☕️ Silent health crisis of the poor: 70% of B40 group have non-communicable diseases

1. MARKET SUMMARY 📈

2. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE 🔢

2025 saw a new record in the number of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats to get to Britain, with government data showing 28,076 migrants had made the crossing, up 46% from the same period in 2024. This sharp increase comes as mounting public concern over immigration has led to anti-migrant protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers, with UK PM Keir Starmer coming under more pressure over his approach to immigration. Starmer’s administration has pledged to phase out hotel use by 2029 and to overhaul the asylum system, announcing reforms to speed up asylum appeals and reduce a backlog of over 100,000 cases.

Government aid for first homes saw a total of RM20.9 bil in financing guarantees approved under the Housing Credit Guarantee Scheme. The sum was spread across 88,507 applications from the programme’s implementation in 2008 to May 31, 2025. The fund was increased by RM10 bil this year as well, bringing the overall allocation to RM30 bil. The fund provides financing guarantees of up to RM500,000 for the purchase of a first home, whether new, existing, or auctioned, for the B40 and M40 groups. Here’s their website, if you happen to be in the market for your first home.

Liverpool Football Club’s star player, Mo Salah, is the first footballer to be awarded the Professional Footballers’ Association’s Player of the Year award three times. He first won the award in 2018 after his first season with the club, and again in 2022. This year, he came out on top of a six-man shortlist. The Egyptian, who plays as a forward for the club, had previously won the Premier League Player of the Season award, the Golden Boot for most goals scored with 29 goals, and the Playmaker award for most assists with 18 assists. He played a key role in Liverpool taking the league title, finishing 10 points ahead of runners-up Arsenal. Highlights of his goals in the 2024/25 seaon here - truly remarkable.

3. IN MALAYSIA 🇲🇾

Malaysia in Health
Silent health crisis of the poor: 70% of B40 group with NCDs
Nearly 70% of Malaysians from the B40 group who went for free health checks last year were found to have at least one non-communicable disease (NCD), a stark reminder of the silent health crisis gripping the nation. Of the 301,650 people screened under the PeKa B40 scheme, a quarter had two or more conditions like diabetes, hypertension or high cholesterol, while many were unaware they were even ill. The 2023 National Health and Morbidity Survey also found that 2.5% of adults live with all four major NCDs at once (that’s a rough life), highlighting the scale of the problem. With NCDs already causing 74% of deaths in Malaysia, mostly among those aged 35 to 64, ProtectHealth warns that unless more people come forward for early screening, the country risks greater losses in lives, productivity and families weighed down by costly, long-term treatments.
Learn: What is noncommunicable disease?

Budget 2026: Autism preschools, early education, stronger TVET
Autism support and early childhood education are set for a major boost under the 2026 Budget, with the Deputy PM Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announcing plans to place autism preschools nationwide. After starting with three Kemas autism preschools in Melaka this year, one will be established in every state next year and, by 2027, in every district. As head of the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, he said the Kemas Pra Tahfiz programme will also expand from its current 10,883 kindergartens serving 125,000 children to 140,000 next year, alongside new training for teachers to modernise teaching methods. He added that engagements with stakeholders on the budget will be held coming Thursday, with reforms also aimed at strengthening technical and vocational education and training (TVET).
Learn: What is autism?

Series: Jenayah Malaysia

Authorities freeze RM218 mil in cigarette smuggling case
A major blow has been dealt to a cigarette smuggling syndicate after MACC froze RM218 mil in bank accounts and suspended import licences under Op Sikaro. 14 companies are accused of abusing permits by altering customs codes and product descriptions to avoid taxes, while forwarding agents allegedly falsified documents and operated without licences. MACC special operations director said the group stored tobacco, cigars, cigarettes and liquor in private warehouses before distributing them to the market, causing tax losses of over RM250 mil between 2020 and 2024. He warned that such cases deprive the nation of vital revenue and vowed that MACC would not compromise on corruption, money laundering or smuggling.

