Malaysia’s Plastics Industry Takes Charge: Driving Local Recycling and Voluntary EPR from the Ground Up

Industry representatives from ACCCIM, FMM, MAREA, MPMA and MPRA at a joint meeting to finalise their Budget 2027 submission to the Ministry of Finance, proposing measures to strengthen Malaysia's recycling ecosystem ahead of mandatory EPR by 2030

PETALING JAYA, Selangor, July 21 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s plastics industry is not waiting for 2030. Driven by accelerating environmental concerns, while the transition to a circular economy is already well underway, our efforts must be scaled up. As the country prepares for mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) under the Circular Economy Blueprint for Solid Waste in Malaysia (2025-2035), leading industry players are already taking concrete steps on the ground. From collecting recyclables, educating communities, to building the foundations of a local circular economy, these efforts help to reduce Malaysia’s reliance on imported petrochemical feedstock and crude oil-derived raw materials from the Middle East, whilst developing domestic circular production and consumption practices.

Five industry associations: The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM), Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing (FMM), Malaysian Recycling Alliance (MAREA), Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA) and Malaysian Plastics Recyclers Association (MPRA), have come together to drive this agenda collectively, combining on-the-ground action with coordinated industry advocacy.

Industry Action on the Ground
MAREA, Malaysia’s first voluntary industry-led EPR initiative, was established in 2021 by ten major FMCG companies committed to improving domestic collection and recycling rates for packaging waste. Since then, MAREA has tested practical approaches to EPR implementation by supporting collection, sorting and recycling partners across Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, involving multiple actors across the recycling value chain. Through these projects, MAREA has generated practical insights into local collection systems while supporting community-based communication, education and public awareness initiatives to encourage waste separation and recycling. These on-the-ground experiences contribute to the Government’s data-informed development of Malaysia’s EPR Policy Framework and support the transition from voluntary to mandatory EPR.

Since October 2020, Nestlé Malaysia has been running Project SAVE (Segregate, Avoid, Value, Educate), its flagship voluntary EPR programme and Malaysia’s largest corporate-led household recycling collection initiative, implemented in partnership with seven local municipal councils across nine cities in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Kedah. The programme is reaching over 270,000 households on a weekly and bi-weekly basis and has collected approximately 49,000 tonnes of dry mixed recyclables and recoverables to date (of which 32,000 tonnes are plastics). Through these efforts, Project SAVE is helping to strengthen recycling habits among communities through comprehensive CEPA (Communication, Education & Public Awareness) and support Malaysia’s transition towards a more circular economy.

On the education front, MPMA runs The Green Truck, a mobile recycling education programme that visits schools across Malaysia to bring the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) to life for students since 2022. To date, The Green Truck has reached more than 40,000 primary and secondary students nationwide, helping to build recycling awareness and habits from a young age.

MPRA has launched the Education Next Generation Programme, aiming to reach 24 primary schools across Peninsular Malaysia by 2027. Since 2024, MPRA and its members have collectively supported over 1,000 education, community engagement and recycling campaign programmes nationwide. Beyond schools, MPRA works with residential communities, commercial premises and public events to promote recycling through education, public awareness and collection campaigns across Penang and the Klang Valley. MPRA also serves as an industry connector, linking consumers, collectors and plastic recyclers to strengthen collection networks, improve plastic recovery and accelerate Malaysia's transition towards a circular economy.

A Shared Opportunity
Waste management and recycling is a shared responsibility between governments, businesses and individuals. These efforts gained fresh momentum following a luncheon dialogue on 11 May 2026, organised by ACCCIM and attended by YB Liew Chin Tong, Deputy Minister of Finance, and YB Sim Tze Tzin, Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry. The dialogue brought together recyclers, manufacturers and major plastic product users to explore how local recyclers could be better matched with large-scale plastic consumers to close the circular loop domestically. The conversation was particularly timely given the ongoing geopolitical disruptions in the Middle East that have affected global petrochemical feedstock supply. The government expressed strong support for this direction.

Building on this momentum, the five associations convened a series of industry roundtables to take stock of where the recycling value chain stands today, identify areas for improvement and map out a way forward together. Discussions covered the practical realities facing recyclers and manufacturers on the ground, from tax considerations under the Sales and Service Tax (SST) framework to gaps in collection infrastructure and opportunities to enhance existing government incentives.

