☕️ Survivors of horrific Gerik bus crash tell their story, investigations reveal disturbing details

1. MARKET SUMMARY 📈

2. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE 🔢

Two out of three Malaysian men are at risk of erectile dysfunction (ED), a significant health concern highlighted by Deputy Health Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni on Tuesday. Data reveals that a substantial 69.5% of men aged 40 and above are currently experiencing or have experienced ED. This condition, often undiscussed, is becoming a serious issue among Malaysian men. Furthermore, the 2019 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) indicated that 31.6% of Malaysian men aged 18 and above already showed moderate to severe levels of ED. Erectile dysfunction is defined as the inability to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual performance, underscoring the widespread impact of this condition.

In the US, the landscape of higher education and early career opportunities has become incredibly competitive. In the past two decades, the number of students applying to the 67 most selective colleges has tripled, reaching nearly two mil a year, while available spots have not kept pace. For instance, roughly 54,000 students vied for a place in Harvard's class of 2028, with about 52,050 ultimately facing rejection. This intense competition mirrors the summer internship market. Goldman Sachs, for example, receives approximately 315,000 applicants for just 2,700 internship positions. Anecdotal evidence suggests some students feel compelled to submit between 150 to 250 internship applications to secure just a few offers, a stark contrast to past decades, where applicants might apply to only a handful of institutions.

Brazil’s agricultural revolution, which began in the 1970s, has transformed the country into the world's largest net exporter of food, largely thanks to a specific type of cattle — the zebu. Today, zebus make up 80% of Brazil’s massive 239 mil-strong herd of cattle. This Indian strain, distinguished by its humped back, was introduced in the 19th century and proved exceptionally resistant to tropical heat and parasites, outperforming European breeds. State-owned agricultural research firm Embrapa played a crucial role, developing crops like brachiaria grass suited for tropical climates, opening up Brazil's vast interior for farming and ranching. Breeding programs have also significantly improved cattle. The average weight of a slaughtered cow in Brazil has increased by 16% since 1997, a testament to the country's success in cultivating these "tropical supercows."

3. IN MALAYSIA 🇲🇾

Vulnerability of our university students in road accidents

Another near-miss near Maran
In a nail-biting incident, 28 passengers, including 13 students from Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), narrowly escaped injury after a tour bus collided with a trailer at KM161 of the East Coast Expressway near Maran around 1am today. The bus, travelling from KL to Kuantan, was in the slow lane when it rear-ended a Nissan trailer. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Passengers were later transferred to a replacement bus to continue their journey. Police have opened an investigation under Section 43(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for careless driving, which carries a penalty of up to RM10,000 and a year in jail.

Survivors of the horrific Gerik bus crash tell their story, receive help
Following the tragic death of 15 UPSI students in a devastating crash in Gerik recently, survivor Lili Suzana Mat Yaakob, 23, recounted that passengers had repeatedly pleaded with the bus driver to slow down due to his reckless driving, but their warnings were ignored. Deputy Minister Noraini Ahmad, who visited the injured, announced that the Ministry would be extending counselling services, welfare assistance, and ongoing support through the Social Welfare Department and the National Welfare Foundation.

Investigations into the fatal crash revealed disturbing details
Police confirmed that the driver involved in the Gerik bus crash had a history of 18 unresolved traffic summonses, including 13 for speeding, three for not wearing a seatbelt, one for a prior accident, and one for a faulty third brake light. In addition, the bus itself had 21 summonses, with five still under investigation and 16 already adjudicated. PDRM, together with the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), JPJ, the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD), and other agencies, has launched a special task force to investigate the incident thoroughly.

Government urged to consider holding companies liable for severe safety failures
Citing the UK’s Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 as a model, Minister in the PM’s Department Azalina Othman Said highlighted its introduction after fatal workplace incidents where corporations evaded accountability. Her remarks came after the tragic Gerik bus crash. Azalina emphasised the need to review enforcement measures and amend the Penal Code to strengthen corporate accountability, stating, “Every life lost is not only a tragedy for the family but a loss for the nation’s future.”
Learn: What is manslaughter?

So, how has the government reacted so far? A policy is being drafted now to include the mandatory use of speed limiters for heavy vehicles, Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced. Well done? Perhaps not, and in fact, very concerning. This is reactive governance (not the first time on display) - actions are only taken when sh*t blows up. Frequently, policymakers have a tendency to overreact to a single incident, giving them the justification to implement new rules, regardless reasonable or otherwise, potentially allowing them to exploit any event to their own advantage and opening the door to authoritarian control.

