Government Innovation Initiative to accelerate Malaysia’s journey of becoming an AI nation by 2030
- Voter Labs and RadioConnect will help Malaysia’s transition to an AI-driven public sector will be supported by the pilot program.
- Government Innovation Initiative to turn common industry issues into actionable AI answers
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The Ministry of Digital is launching the Government Innovation Initiative ( GII ), a strategic national initiative that aims to spur innovation in the public sector and strengthen Malaysia’s commitment to achieving AI Nation status by 2030.
The government stated in a speech that GII is intended to move beyond conceptual creativity to deliverables. The initiative prioritizes Made-by-Malaysia technologies, strengthens the home AI ecosystem, and enables nearby AI and electronic producers to scale both nationally and internationally by translating real government and citizen problem statements into transportable solutions.
In accordance with this, the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation ( MDEC ), managed by the Ministry of Digital and in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, conducted a flagship GII pilot program called the RadioConnect initiative across three public hospitals.
Through each patient’s Picture Archiving and Communication System, RadioConnect aims to give cloud-based connection with stable, multi-provider access globally.
The program aims to improve the safe backup, recovery, and posting of clinical images, such as X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans, enabling approved doctors to get individual images across departments and hospitals, increasing medical efficiency and patient care.
The establishment of Citizen Labs, a creative platform for the people to send problem statements and experiences, may be directed straight to appropriate ministries to develop ideal solutions for the rakyat as the next step for GII.
The MyInovasi portal ( myinovasi ) is a key component of this effort. gov. Malaysia’s framework for creating a national innovation ecosystem ( my ). The Ministry of Digital and its firms are the architects of the captain program, which fuses government, industry, and education to integrate local advances with everyday needs.
The Ministry of Digital is matching key national development property under a unified ecosystem as part of this whole-of-government strategy. Futurise Sdn Bhd will change its operations to those under MDEC in order to continue advancing GII jobs through the National Regulatory Sandbox model in support of GII’s goals.
Gobind Singh Deo, the modern minister, stated that the government development program is not just about adopting new technologies; it also involves creating a flexible, effective public sector with local ingenuity.
” Through GII, we are removing silos and coordinating our national innovation assets under a single, cohesive ecosystem.” With Citizen Labs, we are directly blending Malaysian-made AI solutions with the challenges of the rakyat, accelerating our transition to a leading digital nation by 2030, he said.
SGX kicks off 2026 with record ETF trading | FinanceAsia
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With record exchange-traded fund ( ETF ) turnover and the highest highest highest derivatives volume in about six years, the SGX Group, which owns the Singapore Exchange, has experienced a positive start to 2026, with both institutional and retail investors actively interacting with the company.
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Nuveen to boost Apac presence with £9.9bn Schroders deal | FinanceAsia
US global asset manager Nuveen has agreed to buy Schroders, a tepid UK company specializing in asset management, advisory, and wealth management, for £9.9 billion ($ 13.5 billion ).  ,
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Supreme Court says little about redress for Trump tariff damages – Asia Times
The US Supreme Court on Friday ruled that Donald Trump, the president, overstepped his bounds when he invoked an emergency legislation to establish massive global taxes, stoking a trade conflict, and inflicting more costs on American consumers and businesses.
According to Chief Justice John Roberts, the 6-3  decision states that “nothing” in the IEEPA’s ( 1997 ) text “allows the president to unilaterally impose tariffs.
Without legal authority, the government’s tariffs cannot stand, Roberts wrote,” and needless to say.” Justices Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, and Samuel Alito, Jr., disagreed in the case, Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump.
Trump’s tax plan, which he placed at the center of his monetary policy agenda despite warnings that the broad import taxes may increase costs for US consumers and businesses, is dealt a huge blow by the ruling.
The average US family has been paying more than$ 1,700 in tax expenses since Trump’s second term, White House, according to an analysis released by congressional Democrats shortly after the Supreme Court‘s decision.
Businesses may be eligible for tax refunds, but it’s not entirely clear that consumers who paid higher prices for groceries and other goods that were levied will have any such remedy in the midst of the high court’s ruling.
The Supreme Court’s decision does not immediately address the issue of payments for tax prices, which were paid by large US companies last year and tripled.
According to Alex Jacquez, the ’s director of legislation and advocacy, “any buyer seeking relief from tariff-driven cost increases did not find it at the Supreme Court today.” The economic harm Trump has currently caused to the expenses of business expense, production, and working people will last for years to come.
There is little reason to believe businesses may go on the savings to consumers, Jacquez added, adding that it will take months or even years for payments for impacted businesses. Trump “must put his uneven tariff policy to the test, and rather follow a trade agenda that supports manufacturers, protects , and doesn’t punish consumers.”
Trump will attempt to do this in another manner because he wants to carry on his financial damage.
