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The Malaysia International Automotive & Parts Expo (MIAPEX 2026) will take place from 23rd to 25th  October 2026 at the Malaysia International Exhibition & Convention Centre (MIECC) in Kuala Lumpur. With support from Taiwan’s International Trade Administration, the Taiwan Select Pavilion will bring together 14 automotive parts suppliers across 16 booths and 144 square metres, covering aftermarket parts, commercial-vehicle components, vehicle electronics, electromechanical systems, precision metalwork and transportation equipment. Taiwan Auto Parts Industry Expands ASEAN Partnerships Malaysia is a major ASEAN automotive and aftermarket hub with strong links across Southeast Asia. Continued demand for vehicle maintenance, repair and commercial-vehicle parts creates new opportunities for Taiwanese suppliers. Taiwan’s automotive parts industry is known for flexible production, high-mix and low-volume manufacturing, customisation and quality management. At MIAPEX 2026, exhibitors aim to connect with importers, distributors, repair networks and industrial buyers across Malaysia and ASEAN. Four Categories Showcase Taiwan’s Supply Chain Strength -Vehicle Electronics and Optoelectronics In-vehicle entertainment, lighting and electronic solutions for increasingly connected and intelligent vehicles. -Automotive Electromechanical and Power Components Automotive motors, fuel-system products and related precision electromechanical components. -Chassis Body Hardware and Precision Machining Aftermarket hardware, engine and body parts, precision metal components and machinery for repair and assembly applications. -Transportation Parts Materials and Equipment Vehicle parts, transportation equipment and machinery for automotive textile materials, offering buyers a broader range of sourcing options. Dedicated Meeting Area Supports Taiwan Malaysia Business. A dedicated meeting area at A518 will support B2B discussions and events. The pavilion will help Taiwanese exhibitors build deeper links with local importers, distributors, repair networks, fleet operators and industry partners. Automotive buyers, distributors and industry professionals from Malaysia and across ASEAN are invited to visit the Taiwan Select Pavilion and explore products, sourcing opportunities and future partnerships.

A company can roll out AI, overhaul its digital systems or acquire another business and still fall short of the growth it expected if its people and organisation do not move with the change. That is putting change management closer to the centre of business transformation, as organisations face multiple changes at the same time rather than one major transformation at a time, said K-Pintar Sdn Bhd chief executive officer R.A. Thiagaraja. Political Secretary to the Prime Minister, Datuk Azman Abidin (centre), and K-Pintar CEO RA Thiagaraja (left) with other guests at the Asian Change Management Conference 2026. He said the challenge was no longer simply getting a new technology or strategy implemented, but getting the organisation to work differently as a result. “Businesses can change their technology overnight, but they cannot change the way an organisation thinks and works overnight. The real value of transformation comes when people, processes and culture move with the business decision,” he said. Thiagaraja said this at the Asian Change Management Conference (ACMC) 2026, themed “Shaping Tomorrow: Driving Lasting Change”  on Oct 6 and 7. Now in its third edition, the conference is positioned by K-Pintar as a platform for strengthening organisational change capability across Asia, with this year’s programme placing emphasis on making change sustainable rather than treating transformation as a one-off project. Melanie Franklin, Global Change Management Thought Leader & Founder of ChangeabilityPro presenting at the Asian Change Management Conference 2026.  He said artificial intelligence was making this challenge more visible because its introduction could alter jobs, workflows, decision-making and the skills employees needed, rather than simply adding another tool to the workplace. For businesses, this meant the success of an AI investment could not be measured only by whether the technology had been deployed, but by whether employees adopted new ways of working and whether those changes improved business performance. The same principle applied to wider digital transformation, where organisations could replace systems without necessarily changing the processes or behaviours that limited performance in the first place. “Technology should enable the change the business needs. It should not become a substitute for deciding what needs to change in the first place,” he said. The challenge becomes even more significant during mergers and acquisitions, where the business case may depend on combining operations, capabilities and resources from two organisations. While systems can be integrated and structures redrawn relatively quickly, bringing employees together requires changes in culture, leadership, decision-making and established ways of working. Thiagaraja said this was where change management could influence whether the expected value from a transformation or transaction was realised. More than 180 participants gathered at the Asian Change Management Conference 2026, held over two days to discuss change management and organisational transformation. “When two organisations come together, the deal may create the opportunity for growth, but people determine how quickly that opportunity becomes reality. If teams remain divided by different ways of working, the business cannot fully realise the value of the change,” he said. He said culture should therefore be treated as part of business transformation rather than an issue left to human resources, particularly when organisations were introducing new technology, entering new markets or integrating businesses. The objective, he said, was ultimately to help organisations become capable of responding to change without repeatedly having to start from scratch. Meanwhile, Melanie Franklin, Global Change Management Thought Leader & Founder of ChangeabilityPro said the nature of change was itself changing, with organisations facing multiple and continuous changes rather than isolated transformation projects.  “This required organisations to build change capability across the workforce, rather than relying solely on top down approaches,” she said in her presentation at the conference. She also highlighted the growing role of AI in transformation, saying organisations needed to consider what should be done by technology and what remained distinctly human, including judgement, insight and critical thinking. ACMC 2026 brought together change management practitioners, business leaders and transformation experts from Asian countries to examine how organisations can move beyond implementation towards adoption and lasting results. Change is continuous and ability and responsibility belongs to leaders, managers, project team as well entire organisation.  More than 180 participants gathered at the Asian Change Management Conference 2026, held over two days to discuss change management and organisational transformation. 

BAC Education Group launched its Preferred Employer Partnership Programme (PEPP) on 24 September 2026, bringing together 31 founding partners to help students build the skills, experience and connections needed for a changing world of work. The programme creates a closer working relationship between education and industry through internships, graduate employment, mentorship, industry engagement and future-skills development. Employers are invited to help shape students’ preparation throughout their education, giving them earlier exposure to real workplace challenges and expectations. BAC Education Group Co-Founder and Chief Future Officer Raja Singham. BAC Education Group Co-Founder and Chief Future Officer Raja Singham said developing talent was a shared responsibility, with educators and employers each playing a vital role in connecting learning with opportunity. “For me, this partnership is about opening doors. A young person’s potential can go much further when someone gives them an opportunity, guidance and the confidence to grow. Through PEPP, we want employers to be part of that journey from the beginning,” he said. “Employers understand how their industries are changing. Educators have a responsibility to bring that insight into what and how we teach. When we work together, we can prepare people to contribute, adapt and keep learning throughout their careers.” BAC’s Founding PEPP Partners with Raja Singham, Chief Future Officer and Co-Founder of BAC Education Group. Raja said BAC’s Career First Education and AI Native approach reflected the need to combine strong academic foundations with practical skills, industry experience and sound judgement. Students must learn to use emerging technologies responsibly while developing the ability to question information, solve problems and work across disciplines. “A degree should open up possibilities. It gives you a foundation to build on as your interests, skills and the world around you evolve. We want our students to see how far they can go when they connect their expertise with knowledge from other fields,” he said. He described this as a polymath mindset, supported by the depth and breadth of a T-shaped professional: strong expertise in one discipline, combined with the ability to work across areas such as technology, business, communication and governance. A law graduate, for example, could build towards opportunities in data protection, governance, ESG or legal technology. A media graduate could combine storytelling with data, communications technology and AI to pursue emerging roles across industries. Adaptability and continued learning would help graduates explore these possibilities throughout their working lives. Founding partners include Daythree Business Services, Merchantrade Asia, Volvo Car Malaysia, shopper360, Peoplelogy Bhd, Zul Rafique & Partners, Asustek Computer Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Supernewsroom.AI, Rosli Dahlan Saravanan n Partners,West Coast Expressway, The Malaysian Institute of Human Resource Management and the Chartered Governance Institute of Malaysia.  Supernewsroom.AI Chief Executive Officer Manminder Kaur Dhillon said the partnership would give students earlier exposure to the skills and technologies they would increasingly need in the workplace. BAC’s Founding Partners and participants of the Preferred Employer Partnership Programme (PEPP). “BAC deserves credit for recognising that the skills gap cannot be solved after graduation, employers need to be part of the education journey much earlier. For example, the PR and communications professionals of tomorrow must be AI-ready, and that means far more than knowing how to prompt. They need a deeper understanding of AI, communications technology, media intelligence, data and AI visibility, including how trusted information influences what AI cites and recommends. “At Supernewsroom.AI, we want students to understand that future now, so they enter the workforce ready for where the industry is heading,” she explained. The initiative also sits within BAC’s wider approach to lifelong learning, which includes HRDA Academy workforce development programmes, BAC Coursera Academy and postgraduate pathways across the group, supporting people at different stages of their careers. “The future workforce includes the people already working with us today. Alongside giving graduates their first opportunity, we must help experienced employees develop new capabilities and continue contributing. Both deserve a place in the future we are building,” Raja said. BAC’s longer-term ambition is to grow PEPP to 500 employers, with partnerships that create meaningful opportunities and bring industry insight into the learning journey. “We begin with 31 partners who are willing to help shape what comes next. Together, we can build the talent our organisations need and give more people the opportunity to build the lives they deserve,” Raja added. For programme information and partnership enquiries, email [email protected].

