It’s Friday, November 6, and these are the updates for you.
Let’s begin with national news.
Firstly, Bank Negara Malaysia has maintained the Overnight Policy Rate, or OPR, at 2.75 per cent in its final monetary policy meeting of the year.
The decision marks another hold since July 2025, when the central bank reduced the rate by 25 basis points from 3 per cent.
Bank Negara said Malaysia’s economic growth momentum remained strong in the third quarter, supported by export performance and sustained domestic demand. The economy is expected to grow by more than 5 per cent this year.
Year-to-date, headline inflation averaged 1.8 per cent, while core inflation stood at 1.9 per cent.
However, the central bank warned that geopolitical developments, higher global commodity prices and adverse weather conditions could put upward pressure on inflation in 2027.
The decision means borrowing costs remain unchanged for now, providing some stability for households and businesses as Bank Negara continues to monitor inflation and economic risks.
Secondly, 1,120 flood victims are currently housed at nine temporary relief centres across Selangor following heavy rain.
The victims come from 284 families across three districts, according to the National Disaster Management Agency.
Kuala Selangor recorded the highest number, with 734 victims at four relief centres. Another 369 people are staying at four centres in Shah Alam, while 17 victims have been placed at one centre in Klang.
Several rivers have also exceeded their warning levels, including Sungai Binjai and Sungai Rasau in Klang, as well as Sungai Buloh in Kuala Selangor.
Residents in affected areas are being urged to remain alert and follow instructions from authorities as the situation develops.
The latest figures highlight the scale of the flooding, with more than a thousand people displaced across the state.
Thirdly, the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development has reallocated RM200 million from its rural housing programme to settle outstanding payments for rural road projects.
Deputy Minister Rubiah Wang said the money was originally part of the RM413 million allocation for the Sejahtera People's Housing Programme, or PPRS, in 2026.
However, implementation delays involving land ownership disputes, unsuitable project sites and overlapping applicant records meant some housing projects could not proceed as planned.
The ministry therefore transferred the unspent funds through a Notice of Change to cover arrears owed for rural road projects.
Rubiah stressed that the move did not mean the government was abandoning rural housing needs. For 2027, the programme has been allocated RM416.2 million, expected to benefit 12,457 recipients through new homes and house repairs.
The reallocation highlights the challenge of balancing development priorities when delays prevent approved allocations from being fully utilised.
Fourthly, the government is allowing conditional exports of raw rare earth elements under a new framework, providing limited flexibility to the existing export moratorium.
The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry said the move is intended to attract investors who have been reluctant to commit to Malaysia’s rare earth industry without a guaranteed and stable supply of raw materials.
However, the flexibility is strictly limited to research and development activities.
Companies seeking approval must also demonstrate a clear commitment to working with local partners to develop processing facilities in Malaysia within three years of receiving export approval.
The policy is part of the government’s effort to strengthen the country’s rare earth supply chain, particularly in areas such as permanent magnets, advanced materials, electronic components and batteries.
Rather than simply exporting raw materials, Malaysia is aiming to attract investment and technology transfers that allow more processing and manufacturing to take place locally.
Fifthly, Perak recorded RM4.6 billion in realised investments between January and September this year, creating 3,867 job opportunities.
The Northern Corridor Implementation Authority said the investments were driven by several sectors, including manufacturing, automotive, the digital economy, food processing and tourism.
Among the key developments is the Automotive High-Tech Valley in Tanjung Malim, which aims to strengthen Malaysia’s automotive industry and attract higher-value manufacturing activities.
Other projects include the QL InnoFood Park in Hutan Melintang and the Bagan Datuk International Fishery Industrial Park.
Under the Northern Corridor’s 2026 to 2030 development plan, Perak is targeting RM58.8 billion in cumulative realised investments and more than 46,000 job opportunities by 2030.
The latest figures point to continued investor interest in the state, while the next challenge will be ensuring these investments translate into sustainable employment and stronger local economic activity.
Moving on to Penang.
Motorists affected by suspected contaminated RON95 petrol may now receive goodwill payments from Caltex and Petron, as investigations into reports of engine damage continue.
Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Armizan Mohd Ali told Parliament that both companies have started customer recovery programmes for motorists with verified complaints.
However, the payments are being made on a goodwill basis and do not constitute an admission of wrongdoing or legal liability.
Affected motorists must submit complete complaints with valid supporting documents to qualify.
The issue is particularly relevant to Penang and neighbouring Kedah, where the ministry said complaints have been concentrated. Some affected petrol stations in these areas remain closed.
So far, 262 RON95 samples have been collected from eight states and three oil company depots. Preliminary laboratory analysis of 43 samples found no evidence of water contamination, with the remaining samples still undergoing testing for other possible foreign substances and fuel formulation issues.
Motorists who are dissatisfied with the compensation offered may also lodge formal complaints with the ministry, pursue civil action or refer their cases to the Tribunal for Consumer Claims Malaysia.
The investigation is still ongoing, so the full cause of the reported engine damage has yet to be established.
Let’s take a look at sports.
Malaysia’s national men’s hockey team has beaten South Korea 5-2 to secure bronze at the 2026 Asian Champions Trophy in India.
The Speedy Tigers took an early lead through Mohammad Fitri Saari in the second minute, but South Korea fought back to lead 2-1 in the first quarter.
Faizal Saari equalised in the 34th minute before Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal scored twice in the 45th and 50th minutes to put Malaysia ahead.
Captain Marhan Mohd Jalil then sealed the victory with a penalty-corner goal in the 58th minute.
The bronze medal marks Malaysia’s sixth third-place finish in the tournament since it began in 2011.
It is also a significant improvement from the 2024 edition, when Malaysia finished sixth.
And finally, in international news.
Global semiconductor stocks have plunged as investors question whether massive spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure can deliver sufficient returns.
The sell-off followed weaker-than-expected earnings from US chipmaker Qualcomm, whose shares fell around 9 per cent after smartphone chip sales missed market estimates.
The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index also dropped 9 per cent, while major US stock indices recorded sharp losses.
Beyond company earnings, investors are increasingly concerned about the scale of spending on AI data centres and whether demand will justify the investment.
Political uncertainty in the United States has added to those concerns, with newly elected politicians opposing further data-centre expansion calling for limits on new projects.
The downturn reflects growing scrutiny of the AI boom. While technology companies continue to invest heavily in infrastructure, investors are now looking for clearer evidence that the spending can translate into sustainable profits.
And those are the updates for you today.
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