Several housing areas in Bandar Muadzam Shah in Rompin, Pahang will be placed under the enhanced movement control order beginning Feb 9 after COVID-19 cases were detected there. Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said cases were reported in Desa Bidara, Desa Keranji, Taman Redan Perdana, Desa Teratai, Desa Melor, Desa Mawar 1 and 2, Desa Jati, Desa Anggerik and Desa Kenanga.

The Prime Minister’s Department has today announced a list of members that it has appointed to be part of the Special Independent Emergency Committee 2021. The independent special committee was set up under Section 2 of the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021 and will advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the ongoing Emergency and when it should end.

The Minister of International Trade and Industry has mounted what appears to be a public relations exercise to counter claims that investors have fled the country because they have lost confidence in the present administration. On its Twitter account, positive trade data filled the timeline of the ministry’s account, accompanied by #InvestorsStandByMalaysia, a slogan ostensibly aimed at criticism that Malaysia is losing investments from abroad on alleged fears that Malaysia was turning less democratic.

Malaysia continues to be the investment destination for high-value manufacturing and global services in Asia, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) said. The country remains an attractive investment destination with a favourable environment including the availability of excellent infrastructure, telecommunication services, financial and banking services, supporting industries, skills and trainable workforce.

The United States Embassy in Kuala Lumpur and ISIS Malaysia will be hosting the Foreign Policy Speaker Series on "The Biden Administration's Global Engagement Strategy". President Joseph Biden has indicated an American foreign policy that is predicated on core values like democracy and human rights, as well as commitment to global institutions and multilateralism. Will this return to more traditional paradigms of American engagement result in more opportunities or challenges in different parts of the world?

EY has released its latest tax alert. This issue covers:

In collaboration with the EU-funded programme WeEmpowerAsia of UN Women, LeadWomen is inviting Malaysian and Malaysian-based corporates to expand on their gender diversity efforts by joining the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Activators Malaysia Campaign. This will be the FINAL WEPs Awareness Training which will bring a wider consciousness of the WEPs and provide a toolkit to help identify your companies' strengths, gaps, and determine opportunities to improve their performance on gender equality, using the Gender Gap Analysis Tool.

Join the region’s largest AmCham event of 2021 from 9-11 March for a rare opportunity to engage with industry leaders and government representatives from the U.S. and across the Asia Pacific region.

All morning plenary sessions will be taking place virtually, with afternoon in-person industry breakout discussions for each of the 14 AmCham Committees to be held at Marina Bay Sands Singapore.

Purchase your virtual pass now. Tickets for the afternoon in-person events are pending government approval, and we will notify you once registration for the in-person tickets is live.

In accordance with Article 21 of the AmChams of Asia Pacific (AAP) constitution, Chair Steven Chan appointed the following chambers to serve on the Nominating Committee for the 2021 AAP Chair election: AmCham India, AmCham Indonesia, AmCham Japan, AmCham Korea, AmCham Malaysia, AmCham Okinawa, and AmCham South China. The committee appointed Joseph Dowd from AmCham Okinawa to serve as Chair of the Nominating Committee.

Many are having trouble defining the right moves to achieve long-term success. Industrial companies are in survival mode. The COVID-19 economic shock has pushed nearly 60% of industrial companies to cut their R&D and capex budgets. What's the plan for the future? Bain & Company conducted a benchmarking survey of more than 100 executives at global industrial companies with annual revenues above $500 million. Many report their companies are falling short in crucial areas.