Indonesia has designated NuEnergy Gas Ltd’s Tanjung Enim Production Sharing Contract (PSC) as a National Strategic Project, granting the coal bed methane development greater government support as it moves towards production. NuEnergy, a 70%-owned subsidiary of Globaltec Formation Bhd, said Indonesia’s Ministry of National Development Planning had notified the company that President Prabowo Subianto had approved the designation, recognising the project’s importance to the country’s energy development priorities. In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, the company said the status is expected to facilitate closer coordination with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and other government authorities as it advances the project’s first approved Plan of Development (POD). The designation is also expected to support coordination on land access, permitting and infrastructure, potentially reducing execution risks and improving schedule visibility for the project. The Tanjung Enim project in South Sumatra is aimed at increasing Indonesia’s domestic gas supply through the development of coal bed methane resources, while also supporting local employment, skills development and infrastructure investment in the region. The designation comes as NuEnergy progresses its 25 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) Tanjung Enim POD 1. Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources approved the POD in June 2021 under a gross split scheme, with NuEnergy noting it was the first coal bed methane POD approved in Indonesia. The plan covers two target areas spanning approximately 33 sq km, or 13% of the Tanjung Enim PSC acreage, with production targeted at 25 MMSCFD. Separately, Globaltec said NuEnergy is raising A$3.05 million through a private placement of new shares priced at A$0.038 each, to support the development and commercialisation of its gas assets. The proceeds will primarily fund Tanjung Enim’s early gas sales initiative, or Phase 1, which targets one MMSCFD, followed by Phase 2, involving 24 MMSCFD. The funds will also be used to advance NuEnergy’s three other PSCs and to support working capital. The placement shares come with one free option for every two shares, exercisable at A$0.06 each over a two-year period. “Following completion of the placement, Globaltec Group’s equity interest in NuEnergy will be diluted marginally from 70% to 68%. NuEnergy will remain a subsidiary of Globaltec,” the company said. Globaltec added that the placement is not expected to have any material effect on the group’s earnings and net assets for the financial year ending June 30, 2027.

MNRB Holdings Bhd has established a commercial paper (CP) programme of up to RM500 million in nominal value to raise funds for its working capital, investments, capital expenditure and other corporate purposes. In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, the company said it had lodged the required information and relevant documents for the proposed CP programme with the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) on Sept 1, 2026, under the Lodge and Launch Framework. The seven-year CP programme will allow MNRB Holdings to issue commercial papers from time to time, subject to a maximum nominal value of RM500 million throughout the duration of the programme. The first issuance of CPs is required to be made within 90 business days from the lodgement date, or such other period as may be prescribed by the SC, giving the company a defined timeline within which to begin utilising the facility. The CPs will carry tenures of between one and 12 months, provided that each issuance matures before the expiry of the overall CP programme, offering MNRB Holdings flexibility in how it structures its short-term borrowings under the facility. RAM Rating Services Bhd has assigned a short-term credit rating of P1 to the programme, reflecting a strong assessment of the company’s capacity to meet its short-term financial obligations. MNRB Holdings said proceeds from the CP issuances will be utilised for general working capital, strategic and/or general investments, capital expenditure, refinancing, other general corporate purposes, and/or expenses related to the CP programme itself, giving the group broad flexibility in how the funds raised will ultimately be deployed across its operations.

