MALAYSIA HEALTHCARE STRENGTHENS ENGAGEMENT IN BANGLADESH AHEAD OF MALAYSIA HEALTHCARE WEEK IN DHAKA

KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 (Bernama) -- Bangladesh’s medical travel landscape is evolving as patients increasingly explore alternative destinations for specialised treatment abroad. For many years, Bangladeshi patients travelled primarily to India for medical care due to its proximity and established referral pathways. However, recent visa restrictions affecting Bangladeshi travellers have disrupted this long-standing treatment corridor, prompting patients and healthcare facilitators to explore new healthcare destinations across the region.

In response to this shift, the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) is strengthening its engagement with Bangladesh as part of the ongoing initiatives under the Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026 (MYMT 2026), which was officially launched in July 2025. Guided by its “Healing Meets Hospitality” positioning, Malaysia Healthcare brings together internationally accredited hospitals, specialised medical expertise and patient-centred care to offer Bangladeshi patients a trusted destination for quality treatment abroad.
 
As part of these efforts, Malaysia Healthcare will bring its healthcare ecosystem closer to Dhaka through Malaysia Healthcare Week in Dhaka, a series of engagements designed to connect Bangladeshi healthcare facilitators, travel partners and prospective patients directly with Malaysia’s leading medical institutions. The initiative aims to strengthen collaboration, build referral networks and enhance awareness of Malaysia as a trusted medical travel destination. Malaysia’s healthcare travel industry continues to demonstrate strong growth and international confidence. In 2025, the sector generated RM3.34 billion in healthcare travel revenue and welcomed 1.84 million healthcare travellers, reflecting Malaysia’s strong reputation as a leading medical travel destination in the region. This growth underscores the country’s ability to deliver high-quality care supported by internationally accredited hospitals, advanced medical technologies and a patient-centred healthcare ecosystem.
 
Hence, Malaysia Healthcare’s engagement in Dhaka seeks to further strengthen ties with Bangladesh’s growing medical travel ecosystem. By connecting local healthcare facilitators and industry partners with Malaysian hospitals, the initiative aims to expand referral networks and increase access for Bangladeshi patients seeking trusted healthcare options abroad. Mr. Suriaghandi Suppiah, Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council, said Malaysia is committed to strengthening healthcare collaboration with Bangladesh as demand for quality medical care abroad continues to grow.
 
“Bangladesh remains an important market for Malaysia Healthcare, and we are seeing growing interest from Bangladeshi patients seeking trusted and high-quality treatment overseas. We also congratulate Bangladesh on the formation of its new government and look forward to strengthening Malaysia–Bangladesh relations under the new Prime Minister's leadership. Healthcare and medical tourism present strong opportunities for collaboration between our two countries. Through initiatives such as Malaysia Healthcare Week in Dhaka, we aim to bring Malaysia’s healthcare ecosystem closer to local partners and patients, strengthen referral networks, and showcase Malaysia’s medical expertise and patient-centred care. As part of the Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026 initiatives, Malaysia continues to expand healthcare collaboration across the region while ensuring patients have access to reliable, high-quality and compassionate care,” added Suriaghandi.
 
Demand for overseas medical care among Bangladeshi patients remains strong, driven by the need for specialised procedures, advanced medical technologies and faster access to treatment. Complex areas such as cardiology, oncology, organ transplantation, and advanced surgeries continue to drive outbound medical travel, with patients increasingly comparing regional healthcare destinations, including Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia. Within this competitive landscape, Malaysia offers a compelling value proposition that combines internationally trained specialists, modern healthcare infrastructure and competitive treatment costs. Strong air connectivity between Dhaka and Kuala Lumpur, supported by multiple daily flights, further enhances Malaysia’s accessibility for Bangladeshi patients and their families seeking reliable healthcare abroad.
 
