Plans Regional Operational Hub and Supports Local SME Trade Settlements

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 26 February 2026 – XTransfer, the World’s Leading B2B Cross-Border Trade Payment Platform, is pleased to announce that it has received conditional approval from Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) for key payment licences, including issuing electronic money, as well as a Money Services Business Licence (Class A) covering remittance and currency exchange.

Upon completing the pre-issuance conditions and being permitted to launch, XTransfer plans to introduce digital payment services in Malaysia designed to support businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) engaged in international trade. These services are intended to include streamlined onboarding, convenient funding options, efficient foreign exchange, and secure remittance and settlement experiences, with a focus on compliance, security, and operational reliability, helping Malaysian SMEs reduce friction in legitimate trade as they scale into regional and emerging-market corridors.

“Receiving conditional approval from Bank Negara Malaysia is an important milestone for XTransfer in the ASEAN region,” said Bill Deng, Founder and CEO of XTransfer. “We appreciate BNM’s guidance and oversight. We look forward to bringing Malaysian businesses compliant and efficient payment solutions that help trade move faster and more predictably, especially as intra-Asia and broader South–South trade routes continue to expand.

Malaysia is also central to XTransfer’s regional strategy, with a plan to establish Malaysia as its regional operational hub, serving as a strategic control centre within Southeast Asia, coordinating compliance, risk management, customer support, and global operations to ensure alignment with both local and Group-wide standards. “Malaysia gives us the talent, governance environment, and regional proximity to scaleacross the region,” Bill added.

Founded in 2017, XTransfer is dedicated to using technology to bridge large financial institutions and SMEs worldwide, providing secure, compliant, fast, convenient and low-cost cross-border trade payment and fund collection solutions. With more than 800,000 enterprise clients, XTransfer has become a global industry leader and continues to expand internationally to support trading companies worldwide.
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The launch marks a significant step in expanding Malaysian retail investor participation in financial products through blockchain technology

TOKYO, JAPAN – Media OutReach Newswire – 26 February 2026 – Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad (“Kenanga Group“), Malaysia’s leading independent investment bank and the Stellar Development Foundation (“Stellar”), a US-based non-profit organisation that supports the Stellar network, yesterday introduced Myrra, a dedicated token platform that leverages the Stellar blockchain to enable the tokenisation of real world-assets.

The inaugural deployment on the Myrra platform is the tokenisation of the Kenanga Money Market Fund (“KMMF“) and the Kenanga Islamic Money Market Fund (“KIMMF“) (collectively, the “Funds“) managed by Kenanga Investors Berhad (“Kenanga Investors“). The Funds represent the first tokenised unit trust funds to go live within the Malaysian market.

Through this initiative, investors can now transact blockchain-based digital representations of the Funds’ units through Myrra. Tokens are issued on a 1:1 basis, with each token representing a unit of either fund. This ensures the digital tokens function exactly like traditional fund units, while prioritising regulatory compliance, legal parity with existing unit holders, and operational integrity.

The reveal took place at the Blockchain Summit 2026, co-organised by Credit Saison and Pacific Meta as part of Japan Fintech Week.

By tokenising its Malaysian Ringgit money market funds using trusted Stellar blockchain infrastructure, Kenanga Group is bringing its money market products directly to a broader segment of Malaysian investors, enabling the purchase or selling of tokens directly on Myrra’s web portal.

“The launch of Malaysia’s first tokenised money market funds on the new Myrra platform represents a major step forward in our Group-wide commitment to driving digital innovation across the Malaysian capital markets,” said Datuk Chay Wai Leong, Group Managing Director of Kenanga Group. “By deploying on the Stellar network, we are able to contribute to the development of a digital public infrastructure that aligns with Malaysia’s vision of becoming a regional centre for blockchain-enabled finance.”

“The implementation of tokenisation is a strategic initiative to evolve our existing distribution and operational processes and capabilities through the operational efficiencies offered by Distributed Ledge Technology,” said Datuk Wira Ismitz Matthew De Alwis, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Kenanga Investors. “We believe this will work towards driving investor participation without compromising regulatory standards and transparency.”