There is a strange contradiction at the heart of facility management. When it is done badly, everyone notices. A building is dirty. Equipment fails. Water systems malfunction. Repairs take too long. Operations are interrupted. When it is done exceptionally well, almost nobody notices at all. Things simply work. That largely invisible responsibility is the business NATIONFACILITY (M) SDN BHD has built itself around. The company provides cleaning and facility maintenance services alongside water and sewerage maintenance, civil works and mechanical services for commercial, industrial, infrastructure and government clients. Its proposition is straightforward: respond when needed, maintain consistent standards and help customers keep their facilities operating reliably. But as expectations around buildings and infrastructure change, the definition of good maintenance is changing too.   Maintenance Is Becoming a Business Issue There was a time when facility maintenance could largely be viewed as a supporting function: something organisations needed, but rarely considered strategic. That distinction is becoming harder to maintain. Poorly managed facilities can affect productivity, operating costs, safety and the experience of everyone using them. An unresolved maintenance problem can quickly become an operational problem. NATIONFACILITY identified an early gap around consistency and responsiveness. Customers needed service providers that did not merely complete assigned work, but could respond quickly and deliver reliably each time. Today, those expectations have expanded. Clients increasingly expect accountability, efficiency and evidence that their service providers are helping them manage facilities more effectively over the longer term. For NATIONFACILITY, that has meant thinking beyond individual maintenance jobs towards the performance of the entire service relationship.   Fix It Before It Breaks One of the most important shifts in maintenance is also one of the simplest: preventing a problem is usually better than responding to one. NATIONFACILITY has placed greater emphasis on preventive maintenance and resource planning as part of its operational approach. The economics are compelling. Emergency repairs can create disruption, unplanned expenditure and downtime. Preventive maintenance, by contrast, creates an opportunity to identify problems earlier and allocate people and resources more effectively. Digital documentation is becoming part of that process as well. Better records can improve accountability, allow work to be tracked more systematically and provide greater visibility into what has been completed and what may require attention next. These changes may lack the excitement associated with more fashionable forms of digital transformation. But in facility management, relatively small improvements in planning and execution can have significant cumulative effects. Less waste. Better productivity. Fewer surprises.   Knowing When Not to Grow The company is equally deliberate about expansion. NATIONFACILITY wants sustainable revenue growth, stronger customer retention and a larger market presence. But it does not want to achieve those things by accepting work that exceeds its operational capacity. That distinction matters in a service business. Winning a large contract can increase revenue immediately. Delivering it poorly can damage a reputation that took years to build. NATIONFACILITY’s approach is therefore to strengthen capability alongside growth, investing in its people, operational processes and technology while expanding the range and scale of work it can confidently undertake. The objective is not simply to accumulate projects. It is to create customer relationships that endure. That makes retention as important as acquisition—and operational excellence as important as sales.   The Business Behind the Building The company’s next phase is centred on strengthening its position as an integrated facility maintenance provider. Its combination of cleaning, facility maintenance, water and sewerage services, civil works and mechanical capabilities gives it the opportunity to address more of a customer’s requirements through a coordinated service model. Achieving that at greater scale will depend on the same things that have shaped its strategy so far: people, systems, responsiveness and consistent execution. Facility management will probably remain one of those industries most people rarely think about. That is partly because its best work disappears into the background. The floors are clean. The systems operate. Maintenance happens before failure becomes disruption. People arrive at work without wondering what it took to make the building ready for them. For NATIONFACILITY, that invisibility is not a weakness of the business. In many ways, it is evidence that the business is working.

