FEATURED NEWS
- June 26, 2026Business
LastPass Receives Best All-in-One Secure Access Solution Award from Best Reviews
LastPass, a leading secure access and password management solution, received this distinction from Best Reviews in April 2026. The award highlights LastPass’s ability to bring essential features into one platform. It also reflects the solution’s focus on helping users manage credentials, access apps, share information securely, and maintain stronger security habits across their digital routines. Best Reviews, an independent product review platform, evaluates password managers and secure access tools based on security features, ease of use, platform compatibility, business tools, password sharing, authentication options, customer support, and overall user experience. The all-in-one secure access solution award specifically recognizes platforms that make it easier to protect accounts, simplify access, and support both personal and professional security needs from a single place. "LastPass keeps a strong pulse on the latest shifts in online security and data protection, ensuring it offers a comprehensive set of tools that safeguard sensitive data while making it conveniently accessible whenever users need it,” says Sander Delabie, CEO and founder of Best Reviews. "With reliable data breach detection and smart password lockout solutions, LastPass has proven to be a strong fit for teams like ours at Best Reviews." "Our focus is on making secure access simpler and more unified beyond password management. The recognition as an all-in-one secure access solution reinforces that simplicity and security are essential and achievable together," said a LastPass spokesperson. The recognition reflects LastPass’s broad secure access ecosystem and its focus on reducing the complexity of everyday digital security. The platform offers a variety of features, including secure password storage, password generation, autofill capabilities, password sharing, dark web monitoring, and multi-factor authentication. For businesses, it provides administrative tools such as SaaS Monitoring and SaaS Protect, along with over 100 customizable policies, user management options, Single Sign-On (SSO) support, integrations, account audits, and activity reporting. All features are designed to help users protect sensitive information while maintaining convenient access across devices and accounts. For anyone juggling endless logins, apps, AI tools, and an ever-growing digital workload, LastPass delivers a suite of secure access features that helps transform digital chaos into calm, keeping businesses secure and individuals protected, confident, and stress-free every day. While users can store logins, payment details, notes, and other sensitive information in an encrypted vault, business teams can manage access policies, monitor password health, and support employees with secure sharing and centralized administration. Designed to meet a range of security needs, LastPass offers tailored plans for individuals, families, teams, and larger businesses, with support across desktop apps, browser extensions, and mobile devices. The platform also supports integrations and security features that help organizations strengthen access management without adding unnecessary friction for employees. BestReviews.net performs hands-on testing and in-depth research on multiple password managers and cybersecurity tools. It compares security features, pricing, usability, business capabilities, customer support, and user feedback. The platform publishes comprehensive reviews to support consumers in comparing software and services. The complete password managers guide includes testing results and recommendations for various use cases. More information about LastPass’s secure access solutions and offers is available at lastpass.com .
- June 26, 2026Business
Papaya Global Launches ONE, an Agentic Compliance Intelligence Platform Tailored to Each Organization
Papaya Global, the global leader in workforce management — EOR, AOR, payroll, and embedded real-time workforce payments — today launched ONE, an agentic compliance intelligence platform that works directly from an organization’s own policies, CBA agreements, employment templates, and payroll data. Unlike generic compliance AI that knows the law, ONE knows each organization’s business. It reviews documents against current statute, flags what is out of date, generates payroll summaries and journal entries from source files, and validates data across sources — across 95 countries and all 50 US states. ONE is available at no cost to all organizations, with no Papaya Global contract required. Organizations already on Papaya Global’s platform get access to the full premium plan at no additional cost. Global teams face compliance and payroll questions every day. Most have turned to general-purpose AI. The problem: generic AI describes the law — it cannot apply it to a company’s CBA agreements, company policies, or employment templates. In a domain where a misclassified contractor or an outdated clause carries real financial exposure, a generic answer is not a shortcut. It is a liability. ONE is the operating system for compliance and workforce operations — self-service, out of the box, no expensive HRIS connectors required. Organizations upload their company policies, CBA agreements, and employment templates. ONE reviews every clause, generates every output in the organization’s format, and validates every data source — all tailored to that organization. ONE delivers six capabilities, all working from an organization’s own documents and data. Policy and CBA review: Upload any company document — employment policy, CBA agreement, contractor classification standard, or compensation framework. ONE reviews it against current regulations across 95 countries and all US states, surfaces every gap, and recommends specific updates with statutory citations. Contract and template review: Upload an employment contract or template and receive a structured verdict — Must Fix, Verify, or Compliant — for every clause, with the relevant statute cited and a recommended edit where applicable. Salary update file generation: Generate salary update files designed to the organization’s own template — no HRIS connector, no IT project, no integration cost. Upload the data, get a formatted output ready to load. Expense policy validation: Upload an expense policy and expense data. ONE validates submissions against