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Tag: Malaysia

  • Malaysia encourages use of EVs

    Malaysia encourages use of EVs

    The Malaysian government has included the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in its National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) towards the goal of EVs accounting for 15% of all vehicles sold by the year 2030, rising to 80% by 2050.

    The current import duty and excise duty exemption for fully-imported (CBU) EVs has been extended to December 31, 2025, and EV owners will also continue to enjoy exemption from road tax until the end of next year.

    They will also enjoy a lower tax rate in 2026, after the exemption expires, that will be based on the power output of their EV. When unveiling the new structure, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said it was 85% lower vis-a-vis petrol powered vehicles.

    To encourage the growth of the EV charging network in Malaysia, the government is offering individuals 2,500 MYR (US$530) in yearly income tax relief through to 2027 for the installation, rental, and purchase of EV charging equipment or subscription fees.

    Besides, the country will offer up to 2,400 MYR in tax return to encourage individuals to adopt electric-powered motorcycles. However, this incentive has only been announced for the 2024 assessment year and it is only available for individuals earning no more than 120,000 MYR annually.

    Companies investing in the assembly or manufacturing of energy efficient vehicle (EEV) including hybrids and electric or components for such vehicles are eligible for income tax exemption of 70% or 100% on statutory income respectively for a period of five or ten years.

    Companies investing in green technology services involving EVs such as installation, maintenance, repair of EV charging equipment, EV infrastructure and charging stations are eligible for a 70% tax exemption for three years from the start of their operations.

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  • Luckin Coffee to launch in Malaysia

    Luckin Coffee to launch in Malaysia

    Chinese chain Luckin Coffee will launch its first location in Malaysia, its second overseas market after Singapore.

    According to local sources, the launch is in collaboration with a Bursa Malaysia-listed company. Luckin Coffee intends to grow its market footprint over the next five years, with stores opening nationwide.

    Luckin Coffee, founded in 2017, is one of the fastest-growing coffee chains, surpassing Starbucks as China’s largest.

    The brand operates more than 18,000 stores in China and 32 locations in Singapore.

    Last year, Luckin Coffee sold more than 5.42 million cups of the alcohol-infused latte it launched with Kweichow Moutai on its first day of business, setting a new sales record for the Chinese coffee company.

    In May, the coffee company stated that its first-quarter revenues increased 41.5 percent yearly to US$869.5 million, owing to increased product sales and additional shop openings. The coffee business opened 2342 net new outlets over the year, including two in Singapore, bringing the total number of stores to 18,590 by the end of March.

  • Apple accelerates Southeast Asia expansion with Malaysia debut

    Apple accelerates Southeast Asia expansion with Malaysia debut

    Apple will open its first store in Malaysia next month as part of its expansion plans in Southeast Asia.

    Trevor Hill, the mall’s GM, confirmed on LinkedIn that the store will be located at the Exchange TRX shopping centre in Kuala Lumpur and will open its doors to customers on June 22 at 10 a.m.

    This will be Apple’s sixth store in the region, after three in Singapore and two in Thailand.

    According to the New Straits Times, the store will be much bigger than the existing Apple Premium Resellers in the country, such as Machines and Switch. It will also feature activities such as free learning sessions and sections like the Genius Bar, where users can get expert service and support for their products.

    Apple has been accelerating its Asian expansion outside of China, where it has faced rising competition from local players. The company opened its first stores in India last year.

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  • Expert claims 90% of honey in Malaysia is artificial

    Expert claims 90% of honey in Malaysia is artificial

    According to Zulkifli Mustafa, a senior lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), up to 90% of honey available in Malaysia is not genuine.

    “The biggest challenge of the honey industry now is the presence of artificial honey, which reaches 90% in the market,” honey expert Mustafa was quoted.

    The fake product includes stingless bee honey. Mustafa’s research emphasizes the nutritional value of honey produced by stingless bees, noting its potential health benefits. This variety of bees employs biting as a means of defense rather than stinging.

    Following these revelations, the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry has announced plans to investigate the allegations that a significant portion of honey products sold in the country are counterfeit/

    Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, the Minister for Domestic Trade and Cost of Living,has directed the ministry’s enforcement division to examine these claims thoroughly.

    This news emerges amidst a broader context of food adulteration concerns. The European Commission’s recent study found that nearly half of the honey samples tested were suspected to be adulterated with inexpensive sugar syrups, as reported by The Guardian in March 2023.