Kerjaya Prospek Group Bhd, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Kerjaya Prospek (M) Sdn Bhd, has secured a RM223mil contract from Sunway Majestic Sdn Bhd for the construction and completion of main building works for a proposed small office/home office (Soho) development in Johor Baru, Johor. Kerjaya Prospek chief executive officer and executive director Tee Eng Tiong. The construction group said the project comprises 1,012 Soho units spread across two 34-storey buildings, supported by a 10-level podium car park and two levels of mezzanine commercial space, among other facilities. Construction is scheduled to begin on Sept 1, 2026, with completion expected within 32 months. Kerjaya Prospek chief executive officer and executive director Tee Eng Tiong said the latest contract would strengthen the group’s presence in the southern region, particularly within the Johor Baru City Centre, which is expected to benefit from the upcoming Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link. “We are grateful for Sunway Majestic’s trust and confidence in Kerjaya Prospek, and we look forward to contributing our construction expertise and capabilities to the successful delivery of this development,” he said. Tee added that the project marks Kerjaya Prospek’s third new contract win in Johor Baru since 2025, highlighting the group’s ability to tap opportunities within the strategic growth corridor. With the latest contract, the group’s year-to-date financial year 2026 new contract wins have reached RM2.4bil, surpassing its initial full-year target of RM2bil. Together with an outstanding order book of RM5bil, Tee said the group is well positioned with strong earnings visibility in the coming years. An analyst also maintained a positive view on the latest contract win, noting that the RM223mil Sunway Majestic project further strengthens Kerjaya Prospek’s sizeable order book and supports its near-term earnings outlook. The analyst said Malaysia’s construction sector is expected to sustain its positive momentum through the remainder of 2026, underpinned by continued private-sector investment in data centres, industrial facilities and commercial developments. Johor is expected to remain a key growth market, while major infrastructure projects including the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), RTS Link and Penang LRT are likely to provide additional long-term support to the construction sector. For the first quarter ended March 31, 2026, Kerjaya Prospek recorded a 24.5% increase in net profit to RM57.3mil from RM46mil in the corresponding quarter a year earlier. Revenue, however, declined 5.3% to RM446.8mil from RM472mil previously, mainly due to slower progress in construction activities during the quarter. Its construction segment remained the group’s largest revenue contributor, recording RM478.7mil in revenue, an 11% decline from RM537.2mil previously due to slower construction progress. Despite the lower revenue, construction segment profit rose to RM55.8mil from RM51.95mil a year earlier. Meanwhile, revenue from the property development segment increased to RM68mil from RM49.1mil, supported by contributions from The Vue @ Monterez and Papyrus @ North Kiara developments.

Hextar Portfolio Sdn Bhd has launched a conditional voluntary takeover offer, on behalf of Datuk Ong Choo Meng, to acquire all remaining shares in Hextar Retail Bhd not already held by the offeror and its ultimate offeror. The offer is priced at RM0.43 per share. Dato Eddie Ong Choo Meng. According to the offer document, Hextar Portfolio currently holds 142.29 million shares in Hextar Retail, representing a 30.6% stake in the company. Meanwhile, Datuk Ong Kook Liong, who is acting in concert with the offeror, holds an additional 0.6% stake. The offer price of RM0.43 per share represents a 7.5% premium over Hextar Retail’s last traded price of 40 sen on Aug 7. It also translates into premiums ranging from 0.3% to 7.8% over the company’s five-day, one-month, three-month and six-month volume-weighted average market prices, reflecting a consistent premium across various trading periods leading up to the offer. The takeover offer is conditional upon Hextar Portfolio and Ong Choo Meng securing valid acceptances that would bring their combined shareholding to more than 50% of Hextar Retail’s voting shares. If this condition is met, it would give the offeror and its concert party a controlling stake in the company, potentially paving the way for further corporate restructuring or a change in the company’s strategic direction. As of the time of the offer, no additional details have been disclosed regarding the offeror’s future plans for Hextar Retail should the takeover succeed, including whether the company would maintain its listing status on the stock exchange or undergo any operational changes.