As Malaysia drives the momentum of the Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026 (MYMT 2026), initiatives such as Malaysia Healthcare Week in Dhaka reflect the nation’s commitment to bringing the spirit of “Healing Meets Hospitality” to patients and partners across the region. By combining high-quality medical care with Malaysia’s renowned warmth, compassion and cultural understanding, Malaysia Healthcare continues to strengthen cross-border healthcare collaboration while building enduring partnerships that expand patient access to trusted treatment and elevate healthcare standards across the region.

About Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council
 
Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), established in 2009 under the purview of the Ministry of Health (MOH) Malaysia, is entrusted with developing and nurturing the “Malaysia Healthcare” brand. MHTC enhances, coordinates, and promotes Malaysia’s healthcare travel industry by fostering industry collaborations and building valuable public-private partnerships both domestically and internationally. With 80 member hospitals nationwide, MHTC continues to elevate the healthcare travel ecosystem through strong branding, seamless patient experiences, and strategic market initiatives. In line with these efforts, MHTC is spearheading the Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism (MYMT) 2026, the nation’s first dedicated year to celebrate and advance healthcare travel. MYMT 2026 serves as a milestone initiative to showcase Malaysia’s world-class healthcare offerings, strengthen its position as the premier global healthcare destination, and highlight the industry’s significant contribution to the national economy.
 
More information can be found at https://malaysiahealthcare.org/. 

SOURCE: Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC)

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:  
Name: Mohamad Shahizam Fauzi                                                    
Head, Communications
Tel: +603 8776 6168                     
Email: shahizam.f@mhtc.org.my
 
Name: Muhammad Rasydan Ma’at                                       
Asst. Manager, Communications
Tel: +603 8776 6168         
Email: rasydan.m@mhtc.org.my 

--BERNAMA

Skild AI Expands Generalized Robot Intelligence Across Industries With ABB Robotics, Universal Robots, and NVIDIA

 

Skild AI is partnering with ABB Robotics and Universal Robots to deploy its omni-bodied robot brain across industries and applications, from factory floors to collaborative systems, without task-by-task reprogramming


PITTSBURGH, March 17 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Skild AI, a pioneer in building generalized robot intelligence for any embodiment, today announced expanded collaborations with NVIDIA, ABB Robotics, and Teradyne Robotics’ Universal Robots (UR) and Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) to deploy its AI-powered robot brain across multiple industries and applications. The company’s technology is to be shipped to production environments, including high-precision assembly for NVIDIA Blackwell systems with Foxconn.

Skild AI’s mission is to bring AI into the physical world through its general-purpose robotics foundation model, Skild Brain. It is an omni-bodied brain designed to control any kind of robotic hardware – any robot, any task, one brain. This enables a powerful data flywheel: the brain can combine data from different robot deployments and use it to improve itself, which in turn helps scale additional deployments that generate even more data.

Skild AI’s partnership with these robotics OEMs will accelerate this data flywheel through the large-scale deployment of Skild Brain. Conventionally, industrial robots must be carefully programmed by human experts, task by task, which is difficult to scale and often impossible to automate. Skild’s omni-bodied AI brain offers a fundamentally different approach: learning directly from data.

“Robotics is at an inflection point similar to where LLMs were a few years ago,” said Deepak Pathak, CEO of Skild AI. “Advances in hardware, simulation, and large-scale AI training are making general-purpose robot intelligence possible. By training an omni-bodied intelligence that transfers skills across embodiments and environments, we’re shifting from programming tasks to building systems that continuously learn and improve, even during deployment.”

“This partnership helps us to bring automation and robotics for SMBs and non-traditional manufacturing and unlocks large-scale deployment of Skild Brain,” said Abhinav Gupta, President at Skild AI.

Building Omni-Bodied Intelligence With NVIDIA’s Open Robotics Platform

Training a robotic foundation model requires a large diversity of data, a process known as pretraining. For large language models such as ChatGPT, this data can be gathered from the Internet, but in robotics, there is no equivalent “Internet of robot data.” Skild AI’s approach is to leverage (a) internet scale human videos and (b) large-scale robot simulations.

