Business

The programme is anchored by a talk show-style discussion that places trust and authenticity at its centre

by AKMAR ANNUAR 

IF YOU arrived expecting a campaign rah-rah, you would have been pleasantly surprised. 

Gongxi Raya, Kongsi Sukses had the lightness of a festive catch-up — a room dressed with just enough colour to signal Chinese New Year (CNY) and Aidilfitri, without tipping into theatre and a crowd that looked more curious than hurried. 

There was a steady hum of conversation, creators greeting each other like colleagues who finally get to meet offline, and brand teams lingering to listen rather than rush back to a booth. 

For a few hours, the mood was easy, almost breezy, but the message underneath it was serious: Online shopping only scales when people feel safe enough to keep coming back. 

Lazada Malaysia CEO Kaya Qin described the gathering as a deliberate blend of seasons and communities, and she said the idea was to bring people together in a way that reflects how Malaysians actually shop now. 

“Gongxi Raya, Kongsi Sukses is a creative way to bring CNY and Aidilfitri together,” she told The Malaysian Reserve (TMR).

The programme was anchored by a talk show-style discussion that placed trust and authenticity at the centre, rather than treating them as decorative values.

Lazada described the session as a conversation between four practitioners on how credibility is built in today’s digital landscape, balancing the brand lens with the creator lens, and returning to the same conclusion: Being seen matters, but being believed matters more. 

Representing brands, Jean Perry Malaysia sales, marketing and operations head Jimmy Sun and Christy Ng Sdn Bhd founder and CEO Christy Ng spoke about what it takes to earn repeat customers over years, not weeks. 

From the creator side, Lazada exclusive strategic content creator partners Vickie Siah and Stella Boo discussed how trust is won through consistent, responsible content that feels real to audiences. 

Sun’s remarks felt especially grounded because his business sits in the everyday — bedding, towels, household items that people buy when they want comfort, not drama. 

“For a homegrown brand like Jean Perry, trust is built over time through consistency, product quality, and delivering what customers expect every time they shop. Working with Lazada helps us strengthen that trust at scale because consumers can find our official store presence, compare product information clearly and shop with greater confidence through a platform they can trust,” he said in a sharing session. 

What he described, in essence, was a shopping experience where customers do not have to second-guess. 

A verified store presence matters because it signals legitimacy, clearer product details reduce uncertainty, and a trusted platform smooths the decision for shoppers who are already juggling hundreds of choices online. 

According to Ng, ‘value’ shows up in workmanship, fit, durability and how quickly the brand responds when something goes wrong

Ng’s sharing session, on the other hand, carried the kind of narrative people lean into — not because it is glamorous, but because it is familiar: A brand beginning in a small space, then growing beyond what one person can hold alone. 

“I started the business from my living room with just RM10,000 in capital,” Ng said. 

She spoke about the moment a business stops feeling like a personal project and starts feeling like a responsibility — to staff, to customers, to the standards a brand becomes known for. 

A big part of her story, she explained, is sticking to a promise of value and then protecting it through quality control and customer recovery, whether that means replacing items, offering refunds or providing store credit when something does not meet expectations. 

Ng’s philosophy on value came through plainly, the kind of line that sounds almost too simple until you realise it takes discipline to deliver. 

“When a customer pays RM100 for our item, they should feel like they got RM200 worth of value,” she said. 

She explained that customers are sharper and more comparative now, so “value” is not a slogan — it shows up in workmanship, fit, durability and how quickly the brand responds when something goes wrong. 

She also shared how the brand hires, particularly for content roles, with a short video submission used as an early filter to test basic execution before interviews and feedback-based assessments. 

It was one of those details that made the room nod, because it matched what creators already know: The online world rewards consistency, but it also punishes sloppiness. 

Siah and Boo’s part of the session picked up from there, reflecting on what audiences respond to and what turns them away. 

They spoke about credibility as something built slowly — through clear disclosures, honest reviews, and content that prioritises usefulness over hype — while relatability matters because audiences can tell when a recommendation is forced. 