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  • McDonald’s Malaysia files $1M lawsuit against Israel boycott movement

    McDonald’s Malaysia files $1M lawsuit against Israel boycott movement

    McDonald’s Malaysia has filed a lawsuit seeking US$1.31 million in damages from a movement promoting boycotts against Israel for “false and defamatory statements.”

    Gerbang Alaf Restaurants Sdn Bhd (GAR), which is the licensee of McDonald’s in Malaysia, is suing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Malaysia movement, claiming that BDS had made a series of social media posts linking the fast-food franchise with Israel’s military offensive in Gaza?

    It said the BDS campaign has encouraged a public boycott of McDonald’s Malaysia, resulting in financial losses, employment reductions and other adverse effects due to the shutdown and reduced operational hours of its establishments.

    In response, BDS Malaysia said it “categorically denies” defaming the fast-food company and would leave the matter to the court.

    “Boycotting companies like these is a personal choice and it is up to that individual consumer,quoted social media user Sheryl Ho as saying.

    “That being said, anyone in their right frame of mind who wasn’t boycotting [McDonald’s] before this, sure would be doing it now.

    “They terminated their staff to save cost and they are making other people pay for it?” X user Syafiq Fadli asked.

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  • Kazakhstan Expands Tourism Horizons with Malaysia’s AirAsia

    Kazakhstan Expands Tourism Horizons with Malaysia’s AirAsia

    Deputy Minister of Tourism and Sports Yerzhan Yerkinbayev held a meeting with representatives from Air Asia X, led by General Director Benjamin bin Ismail on Dec. 21, the ministry’s press service reported. The discussions centered around the collaborative efforts to develop Kazakhstan’s tourism sector, plans to amplify passenger traffic, and joint initiatives to foster tourism.

    Yerkinbayev emphasized the pivotal role of direct flights, stating that they not only break down barriers for travelers but also contribute to making the country more accessible.

    “Direct flights not only reduce barriers for travelers, making the country more accessible, but also help increase the number of tourists, expand the geography of inbound tourism, and create new opportunities for the tourism business,” said Yerkinbayev.

    With the launch of direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Almaty, Yerkinbayev anticipates a surge in business tourism, fostering the exchange of experience and knowledge and creating new investment avenues.

    For its part, Air Asia expressed its commitment to the partnership by revealing plans to initiate direct scheduled passenger flights between Kuala Lumpur and Almaty. These flights are expected to operate four times a week on Airbus A330 aircraft, starting from March 2024.

    This move is anticipated to unlock new opportunities for tourism, trade, economic, and investment cooperation between Kazakhstan and Malaysia.

    The initiation of direct flights between Kazakhstan and key destinations is just the first phase of the partnership. Negotiations with various AirAsia entities began in 2018, with AirAsia X management visiting the Kazakh capital as part of the Routes Silk Road initiative.

    Kairat Sadvakasov, Chairman of Kazakh Tourism national company, detailed plans for a joint marketing campaign to increase the flow of tourists, mainly from Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand, all of which enjoy visa-free access.

    AirAsia X, the largest low-cost airline in Southeast Asia specializing in medium- and long-haul passenger transportation, is poised to provide affordable prices for air tickets, further encouraging travel between Kazakhstan and Southeast Asian destinations. The move is expected to invigorate tourism, trade, and economic ties between the nations involved in this collaboration.

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  • Chinese bubble tea chain Heytea arrives in Malaysia

    Chinese bubble tea chain Heytea arrives in Malaysia

    Chinese tea brand Heytea has opened its first store at Kuala Lumpur’s newly-opened shopping destination, The Exchange TRX, as part of Heytea’s ambition to have a larger footprint in the country.

    The new store takes over an 80sqm space of the shopping mall’s Level C.

    The Malaysia launch, which the company described as its “important business destination in Southeast Asia,” follows Heytea’s entry into the UK on London’s Shaftesbury Avenue earlier this year. Malaysia also marks Heytea’s second Southeast Asian market after Singapore, where it entered in 2018.

    The company is also plotting its US debut, with the first store scheduled to open in Manhattan this month.

    Heytea is among the major retailers making market debuts at The Exchange TRX, including Japan’s Seibu department store, Gentle Monster, Shake Shack, and Drunk Elephant.