To realize this, Skild AI leverages NVIDIA’s open robotics platform, using the open NVIDIA Isaac Lab and NVIDIA Isaac Sim robot learning and simulation frameworks and the Newton physics engine to create physically accurate simulations. These tools allow the Skild Brain to simulate millennia of experience in realistic digital environments, across tasks and settings, before deploying in the real world. Once the Skild Brain is pretrained, it is then finetuned using small amounts of real robot data.

To extend learning beyond the limits of collected real-world data, Skild AI incorporates NVIDIA Cosmos world foundation models to generate and augment synthetic data, improving robustness and sim-to-real transfer. Once trained, the generalized robot brain runs on systems powered by NVIDIA Jetson, enabling real-time, low-latency AI inference on deployed robots.

“Physical AI is transforming the world’s largest industries,” said Deepu Talla, Vice President of Robotics and Edge AI at NVIDIA. “Built on NVIDIA’s open robotics platform and accelerated computing, Skild AI’s generalized robot brain demonstrates how foundation models trained in simulation can be deployed on real robots at scale.”

Deploying Generalized Robot Intelligence With ABB Robotics and Universal Robots

Through its collaboration with NVIDIA, Skild AI is working closely with ABB Robotics and Universal Robots to integrate its omni-bodied brain into their robot portfolios. By embedding Skild Brain’s shared intelligence layer into widely deployed industrial robots, manufacturers can extend automation into more dynamic, highly variable, and complex applications without needing to build task-specific code for every workflow.

“At ABB Robotics, we see more autonomous and versatile robotics (AVR™) as the enabler for the next era of flexible and efficient manufacturing,” said Marc Segura, President, ABB Robotics. “Integrating Skild AI’s generalized robot intelligence into our portfolio will help customers scale industrial-grade automation more quickly and address increasingly complex applications scenarios across a broad range of industries.”

“Universal Robots was founded to make automation simple and accessible,” said Jean-Pierre Hathout, CEO, Universal Robots. “Working with Skild AI and NVIDIA allows us to bring advanced AI capabilities to our cobots — enabling them to handle more dynamic, variable tasks across industries.”

“This partnership helps us to bring automation and robotics for SMBs and non-traditional manufacturing and unlocks large-scale deployment of Skild Brain,” said Abhinav Gupta, President, Skild AI.

Early Success in Advanced Manufacturing

Skild AI is working with partners to deploy its solution in enterprise applications for advanced manufacturing. In partnership with Foxconn, Skild AI is planning to ship its omni-bodied brain to control dual-arms on NVIDIA’s Blackwell GPU production lines, performing complex assembly operations requiring precise manipulation and adaptability.

About Skild AI

Skild AI builds omni-bodied robot intelligence: AI-powered robot brains designed to operate any kind of robot for any application. By training foundation models and deploying them in real-world environments, Skild AI is advancing adaptable, intelligent robotics across industries. Today’s announcement with robot OEMs marks a key milestone in moving this technology towards generating real-world economic value.

A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e616c088-edb9-4604-ba40-89b88498bc7b

Contacts:

Aditya Raghunathan
aditya@skild.ai

Skild
press@skild.ai 

SOURCE: Skild AI

AM BEST DOWNGRADES PETRONAS CAPTIVE INSURER ENERGAS

KUALA LUMPUR, March 13 (Bernama) -- AM Best has downgraded the financial strength rating to A- (Excellent) from A (Excellent) and the long-term issuer credit rating to “a-” (Excellent) from “a” (Excellent) of Malaysia’s Energas Insurance (L) Limited (ENERGAS).

In a statement, the global credit rating agency said the outlook of these credit ratings (ratings) has been revised to stable from negative.

The ratings reflect ENERGAS’ very strong balance sheet strength, adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. The assessment also factors in neutral support from its parent company, Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas), Malaysia’s national oil and gas company.

The rating downgrades reflect a trend of deterioration and increased volatility in ENERGAS’ operating performance in recent years, with higher-than-expected frequency of large losses resulting in large underwriting deficits for the company. Underwriting performance in 2025 remained negatively impacted by adverse loss experience, soft market conditions and reserve strengthening.

