products, which received halal certification from the Penang Islamic Religious Council (MAINPP) in 2023, have attracted encouraging demand from customers nationwide.

Dodol Tok Bri now has agents across the country and has also received orders from customers in the United Kingdom, Singapore and Indonesia. — BERNAMA

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STEEL Hawk Bhd has landed a three-year call-out contract to provide maintenance services for workshop machining at the centralised maintenance workshop of PRPC Utilities and Facilities Sdn Bhd, part of the Pengerang Integrated Complex.

The contract runs from March 2026 to March 2029.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, the onshore and offshore support services provider said the agreement will not affect the company’s share capital or shareholding structure and is not expected to have a material impact on the group’s net assets for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2026.

Steel Hawk expects the contract to contribute positively to its earnings for FYE 2026, while adding that no new risks are anticipated, given the company’s existing experience in similar services across the group. — TMR

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SEPANG — Malaysia Airports (MAHB) recorded 8.9 million passenger movements in February 2026, bringing the year-to-date total to 18.3 million passengers for the first two months of the year.

In a statement today, MAHB said the figure represents a 5.8 per cent increase year-on-year (y-o-y) compared with the same period in 2025.

MAHB managing director Datuk Mohd Izani Ghani said passenger traffic in the first two months of 2026 recorded a steady start across the local airport network, reflecting expanding connectivity and sustained demand for air travel.

“Even as passenger volumes grow, service standards have been consistently maintained,” he said.

He noted that Langkawi International Airport achieved its fifth consecutive recognition as the Best Airport in Asia Pacific (2–5 million passengers) under the 2025 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards by Airports Council International (ACI).

According to MAHB, the growth was supported by the introduction of new airline services and increased flight frequencies on key regional routes during the Chinese New Year travel period.

MAHB said that during the month, several airlines introduced new routes and charter services, including Greater Bay Airlines’ charter flights between Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 2, as well as China Eastern Airlines’ charter service from Hefei.

It said Batik Air Malaysia also commenced flights between Kota Kinabalu and Singapore, while Firefly launched a charter route linking Tawau and Nanjing.

In addition, MAHB said Spring Airlines began services between Penang and Guangzhou, and Xiamen Airlines introduced a new route connecting Kuala Lumpur and Hangzhou.

MAHB said the Chinese New Year festive season also resulted in higher flight frequencies across several domestic and regional routes.

Airlines, including Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, AirAsia and Batik Air, added services to high-demand destinations such as Kuching, Johor Bahru, Tawau and Sibu, helping to accommodate the seasonal increase in travel demand as families and leisure travellers returned to their hometowns and holiday destinations.

For February, KLIA handled 5.5 million passengers, continuing to anchor international traffic, particularly on routes linking Southeast Asia, China and other major regional hubs.

Meanwhile, Kota Kinabalu International Airport recorded 760,620 passenger movements, representing a 1.3 per cent increase compared with January.

Despite the positive growth, MAHB said it will continue to closely monitor global developments affecting the aviation sector, including the evolving situation in the Middle East, while ensuring safe, reliable and efficient operations across its network. — BERNAMA 

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GDB Holdings Bhd has won a RM115.5 million contract to construct and commission a new water treatment plant in Song District, Kapit Division, Sarawak.

The project, awarded through its wholly-owned subsidiary GDB Infra Sdn Bhd by Pembinaan JBS Sdn Bhd, covers surveying, site clearing, pipe works, rainwater intake, mechanical and electrical services, and turnkey water treatment facilities.

Work is set to begin in March 2026 and is expected to be completed within three years.

To support its growing project pipeline in East Malaysia, GDB has opened a Sarawak Regional Office in Kuching and plans to establish a Sabah Regional Office in Kota Kinabalu by June 2026.

The new contract boosts GDB’s outstanding order book to RM785.7 million, providing earnings visibility through 2029.

The group continues to progress with high-value projects in Peninsular Malaysia, including Metrohub 4 in Klang, Logistics Hub Plot B in Shah Alam, and the International Tertiary Hospital at KL Wellness City. — TMR

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GAS Malaysia Bhd has secured a letter to proceed (LTP) from the Energy Commission (EC) to develop a liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification terminal in Yan, Kedah.

The project, centered around an offshore floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), is expected to cost between RM2 billion and RM3 billion.

With a planned capacity of 6 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), the terminal will now move into detailed engineering, site preparation, and financing stages.

While the LTP marks a major milestone, the group clarified that it does not yet constitute a final investment decision (FID).

Progression remains subject to specific conditions set by the EC.

Gas Malaysia expects the terminal to contribute positively to group earnings upon commissioning. — TMR

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BINTAI Kinden Corporation Bhd has secured sub-contracts worth RM25.7 million for mechanical and electrical (M&E) and drainage works tied to a factory development project in Johor.

In a statement today, the group said the contracts comprise RM17.93 million for M&E works and RM7.74 million for drainage works at the Golden Valley Hi-Tech Park in Kulai.