Supporting the Voluntary EPR Phase
As part of this coordinated effort, the five associations have jointly submitted a policy position paper to the Ministry of Finance ahead of Budget 2027, titled “Budget 2027: Accelerating Plastics Circularity and EPR Adoption in Malaysia.” The submission outlines how targeted fiscal measures could help complement industry’s voluntary action and strengthen Malaysia’s recycling ecosystem ahead of mandatory EPR in 2030. Key proposals include:

• Expanding the Green Investment Tax Allowance (GITA) with a dedicated Circular Economy and EPR category to support investment in collection, sorting and material recovery infrastructure;
• Targeted SST relief for plastic traders, stockists, collectors, sorters and EPR compliance fees, to ease structural cost pressures across the recycling value chain;
• Extending diesel subsidy (SKDS) eligibility to recycling collection and logistics fleets, including RORO (Roll-On Roll-Off) trucks widely used for recyclables collection, on par with existing landfill logistics support;
• Tax deductions to support circular economy certifications and consumer education campaigns on waste separation at source; and
• An early adopter incentive to reward companies that begin EPR implementation during the voluntary phase from 2026 to 2029, encouraging early action across the supply chain.

The voluntary EPR stage commencing in 2026 is a valuable window for industry to prepare. Getting collection infrastructure in place, raising consumer awareness and aligning the supply chain now will ensure Malaysia is well-positioned when mandatory EPR takes effect in 2030. The five associations remain committed to working closely with the government to make this transition a success, and look forward to continued engagement with the Ministry of Finance and relevant agencies as the proposals are considered.

About the Signatory Associations
• ACCCIM – Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia is the largest Chinese business organisation in Malaysia, championing the interests of the business community.
• FMM – Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing is the premier organisation representing the manufacturing and manufacturing-related services sectors in Malaysia.
• MAREA – Malaysian Recycling Alliance is Malaysia’s first voluntary industry-led EPR initiative, established in 2021 by ten major FMCG companies committed to driving plastic packaging recycling and circular economy in Malaysia.
• MPMA – Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association, established in 1967, is the official voice of Malaysia’s plastics industry, representing 800 members accounting for 60% of the nation’s plastics manufacturers and 80% of plastics production.
• MPRA – Malaysian Plastics Recyclers Association represents Malaysia’s plastics recycling industry, advocating for a stronger domestic recycling sector and circular economy.

SOURCE: Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Crystal Cheah
Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA)
Tel: 03-7876 3027
Email: crystal@mpma.org.my

--BERNAMA

Cambodia's Growing Confidence in Malaysia Healthcare Signals a New Chapter for Medical Tourism

KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 (Bernama) -- When a family makes the decision to seek medical treatment abroad, it is rarely based on cost alone. It is a decision shaped by trust, access to specialised care, confidence in medical expertise and the assurance that their loved ones will receive the best possible treatment. For decades, this trust has anchored Malaysia’s reputation as a the preferred healthcare destination. While our clinical excellence draws patients from across the world including Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East, our deepest relationships have naturally flourished within the Asia-Pacific region. Today, within this primary footprint, another regional market is rapidly emerging as an important contributor to the country's healthcare travel industry. Cambodia's growing confidence in Malaysia Healthcare reflects not only the country's increasing demand for quality medical treatment abroad, but also Malaysia's strengthening position as a regional leader in healthcare travel.

In 2025, nearly 12,000 Cambodian patients travelled to Malaysia for medical treatment, resulting in RM30 million in healthcare travel revenue. While Cambodia remains an emerging market compared to Malaysia's more established healthcare travel sources, its steady growth demonstrates increasing awareness and trust among Cambodian patients who are actively seeking quality healthcare beyond their borders.

Cambodia's healthcare landscape has evolved significantly over the past decade. As healthcare awareness grows and more patients seek specialised treatments that may not be readily available domestically, demand for cross-border healthcare continues to increase. Today, patients are making more informed decisions by comparing treatment options, specialist expertise and healthcare outcomes before choosing where to receive care.

This changing healthcare landscape presents a significant opportunity for Malaysia. Supported by a network of 91 member hospitals, Malaysia Healthcare offers internationally accredited medical institutions, multidisciplinary Centres of Excellence and highly experienced specialists across a broad spectrum of healthcare services. From oncology and cancer care, cardiology and orthopaedics to fertility and reproductive medicine, gastroenterology, health screening and preventive care, Malaysia continues to meet the evolving needs of international patients through clinical excellence, advanced medical technologies and patient-centred care.

