Malaysia Money Matters Daily News Digest 28th Nov 2025

In today’s episode, we cut through headline distortions to assess the true operational health of Malaysian companies. From forex-fuelled profits to structural resets and hidden losses, we examine which results reflect core resilience — and which are pure accounting noise. Plus, a look at Malaysia’s trade policy balancing act and persistent fiscal hangovers from 1MDB.Corporate Earnings: The Story Behind the Numbers📉 UEM Edgenta Faces Take-Private Bid Amid Record Loss* Um Group proposes privatisation, citing compressed valuations* Loss of RM94M driven by non-cash impairments, not operating weakness🏭 PPB Group Sinks to First Net Loss in Nearly a Decade* RM200M loss tied to RM290M share of loss from Wilmar International* Core business remains intact, but Wilmar’s legal hit in Indonesia overwhelmed results💻 Inari’s Profit Doubles on Forex Gains — But Revenue Falls* Q1 net profit hits RM51.5M, boosted by weaker ringgit* Actual revenue dropped 16% amid lower semiconductor volume💰 RHB Bank Hits Record Profit of RM904M* +8.5% on lower provisions and strong credit risk management🏦 Hong Leong Bank Flat, But Loan Growth Strong at 9.1%* China associate drag, but domestic lending momentum is healthy🧱 Malayan Cement Posts Record Profit, Up 44%* Driven by construction demand tied to data centers and the JS-SEZMacroeconomics & National Policy🇺🇸 Malaysia Won’t Renegotiate US Trade Deal* MITI confirms status quo; World Bank warns this may distort trade patterns* Suggests broader multilateral tariff reductions as a better path for welfare gains🏛️ MOF Drafting New State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) Act* Aimed at boosting governance and accountability in GLCs* Seen as a key structural reform for fiscal sustainability💸 1MDB: RM24.46B in Liabilities Remain* Despite RM31B recovered, funds are ringfenced to service debt* Scandal’s long tail continues to shape the national balance sheet🎧 Listen Now for a deep dive into Malaysia’s financial gems and global trends shaping 2025!🔗 Subscribe & Share the Malaysia Money Matters podcast on Substack, Spotify, or Apple PodcastsMalaysia Money Matters is a one-person passion project. Subscribe for free or support me as a paid subscriber—it means the world to me! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mmoneymatters.substack.com