The talk show’s strength was that it did not pretend trust is a single feature you can install. 

It is a chain of small decisions: How a product is listed, how a seller is rated, how a complaint is handled, how a creator frames a recommendation, and how quickly the platform resolves friction. 

Lazada positioned its 2026 push as a move towards tightening that chain, with LazMall framed as the “trusted mall” environment it wants consumers to feel every time they shop. 

“2026 is about raising the standard of online shopping in Malaysia, and Lazada is not only focused on bigger campaign moments,” Qin said. 

Lazada is focused on building LazMall into a destination of choice where trust, authenticity and confidence come through in every purchase, working with creators, brand partners and sellers to help consumers shop smarter each day. 

When asked what that standard looks like beyond campaign language, Qin kept it straightforward. 

“We focus on quality — trust, authenticity, and the full end-to-end experience,” she shared with TMR. 

Qin (left) says Lazada is focused on building LazMall into a destination of choice where trust, authenticity and confidence come through in every purchase

That end-to-end framing has become more relevant as Malaysian shopping habits blend physical and online behaviour. 

Many people still want to see something in person — touch fabric, check sizing, compare colours — but they also want the convenience of ordering online when the conditions feel safe. 

Qin informed TMR that Lazada’s own reading of the market is supported by Cube Asia’s 2025 regional study, The Rise of Virtual Mall Ecosystems in South-East Asia, which points to how comfortable Malaysians are with buying inside trusted online “mall” environments. 

The Malaysia findings showed that all 1,000 shoppers surveyed had made a purchase from LazMall, while a growing share now uses it for the majority of their purchases. 

“What is even more powerful is how much they are leaning into it. 28% are now doing more than 80% of their total purchases via LazMall, another 32% are doing 60% to 80%, and 24.6% rely on LazMall for 40% to 60% of their purchases,” she explained. 

That figure fits neatly with the mood in the room. 

The distribution suggests this is no longer a niche habit, with a sizeable segment relying on LazMall for most shopping, rather than using it only for occasional big-ticket buys. 

Qin said the pattern reflects a simple expectation: Malaysians want to know they are buying from the right source, they want what arrives to match what they saw online, and they want reassurance if something goes wrong. 

The same Cube data also captured how common “show-rooming” is, with 91.3% reporting that they visited a physical store to view or try an item, then purchased it online. 

People are not abandoning malls so much as extending the mall mindset into digital spaces — looking for verification, comfort and a sense that someone will be accountable if the experience falls short. 

When the session wrapped, the atmosphere stayed light. 

People lingered, chatted, laughed and moved around the space without the usual “event-ending rush”, as if the room had briefly become its own little community. 

And perhaps that was the point of Gongxi Raya, Kongsi Sukses. 

It was festive, yes, but it was also a quiet argument for why shopping confidence is built the same way relationships are: Through consistency, small proofs and the feeling that you are not being taken for a ride. 

• This article first appeared in The Malaysian Reserve weekly print edition

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THE Small and Medium Enterprises Association Malaysia (Samenta) is urging the government to review the Public Holidays Act 1951 following the recent announcement of an additional public holiday for the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration, saying last-minute holidays place a significant burden on businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Samenta national president Datuk William Ng (picture) said the practice of declaring “surprise” or ad hoc public holidays has become an unhealthy economic habit that disrupts business planning and adds avoidable financial strain to companies already navigating rising operational costs and an uncertain global economic environment.

“While we understand the government’s intention to appreciate the hard work of Malaysians during Ramadhan, the recurring trend of announcing additional holidays on short notice is disruptive to business operations,” he said in a statement.

Ng said SMEs, which form the backbone of Malaysia’s economy, are particularly vulnerable to sudden schedule changes as their operations rely heavily on careful planning and tight production timelines.

He noted that when holidays are declared unexpectedly, manufacturers may face penalties for delayed deliveries and are often forced to pay higher wages to fulfil contractual obligations within shortened timelines.

