On August 19, the Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC) launched their Market Review Sector Sector Under the Competition Act 2010 and the report is now available for download on their website. The report provides insight into the market structure of the service sector while also identify anti-competitive behaviours. Click on the 'Read More' tab to download the report.

The Temporary Measures for Reducing the Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Bill 2020 was tabled for First Reading at the Parliament on 12 August 2020. The Preamble to the Bill states that it is to provide for temporary measures to reduce the impact of COVID-19 including to modify the relevant provisions in 14 existing Acts of Parliament. This article examines the temporary relief from inability to perform contractual obligations embodied in Clause 7 of the Bill.

In the first half of 2020 the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) landscape saw a rise in uncertainty, leading to large-scale deal postponements and withdrawals as investors struggled with the impacts of COVID-19. In March and April, lockdowns in response to the COVID-19 pandemic triggered the near-closure of most global Industrial Manufacturing & Automotive (IM&A) sectors. This suppression of economic activity endured into June in many parts of the world.

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic has been devastating, wrecking both lives and economies, but it has demonstrated the importance of technology in building a resilient society. "The COVID-19 crisis is shining a light on the growing role of technology in our lives," says Jonathan Curtis, vice-president of Franklin Equity Group and portfolio manager of the Franklin Technology Strategy.

In almost every conceivable dimension, the COVID-19 crisis is fundamentally challenging companies’ assumptions about how they do business. The scale of the pandemic’s impact and the uncertainty about its future course and consequences are forcing changes in organizational structure, decision-making processes, technology, and operations, from manufacturing to sales and marketing.