the organization’s own rules, flags violations, and produces a structured report — no manual review required. Customized GL and journal entry generation: Generate General Ledger entries and journal entries directly from a source file, mapped to the organization’s own chart of accounts and cost center structure. Every output formatted to specification. Payroll intelligence: Generate payroll summaries, validate data before it runs, and compare payroll sources — flagging every discrepancy before it reaches an employee. Every answer runs through Papaya’s proprietary three-stage reasoning system — Read, Reason, Review — before it reaches the user. Outputs are structured by severity, tied to the specific clause or data point in question, and cite the exact statute behind each finding. The knowledge base is built on 15 years of Papaya’s in-country expertise — earned across 2,500+ enterprise clients and 180+ countries. It is not scraped from the internet. It is not a generic model. It is configured to each organization’s own policies, making every answer specific to that business. Coverage spans 95 countries and all 50 US states. “AI is changing the speed of compliance work, but it cannot change who owns the outcome. ONE was built on a single principle: bring the world’s compliance expertise inside your organization — tailored to your policies, your CBA agreements, your templates — so your teams can act faster, with confidence, without transferring accountability to a model that cannot carry it,” said Eynat Guez, Co-Founder and CEO, Papaya Global. ONE is available now at papayaglobal.com/papaya-one/ . The standard plan is available to all organizations immediately, with no Papaya Global contract required. Papaya Global clients receive full premium access — policy and CBA review, salary update file generation, expense validation, GL and journal entry generation, payroll intelligence, and priority coverage across 95 countries and all US states — included at no additional cost. Organizations can get started at papayaglobal.com/papaya-one/ or contact community@papayaglobal.com for an enterprise demonstration. ONE is a compliance decision-support tool. Its outputs are structured findings, not legal advice. Final compliance decisions should be reviewed by qualified legal counsel. Every output carries a mandatory disclaimer to that effect. About Papaya Global Papaya Global is the global leader in workforce management — EOR, AOR, payroll, and embedded real-time workforce payments. The company supports 2,500+ enterprise clients, including Fortune 500 and high-growth technology companies, across 180+ countries through a unified platform. Papaya’s infrastructure handles payroll calculation, contractor management, and workforce payments — with funds held in Tier 1 banking accounts and 90% of payments delivered in real time. Headquartered in New York, with offices in Tel Aviv, London, and Singapore.
- June 26, 2026Business
Furniture Built for Singapore Homes: Megafurniture Brings Design and Manufacturing In-House Across Two New Factories
Megafurniture.sg , a Singapore furniture retailer, now designs and manufactures its products in its own factories — a change the company says lets it build pieces around the way Singaporeans actually live, rather than adapting generic designs ordered from third-party suppliers. The company operates two facilities, one in Batu Pahat (Johor, Malaysia) and one in Foshan (Guangdong, China), both running since the fourth quarter of 2025. Production is ramping in stages over three years, through 2028. The move places Megafurniture among the few furniture retailers in Singapore that manufacture in-house rather than ordering finished goods from original-equipment (OEM) suppliers. A bet that runs against the retail grain The decision cuts against the prevailing retail playbook, which generally favours light balance sheets and outsourced production. Megafurniture has moved the other way, putting capital into owning the line itself. Its reasoning is control. When a company owns the factory, it sets quality from the raw material onward, instead of inspecting a supplier's output after it has already been made and shipped. "Owning the factories lets us control quality at every stage, from the materials we select to the product that reaches a customer's home," said Teck Oon, a spokesperson for Megafurniture. "Outsourcing is simpler. It also hands the part that matters most to someone else." That control is meant to compound over time. The staged ramp through 2028 is intended to bring a growing share of the company's catalogue into its own factories, rather than switching everything across at once. For a retailer, the appeal of vertical integration is consistency and accountability: the same business that designs a piece also builds it, so a flaw on a finished sofa is the manufacturer's to answer for, not a distant supplier's. Designing for the room, not the catalogue The more immediate change, the company argues, is in design. Space in Singapore homes is measured carefully, and furniture sized for a generic catalogue often sits awkwardly in an HDB flat or a compact condominium bedroom. Controlling production lets Megafurniture start from the room instead of the warehouse. In practice, that means a three-seater can be proportioned for a four-room flat, a storage bed can be configured for a bedroom with little floor to spare, and a wardrobe can be built to the height and depth of a condominium room rather than trimmed to fit after it is delivered. For households furnishing a new flat or working through a renovation, the difference is whether a piece is designed for the space or merely squeezed into it. "When you build the furniture yourself, you start from the room instead of the catalogue," Teck Oon said. "A three-seater that fits a four-room flat, a storage bed that works in an HDB bedroom — those decisions happen at the factory, not after the piece arrives." A range built for a Singapore home The in-house range covers the categories that fill a typical Singapore home. Its sofas come in two-seater, three-seater, sectional and sofa-bed configurations, upholstered in fabric, leather, faux leather, velvet and boucle, so a living room can be matched to both its dimensions and its material preferences. Its bed frames span platform, divan and storage designs, the last aimed squarely at bedrooms where under-bed space has to work harder. Its mattresses , sold under the company's own Somnuz