☕️ Up to RM5 bil potential spend by established party during election period - IDEAS

1. MARKET SUMMARY 📈

2. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE 🔢

1.5 mil km – NASA unveiled a new telescope that will be positioned that far from Earth and is expected to discover tens of thousands of planets, possibly offering clarity about how many could be out there. Dubbed the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, the instrument took more than USD4 bil (RM15.64 bil) and over a decade to build. It comes 36 years after the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope and boasts a field of view at least 100 times wider than Hubble’s. A NASA engineer said that the Roman will send 11 terabytes of data per day down to Earth, meaning that in its first year, Roman is expected to send more data than Hubble ever has over its entire lifetime. For comparison, the International Space Station is 400 km from Earth.

10 thumb taps – Apparently, that’s all you need to order a pizza from Domino’s, and this was the target that Tesla’s then-president, Jon McNeill, aspired to reach as a way to improve Tesla’s online sales. He said during an interview that, when he joined Tesla in 2015, he and CEO Elon Musk spotted a core problem when digging into Tesla’s website. It took a user 64 clicks to purchase a car, compared to 10 for a pizza. He explained that every click a consumer is asked to make lowers conversion rates. Now, it only takes about five clicks to buy a new Model 3 on Tesla’s website.

More than PLN250 mil (USD69 mil or RM273.64 mil) – A nine-day nonstop charity live stream in Poland raised that record-breaking sum, which went to the Cancer Fighters Foundation. The stream, broadcast from a small flat in Warsaw, was organised by influencer Piotr “Latwogang” Hancke, who was supported by musicians, celebrities, and sports stars including six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek and Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski. The amount was more than triple the previous record for a livestream fundraiser, which was USD19.5 mil for an event in France last year.

3. IN MALAYSIA 🇲🇾

‘Full stop’ to pig farming in Selangor
Via his private secretary Munir Bani, Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has decreed that there will be no pig farming in Selangor, citing environmental and financial concerns. His Royal Highness also expressed concern that such activities could affect water catchment areas and rivers that supply clean water for about 9 mil residents in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya. The Selangor royal’s decision contrasts with the federal government’s position, as previously, PM Anwar Ibrahim met with the Selangor Sultan, stating that pig farming can be done, as long as they are located far from residential areas (or critical sources such as water supply) and adopt the latest technology to manage waste.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the supply of pork is not self-sufficient in Malaysia as the self-sufficiency rate (SSR) for pork stood at 67.8% in 2024. While Selangor says no to pig farming, in Sarawak, a Pig Farming Area (PFA) has been established, and the government plans to expand to three additional areas to strengthen the industry further.

Najib and Zahid face separate court developments
In former PM Najib Razak’s USD1.18 bil (RM4.61 bil) civil suit by SRC International, SRC International Sdn Bhd opposed the former premier's application for a stay of execution, after Najib Razak was found liable for SRC’s losses. Najib was ordered to pay the USD1.18 bil, in addition to USD120 mil that he had received from the company into his AmPrivate banking account, hence bringing the total to USD1.3 bil.

Meanwhile, Najib’s former deputy and also the current Deputy PM Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, is in a bit of a sticky situation as the Court of Appeal (CoA) allowed the Malaysian Bar to challenge a High Court decision in his favour. With this, the CoA has approved the Malaysian Bar’s application to conduct a full judicial review against the Attorney General's move, which granted Zahid a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) in 2023, related to the alleged misappropriation of Yayasan Akalbudi’s RM31 mil fund.

A full judicial review in Malaysia is a formal High Court proceeding, where a judge examines the legality of decisions, actions, or omissions by public bodies. The case highlights the role of judicial review in examining executive decisions.

A general election may be a multi-billion-ringgit affair
The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) revealed that, in its policy paper titled “How Costly are Political Parties? Exploring Political Expenses and Implications for Democracy”, during an election period, one political party could spend from as low as RM1 mil to more than RM5 bil to support its candidates and campaigning costs. Additionally, the financing mechanism for election purposes remains opaque and uneven.

IDEAS also noted that some political financing practices blur the line between party and state resources, particularly when government-linked entities, welfare allocations or constituency-related programmes are used for political mobilisation. More established political parties, such as UMNO, PAS, PKR and DAP, may enjoy stronger fundraising networks, and IDEAS mentioned that the groundwork for an election can start as early as two years prior to polling.

AirAsia orders 150 planes, possibly launching another airline even as oil prices climb
With Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes in Quebec, Airbus Commercial Aircraft CEO Lars Wagner announced that Capital A’s aviation arm, AirAsia, has placed an order for 150 Airbus A220 aircraft, marking the largest order for the model. The deliveries are set to commence in 2028, and the company will secure necessary financing about 10 to 12 months before each aircraft’s delivery date.

Beyond the aircraft purchases, Tony Fernandes also announced that he is preparing to launch a new airline, betting that expanding while the aviation industry’s being roiled by high oil prices will pay off in the future. To help fund the expansion, AirAsia is preparing to sell as much as RM2.35 bil in bonds, talking to Malaysian banks for refinancing loans and meeting with Canadian pension funds to attract investors.

PNB switches top man
Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) announced that its current deputy president, Rizal Rickman Ramli, will be promoted as its president and CEO, effective Jul 1. Rizal first joined PNB in 2018 as its executive vice president of property and real estate, and he has since climbed the corporate ladder. Before his stint at PNB, he was the country managing partner for Malaysia at the Boston Consulting Group.

