☕️ Lecturer lost RM1 mil over fake investment that promises returns of 1,000% in minutes

1. MARKET SUMMARY 📈

2. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE 🔢

Eli Lilly is the first drugmaker to enter the trillion dollar club, an exclusive space dominated by tech giants. A rally of over 35% in the company’s stock this year to a record high of USD1057.70 (about RM4,375) was driven by the explosive growth of the weight-loss drug market, and the company’s growth underscores its position as a weight-loss powerhouse. The market was once seen as a niche category but is now one of the most lucrative segments in healthcare, with demand rising steadily. The firm’s drugs, Mounjaro and Zepbound, have surged in popularity to push it past rival Novo Nordisk. Eli Lilly posted a revenue of over USD10 bil from its obesity and diabetes portfolio in its latest reported quarter. This accounts for more than half of its total revenue of USD17.6 bil.
View list: Largest companies by market cap

48,700. That’s the number of staff lost by the German automotive sector as of Sept. This marks a fall of 6.3% and is the biggest drop in any major industrial sector with over 200,000 staff. According to the federal statistics office, the automotive industry, including parts makers, recorded 721,400 employees at the end of Sept, the smallest figure since 718,000 in mid-2011. The chief economist of Hamburg Commercial Bank noted that this is a clear reflection of the prolonged recession in the industry. Still, the auto industry remains Germany’s second-largest manufacturing sector in terms of employment, after mechanical engineering. German manufacturers have been struggling with high US tariffs, the rise of Chinese EV makers, and chip supply difficulties.

Standard Chartered plc has embraced AI, and this has allowed the banking giant to ditch nearly 100 software programmes as it continues to look for ways to trim expenses across the firm. One method involved consolidating 55 different systems used to track IT incidents into one programme, with another being the creation of a super app that replaced 40 different software programmes managing everything from the firm’s pension plans to its employment contracts. This comes in the second year of the bank’s three-year delivery phase of its restructuring programme, with much of its savings expected to be reflected this year and next year.

3. IN MALAYSIA 🇲🇾

Rising insurance forces e-hailing drivers off the road
E-hailing drivers in Malaysia are facing growing financial pressure as insurance premiums continue to surge, with some seeing their annual costs more than double. E-hailing insurance is mandatory for drivers to operate, and the steep increases are forcing some to take out loans just to renew their coverage. One driver reported his premium jumped from RM615 in 2024/2025 to RM1,710 for 2025/2026, an increase of over 150%. While daily insurance options exist, their rates have also risen, causing some drivers to quit the industry entirely or seek alternative income sources. Abdul Hakim Abdul Rani, deputy president of Persatuan Penghantar P-Hailing Malaysia, said many drivers have hung up their keys due to the financial strain and called for a comprehensive engagement session to address challenges in the gig sector. Mohd Azril Ahmat, president of Grab Drivers Malaysia Association, noted that one insurer raised premiums from RM500 last year to RM945, making earnings margins thinner amid rising maintenance and spare-part costs.

Shanlee Tan Shamsuri of the Rakan Representative Committee said premiums are expected to continue to rise every six months or annually, and the number of insurers offering daily coverage has dropped from 10 to five in the past year, leaving drivers with fewer affordable options. The committee has proposed measures such as reviewing insurance liberalisation, limiting annual increases temporarily, improving transparency in claims data, offering support for lower-income drivers, and introducing a basic policy for low-risk drivers. E-hailing insurance, introduced in 2017 as an add-on to private car comprehensive policies, provides extra coverage for passengers and personal accident protection for drivers.

Strong year for Oriental Kopi
Oriental Kopi Holdings Bhd has had a strong year for its financial year ending Sept 30, with net profit jumping nearly 41% to RM60.75 mil from RM43.13 mil last year. Revenue surged 62.6% to RM450.92 mil, largely driven by its café chain operations that contributed almost 93% of total income, while packaged foods made up just over 6%. The fourth quarter saw net profit dip 11.5% to RM15.89 mil, though revenue climbed to RM133.16 mil from RM116.75 mil in the previous quarter.

Oriental Kopi said sustained domestic consumption and growing tourism are expected to continue driving demand for food services. The group currently operates 28 outlets, 25 in Malaysia and three in Singapore, with plans to open eight more in the coming year. Alongside expansion, the company is introducing new menu offerings, broadening its packaged food range, and partnering with overseas distributors to promote the brand internationally. The company’s market cap stands at RM2.62 bil, nearly three times its Jan listing price of 44 sen. View its earnings here.