brand, are produced in pocket-spring, latex, memory-foam and hybrid constructions. Owning the mattress brand and the factory that makes it allows the company to manage the specification of a product that buyers cannot easily inspect for themselves. Beyond the bedroom and living room, the factories also produce wood furniture, including wardrobes, cabinets, sideboards, TV consoles, bookshelves and dining tables — the pieces that tend to be bought together when a home is set up. Producing across categories under one roof also lets the pieces in a home relate to one another. A buyer furnishing a flat from several importers usually ends up with items that were never designed to sit together: a sofa from one source, a bed from another, storage from a third, each built to its own proportions and finished in its own way. When a single company designs the sofa, the bed frame, the storage and the dining table, those proportions, materials and finishes can be kept consistent from one room to the next. They can also be matched again on a later purchase, when a household adds a piece or furnishes another room, rather than hoping a previous range is still in stock. Two factories, one design brief The two-country footprint gives Megafurniture production bases in both Malaysia and China, two of the regions that supply much of Southeast Asia's furniture. Rather than coordinating between separate external manufacturers in each location, the company now runs both sites itself, designing centrally for the Singapore market and producing across the two facilities. Designing centrally for a single market also shapes what actually gets built. Instead of selecting from whatever a roster of external suppliers happens to offer in a given season, the company can decide which sizes, configurations and finishes to put into production for Singapore homes specifically, and revise that mix as the staged ramp through 2028 brings more of the catalogue in-house. Over time, the company says, that should mean fewer compromises between what a buyer is looking for and what a supplier happened to make. Owning manufacturing also lengthens the part of the chain the company controls. Because the same business designs, builds, delivers and assembles a piece, responsibility for the finished product does not change hands at a factory gate. Professional delivery and assembly are included on qualifying orders, extending that single line of accountability into the customer's home. Seeing the range in person Customers can view the range at Megafurniture's furniture showrooms . The flagship, at 134 Joo Seng Road, occupies roughly 30,000 square feet across two levels; a second showroom operates at 21 Tampines North Drive 2, at Giant Tampines. The company also sells online and delivers across Singapore. The shift to in-house design and manufacturing began in earnest in 2026, the first full year both factories have run under Megafurniture's ownership. As the three-year ramp continues, the company expects an increasing portion of what it sells to be designed and built by the same team — and, it argues, designed for the homes those products are meant to go into. About Megafurniture — Megafurniture designs, sells and manufactures furniture for HDB, condominium and landed homes across Singapore, through its online store and two physical showrooms. The company owns the Somnuz mattress brand and operates its own factories in Malaysia and China for in-house design, manufacturing and quality control. Professional delivery and assembly are included on qualifying orders.
- June 26, 2026Cryptocurrency
Cap Onboarded as a BENJI Client, Adding Franklin Templeton's Tokenized Money Market Fund as a Supported Deposit Asset
Cap , a credit platform backed by financial guarantees, today announced it has been onboarded as a BENJI client and will be able to service Franklin Templeton's tokenized money market fund as a supported deposit asset. The approval is the first step toward enabling BENJI holders to access Cap's infrastructure. BENJI is the longest-running tokenized money market fund in its category, having launched in 2021. As of June 24, 2026, the broader BENJI suite sits on top of $2.5 billion in onchain assets under management. As a permissioned asset, every BENJI integration must be approved by Franklin Templeton Digital Assets directly. To reach this milestone, Cap cleared Franklin Templeton's full compliance review to become a BENJI wallet holder — a high bar for digital asset platforms and a signal of institutional confidence in Cap's system. Franklin Templeton Digital Assets has been building digital asset infrastructure since 2018 and led Cap's seed round in 2025. The two firms intend to continue collaborating to bridge traditional finance and decentralized finance. "Clearing Franklin Templeton's compliance review and supporting BENJI as a deposit asset reflects exactly the kind of institutional rigor Cap was built for. We're proud to deepen our work with a partner that has been investing in this infrastructure since the earliest days," said Benjamin, Founder and CEO of Cap. About Cap Cap is a private credit platform that uses blockchain technology to address the core problems facing legacy private credit systems. Cap’s novel automated credit marketplace ensures every loan is backed by onchain principal protection. Each loan has a dedicated underwriter who puts their own capital behind the decision, making honest underwriting the dominant strategy. Dollar depositors then earn a secured yield that’s insured by underwriters. This innovative approach to private credit mitigates the issues of scalability, incentive alignment, fraud, and illiquidity facing traditional markets. Cap’s investors include Franklin Templeton, Susquehanna, IMC Trading, and other legacy financial institutions. Today, the platform has $4B+ in cumulative volume, over $350M in deposits, and 5–7% annualized yield on dollar deposits. About BENJI / Franklin Templeton Digital Assets BENJI is Franklin Templeton's tokenized money market fund, launched in 2021 and the longest-running fund in its category, with over $800 million held onchain. Franklin Templeton has been building digital asset infrastructure since 2018. Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of capital. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. You are solely responsible for your investment decisions and assume all associated risks. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.