The Supreme Court’s decision will have an impact on the majority of taxes Trump has imposed during his second term. The choice “upends his levies in two groups,” according to NBC News . One is “reverse” or country-by-country tariffs, which range from 34 % for China to a 10 % baseline for the rest of the world.
The other is a 25 % tax Trump imposed on some items from Canada, China, and Mexico, according to the shop.
Trump’s taxes did not stop the loss of manufacturing tasks, which fell by an estimated 108, 000 tasks during the president’s first year in office, and added to that cost for American consumers and businesses.
Fearing a bad Supreme Court decision, officials in the Trump administration have been looking into alternatives to the IEEPA, raising concerns that the president might soon implement similar tariffs under a different expert. Update: He made the announcement on Friday evening that he would carry on with the taxes.
Because there are other rules that may give Trump broad authority to impose taxes, according to Lori Wallach, director of the Rethink Trade program at the American Economic Liberties Project,” This decision is unlikely to change US tariff charges or laws much.”
According to Wallach,” Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 directly authorizes a leader to impose tariffs of up to 15 % for up to 150 days on any and all nations in connection with “large and serious” balance of payments issues, which relate to the enormous severe US trade deficit,” in the fast term. ” Section 122 does not impose investigations or other procedural limitations.”
US Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), the ranking member of the House Budget Committee, welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision but warned that Trump will attempt to do this in another manner because he wants to carry on his financial damage.
This article was republished with a Creative Commons license after it was first released by Common Dreams.
Cootamundra: Welcome to Australia’s hottest beach event – nowhere near the sea
After the finals on Sunday, when all the eskies have been dumped, workers and volunteers try to find every last grain of sand for sale or to be donated to the area, ending up in parks, sports grounds, or building sites.
US Supreme Court rules against Trump’s tariffs in 6-3 opinion – Asia Times
The US Supreme Court ruled on Friday that President Donald Trump’s taxes are unlawful in addition to the International Economic Emergency Powers Act.
In a 6-3 decision, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that Congress alone has the authority to levy taxes in virtually all circumstances. The prosecutor argued that the Trump administration’s claim that it had the authority to levy levies was unjustified. Import levies are applied to goods that are imported.
The Trump administration had claimed that a IEEPA clause in the laws, which gave the president the authority to “regulate” exports, had given rise to the president’s claim.
The President asserts the independent power to impose tariffs on imports from any country, of any product, at any rate, for any amount of time, according to Roberts, citing two words separated by 16 others ( in the law ): “regulate” and “importation.” ” Those words cannot bear such a weight,” said one quote.
Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, and Elena Kagan joined Roberts ‘ view.  ,
Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas wrote dissented ideas. Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito joined Kavanaugh’s, if you will.
Kavanaugh’s dissention supported the government’s interpretation of the law and claimed that it was not the justices ‘ responsibility to decide a policy issue that has sparked “vigorous” discussion.  ,
The only legal issue is whether taxes are a means of “reglementing… export,” he wrote. The answer is “yes,” according to historical law, historical context, and tariffs, a traditional and widely used tool to manage imports.
In November, claims were rehearsed.
In what was the first significant event of the following Trump expression to proceed beyond the judge’s emergency court and be heard on the merits of the case, the justices , heard arguments , in early November.
In the two separate cases that were consolidated before the Supreme Court, small businesses and Democratic state prosecutors public led the constitutional challenges to Trump’s taxes. According to them, Trump allegedly hijacked tax authority that is owned by Congress, as stated in Article I of the Constitution.
Victor Schwartz, the founder and president of the family-run, New York-based wine and spirits buyer VOS Selections, led the little company lawsuits, which included a Vermont-based women’s riding apparel business, a Vermont-based women’s riding apparel company, a Utah-based plastics producer, a Virginia-based children’s electricity learning kit maker, a Pennsylvania-based fishing gear manufacturer, and a Vermont-based women’s riding apparel manufacturer.
Among the state prosecutors general who sued were those from Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oregon.
Two toy manufacturers with bases in Illinois that mostly produce goods in Asia filed a separate issue.
In a series of emergency statements and proclamations that triggered transfer taxes on goods from almost every nation, the justices detained the speech of the 1970s-era restrictions law known as the IEEPA, which Trump invoked during his first year in office for almost three days on November 5.
Cabinet members, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, were drawn to the court for the high-profile event.  ,
Congress members likewise showed up. Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Democratic Sens. Jason Smith, R-Mo, president of the US House Ways and Means, were among the crowded columns. Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.
” Liberation time”
Trump signed an executive order in February and March to start imposing tariffs on products from China, Canada, and Mexico, declaring the nations accountable for the illegal fentanyl smuggled into the United States.