Online-based paedophile ring shut down by police
The police took down a pedophile syndicate that operated via the dark web and the Telegram app. Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Commissioner M. Kumar stated that the syndicate’s modus operandi involved using Facebook ads to offer pregnant mothers between RM1,500 and RM3,500 to give their child up for adoption. This syndicate would also cover the mothers’ medical fees before taking them to the National Registration Department to obtain a birth certificate. These children were then sexually abused to produce videos and photos that were uploaded on the dark web as well as shared on a Telegram group chat. The syndicate’s operations started unraveling when the main suspect, a 29-year-old technician in Johor Baru, was arrested with sexual videos and photos of children found on his phone. Madness. 

DBS-Alliance Bank deal stalls on regulatory delay
Singapore’s DBS Group’s ambitions to buy into Alliance Bank Malaysia have hit a roadblock, with its plan to acquire a stake from major shareholder Vertical Theme Sdn Bhd stalled due to pending regulatory approval. Both DBS and Vertical Theme, a Malaysian holding firm partly owned by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund Temasek applied to BNM but have yet to receive the green light to even begin talks. Apparently, Vertical Theme was weighing the sale of its 29% stake, and insiders say DBS may want to lift its holding to as much as 49% through a partial general offer if rules allow. Malaysia currently caps foreign ownership of local banks at 30%, though there has been speculation of possible relaxation in certain sectors. Without approval to go beyond the cap, the deal looks unlikely. A successful transaction would strengthen DBS’s presence in Malaysia, where rivals OCBC and UOB already have an established footprint. Alliance Bank, with a market value of about RM7.8 bil, has seen its shares fall 4.8% this year. As for DBS, its market cap stands at SGD143.4 (RM470.4 bil) - 60.3x of Alliance Bank.

Malaysian higher education rising to new levels
Malaysia’s higher education appeal is growing stronger, with over 139,341 international students from more than 160 countries enrolled at local universities as of Mar 31 alone. Higher Education Minister said the rise not only enriches campus life but also builds globally minded graduates, supported by strong diplomacy and high-impact fields like medicine, engineering, IT and business. The country’s standing as an education hub has been further boosted by improved global rankings. UM climbed to 58th in the QS World University Rankings 2026, UKM reached 126th, while UPM and USM rose to joint 134th and UTM leapt to 153rd. Private institutions are also making waves, with UTP, Taylor’s, UCSI and Sunway breaking into higher tiers, the latter entering the top 500 at 410th. He also highlighted Malaysia’s growing academic profile, with 1,200 joint projects and over a third of research co-authored with foreign partners. Curious how much these international students contribute to our economy.

4. AROUND THE WORLD 🌎

Gaza gauzes
Belgium: Recognise Palestine, sanction Israel
Belgium has announced that it will recognise the state of Palestine at the upcoming UN General Assembly (UNGA), but will only be formalised once the last captive has been released from Gaza and “Hamas no longer has any role in managing Palestine”. The country will also impose 12 firm sanctions towards Israel, including a ban on the import of products from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and “a review of public procurement policies with Israeli companies”. Belgium’s foreign minister said that his country was making the pledge “in light of the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Palestine, particularly in Gaza”.

In case you are wondering what it means when more EU countries are recognising the state of Palestine - It means that the countries will recognise the sovereignty of the Palestinian independent state with borders that existed pre-1967, including the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, and the full establishment of diplomatic relations with the Palestinian state. However, all the related EU countries' conditions for recognition so far is the dismantling of Hamas. Israel and the US continue to criticise this move, calling it a decision that only serves Hamas propaganda. As of Apr, some 147 countries, representing 75% of UN members, had already recognised Palestinian statehood.

It’s a genocide, says the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS)
The IAGS, a world-leading association of genocide scholars that includes a number of Holocaust experts, has declared that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. In its three-page resolution, the IAGS presents a long list of actions undertaken by Israel throughout the 22-month-long war that it recognises as constituting genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Out of its 500 members, 28% took part in the vote and 86% of those who voted supported the resolution. In a summary of Israeli policies and actions, the declaration notes the widespread attacks on both the personnel and facilities needed for survival, including in the healthcare, aid, and educational sectors. The IAGS scholars state that while the Oct 7, 2023, Hamas attack was itself a crime, Israel's response has not only been directed against Hamas but has targeted Gaza's entire population. On another note, UN’s top court, the International Court of Justice, is currently considering a case brought by South Africa in 2023 that argues that Israel is committing genocide. The ICJ has not yet made a determination on the subject and has granted Israel an extension until Jan 2026 to present its defence.