“For SMEs, every working day is meticulously scheduled. When a holiday is suddenly declared, manufacturers risk late-delivery penalties and may have to pay triple wages to meet existing commitments,” he said.

Businesses in the services, retail and food-and-beverage (F&B) sectors also face operational disruptions, particularly when perishable inventory or delivery schedules are affected by last-minute changes, Ng added.

Samenta said its position is supported by research from the Centre for Future Labour Market Studies (EU-ERA), which suggests that economic productivity and worker well-being tend to peak when countries observe around 10 gazetted public holidays annually — a concept referred to as the “Optimal 10” rule.

According to the study, which analysed 101 countries, the economic costs associated with excessive holidays, including manufacturing disruptions, contractual penalties and higher labour expenses, can outweigh short-term gains from consumer spending or domestic tourism once the number of holidays exceeds that threshold.

Ng said Malaysia already observes one of the highest numbers of public holidays in the region, and the addition of unscheduled days could further push the economy into a zone of diminishing returns.

“By adding unscheduled holidays, we risk undermining productivity and creating unnecessary uncertainty for businesses and investors,” he said.

To address the issue, Samenta is calling for amendments to the Public Holidays Act 1951, specifically Section 8, which currently allows the minister to declare additional public holidays.

Ng said the association proposes restricting such discretionary powers to exceptional circumstances, such as national emergencies or significant national milestones like the installation of a new Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

He also recommended institutionalising a minimum notice period of three months for any non-emergency additional holidays so businesses can adjust their manpower planning and contractual obligations accordingly.

“If certain festivities are considered important enough to warrant a holiday, they should be gazetted well in advance and communicated through the national calendar. This allows businesses to plan ahead without incurring surprise losses,” he said.

Samenta also called for the rationalisation of Malaysia’s public holiday count to align closer to the “Optimal 10” benchmark, which Ng said would help maintain the country’s competitiveness and predictability as a destination for business and investment.

“SMEs are ready to work hard to rebuild the economy, but we need the government to recognise that the messaging is as important as the intent.

“Declaring additional holidays when many businesses are fighting to survive sends the wrong signal, regardless of the good intentions behind it,” he added.

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Abu Hanifah is back in full control, but he returns to a company facing quarterly net loss and a trail of explosive allegations involving shadowy external figures 

by RUPINDER SINGH 

THE boardroom tussle at NexG Bhd (formerly Datasonic Group Bhd) has escalated into a high- stakes corporate thriller involving a pre-EGM lawsuit, allegations of “corporate mafia” tactics, and a potential compromise of RM300 million in national security technology. 

What began as a suspension of the company’s founder has culminated in a dramatic “clean sweep” of the board. 

Executive chairman and CEO Datuk Abu Hanifah Noordin is now back in full control, but he returns to a company facing a RM130.88 million quarterly net loss and a trail of explosive allegations involving shadowy external figures. 

The Legal Strike 

The turning point began late on March 10, when Abu Hanifah and Siti Nur Aishah Ishak, who is linked to NexG’s new largest shareholder, Raya Aviation Holdings Sdn Bhd, filed a lawsuit against the company and six directors. 

The suit sought to maintain the “status quo” and block the board from making any major decisions or reversing the termination of certain corporate advisors before a requisitioned EGM on April 3. 

This legal pressure appeared to trigger a mass exodus. On March 11, the six directors named in the suit, including Syed Farid Syed Ahmad Al-Attas and Kunal Tayal, resigned en masse, just days after Abu Hani- fah had sought their removal. 

Daylight Robbery 

In a 10-page statement released alongside the legal action, Abu Hanifah framed his March 5 suspension as a “mala fide” retaliatory strike. 

He alleged he was being penalised for blocking a plan to “rob the company in daylight” of core technologies. 

According to Abu Hanifah, there was internal pressure to subcontract RM300 million worth of critical government deliverables, specifically the chip operating system (COS) and the QR code digital identity integration project, to a competitor, HeiTech Padu Bhd. 

He argued that NexG already possesses the internal capability to execute these components and that outsourcing them would jeopardise national data sovereignty. 