Beyond clinical excellence, Malaysia has also become known for something equally important: the experience of care itself. Guided by the "Healing Meets Hospitality" proposition, Malaysia's healthcare ecosystem embraces values of empathy, compassion and attentiveness that are deeply rooted in the country's culture. Much like the nurturing qualities often associated with a mother's care, patients are supported not only through advanced medical treatment, but also through warmth, reassurance and genuine human connection throughout their healing journey.

This growing trust is one of the reasons Cambodia has become an increasingly important market for Malaysia Healthcare. Recognising the country's long-term potential, the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) organised the inaugural Malaysia Healthcare Expo (MHX) Phnom Penh, making Cambodia the first market outside Indonesia to host the consumer-focused healthcare expo. More than an exhibition, MHX Phnom Penh brought Malaysian specialists and healthcare providers directly to Cambodian communities, allowing patients to better understand treatment options, seek professional advice and build confidence before travelling to Malaysia for care.

The decision to invest in Cambodia reflects a broader strategy to strengthen Malaysia's presence in emerging healthcare travel markets across the region. As awareness of Malaysia's healthcare capabilities continues to grow, Cambodia is expected to play an increasingly important role in supporting the industry's long-term growth. The impact extends far beyond hospitals. Every international patient who chooses Malaysia contributes to a wider economic ecosystem encompassing airlines, hotels, transportation providers, retail businesses and tourism-related services. Healthcare travel has therefore become a strategic economic contributor, creating value across multiple sectors while reinforcing Malaysia's international reputation for healthcare excellence.

This momentum aligns with the aspirations of Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026 (MYMT2026), which continues to strengthen Malaysia's position as a preferred healthcare destination under the "Healing Meets Hospitality" proposition. Through strategic market engagement and strong collaboration across the healthcare ecosystem, Malaysia is well positioned to attract more international patients while delivering meaningful economic impact to the nation.

Cambodia's growing confidence in Malaysia Healthcare is more than a success story for one market. It reflects the strength of Malaysia's healthcare ecosystem and demonstrates that the country's reputation for quality, trusted and patient-centred care continues to resonate across Southeast Asia. As more regional patients choose Malaysia for their healthcare journey, the country's medical tourism industry is not only growing, but also contributing meaningfully to Malaysia's economy, international standing and long-term healthcare ambitions.

SOURCE: Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Mohamad Shahizam Fauzi
Head, Communications
Tel: +603 8776 6168
Email: shahizam.f@mhtc.org.my

Name: Muhammad Rasydan Ma’at
Head of Unit, PR and Media Unit
Communications
Tel: +603 8776 6168
Email: rasydan.m@mhtc.org.my

--BERNAMA

GenOptima Launches Results-as-a-Service GEO Infrastructure to Help Enterprises Ensure Outcome in AI Search

SHANGHAI, July 17 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GenOptima, an enterprise Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) infrastructure provider, announced the launch of its Results-as-a-Service (RaaS)-based GEO solution, designed to help organizations ensure outcome through measurable AI search visibility management as AI-powered search platforms continue to reshape how brands are discovered, interpreted, and recommended.

As enterprises increasingly evaluate GEO vendors based on their ability to deliver measurable AI visibility, GenOptima introduces a closed-loop GEO framework integrating brand intelligence analysis, optimization strategy, AI model training, knowledge management, and continuous visibility monitoring. The solution enables organizations to manage AI visibility across multiple AI search environments through a unified operational system.

Founded in 2025 and headquartered in Shanghai, GenOptima delivers One-stop GEO Solutions through a five-stage RaaS workflow: Brand Info Audit, Content Preference Analysis, Exclusive Strategy, AI Model Training, and Full-Cycle Monitoring. The framework evaluates brand perception across AI platforms, analyzes AI search intent and citation preferences, develops customized GEO strategies, enhances structured AI knowledge, and tracks the Brand AI Visibility Index to support continuous optimization.

The platform is powered by the GEO Expert Model Matrix, featuring 143 benchmarkable capabilities designed to help enterprises ensure outcome through scalable and measurable AI visibility optimization. The framework includes 48 Industry Capabilities, 45 LLM Adaptation Capabilities, 30 Functional Capabilities, 20 Multimodal Capabilities, and 14 LLM Deep Adaptation Capabilities supporting both China and global AI ecosystems through a dual-market, dual-stack architecture. These capabilities enable organizations to adapt to evolving AI models while delivering consistent, measurable GEO outcomes.