    Founded in 2012, the Shenzhen-headquartered tea chain is known for modern interior design and “new-generation Chinese tea drinks.”

  • Malaysian AirAsia X Launching Direct Flights to Kazakhstan

    Malaysian AirAsia X Launching Direct Flights to Kazakhstan

    The airline plans to conduct regular flights four days a week—Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays—using an A-330 aircraft for the Kuala Lumpur-Almaty route.

    AirAsia X, established in 2006, is a segment of the AirAsia Aviation Group. It boasts a fleet exceeding 270 aircraft and operates flights across 400 routes spanning 25 countries.

    AirAsia X ‘s most popular destinations are: Asia (Bali, Sapporo, Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Busan, Jeju, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Xi’an, Beijing, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Shanghai, Chongqing, Wuhan, Maldives, New Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai and Kathmandu), Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and the Gold Coast) New Zealand (Auckland), the Middle East (Jeddah and Medina) and the United States of America (Hawaii).

    The airline operates in three hubs: Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Denpasar, Bali.

  • H&M launches on Shopee in Singapore and Malaysia

    H&M launches on Shopee in Singapore and Malaysia

    H&M has launched an online store on Shopee in Singapore and Malaysia in preparation for its Super Brand Day.

    H&M’s engagement with e-commerce platform Shopee is part of the company’s continued efforts to digitalize and provide customers with an optimal omnichannel experience, intending to give them a more “flexible and meaningful” shopping experience that matches their changing demands. With H&M’s presence on the platform, more customers can access the brand’s offer of fashion and quality at the best price in a sustainable manner.

    H&M also celebrated its first Super Brand Day on Sunday in Malaysia; another one will be held on Thursday, September 28 in Singapore.

    “With its strong presence in Singapore and Malaysia, Shopee complements and strengthens our existing network of physical stores, digital stores at hm.com, as well as marketplaces,” said Oldouz Mirzaie, MD of H&M South Asia.

    “We see a great opportunity for our brand to grow on this platform and further our vision of democratizing sustainable fashion by meeting our customers where, when, and how they choose.”

    Customers can now shop the whole spectrum of H&M’s fashion offers, including the trendy and bold pieces from the brand’s Fall/Winter collection, in the ladies, divided, mens and kids categories.

  • Malaysia’s Zus Coffee to make international debut in the Philippines

    Malaysia’s Zus Coffee to make international debut in the Philippines

    Malaysia’s ZUS Coffee is set to make its international debut this month with an outlet in Quezon City, the Philippines. The technology-focused coffee chain opened its first store in Binjai in late 2019 and now operates approximately 290 stores across Malaysia.

    In a LinkedIn post, Chief Operating Officer Venon Tian said ZUS Coffee plans to open six outlets in the Philippines by the end of 2023.

    ZUS Coffee’s international debut in the Philippines has been on the cards since March 2023, when Filipino restaurant group Choi Garden Restaurant Company acquired a 35% stake in the coffee chain.

    Speaking at the signing of the agreement, Choi Garden’s Chief Operating Officer Janica Lao said: “ZUS Coffee’s growth in Malaysia has been very quick in the last three years and they are incredibly determined in serving the local Malaysian market with localized flavors. We believe that they will do the same thing in the Philippines market.”

    ZUS Coffee is the latest Asian coffee chain to seek expansion in the Philippines this year as competition between Southeast Asia’s coffee chains heats up. Japanese boutique café group % Arabica relaunched in the Philippines in July 2023, 18 months after closing its three stores in the country. The Manila outlet is expected to preclude the launch of a % Arabica roastery in the Filipino capital before the end of the year.

    The following month, fast-food group Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) formed a joint venture company with Singapore-based Food Collective Pte. Ltd. (FCPL) to launch Common Man Coffee Roasters in the Philippines. The first site of the partnership, which also includes a deal to bring Tiong Bahru Bakery to the country, is set to open within the next few months.

    Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Berjaya Food is set to open the first Paris Baguette store in the Philippines in the fourth quarter of 2023, with five outlets expected within the next 12 months. Berjaya Food previously brought the South Korean bakery café chain to Malaysia in January 2023.