Operating for more than a decade, Stellar is one of the earliest blockchains designed specifically to support payments, asset issuance, and financial products in a compliance-forward and transparent manner. It hosts Franklin Templeton’s Benji token, a tokenised U.S. Treasury money market fund primarily used by institutional users for on-chain settlement and peer-to-peer transfers. Stellar also powers MoneyGram’s large-scale cash-to-crypto on/off-ramp across 170 countries using USDC and supports the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (“UNHCR“) in distributing USDC-based aid that refugees can redeem even without bank accounts.

“Tokenisation drives real-world utility and access when it is built on infrastructure that institutions and regulators trust,” said Jose Fernandez da Ponte, President and Chief Growth Officer at the Stellar Development Foundation. “Stellar was designed from the outset to support regulated financial products, increase access and provide the rails for enterprise-grade assets to move securely. This deployment by Kenanga Group is a prime example of how digital public infrastructure is scaling on Stellar making financial services more accessible, efficient, and inclusive for everyone across the globe.”

Myrra represents a milestone in addressing a tokenised asset opportunity in Malaysia, estimated at US$43 billion by 2030. It builds upon recent efforts by the Securities Commission Malaysia to advance tokenised capital market products within a framework that balances innovation with investor protection. By applying blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology to familiar financial products, Kenanga Group is taking a pragmatic approach to financial innovation and inclusion while positioning Malaysian investors for a global transition toward faster settlement and enhanced transparency.

The KMMF aims to provide investors with a regular income stream while maintaining capital stability by investing entirely in money market instruments, debentures, and deposits. Meanwhile, the KIMMF offers similar benefits aligned with Shariah principle. Both Funds cater to investors who want stable, short-term returns with minimal volatility.

For more information about Myrra, please visit myrra.my.Hashtag: #KenangaGroup #Myrra #Tokenisation#BlockchainFinance #FinTech

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Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad (197301002193 (15678-H))

Established for over 50 years, Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad (“Kenanga” or “The Group”) is a leading financial group in Malaysia, offering a wide range of services, including equity broking, investment banking, treasury, Islamic banking, listed derivatives, investment management, wealth management, structured lending, and trade financing. The Group’s digital innovations include the launch of KDi GO, a wealth-centric app, along with Kenanga Digital Investing, an A.I. robo-advisor, and game-changing products such as Rakuten Trade, Malaysia’s first fully digital stockbroking platform developed through a joint venture with Japan’s Rakuten Securities, Inc. This digital expansion also extends to the digital assets space through the Group’s investment in Kinetic DAX Sdn Bhd (formerly known as Tokenize Technology (M) Sdn Bhd).

Kenanga has garnered multiple industry accolades, including top honours at the Bursa Excellence Awards, Asia Asset Management’s Best of the Best Awards, and The Morningstar Awards, recognition for its sustainability leadership at The Edge Malaysia ESG Awards and the Euromoney Awards for Excellence, and further acknowledgements for its corporate governance and sustainability excellence at the National Corporate Governance and Sustainability Awards. As one of the highest scoring constituents of the FTSE4Good Bursa Malaysia Index and a Participant of the United Nations Global Compact, the Group continues to drive collaboration, innovation, and sustainability in the financial industry.

Disclaimer: The Replacement Master Prospectus (including all supplemental and ancillary documents thereto) and the Product Highlight Sheet (“PHS”), have been registered and/or lodged with the Securities Commission Malaysia (“SC”), who takes no responsibility for its contents and related advertisement or marketing materials, does not indicate that the SC has recommended or endorsed the product/service. The material has not been reviewed by the SC. Investors have the right to request for a copy of the RMP, PHS and other relevant product disclosure documents which are available at our office, at any authorised distributors and our corporate website before making investment decisions. If you are in doubt when considering the investment or any of the information provided, you are advised to consult a professional adviser. A Fund’s track record does not guarantee its future performance. Kenanga Investors Berhad is committed to prevent conflict of interest between its various businesses and activities and between its clients/director/shareholders and employees by having in place procedures and measures for identifying and properly managing any apparent, potential and perceived conflict of interest by making disclosures to Clients, where appropriate. Kenanga Investors Berhad 199501024358 (353563-P).

The theme of the 2026-27 Budget, the fourth Budget of the current-term Government, is “Driving High-quality, Inclusive Growth with Innovation and Finance”.