Unstable weather to prolong
Malaysia is bracing for months of unstable weather as the first episode of the 2025 and 2026 Northeast Monsoon kicks in. Fire and Rescue Department director general Nor Hisham said the current rain on the east coast signals only the beginning, with several more monsoon surges expected right up to early next year. Early episodes usually hit Kelantan and Terengganu, while Pahang, Johor, Sabah and Sarawak tend to get heavier rainfall in Dec and Jan. Malaysia normally sees four to six intense rain episodes during the monsoon season from Nov to Mar, with the peak expected between mid-Dec and Jan.

Can our food supply chain withstand climate change?
At the same time, the Agriculture Ministry warns that climate change could make future monsoon impacts even tougher on Malaysia’s food supply. Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mat Sabu said climate effects such as rising temperatures, drought and saltwater intrusion are already putting pressure on farming areas, saying that the nation’s food production will be affected by 2030 and beyond if we don’t adapt, citing findings from the country’s climate report. Padi yields in key granary zones could fall sharply, with risks of up to a 30% drop in the MADA area, 3% in KADA and 25% in IADA Northwest Selangor by the end of the century. Livestock and fisheries may also face lower productivity and higher disease risks, prompting the government to roll out climate smart initiatives to strengthen the sector. What does this mean for us rakyat? Inflation.

For reference:
MADA: Muda Agricultural Development Authority
KADA: Kemubu Agricultural Development Authority
IADA: Integrated Agricultural Development Area

Shorts

1. Fake investment costs lecturer RM1 mil 
   A 40-year-old lecturer in Jasin was lured by an Instagram ad claiming she could earn more than 1,000% PROFIT IN MINUTES. After contacting the so-called promoter on WhatsApp, she was convinced to pour in her savings, borrow from family, and even take a loan. Over seven weeks, she made 20 transfers amounting to RM914,758.82. The scammer then asked for another RM20,000 before releasing her “profits,” which never came. That was when she realised she had been tricked and filed a police report.
   Want to know how susceptible you are to investment scams? Take this test (less than a minute long) by the Securities Commission.

2. Maid freed after 16 years of abuse 
   An Indonesian woman who had been working as a maid for nearly 16 years without proper pay was rescued by immigration officers in Batu Caves, Selangor. She had been promised RM600 a month but was not paid for two years, forced to hide under a car, beaten, and denied contact with her family. Her employer has been detained and the case is under investigation.

4. AROUND THE WORLD 🌎

European happenings
EU Parliament next to push for social media age limits
The European Parliament called for the EU to set minimum ages for children to access social media, in a bid to combat a rise in mental health problems among adolescents from excessive exposure. The Parliamentary resolution was backed by 483 votes to 92, with 86 abstentions, and called for an EU-wide ban on access for children under 16 to online platforms, video-sharing sites, and AI companions without parental consent, and an outright ban for those younger than 13. The non-binding call marks the EU as the latest to contemplate a social media ban for children, following Australia, Denmark, and Malaysia.

Speaking of Australia, a campaign group called the Digital Freedom Project has launched proceedings in the High Court of Australia in a bid to block the social media ban, which is set to deactivate over 1 mil accounts held by teenagers under 16 on Dec 10. The group said the ban, which it calls grossly excessive, robs young Australians of their freedom of political communication, an implied right in the country’s constitution. Australia does not have an express right to free speech. The government has responded to the legal challenge, saying it would not be intimidated by threats and legal challenges. It has been reported that YouTube had threatened to launch a High Court challenge on the grounds that the ban burdened political communication.

Italian Parliament formally adds femicide to criminal code, but senate delays rape bill
Italy’s Parliament has formally added the crime of femicide, which is the deliberate killing of women and girls due to their gender, to its criminal code, with a punishment of life imprisonment, unanimously signed into law. Meloni’s government backed the bill from the start and supported other legislation to protect women, like anti-stalking laws. Italy recorded 106 femicides in 2024, 62 of which were committed by a partner or former partner, according to Italy’s statistics agency. This is in line with global trends that show nearly two-thirds of female homicides were committed by a partner or family member, according to UN Women.