- June 26, 2026Business
"Jom! Hainan, Let's Explore Together" Southeast Asia Inbound Study-Tour Promotion Campaign Fully Launched
Recently, the Hainan Provincial Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports, in partnership with Qunar.com, officially launched the "Jom! Hainan, Let's Explore Together" Southeast Asia inbound study-tour promotion campaign. On June 16, a trilingual study-tour feature page in Chinese, English and Malay, titled "Jom! Hainan, Let's Explore Together", officially went live. The launch of the feature page will further unlock the potential of Southeast Asia's study-tour market, strengthen Hainan's brand as an international study-tour destination, and vividly showcase the new image of the Hainan Free Trade Port as an open and dynamic hub of development. Hainan is geographically close to Southeast Asia, shares close cultural ties and connected traditions with the region, and is seeing its cross-border air route network continue to expand. Cultural and tourism exchanges between the two sides are becoming increasingly active. Drawing on distinctive resources such as the Wenchang Space Launch Site, Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City High-tech Zone, Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park and China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea, Hainan is leveraging its Free Trade Port policies and tropical geographic advantages to promote the deep integration of culture and tourism, education, and technology. It has developed an integrated sea-land-air study-tour product portfolio centered on space science and technology, tropical rainforests and marine ecology. With its rich and distinctive study-tour offerings, Hainan has become a popular choice for Southeast Asian young people seeking overseas educational travel. The newly launched trilingual feature page serves as the campaign's core online service gateway for the Southeast Asian market. Users can access the page through Qunar.com's travel channel by clicking on the Smart Tourism Pavilion. Designed around local language preferences, the page brings together resource showcases, route recommendations, online inquiries and product booking functions. It also offers exclusive cash-voucher benefits: after claiming a cash voucher on the page, users can apply it directly to study-tour orders, creating a smoother consumer experience. The platform highlights four premium themed study-tour routes that precisely match the needs of students of different age groups, families with children and organized study-tour groups. With detailed route content and clear itineraries, the page builds an efficient and convenient digital bridge for Southeast Asian visitors to understand and purchase Hainan's study-tour products. Following the overall campaign plan, a series of targeted promotional activities will be rolled out after the feature page goes live. In July, the campaign will work with leading travel agencies and professional education institutions from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries to select young experience ambassadors with strong community influence for a six-day, five-night in-depth study tour in Hainan. They will visit key study-tour sites, experience featured courses and culture-and-tourism programmes, and share authentic stories from a youth perspective, helping build word-of-mouth benchmarks and promote Hainan's study-tour and tourism resources across Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, the campaign will invite local KOLs in the study-tour and family-travel sectors to form a communication matrix and produce localized content, including travel guides, study-tour reviews and destination insights, for distribution through major overseas social media platforms and media channels. Drawing on Qunar.com's mature OTA big-data capabilities, the campaign will continue to use multilingual push messages, on-platform exposure for the dedicated page and study-tour-exclusive coupons to reach target audiences, lower travel decision-making barriers and convert online traffic more efficiently. Online content seeding, influencer on-site experiences, data-driven outreach and offline immersive study tours will form a complete communication loop, telling Hainan's study-tour story and presenting the open, inclusive and vibrant image of the Hainan Free Trade Port to Southeast Asian audiences. The "Jom! Hainan, Let's Explore Together" Southeast Asia inbound study-tour promotion campaign is both a practical measure for Hainan to seize opportunities in the Southeast Asian study-tour market and diversify inbound tourism products, and an important practice for deepening youth exchanges and people-to-people ties. Moving forward, the Hainan Provincial Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports will continue to work with Qunar.com to refine standardized, high-quality inbound study-tour products and improve cross-border travel services, attracting more Southeast Asian young people and families to visit, explore and fall in love with Hainan. These efforts will support Hainan's inbound tourism recovery and raise Hainan-Southeast Asia cultural and tourism cooperation to new heights.
- June 26, 2026Land & Property
Singapore Grade A Office Market Records Sixth Consecutive Quarter of Rental Growth Amid Shifting Global Landscape
The Singapore office market has extended its run of rental gains into Q2 2026 despite economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions. In this quarter, Core CBD (Grade A) rents have edged up 0.8% quarter-on-quarter to S$12.50 per square foot per month, the sixth straight quarter of growth, according to CBRE Research. Cumulatively, Core CBD (Grade A) rents have advanced 1.6% in the first half of 2026, with upside potential going forward as macro conditions show potential for stabilisation. This allows CBRE Research to maintain its full-year forecast of approximately 5% year-on-year growth. Landlords of Core CBD Grade A buildings are operating with significant pricing power. Tricia Song, CBRE Head of Research, Singapore and Southeast Asia , noted, “The absence of new completions through 2027 means that the structural undersupply underpinning this rental cycle is not a short-term phenomenon. Cumulatively, Core CBD Grade A vacancy has contracted from a high of 7.8% in Q4 2024 when IOI Central Boulevard Towers was delivered to the market, to 3.3% today - a compression of over four percentage points over just six quarters.” “The market’s continued performance reflects a structural imbalance between occupier demand and available supply. Core CBD (Grade A) vacancy held firm at 3.3% - a record low - as the completion of Shaw Tower in the Fringe CBD marks the close of all meaningful new supply for 2026, with no further significant completions projected through 2027” , Ms Song continued. Shaw Tower Completion Marks End of Near-Term Supply Pipeline Shaw Tower, the sole major office completion of 2026, received its Temporary Occupation Permit in Q2. Its anchor and corporate tenants include global insurer Allianz, payments technology firm Adyen, pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis Singapore, and premium coworking operator The Great Room. Together with Keppel South Central, these two developments form a compelling cluster of quality options in the Fringe CBD, offering occupiers good