Longevity in business is rarely about doing the same thing well for decades. More often, it is about knowing what should remain unchanged — and recognising what must evolve. For Salleh Food Industries Sdn. Bhd., almost four decades in Malaysia’s food manufacturing industry have been shaped by precisely that balance. Established in 1987, the company began with products deeply familiar to Malaysian consumers: kerepek ubi, kerepek pisang and a variety of traditional snacks made from locally sourced agricultural produce. Chief Executive Officer di Salleh Food Industries Sdn Bhd – Mohd Fauzie Salleh. The flavours may be rooted in tradition, but the business behind them is increasingly looking forward. Today, Salleh Food distributes its products throughout Malaysia via retailers and distributors while embracing newer channels including e-commerce and TikTok Shop. Behind that expansion is a wider transformation taking place across the company — one that involves strengthening its brand, modernising systems, developing people and preparing the organisation for its next phase of growth. For a business approaching its fourth decade, the question is no longer simply how to sell more products. It is how to build an organisation capable of remaining relevant for decades more.   The Business Behind the Snack Salleh Food may be recognised as a snack manufacturer, but its role extends further along the value chain. The company takes locally grown agricultural produce and transforms it into accessible, higher-value consumer products. In doing so, its business connects farmers and suppliers with consumers while creating economic opportunities across the communities that support its operations. There is also an emotional dimension to the products it makes. Traditional food occupies a distinctive place within Malaysian culture. A familiar snack can carry memories of childhood, family gatherings and traditions passed from one generation to another. Preserving that connection has remained important to Salleh Food even as the expectations surrounding food manufacturing have changed. The challenge is to retain the familiarity consumers appreciate while ensuring the business behind the product continues to advance. That means bringing modern processes, technology, stronger quality standards and contemporary distribution into a category that has traditionally been dominated by smaller producers.   When a Good Product Is No Longer Enough When Salleh Food began operating in 1987, the opportunity in the market was relatively clear. Demand for local snacks was strong, but many smaller producers faced challenges in maintaining consistency, developing their brands and reaching consumers beyond their immediate markets. Building greater structure around these areas created room for businesses such as Salleh Food to grow. Nearly 40 years later, the market gap has changed. Producing something that tastes good remains fundamental, but it is no longer enough to guarantee success. Consumers have more choices. Brands are discovered through social media as much as supermarket shelves. E-commerce has changed how products are purchased, while digital platforms allow new competitors to enter the market much faster. Trust, consistency, visibility and convenience have become increasingly important. This has pushed Salleh Food to think beyond manufacturing. The company is now focused on building the infrastructure around the product — from its brand and distribution capabilities to its internal systems, people and leadership. Its strategic direction centres on three priorities: strengthening the brand, developing systems and talent, and expanding into larger markets. It is a deliberately focused approach. Like any business, Salleh Food operates with finite time, capital and management resources. Rather than pursuing every opportunity available, the company is increasingly assessing opportunities according to their ability to contribute to long-term organisational value.   Growing Stronger, Not Simply Bigger The distinction between getting bigger and becoming stronger has become increasingly important to Salleh Food. Sales growth is one measurement of success, but the company believes genuine growth should also be reflected in the organisation’s ability to operate without excessive dependence on any single individual. That requires processes that can be repeated, people who can make decisions and leaders capable of taking responsibility. As organisations expand, this becomes significantly more difficult. A management approach that works with ten employees may become ineffective with 50 or 100. Communication becomes more complex. Informal decision-making begins to create bottlenecks. Responsibilities must become clearer, and maintaining alignment around a common vision becomes a leadership challenge in itself. For Salleh Food, scaling has therefore required a shift in the way leadership is approached. Where a leader may once have been heavily involved in solving day-to-day operational problems, the next stage requires becoming what the company describes as a “builder of leaders”. Instead of solving every problem, leadership must develop people who can solve problems themselves. It is a fundamental transition for any growing organisation — particularly one that has evolved from a family-founded enterprise. The objective is to create a business that can continue progressing because capability has been distributed throughout the organisation rather than concentrated at the top.   What Four Decades Really Teach a Business Remaining in business for almost 40 years inevitably means operating through very different economic and commercial environments. Salleh Food has experienced changing consumer preferences, rising costs, operational pressures, new forms of competition and the disruption created by the pandemic. Through each period, the company’s competitive advantage has not necessarily been something consumers can see on its packaging. It has been adaptability. Products can be copied. Prices can be challenged. New competitors can enter a category. What is considerably harder to replicate is an organisation’s ability to continuously learn, adjust and recover when circumstances change. This willingness to evolve has become one of Salleh Food’s most important strengths. While consumers see the final product on a shelf or online, behind it sits an ongoing process of improvement — refining operations, strengthening systems, developing employees and responding to what the market requires next. That mindset is particularly important for established businesses. Longevity can be an advantage, bringing experience, market knowledge and consumer familiarity. But history alone does not guarantee future relevance. The companies that endure are often those willing to challenge the very practices that helped them succeed in the past.  