To strengthen enterprise GEO operations, GenOptima has developed a Strategic Agent Architecture comprising Gen-Centric Sentinel, Gen-Carto Nexus, Gen-Genesis Forge, and Gen-Cosmos CogniCore, supporting AI visibility monitoring, strategy development, multimodal content creation, knowledge graph management, and compliance.

GenOptima’s RaaS infrastructure supports optimization across 20+ global AI platforms through a Universal Cross-Model Consensus Protocol. Its compliance framework includes data protection, cross-border safeguards, ethical optimization, compliance controls, and transparent reporting with execution tracking and KPI measurement.

By combining enterprise GEO infrastructure, expert capabilities, and continuous optimization, GenOptima helps organizations build measurable, scalable, and outcome-oriented AI visibility strategies for the evolving AI search ecosystem.

Media Contact:
Company Name: GenOptima
Contact Person: Zach Yang
Email: zach.yang@gen-optima.com
Country: China
State: Shanghai
Website: https://www.gen-optima.com/
Singapore Office: 91 Bencoolen Street, #12-03 Sunshine Plaza, Singapore 189652

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/19295c7f-473a-4fd4-862e-d358d9af2a68 

SOURCE: GenOptima

--BERNAMA

RealPage Acquires Cherre, Creating a Trusted AI-Powered Intelligence Platform Across the Full Real Estate Capital Stack

RealPage now with Cherre.

 

Combination connects property-level operations with institutional portfolio intelligence, giving owners and operators a governed, trusted foundation for better decisions and stronger performance.

RICHARDSON, Texas & NEW YORK, July 15 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- RealPage, Inc., a leading provider of AI-enabled software and data analytics to the real estate industry, today announced it has completed its acquisition of Cherre, a real estate data intelligence company trusted by institutional owners, investment managers, and operators worldwide.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260714560587/en/ 
 

"AI can transform real estate only if it understands real estate," said Dirk Wakeham, President and Chief Executive Officer of RealPage. "Cherre has built the kind of trusted, governed intelligence that institutional owners and asset managers depend on. Bringing that expertise into RealPage means every customer, whether they manage one property or a global portfolio, gets access to a stronger, more trustworthy foundation for their decisions.”

"We've always believed real estate organizations can't make confident decisions on data alone. They need a trusted, connected meaning behind it," said L.D. Salmanson, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cherre. "The work we've done at Cherre was building toward the moment the industry needed to move from reporting to reasoning. Joining RealPage lets us bring that future to the real asset ecosystem faster, without changing how we work with the clients who trust us today."

Building the Foundation for Real Estate AI

The real estate industry manages trillions of dollars in assets and supports decisions with consequences that extend far beyond a balance sheet: where capital flows, where communities grow, and how the built environment serves the people who depend on it. The industry is turning to AI to make those decisions faster and with greater confidence. But AI is only as reliable as the data beneath it.

Today, that data rarely agrees with itself. A single property can appear as one address in a leasing system, a different unit number in an operations platform, and a separate parcel ID in a tax record, with most platforms treating those as three unrelated assets. As a result, even a basic question, such as why the net operating income (NOI) changed at a given asset, cannot be answered with confidence. The data may all be there, but until something resolves those identities and governs what the data means, no AI can reason across it.

This is the gap now stalling AI across the industry. Models cannot reason across data that does not agree on what it describes. The industry's AI ambition is sound, but the data infrastructure beneath it was built to report on the past, not to support the decisions that come next.

Closing that gap requires a foundational layer that resolves data into consistent identities, governs what it means, and connects it into a knowledge graph that AI can reason across: why performance moved, what is at risk, and where to focus next.

Why RealPage + Cherre is the Answer

For more than a decade, Cherre has been building exactly that layer, at a scale few can match. Its platform resolves more than four billion entities and four trillion dollars in real assets globally into a trusted foundation, sourced and governed in a secure, compliant environment that institutional owners depend on.

RealPage brings deep operational scale across the property lifecycle, serving more than 42,000 customers and 24 million housing units worldwide. For the operator running a single property, that same foundation means more reliable revenue signals, faster lease-up insight, and data that stays consistent across every system already in use. It is the same governed foundation that institutional portfolio-level reasoning is built on. Together, the two companies connect what happens at the property with what matters at the portfolio and fund level, unifying data, trust, and infrastructure across the entire real estate capital stack, spanning all asset classes.

