Latest news with #AzeemAbuBakar
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Businesses want to see policy continuity for JS-SEZ, says UEM group MD
FMT managing director Azeem Abu Bakar (left) and UEM Group Bhd managing director Amran Hafiz Affifudin at the Nikkei Forum Medini, Johor 2025 today. ISKANDAR PUTERI : Continuity and clarity in policy are crucial for the success of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), said UEM Group Bhd managing director Amran Hafiz Affifudin. Describing continuity as the 'most important enabler' of business confidence, Amran said stable policies were vital to attract long-term investments into the region. 'As a member of the business community, we like to see continuity in policy, especially as an infrastructure company. Our investments are long-term, so clarity and continuity of policy are very important. 'We are a business with heavy capital expenditure. Policy stability is critical,' he said at the Nikkei Forum Medini, Johor 2025, co-organised by Iskandar Investment Bhd (IIB), here today. FMT managing director Azeem Abu Bakar, who moderated the session, pointed to UEM Sunrise – UEM Group's property development arm – as an example of how policy shifts had influenced investor sentiment over time. 'When the Iskandar Puteri development corridor was first announced under former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, UEM Sunrise's shares climbed to around RM3. 'Then came policy tightening from 2014, particularly restrictions on Singaporean buyers to cool rising property prices, and the share price fell to around RM1 before dropping further to about 20 sen during the Covid-19 pandemic,' he said. He said that following the announcement of the JS-SEZ, UEM Sunrise's shares rebounded to above RM1. Azeem asked what degree of policy clarity would be needed to sustain this momentum, especially in light of former economy minister Rafizi Ramli's resignation and the absence of a named successor. A comprehensive blueprint for the JS-SEZ, led by Rafizi, was expected to be finalised and unveiled by the end of 2025. The plan outlines the zone's long-term vision, strategic direction, and investment opportunities to attract both domestic and international investors. Following his defeat in the race for PKR deputy president, Rafizi submitted his resignation as economy minister to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Before his departure, according to a Malay Mail report, Rafizi had assured stakeholders that the JS-SEZ's progress would not be affected by political changes, and that the government remained committed to its long-term development. Amran also emphasised the need to build a strong talent pool in Johor and across Malaysia. 'Nurturing local talent from Johor is the number one priority. Secondly, we need to attract talent from other parts of Malaysia. 'The theme of this forum is 'Driving Asia's Innovation Hub'. If there's no talent, there's no innovation, which means there's no hub,' he said. Despite the political changes, he expressed confidence in the collaboration between the federal and Johor state governments with Singapore in formulating incentives to drive growth. 'We hope whatever policies are being formulated now, and in the future, will make doing business in the JS-SEZ easy,' he said.
Free Malaysia Today
7 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Media must move to thought leadership in AI era, says FMT MD
Rafiq Razali, managing director of the Media Prima Group (left), with FMT's managing director, Azeem Abu Bakar, at D-Conference 2025 on Thursday. PETALING JAYA : As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape the media landscape, news outlets must evolve into thought leaders to remain relevant and avoid being left behind, says FMT managing director Azeem Abu Bakar. Speaking at the D-Conference 2025 hosted by the Malaysian Digital Association here yesterday, Azeem said media organisations cannot ignore radical changes in the way content is consumed. 'People increasingly use AI as assistance. They no longer search, they will ask— making citation, not clicks, the new currency of influence,' he said. 'We are heading from a game of 'traffic' to 'thought leadership'.' Azeem said AI platforms are increasingly relying on original reporting. 'A lot of the outcome of AI actually comes from us, publishers. I write articles, and then you get it from ChatGPT. It could be a battle of who gets cited the most,' he said. Azeem said FMT was looking to adapt its content strategy to appeal to machine learning models. He said the increasing use of AI engine optimisation to enhance content and user experiences across various platforms calls for a change in the manner in which content is written. 'AI likes explainers. It likes things in point form,' he said, adding that media outlets must put more structure into its content for better AI consumption. Other speakers urged caution in embracing AI. Rafiq Razali, Media Prima's group managing director, raised concerns about intellectual property and brand safety. 'What keeps me up at night is how a lot of the work that's been done by people in my organisation can be used to train large service models without credit,' said Rafiq, citing lawsuits by major media and entertainment companies against AI platforms. 'Sometimes it's good to take a step back (and ask): are we doing the right thing?' Nik Justin Nik Ariffin. Nik Justin Nik Ariffin, Head of Group Corporate Communications at Karangkraf, called for the preservation of trust and journalistic integrity. 'The trust is our currency,' he said. 'We must safeguard it carefully.' Nik Justin noted that publishers now serve two distinct audiences — traditional readers who value depth, and digital natives who prioritise speed. 'Human oversight is essential. Transparency is non-negotiable,' he said. Diogo Andrade. Meanwhile, Diogo Andrade, the APAC commercial director at Teads, speaking from an adtech perspective, warned of threats to monetisation and credibility posed by fake websites and auto-generated comment bots. He said it was important to continue funding trusted journalism to preserve accountability. 'Generative AI producing misinformation will have no consequence. If a journalist does, they can lose their licence,' said Andrade. Lydia Wang. Lydia Wang, COO of Star Media Group, summed up the new media equation: trust, structure, ethics — and agency. 'We must be sceptical when we consume content. Do not trust blindly,' she said.