PNB’s departing president, Abdul Rahman Ahmad, will now become Sime Darby Bhd’s non-independent non-executive chairman, effective immediately. It is a homecoming for Abdul Rahman, who previously held the same post at Sime Darby from 2019 to 2020. PNB held a 4.24% stake in Sime Darby as of Sept 8 last year. AmanahRaya Trustees Bhd — manager of Amanah Saham Bumiputera under PNB — remains the group’s largest shareholder with a 32.4% stake. Effectively, PNB controls more than a third of Sime Darby.

4. AROUND THE WORLD 🌎

US lawmakers question Israel’s nuclear capability
A group of Democrats in the US Congress has made a rare move to question the US administration about Israel’s nuclear capabilities and calling for more clarity on the matter. While Israel is believed to have possessed nuclear weapons since the 1960s, it has always maintained “a policy of nuclear opacity, never officially confirming the existence of its nuclear weapons programme and arsenal”, according to the Washington-based Nuclear Threat Initiative.

For decades, several former US officials, Israeli whistleblowers, and unclassified US intelligence documents have shed light on Israel’s alleged nuclear programme. The Nuclear Threat Initiative estimates that Israel has 90 nuclear warheads, a plutonium stockpile of 750kg to 1,110kg, six submarines capable of launching nuclear weapons, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles capable of reaching 4,800km to 6,500km.

In Thailand
Thailand approves USD29 bil investment projects
Thailand has approved six major projects worth a combined THB958 bil (USD29 bil or RM113.39 bil), which include a large-scale data infrastructure expansion by a local unit of TikTok valued at THB842 bil (RM97.75 bil). The projects will ​install additional servers and expand data storage and processing infrastructure across Bangkok, Samut Prakan and ​Chachoengsao Province, supporting rising demand for ​digital services and strengthening Thailand’s role in regional ‌digital ⁠infrastructure. Curious, why not Malaysia?

Last year, TikTok said it would invest USD8.8 bil in data centres over ​five years, as well as committing to develop digital literacy and e-commerce curricula to help create new business opportunities for Thai entrepreneurs and ⁠strengthen ​its digital workforce.

Thailand cracks down on tourists after sex in public incidents
The Thai government has vowed to tighten oversight of tourist behaviour after a series of incidents involving foreigners caught having sex in public, the latest incident involving a couple from Peru and Spain, following an earlier incident with French tourists. Visitors displaying "inappropriate behaviour", including illicit drug use, would face prosecution as it "contradicts the beautiful culture of Thailand" and threatens to damage the country’s reputation. Public nudity and sexual acts in public are punishable by a fine of up to THB5,000 (USD155 or RM606). 

Ironically, despite its reputation as a sex tourism destination, Thailand is a mostly socially conservative society where public displays of affection are frowned upon. However, the country also decriminalised cannabis in 2022 and is popular among backpackers and young tourists for its rowdy beach raves. Thailand expects about 33.5 mil foreign tourists this year, up from nearly 33 mil visitors in 2025.

Viewer discretion advised: Watch the latest viral incident here

Planet Earth
500m tall megatsunami was recorded in Alaska
A recent scientific analysis has discovered a massive 'megatsunami' created when part of an Alaskan mountain crumbled into the sea last summer - yes, not in the ocean but in the mountains. An incredible 64 mil cubic metres of rock – the equivalent of 24 Great Pyramids - splashed into the water below, sending a powerful surge into the fjord in under a minute and creating a gigantic wave almost 500 metres tall - Petronas Twin Towers stand at 452 m tall.

The biggest megatsunami was in the 1950s and was over 500 metres. This latest megatsunami was the second-largest ever recorded. Alaska is especially vulnerable to megatsunamis because of its steep mountains, narrow fjords and frequent earthquakes, but scientists said that glacier melt driven by climate change is making such collapses far worse.

NASA’s Nisar discovers Mexico sinking up to 2cm a month
A joint initiative between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization, Nisar, has found that some areas of Mexico City, including the city’s main airport, were sinking by more than 2cm a month, one of the fastest subsidence rates in the world. Though not the first time that Mexico City’s sinking has been observed from space, the Nisar mission has provided a clearer picture of the extent of the sinking and how it changes across different types of land than any other space-based sensor.

The new technology is able to track minute changes on Earth’s surface, even through thick vegetation or cloud cover. According to NASA, it is also capable of monitoring the climate crisis, glacier sliding, agricultural productivity, soil moisture, forestry, coastal flooding and more. Scientists say this is only the beginning - more similar discoveries will soon be made all over the world with this technology.

France uni students enjoy EUR1 meal to ease financial hardship
French universities are now offering a EUR1 (RM4.60) meal to all students, regardless of income, in a measure designed to ease their financial hardship. The policy is targeted at alleviating financial strain for students in France, where a survey by a student union organisation in Jan found that 48% had gone without food for financial reasons and 23% did so several times a month. 

Student unions have been pushing to extend the EUR1 rate – down from the usual EUR3.30 – for a three-course meal to all students, which was previously only available to those with low incomes or receiving financial aid. The government is preparing for a rise in demand, with the higher education minister, Philippe Baptiste, promising EUR120 mil in 2027 to back the scheme.

5. FOR YOUR EYES 📺

1. Sleeps with the famous capybara cat Oyen - camp at Zoo Negara.

2. Beautiful. Never seen Batu Caves from this perspective before.

3. Feel safer in KL with 10,000 AI-powered CCTVs involving a RM500 mil investment. Snatch-theft has fallen by 57.6% since its deployment and overall report crime has gone down 50%. Watch below for its capabilities.