alternatives to the increasingly-constrained Core CBD stock. Diverse Demand Base Extends Beyond the Core CBD Occupier activity this quarter was notably broad in both sectoral composition and locational spread. Within the CBD, AI companies of varying scales continued to transition from flexible coworking arrangements into traditional, self-managed office space, affirming their growing operational permanence in Singapore. Beyond the CBD, the Alexandra and Paya Lebar submarkets saw active take-up, with demand anchored by occupiers from the public, consumer goods, professional services, and education sectors relocating to these decentralised areas. The withdrawal of Harbourfront Centre from the active stock further tightened supply at the islandwide level. Taken together, islandwide vacancy fell sharply from 5.6% in Q1 2026 to 3.6% in Q2 2026. David McKellar, CBRE Head of Leasing, Singapore , observed, “What stands out this quarter is the depth and diversity of demand. We are no longer seeing growth carried by one or two dominant sectors. Financial services - spanning banking, wealth management, insurance, and asset management - remain active, but they are now joined by a meaningful cohort of AI businesses of all sizes, as well as professional services occupiers, among others, in decentralised locations. This breadth gives us greater confidence in the durability of the rental recovery.” He added, “What is particularly telling is the behaviour of AI occupiers. These firms have been incubating in Singapore for the past two to three years, predominantly within coworking environments. Their graduation into permanent, dedicated office space this year signals a maturation of this cohort - signalling their commitment to Singapore for the medium to long term, and with that comes a desire for operational certainty, brand presence, and the ability to customise their space.” Occupiers Act with Urgency as Available Options Diminish The scarcity of quality space is increasingly shaping occupier behaviour. Enquiries from hedge funds, quantitative trading firms, and AI companies - across a wide spectrum of sizes - remain elevated, even as available options continue to shrink. Pre-commitment activity for developments scheduled for completion only as early as 2028 or 2029 has grown, with ongoing lease negotiations for these future buildings now forming a meaningful part of the pipeline. For occupiers with medium-term requirements, the window to secure quality space on favourable terms is narrowing. Mr McKellar shared, “While some tenant resistance to prevailing rents has been understandably observed, the fundamental market dynamic remains firmly in landlords’ favour. We are advising occupiers with requirements in the next two to three years to engage the market now, as conditions are not likely to ease.” CBRE Outlook CBRE maintains its forecast of approximately 5% year-on-year rental growth for Core CBD (Grade A) offices by the end of 2026, with upside potential should global conditions significantly improve in the second half of the year. The ongoing oil supply situation and geopolitical uncertainties remain variables to monitor. However, early indications of near-term resolution - should they materialise - could provide a meaningful lift to business confidence and accelerate leasing activity. Importantly, CBRE has yet to observe material signs of occupier space rationalisation. Even in a more cautious global environment, Singapore’s office market has historically demonstrated a stronger-than-average recovery relative to other markets following any pause in activity. Ms Song concluded, “Singapore has navigated geopolitical and macroeconomic headwinds before and has consistently emerged with its office market fundamentals intact. With no new supply arriving for the foreseeable future, even a moderate softening of external pressures - such as easing oil market volatility - could translate into a meaningful uplift in leasing confidence in H2 2026. Landlords who adopt a pragmatic approach to lease structuring and timing will be well-placed to capture this potential.” About CBRE Group, Inc. CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE: CBRE), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Dallas, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm and a premier provider of critical infrastructure services. The company has more than 155,000 employees serving clients in more than 100 countries. CBRE serves clients through four business segments: Advisory (leasing, sales, debt origination, mortgage servicing, valuations); Building Operations & Experience (facilities management, property management, flex space & experience, critical infrastructure); Project Management (program management, project management, cost consulting); Real Estate Investments (investment management, development). Please visit our website at www.cbre.com .
- June 26, 2026Business
Exclusive Preview: 2026 BitAuto Malaysia Automotive Forum to Debut in Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia’s landmark automotive industry summit, the 2026 BitAuto Malaysia Automotive Forum, is set to make its official debut on Tuesday, 30 June 2026,hosted by BitAuto Tengyi Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. Marking Bitauto.my’s first formal industry showcase since its national launch in January 2026, the forum will assemble core stakeholders spanning local automotive players, international OEMs, authorised dealers, media practitioners and automotive influencers for high-level dialogue around digital industrial integration and sustainable growth for Malaysia’s domestic automotive sector. Built on an innovative three-pillar framework of “Automotive Content × Digital Tools × Full-Cycle Vehicle Services”, Bitauto.my is a Malaysia-tailored all-in-one automotive ecosystem platform engineered to resolve long-standing market pain points: fragmented vehicle information, non-transparent pricing and inconsistent, biased industry content. Backed by BitAuto’s decades-long expertise in automotive digital operations, the platform houses Malaysia’s most comprehensive database covering petrol, hybrid and new-energy models from Perodua, Proton, BYD, Chery, BMW and more. It delivers multi-lingual impartial editorial content, verified dealer quotation channels, VR vehicle viewing tools and an engaged local owner community, catering to private car buyers, domestic dealers and regional automotive brands alike. The full-day event kicks off with afternoon registration and networking sessions, followed by keynote addresses from distinguished industry guests, the official launch of Bitauto.my’s local business roadmap, segmented roundtable sessions for brand executives, dealers and creator-media representatives. The forum gathers automotive brands, dealers and content creators to jointly discuss industry landscape shifts, new energy development, content ecosystem development and consumer trust cultivation. It will advance cross-industry integration and coordinated growth, enabling seamless information flow throughout the full vehicle ownership lifecycle. Upholding the values of professionalism, transparency and user centricity, Bitauto.my is committed to building a trusted automotive digital platform across Southeast Asia and driving high-quality, efficient development of Malaysia’s entire automotive industry chain.