The president’s “liberation day” was April 2, which he dubbed “liberation day,” when he declared business disparities a national disaster. He escalated . Trump announced significant extra duties on goods from nations that export more items to the US than they import from U.S. vendors, in addition to a new benchmark 10 % global price.
The administration proposed steep duties on close trading partners, including 20 % on products from the European Union, 25 % on South Korea, 32 % on Taiwan, and 46 % on Vietnam, according to the White House’s calculations.  ,
Strangely, he also announced a 50 % tariff on goods from Lesotho, an 11-million-square-mile American nation, and a 10 % tariff on the Heard and McDonald Islands, which are only home to birds and dolphins.
Trump’s statement sprang up areas, destroying trillions of dollars in a few days. He relented and delayed the majority of the taxes, but he started a trade war with China, shooting up the charge to 125 % and finally to 145 %.
The government’s trade war with China cooled a little in May, but the price on some items remained at an efficient 55 %.
Trump asserts that in exchange for lower taxes, his levies have forced various institutions to invest in the US. For instance, Trump officials claimed victory in a framework agreement with Japan, which reduced Japanese products from 25 % to 15 %, and pledged to invest$ 550 billion in the United States.
Due to the use of Russian oil, Trump added an additional 25 % tariff on imported goods from India as of late August, raising the total tariffs on Indian products to 50 %.  ,
After protesting the country’s prosecution of former right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro for plotting and staying in power in 2022, Trump slapped a 40 % tax on all Brazilian goods in early August.
This content was republished with a Creative Commons license after being published by States Newsroom.
Consumer group files suit over new Bangkok city plan
Public lacked the time to post and examine information, and some details were “hidden,” TCC claims.
Described: 20 Feb 2026 at 21: 20
The Thailand Consumers Council is suing the Central Administrative Court for an injunction to halt the approach and withdraw the draft’s entirety against five state organizations that were involved in the development and approval of the new Bangkok town plan.
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration ( BMA ), the City Planning and Development Office, the Department of Public Works and Town &, Country Planning, and the city town planning committee were named in the lawsuit.
Less than 1 % of Bangkok’s population, or 5.8 million, participated in the public hear process, according to Kongsak Sahasakmontri, a government agent.
He claimed on Friday that the public sessions in all 50 towns had only one minute each for seminars and questions, which were inappropriate given the complexity of the issue.
He added that some details were “hidden” to gain business interests, such as lifting the ban on high-rise construction close to mass-transit stations within 500 to 800 meters without taking into account the community’s effects entirely.
Residents of Ekachai, Chom Thong, Bang Khun Thian, and Thung Khru, who spoke with society representatives, were perplexed by potential property confiscation linked to the proposed highways in the new area plan, which has potential for more than 1, 000 homes.
They claimed that residents have persistently opposed the proposed route networks and that they need to be clear about which particular homes to address so that a just and informed public consultation can be conducted.
Mr. Kongsak added that the review city plan was moving quickly toward stages 9 and 10 — the final administrative steps needed before the constitutionally mandated 90-day public posting, which may start as early as March. He demanded that officials halt further discussion until a more thorough public hearing is conducted.
The TCC says it doesn’t allow the approach to reach this point because it would soon revoke the remaining 99 % of the population who are still unaware of the plan’s right to object, since the law only recognizes those who have officially submitted written requests,” he said.
Thailand to raise international passenger fee in June
Airports of Thailand support the 53 % increase, but critics question whether passengers may experience better services.
Airports of Thailand ( AOT ) announced on Friday that the passenger service fee ( PSC ) for international travelers will increase from 730 baht per person starting on June 20, 2026 to 120 baht per person.
Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Hat Yai, Chiang Mai, and Chiang Rai will be among the six airports that the firm runs, adding a 53 % increase. According to AOT, the regional passenger fee hasn’t changed to 130 baht.
AOT leader Paweena Jariyathitipong said on Friday that the change was approved by the Civil Aviation Board on December 3, 2025.
According to studies used to support the decision, the PSC, which is included in the ultimate price of flight tickets, only accounts for a small portion of the total cost of travel, compared to airfare and other traveling expenses, and is not anticipated to have an impact on people ‘ general travel choices, she said.
AOT anticipates that the increase will increase its revenue by about 13 billion ringgit in governmental 2027, which will be used as investment capital for upcoming jobs. A major investment will be made for a fresh South Terminal at Suvarnabhumi Airport, a job worth more than 200 billion ringgit.
The company emphasized that higher Rrb revenues are intended to aid in the company’s price reduction, lessen its reliance on borrowing and interest costs, and improve economic resilience rather than maximize profit.
The airport operator also pointed out that Thailand is only one in a small minority of flights, with about 5 % of them charging only departing people, which limits their long-term revenue potential. More than 90 % of flights worldwide charge costs on both departing and transit/transfer passengers.
Value for travelers,
Although AOT claims that the PSC improve is in line with international policy, critics question whether people are receiving value for money.