However, ongoing portfolio remediation measures are expected to support earnings recovery over the medium term, while investment income continues to provide a strong contribution to overall profitability.

ENERGAS’ balance sheet strength remains supported by robust risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio. The insurer maintains a conservative investment portfolio, largely allocated to cash, deposits and high-quality government and corporate bonds.

AM Best also noted that ENERGAS relies significantly on reinsurance to manage risk accumulation, which may expose the company to changes in reinsurance capacity and pricing.

As a single-parent captive insurer to Petronas, ENERGAS benefits from access to the group’s insurance risks. However, its underwriting portfolio remains concentrated by business line and geography, particularly in upstream and downstream energy risks in Malaysia.

-- BERNAMA

PAAB ACHIEVES SUSTAINABLE INFRASTAR RATINGS, FOUR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS RECEIVED RECOGNISITION

 

Five from from left: PAAB’s Chief Executive Officer Ir. Zulkiflee Omar receives the Sustainable INFRASTAR Certification from CREAM’s Chief Executive Officer Ts. Syed Hazni Abd Gani (five from right).

KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 (Bernama) -- Pengurusan Aset Air Berhad (PAAB), a wholly owned company of Minister of Finance Incorporated, has been recognised with Sustainable INFRASTAR certification ratings by Construction Research Institute of Malaysia (CREAM), a wholly owned subsidiary of Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), for four of its water infrastructure projects.
 
PAAB Chief Executive Officer, Ir. Zulkiflee Omar, said the recognition marks a significant milestone in the organisation’s commitment to sustainable infrastructure development and responsible project management across Malaysia’s water sector.
 
“This recognition reflects PAAB’s continuous efforts to integrate sustainability principles into the planning, design and construction of water infrastructure, while ensuring long-term efficiency and environmental responsibility,” he said.
 
Among the recognised projects is the Conveyor System for Water Treatment Residuals at Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant (WTP) package in Selangor, the largest water treatment facility developed by PAAB. The project was awarded a 5-Star rating in the design and construction category.
 
Meanwhile, the Air Jernih Water Treatment Plant in Alor Gajah, Melaka received two 4-Star ratings for the design of its Treatment Plant with a capacity of 90 million litres per day (MLD) and for the design of a Balancing Water Tank with a total capacity of 10 million litres, with both certifications issued on 4 December 2025.
 
The same project also earned a 3-Star rating for the design assessment of its Terminal Water Tank, which has a capacity of 10 million litres, with the certification issued on the same date.
 
According to Ir. Zulkiflee, the Sustainable INFRASTAR assessment evaluates infrastructure projects based on six main criteria across both design and construction stages: Pre-Design and Pre-Construction, Sustainable Land Use, Ecology and Environment, Materials, Resources and Waste, Energy Performance, as well as Social and Innovation elements.
 
He noted that the recognition underscores PAAB’s commitment to sustainable development practices, including minimising environmental impact through initiatives such as zero-discharge policies, innovative waste management solutions, and responsible resource utilisation.
 
The certification was presented to Ir. Zulkiflee by CREAM Chief Executive Officer, Ts. Syed Hazni Abd Gani, during an Appreciation and Networking Visit held at Makmal Kerja Raya Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur recently.
 
PAAB’s sustainability initiatives are guided by its Sustainability Framework, which focuses on economic advancement, environmental stewardship, social accountability and ethical governance.
 
This framework incorporates the early integration of sustainable practices in project planning, adoption of recognised third-party certification frameworks, implementation of innovative engineering solutions, and sustainable financing initiatives.
 
These efforts are further supported by a dedicated Board-level Sustainability Committee that oversees the organisation’s Economic, Environmental, Social and Governance (EESG) agenda. 

The initiatives are aligned with PAAB’s mission to balance social responsibility with long-term operational efficiency, while supporting national priorities such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Malaysia’s Net Zero by 2050 aspiration, and the strengthening of climate resilience.
 
