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New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Google suffers setback as EU legal opinion backs record fine
LUXEMBOURG: Google suffered a legal blow at the European Court of Justice today, when the body's adviser recommended upholding a record fine imposed on the company for anti-competitive practices. The US tech giant has been trying to overturn on appeal a €4.3-billion (RM21 billion) fine imposed by the European Commission in 2018, which was later reduced to €4.1 billion. But in its opinion, Juliane Kokott, advocate general at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), said "the legal arguments put forward by Google are ineffective", the court later said in a statement. Although not binding, such advice carries weight and is often followed by EU judges in their rulings. The commission, the EU's antitrust regulator, had accused Google of abusing the popularity of its Android operating system to restrict competition. It alleged Google pressured phone makers using Android to pre-install its search engine and Google Chrome browser – essentially shutting out rivals. The findings were upheld in 2022 by the European Union's second-highest court, which slightly reduced the fine. The levy remains the EU's biggest ever. Arguing that the commission's case was unfounded and that the sanction penalised innovation, Google appealed to the EU's top court. The company had also pushed the case that the EU was unfairly blind to Apple, which gives preference to its own services, such as Safari on iPhones. Today's advice will guide the EUCJ in its decision. The court has the final say on the matter. "Google held a dominant position in several markets of the Android-ecosystem and thus benefited from network effects that enabled it to ensure that users used Google Search," the court said, detailing Kokott's opinion. "As a result, Google obtained access to data that enabled it in turn to improve its service. No hypothetical as-efficient competitor could have found itself in such a situation," the statement read. As part of a major push to target big tech abuses, the EU slapped Google with fines worth a total of €8.2 billion between 2017 and 2019 over antitrust violations. This set off a series of long-running legal battles. Brussels has since armed itself with a more powerful legal weapon known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), to rein in tech giants. Rather than regulators discovering egregious antitrust violations after probes lasting many years, the DMA gives businesses a list of what they can and cannot do online.
The Star
5 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Contractor ordered to refund client RM25,000 for delay in Mersing dream home construction
Mohd Najib's dream bungalow in Mersing was only 37% completed. FOR a Johor Baru lorry driver, the joy of seeing his family's single-storey bungalow completed might not come for a while. Last year, Mohd Najib Mohd Yunos, 45, from Taman Pulai Indah, hired a building contractor to construct his dream home. He entrusted plans for the 25ft by 32ft house with 800sq ft built-up floor area to the contractor whose registered business address is in Endau. The bungalow, costing RM108,000 and situated in Kampung Air Puteri, Mersing, about 126km from Johor Baru, was to have been built using pre-fabricated construction. According to the claimant, the construction agreement was signed between him and the contractor on Sept 23, 2024. 'The contractor had to finish building the house by Sept 23 this year,' he said when met outside the Johor Consumer Claims Tribunal in Menara Ansar, Johor Baru. Mohd Najib made two progressive payments of RM40,000 and RM24,800 respectively on Sept 20 and 21, 2024, on the respondent's claim that 60% of the house had been completed. He made another payment of RM21,600 on Oct 23 after the contractor said 80% of the house had been completed. Mohd Najib said a few weeks after that, the contractor called to borrow money, but he did not entertain this request. 'The contractor sent a reminder via message on Dec 22, asking me to settle the final payment of RM21,600 in order for him to finish the project.' He added that the contractor claimed that construction was progressing well. Upon a site inspection, however, the claimant found that the house was less than 50% completed and building progress was behind schedule. Having lost confidence in the contractor, the claimant refused to make the final payment. In February, Mohd Najib filed a case with Tribunal, demanding the contractor refund RM50,000 for failing to finish the project. The case was heard on March 20, 2025, before tribunal president Hafez Zalkapli who ordered both parties to hire registered quantity surveyors to assess the project's progress. 'It is necessary to hire a quantity surveyor as the RM50,000 claimed by the claimant is the maximum and we need an independent third party to evaluate the project,' Hafez had ordered. When the hearing resumed on May 14, the quantity surveyor report submitted by the claimant showed that the project was only 37% completed. The respondent asked the tribunal for more time to engage a quantity surveyor. Hafez rejected the respondent's request and ordered him to refund RM25,000 to the claimant within two weeks. The president also rejected the RM21,600 final payment in the respondent's counterclaim. Those who need assistance regarding Tribunal matters can call 07-227 1755/1766.