Tech Talk
Meta reportedly in talks to spend billions on Google chips
Meta Platforms is reportedly in talks with Google to spend billions of dollars on Google’s chips for use in its data centres starting from 2027. Should the deal, which involves Meta renting chips from Google Cloud, go through, Google would be set as a serious rival to semiconductor juggernaut Nvidia. The move would also mark a departure from Google’s current strategy of using its tensor processing units only in its own data centres and is an indicator of Google’s broader push to get customers to adopt said units in their own data centres. Some Google Cloud executives have suggested the strategy could help it capture as much as 10% of Nvidia’s annual revenue.

This deal also marks Google catching up in the high-stakes race to develop AI, with the Alphabet-owned internet giant having released new AI software and struck other deals. These have reassured investors that the company will not easily lose to ChatGPT creator OpenAI and other rivals. This comes as Google’s newest multipurpose model, Gemini 3, won immediate praise for its capabilities in reasoning and coding, along with its proficiency in tasks that have tripped up AI chatbots. These successes, according to Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, are the result of the “full, deep, full-stack approach to AI” (from silicon to software) that the tech giant has taken.
Read: Why Google is poised to win the AI race

LINE co-owner Naver inks USD10.3 bil deal to acquire top Korea crypto exchange
The deal sees Naver acquiring Dunamu Inc, the operator of South Korea’s biggest crypto exchange Upbit, in an all-stock deal valued at around USD10.3 bil (RM43.5 bil). This is part of Naver’s plan to cement its foothold in South Korea’s digital assets market. Naver, which co-owns LINE through a subsidiary, said the deal would help it secure future growth engines based on digital assets. The deal values Dunamu at KRW15.1 tril (RM42.4 bil). Dunamu’s consolidated operating revenue for the nine months to Sept 30 rose 22% to KRW1.2 tril, driven almost entirely by higher trading commissions.

Fire, fire, fire
At least 14 dead as massive blaze engulfs Hong Kong residential complex
Multiple high-rise residential blocks in Hong Kong’s northern Tai Po district were engulfed in flames, with scores injured as authorities struggled to control the fire. At the time of writing, the fire had already claimed 14 lives, one of whom was a firefighter responding to the incident. The residential complex, called Wang Fuk Court, has 2,000 residential apartments comprising eight blocks in 32-storey buildings. Authorities reported facing trouble getting to the towers’ upper floors due to the intense heat of the blaze. They also had no estimate of the number of people who might still be inside. The cause of the blaze remains unknown so far, though a resident reported hearing a loud noise before fire erupted from a nearby block. Heartbreaking.

Bangladesh slum fire leaves thousands homeless
One of the largest slums in the capital city of Dhaka saw a massive fire tear through it, leaving thousands homeless as the blaze turned rows of tin-roofed shanties into charred rubble. The Korali slum was home to nearly 80,000 people and sits wedged between the two affluent neighbourhoods of Gulshan and Banani. At least 19 fire engines were sent to tackle the inferno, according to officials. However, the responders were slowed by heavy traffic, with the narrow lanes in the slums also forcing responders to leave the engines at a distance. The cause of the fire remains unclear, and there were no immediate reports of casualties. However, residents said the destruction was near total.

Shorts

1. Campbell Soup VP on leave after recording leaked of him mocking "poor" customers 
   The vice president of IT, Martin Bally, was put on leave while the company investigates claims made in a lawsuit that he trashed the company behind closed doors. Bally allegedly insulted the intelligence of his Indian colleagues and said that Campbell Soup’s products were for “poor people” and were “unhealthy”. Bally also reportedly claimed that the meat used in the company’s products was “bioengineered” and 3D printed. Campbell Soup has denied the allegations about its food.

2. Fifa to keep top four seeds apart in World Cup 
   The top four seeded countries, namely Spain, Argentina, France, and England, will be paired and placed in opposite halves of the draw, meaning that the four will be unable to meet each other until the semi-finals of next year’s World Cup. This marks the first time in the tournament’s history that this has been done. Fifa wanted to ensure the top-ranked countries do not meet earlier in the knockout rounds, increasing the odds of blockbuster games later in the tournament. Finally.

5. FOR YOUR EYES 📺

Cars vs flood

1. What to do, not to do when through flooded roads.

2. Cars that can fight the flood. The last one is unlikely built for floods, but time and time again, it has proven itself to be the king of the. road.

3. Goo Goo Dolls performed at Tiny Desk. Watch them perform Iris below, a song that transcends all generations. If you want more feelz, watch this version of them performing Iris under the rain.