Oil May Rise On Conflict, Fall To US$80-US$90 If War Ends By Mid-April

By Rosemarie Khoo Mohd Sani

KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 (Bernama) -- Crude oil prices can go even higher than current levels of US$100-US$103 per barrel if the war in West Asia continues affecting passageway in the Strait of Hormuz and supply tightness becomes more acute, Kpler senior crude oil analyst Muyu Xu said today.

Maybank Research Trims Singapore 2026 GDP Growth Forecast To 3.4 Pct

SINGAPORE, March 18 (Bernama) -- Maybank Research Pte Ltd (MRPL) has revised Singapore's gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast to 3.4 per cent in 2026, down from its earlier projection of 3.6 per cent, amid ongoing West Asia conflicts. 

K-Tech Partners Boardware On AI, BCI Hardware

KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 (Bernama) -- K-Tech Solutions Company Limited (K-Tech) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Boardware Intelligence Technology Limited (Boardware), becoming the exclusive hardware development and engineering partner for Boardware’s artificial intelligence (AI) and Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) product platform.

Mongolian Mining Corporation Reports Lower FY2025 Earnings

KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 (Bernama) -- Mongolian Mining Corporation (MMC) reported lower earnings for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2025 (FY2025), with total revenue declining to US$823.4 million from US$1.04 billion a year earlier. (US$1=RM3.90)

Petronas Recognises Sabah’s Growing Role In Malaysia’s OGSE Sector

KOTA KINABALU, March 18 (Bernama) -- Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) recognises Sabah’s growing role in Malaysia’s oil and gas services and equipment (OGSE) sector, as part of broader collaborative efforts to strengthen the state’s contribution to national energy security and economic development.

OCBC Revises Brent Forecast Higher, Expects Prices Around US$100 Through Mid-year

KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 (Bernama) -- OCBC Group Research has revised its Brent crude oil forecast higher, expecting prices to remain elevated at around US$100 per barrel through mid-year before easing towards US$70 per barrel by early 2027 amid ongoing supply disruptions.

Skild AI Expands Robotics Partnerships With NVIDIA, ABB, Teradyne

KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 (Bernama) -- Skild AI has announced expanded collaborations with NVIDIA, ABB Robotics and Teradyne Robotics’ Universal Robots (UR) and Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) to deploy its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered robot brain across multiple industries.

RISDA Main Rubber Buyer Programme Records RM3.79 Mln In Purchases As Of February

KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 (Bernama) -- The Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA) has successfully purchased and collected a total of 1,197.77 metric tonnes of smallholder rubber, with a cumulative purchase worth RM3.79 million as of February, during the implementation period of the Main Rubber Buyer initiative, which has been active since early January 2026.

Manufacturing Sector Stabilised In 2H 2025, Improvement Expected In 1H 2026 - FMM

KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s manufacturing sector stabilised in the second half of 2025 (2H 2025) following earlier weakness, with gradual improvement expected in the first half of 2026 (1H 2026), according to the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing (FMM).

Panasonic Explores Investment In Palm Biomass-based MDF In Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 (Bernama) – Manufacturer of housing equipment and construction material, Panasonic Housing Solutions Co Ltd, is exploring investment opportunities for its palm biomass-based panels product, medium-density fibreboard (MDF).

West Asia Conflict: NEAC To Study Impact On Aviation, Oil Supply

JOHOR BAHRU, March 15 (Bernama) -- The National Economic Action Council (NEAC) will hold a meeting tomorrow to discuss the impact of the prolonged conflict in West Asia on the transportation sector, particularly aviation, and mitigation measures to safeguard oil and gas (O&G) supply.

Institutions Over Barrels: Why Petronas Matters to Malaysia’s Energy Security

By Samirul Ariff

Public discussion about energy often begins with a simple question: how much oil does a country possess? Yet this question, while intuitive, can be misleading. The real determinant of energy security is not merely the quantity of hydrocarbons beneath the ground, but the institutions and systems that govern their extraction, transport and distribution. Malaysia’s experience illustrates this principle clearly.