It’s Wednesday, November 4, and these are the updates for you.
Let’s begin with national news.
Firstly, former Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli has completed giving his statement to police at Bukit Aman, where he was questioned in connection with two separate investigations.
Rafizi arrived at the federal police headquarters at about 10.57am yesterday, accompanied by three lawyers, and left after nearly two hours of questioning.
The first investigation concerns remarks he made during a political ceramah in Selayang on October 20. These involved allegations of a RM9.5 million payment to PKR vice-president R. Ramanan and claims relating to a so-called corporate mafia.
Police are investigating the matter under Sections 500 and 505 of the Penal Code, which cover criminal defamation and statements that could cause public mischief.
Rafizi said police also informed him about a second investigation linked to a police report lodged in March concerning the shareholding issue involving former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner Azam Baki.
That investigation involves Section 500 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
Rafizi said both sessions went smoothly and that he would cooperate with investigators. However, he declined to comment further, saying his statements now form part of the investigation materials.
Inspector-General of Police Mohd Khalid Ismail said police would issue an official statement on the investigations in the near future.
Secondly, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has warned that Malaysia could become a target of increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks, as the government reviews the country's preparedness against growing digital security threats.
Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat, Anwar said Malaysians should not assume that major cyber incidents affecting other countries are too far away to pose a threat here.
He pointed to recent disruptions and breaches involving critical infrastructure and government systems in Europe, the United States, Denmark and Japan.
Anwar said Malaysia's growing role as a regional digital hub could also expose the country to greater risks.
Following the warning, the government is stepping up coordination between security agencies and relevant departments.
Chief Secretary to the Government Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar was scheduled to chair a meeting involving government departments, while Bank Negara Malaysia would also hold a special session with financial institutions to discuss the country's cyber preparedness.
The issue comes as Malaysia continues to attract major investments in digital infrastructure and technology, including artificial intelligence.
Anwar said the government was monitoring the situation and would strengthen its response to protect national security and critical systems.
Thirdly, more than RM14 billion in unclaimed money has been recorded in Malaysia as of September this year.
Finance Minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan said the Accountant General's Department had recorded the amount, with a significant factor being that many individuals and organisations were unaware that money was owed to them.
Other reasons include outdated contact details, difficulties locating beneficiaries and cases where rightful owners have passed away without their heirs knowing about the funds.
Unclaimed money can include unpaid salaries, dividends, insurance payments, refundable deposits and balances in dormant bank accounts.
To make the claims process easier, the government is encouraging the public to use the eGUMIS portal, operated by the Accountant General's Department, to check whether they have money waiting to be claimed.
The service allows individuals and organisations to check and submit claims online without charge.
The department has also conducted 176 outreach programmes nationwide as of October 30, alongside mobile bus services operating twice a month to reach communities, including those in rural areas.
The government says these measures are intended to help rightful owners recover money that has remained unclaimed.
Fourthly, the government has paid out RM20.27 billion in excess tax refunds as of October 31, covering approximately 3.65 million cases.
Finance Minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan said RM6.84 billion was paid to individual taxpayers, covering about 3.427 million cases.
Another RM13.036 billion was paid to companies, including micro, small and medium enterprises, involving 206,234 cases.
The minister said efforts to prioritise refunds for individuals and smaller businesses had reduced the number of taxpayers still waiting for excess tax payments.
The outstanding pool fell from more than one million taxpayers in December last year to approximately 550,000 as of October 30.
The government has pledged to clear the remaining backlog as soon as possible, saying timely refunds are important to improving tax administration and protecting taxpayers' rights.
Fifthly, eleven Malaysian universities have secured places among Asia's top 100 in the latest QS World University Rankings for Asia 2027.
The rankings feature 1,722 universities across 26 higher education systems, with Malaysia recording 55 institutions overall. This makes the country the eighth most represented higher education system in the region.
Universiti Malaya remains Malaysia's highest-ranked institution, placing 17th in Asia, although it slipped two positions from the previous edition.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia made a notable improvement, climbing to 20th place and entering the regional top 20 for the first time.
Other Malaysian universities in the top 30 include Universiti Putra Malaysia at 24th, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia at 25th and Universiti Sains Malaysia at 27th.
Among private institutions, Taylor's University ranked 32nd, followed by UCSI University at 36th and Sunway University at 47th.
Overall, 20 Malaysian universities improved their positions, while four maintained their rankings and 25 recorded declines.
The latest results reflect Malaysia's growing representation in regional higher education, although the rankings also show that institutions continue to face competition across Asia.
Moving on to Penang.
Sixthly, Penang has engaged 16 American companies and investors as the state looks to attract new investments and encourage existing businesses to expand their operations.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the engagements took place during an eight-day investment and trade mission to the United States from September 28 to October 5, led by the state government and InvestPenang.
The delegation held strategic meetings and site visits in San Jose, California, involving major technology and semiconductor-related companies.
These included AMD, Intel, Micron, Lam Research, Cadence, Applied Materials, Agilent and Intuitive, alongside other industry stakeholders.
Chow said discussions focused on the growth of artificial intelligence and its impact on industries, particularly the semiconductor sector.
Companies indicated stronger demand and encouraging growth prospects, while also highlighting their future requirements for skilled workers, testing capacity and supply-chain support.
During the meetings, Penang also presented two initiatives: Penang Silicon Design @5km+ and the Malaysia Automated Test Equipment Campus.
The initiatives are intended to strengthen the state's capabilities in integrated circuit design, manufacturing and advanced testing.
However, Chow said it was still too early to estimate the value of investments that could result from the mission, as negotiations and investment decisions can take years to materialise.
He said the engagements would help the state better understand what companies need as Penang works to strengthen its position in the global technology supply chain.
Let’s take a look at sports.
The Harimau Malaya squad for two upcoming international friendlies has been announced, with no Johor Darul Ta'zim players included for the first time in several years.
Interim head coach Tan Cheng Hoe has named 24 players for Malaysia's matches against China on November 14 and Yemen on November 17.
Both fixtures will take place at the Zhaoqing New District Sports Centre Stadium in Guangdong, China.
The squad includes 11 players retained from the team that finished third in the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, alongside three players recalled from the previous ASEAN Cup squad.
There are also 10 other selections, including two new faces: Terengganu midfielder Ahmad Haziq Kutty Abba and Selangor winger A. Selvan.
The players are scheduled to report for national duty on November 9 before travelling to China the following day.
The two friendlies will give Cheng Hoe an opportunity to assess the squad ahead of Malaysia's upcoming international commitments.
And finally, in international news.
Americans are heading to the polls for the 2026 midterm elections, with control of Congress at stake and the results set to shape the second half of President Donald Trump's term.
Voting is taking place across the United States, with all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 Senate seats being contested.
Voters in 36 states are also choosing governors, alongside various state and local representatives.
Republicans currently control both chambers of Congress, meaning the elections will determine whether the party can retain its majorities or whether Democrats can regain control of either chamber.
Democrats need a net gain of three seats in the House and four in the Senate to take control of both.
More than 59 million Americans had already voted early ahead of Election Day, according to figures from the University of Florida's Election Lab.
The campaign has focused heavily on the cost of living, rising fuel and food prices, healthcare and the direction of Trump's policies.
The results are being closely watched because control of Congress will affect the administration's ability to advance its legislative agenda during the remainder of Trump's presidency.
Voting is still underway, and the final outcome will depend on the results across a number of closely contested races.
And those are your updates for today.
Stay informed, stay ahead with Newsenz.