Revenue can grow while a business gets weaker. It is one of those uncomfortable realities that entrepreneurs tend to discover only after running a company for some time. A strong sales month does not necessarily mean strong cash flow. A profitable year does not automatically mean a business is financially prepared to expand. And a company that is completely compliant with its tax obligations can still be making poor financial decisions. Founder of KPL Corporate Advisory Sdn. Bhd. – Shu Yi Kuek. This is why KPL Corporate Advisory Sdn Bhd believes the relationship between an SME and its accountant needs to change. The Malaysian taxation, audit, accounting and corporate advisory firm works with business owners who are often very good at what they do. They know their customers. They understand their products. They can spot an opportunity and instinctively know when something might sell. What they do not always have is the financial clarity to know whether the business is actually moving in the right direction. And that can become expensive.   Compliance Is the Starting Point Tax has to be filed. Accounts have to be prepared. Regulations have to be followed. KPL does all of that. But compliance tells a business owner surprisingly little about what decision to make on Monday morning. Should another employee be hired? Is there enough cash to open a second location? Why is turnover increasing but profitability barely moving? Is the business financially structured for its next stage? What risks are quietly accumulating? These are not accounting questions in the traditional sense. They are business questions that happen to require a strong understanding of the numbers. That distinction has increasingly shaped KPL’s work. The firm has moved towards becoming an adviser that can sit alongside an entrepreneur and translate financial information into something commercially useful. No unnecessary jargon. No assumption that the person sitting across the table has an accounting degree. Just: What do these numbers mean for my business?   SMEs Have Changed. Their Advisers Have To Change Too. The Malaysian SME of today can move remarkably quickly. A small e-commerce company can suddenly be selling nationwide. A family business can move into export markets. A founder-led operation can become an organisation employing dozens of people within a relatively short period. The financial complexity grows with it. KPL saw early that accounting and taxation were still frequently treated as obligations to be dealt with after the fact. Professional advice could also be overly technical, creating distance between advisers and the very business owners who needed to understand it. Digitalisation has since raised expectations further. Clients want answers faster. They expect better visibility. And increasingly, they want advisers who understand commercial realities rather than simply regulatory requirements. That has pushed KPL towards three priorities: technology, deeper advisory capabilities and people.   Bigger Isn’t the Objective There is an interesting restraint to KPL’s growth philosophy. The firm does not necessarily want every client. It has become increasingly selective about the businesses it works with, favouring organisations that value transparency, ethical practices and sustainable long-term growth. The logic is simple. Taking on more work means very little if the quality of advice deteriorates. For KPL, a better measure of growth is whether clients trust the firm with more complex decisions, whether relationships become deeper, whether employees become stronger professionals and whether internal systems allow the organisation to handle greater complexity without becoming impersonal. That philosophy also explains why rapid expansion holds limited appeal if it comes at the expense of culture or service.   Technology Should Make Advice More Human Accounting is one of many professions being transformed by technology. KPL has increased its adoption of digital workflows and paperless processes, improving efficiency while reducing unnecessary operational waste. Further digital integration forms an important part of its next phase. But the interesting question is not whether technology will replace parts of traditional accounting work. Inevitably, some repetitive processes will become easier to automate. The more important question is what professionals do with the time that creates. For KPL, the answer should be more advisory, not less interaction. If technology can process information faster, professionals can spend more time interpreting it. If systems can handle routine workflows, advisers can devote more attention to understanding the client, identifying risks and discussing decisions. In other words, technology should make the relationship more valuable rather than more distant.   The Growing Pains Are Internal Too KPL faces the same challenge it advises many clients about: scaling changes the organisation itself. In a small team, information moves informally. People know what everyone else is doing. Decisions can happen across a desk. Growth makes that increasingly difficult. The firm has had to strengthen workflows, improve delegation and create clearer processes while investing more heavily in developing its people. Leadership has consequently shifted from personally overseeing work towards building teams capable of taking ownership. The balancing act is maintaining the responsiveness associated with a smaller advisory firm while developing the discipline required of a larger professional organisation. That is not always easy. But neither is building a sustainable SME—which is precisely why KPL understands the clients sitting on the other side of the table.   The Question After the Numbers KPL’s next phase is centred on becoming recognised less as a company businesses visit because they have to file something and more as one they speak to because they are about to make an important decision. Taxation, accounting and audit will remain fundamental. The opportunity is what happens after them. Because when a business owner receives a set of financial statements, the most valuable conversation should not end with: “Here are your numbers.” It should begin with: “So, what are you going to do next?”