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  • Berjaya Corp acquires more shares in 7-Eleven Malaysia

    Berjaya Corp acquires more shares in 7-Eleven Malaysia

    Berjaya Corporation Bhd’s subsidiary, Inter-Pacific Securities Sdn Bhd (IPS), acquired 16.80 million ordinary shares (equivalent to 1.51% equity interest) in 7-Eleven Malaysia Holdings Bhd (SEM) through direct transactions, for a cash consideration of approximately RM30.77 million.

    This brings the combined equity interest of BCorp and its subsidiaries in SEM to about 14.37%.

    The acquisitions were funded internally by IPS and have no expected material impact on BCorp group’s financials for the current fiscal year.

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  • Batik Air Malaysia, AirAsia X Cleared To Launch Central Asia Routes

    Batik Air Malaysia, AirAsia X Cleared To Launch Central Asia Routes

    The Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) has granted air traffic rights to Batik Air Malaysia and AirAsia X, enabling them to expand their networks into Central Asia.

    Under these newly awarded rights, Batik Air has received approval to initiate scheduled flights linking Kuala Lumpur and Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Concurrently, AirAsia X has been given the go-ahead to inaugurate a route connecting Kuala Lumpur with Almaty, Kazakhstan. The move paves the way for both Batik Air and AirAsia X to launch their first flights to Central Asia.

    According to data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser, Batik Air has already scheduled the launch of the Tashkent service, with flights set to operate twice a week from Nov. 1 using Airbus A330 aircraft. The carrier will compete on the sector with Uzbekistan Airways, which resumed the route in November 2022 after a hiatus of more than two years because of the pandemic. It currently provides a 2X-weekly service aboard A321neos.

    In the Kuala Lumpur-Almaty market, AirAsia X will be the sole operator of nonstop flights between the cities if the route launches as planned. Air Astana previously provided a direct link, but last operated the flights in October 2020.

    Alongside awarding the traffic rights for Kuala Lumpur-Tashkent and Kuala Lumpur-Almaty, MAVCOM says it approved 55 other requests between April and June 2023, consisting of 43 international and 12 domestic routes. The total represented an 87.5% increase year-on-year, signalling “an invigorated momentum within the aviation sector.” The number of air traffic applications during the second quarter of 2023 was also 5.3% higher than during the same period in 2019.

    “As part of the commission’s continued efforts to ensure that Malaysia’s aviation industry remains dynamic and responsive to global travel trends, we have approved [air traffic rights] for various new destinations as well as to establish new hub connections,” says MAVCOM Executive Chairman Datuk Seri Hj. Saripuddin Hj. Kasim.

    “These decisive measures are specifically tailored to enhance connectivity, spur economic growth and catalyse the recovery of the aviation sector. We are particularly encouraged to see airlines seizing these opportunities for expansion.”

    In addition to securing permission to fly to Tashkent, Batik Air also gained rights to serve Okinawa, Japan. The airline intends to open a Kuala Lumpur-Taipei, Taiwan-Okinawa route on Aug. 16, operating four times per week using Boeing 737-800s.

    Elsewhere, Malaysia Airlines’ LCC subsidiary Firefly has been approved to launch flights from Kota Kinabalu, on the island of Borneo, to Tokyo Narita and Taipei, while AirAsia has been awarded a host of rights, including a routing from Kuala Lumpur to Jaipur, India, and from the northwestern Malaysian state of Penang to Hong Kong.

    MYAirline has also been cleared to serve several destinations in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam from Kuala Lumpur. These include Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, Vietnam; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Krabi, Thailand. Airlines are required to utilize the air traffic rights allocated within six months from the approved date.

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  • UK coffee chain EL&N launches in Malaysia

    UK coffee chain EL&N launches in Malaysia

    London-based EL&N has made its first foray into Asia with a store at the Pavilion shopping centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

    The site, which features indoor and terraced seating, is the boutique café chain’s 30th globally and its second market entry in the last two months following its Bahraini debut in Amman in June 2023.

    EL&N currently operates 15 outlets across Europe, 12 of which are in its native market, and 14 across the Middle East, primarily in Saudi Arabia.

    “We are so thrilled to finally be opening our first outlet in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. Today marks the first EL&N in Asia and myself and the team are so proud and excited to be bringing the brand to such an incredible part of the world. The store location is an absolute dream come true for us and we are so confident that our Malaysian clientele are going to love everything we have on offer, from the unique interior design moments to our fusion of European dishes with some localised twists,” said Alexandra Miller, Founder EL&N.

    Pavilion Kuala Lumpur features more than 700 retail units, with its food and beverage offer including several boutique café operators.