“Over the past year, as a result of the booming economy and capital market, our tax revenue has increased. Coupled with the reinforced fiscal consolidation programme gradually bearing fruit, our public finances have improved sooner than expected,” Mr Chan said.

The Financial Secretary revealed that Hong Kong’s Consolidated Account was expected to register a surplus of $2.9 billion in the current fiscal year, instead of a deficit of about $67 billion as originally estimated. The Operating Account for 2025-26, which was originally estimated to record a deficit of about $3 billion, will register a surplus of $51.3 billion, he said.

It was also confirmed that Hong Kong’s economy expanded by 3.5% in 2025, with growth forecast to be between 2.5% and 3.5% for 2026.

Mr Chan noted that this year marks the beginning of the National 15th Five-Year Plan, and he stressed the need for Hong Kong to actively align with the Plan.

“Our country’s sustained high-standard two-way opening-up, coupled with scientific and technological innovation, have presented us with new opportunities,” he said. “We must embrace the 15th Five-Year Plan with an innovative mindset, fostering new quality productive forces in accordance with local conditions.”

Mr Chan set out a series of measures to drive I&T development, including establishing the Committee on AI+ and Industry Development Strategy; taking forward the Sandy Ridge data facility cluster project; promoting AI training; and accelerating digital intelligence transformation of the Government.

“We are pressing ahead with the industrialisation of AI and deepening its integration across various industries, while encouraging wider AI application, thereby achieving the target of adoption and utilisation by all,” he said.

The International Clinical Trial Academy will, he said, also be established to help enable the Chinese Mainland’s biomedicine technology to go global, attract foreign investment, and help develop Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub.

To facilitate the development of new industrialisation, the Budget has earmarked resources for establishing in Hong Kong the first national manufacturing innovation centre outside the Mainland, and the New Industrialisation Elite Enterprises Nurturing Scheme will be launched.

The Government will promote the full integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation through key infrastructure, including the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, and the San Tin Technopole in the Northern Metropolis.

To support financial services, Hong Kong will proactively align with national development strategies, advance the internationalisation of the Renminbi, and continuously reform the securities market.

The Government will legislate this year to enhance tax regimes for family offices and funds, as well as establish licensing regimes for digital asset dealing and custodian service providers.

“Despite the complex and ever-changing external environment, Hong Kong’s financial market has performed strongly and our financial system remains robust,” Mr Chan said. “We will continue to consolidate our existing strengths, tap into emerging fields, strengthen market systems and risk control and deepen financial co-operation in the GBA (Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area).”

Noting that Hong Kong saw a year-on-year 12 per cent increase in visitor arrivals last year, which had created business and job opportunities for related sectors, the Budget will allocate $1.66 billion (US$212 million) to the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB).

“The HKTB will scale up its flagship events and promotion, introducing new elements and extending event duration, and organise more signature festive events to highlight Hong Kong’s East-meets-West uniqueness,” Mr Chan said.

The Budget also earmarks an additional funding of $1 billion (US$128 million) for the Built Heritage Conservation Fund to enrich city culture. Elsewhere, the Government will launch the Northern Metropolis Urban-rural Integration Fund as a pilot scheme to support rural tourism projects.

To further promote sports development in Hong Kong, the Financial Secretary will inject $1.2 billion (US$154 million) to the sports portion of the Arts and Sports Development Fund.

Mr Chan said that the global environment has remained volatile over the past year, and Hong Kong has continued to undergo economic transformation.

“Technological innovation, in particular the development of AI, has brought us a mix of opportunities and challenges. Yet, Hong Kong has always thrived amid changes and progressed through innovation. We must make full use of our strengths and leverage the resolute support of our country to speed up and scale up our economic development sustainably for creating better development opportunities for the people and enhancing their quality of life,” Mr Chan said.

For more details on the 2026-27 Budget, click here.

