☕️ PM Anwar to expose paddy and rice cartel soon

1. MARKET SUMMARY 📈

2. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE 🔢

99 — the number of Grammy nominations that have been received by Beyoncé throughout her career. With 11 nominations for this year’s Grammy’s, including Best Album, Best Country Album, and Song of the Year for Texas Hold 'Em, she’s leading the race, edging out the likes of Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift. She used to share the title of the most Grammy nominations (88) with her husband, Jay-Z. The queen still has it in her.

Nearly 4,000 healthcare professionals, including 3,200 medical officers, 350 dentists, and 400 pharmacists have a reason to celebrate as they have been granted permanent positions by the Public Services Commission last month. This move addresses the longstanding issue of permanent placements for contract healthcare workers. In April of the previous year, PM Anwar Ibrahim announced the government’s goal to absorb approximately 12,800 contract doctors into permanent roles over the next three years.

97,866, or 49%, of the 197,348 active loan borrowers have been blacklisted by Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) for loan defaults. Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Rubiah Wang clarified that the blacklisted borrowers are only listed under Mara’s management and do not involve other agencies or ecosystems. She emphasized that no students are exempt from loan repayments under Mara, though repayment amounts may be reduced based on students’ cumulative grade point average (CGPA).

3. IN MALAYSIA 🇲🇾

Another day, another corruption case
MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki confirmed that a lawyer representing a whistleblower has met with senior officers of the anti-graft body. The lawyer played a 17-second audio clip during the meeting, providing a teaser on a potential major scandal, implicating several state assemblypersons. According to Malaysiakini, the audio clip played to MACC is part of a series of video and audio recordings, depicting the bribe giver (a businessman) demanding the return of the initial payment of the bribes from the assemblymen (around RM300,000 each) as the state government cancelled the license for the project.

Commenting on the whistleblower's protection status, Azam Baki stated that MACC cannot provide a written guarantee of immunity without detailed information about the alleged improper conduct. The whistleblower needs to follow due process and file an official complaint to be granted protection under the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010.

Rice and paddy cartel to be exposed soon
Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Fuziah Salleh announced that PMX will soon londehkan the rice and paddy cartel which has been profiting from people’s misery while monopolising the food item. This bold statement was made as the Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC) had completed a report on the matter, however, an embargo has been put on the report until PM Anwar is ready to reveal the content. Previously in January, Utusan Malaysia reported Gabungan Pengilang-Pengilang Beras Malaysia alleging the existence of a cartel in the nation’s rice and paddy industry, which had packaged local rice as imported ones to be sold for higher prices. However, Malaysians have to wait to know about the content of the MyCC’s report as PM Anwar is on a world tour to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Peru and Brazil, from November 9 until November 19.

PH-BN alliance might stay until GE16
Speaking during the Selangor DAP Convention 2024, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke stated that the unlikely alliance between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) might continue into GE16, given that the rakyat is happy with the performance of the Government to improve the livelihood of the population. Even though certain leaders within the Unity Government are bickering with each other (yes, we are talking about you, Teresa Kok and Dr Muhamad Akmal), Loke emphasised the importance of looking at the bigger picture of whether the PH-BN pact works. Even siblings fight, so let’s give them the benefit of the doubt. Gaduh-gaduh manja kan.

During the same event, Loke told the audience that DAP leaders should learn from the loss of the Democratic party in the US Presidential Election. Loke added that the main reason why Kamala Harris failed (Kamala read backwards: alamak) to clinch the seat in the White House was that the people did not feel that their economic lives improved under the current leadership of the Democratic party that Harris also represented. Apart from losing the White House, Democrats also lost the control of US Congress’ upper house (US Senate) and are projected to fail in regaining control of the lower house (US House of Representatives) too, giving the Republicans a full-sweep victory.

Business

• Singapore's biggest bank DBS Group Holdings Ltd is eyeing an entry into the Malaysian market via the merger & acquisition of selected local players, including amongst others, the takeover of Singapore state investor Temasek's 29.1% stake in Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd, which is estimated to be worth USD460 mil (RM2.02 bil). Temasek is also the biggest shareholder of DBS with a 28.9% stake. If Option A does not pan out, Option B is to buy out Kuwait Finance House's Malaysian retail banking assets which are up for sale, estimated to be worth more than USD500 mil.

• Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd (F&N) assured all stakeholders that the company is more than capable of addressing the temporary hiccup in milk production at its integrated dairy farm in Gemas, Negeri Sembilan. Despite the delay in production, F&N is well capitalised, with cash balances of more than RM1 bil, thus, its cash flow will not be negatively affected by the delay and still be able to launch new business units as planned such as F&N Agrivalley and F&N Foods (Cambodia). Previously, it was reported that the milk production at the Gemas plant would be pushed further for another 6-12 months, after the Department of Veterinary Services blocked the import of 2,500 dairy cows from the US, due to concerns over an avian flu outbreak.

Shorts

1. A known relative to the victim, a 57-year-old woman, Chan Wan Kooi, was charged with kidnapping a Johor businessperson, alongside three other individuals - Chong Shih Ming, Luong Van Tung, and Tran Van Chung. The accused allegedly did the kidnapping act in return for a ransom of RM20 mil. Police have recovered over RM7 million of the RM20 million ransom paid to the kidnappers.