- June 21, 2026Business
TOPPAN Develops Japan’s First Light-shielding Paper-based Pillow Packaging for Trading Cards
TOPPAN Inc. (TOPPAN), a TOPPAN Group company and wholly owned subsidiary of TOPPAN Holdings Inc. (TYO: 7911), has developed Japan’s first1 light-shielding paper-based pillow packaging for trading cards. Samples of the new packaging will be made available to trading card manufacturers globally from June. The proprietary material composition eliminates plastic completely from the packaging and replaces it with paper. An issue with paper-based packaging has been that contents can be seen through the paper. TOPPAN’s new packaging resolves this with outstanding light-shielding of 98% or more, deterring so-called pack searching, where consumers attempt to identify rare cards before opening, while maintaining design quality with a metallic sheen. TOPPAN has also achieved a high-quality finish by developing dedicated equipment that minimizes the occurrence of wrinkles during the pouch-making process. TOPPAN plans to begin mass production in autumn 2026, aiming to support accelerated global efforts to reduce environmental impact. Background The Japanese trading card market has expanded rapidly in recent years, with the market size in fiscal 20242 surpassing 300 billion yen, roughly three times that of fiscal 2019. As collaborations with various industries, including apparel brands and restaurant chains, continue to increase, trading cards are becoming firmly established as a culture that transcends generations across the world. Meanwhile, rising environmental consciousness is driving stricter regulations on packaging materials, particularly in Europe. This has prompted urgent calls to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as CO2, and accelerated the shift away from plastic. Consequently, trading card manufacturers operating globally are increasingly required to adopt eco-friendly packaging designs. However, adopting paper materials for trading card packaging presents significant challenges. It requires superior light-shielding performance to reliably protect the contents and prevent "pack searching" before opening. Furthermore, specialized forming technology to minimize wrinkling and a robust production system to consistently ensure high quality are also essential factors. Leveraging its extensive expertise in paper-based packaging development and production, TOPPAN has selected the ideal material and developed dedicated pouch-making equipment. Through these efforts, TOPPAN has successfully overcome the inherent transparency of paper, minimized wrinkling, and established a stable supply system for high-quality paper-based pillow packaging. Features of TOPPAN’s New Packaging ・Achieving zero plastic usage Conventional plastic packaging typically combines plastic materials for structural strength and adhesive sealant layers. In contrast, TOPPAN’s new packaging achieves zero plastic usage through a proprietary composition consisting solely of a paper base and a heat-seal coating layer. Furthermore, since the paper content exceeds 51% by weight, the packaging qualifies for the "Paper Mark" (recycling symbol for paper) in Japan. This allows companies to visually communicate their commitment to resource circulation and sustainability to consumers. ・Preventing “pack searching” with superior light-shielding and a metallic finish By applying aluminum vapor deposition to the paper material, TOPPAN has achieved a high light-shielding rate of 98% or more. This effectively eliminates the inherent transparency of paper, preventing "pack searching" by ensuring the contents remain invisible until the package is opened. Additionally, the structure allows for direct printing onto the aluminum vapor deposition layer. This enables a premium metallic finish and ensures vivid colors and design fidelity comparable to those of conventional plastic packaging. ・High-quality finish with minimal wrinkling TOPPAN has developed dedicated pouch-making machinery by optimizing feed rollers and developing specialized jigs for the folding unit. This machinery minimizes wrinkling in paper-based pillow packaging while achieving high-speed folding. By deploying this equipment, TOPPAN has overcome the traditional challenge of wrinkling in paper-based materials and established a stable supply system for high-quality packaging. Mass production on a dedicated line is scheduled to commence in autumn 2026. Future Activities TOPPAN plans to establish a supply system capable of producing 30 million packs per year by the start of mass production in autumn 2026. Through the provision of this product, TOPPAN is committed to supporting trading card manufacturers and related companies, both in Japan and overseas, in their efforts toward environmental sustainability and global expansion. 1 Based on research of the Japanese domestic trading card market by TOPPAN. 2 Source: Japan Toy Association website ・Fiscal 2019 Japan Toy Market Size (in Japanese): https://www.toys.or.jp/pdf/2020/2019_data_zenpan.pdf ・Fiscal 2024 Japan Toy Market Size (in Japanese): https://www.toys.or.jp/pdf/2025/2024_data_zenpan.pdf About the TOPPAN Group Established in Tokyo in 1900, the TOPPAN Group is a leading and diversified global provider committed to delivering sustainable, integrated solutions in fields including printing, communications, security, packaging, décor materials, electronics, and digital transformation. The TOPPAN Group’s global team of more than 50,000 employees offers optimal solutions enabled by industry-leading expertise and technologies to address the diverse challenges of every business sector and society and contribute to the achievement of shared sustainability goals. https://www.holdings.toppan.com/en/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/toppan/
- June 21, 2026Business
TOPPAN Group’s Irplast Wins Silver for Sustainability Design Award at interpack 2026