Moving forward, PAAB will continue exploring additional certification frameworks, green technologies and strategic partnerships to further enhance industry standards, improve operational sustainability, and strengthen long-term water security in the face of evolving climate challenges.
 
PAAB was established in May 2006 through the Water Services Industry Act 2006, to assist the Federal Government in realising the National Water Services Industry Restructuring Plan. It is the company responsible for developing water assets in Peninsular Malaysia with access to the most competitive financing rates.
 
SOURCE: Corporate Communication Division PAAB

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: 
Tel: 03-2614 5555 

--BERNAMA 

Bitget and B2C2 Partner to Strengthen Institutional Market Access

 

VICTORIA, Seychelles, March 11 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bitget, the world's largest Universal Exchange (UEX), today announced a strategic partnership with B2C2, a global leader in institutional digital asset trading. The collaboration brings B2C2's deep, reliable liquidity and execution capabilities to Bitget's institutional ecosystem.

B2C2, founded in 2015 and majority-owned by SBI, the Japanese financial group, is recognised globally for pioneering institutional digital asset market-making and OTC electronic trading.

The company offers consistent liquidity provision with competitive bid-ask spreads, robust credit offerings to eligible counterparties for improved capital utilisation, and efficient settlement. It serves hedge funds, asset managers, brokers, exchanges, and traditional financial institutions active in digital asset markets.

Through the partnership, Bitget is integrating B2C2 as a liquidity provider for access to tighter spreads and more consistent fill quality across varying market conditions.

“For institutional traders, execution quality and reliable liquidity are foundational to performance,” said Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget. “Working with B2C2 strengthens the liquidity layer of the platform, which is essential for supporting institutional participation and improving execution quality across markets. It’s a step toward making the UEX model function at a real institutional scale.”

"This partnership expands market access for both firms," said Thomas Restout, Group CEO at B2C2. "We're delighted to work with Bitget — one of the leading global exchanges — to bring deeper, more reliable markets to their institutional clients across spot and derivatives."

The partnership marks the latest step in Bitget's push to build institutional-grade infrastructure and trading efficiency across its platform, and in B2C2's continued expansion of its liquidity network to leading global venues.

About Bitget

Bitget is the world's largest Universal Exchange (UEX), serving over 125 million users with access to over 2M crypto tokens, 100+ tokenised stocks, ETFs, commodities, FX, and precious metals, including gold. Bitget is driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships with LALIGA and MotoGP™, and has partnered with UNICEF to support blockchain education for 1.1 million people by 2027. Bitget currently leads the tokenised TradFi market, providing the industry's lowest fees across 150 regions worldwide.

For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord   

Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. Independent financial advice should always be sought. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. Please refer to our Terms of Use for further information.

About B2C2 

B2C2 is a global leader in institutional liquidity for digital assets. Founded in 2015, we are trusted by blue chip hedge funds, institutional managers, brokers, crypto exchanges, and crypto foundations. We provide deep, reliable liquidity and pricing in crypto, delivering seamless execution 24/7/365. Majority owned and backed by Japanese financial conglomerate, SBI, B2C2 Ltd is headquartered in the UK, with offices in the US, Japan, Singapore, France and Luxembourg.

B2C2 Ltd is registered in England and Wales under company number 07995888 with its registered office at 86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE. B2C2 Ltd is the parent company of the B2C2 group of companies. Products may be provided by different members of the B2C2 group of companies, depending on the jurisdiction of the client and the regulatory status of the product and/or B2C2 group member. B2C2 is a registered trademark.

Media Contacts

Bitget, media@bitget.com
B2C2, B2C2@eternapartners.com

This announcement is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any financial instruments or services, or to enter into any transaction or trading relationship. Any products and services described are provided by relevant group entities only where permitted, and are subject to applicable laws, regulations, and client eligibility requirements. Certain statements may be forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual outcomes may differ materially.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1b207036-9f9c-4c9b-ae27-e493409aeb85 

SOURCE: Bitget Limited

DISCLAIMER: BERNAMA MREM are not accountable for any causes of website defacement, misuse, or illegal activities connected to cryptocurrency, blockchain, tokenisation, or bitcoin. This material should not be considered as guidance or an opinion, as it does not constitute financial or investment advice. Use this information at your own risk; we are not liable for any losses or damages caused by the republication of this article.

