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☕️ Senior citizen privilege — Dr M’s court woes evaporate

HIV awareness event in Kelantan mistaken as “gay party”. Workers walked to Singapore as pay row boils over. America saying they can’t do anything about Israel. RM1,700 Minimum starts Aug 1.

1. MARKET SUMMARY 📈

2. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE 🔢

Malaysia remains heavily dependent on imports for key produce like beef, mutton, cabbage, and chilli, according to the 2024 Agriculture Census Interim Report. It stated that Malaysia’s self-sufficiency level (SSL) for cattle and buffalo meat stood at just 15.9% in 2023, well below the 35% projected under the National Agrofood Policy 2.0 and well short of the 50% target by this year. Malaysia currently lacks sufficient breeders and parent stock for cattle, leading to the need to import beef to meet domestic demand, which in turn drives up prices to increasingly unaffordable levels.

CEO of online clothing brand Snag told the BBC that the company gets over 100 complaints a day because the models in the firm’s adverts are “too fat”. CEO Brigitte Read shared that models of her size 4 to size 38 clothing are frequently the target of “hateful” posts about their weight. However, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority has never found grounds to investigate any complaints about Snag.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) is known as the largest company in Taiwan, and well-known as the most advanced contract manufacturer of semiconductors. But just how big is TSMC? Let’s put it this way: The company makes up 30% of the Taiwan Stock Exchange’s main index, and exported integrated circuits worth 25% of Taiwan’s entire GDP in 2022, about USD191.3 bil (RM809.3 bil) out of USD765 bil (RM3.2 tril). Specialised expertise like this has been a bargaining chip that governments have capitalised on over the years, including by controlling the industry’s outbound investments in general. Case in point, the Taiwanese Parliament holds a 6.38% stake in TSMC. The company just joined the exclusive USD1 tril club last week.
View list: Largest companies by marketcap

3. IN MALAYSIA 🇲🇾

Senior citizen privilege — Dr M’s court woes evaporate

  1. PM Anwar Ibrahim says the government won’t be taking action against Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad over the long-standing Pulau Batu Puteh sovereignty debacle, citing age-related “considerations”—after all, the former PM just turned 100. While the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) found there were serious errors in how the case was handled, Anwar made it clear: just because no charges are being pursued doesn’t mean there wasn’t wrongdoing. “The Cabinet took into account his age,” Anwar said, but added firmly that the mishandling of the matter did, in fact, happen. The issue stems from a 2008 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling, which awarded Batu Puteh to Singapore, while nearby Middle Rocks went to Malaysia.

  2. After nearly two years of legal jabs, former PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and current Deputy PM Ahmad Zahid Hamidi have decided to bury the hatchet—settling their defamation suits against each other out of court. The feud began when Zahid, during a 2017 Umno division meeting, allegedly questioned Mahathir’s Malay-Muslim identity by referring to his supposed original name, “Mahathir a/l Iskandar Kutty.”

    1. Mahathir sued Zahid in July 2022, claiming the remarks painted him as a political opportunist—someone who declared himself Malay for personal and political gain.

    2. Zahid sued Mahathir in Apr 2022, claiming the elder statesman defamed him by suggesting Zahid had come crawling to seek help with his ongoing court cases.

MACC found no criminal wrongdoing on MyKiosk
After weeks of political finger-pointing over the RM150 mil MyKiosk project, Housing Minister Nga Kor Ming now wants MCA Youth to apologise after the MACC found no criminal wrongdoing—just some governance issues. He insists the kiosks—equipped with solar panels and hydraulic windows—were fairly priced, with bids coming in as low as RM13k, well below the RM25k ceiling. The project, aimed at helping B40 entrepreneurs, has already seen thousands of kiosks rolled out nationwide, with over 90% occupancy and six months’ rent-free incentives. While MCA Youth had demanded a retraction and apology from Nga, the minister is now flipping the script—asking them to say sorry for allegedly trying to destabilise the government. No charges, but plenty of drama.

Workers walked to Singapore as pay row boils over
It was a rough Monday for thousands of Malaysians commuting into Singapore—hundreds were stranded at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) and nearby bus stops after about 100 bus drivers staged a surprise strike over pay cuts. With no buses running from 5am, desperate workers chose to walk the 1km across the Causeway.

