☕️ Strait of Malacca, here comes the US

1. MARKET SUMMARY 📈

2. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE 🔢

Around 170 – That’s the estimated number of hippopotamuses roaming freely in central Colombia as of 2022, making it the only non-African country to host the semiaquatic mammals. However, the country’s Environment Minister has approved plans for up to 80 of them to be euthanised. This comes after previous attempts to control the population have proven to be too expensive or ineffective. Hippos were introduced to Colombia in the 1980s by infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar, who brought in four to display in his private zoo. Their numbers swelled after Escobar died. Unfortunately, they cannot be returned to their native habitat, as their limited gene pool means they could carry diseases.

193 – That’s the estimated age of the world’s oldest living tortoise, which can now claim that reports of its death were greatly exaggerated. The tortoise, named Jonathan, was reported to have died on the island of St Helena, but this was disputed by both the island’s mayor and the vet who cared for Jonathan. The death report was false. The true age of Jonathan remains unknown, though a photograph taken in 1882 shows him fully grown when he was first brought to the island, with experts suggesting he was about 50 at the time.

USD220 (RM869) – That’s the price of a giant African harvester ant queen on the black market, prized by international ant collectors and smugglers tapping into the pet craze for keeping ants in transparent enclosures. The ant is native to East Africa and is known for its distinctive seed-gathering behaviour. The scale of the illicit trade in Kenya became apparent when 5,000 queens were found alive in a guest house, packed with moist cotton wool in test tubes and syringes. This would enable each ant to survive for up to two months, giving the dealers time to sell the ants across markets in Europe and Asia.

3. IN MALAYSIA 🇲🇾

Rosmah stones ‘too many to count’
A 2018 police raid on a luxury Pavilion Residences condominium revealed a stash of jewellery so massive that officers literally could not count it. During the 1MDB-related investigation, former CCID director Amar Singh Ishar Singh testified that police discovered 71 suitcases and over 200 boxes filled to the brim with items. The sheer volume was so overwhelming that the team had to resort to wrapping bags in airport-style plastic to maintain integrity before transporting them to Bukit Aman in a five-truck convoy. “There were just too many for us to tabulate.” Winner line.

This testimony comes as part of a lawsuit by Beirut-based jeweller Global Royalty Trading SAL, which is suing Rosmah Mansor for the return of 43 out of 44 pieces of jewellery, or compensation of RM67.5 mil. The jeweller claims Rosmah falsely blamed the Malaysian government for the "disappearance" of their diamond necklaces, bracelets, and tiaras after they were seized. While the police managed to identify and return just one item to the jeweller, the total haul found at the premises reportedly included 1,041 pieces of jewellery.

Office creeps top sexual harassment complaint list
New data from the Tribunal for Anti-Sexual Harassment (TAGS) reveals that co-workers are the biggest offenders, accounting for 50 out of the 86 total complaints filed since the tribunal was established in Mar 2024. The demographics show a clear trend, mostly younger women reporting older men, while the types of harassment vary from verbal and physical to visual, which includes being forced to look at sexual images or "suggestive" gestures. 

This matters because TAGS was designed to be a “fast-track” justice system, promising to resolve cases within 60 days without the need for lawyers. However, the numbers suggest a massive reporting gap; while TAGS saw only 86 cases in two years, police recorded a staggering 872 cases as of last Oct. The ministry is now pushing for more awareness to bridge this gap.

The tribunal is currently upgrading its digital systems, but the core issue remains a lack of reporting. Whether it’s fear of retaliation or just not knowing TAGS exists, many victims are still suffering in silence. If you’re being harassed, you can file a complaint at the TAGS counter at the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, or call Talian Kasih at 15999. Nobody should have to deal with an office creep. Read the FAQ of TAGS here.

MCMC sues Sunway Lagoon for RM1.85 mil
MCMC is taking Sunway Lagoon to court over a family day event. Filed at the Shah Alam High Court, the lawsuit seeks RM1.85 mil in damages following a massive food poisoning incident during an MCMC-organised gathering in late 2025. The commission is demanding a full refund of the RM1.82 mil spent on the event, plus medical costs and other damages, alleging that negligence in food preparation caused hundreds of its staff and their families to fall ill.