AM Best Comments on Credit Ratings of Guild Insurance Limited

SINGAPORE, March 11 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- AM Best has commented that the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) of Guild Insurance Limited (GIL) (Australia) remain unchanged following the announcement of its new strategic partnership with EML Group, comprising Employers Mutual Limited and ASWIG Management Pty Ltd., as trustee for the ASWIG Management Trust, on behalf of its underlying investor shareholders.

Under the terms of the transaction, which was announced on 25 February 2026, GIL’s ultimate owner, The Pharmacy Guild of Australia (PGOA) has agreed to sell a majority stake in GIL to Employers Mutual Limited and shareholders of ASWIG Management Pty Ltd., with a minority stake being retained by Guild Group Holdings Limited, the commercial arm of the PGOA. The transaction is expected to close on or around 1 July 2026, and remains subject to regulatory approval.

AM Best expects the prospective change to the shareholding structure to have a neutral impact on GIL’s credit rating fundamentals.

Ratings are communicated to rated entities prior to publication. Unless stated otherwise, the ratings were not amended subsequent to that communication.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright © 2026 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260310937165/en/

Contact

Chee Yun
Financial Analyst
+65 6303 5019
chee.yun@ambest.com

Victoria Ohorodnyk
Senior Director, Analytics
+65 6303 5020
victoria.ohorodnyk@ambest.com

Christopher Sharkey
Associate Director, Public Relations
+1 908 882 2310
christopher.sharkey@ambest.com

Al Slavin
Senior Public Relations Specialist
+1 908 882 2318
al.slavin@ambest.com

Source : AM Best

SIBS 2026 MARKS A DECADE OF IMPACT, EXPANDS REGIONALLY THROUGH SIBS@ASEAN INITIATIVE

From left:
YBrs. Tuan Ahmad Khairo bin Othman, Senior Director, Strategic Planning & Communication Division, Invest Selangor Berhad;
YBrs. Tuan Loo Chuan Boon, Chief Operating Officer, Sidec Sdn Bhd;
YBhg. Dato' Hasan Azhari bin Hj. Idris, Chief Executive Officer, Invest Selangor Berhad;
YB Tuan Ng Sze Han, Selangor State EXCO for Investment, Trade and Mobility;
YBrs. Tuan Muhammad Hudhaifa Ahmad, Head of Group Strategy Division Cum Head of Corporate Services, Menteri Besar Selangor (Incorporation)
YBrs. Puan Siti Faridah Abdul Samad, Chief Executive Officer, Wanita Berdaya Selangor Sdn Bhd;
YBrs. Tuan Dr. Harizal Bin Hamid, Chief Executive Officer, Selangor Technical Skills Development Centre (STDC) 

 SHAH ALAM, March 11 (Bernama) -- Invest Selangor Berhad unveiled an ambitious expansion roadmap for the 10th edition of the Selangor International Business Summit (SIBS) 2026. Scheduled for 14 to 17 October 2026 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, this milestone event celebrates a decade of investment leadership while charting a new regional trajectory through the introduction of SIBS@ASEAN.

 
Since its inception in 2015, SIBS formerly know as Selangor International Expo (SIE) has evolved from a boutique trade event into a powerhouse of regional commerce. Data from the last decade reflects a trajectory of aggressive expansion:

• Visitor Surge: From 4,316 visitors in 2015, the summit reached a peak of 57,249 in 2023—a 1,200% increase in participation over eight years.
• Intellectual Leadership: Beyond trade, SIBS has established itself as a premier center for thought leadership. To date, the summit has hosted over 1,081 speakers and welcomed more than 23,000 conference attendees, facilitating high-level discourse on ASEAN’s evolving economic landscape.
• Meteoric Transaction Value: Potential transaction values have skyrocketed from approximately RM 200M in its early years to a record RM 13.85B in 2024.
• Total Economic Impact: To date, SIBS has facilitated a cumulative total of RM 30.56B in potential transaction value, reinforcing Selangor's position as Malaysia's leading economic engine.