Why the sudden chaos? A recent wage restructure reportedly slashed drivers’ take-home pay from RM2,800 to below RM2,000, all while increasing their daily routes from four to five. One driver, only known as Atoi, said the move was the final straw in an already stressful job. HR Minister Steven Sim warned the Johor-based bus company could face action, especially since it’s already on the Labour Department’s naughty list. With rising living costs and long working hours, this protest is more than just a pay dispute—it’s a sign of deeper issues in how we treat essential workers. The services have resumed on Tuesday, but the pay dispute remains.

RM1,700 Minimum starts Aug 1!
Come Aug 1, the new minimum wage of RM1,700 will officially kick in for all employers — no exceptions! The six-month grace period ends July 31, and the Ministry of Human Resources (Kesuma) is making it crystal clear: employers must ensure no one is earning below the legal minimum. Kesuma’s also nudging companies to boost productivity and invest in upskilling workers instead of cutting corners. Ignore this at your own risk—the penalties are steep. Non-compliance can cost up to RM10,000 per employee, with an extra RM1,000 per day if you keep ignoring the rule post-conviction. Repeat offenders could even face up to five years jail.
While inflation eased in June, food and beverage prices still crept up 2.1% year-on-year. With the wage hike just around the corner, the big question is: will prices rise again? Employers will feel the pinch, and some might pass on the costs to consumers. So while workers welcome fatter paychecks, your teh tarik might be next in line for a price bump.

HIV awareness event in Kelantan mistaken as “gay party”
Last month, the Kelantan police raided a programme at 1am, seizing HIV medication and condoms. The operation followed public tip-offs and intelligence gathered by a special team after complaints, according to Kelantan police chief Yusoff Mamat. Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad clarified that the event was part of outreach activities, organised by Sahabat, an NGO operating under the guidance of the Malaysian AIDS Foundation (MAF), to reach high-risk populations and raise awareness on prevention strategies, the importance of early diagnosis, and the benefits of early treatment in preventing serious complications. The event went into midnight due to confidential HIV testing, with those testing reactive given counselling and referred for follow-up care.

Shorts

  1. Accenture makes first banking-focused buy in Malaysia
    Accenture has acquired Aristal, a Malaysia-based management consulting firm, marking its first banking-focused acquisition in the country. The move boosts Accenture’s ability to help local banks modernise core systems, streamline operations, and handle major transformations like mergers and system overhauls. While the price tag remains under wraps, Accenture confirmed that Aristal’s 30-person team will join its financial services practice in Malaysia.

  2. Zayn Rayyan’s mother alleges police coerced murder confession
    Ismanira Abdul Manaf, mother of the late Zayn Rayyan, told the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court she was forced to confess to her son’s murder. During her 13-day remand, she claimed police beat and threatened her after she denied involvement, despite cooperating fully. She said the coercion included pressure during her appearance before a magistrate. While some officers were allegedly sympathetic, others pushed hard for a confession. Ismanira was ordered to enter her defence on Monday, while her husband, Zaim Ikhwan Zahari, was acquitted. The couple had been charged with neglect likely to cause physical harm to Zayn.

  3. Malaysia’s looking at 20% for the “Liberal Day Tariffs”
    Malaysia is negotiating with the US to cut looming tariffs to 20%, but it’s drawing firm lines on national policy. While talks have progressed on issues like AI chip transhipment, Malaysia has refused to extend EV tax breaks for American firms beyond December, arguing it would trigger similar demands from other countries. US requests to ease foreign ownership limits in finance and energy have also been rejected due to political sensitivity. Fishing subsidies, another sticking point, could risk rural voter support. PM Anwar Ibrahim made it clear: ethnic-based policies are off-limits. Trade Minister Tengku Zafrul added that any deal must protect Malaysia’s long-term economic sovereignty.

4. AROUND THE WORLD 🌎

More American antics

Additional USD320 ‘visa integrity fee’ for travellers to the US
The Trump administration is making it harder for people to access America - everyone travelling to the US will soon have to pay a new “visa integrity fee” amounting to at least USD250 (RM1,057.87), on top of existing visa costs. However, citizens of more than 40 countries in the US visa waiver programme may be exempt from the fee. Travellers who do not overstay their time or participate in unauthorised work while in the US may be eligible for reimbursement once the visa expires, but there is no solid system in place for processing the refunds. A single tourist visa for a family of four could now include USD1,000 in visa integrity fees alone. A student visa currently costs around USD500, while an employer hiring a H1-B worker pays a USD780 application fee and a USD500 anti-fraud fee. Overall, it is estimated that the new fee will boost the “upfront costs” of visiting the US by 144%.

