☕️ Lorry Worry: After an elephant, now we lost nine police officers

1. MARKET SUMMARY 📈

2. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE 🔢

99% of complaints resolved by MAVCOM in 2H 2024. The Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) announced 2,613 complaints received during the second half of 2024. Notably, in 37% of these resolved cases involving airlines, the initial decisions were reversed in favour of the consumers. The total number of complaints registered represents a 34% increase compared to the 1,948 complaints received in the same period in 2023. The majority of complaints (99%) pertained to airlines, with Malaysia Airlines accounting for the highest number at 921.

Despite recording the most complaints in 2H of 2024, Malaysia Airlines’s brand value grew rapidly in 2025. Malaysia Airlines has been recognided as the world's fastest-growing airline brand this year — up to 209%, according to the Airlines 50 2025 report by Brand Finance. The airline's brand value has surged by this impressive percentage, reaching USD607 mil (RM2.6 bil) and propelling it to 45th place globally, marking its return to the ranking after a decade. Key factors contributing to this growth include fleet renewal, strategic route adjustments, a focus on digital transformation, and international expansion. Malaysia Airlines also achieved a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 78.2/100 and an AA+ brand strength rating, driven by strong domestic consideration, preference, and positive word-of-mouth.

GBP20,000 (RM114K) – the daily cost of feeding an astronaut. The European Space Agency (ESA) is funding research into growing lab-grown food in space to explore ways of reducing the substantial cost of feeding an astronaut. An experiment launched into orbit is currently assessing the feasibility of this approach in the low gravity and higher radiation environment of space. The ultimate goal of the team involved is to develop a small pilot food production plant on the International Space Station within the next two years.

3. IN MALAYSIA 🇲🇾

Lorry Worry: After an elephant, now we lost nine police officers
Another tragic accident involving a truck as nine Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) officers were killed when a trailer ploughed into two police trucks on Jalan Teluk Intan–Sitiawan. Eight died on the spot, one later passed at the hospital and another seven were injured. The FRU is a riot control force and a paramilitary special response team that can be deployed at any time to engage in any emergency or public unrest in Malaysia.

The 10-tonne trailer? It was carrying waste paper, but what’s heavier is the truth about its driver. According to Deputy IGP Ayob Khan, the 33-year-old driver had previous criminal records for sexual assault, theft, robbery, and drugs — raising serious concerns about how he was allowed to operate a heavy vehicle. This incident has brought back memories of a similar tragedy more than three decades ago, when 11 FRU members were killed in a multi-vehicle collision. 

PDRM lost more lives in one night than it typically does in a year of duty-related deaths. There are now calls to vet commercial drivers more stringently and review how officers are transported. But for now, flags fly half-mast for our fallen.
Read: 5 deadliest road accidents in Malaysia

Penang: Crime and Contribution

Former Penang Deputy CM II P Ramasamy to be charged
Ramasamy is expected to be charged today on 17 counts of abuse of power at the Butterworth Sessions Court — all tied to his former role as chairman of the Penang Hindu Endowment Board (PHEB). This all stems from a forensic audit handed over to MACC by current PHEB chairman RSN Rayer in 2023, which reportedly uncovered some “interesting leads”.

Of those charges, 13 related to the purchase of a gold chariot, where Ramasamy allegedly channelled RM300,000 from the PHEB Special Allocation Account around 2019. The other four charges are linked to the unauthorised approval of educational and medical aid applications between 2020 and 2022, done without committee approval, according to sources.

The big, big business of Bosch Malaysia
Firstly, Penang is home to the German company’s largest high-tech engineering hub in Southeast Asia, focusing on mobility electronics, power tools and semiconductors. The semiconductor backend site in Penang is Bosch’s most advanced test centre in Asia for automotive chips and sensors.