Entering its second decade, SIBS 2026 will officially incorporate three new specialized pillars designed to strengthen the state's multi-sectoral investment ecosystem:

• Selangor Techsphere Summit: Organised by the Selangor Technical Skills Development Centre (STDC) in partnership with Hannover Fairs Asia Pacific (a subsidiary of the world-renowned Deutsche Messe AG), focusing on technical talent and industrial innovation.
• Selangor AI & Semiconductor Summit 2026: Organised by the Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corporation (SIDEC), spotlighting leadership in high-value digital industries.
• Selangor International Care Expo: Organised by Wanita Berdaya Selangor (WBS), addressing the expanding care economy and inclusive growth.

 
These pillars join the established Selangor ASEAN Business Conference (SABC) and the Selangor Investment and Industrial Park Expo (SPARK). The 10th edition also introduces the Selangor Investment Forum, a high-level seminar focusing on key industries, and the Selangor Career Outreach Talent Expo, a dedicated career fair in partnership with PERKESO to bridge the talent gap for approved investments in Selangor.
 
To commemorate this 10th anniversary, Invest Selangor is launching SIBS@ASEAN, a regional activation strategy designed to elevate the summit into a cross-border business movement.
 
The inaugural international activation, SIBS@ASEAN Bandung Edition, will take place from 9 to 10 July 2026. Bandung was strategically selected as the debut destination due to its striking economic similarities to Selangor; both regions serve as primary industrial hearts and innovation hubs for their respective nations, sharing a focus on manufacturing, technology, and a vibrant SME ecosystem.
 
"SIBS 2026 represents ten years of building investor confidence," said YB Tuan Ng Sze Han, Selangor State Executive Councillor for Investment, Trade, and Mobility. "By integrating high-tech manufacturing, digital innovation and the social economy into a single platform, we reflect the full spectrum of Selangor's economic strengths."
 
YBhg Dato' Hasan Azhari, CEO of Invest Selangor, added: SIBS@ASEAN marks our next chapter. As regional supply chains realign, Selangor is positioning itself as a regional connector. We anticipate bringing approximately 50 Selangor-based companies to the Bandung edition in July 2026. Given the shared economic characteristics of Selangor and Jawa Barat, this initiative ensures our local businesses remain globally competitive and relevant.
 
For more information on SIBS 2026, please visit www.selangorsummit.com.

About Invest Selangor

Invest Selangor Berhad is the Selangor State Government’s investment promotion agency, facilitating business growth and investment opportunities in Malaysia’s most developed and competitive state. As a one-stop center, it provides advisory services, market insights, and facilitation for local and international investors looking to establish or expand in Selangor—the gateway to ASEAN.

With a strategic location, world-class infrastructure, and a thriving business ecosystem, Selangor continues to attract high-value investments across diverse industries, reinforcing its position as Malaysia’s economic powerhouse. Since 1999, Invest Selangor has successfully facilitated over 7,069 manufacturing projects, contributing to the creation of 508,316 jobs and securing more than RM256.6 billion in investments.

Invest Selangor also drives the Selangor International Business Summit (SIBS) and the Selangor Aerospace Summit (SAS), key platforms connecting industry leaders, policymakers, and entrepreneurs across ASEAN and beyond. Through strategic initiatives, it remains committed to a resilient, sustainable, and innovative economy, reinforcing Selangor as the preferred destination for global investors.

For Selangor investment enquiries, please visit www.investselangor.my
 
SOURCE: Invest Selangor Berhad

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:​
Name: Nur Azyyana Abu Bakar
Email: azyyana@investselangor.my
 
Name: Maryani Binti Mat Saad
Email: maryani@investselangor.my 

--BERNAMA