The projects are set to commence on March 24, 2026, with completion timelines of eight months for M&E works and six months for drainage works.

The latest contract win lifts the group’s outstanding order book to approximately RM156.4 million as at March 2026, providing improved earnings visibility in the near term.

“This contract award reflects growing confidence in our execution capabilities as we continue to regain momentum in our core M&E business,” said its MD and CEO Tay Chor Han, adding that the strengthened order book supports better earnings visibility in the coming quarters.

Bintai Kinden noted that it is actively bidding for new projects, with RM1.95 billion worth of tenders currently under evaluation, signalling a strong pipeline of opportunities.

The group recently exited its PN17 status after completing its regularisation plan and recording two consecutive profitable quarters.

It said it remains cautiously optimistic, supported by contributions from its construction segment, recurring income from concession assets, and continued participation in M&E tenders, including those by Tenaga Nasional Bhd. — TMR

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NexG Bhd said its internal review into losses from investments in quoted shares has been concluded, with the board determining that the matter has been sufficiently reviewed and is now closed.

In a clarification filing with Bursa Malaysia today, the company said the issue had been discussed at a special board meeting on March 11, 2026, convened to address, among others, its response to media reports on its fair value losses.

The review came amid significant boardroom changes, following the resignation of seven directors, namely Datuk Chong Loong Men, Kunal Tayal, Badrul Hisham Abdul Aziz, Mohamed Fairuz Mohamed Fauzy, Syed Farid Syed Ahmad Al-Attas, Mohd Zafil Ibrahim and Aswath Ramakrishnan, between March 8 and March 11.

Following these developments, the board said it concluded that the losses had already been “thoroughly ventilated, reviewed and accepted” by both the audit and risk management committee and the board, in the course of reviewing the group’s quarterly results for the financial period ended Dec 31, 2025.

As such, the company said no further action is required and the matter has been closed.

The clarification comes after heightened scrutiny over NexG’s investments in listed shares, which resulted in significant fair value losses in its latest quarterly financial results.

The investments, which emerged as a key flashpoint in the recent boardroom turmoil, centred on NexG’s stakes in MMAG Holdings Bhd and NexG Bina Bhd (formerly Classita Holdings Bhd).

NexG has maintained that the investments were strategic, with the MMAG stake positioned as part of a broader logistics strategy to support the delivery of identity documents, while the NexG Bina investment forms part of its wider expansion plans.

Despite the sharp decline in the share prices of both investee companies, the group said the losses were driven by market sentiment rather than any fundamental flaw in its strategy. — TMR

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TOP Glove Corporation Bhd saw a 3% increase in net profit for its second quarter ended Feb 28, 2026 (2QFY26), supported by higher revenue and strong sales volume, even as foreign exchange movements weighed on earnings.

Net rose to RM31 million from RM30 million a year ago.

Revenue for the quarter climbed 14% to RM1.01 billion, underpinned by a 57% jump in sales volume, led by strong demand in Europe.

Profit before tax fell 32% to RM38 million, while operating profit declined 23% to RM34 million, reflecting the impact of a weaker US dollar that limited the effectiveness of the group’s hedging programme.

Higher utilisation rates and ongoing cost optimisation helped mitigate part of the currency impact.

For the first half ended Feb 28, 2026 (1H26), net profit surged 92% to RM69 million from RM36 million a year earlier, while revenue rose 7% to RM1.89 billion.

The improvement was supported by a 36% increase in sales volume, signalling a sustained recovery in global glove demand.

Quarter-on-quarter, PATAMI softened 21% from RM39 million in 1Q26, despite a 23% increase in sales volume and higher revenue, as the stronger ringgit against the US dollar weighed on earnings.

Excluding foreign exchange effects, profit before tax would have grown 9% quarter-on-quarter.

Looking ahead, Top Glove remains optimistic about the glove industry’s recovery and growth.

The group plans to continue implementing quality improvement and cost optimisation measures, while closely monitoring potential supply disruptions for nitrile latex arising from geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

Its ability to switch production between nitrile and natural rubber gloves provides flexibility to manage raw material volatility and maintain operational resilience. — TMR

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CITAGLOBAL Bhd has secured an energy advisory and green energy development role for the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) after its wholly owned unit, Citaglobal New Energy Sdn Bhd (CGNE), signed a framework agreement with Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL).

The group said the agreement formalises CGNE’s role across technical, commercial and regulatory workstreams for the ECRL’s electricity engagement, including connection charge analysis, tariff structuring and modelling, financial analysis, and stakeholder engagement.

Citaglobal noted the mandate is capital-light, requiring no significant capital outlay or balance sheet commitments, while the service fee is expected to contribute positively to earnings for the financial year ending June 30, 2026.

The agreement also grants CGNE a green energy development mandate along the 665km ECRL corridor, to be undertaken via Citaglobal Renewable Energy Sdn Bhd.

Its executive chairman and president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria said the role positions the group at the forefront of integrating renewable energy into national infrastructure, while creating long-term recurring income streams. — TMR

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