TOPPAN Inc. (TOPPAN), a TOPPAN Group company and wholly owned subsidiary of TOPPAN Holdings Inc. (TYO: 7911), today announced that TOPPAN Group film manufacturer Irplast S.p.A. (Irplast), has been awarded Silver in the Sustainability Design Award category at interpack 2026 , a leading international packaging industry trade fair held in Düsseldorf, Germany. This award was presented as part of the SAVE FOOD initiative promoted by organizations including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to reduce food waste. The award-winning solution was selected from a competitive pool of over 100 advanced packaging solutions from exhibitors. The award-winning solution from the TOPPAN Group's European bases is a recycle-ready mono-material retort pouch recognized for its high technological innovation and environmental contribution. The pouch was developed through close collaboration, combining the technologies of Irplast and the unique barrier capabilities of TOPPAN Packaging Czech s.r.o. (TCZ), the TOPPAN Group’s production facility for barrier films in Europe. Overview and Key Features of the Award-Winning Product The award-winning pouch utilizes a mono-polypropylene (Mono-PP) structure with excellent recyclability, while maintaining barrier performance, as well as heat and pressure resistance for retort sterilization on par with conventional multi-material structures. Establishing Outstanding Thermostability and Outer Layer Strength through LISIM Technology: The outer layer film of the pouch incorporates Irplast's proprietary high-thermostable BOPP film produced using LISIM1, a simultaneous biaxial stretching technology. This enables dimensional stability and sealing stability even during retort sterilization temperatures of up to 137°C for a maximum of 60 minutes. It successfully balances a mono-material composition with high outer layer strength and excellent printability. Achieving an Aluminum-free Configuration via Excellent Barrier Performance: By utilizing the PP grade of GL BARRIER2, a transparent barrier film developed through TOPPAN’s proprietary technologies and produced by TCZ, the pouch enables long-term storage at ambient temperatures without using aluminum foil. This directly contributes to reducing food waste throughout the supply chain and in homes, while also providing high convenience through microwave-safe formatting. Mono-material Structure for Regulatory Compatibility: Transitioning from traditional multi-material configurations containing aluminum foil and multiple polymers to this mono-material structure reduces environmental impact. Furthermore, the packaging is designed with a focus on future compatibility with growing PP collection and recycling streams in Europe and other regions. Future Activities Anticipating the tightening of global environmental regulations, such as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) in Europe, the mono-material retort pouch packaging has been engineered with "Regulatory Readiness" in mind. The TOPPAN Group aims to expand this solution into sectors requiring both retort sterilization and recyclability, including baby food, ready meals, and sauces. Under its medium-term plan focused on "True Value Transformation," the TOPPAN Group will continue to drive the circular economy by utilizing its local production for local consumption supply chains tailored to European and global markets, while striving to deliver sustainable packaging solutions. 1 LISIM: LISIM is Bruckner’s simultaneous stretching technology utilized by Irplast, contributing to customers' transition to mono-PP structures. URL: https://www.irplast.com/bopp-film-division/ 2 GL BARRIER: GL BARRIER is TOPPAN’s proprietary brand of transparent film products that deliver outstanding barrier performance. Stable performance is delivered by a multi-layer structure combining a unique coating layer with a high-quality vapor-deposited layer. In recognition of their numerous outstanding features, GL BARRIER products are used in a wide variety of fields, including the food, healthcare/pharmaceutical, and industrial materials sectors. Combining the functions of the printing and barrier substrate layers into a single layer provides an alternative to aluminum foil and streamlines the layer structure. URL: https://www.toppan.com/en/living-industry/packaging/products/barrier_film/ About the TOPPAN Group Established in Tokyo in 1900, the TOPPAN Group is a leading and diversified global provider committed to delivering sustainable, integrated solutions in fields including printing, communications, security, packaging, décor materials, electronics, and digital transformation. The TOPPAN Group’s global team of more than 50,000 employees offers optimal solutions enabled by industry-leading expertise and technologies to address the diverse challenges of every business sector and society and contribute to the achievement of shared sustainability goals. https://www.holdings.toppan.com/en/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/toppan/
- June 21, 2026Business
Cagamas Launches First Home Campaign To Support Malaysians In Achieving Home Ownership
Cagamas Berhad (“Cagamas”), the National Mortgage Corporation of Malaysia, through its sister company Cagamas SRP Berhad (“Cagamas SRP”), today announced the launch of the Cagamas First Home Campaign (“Campaign”), aimed at supporting first-time home buyers in their home ownership journey. Running from 8 June to 31 August 2026 (“Campaign Period”), the Campaign offers eligible home buyers the opportunity to win RM5,000 cash incentives, with a total of 40 winners to be selected. The Campaign is designed to enhance awareness of Cagamas SRP’s mortgage guarantee schemes, namely the First Home Mortgage Guarantee Programme (“First Home MGP”) and Islamic First Home Mortgage Guarantee Programme (“First Home MGP-i”), particularly among first-time home buyers who may require higher financing margins of up to 110% to support their home purchase. The Campaign is available through participating financial institutions nationwide, making it easily accessible to eligible home buyers across Malaysia and is aligned with national priorities to enhance housing affordability and support sustainable home ownership among Malaysians. Encik Kameel Abdul Halim, President/Chief Executive Officer of Cagamas, said “The Campaign emphasises our continued commitment to making home ownership more accessible to Malaysians, particularly first-time home buyers. By providing additional financial support through this particular initiative, we aim to ease the upfront cost burden while promoting greater awareness and adoption of our mortgage guarantee schemes.” Eligibility Criteria To participate in the Campaign, customers must: Apply for a housing loan or financing with a Cagamas SRP guarantee under First Home MGP or First Home MGP-i through participating financial institutions Purchase a completed residential property valued at RM400,000 and above Accept and sign the Letter of Offer within the Campaign Period Sign and submit the prescribed consent form Transparent and Fair Selection Process The 40 winners will be selected through an automated random draw process to ensure transparency and fairness. The selection will be conducted once the Campaign Period has ended, in accordance with Cagamas’ established governance and compliance requirements. The cash incentive is provided as a discretionary gift and is not linked to the approval or terms of the loan or financing. Driving Sustainable Growth in the Housing Market Through this Campaign, Cagamas SRP aims to encourage uptake of completed housing stock, improve property market transaction activity and support a more efficient and sustainable housing market ecosystem. For more information on the Campaign, please visit csrp.cagamas.com.my
