KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is not heading to a recession, thanks to the support coming from domestic exports made up of commodities, according to MIDF Research’s head of research Mohd Redza Abdul Rahman. “With the increase in commodity prices and export numbers, this will translate into a positive impact to the country’s economic growth,” he told the […]

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 18): Economic Advisor to the Government Tun Daim Zainuddin hopes to see a renewed commitment by the government in bringing down food prices next year. At the 29th Tunku Abdul Rahman Lecture here today, he said the government must first address the root causes of the problem which is the inability of […]

KUALA LUMPUR: SME Corp Malaysia expects nearly all small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to utilise digital payment or cashless transactions by 2022.  SME Corp chief executive officer Noor Azmi Mat Said said the agency is intensifying efforts with banks to offer SMEs seamless banking activities integration and complete interoperability to achieve greater business efficiency and […]

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 — The year marks the empowerment of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through various programmes spearheaded by the government, as well as financing facilities extended by trade and financial institutions to spur their growth. Among the highlights of the year was the National Entrepreneurship Policy (NEP), launched by Prime Minister Tun […]

Cancer Research UK has announced a first-in-human trial to bring a novel immunotherapeutic vaccine strategy to patients with lung cancer. The treatment, which is part of a partnership between the charity and Vaccitech Oncology, is designed to stimulate the body’s immune system to attack cancer cells. Known as VTP-600, it is designed on the back […]

Be mindful of what traditional medicines contain and whether it’s registered for safe use by consumers. HERBAL products have been used for generations within the community to improve health and general well-being. These days, herbal products are not only sold at traditional medical halls, night markets and even by roadside and sidewalk peddlers, but are […]

Researchers at Ohio State University and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center say they have developed a new gene therapy technique by transforming human cells into mass producers of tiny nano-sized particles full of genetic material that has the potential to reverse disease processes. Though the work was intended as a proof of concept, […]

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 — Duopharma Biotech Bhd continues to have a bullish outlook for its group performance next year, leveraging the country’s higher healthcare allocation under the 2020 Budget. Group managing director Leonard Ariff Abdul Shatar said the increased allocation for the Ministry of Health reflected the government’s commitment to ensuring sufficient medicines supply […]

The idea of running a business that converts waste oil to biodiesel sounds relatively simple. Just collect waste oil from restaurants, send it to be purified and converted into biodiesel, then deliver it to the buyers. But in reality, the logistical issues that crop up in the process can be very difficult for businesses to […]

Researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark have discovered an unusual enzyme in microalgae that can be used to convert waste oils and fat into drop-in biofuels. Supported by a grant of DKK 3 million (€0.4 million) from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the research project at Aarhus University’s Department of Engineering aims to develop a system […]

FOR many years now, we have been talking about generating economic benefits from the nation’s biomass. We have plenty of such materials in the form of the massive amounts of residue from oil palm such as empty fruit bunches (pic), increasing quantities of municipal solid wastes from towns and cities, and some under-used materials from […]

KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia Group Bhd (AirAsia) is keen on using palm oil as part of its sustainable programme to develop biofuel-powered flights in the future. AirAsia founder and group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said the low-cost carrier (LCC) is in the midst of conducting a research on palm oil-related biofuel with various […]

Indonesia has announced plans to bring over 300,000 hectares former shrimp farming ponds back into production, in a bid to improve its seafood yields without resorting to further deforestation of the country’s mangroves. About 60 percent of the country’s shrimp ponds are currently fallow, and Alan Koropitan, a deputy in the office of the president’s […]

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 — The Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM) will provide 165 tonnes of frozen fish as a stockpile to ensure sufficient supply for the domestic market. Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Sim Tze Tzin said the frozen fish under the Q’Fish brand would also be sold at cheaper prices compared to […]

Ralf Onken, head of software development at FAI, explains how working with shrimp producers to manage key performance and sustainability metrics can improve transparency and accountability in the sector. I’m currently working with shrimp producers in the Chumpon, Surathani and Rayong regions in Thailand to develop management advice and tools to reduce the potential impact […]

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 — The Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry (MOA) is drawing up the Fishery Sector Development Plan covering the whole market value chain and fishermen’s well-being. Its minister Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub said among the blueprint’s main focus would be to strengthen the fishermen associations’ role in increasing the market share, […]