New Straits Times
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- New Straits Times
BAuto's Q4 earnings fall to RM21mil on weaker car sales
KUALA LUMPUR: Bermaz Auto Bhd (BAuto) reported a lower net profit of RM21 million for the fourth quarter (Q4), weighed down by weaker vehicle sales. The net profit dropped 76.5 per cent from RM90 million in the same quarter last year, according to a bourse filing. BAuto's revenue for the quarter ended April 30, 2025 fell 43.6 per cent to RM937.5 million from RM528.6 million previously. The company said the sales volume from its Mazda and Kia domestic operations was impacted by the continued influx of competitively priced Chinese-made vehicles in the market. BAuto declared a fourth interim dividend of 1.50 sen per share that will be paid on Aug 5. Culmulatively, BAuto posted a weaker full-year earning for the financial year 2025 (FY25) with its net profit dropping more than half to RM155.9 million from RM345.58 million a year ago. Its revenue stood at RM2.6 billion, 32.9 per cent lower than RM3.9 billion recorded last year. Recognising the the dissapointing total industry volume (TIV) for the first four months of 2025, BAuto expects a challenging performance in the financial year ending April 30, 2026. The TIV for the first four months of 2025 was 248,730 units, a 5.4 per cent decline from 263,050 units a yyear ago. BAuto said the automotive sector is expected to register lower growth due to inflationary pressures, weaker global growth from uncertainties in geopolitical conflicts and outcomes of negotiations on US trade tariffs, which will have an adverse impact on the overall local economy. "The continuous influx of Chinese marque vehicles had also impacted the sales of other marques in the country. "The launching of new and/or new facelifts models of the group's existing and new vehicle marques are still very much dependent on the market sentiments and economic conditions then," it said in a statement.
The Sun
11-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
RM21 mil Labuan Youth and Sports Complex upgrade progressing ahead of schedule
LABUAN: The Labuan Youth and Sports Complex upgrading project is progressing ahead of schedule, with physical works already reaching 82 per cent compared to the scheduled 73 per cent. Public Works Department (PWD) director Ir. Mohd Faizul Mohd Ali Hanapiah said the project, an initiative by the federal government to enhance sports and youth facilities in this duty-free island costs RM21,398,715.10. 'The project site was handed over to the contractor on Dec 1, 2021, with full completion initially scheduled for Dec 10, 2025,' he said to Bernama today. Mohd Faizul said the scope of works involves various upgrade and repair components, including the reconstruction and improvement of the main hall and stadium buildings, structural repairs, enhancement of the football field and running track, and upgrading of athletics facilities. 'The project also includes the demolition of the old swimming pool, repairs to the tennis and open courts, and the replacement of the stadium grandstand roof, as well as other supporting facilities,' he added. Mohd Faizul said the project's positive progress reflects efficient project management, strong commitment from the contractor, and good synergy with the Labuan PWD, and the Labuan Youth and Sports Department.
The Sun
11-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Labuan Youth and Sports Complex upgrade ahead of schedule
LABUAN: The Labuan Youth and Sports Complex upgrading project is progressing ahead of schedule, with physical works already reaching 82 per cent compared to the scheduled 73 per cent. Public Works Department (PWD) director Ir. Mohd Faizul Mohd Ali Hanapiah said the project, an initiative by the federal government to enhance sports and youth facilities in this duty-free island costs RM21,398,715.10. 'The project site was handed over to the contractor on Dec 1, 2021, with full completion initially scheduled for Dec 10, 2025,' he said to Bernama today. Mohd Faizul said the scope of works involves various upgrade and repair components, including the reconstruction and improvement of the main hall and stadium buildings, structural repairs, enhancement of the football field and running track, and upgrading of athletics facilities. 'The project also includes the demolition of the old swimming pool, repairs to the tennis and open courts, and the replacement of the stadium grandstand roof, as well as other supporting facilities,' he added. Mohd Faizul said the project's positive progress reflects efficient project management, strong commitment from the contractor, and good synergy with the Labuan PWD, and the Labuan Youth and Sports Department.