China, India and Russia: Are they BFFs now? 
As the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) unfolded on Sunday, the air was friendly between China, Russia and India with their leaders Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi respectively seen engaging in warm greetings and conversations. Gathering at the summit were leaders from 10 countries - China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus. The member states signed a declaration on Monday agreeing to strengthen cooperation in sectors such as security and economy, touting the gathering as a non-Western style of collaboration and seeking to be an alternative to traditional alliances. Modi told Xi that India was committed to taking “forward our ties on the basis of mutual trust, dignity and sensitivity” and told his ‘dear friend’ Putin that India and Russia stand together ‘even in difficult times’. China and India are the biggest purchasers of crude from Russia, the world’s second-largest exporter. Trump has imposed additional tariffs on India over the purchases but there is no sign that India or China are going to stop the purchases. Putin said, “Russia and India have maintained special relations for decades, friendly and trusting”.

What on Earth
Sudan landslide claimed thousands of lives
More than a thousand residents of a remote village in Sudan’s Marrah Mountains, western Darfur region, were killed by a ravaging landslide that completely flattened their village. The landslide came after days of heavy rainfall in the area, claiming lives of the people living in the crowded village, many of them displaced from other parts of Darfur due to the on-going war. The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) which is in charge of the area has reported the tragedy and appealed to the UN and international aid agencies for assistance in recovering the bodies of victims. The Marrah Mountain region has become a place for shelter of people fleeing clashes between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Dry country Cyprus battling water deficit and desertification
Cyprus, a country lying far east of the Mediterranean Sea has always lived with drought, but changes in climate have begun to make it worse. A church that used to be submerged in the Kouris Reservoir is now fully exposed, with parched earth surrounding the building. Annual rainfall has dropped an estimated 15% in the past 90 years, while temperatures in Nicosia have risen 1.8 degrees Celsius in the past century — double the global average according to official data. With it comes a bigger challenge with water, where the country now has to ramp-up desalination efforts to address its constant water deficit amid population growth and a surge in tourism. Cyprus is also at risk of accelerated desertification due to farming practices.

Biz shorts

1. Kraft Heinz to split business into two 
   Condiment giant Kraft Heinz Co said that they are splitting into two separate public listed companies to streamline their operations. One will include its sauces and boxed meals like Heinz ketchup and Kraft Mac & Cheese, currently generating USD15.4 bil (RM65.17 bil) in sales. The second will sell grocery products like Oscar Mayer hotdogs and Lunchables, currently generating USD10.4 bil of sales. The two companies' names will be determined at a different date.

2. Nestle boss fired after romantic relationship with employee 
   Nestle’s Chief Executive Laurent Freixe was fired by the Swiss food giant because he failed to disclose a “romantic relationship” with a “direct subordinate”, following an investigation that triggered after he was reported via the company’s whistleblowing channel. The investigation started because it represented a conflict of interest, with Nestle saying that it was a “necessary decision”. Freixe had been with Nestle for nearly 40 years but stepped up to the global chief executive role last Sept. Nestle confirmed that he will also not receive an exit package. What a sad way to depart from a company you have served for so long.

5. FOR YOUR EYES 📺

1. Greatest war prank: During World War I, Canadian soldiers threw cans of food across the trenches where German soldiers were, and when the enemy yelled for more, the Canadians threw grenades at them instead. The Germans must have forgotten Sun Tzu’s teaching: “All warfare is based on deception”.

2. Indonesia descends into chaos over its member of Parliament's monthly housing allowance of IDR50 mil (RM12.9k, per month). As for Malaysia, below is an MP’s allowances. No, we are not encouraging riots to address it. But something has to be done to determine an objective and fair compensation to both the MPs and rakyat. PM Anwar said that when all these are combined, the total income of an MP can reach RM30k - RM40k - that’s at least 17x more than the minimum wage.

3. 2 more long weekends coming up. Fancy some mangrove kayaking an hour away from KL? We visited this place a few weeks back and had a good, peaceful time. Book your session with Outdoorgate here.

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