KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 29): Here is a brief recap of some business news and corporate announcements that made the headlines on Friday:

Gamuda Bhd’s (KL:GAMUDA) engineering unit has bagged a RM2.138 billion job to build hyperscale data centres in Eco Business Park V, Selangor. The job for Eco World Development Group Bhd (KL:ECOWLD) unit Quantum Alpha Sdn Bhd will start this quarter (3Q2025), with completion by 3Q2027. The contract covers building the main structure of two data centre blocks, a power substation, a water reservoir, and related infrastructure and facilities. — Gamuda unit bags RM2.1b job to build hyperscale data centres for EcoWorld

NexG Bhd (KL:NEXG), formerly known as Datasonic Group Bhd, has secured a fresh six-year contract worth RM1.73 billion from the Ministry of Home Affairs to supply Malaysian passports. The contract was awarded to NexG’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Datasonic Technologies Sdn Bhd (DTSB), to supply passports to the Immigration Department starting June 1, 2026 until May 31, 2032. NexG said that the new contract is structured on a pay-per-use basis, with a ceiling contract value dependent on actual passport issuance volumes. — NexG bags RM1.73b Home Ministry contract to supply Malaysian passports until 2032

CIMB Group Holdings Bhd's (KL:CIMB) earnings slipped 3.8% year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM1.89 billion in the second quarter ended June 30, 2025, as lower net interest income offset higher non-interest income. Net interest income was marginally lower at RM3.83 billion while non-interest income was a tad higher at RM1.77 billion. CIMB declared a first interim dividend of 19.75 sen per share. — CIMB Group's 2Q net profit slips 3.8%, declares dividend of 19.75 sen

Telekom Malaysia Bhd's (KL:TM) net profit for its second quarter ended June 30, 2025 rose 1.7% y-o-y to RM403 million, helped by cost savings from reorganising its workforce. The marginal earnings growth came despite a 4.7% drop in revenue to RM2.77 billion, due to the absence of a one-off item reported in the same quarter last year and carrier-to-carrier projects, which will be completed in the second half of the year. It declared an interim dividend of 12.5 sen per share (same as last year), totalling RM479.7 million. — TM 2Q net profit up 1.7% on cost optimisation, dividend maintained at 12.5 sen

Hibiscus Petroleum Bhd (KL:HIBISCS) saw its net profit for its fourth quarter ended June 30, 2025 drop to RM74.61 million from RM108.68 million a year earlier, while revenue fell 14.71% to RM629.51 million from RM738.05 million. The decline was due to lower production volumes and crude oil prices in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, as well as higher impairment charges, expenses and finance costs, but partially offset by a tax credit of RM38.35 million, as opposed to a tax expense of RM52.09 million last year. The group declared a fifth interim dividend of half a sen per share, to be paid on Oct 23. It also proposed a final dividend of half a sen per share for FY2025, which will bring its dividend payout for FY2025 to nine sen per share — its highest annual payout — up from 8.5 sen per share for FY2024. — Hibiscus holds firm to dividend target as it remains bullish on outlook despite sharp profit drop

Diversified group Ekovest Bhd (KL:EKOVEST) extended its quarterly streak in the red, but with a narrower net loss in the fourth quarter, helped by lower taxation. Net loss for the three months ended June 30, 2025 shrunk to RM60.5 million from RM64.87 million in 4QFY2024. Revenue dropped 25.8% to RM201.55 million from RM271.59 million. The net loss marks the group’s seventh consecutive quarter in the red. No dividend was declared. — Ekovest continues to bleed in 4Q, but narrower on lower taxation

Berjaya Corp Bhd (KL:BJCORP) posted its worst quarterly earnings in four years, dragged by non-cash impairments on non-performing assets. For the fourth quarter ended June 30, 2025 (4QFY2025), the group’s net loss widened to RM207.2 million from RM152.49 million a year earlier — its weakest quarterly performance since 4QFY2021. Quarterly revenue slipped nearly 4% y-o-y to RM2.37 billion from RM2.46 billion, mainly due to weaker contributions from the retail segment — impacted by lower sales at HR Owen plc, Cosway and Starbucks operations — as well as the services segment, which was hit by lower earnings from its telecommunications network services unit. No dividend was declared for the quarter under review. — Berjaya Corp posts worst quarterly earnings in four years, dragged by asset impairments

Sunway Bhd (KL:SUNWAY) announced much-awaited plans to list its healthcare unit by early 2026.  Before the proposed listing of up to 1.97 billion new and existing shares, the group said Sunway Healthcare Holdings Bhd (SHH) will perform a share split, turning every one share into nine shares, increasing the total shares from 1.2 billion to 10.9 billion without changing the company’s total value of RM2.2 billion. SHH is a direct 84%-owned joint-venture company of Sunway City Sdn Bhd (SunCity), which is in turn a wholly-owned unit of Sunway. The remaining 16% stake in SHH is held by Singapore-based Greenwood Capital Pte Ltd. After the split, SunCity will give these shares to Sunway as a special dividend. Sunway is proposing to then pass them on to its shareholders, giving one SHH share for every 10 Sunway shares they own. — Sunway to list healthcare unit in early 2026, wants to give shares to shareholders as dividend