2. Following the ‘explosion’ complaint by PPR Wangsa Sari residents at the J Satine condominium construction site in Wangsa Maju, the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has issued a stop work order for the construction site. According to a site investigation by DBKL, the explosion was caused by structural failure of the shear wall, columns and floor at Block C of the development. J Satine is a residential development project under the developer Gandingan Jakel, a joint venture by Jakel Group and Platinum Victory. A moment of silence for the buyers of the said condominium units - view the heartbreaking state of the ongoing construction here.

3. Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution confirmed that Putrajaya did receive a request from Dhaka to detain Bestinet founder Aminul Islam Abdul Nor and his associate Ruhul Amin. However, Saifuddin added that they need to clarify with the Bangladeshi Government whether the detention request is for prosecution or further investigation purposes. If it is for the former, an extradition procedure must be initiated. The duo are accused of money laundering, extortion, and human trafficking of Bangladeshi workers.

4. AROUND THE WORLD 🌎

Qatar suspends mediation efforts on Gaza
Qatar has had enough - the Gulf state announced on Saturday that it is suspending all mediation efforts between Hamas and Israel until both parties show “willingness and seriousness” to end the war in Gaza. However, Qatar also said that the reports about a diplomatic statement saying that Hamas’s political office in Qatar “no longer serves its purpose” is not true, adding that the main goal of the office in Qatar is to be a channel of communication between the concerned parties. 

No Hamas official was asked to leave the country after the decision. There continues to be no end in sight to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and the Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon, with growing frustrations over a ceasefire deal that shows no progress. To date, at least 43,603 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, and at least 708 Palestinians are killed in the occupied West Bank.

Israel exports its violence Amsterdam - football hooligans clashed with locals
Meanwhile in Europe, Israel has exported its violence - a clash erupted on Thursday night between fans of the football club Maccabi Tel Aviv and pro-Palestinian local Amsterdammers, who responded to the very vocal rally by the hooligans in the main square, waving Israeli flags, and also took down a Palestinian flag. The Israeli fans instigated the violence after arriving in the city and attacking Palestinian supporters before the match, said an Amsterdam city council member. Councilman Jazie Veldhuyzen told Al Jazeera that they also began attacking houses in Amsterdam that bore the Palestinian flags, which led to the clashes. 10 Israelis were injured, and Amsterdam police reported that 5 people were hospitalised and 62 people were arrested.

Get to know Susan (Susie) Wiles, Trump's new chief of staff
US president-elect Donald Trump has recently announced his new chief of staff for his tenure in the White House next year: Susan Summerall Wiles, who is also his campaign manager and one he refers to as the person who helped him achieve one of the “greatest political victories in American history”. The appointment means that Wiles, 67, will become the first female chief of staff in US history.

Trump is particularly admirable of his sidekick, whom he also refers to as “the ice maiden”. Wiles operates mostly in the background, but she is known as one of the most feared political operatives in the US. Her profile by Politico describes Wiles as “feared, but little known”. Wiles joined Ronald Reagan’s 1980 election campaign and played a key role in transforming politics in her hometown Florida. In 2010, she turned US Senator Rick Scott,a then-businessman with little political experience, into Florida’s governor in just seven months. 
Read: The Most Feared and Least Known Political Operative in America (Politico)

The chief of staff plays a crucial role in every president's administration, essentially serving as the manager of the White House and responsible for putting together a president's staff. A chief leads the staff through the Executive Office of the President and oversees all daily operations and staff activities, as well as advises presidents on policy issues and is responsible for directing and overseeing policy development.

Shorts

1. Railway station suicide bomber attack killed at least 26 people in Pakistan

   It seemed like just another day at the Quetta Railway Station in Pakistan’s Balochistan province until a powerful explosion hit the air after a suicide bomber targeted passengers who were waiting for the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express. The explosion killed at least 26 people, including security personnel and civilians and left dozens injured. Outlawed armed secessionist group Balochistan Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for the attack. The province shares borders with Iran and Afghanistan and has witnessed an uptick in violent attacks since January, with the government battling religious armed groups like ISIL (ISIS), Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Baloch secessionist groups.

2. Iraqi men can marry 9-year-old girls, sending human right activists into outrage

   The Iraqi parliament, driven by a conservative Shia Muslim coalition, is poised to amend the nation’s personal status Law 188, which has been seen as a progressive safeguard for families, regardless of religious sect. However, if the amendment passes, the consenting marriage age for women will be lowered to as early as 9 years old, and critical rights like divorce, child custody, and inheritance for women will also be severely restricted. The amendment has triggered a massive backlash locally and internationally, with Human Rights bodies fearing deepening social divides and leaving women vulnerable to abuse. Experts believe that it is also part of a broader political strategy to reinforce religious authority and consolidate power.

3. Man City lost 2-1 to Brighton in a fourth consecutive loss

   The Premier League match between Man City and Brighton & Hove Albion last Saturday ended with yet another loss for Man City, marking the first time Man City coach Pep Guardiola lost four in a row in his managerial career. Their previous three defeats were a 2-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur that eliminated them from the League Cup, a shock 2-1 league loss at Bournemouth, and a 4-1 Champions League thrashing by Sporting that had midfielder Bernardo Silva saying City were in a “dark place”. Is it the beginning of the end of an era for Man City?

5. FOR YOUR EYES 📺

1. HR expert AuntyHR on suing your employer

2. The new Captain America (no more Steve Rogers) trailer. Movie out Feb 14, featuring Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford.