The convenience stores (c-stores) scene is getting saturated in the Klang Valley and beyond but that has not deterred listed Mynews Holdings Bhd (Mynews) from signing a licence agreement with S. Korean BGF Retail Co Ltd (BGF Retail) to bring the CU c-stores to Malaysia via its subsidiary, MYCU Retail Sdn Bhd. Founder of Mynews, Dang Tai Luk, thinks that the c-store segment is still young and full of potential. Mynews currently has 530 outlets in Malaysia.  

BGF Retail is controlled by its Chairman, Hong Suk-jo, who is the brother-in-law of the late Samsung Chairman, Lee Kun Hee. Hong’s sister is Hong Ra-hee, wife of Lee Kun Hee. CU...

AEON CO. (M) BHD (AEON) is a leading General Merchandise Stores (GMS) cum Supermarket chain in Malaysia, with 28 AEON MALLs, 34 AEON Outlets, 5 MaxValu Prime Supermarkets across the country. It was listed on Bursa Malaysia in December 1996 as Jaya Jusco Stores Berhad (Jaya Jusco). Jaya Jusco set up its first retail store in Malaysia in June 1985 at Dayabumi Complex Kuala Lumpur. For financial year ended 31 December 2019 AEON reported revenue of RM4.5 billion and profit before tax of RM196.9 million.  

Its sister company, Aeon Credit Service (M) Berhad (Aeon Credit)  is also listed on Bursa Malaysia (12 December 2007). AEON Credit...

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd (Rakuten Trade)  is Malaysia’s first fully online or digital equity broker. Business started on 19th May 2017 and exponential growth was experienced when the lockdown began in March 2020. In March alone, 11,000 retail accounts were opened with Rakuten Trade. As of March 31, 2020, Rakuten Trade  generated close to RM11 billion in trading value on Bursa Malaysia and activated almost 70,000 trading accounts. The company is a joint venture between Japan’s Rakuten Securities Inc, and Kenanga Investment Bank Bhd. Besides its easy to open accounts and convenient to trade platform, Rakuten Trade also provides free market...

The Samsung Electronics group’s Chairman, Lee Kun Hee, passed away at the Samsung Medical Center located at Irwon-Dong, Gangnam-Gu, Seoul on Sunday, 25 October 2020. He was 78. In May 2014, Chairman Lee suffered a heart attack and was admitted to Samsung Medical Center. He stayed there for 6 years plus till his demise on Sunday.  

A deep sense of loss was felt across the nation for the passing away of Chairman Lee who is regarded as one of S. Korea’s top business icons. Chairman Lee has been credited for transforming the Samsung Group into an international electronics powerhouse. He succeeded his father, the late Lee Byung-Chul,...

The most famous kitten in the world, Hello Kitty, is 46 this year (2020) and she remains as kawaii (Japanese for ‘cute’) as ever. She has an English name, Kitty White. Famous the world over, Hello Kitty was dubbed a “UNICEF Special Friend of Children” im 2004  when she raised US$150,000 for female education programs funded by UNICEF (The New York Times). In 2008 she was declared the Japanese Ambassador for Tourism in China and Hong Kong. Hello Kitty was also the official Ambassador for Japan Day at EXPO 2015 and more recently was recruited by the Japanese Government to back Osaka’s bid for EXPO 2025. The West Japan Railway Company (JR...

The Korea Herald reported on 25 January 2021 that both the Prosecutors and Samsung heir and Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, 52, will not appeal against the decision of the Seoul High Court in sentencing JY Lee back to jail on 18 January 2021. JY Lee is de facto head of the Samsung Group since his father, Chairman Lee Kun Hee, died on 25 October 2020. The Supreme Court had on an appeal by the Prosecutors ordered a retrial of the corruption charges against JY Lee which were committed during the tenure of former S. Korean President Park Geun-hye. He was accused of providing a total of 8.9billion won in donations to a non-profit organization run...

Popular homegrown spices brand, Adabi, now a leading packaged food manufacturer, has been expanding both locally and internationally without much fanfare since its founding in 1984 as a small factory producing curry spices in the Batu Caves Industrial Area. Adabi products were the first to receive Halal certification from the Islamic Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department. Founder Dato’ Syed Manshor Syed Mahmood, who is Chairman and Managing Director of Adabi Consumer Industries Sdn Bhd, continues to run the family business with his son, Syed Mahadzir Dato’ Syed Mansor, who is Adabi’s CEO. Adabi Consumer Industries is...

Malayan Flour Mills Berhad (MFM) is headed by Teh Wee Chye, 67, the son of the late Teh Liang Teik, who bought the controlling interest in MFM in May 1976 from its founder David L.F.Sung, an industrialist from Hong Kong. MFM is a pioneer in the flour milling industry in Malaysia. The first Prime Minister of Malaysia, the late Tunku Abdul Rahman, officiated the opening of the RM40m modern flour mill at Lumut, Perak on 15 October 1966. MFM was listed on Bursa Malaysia (formerly the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange) on 10 July 1968.  

Teh Wee Chye, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Naval Architect and Marine Engineering and a Master’s...