- June 21, 2026Business
Gas Malaysia Positions Malaysia as ASEAN’s Graphene Hub With Asia Pacific First Deployment
Gas Malaysia Berhad (“Gas Malaysia”), a member of MMC Corporation Berhad, today marked a major milestone in its transformation journey with the deployment of Asia Pacific’s first methane-to-graphene system, positioning Malaysia at the forefront of advanced materials innovation in the region. This breakthrough reinforces Gas Malaysia’s transformation under its GM32 growth strategy, evolving beyond its traditional role as a gas distributor into a provider of high- value solutions and an ecosystem builder in advanced materials. Developed in collaboration with UK-based Levidian, the LOOP technology converts methane into high-quality graphene and hydrogen-rich gas, unlocking new value from existing gas infrastructure while enabling cleaner and more efficient industrial applications. Building on this first-in-region deployment, Gas Malaysia is now advancing a graphene ecosystem focused on real industry adoption. Through its “Revolutionising Industries with Graphene” platform, businesses are enabled to test, validate and co-develop graphene-based applications across key sectors including manufacturing, infrastructure and energy, accelerating commercialisation and industry uptake. “Gas Malaysia is not just introducing new technology, we are enabling industry adoption and building a platform for innovation, collaboration and commercialisation,” said Azli Mohamed, President & Group Chief Executive Officer of Gas Malaysia Berhad. The initiative positions Malaysia as a launchpad for graphene innovation in ASEAN, with strong potential to scale deployment across the region and support the development of a broader advanced materials ecosystem. Aligned with Malaysia’s national agenda, this development contributes to strengthening industrial competitiveness, accelerating technology innovation, and advancing the nation’s transition towards a more sustainable, high-value economy.
- June 21, 2026Business
Gas Malaysia Advances Strategic LNG Infrastructure in Northern Peninsular With Tokyo Gas and Vtti
Gas Malaysia Berhad (“Gas Malaysia”), a member of MMC Group, took a significant step in strengthening Malaysia’s energy security with the signing of a Joint Development Agreement (“JDA”) with Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. (“Tokyo Gas”) and VTTI B.V. (“VTTI”) for the proposed development of a Liquefied Natural Gas (“LNG”) Regasification Terminal (“RGT”) in Yan, Kedah. The project marks a significant step in strengthening Malaysia’s long-term energy resilience by introducing a new LNG entry point in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia. RGT Yan is expected to enhance supply flexibility, diversify gas sources, and support the growing energy needs of industrial and power sectors in the region. Envisaged as an offshore Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (“FSRU”) located off Pulau Bunting, Yan, the facility is expected to have a capacity of up to six million tonnes per annum (MTPA). With an estimated development cost of between RM2 billion and RM3 billion, the project represents a major long-term investment in Malaysia’s energy infrastructure. The development of RGT Yan comes at a time when Malaysia continues to strengthen its energy system to support industrial growth and evolving consumption patterns. As demand for cleaner and more flexible fuel sources increases, LNG is expected to play a critical role in ensuring a stable and transition-ready energy mix for the country. Under the collaboration, Gas Malaysia will serve as the project lead, working alongside Tokyo Gas and VTTI to combine complementary strengths across the LNG value chain. Gas Malaysia brings deep domestic market knowledge and infrastructure experience, while Tokyo Gas contributes extensive expertise in LNG procurement and regasification, and VTTI offers a strong global track record in terminal development and operations. “The signing of this JDA marks a significant milestone for Gas Malaysia as we expand our role vertically along the LNG gas value chain. Exploring collaboration with globally recognised players such as Tokyo Gas and VTTI allows us to leverage international best practices while anchoring the project firmly within Malaysia’s national energy agenda,” said Gas Malaysia President & Group Chief Executive Officer, Azli Mohamed. Following the issuance of the Letter to Proceed by the Energy Commission in March 2026, the project is now advancing into its next phase of development, including technical, commercial and regulatory workstreams, as it moves towards a Final Investment Decision (FID). “Since our participation in the establishment of Gas Malaysia in 1992, we have worked closely with Gas Malaysia to support the development of Malaysia’s gas business. Leveraging our expertise in LNG terminal operations in Japan, as well as insights gained through our participation in an FSRU project in the Philippines, we are eager to work together with Gas Malaysia and VTTI to contribute to the development of Malaysia’s LNG and gas value chain,” said KASUTANI Toshihide, Representative Corporate Executive Vice President and Chief Executive of Overseas Business Company, Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. “VTTI is pleased to collaborate with Gas Malaysia and Tokyo Gas on this strategic LNG infrastructure project. RGT Yan supports our strategy to build a global LNG terminal platform and strengthen security of supply as Malaysia advances gas market liberalisation. Malaysia is already an important country for VTTI, and together we aim to support the country’s long-term energy resilience and growth,” said Tom Smeenk, Executive Vice President Growth of VTTI. Once completed, RGT Yan is expected to strengthen Malaysia’s energy security, support economic growth in the northern region, and enhance the resilience of the national gas supply system. The project reinforces Gas Malaysia’s ongoing transformation from a domestic gas distributor into a strategic energy infrastructure player, in line with its GM32 vision to drive long-term growth while supporting Malaysia’s broader energy transition.
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