Ahmad Zaki Resources Bhd (KL:AZRB) is seeking government support to cover half of the financing needed to help complete the second section of the East Klang Valley Expressway (EKVE). The construction firm requires an additional RM300 million to complete the expressway crucial to the Kuala Lumpur Outer Ring Road system, with Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Bhd having agreed to provide half of the financing, said AZRB's executive vice-chairman Datuk Seri Wan Zakariah Wan Muda during the opening ceremony of the expressway’s Section 1 at the Ampang elevated interchange in Bukit Belacan on Friday. The project is a 39.66km dual two-lane tolled expressway between Bandar Sungai Long and Ukay Perdana, with a mainline distance of 24.16km and 12km of spur roads. — Ahmad Zaki hopes govt will finance half of East Klang Valley Expressway Section 2

Crescendo Corporation Bhd (KL:CRESNDO) has entered into an agreement with MSFusion Sdn Bhd for the disposal of freehold industrial land in Kota Tinggi, Johor, for RM263.2 million. In a bourse filing, Crescendo said it had acquired the land measuring 52.54 acres in June 2001. At RM263.2 million, the land is valued at RM115 per sq ft. The cost of investment of the land, including land acquisition cost, other development and finance cost capitalised up to Jan 31, 2025 was RM12.26 million. This means that Crescendo stands to record a pro forma gain of RM109.03 million on the disposal. — Crescendo disposing of industrial land in Kota Tinggi for a gain of RM109m

Keyfield International Bhd (KL:KEYFIELD) is buying a vessel for RM76 million to expand its fleet. The 200-men accommodation workboat Carimin Acacia will be earnings-accretive as the acquisition will be paid with ready funds from recent sukuk issuance, Keyfield said in an exchange filing. Acacia will be able to cater to projects requiring the higher ‘dynamic positioning 2’ (DP2) specifications, it noted. Acacia, currently owned by Carimin Petroleum Bhd (KL:CARIMIN), is a Malaysian-flagged vessel with a nine-year operating track record in Malaysia. For Carimin, the sale of Acacia will result in a gain on disposal of RM4.6 million and save RM10 million to RM12 million in both capital and operating cash flow from the dry dock special survey due in March 2026. — Keyfield to buy workboat for RM76m; Carimin to dish out special dividend with vessel sale

Symphony Life Bhd (KL:SYMLIFE) announced that both its external auditor Ernst & Young PLT and chief financial officer Wong Mei Sin have resigned. Symphony Life, in a filing with the bourse, said it was notified of EY’s voluntary resignation in writing in a notice dated Aug 29. In another filing, it said Wong’s resignation is to pursue personal interests, effective Aug 31. She joined Symphony Life in February 2023. In both instances, the company said it is unaware of any matter that needs to be brought to the attention of shareholders. In the case of Wong, Symphony Life also said that it has no details of any disagreement with the board of directors. — Symphony Life assures no issues flagged to shareholders as CFO, external auditor resign

KomarkCorp Bhd (KL:KOMARK) said it has applied for leave to appeal against the Court of Appeal's  ruling that The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd did not defame the company in a 2021 article about penny stocks. The appellate court had on July 31 affirmed the High Court’s earlier ruling that The Edge did not defame KomarkCorp in the article scrutinising hidden hands behind a surge in penny stocks. In a brief filing with Bursa Malaysia, KomarkCorp said the company filed the notice for leave to appeal against the appellate court's judgement on Aug 27. In the 2021 lawsuit, KomarkCorp sought damages and an injunction to restrain The Edge from publishing the same or similar words arising from the article, which it considered to be defamatory to the company. — KomarkCorp applies for leave to appeal COA judgment on defamation suit against The Edge

Lagenda Properties Bhd (KL:LAGENDA) has ceased to be a substantial shareholder of Northern Solar Holdings Bhd (KL:NORTHERN), less than seven months after the solar energy firm listed on the ACE Market. Lagenda Properties offloaded 30 million shares, or a 7.59% stake, in Northern Solar via a direct business transaction on Friday (Aug 29), according to a bourse filing. This reduced the real estate developer's shareholding to 4.91%, from 12.5% previously. The disposal price was not disclosed, but based on Northern Solar’s closing price of 72 sen, Lagenda Properties would have disposed of the block of shares for RM21.6 million. — Lagenda Properties ceases to be substantial shareholder in Northern Solar