What This Means for Customers

With Cherre, RealPage customers will gain access to a layer of intelligence built specifically to bridge property-level data with portfolio- and fund-level context, connecting operations to the decisions that depend on them.

With RealPage, Cherre customers will gain the scale, resources, and global delivery capacity of one of the industry's largest technology providers, including expanded engineering and deployment capabilities to take customers from data readiness to AI in production, while continuing to work with the same dedicated team and consultative approach they rely on today.

A Commitment to Openness and Customer Control

Cherre's platform has always worked across any property management system and any data source a customer uses, and that will not change. Cherre will remain an open hub where any application or data vendor can connect under clear permissions, security controls and governance standards. RealPage and Cherre are committed to openness and to governance in equal measure, giving customers the freedom to access and use their data alongside the security and protections they depend on. Customers keep every control and protection they have today, plus new enterprise-grade tools for even finer control tomorrow.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel to RealPage. For Cherre, Software Equity Group (SEG) served as financial advisor and Goodwin Procter LLP served as legal counsel.

About RealPage, Inc.

RealPage exists to improve the business of living. For more than 25 years, RealPage has powered the neighborhoods people call home, for the capital that enables them, the operators who run them, and the residents who live in them. RealPage is advancing the AI-native platform for real estate operations and institutional intelligence, bringing together agentic AI, advanced analytics, and governed data into one platform. Backed by Thoma Bravo and with more than 8,500 employees worldwide, RealPage solutions help manage more than 24 million units and the institutional portfolios behind them around the globe. For more information, visit realpage.com.

About Cherre

Cherre is the leading real estate data intelligence platform for institutional investors, commercial operators, and real asset owners. Cherre connects, resolves, and governs fragmented data to create a trusted foundation for AI, analytics, and decision-making. Organizations use Cherre to unify information across systems, improve data confidence, and accelerate business outcomes. Cherre powers the data infrastructure behind modern real estate operations. For more information, visit cherre.com.

About RealPage & Cherre

Together, RealPage and Cherre are building the trusted AI infrastructure real estate has always required: governed, domain-specific, and purpose-built to know what every piece of data means, resolve it consistently across every system that touches it, and make it available to AI that can reason on it, so the people making consequential decisions can trust what it tells them. Every recommendation is traceable, every definition is governed, and every data asset stays in the customer’s control. This is the foundation for the next era of real estate AI.

View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260714560587/en/

Contact

Patrick.Mendoza@realpage.com

Source : RealPage, Inc.

--BERNAMA

GOVERNMENT, BANKING AND INDUSTRY UNITE TO ADVANCE MELAKA’S SEMICONDUCTOR FUTURE

First row (standing), from left to right:
Dato' Khairul Fahmy Ab Jabar, Director Government, Client Coverage, Maybank Investment Banking Berhad, En. Nor Azman Jaafar, Head Communication, Infineon Melaka, YBhg. Datuk Ginie Lim, Chief Executive Officer of Invest Melaka, Mr. Derrick Tanggapan, Director of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) Melaka, YBhg. Datuk Mohd Yusof Bin Abu Bakar, Chief Executive Officer, Melaka Corporation (MCORP), En. Adzahar Md Sharipin, Government Relations, Texas Instruments, Puan Ranita binti Abdullah, Managing Director, New Economy and Group Global Banking Sustainability, Maybank, Mr. Tay Kheng Chiong, Group MD/CEO of Dominant Opto Technologies Sdn Bhd and D&O Green Technologies Bhd.
Second row (seated), from left to right:
YB Datuk Khaidhirah Binti Datuk Seri Abu Zahar, Deputy EXCO of Investment, Industry and TVET Development, Melaka State Government, YB Datuk Wira Salhah Binti Salleh, Pegawai Kewangan Negeri Melaka, YAB Datuk Seri Utama Ab Rauf Bin Yusoh, Chief Minister of Melaka, Dato’ Seri Wong Siew Hai, President, Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA)
Mr. Eng Seng Meng, Senior Vice President & Managing Director, Infineon Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.

Industry leaders, policymakers and ecosystem partners gather to discuss Melaka's semiconductor ambitions, strengthen industry collaboration and accelerate sustainable growth within Malaysia's semiconductor ecosystem.