The ‘Corporate Mafia’ 

The narrative took an even darker turn when Abu Hanifah named NexG’s corporate advisor, Sandraru- ben Neelamagham, who is also an ED at HeiTech Padu, and alluded to shadowy figures identified only as “Mr X” and “Mr A”. 

He claimed these individuals used threats of investigations to force a “rapid succession” of resignations among long-standing management in late 2025. 

Strategic ‘Sabotage’ 

Addressing the RM130.88 million net loss for third quarter financial year 2025 (3Q25), Abu Hanifah defended controversial investments in MMAG Holdings Bhd and NexG Bina Bhd.

He described them as strategic pillars for a “MyNasional” digital ecosystem, intended to facilitate secure home delivery of MyKads and passports via Raya Aviation Holdings’ cargo fleet. 

The investments notched a RM145.6 million fair value (FV) loss, contributing to the net loss. 

They stemmed from NexG’s RM88 million investment to buy 220 million shares (9.53%) in MMAG Holdings at 40 sen each in March 2025. Meanwhile, its 32.61% stake in Classita Holdings Bhd (now NexG Bina Bhd) and 414.31 million warrants bought in August 2025 for RM76.78 million are now worth RM14.19 million, an 81.5% loss. 

Abu Hanifah attributed the collapse in value to “pre-mediated sabotage” and external disruptions, including the freezing of bank accounts, designed to engineer the failure of the original strategy. 

The New Guard 

In a significant clarification filed to Bursa Malaysia on March 13, the company officially moved to stabilise the narrative. 

NexG clarified that the internal review into these quoted share investments, which originally prompted Abu Hanifah’s suspension, reached no definitive outcome. 

Crucially, the company now maintains that these investments were made in compliance with listing requirements and remain integral to its strategic plans. 

The board noted that the steep share price decline “should not be interpreted as a reflection of any impropriety,” effectively aligning the company’s official stance with Abu Hanifah’s defence. 

What’s Next? 

While Abu Hanifah has successfully fended off the challenge to his leadership, the boardroom has already been repopulated. 

Following the March 11 exodus, nine new directors have been appointed, including prominent businessman Datuk Ishak Ismail and his son, Mohamed Najib Ishak. 

The company is now engaging with the convenors of the proposed April 3 EGM, which include Hanifah and Raya Aviation, to determine the next course of action. 

With Abu Hanifah claiming to possess voice recordings of key players stored in multiple locations overseas as an insurance policy, the market remains on high alert. 

The immediate crisis may have passed, but for NexG, the road to rehabilitating its “good name” and its balance sheet has only just begun. 

• This article first appeared in The Malaysian Reserve weekly print edition

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KUALA LUMPUR — Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) today announced a 50 per cent reduction in rental rates for hawker sites and selected premises under its supervision, effective from April 1 until Dec 31, 2027.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh (picture) said the initiative is expected to benefit more than 10,000 hawker sites and small business premises owned by DBKL in the federal capital.

She said the move aims to help reduce operating cost pressures faced by hawkers and micro-traders, particularly amid rising living costs.

According to her, the decision was made in response to increasing cost-of-living pressures driven by global economic uncertainties, including rising world oil prices and logistics costs.

“This initiative also places DBKL among the first local authorities in Malaysia to implement a comprehensive rental reduction on a large scale to help small traders and urban residents cope with the cost-of-living pressures,” she said at a press conference here today. 

Also present were Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Fadlun Mak Ujud and Bandar Tun Razak Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Hannah added that the reduction in rental costs is also expected to have a positive impact on residents in the capital who purchase food and daily necessities, thereby helping to ease household expenses.

“I hope initiatives like this will be well-received by hawkers. I also urge those who have rental arrears to take advantage of this two-year initiative to settle their outstanding payments, as we cannot wait indefinitely given the high demand for such sites,” she said.

Meanwhile, Fadlun explained that the reduction involves an overall 50 per cent cut, with the minimum rental rate set at RM50 per month.