Hashtag: #hongkong #brandhongkong #Budget #Inclusive #Growth #Innovation #Finance

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By K Raveendran The political sparring between Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi has entered a sharper and more consequential phase, with the balance of advantage appearing to tilt towards the Leader of the Opposition after an unexpected judicial intervention in the United States cast doubt on the durability of Donald Trump’s tariff regime. The rhetorical […]

The article Rahul Gandhi Making The Most Of Modi’s Tariff Blushes appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 February 2026 – In the wake of Budget 2026 and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s announcement of a National AI Council to accelerate mission-driven artificial intelligence deployment, EtonHouse International Education Group has collaborated with OpenAI to roll out ChatGPT Edu across its global education network, establishing a secure, enterprise-grade AI workspace designed to strengthen governance, operational excellence and institutional capability.

The implementation spans the Group’s schools and education brands, including EBridge Pre-School, an Anchor Operator, extending AI integration beyond classroom experimentation into enterprise-wide infrastructure supporting operations, marketing and admissions, finance, human resources, school administration and technology development.

While education was not named among the initial priority sectors identified under Singapore’s national AI strategy, EtonHouse views schools as foundational to building long-term AI capability and literacy across society.

Governance-led AI deployment

The rollout has been structured around enterprise governance principles. Access is managed through role-based access controls, single sign-on authentication and automated provisioning, ensuring that AI tools and information remain aligned to defined job responsibilities and permission boundaries.

ChatGPT Edu operates within a centrally managed internal workspace governed by consistent policies across the Group. External sharing and third-party integrations are enabled only where explicitly approved and aligned with business requirements, reinforcing a secure and compliant AI environment.

This governance-first approach reflects a deliberate shift from isolated experimentation to structured, scalable adoption.

From classroom innovation to enterprise infrastructure

EtonHouse previously developed Lumina, its proprietary AI-powered lesson planning platform. The deployment of ChatGPT Edu represents the next phase of integration, extending advanced artificial intelligence capabilities into enterprise functions.

Within the secure workspace, teams can upload documents for structured analysis, generate comparative reports, conduct scenario modelling and retrieve institutional knowledge more efficiently. Technology teams are also leveraging Codex, OpenAI’s agentic coding tool, to enhance development workflows, supporting code drafting, review and testing while maintaining human oversight and established engineering standards.

The Group is concurrently developing internal AI assistants and structured workflows within defined governance parameters to streamline routine processes and standardise how knowledge is accessed and applied across departments.

Augmentation, not replacement

EtonHouse emphasises that artificial intelligence is being implemented as an augmentation layer rather than a substitute for professional judgement.

“Artificial intelligence is not a shortcut or a replacement technology. It is a learning infrastructure,” said Mr Ng Yi-Xian, Group CEO of EtonHouse International Education Group. “We are developing tools that help students learn more confidently, support teachers to plan and differentiate more effectively, and equip HQ teams to serve schools faster and with higher quality. AI should amplify good practice, not replace it, so we are building the governance and capability to deploy it responsibly at scale.”

The rollout will be supported by structured staff training alongside OpenAI experts clear usage guidelines and ongoing oversight to ensure transparency, responsible usage and alignment with internal policies and regulatory obligations.

“As Singapore advances its national AI ambitions, many institutions are working to bridge the gap between rapidly advancing AI technologies and their ability to deploy them effectively and responsibly. EtonHouse’s rollout of ChatGPT Edu shows how forward-thinking education organisations can translate AI into practical, trusted enterprise-wide systems that empower teams today, while building confidence for the long-term.” added Oliver Jay, Managing Director, International at OpenAI.

Education’s role in Singapore’s AI future

Budget 2026 outlined the formation of a National AI Council to guide coordinated deployment across priority sectors including advanced manufacturing, connectivity, finance and healthcare.

EtonHouse’s implementation reflects how education institutions can apply similar principles of governance, security and enterprise readiness, positioning schools not only as adopters of technology but as contributors to Singapore’s broader AI capability building.

With this move, EtonHouse signals a transition from exploratory AI usage to secure, scalable integration across its global network, reinforcing its commitment to innovation anchored in institutional discipline and responsible deployment.

Hashtag: #ArtificialIntelligence #EnterpriseAI #AIGovernance #AIDeployment #EdTech

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About EtonHouse International Education Group

In 2015, the EtonHouse Community Fund (ECF) was established, dedicated to enhancing the lives of underserved children and youth through education.

