Kuala Lumpur News

Vendfun Expands Into Indonesia

Perth, March 25: Malaysia-based hospitality solutions provider Vendfun Sdn. Bhd. has appointed Jakarta-headquartered PT Murni Solusindo Nusantara as its exclusive master distributor for Indonesia, marking the company’s biggest market expansion so far.
Under the agreement, PT Murni will handle the distribution of Vendfun’s solutions across Indonesia, covering marketing, promotions, exhibitions, lead generation, sales, installation, technical support, and the management of its reseller network.
The partnership will focus on Indonesia’s hospitality sector, with Vendfun introducing its Smart Mini Kiosk solutions to help automate hotel self-check-in and check-out processes for budget and boutique hotels, Airbnbs, and hostels.
Daryl Lau, Chief Strategy Officer of Vendfun, said, “In Indonesia, our kiosk solutions are driven by two critical hotelier pain points, which are spiraling manpower costs and rising front-desk fraud. Additionally, as guest impersonation and credit card scams surge, traditional manual check-ins remain highly vulnerable. With rising costs, we foresee that demand for automated solutions will become even stronger in Indonesia. We are thrilled to partner with PT Murni to help address these challenges.”
Anton Ng, Director of PT Murni, added, “We are excited to bring Vendfun’s self-check-in kiosk solutions to the Indonesian market. The demand for automated hospitality solutions is real and growing, and Vendfun’s technology directly addresses the challenges that hotels face today. We look forward to working closely with Vendfun to make self-service check-in the new standard for budget and boutique hotels across Indonesia.”
Vendfun said the appointment supports its wider Southeast Asia growth strategy. The company has already deployed more than 150 kiosks across 12 Malaysian states, as well as in Singapore, Australia and the United States, and plans to complete its first installation in Thailand in April.

Fortinet Strengthens Malaysia Cybersecurity

Perth, March 25: Fortinet has expanded its local Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) infrastructure in Malaysia with a new Malaysia-based Point-of-Presence (PoP), aimed at helping organisations strengthen secure digital growth across distributed and cloud environments.
The cybersecurity company said the local deployment will support enterprises and hybrid workforces with secure, high-performance connectivity, while maintaining consistent security enforcement with lower latency.
Fortinet said the Malaysia SASE PoP is part of its broader investment in cloud security infrastructure across Southeast Asia and is intended to support Malaysia’s MADANI vision and digital economy agenda.
The company said the local PoP also complements its established presence in Kuala Lumpur and comes as more organisations expand hybrid work strategies and cloud adoption, while facing growing regulatory and compliance requirements.
Fortinet added that the Malaysia deployment sits alongside similar expansions in Thailand and the Philippines, with the platform powered by its Unified SASE architecture and single FortiOS operating system to help businesses simplify operations and improve security outcomes.

MN Holdings Wins Contracts

Perth, March 25: MN Holdings Berhad has secured two data centre infrastructure contracts worth a combined RM245.40 million for the construction of consumer landing station (CLS) facilities in the southern region of Peninsular Malaysia.
The contracts, awarded to its wholly owned subsidiary MN Power Transmission Sdn. Bhd., involve the construction, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of 275kV CLS infrastructure for two separate data centre developments. Both projects are scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2026 and are expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of the year.
The group said the awards reflect continued participation in Malaysia’s expanding data centre sector, particularly in the southern region, which is seeing sustained investment in digital infrastructure.
In addition to the data centre projects, MN Holdings said it has recently secured solar-related and substation extension contracts from Tenaga Nasional Berhad worth about RM39.80 million and RM26.58 million respectively, involving engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning works.
Datuk Dang Siong Diang, Executive Director of MN Holdings Berhad said, “The award of these contracts reflects our continued involvement in data center-related infrastructure works, particularly within the Southern Region where demand remains supported by ongoing investments. Aside the contracts from data center-related clients, we also continue participating in the renewable energy and power infrastructure works. All these projects demonstrate our capability in delivering critical power infrastructure, including high-voltage systems, in accordance with project requirements.”

GHS Profit Rises

Perth, March 25: Guan Huat Seng Holdings Berhad posted a profit after tax of RM3.05 million in the second quarter ended Jan 31, 2026, supported by revenue of RM30.12 million and profit before tax of RM4.29 million.
The food products distributor, retailer and flavouring manufacturer said revenue rose 49.51 per cent from RM20.14 million in the previous quarter, while profit after tax jumped 101.39 per cent from RM1.51 million. It said the stronger performance was mainly driven by higher demand ahead of the Chinese New Year festive season.
For the six-month period ended Jan 31, 2026, the group recorded revenue of RM50.26 million and profit after tax of RM4.56 million. The board also declared an interim single-tier dividend of 0.25 sen per ordinary share, amounting to about RM1.18 million.
Yeo Tien Ee, Managing Director of Guan Huat Seng Holdings Berhad, commented: “The stronger second-quarter growth demonstrates our ability to capture demand while maintaining operational discipline across both our distribution and retail segments. Following our recent listing, we are now focused on executing our expansion plans prudently. These initiatives include the development of new facilities (setup of a new integrated complex and a new Krubong facility) to enhance our production and storage capacity, continued investments in marketing activities, the opening of additional retail outlets in Klang Valley and Johor, as well as expansion of our product range to strengthen our market positioning and capture growth opportunities. We believe these initiatives will place GHS Holdings in a stronger position to serve our customers more efficiently and broaden our market reach over time.”

OCR Eyes Chester Stake

Perth, March 25: OCR Group Berhad has signed a heads of agreement to acquire a 49 per cent stake in Chester Properties Sdn. Bhd., as part of plans to strengthen its real estate ecosystem and broaden market access.
The proposed acquisition will be satisfied through the issuance of new OCR shares priced at RM0.041 each, subject to a due diligence exercise over 60 days and the signing of a definitive agreement within 70 days from the HOA.
Founded in 2010, Chester Properties is a property and investment consultancy firm with 15 branches across several states in Malaysia, supported by 17 licensed Real Estate Advisors, 516 negotiators and more than 4,000 agents. OCR said the tie-up is expected to enhance its route-to-market capabilities, strengthen buyer acquisition and support the rollout of future developments.
Group Managing Director of OCR Group Berhad, Billy Ong Kah Hoe commented, “The proposed acquisition of Chester Properties marks another key milestone in our strategic roadmap to expand OCR’s footprint and unlock greater value across the real estate value chain. We believe this collaboration will allow us to tap into new buyer segments and bring a more integrated offering to the market. With Chester’s strong agency network and our development pipeline, this partnership is expected to enhance market reach and support the roll-out of our upcoming projects, including Residensi Begonia (Phase 2 of our Kyra development in Shah Alam) and a contemporary high-rise lifestyle development in Jalan Alor. This partnership is synergistic and forward-looking.”