Highlights:
● Brought together almost 150 participants comprising industry leaders, policymakers, government agencies, financial institutions and ecosystem partners.
● Reinforced Melaka's commitment to becoming a future-ready semiconductor hub.
● Highlighted the strategic direction of the Melaka Semiconductor Strategic Plan 2026- 2035 in strengthening the state's semiconductor ecosystem and long-term competitiveness.

MELAKA, July 17 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA), in collaboration with Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), Invest Melaka Berhad, Infineon Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. and Maybank, jointly hosted the MSIA Dialogue & Networking Session with the Chief Minister of Melaka on 16 July 2026 at Hatten Hotel, Melaka.

Anchored on the theme "Transforming Melaka into a Future-Ready Semiconductor and Advanced Manufacturing Hub: Driving Talent, Sustainability and Industrial Excellence", the programme facilitated constructive dialogue between the public and private sectors to discuss the state’s semiconductor ecosystem, industry competitiveness and opportunities arising from the continued growth of the industry. With a semiconductor heritage spanning more than five decades, Melaka continues to build on its established industrial foundation.

Supporting this direction, the ongoing Melaka Semiconductor Strategic Plan 2026–2035 complements Malaysia’s National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS), with discussions focused on strengthening industry capabilities, enhancing supply chain resilience and supporting high-value investments to position Melaka as one of Malaysia's leading semiconductor and advanced manufacturing hubs.

The programme also featured remarks by YAB Datuk Seri Utama Ab Rauf Bin Yusoh, Chief Minister of Melaka, who shared his vision for Melaka’s industrial transformation, highlighting the state’s semiconductor journey and the importance of strengthening investment, industry and TVET development to support the next phase of growth.

Datuk Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid, Chief Executive Officer of MIDA, stated, “Melaka has come a long way in building its semiconductor industry; today, it has the industrial base, skilled workforce and supplier network needed to compete for the next generation of high-value investments. The electrical and electronics (E&E) industry continues to be a key driver of Malaysia’s investment landscape, attracting RM6.0 billion in approved investments in the first quarter of 2026, the highest among all manufacturing industries. With its established ecosystem and strategic location, Melaka is well placed to capture a greater share of these opportunities. The next phase of growth requires close collaboration between government, industry and the financial sector to deepen supply chains, accelerate technology adoption and help Malaysian companies move up the value chain.

At MIDA, we are committed to facilitating quality investments that build industrial capabilities, drive innovation, and create quality jobs for Malaysians. The New Incentive Framework (NIF) supports these efforts by encouraging investments to develop local talent, strengthen Malaysian businesses and deliver long-term value to the people of Melaka.”

Datuk Ginie Lim Siew Lin, Chief Executive Officer of Invest Melaka Berhad, said “Our continuous engagement with industry players gives us valuable insights into how investment decisions are evolving and what companies require to grow successfully. Melaka’s semiconductor strength is built on decades of industrial presence and investor confidence, and our focus is to build on this foundation by connecting emerging opportunities with the right capabilities and partnerships. Through this approach, we aim to strengthen Melaka’s position as a preferred location for the next phase of semiconductor growth.”

Dato' Seri Wong Siew Hai, President of the Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA), commented, “Malaysia's future competitiveness will not be determined by manufacturing capacity alone, but by the strength of our semiconductor ecosystem. As we move from 'Made in Malaysia' to 'Made by Malaysia', every state has a role to play. Melaka has already built a strong foundation and is well positioned to become a key driver of advanced technologies, talent development and innovation that will strengthen Malaysia's global semiconductor leadership."

Ranita Abdullah, Managing Director, New Economy & Group Global Banking Sustainability, Maybank, said, "Maybank is committed to supporting Melaka's aspirations to attract quality domestic and foreign investments into advanced and high-tech industries, while strengthening the ecosystem of multinational corporations and local SMEs as supply chains evolve and businesses enhance operational resilience. We are equally keen to support the state's sustainability aspirations and Smart City digital transformation agenda, in line with Maybank's ROAR30 strategy to mobilise RM300 billion in sustainable finance and RM100 billion for the New Economy across ASEAN."

The MSIA dialogue featured a dynamic panel discussion moderated by Datuk Ginie Lim, Chief Executive Officer of Invest Melaka Berhad, which integrated crucial perspectives from the industry, government, and financial sectors. Mr. Tay Kheng Chiong, Group Managing Director & CEO of Dominant Opto Technologies Sdn. Bhd., shared insights on the growth journey of Malaysian semiconductor SMEs, emphasising the need to strengthen capabilities and meet global customer expectations. Highlighting ecosystem development, Mr. Derrick Tanggapan, Director of MIDA Melaka, outlined how local SMEs can capture higher-value opportunities through strategic investments and partnerships. To enable this growth, Mr. Zulfadhli Bin Marjo, Head of Islamic Transaction Banking Solutions & Innovation at Maybank Islamic Berhad, discussed tailored financing and capital solutions aimed at supporting SMEs as they scale operations through technology, automation, and talent development.