“For premises with rental rates of RM50 and below, the rental rate will remain unchanged without any reduction,” he said, adding that tenants must first settle any existing arrears before they are eligible to benefit from the incentive.

At the same time, he said DBKL will continue to monitor cost-of-living developments and take proactive measures to ensure Kuala Lumpur remains an inclusive and resilient city that prioritises the welfare of its residents. — BERNAMA

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KUALA LUMPUR — In conjunction with International Women’s Day 2026, Grab Malaysia has announced two major initiatives — Women-Only Rides (Beta) and a nationwide driver acquisition campaign, aimed at enhancing safety, comfort, and earning opportunities for women.

In a statement, Grab Malaysia said the Women-Only Rides (Beta) service is a dedicated offering that matches women passengers exclusively with women driver-partners, while the acquisition campaign seeks to grow the community of women drivers  nationwide.

Currently available through Advance Booking in the Klang Valley, the Beta service responds to requests from both drivers and users for greater safety, particularly when travelling alone.

“To ensure platform integrity, the ride option is visible only to women passengers, who must complete a one-time gender verification process using their MyKad or passport and a selfie. The verification is cross-referenced with official records before they can access the service,” it said.

The initiatives were recently launched at Grab’s International Women’s Day celebration, hosted by the company’s senior women leaders for its women driver-partners, and attended by Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Lim Hui Ying. 

Meanwhile, Grab Malaysia managing director Adelene Foo said the launch reinforced the company’s long-standing commitment to safety and empowerment, building on Grab’s existing safety infrastructure and the #SisBoleh initiative introduced in 2023.

“It is not just a new feature, it is about ensuring every woman has a safe space to move and earn. By strengthening trust, we create mutual benefits, greater comfort for women passengers and more earning opportunities for women driver-partners.

“When we prioritise a woman’s peace of mind, we also support her path to financial independence,” she said.

Adelene added that the Beta service complemented broader public safety measures, such as women-only train coaches and parking zones, by extending protection to the crucial last-mile journey.

To meet anticipated demand, Adelene said Grab had also launched the Women Driver Acquisition campaign, running from March 8 to Sept 30, 2026, inviting women to take advantage of flexible earning opportunities while equipping them with tools to thrive in the digital economy. 

“The nationwide initiative aims to expand our community of women driver-partners while building on the platform’s strong safety standards,” she said, adding that new women driver-partners stand a chance to win rewards worth RM100,000, including fuel vouchers and a Proton Saga grand prize.

Adelene highlighted that these announcements marked the evolution of #SisBoleh into a comprehensive ecosystem, built on the pillars of “#SisBolehDrive With Confidence”, “#SisBolehLevelUp”, and “#SisBolehCommunity”, supporting female partners with skills and a sense of belonging.

She added that the Women-Only Rides (Beta) and the Women Driver Acquisition campaign operate on Grab’s comprehensive safety framework designed to ensure every user can travel and work safely and confidently.

“This includes onboarding safety screening, where every driver-partner undergoes a stringent screening process before joining the platform, as well as Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered facial verification, where driver-partners and passengers must submit live selfies before accessing the app.

“It also includes number masking to protect the privacy of contact details, the ‘Share My Ride’ feature, the ‘Get Emergency Help’ SOS button, AudioProtect, trip monitoring technology and telematics solutions,” she said.

Adelene noted that these safety features work quietly in the background to ensure every journey feels secure, allowing women to focus on their aspirations rather than their safety when travelling home. — BERNAMA

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NexG Bhd said the internal review into its investments in quoted shares, the issue that originally triggered a boardroom rift, has not reached a definitive conclusion, while maintaining that the investments were made as part of the group’s broader strategic transformation and expansion plans.

In a clarification filing with Bursa Malaysia today, the company said the review had been proposed by board members who have since exited the company.

“The internal review was proposed by the recently exited board members, but no definitive outcome has been reached,” NexG said.

The company added that its executive directors continue to stand by the investment decisions.