Secondly, Bosch’s business in Malaysia is yuge (in the words of Donald Trump). Since establishing here in 1923, the company recorded its highest-ever revenue in 2024 of EUR1.47 bil (RM7.26 bil), a nearly 31% year-on-year growth. As of Dec 31, 2024, the company employed more than 3,700 people in Malaysia. Globally, the Bosch Group reported group-wide sales of EUR90.3 bil (RM445.9 bil) in 2024, down 1.45 yoy. 

Shorts

1. ICAO: Russia responsible for MH17
   After nearly a decade, the UN’s aviation body ICAO has ruled that Russia is responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014, which killed all 298 onboard, including 43 Malaysians. The timing? Ironic. The announcement came just as PM Anwar Ibrahim is on an official visit to Russia from May 13 to May 16. Diplomacy gets awkward. 

2. Ah Long demands nudes for RM3,000 loan collateral
   A 26-year-old woman in Johor, desperate for RM3,000 to pay her car loan, turned to a loan shark for financial assistance. She was told to fork out RM1,000 in fees before disbursement - a 33% fee. But it gets worse — the Ah Long then demanded nude photos as collateral. She was still refused the money and the Ah Long even asked for more and threatened to send the photos to her family. If you know anyone facing financial difficulty, do reach out to Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency (AKPK) (visit site here), an initiative set up by BNM to help individuals manage debt and achieve financial stability. 

3. Mobile Legend champs get Selangor medals from Sultan, but still no Datukship
   Malaysia’s Mobile Legends scene got its moment in the sun as three Selangor Red Giants esports players — Stormie, Sekys, and YumS (their gaming alias, of course) — were awarded the Pingat Kecemerlangan Sukan Selangor (P.K.S) in conjunction with the 79th birthday of HRH Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah. The trio clinched Malaysia’s first international esports title in seven years, winning the 2024 ML: Bang Bang Mid-Season Cup with a nail-biting 4–3 win over the Philippines’ Falcons AP Bren. The team walked home with USD1 mil (RM4.28 mil) in prize money. Sadly, the medals don’t come with a Datukship.
   Learn: ‘Tengku’ or ‘Tunku’? A Guide to Malaysian Honorary Titles

4. AROUND THE WORLD 🌎

Under Trump

Trump orders 90% drug price cut
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order yesterday aiming to cut prescription drug prices by up to 90%, blaming foreign countries for paying less and pushing up US costs. “We’re going to pay what Europe pays,” he declared, arguing Americans have long subsidised cheaper prices abroad. While critics like Senator Bernie Sanders blamed greedy pharmaceutical firms making over USD100 bil (RM432.25 bil) in profits, Trump insisted the issue lay with trade imbalances. Experts, however, doubt the order’s effectiveness, noting it relies on voluntary price cuts with no clear enforcement. Without real leverage, the order risks being more headline than reform.

US fast-tracks white South Africans as refugees
The Trump administration has admitted 59 white South African Afrikaners as refugees, citing racial discrimination, an unusual move given its sharp restrictions on asylum seekers from war-torn or impoverished nations. The fast-tracking of a historically privileged group reflects skewed priorities in US refugee policy. Human Rights Watch and migration experts have flagged the irony of granting protection to Afrikaners, many of whom continue to hold economic power in post-apartheid South Africa, where they own the bulk of private land and possess significantly more wealth than the Black majority. The decision portrays the growing polarisation of US immigration policy, and the criteria for refugee resettlement in a world where global inequality and human rights abuses are increasingly difficult to ignore.

The aftermath of Trump's controversial decision raised tensions, drawing sharp criticism from both South Africa and US lawmakers. It reflects Trump’s endorsement of the widely discredited idea of a 'white genocide' in South Africa, a claim with little evidence but strong appeal in far-right circles. While the administration has blocked most refugee admissions from non-white countries, it has fast-tracked Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch settlers, into the US, citing supposed discrimination they face in their home country. This controversy, amid strained US-South Africa relations, prompts questions about political motivations and the reality of the refugee crisis, which Trump’s administration seems to overlook in favour of ideological rhetoric. This stance continues to stoke diplomatic tensions, highlighting the widening divide between global perceptions of human rights and the US’s inward-facing policies.