Nearly USD10 mil of contraceptives to be wastefully purged
As if cutting the USAID funding is not disastrous enough to the countries in need, the Trump administration has also decided to destroy USD9.7mil worth of contraceptives instead of sending it abroad to women in crisis settings, including war zones and refugee camps. The disposal will cost US taxpayers a further USD167,000. The US state department said that it could not sell them to any “eligible buyers”, and US laws prohibit sending aid to organizations that provide abortion services, counsel people about the procedure or advocate for the right to it overseas. Sadly, attempts by MSI Reproductive Choices, a global family planning organization to purchase the contraceptives are also in vain as the US would only accept full price, which they could not afford. Under the eradication of the USAID, other kinds of assistance were also reportedly being destroyed, including 500 metric tons of emergency food that could feed 1.5 mil children in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and 800,000 almost expiring Mpox vaccines that were supposed to be sent to Africa. How much more disgusting can this situation be?

America saying they can’t do anything about Israel
A latest statement by US Special Envoy Thomas Barrack indicated that the US "has no business in trying to compel Israel to do anything" when it comes to a guarantee that Israeli will stop attacking Lebanese territory. Wait a minute - only last month, the US had apparently proposed Lebanon to fully disarm Hezbollah within four months, in exchange for a halt to Israeli strikes and a withdrawal of Israeli troops still occupying positions in southern Lebanon. And now they say they can’t make the Israelis do it? Israel and Hezbollah fought a months-long war in 2024 that ended with a US-brokered truce calling for both sides to halt fighting and for Israel to withdraw troops. It never happened. Hezbollah has in fact handed in some weapons to the Lebanese army, but Israel says that the group is violating the ceasefire by attempting to re-establish itself, hence enabling itself to stay in the territory.

Meanwhile, in East Asia

In China: Poison the kids and cover it up
Early this month, 235 children from Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui city, northwest China were being treated in hospital for lead poisoning, after eating steamed red date cakes and sausage corn buns. It turned out that the foods were painted with inedible paint to enhance its look, and contained lead 2,000 times in excess of the national safety limit. Investigations have discovered that dozens of provincial officials and hospital staff attempted to cover-up the case, with eight people including the kindergarten's principal, cooks, and an investor detained for producing the toxic snacks . Ten other officials will face "formal accounting procedures" while another 17 people are under disciplinary investigation. Forms of bribery were said to be involved, with staff involved in the toxic test “not taking the work seriously” and violating operating procedures in an effort to distort the results and cover-up the horrendous acts.

In Hong Kong: Louis Vuitton investigated for worldwide data leak
Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog is investigating a data leak in handbag maker company Louis Vuitton (LVMH), where about 419,000 customers' data were believed to be exposed to an unauthorised party. The data involves names, passport details, addresses and email addresses as well as phone numbers, shopping history and product preferences. However, the company confirmed that no payment information was affected. LVMH French head office had found suspicious activities on its computer system on June 13, discovered that the Hong Kong customers were affected on July 2, and then reported the breach to the watchdog on July 17. Similar breaches in its operations in South Korea and Britain were also reported earlier this month. So much for “customer experience”.

Shorts

  1. You can run but you can’t hide 
    Two Israeli soldiers who flew to Belgium to attend Tomorrowland music festival were taken in for interrogation by the Belgium authorities, following legal complaints by the Hind Rajab Foundation. The group has been campaigning for legal action against Israeli soldiers over serious breaches of international humanitarian law committed in Gaza. Belgium honoured its new Code of Criminal Procedure provision, which allows Belgian courts to investigate alleged violations abroad if the acts fall under international treaties ratified by Belgium – including the 1949 Geneva Conventions and the 1984 UN Convention Against Torture. The foundation hailed the developments as “a turning point in the global pursuit of accountability” on the war criminals of Israel.

  2. Medieval honour killing in Pakistan 
    It’s 2025 and honour killings are sadly still taking place in the world. Pakistani authorities have arrested at least 13 individuals, including a tribal leader, following a viral video of an honour killing of a couple in Balochistan. The video showed a group of armed men gathered around vehicles in a deserted area, where the victims were pumped with bullets even after they appeared lifeless and dead. According to Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO), an Islamabad-based independent organisation, more than 32,000 cases of gender-based violence were reported nationwide in 2024, including 547 instances of “honour killings” – 32 of them in Balochistan and only one resulting in conviction.

5. FOR YOUR EYES 📺

  1. What are they good for?

  1. TIL: The differences between a leopard, a cheetah, and a jaguar.

  1. Tesla has a car business, solar business, energy business and now - restaurant.

Happy Wednesday!