Malaysia Money Matters Daily News Podcast

Malaysia Money Matters Daily News Digest 19th Dec 2025


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From record-breaking overseas contracts and surging palm oil profits to major infrastructure incentives and a fresh fuel subsidy clarification — today’s stories reveal a clear double play: aggressive expansion abroad, and fiscal cushioning at home.

Corporate & Market Developments

🏗️ Gamuda Wins RM8B More in Australia

* Secured RM7.32B Sydney Metro West Stations contract

* Added RM718M wind farm civil works

* Outstanding order book now at a record RM46B — a new high

* Strategy: hedge domestic volatility by anchoring growth offshore

🖥️ Sunway Construction Lands RM570M Johor Data Center Deal

* Client: US-based tech multinational

* Year-to-date wins: RM4.6B, pushing order book to RM6.1B

* Reinforces Johor’s status as a rising tech infrastructure hub

🌴 United Malacca Hits Record Quarterly Profit

* Net profit up 79% to RM55.4M

* Driven by 15% rise in fresh fruit bunch (FFB) output andprice hikes:

* Crude palm oil: +6%

* Palm kernel: +35%

* Declared 7 sen interim dividend

⚙️ Muhibbah Engineering Secures RM850M Petronas Job

* Minor EPC works on offshore wellhead platforms (Terengganu)

* Long-term play: earnings contribution expected through Q1 2029

Policy, Governance & National Impact

🛣️ Toll Hikes Frozen for 2026 — But at a Cost

* Affects 10 major highways

* Federal govt to compensate RM591.6M to maintain toll rates

* Watchlist: Bina Puri, Taliworks Corp, Ekovest

No Shift from Budi95 to EV Rebates

* Govt reaffirms Budi95’s role as targeted fuel subsidy, not an EV incentive

* Covers groups like 106,000+ e-hailing drivers

* Rebuttal to suggestions of redirecting toward electrification

💵 Ringgit Forecast: 4.00 by End-2026

* ANZ Research sees strength driven by:

* Stable BNM rate policy

* Resilient local economic fundamentals

* Reinforces RM stability amid global currency pressures

Global & Geopolitical Trends

🔌 Google Challenges Nvidia with TorchTPU

* New chips to work with Meta-backed PyTorch

* Designed to reduce reliance on Nvidia’s CUDA ecosystem

* Strategic move to lower switching costs for developers

* Could shift AI chip dynamics across global markets

💾 Micron’s Strong Forecast Signals Chip Surge

* Q4 revenue guidance: up to US$19.1B

* Driven by booming AI infrastructure demand

* Suggests robust pricing power returning to memory chip players

🎧 Listen Now for a deep dive into Malaysia’s financial gems and global trends shaping 2025!

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Malaysia Money Matters Daily News PodcastBy Malaysia Money Matters