For Sunway Lagoon, this is a PR nightmare. While the theme park operator has denied liability and maintains that all food safety protocols were strictly followed, MCMC isn't backing down, claiming the "causal link" is clear when half your office ends up in the emergency room.

Putrajaya pushes rail relief plan with discounted KTMB fares
Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced that KTMB will offer a 30% discount on ETS tickets and the ERT line for mid-week travel (Monday to Thursday), provided you book by Apr 30 for travel until Oct 2026. For the airport crowd, ERL is rolling out MyPutrajaya and MyKLIA monthly passes with savings of up to 90% for civil servants and airport staff. It’s a solid move to boost ridership, though the ETS discount excludes business class, so no cheap luxury for the rich.

Beyond the tracks, the government is also tackling the aviation mess. Following massive flight disruptions that could cost the economy between RM15 bil and RM150 bil this year, a RM5 mil allocation will provide RM50 airfare rebates for those flying between Peninsular and East Malaysia during the Gawai and Kaamatan festivals. This rebate is expected to benefit 100,000 passengers, while the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia is giving airlines some breathing room by extending payment terms for regulatory charges to 60 days.

Shorts:

1. Inspector with mental illness held over hit-and-run

   A 40-year-old police inspector has been remanded for four days following a chaotic hit-and-run that left seven vehicles damaged, including a police MPV and a motorcycle. The suspect, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and is facing medical retirement, allegedly rammed through traffic in a dangerous attempt to evade the Kuala Lumpur Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department. The spree started last Friday when he hit Constable Roslan Salleh, 27, causing injuries to his head and ribs. While his breathalyser test was negative, authorities are still waiting for urine screening results.

2. CEO busted over squash court bribe

   MACC caught up with the CEO of a federal statutory body at a Bukit Jalil shopping complex on Monday night. The man, in his 40s, is suspected of taking bribes related to a contract for a squash court. While he allegedly demanded a whopping RM1 mil to approve contractor claims, he was detained after reportedly receiving RM100,000 in cash. Turns out, he also allegedly pocketed a RM500,000 "advance" just in time for the Hari Raya celebrations.
   In other MACC related news, RM786K worth of artworks purchased with misappropriated funds from 1MDB have been repatriated. To date, the MACC confirmed that approximately RM31.2 bil of 1MDB’s funds has been recovered, nearly 70% of total identified assets.

3. Govt increases Apr diesel cash aid to RM400

   Putrajaya is pumping more cash into the pockets of diesel users as global oil prices go haywire. The Ministry of Finance has bumped up the Budi Diesel Individu and Budi Agro-Komoditi aid for Apr to RM400, up from the previous RM300. This RM75 mil top-up aims to cushion 350,000 farmers and vehicle owners in Peninsular Malaysia against unsubsidised diesel prices that have hit a staggering RM6.72 per litre. The government is also nearly doubling the paddy ploughing incentive to RM300 per hectare.

4. AROUND THE WORLD 🌎

Global oil demand to plunge further amid the war
As the US-Israel war on Iran continues to disrupt the oil flow and world economy, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has sharply cut its forecasts for global oil supply ⁠and demand growth, saying both are expected to fall from last year’s levels. The IEA sees global oil demand falling by 80,000 barrels per day (bpd) this year, compared with a projected year-on-year rise of 640,000 bpd in its previous monthly report. The projected 1.5 mil bpd drop in demand in the second quarter of this year would mark the deepest contraction since the COVID-19 pandemic. It also added that oil demand could plunge even further if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. Adding salt to wound, the new US blockade has further clouded the outlook for global energy security and the supply of a vast array of goods that rely on petroleum.

Russia gains: Meanwhile, thanks to the surge in prices, Moscow’s ‌revenues from crude oil and refined products ⁠rose in ⁠Mar, rebounding from Feb when they fell to their lowest level since the start of the all-out war on Ukraine in 2022.