“The executive directors of the company believe that these investments are integral to the company’s strategic transformation and expansion plans,” it said, noting that “all investments have been made in compliance with applicable laws and Listing Requirements.”

However, NexG acknowledged that negative market sentiment surrounding the investments had led to a steep decline in the share prices of the companies involved, resulting in sizeable fair value losses in its financial results.

“The market sentiment surrounding these investments has led to a significant decline in their share price, which has resulted in substantial fair value adjustments reflected in the company’s financial results,” it said.

It stressed that the decline in share prices “should not be interpreted as a reflection of any impropriety or lack of strategic rationale behind the original investment decisions made by the company”.

Separately, NexG said it will engage with the convenors of a proposed EGM, namely Siti Nur Aishah Ishak, executive chairman and CEO Datuk Abu Hanifah Noordin, and Velocity Capital Sdn Bhd, to determine the next course of action.

“The company will discuss with the convenors on their next course of action and will make the necessary announcements accordingly,” it said.

The company also confirmed that a writ of summons and statement of claim dated March 9 filed by Abu Hanifah and Siti Nur Aishah relates to the requisitioned EGM.

On its board composition, NexG said there are currently no vacancies following the appointment of nine new directors earlier on Friday.

The newly appointed board members are Datuk Sri Muthanna Abdullah, Datuk Haji Amirudin Abdul Wahab, Mohd Azmi Mat Nayan, Lt Col (R) Roseli Abdul Gani, Michelle Yong Voon Sze, Lt Col (R) Khairudin Dahlan, Mohamad Najib Iskandar, and Datuk Haji Ishak Ismail.

“Following these appointments, there is no vacant position in the board,” the company said.

In addition, NexG clarified that no external professional had been appointed to review several announcements relating to substantial shareholding notices, changes in directors’ interests and dealings in listed securities, despite the proposal by the previously exited board members.

“No external professional has been appointed by the recently exited board members as proposed by them,” it said, adding that its announcements were made in accordance with Bursa Malaysia’s listing requirements. –TMR

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THETA Edge Bhd said its subsidiary, Theta Technologies Sdn Bhd, has filed legal action against the Energy Commission (EC) over the alleged unlawful termination of a services contract.

The contract, signed in June 2022, was terminated by the EC in May 2025.

Following the termination, the regulator called on a RM428,186 bank guarantee provided by Theta Technologies.

The subsidiary is seeking court declarations that the termination and the call on the bank guarantee were unlawful.

It is also claiming RM8.88 million in special damages, which include unpaid invoices and a refund of the bank guarantee, as well as general and exemplary damages.

Theta Edge said it expects to recognise impairments related to outstanding receivables from the project, with the amount currently being assessed.

Shares in the company closed unchanged at 54.5 sen, giving it a market capitalisation of RM63.71 million. –TMR

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SUNWAY Real Estate Investment Trust is establishing a sustainability-linked commercial papers programme of up to RM3 billion through its SPV SUNREIT Capital Bhd.

The seven-year programme will fund working capital, refinancing of borrowings, and investment activities including capital expenditure.

The papers are rated P1(s) by RAM Rating Services Bhd. –TMR

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ECO World Development Bhd has partnered JLand Group, the real estate arm of Johor Corp Bhd, to develop two projects in Johor and a residential project in Sydney.

The Johor developments include a RM1.02 billion mixed-use project in Larkin and a RM1.01 billion industrial park in Kulai, while the overseas project involves residential apartments in Macquarie Park with a GDV of A$153 million. –TMR

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CHIN Hin Group Property Bhd is acquiring an industrial property in Kota Damansara from Signature International Bhd for RM66 million cash in a related-party transaction involving the Chiau family.

The group plans to redevelop the 16,222 sq m leasehold site in Taman Sains Selangor 1 into an integrated industrial-commercial hub with an estimated GDV of RM449.43 million.

The deal involves entities controlled by the Chiau family, including major shareholder PP Chin Hin Realty Sdn Bhd, which holds stakes in both companies.

The acquisition is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2026, subject to shareholder approvals. –TMR

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