The Eton Academy was launched in 2020, providing English, Maths, and Science academic programmes for Nursery 1 to Primary 6 in centres across the island. Building on this success, The Eton Academy expanded in 2025 with the introduction of Elevate After School Care, offering primary school children a holistic, well-rounded after-school experience that complements their academic development.

EtonHouse International Education Group remains unwavering in its commitment to shaping futures and making a meaningful impact on the world through education.

Producer prices in the Republic of Korea rose for a fifth straight month in January, driven by firmer semiconductor prices and higher agricultural costs, according to central bank data that point to lingering pipeline inflation pressures in Asia’s fourth-largest economy.

Figures released by the Bank of Korea showed the producer price index increased on both a monthly and annual basis, extending a run of gains that began in early autumn. Officials attributed the latest rise largely to a rebound in memory chip prices and elevated food-related costs, reflecting supply constraints and weather-related disruptions.

Semiconductors, a cornerstone of the country’s export-led economy, played a decisive role. Prices for key memory products, including DRAM and NAND flash, strengthened as global demand for data centres and artificial intelligence applications continued to absorb inventories. After a prolonged downturn that weighed on manufacturing output through 2023, chipmakers have benefited from tighter supply and renewed investment in high-performance computing, pushing upstream prices higher.

Industry analysts say the upturn in chip prices has filtered through supply chains, lifting overall producer prices even as energy costs have remained comparatively stable. Manufacturing accounts for a substantial share of Korea’s producer basket, meaning swings in technology components can exert an outsized influence on headline figures.

Agricultural products also recorded notable gains. Unfavourable weather conditions and higher input costs contributed to increases in fruit, vegetable and livestock prices. Food-related producer costs are closely watched because they can pass through to consumer prices with a lag, particularly in a country where household spending on fresh produce forms a visible part of the inflation basket.

The latest data suggest cost pressures remain uneven across sectors. While energy prices have moderated from peaks seen after geopolitical disruptions in global oil and gas markets, certain industrial materials and processed foods have shown persistent firmness. Service-sector producer prices, including transport and logistics, have also edged higher, reflecting wage adjustments and operating expenses.

Economists note that sustained increases in producer prices can eventually feed into consumer inflation, although the transmission is neither automatic nor immediate. Consumer price growth has eased from multi-year highs reached in 2022, but remains sensitive to food and housing costs. The central bank has kept its benchmark interest rate at a restrictive level since early 2023 in a bid to anchor inflation expectations and support financial stability.

Policy deliberations in Seoul have balanced the need to contain price pressures against concerns over slowing domestic demand and household debt. Export performance has improved alongside the semiconductor recovery, yet construction activity and private consumption have shown mixed signals. A continued rise in producer prices may complicate the timing of any monetary easing, particularly if global commodity prices remain volatile.

The global context adds another layer of uncertainty. Demand for advanced chips linked to artificial intelligence has bolstered Korea’s trade outlook, but cyclical risks persist in other manufacturing segments, including petrochemicals and steel. At the same time, agricultural markets remain exposed to climate variability, which can amplify price swings and affect food security.

Market participants are closely monitoring whether the current producer price trend represents a stabilisation after last year’s weakness or the beginning of a more entrenched cost cycle. Some analysts argue that the semiconductor rebound is structural, underpinned by sustained capital expenditure in cloud infrastructure and next-generation devices. Others caution that technology demand can be volatile, and that inventory adjustments may re-emerge later in the year.

For policymakers, the composition of producer price growth is as important as the headline number. Increases concentrated in export-oriented sectors may bolster corporate earnings and investment, whereas broad-based gains across consumer-linked industries could signal renewed inflationary momentum. The central bank has indicated it will continue to assess data on prices, wages and growth before making any shift in its policy stance.

Businesses, meanwhile, face decisions on whether to absorb higher input costs or pass them on to customers. Large technology firms may have greater pricing power in global markets, but small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly in food processing and retail supply chains, operate on thinner margins.

By Nantoo Banerjee The global AI impact summit 2026 in Delhi, last week, couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time when the world continues to be somewhat skeptical about adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI), its limitations and potential consequences. Thanks to the pioneering effort by firms such as Nvidia, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta and […]

The article India Should Adopt ‘Trustworthy’ AI Tools To Stay Safe And Transparent appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).