Cement maker Lafarge convicted of financing terror groups
French company Lafarge has been fined EUR1 mil (RM4.64 mil) by a French court, which also sentenced its former boss to six years in prison for paying protection money to Islamic State (IS) and other terror groups in war-torn Syria from 2013 to 2014. The court found that Lafarge, now part of the Swiss conglomerate Holcim, paid nearly EUR5.6 mil via its subsidiary Lafarge Cement Syria (LCS) to terror groups and intermediaries to keep its plant operating in northern Syria. While other multinational companies left Syria in 2012 after the civil war began, Lafarge evacuated only its expatriate employees and left its Syrian staff in place until Sept 2014, when IS seized control of the factory. LCS then paid intermediaries to access raw materials from IS and other groups and to allow free movement for the company’s trucks and employees. Holcim, which took over Lafarge in 2015, has said that it did not know about the Syria dealings. Lafarge is also under investigation in France for alleged complicity in crimes against humanity.

In SEA
Is Indonesia now a military buddy of the US?
The US is quick to hail the establishment of a “major defence cooperation partnership” with Indonesia, with its Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confidently saying that Washington and Jakarta’s security relationship was “active and growing”. The US is seeking “blanket” overflight access for military aircraft through Indonesian airspace, adding that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had approved the proposal. While there is a joint statement on the new partnership that says the two sides agreed to work together, Indonesia responded that the two countries are still discussing a “Letter of ⁠Intent” and that only a preliminary draft on overflight was being discussed internally. The draft is neither final nor binding, the ⁠ministry added. The two sides had agreed to work on co-developing “sophisticated asymmetric capabilities, pioneering next-generation defence technologies in the maritime, subsurface and autonomous systems domains”, and improving operational readiness.

Philippines alleges China of toxic sabotage in South China Sea
The Philippines has accused Chinese fishermen of pouring cyanide into waters in the Spratly Islands, an area that sits near vital shipping lanes and is reputedly rich in minerals. The area is also a flashpoint between the two nations due to the dispute over the territory. The Philippines said it is an act of sabotage aimed at killing local fish populations, depriving Navy personnel of a vital food source. Manila and Beijing have a long history of maritime territorial disputes in the hotly contested waterway, including a violent clash in June 2024 in which Chinese coastguard personnel, wielding knives, sticks, and an axe, boarded Philippine Navy boats. Beijing claims the strategic South China Sea in nearly its entirety, despite an international ruling that its claim lacks legal basis.

Shorts:

1. Lululemon investigated over “forever chemicals”
   Popular athleisure brand Lululemon is being investigated by the Texas Attorney General over the potential presence of "forever chemicals" in its activewear, particularly per- ​and polyfluoroalkyl substances, aka PFAS. This group of widely used materials does not break down easily in nature and could be ​linked to endocrine disruption, infertility, cancer and other health risks. Lululemon said that its products do not contain any PFAS, and that it has phased out the substance in fiscal 2023, after limited use in durable water repellent products.

   Learn: What is PFAS?

2. OpenAI boss almost killed by firebombs
   A man who allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman’s luxury California home last Friday has been charged for attempting to kill the OpenAI boss. Prosecutors said that the man, Daniel Moreno-Gama, 20, fled on foot to the San Francisco headquarters of OpenAI, where he tried to smash the glass doors of the building with a chair, after throwing the firebomb at the gates of Altman’s home. He faces one charge of damage and destruction of property by means of explosives, and one of possession of an unregistered firearm.

3. LinkedIn is grabbing a piece of the AI pie
   LinkedIn has confirmed it is in the early stages of launching an "AI labour marketplace" where people can make up to USD150 (RM592.65) an hour training AI chatbots to get better at everything from coding to nursing to finance. These human AI trainers are a new type of gig work spurred by the AI boom and has led to the creation of several rapidly growing AI training startups that serve clients like Anthropic. The move puts LinkedIn in direct competition with a host of fast-growing AI training startups that match frontier AI labs like OpenAI with human talent to improve their models.

5. FOR YOUR EYES 📺

Parenting both ways - your kids, your parents

1. A recent viral hack involved randomly calling the name “Jessica”, helping parents to calm down their kids from crying and screaming. Doctor explains why - pattern interruption.

2. The art of carrying a newborn baby to ease their crying.

3. Fathers and the rough-and-tumble play - looks dangerous, but the pros outweigh the cons.

4. Reminder to self: be patient with my parents.