Samart Ratchapolsitte, a former deputy head of the Democratic Party, questioned the increase, claiming that the key factor was not the increase’s size but what passengers had get back.
Even though Suvarnabhumi was merely 39th on the most recent Airlines listing, he claimed that after the adjusting, the charge at Suvarnabhumi would outweigh that at many of the top hubs worldwide.
He cited benchmark PSC levels at leading airports, including Hong Kong ( 800 baht ), Singapore’s Changi ( about 1,600 baht ), Doha’s Hamad and Tokyo Haneda ( about 1,600 baht ), Seoul Incheon ( 370 baht ), and Tokyo Narita ( 640 baht ).
What service levels may travelers receive if they pay at international levels? he inquired.
Mr. Samart warned that the increase, which is expected to increase tickets on low-cost routes by 7 to 10 % on standard four- to five-hour flights priced between 4, 000 and 5, 000 baht, could potentially erode Thailand’s price competitiveness and cause tourists to travel to less expensive destinations. The longer-term effects on the hospitality business might be the bigger concern.
He argued that PSC profits may be channeled in a transparent manner into visible service improvements, such as faster baggage handling, more seating and toilets, reliable high-speed Wi-Fi, and fully functional self-check-in and biometrics, as well as increased security and expanded infrastructure to ease congestion.
Most people are willing to pay, according to Mr. Samart, “if people can plainly see improvements.”
In summary, higher charges are not a problem if they offer better value for people.
Abhisit won’t close door on coalition
However, the party’s head claims they aren’t actively seeking discussions.
Described: 20 Feb 2026 at 20: 47
Abhisit Vejjajiva, the group’s leader, has stated that the party is keeping its options available for forming a government coalition, stating that the board and MPs would have the final say.
Mr. Abhisit said in an interview on the Kammakorn Khao Khui Nok Jor program that he could not make any announcements because the executive council and MPs would decide the matter in accordance with the group’s laws.
He was responding to rumors that once the new state is established, the Democrats would be in antagonism to a coalition led by the Bhumjaithai Party.
Mr. Abhisit stated that the group did not seek out active discussion but would remain open to discussion if approached.
He emphasized that any negotiations may be in line with the promises made to voters, including no “gray capital,” no social dominance, and no actions that may cause social divisions.
The Democrats ‘ commitment to” no dark funds” has been interpreted as saying they will not ally with any coalition that includes the Klatham Party and Thamanat Prompow, its de facto leader.
Bhumjaithai has been gaining the support of a number of mini-parties this year, increasing its likely entire to 291 votes in the 500-member House of Representatives.
In response to Buri Ram tycoon Newin Chidchob, Mr. Abhisit asked if Bhumjaithai was in danger of being overrun by its religious leader. He responded that the essential tenet was that the government must remain impartial and that the Democrats must be assured that its policies will be put into action.
A social group may be able to serve as the opposition or the state, not because I’m making any moves.
PARF cuts may have spooked luxury car buyers, dragging down high-end COE premiums: Analysts
With one notable exception, luxury car buyers, the sweeping cuts to car scrapping rebates announced in Budget 2026, largely unaffected by Certificate of Entitlement ( COE ) prices on Friday ( 20 February ).
Octagon Motors Group director Mr. Ng Lee Kwang reported hearing that some customers had previously canceled their requests prior to the exercise. ” Especially those who are purchasing ( BMW) 7 series, ( Toyota ) Vellfires,” he said.
However, for the majority of other buyers, it was just too late to act.
Before Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced the modifications during his Budget 2026 speech on February 12, some customers would have already agreed to directions and presently paid payments, leaving little room for exit.
Before a seller requests for COEs over the upcoming bids, the process in Singapore is for customers to sign a sales agreement with a sizable loan. The majority of those agreements were in place prior to the Budget announcement.
According to Mr. Jake Ler, chief marketing officer at Motorist Singapore, “forfeiting a deposit may not make financial sense.”
According to director at Octagon Motors Group, Mr. Ng Lee Kwang, the timing was made worse by the Chinese New Year holiday. Some dealers had already closed during the holiday season and were not expected to reopen until the COE bidding process was over.
Refunds for scrapping a car before its 10-year COE expires will be reduced by 45 percentage points and subject to changes to the Preferential Additional Registration Fee ( PARF ) scheme, which will be capped at S$ 30 000 ( US$ 24 000 ).  ,
Before the 10-year COE expired, car owners who deregistered their vehicles previously had the option of receiving rebates of up to 75 % of the Additional Registration Fee ( ARF ) paid, with a S$ 60, 000 cap.
” We will only see the effects of the PARF change in the next few auctions as buyers and dealers have a chance to respond,” said business school associate professor Walter Theseira of the Singapore University of Social Sciences.