Biz

Nissan slashes 20,000 jobs and closes plants after massive losses
Reeling from a JPY671 bil (RM19.51 bil) net loss for the year, Japanese carmaker Nissan will shut down seven of its 17 factories and slash 20,000 jobs worldwide, part of a wider cost-cutting push under new CEO Ivan Espinosa. This shift, which adds to 9,000 layoffs announced last year, will see the company reduce its global workforce by 15% and save JPY500 bil by 2027. While Nissan has not named the plants facing closure, its Sunderland plant in the UK appears safe for now. The company will also streamline its supply chain, cut hourly workforce costs by 20%, and refocus on profitability over sheer volume. This retrenchment follows failed merger talks with Honda and softening sales in key markets like China and the US. Ironically, while Nissan scales down, its battery supplier AESC just secured GBP1 bil (RM5.71 bil) for a new gigafactory in Sunderland, a rare bright spot in the UK’s electric vehicle scene.

Coinbase joins S&P 500 as crypto finds a new seat on Wall Street
Coinbase Global, the largest US cryptocurrency exchange, will enter the S&P 500 on May 19, replacing Discover Financial Services following Capital One’s acquisition of the latter. The move, hailed as a milestone for digital assets, sent Coinbase shares surging 13% in after-hours trading yesterday. Its inclusion comes amid renewed crypto optimism under President Trump, whose administration has dropped key SEC enforcement actions and appointed crypto-friendly officials. Once rocked by industry scandals and collapses like FTX in 2022, Coinbase has rebounded with a 260% stock rise over two years, now valued at USD 53 bil (RM229.09 bil). Despite a recent dip in profits, net income fell 94% to USD 66 mil in Q1, Coinbase’s expansion continues, including a USD 2.9 bil deal to acquire crypto derivatives giant Deribit. Analysts say the S&P listing signals Wall Street’s growing embrace of crypto, even as volatility remains. Once a disruptor, Coinbase is now a bellwether, proof that crypto’s wild ride is no longer fringe finance.

Thailand to launch g-token to fund budget
Thailand goes crypto. Our neighbour is set to launch a new THB5 bil (RM650.81 mil) digital investment token, dubbed the G-Token, within two months, following Cabinet approval, announced Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira. Designed to raise public funds under the current budget plan, the G-Token isn’t classified as a debt instrument but is structured to offer higher returns than standard bank deposits, currently at 1.25%–1.5% amid a benchmark interest rate of 1.75%, but what exactly the returns are like is not known. This shift aligns with earlier calls by Thaksin Shinawatra to explore stablecoins backed by government bonds, reflecting Thailand’s broader shift in digital asset policy as crypto momentum builds across Asia. The initial issue aims to “test the market,” and meets Bank of Thailand requirements, according to officials. A government token with investor appeal could be a savvy way to modernise fiscal policy without raising actual debt.

Brazil bets on European discipline to end title drought
Carlo Ancelotti’s appointment as Brazil’s new head coach is a historic shift in the nation’s footballing identity, marking the first time a true European giant takes charge of the Selecao. With five Champions League titles and domestic success across Europe’s top five leagues, the Italian brings a calm authority and proven pedigree to a side desperate to end its two-decade World Cup drought. Since their last triumph in 2002, Brazil have repeatedly faltered against European opposition in knockout stages, with their most infamous defeat coming in the 7-1 drubbing by Germany in 2014. Recent qualifying struggles, including a 4-1 humiliation by Argentina, led to a leadership vacuum now filled by Ancelotti, whose credibility, especially with key players like Vinicius Jr and Casemiro, is expected to restore discipline and belief. If anyone can bring calm to chaos, it’s Ancelotti.

5. FOR YOUR EYES 📺

1. Think long-term.

2. Michael Jackson in the form of Michael Jasin, buatan Malaysia. Kinda good! Jalan Bulan included.

3. Netflix, you listening?