    Japanese specialty café group % Arabica, Taiwanese chain HWC Coffee and Hong Kong-based The Coffee Academïcs all operate in the shopping centre, alongside Italian coffee roaster illycaffé. US coffee chains Starbucks and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf both operate two stores at the mall.

    Indonesian value-focused chain Kopi Kenangan and South Korean bakery café chain Paris Baguette also made their Malaysian debuts at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, joining domestic boutique brands Dome Café, Artelier Coffee and Tom&Danny.

    EL&N, which is also expected to open outlets in India soon via a franchise partnership with Reliance Brands, is the latest international brand to launch or announce its upcoming entry in Malaysia.

    In July 2023, Indonesian specialty coffee roaster and café chain Tanamera Coffee opened its first Malaysian store in Kuala Lumpur, while Moroccan café chain Bacha Coffee announced it will debut in the southeast Asian country at the Suria KLCC shopping centre in the capital city.

    Additionally, Saudi Arabian coffee chain Barn’s has partnered with Premier Fine Foods to open stores in Kuala Lumpur as part of plans to reach 300 outlets across southeast Asia by 2033.

    World Coffee Portal research forecasts the total Malaysian branded coffee shop market will exceed 2,700 outlets by 2025.

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  • Swiss watchmaker Swatch sues Malaysia for seizure of Pride watches

    Swiss watchmaker Swatch sues Malaysia for seizure of Pride watches

    Swiss watchmaker Swatch says it has begun legal proceedings against the Malaysian government for seizing LGBTQ-themed watches from its stores.

    The move comes after officials impounded 172 watches from its rainbow-colored Pride collection, on sale at shopping malls across Malaysia.

    Swatch wants damages and the return of the watches, worth $14,000 (£10,700).

    Homosexual activity is illegal in Malaysia under both secular and religious laws.

    It is punishable by a prison sentence or corporal punishment.

    Swatch filed its lawsuit last month at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur. The case is expected to be heard later this week.

    The Malaysian authorities said the watches were confiscated in May by the home affairs ministry’s law enforcement unit because they featured “LGBT elements”.

    But Swatch said in its lawsuit that the watches were “not in any way capable of causing any disruption to public order or morality or any violations of the law”.

    The firm said its trading reputation had been damaged by the seizures, adding that its “business and trading figures also suffered in the immediate aftermath of the seizure for some time”.

    In its promotional campaign for the Pride-themed watches, Swatch describes them as “loud, proud, uplifting and bursting with meaning”.

    The firm refers to the Pride flag as “a symbol of humanity that speaks for all genders and all races”.

    In its lawsuit, Swatch said the watches “did not promote any sexual activity, but merely a fun and joyous expression of peace and love”.

    The lawsuit names the home affairs ministry and the government of Malaysia as respondents.

    Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has yet to comment publicly on the matter.

  • Malaysian coffee chain OldTown White Coffee enters The Philippines

    Malaysian coffee chain OldTown White Coffee enters The Philippines

    The Philippines becomes OldTown White Coffee’s fourth international market, after Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong, with the coffee chain also targeting further outlet growth across Malaysia in the second half of 2023

    The Ipoh-based coffee chain, which has approximately 200 outlets across Malaysia, joins The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice, Tealive and Wouldulike Specialty Coffee at the shopping centre. In January 2023, OldTown White Coffee announced plans to open 50 new outlets across Malaysia this year, targeting growth in the country’s northern and eastern suburban regions. The coffee chain also has stores in Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong.

    OldTown White Coffee, which also manufactures and distributes packaged instant coffee products to supermarkets across southeast Asia, was acquired by JDE Peet’s for $361m in 2017.

    World Coffee Portal research forecasts the Filipino branded coffee shop market will exceed 2,000 outlets by 2025.

    OldTown White Coffee is the latest branded coffee chain to enter the Philippines in the last 12 months, with Paris-based boutique café group Café Kitsuné and South Korea’s value-focused Paik’s Coffee among those to debut in the country.

    Japan’s % Arabica has also announced it will relaunch in the Philippines this year with two stores in Manila’s Bonifacio Global City financial business district.

    Further demonstrating opportunities for branded coffee chains in the Philippines, in April 2023 domestic start-up Pickup Coffee raised more than $26m to scale its value-focused coffee shop concept.

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