The event successfully brought together almost 150 key industry leaders, policymakers, government agencies, financial institutions, and ecosystem partners, reinforcing the state's commitment to becoming a future-ready semiconductor hub.

For further information on the featured companies, including their respective boilerplates and media contacts, please refer to: https://tinyurl.com/y6nvap68

SOURCE: Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Mr. Derrick Tanggapan
Designation: Director, MIDA Melaka
Tel: +606-232 2878
Email: derrick@mida.gov.my / melaka@mida.gov.my

--BERNAMA

DENODO PLATFORM 9.5 OFFERS ACTIVE CONTEXT FOR AGENTIC AI, ANALYTICS

KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 (Bernama) -- Denodo, an artificial intelligence (AI) data layer company, has announced the availability of Denodo Platform 9.5, advancing its role in providing active context for agentic AI, analytics, and self-service data delivery.

Denodo Platform 9.5 makes trusted enterprise context easier to define, operationalise and reuse, strengthening the platform's semantic and contextual intelligence while simplifying how teams build, manage and share trusted data products across the enterprise.

“Denodo Platform 9.5 helps organisations deliver the trusted active context that AI, analytics, and data consumers across the entire enterprise need to act with confidence,” said Denodo chief technology officer, Alberto Pan in a statement.

New features include an expanded enterprise knowledge graph within the Denodo Data Marketplace, metric views, enhanced reasoning capabilities for Denodo Assistant to streamline data-view development, and expanded connectivity across the data and AI ecosystem.

Denodo Platform 9.5 expands its Data Marketplace with a new 360-degree graph and asset extensions, enabling organisations to define an enterprise knowledge graph with a broader set of data ecosystem assets and the relationships that connect them.

The metric views feature enables organisations to define, govern and reuse business metrics such as revenue, profit, order count and customer value more consistently across reports, dashboards and tools.

Denodo Platform 9.5 also advances the VQL Shell towards a more conversational development experience, with Denodo Assistant supporting an interactive workflow that helps teams create accurate data views faster.

These capabilities help organisations bring more enterprise information into governed AI, analytics, and data-sharing workflows while reducing integration friction and improving performance across distributed environments.

-- BERNAMA

UNIVAR SOLUTIONS NAMED AMONG NEWSWEEK'S WORLD'S GREENEST COMPANIES 2026

KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 (Bernama) -- Univar Solutions LLC (Univar Solutions), a global solutions provider of speciality ingredients and chemicals, has been named one of the World’s Greenest Companies 2026 by Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group.

The recognition is based on an evaluation of publicly available data and was conducted in collaboration with Plant-A Insights and GIST Impact, highlighting organisations making measurable efforts to reduce their environmental impact and advance sustainability.

“As a company, we believe it is essential to support customers on their sustainability journeys. We built our Sustainable & Natural Product Portfolio to help provide transparency and clarity as we work together to drive sustainability at the product level,” said Univar Solutions Vice President, Commercial Sustainability, Kelly Gilroy in a statement.

Meanwhile, Univar Solutions Senior Director of Global Sustainability & Social Impact, Dr Liam McCarroll said the company views resource efficiency as both a responsibility and an opportunity to reduce waste, use water more effectively and apply circular economy principles across its operations.

“This helps create opportunities to improve how we work, lower costs, reduce risk, and help our customers advance their own sustainability ambitions through better resource management solutions,” added Dr McCarroll.

Through continued investment in technology, process improvement and organisational engagement, Univar Solutions is progressing towards its 2030 climate goals and longer-term net-zero ambition, while continuing to focus on resource efficiency.

Univar Solutions also received recognition in part due to its sustainable and natural product framework that helps customers evaluate sustainability for ingredients and raw materials. It is designed to help enable productive communication on product-level sustainability.

Newsweek's World’s Greenest Companies 2026 ranking evaluates the top 850 organisations across 28 countries. The ranking is based on over 25 sustainability criteria, including greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, waste generation, and strict adherence to European Union sustainability standards.

-- BERNAMA