Something to ponder:

Johor's holdings and Singapore’s urban dilemma
The Singapore government and Johor’s Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sultan Ibrahim have agreed to a land swap involving a total of 21.1 hectares at Holland Road. The Johor royal will transfer 13 hectares closer to the Singapore Botanic Gardens and receive 8.5 hectares of state land in return. Both parcels are of similar value, and development plans subject to environmental and planning approvals will be located away from the UNESCO World Heritage Site to minimise impact. For now, the Singapore government intends to keep the land undeveloped.

Near the Botanic Gardens lies a rare, sprawling 210,875-square-metre plot of green space, roughly 30 times the size of The White House. Shrouded in jungle and housing the fire-ravaged ruins of Istana Woodneuk, a 19th-century palace owned by Johor’s royal family. Valued at around SGD4.7 bil (RM15.47 bil) if zoning laws changed, the land is currently restricted as “green space,” blocking any residential or commercial development despite its location among condos worth SGD4.5 mil each and record-setting good-class bungalows. Once part of a larger estate, portions have been gradually acquired by the government, while the 34-year-old Crown Prince of Johor, Tunku Ismail, remains the registered owner. Meanwhile, the enclave remains one of Asia’s great urban paradoxes, palatial land in a city of high-rise living. In a place where every square metre is gold, this patch of royal serenity speaks louder than money.

Honda recalls nearly 88,000 vehicles over fuel pump defects
Honda Malaysia has issued a precautionary recall involving 87,490 vehicles due to potential fuel pump issues that could lead to engine stalling or failure to start. Of the total, 84,073 units, including the Jazz, City, Civic, Accord, BR-V, HR-V, CR-V and Odyssey, are affected by a fuel pump impeller that may swell after extended fuel exposure. An additional 3,417 units of the Civic and CR-V are impacted by a separate issue where the high-pressure fuel pump may crack, potentially causing leaks or a noticeable fuel odour. The recall extends to models beyond their warranty period, with all repair costs covered by Honda Malaysia. Affected owners will be notified by letter and can check their vehicle status via the HondaTouch app. Replacements, which are free, will be carried out in stages based on parts availability. No crashes or injuries have been reported locally.

Security guards have no right to hold or scan MyKad
The National Registration Department (NRD) has reaffirmed that security guards lack the authority to request, hold, or scan Malaysian identity cards (MyKad), as such actions are illegal unless performed by authorised officials including NRD officers, police, Customs officers, military personnel on duty, or civil servants authorised by the NRD director-general under Regulation 7(1) of the National Registration Regulations 1990. The NRD also emphasised that using electronic devices to scan MyKad data contravenes the Personal Data Protection Act 2010. This clarification follows a viral social media post alleging a security guard had used a device to scan a MyKad, raising concerns about legality. The department urged the public not to surrender their ICs to unauthorised individuals and to report violations immediately.

4. AROUND THE WORLD 🌎

Big plans at Grab:
Opening of GrabCab in Singapore
Grab Holdings has announced that it will enter the taxi business (back to old skool) in Singapore next month, a move to counter the problem of driver shortage in its main business. The cab division is named GrabCab, which obtained a 10-year street-hail service operator license in April. The vehicles to be used would mostly be hybrid or electric, with a plan to expand GrabCab's overall fleet to the legal minimum of 800 vehicles within three years. Grab has so far never operated its own vehicles until now. It previously tried to acquire a taxi company in Singapore but abandoned the effort in 2024 after antitrust regulators deemed the move anticompetitive.

Hopes up high about Grab taking over of Gojek parent GoTo
In another development, Grab Holdings has also announced plans for a USD1.25 bil (RM5.29 bil) sale of bonds convertible into stock that will mature in June 2030, partly to fund potential acquisitions. The news fueled speculation that the company is preparing itself to take over Gojek's parent, GoTo Group. Much excitement has sparked over the prospects of combining the two dominant ride-hailing and food-delivery companies in the region, but Grab did issue another statement on Monday that it is not currently in talks to buy GoTo. Grab’s offering is the largest Asian convertible-bond deal denominated in US dollars since Ping An’s USD3.5bil deal in July 2024, and the biggest by a non-Chinese company since South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix’s USD1.7bil issuance in 2023.

OpenAI hits USD10 bil (RM42.35 bil) in annual revenue
OpenAI said recently that it has hit USD10bil in annual recurring revenue, mostly from ChatGPT business products and its API. It marked an increase from around USD5.5 bil last year. The company is targeting USD125bil in revenue by 2029, but nevertheless is under pressure to increase the number as it also at the same time has to spend billions of dollars on talents and infrastructure for its AI systems.

Tencent Music taking over Ximalaya
Is China getting its own version of Spotify soon? Sounds most likely. Tencent Music Entertainment Group has reportedly agreed to buy Chinese podcasting startup Ximalaya Inc. for USD1.3bil (RM5.52 bil) in cash plus an issuance of stock to founders and backers to help fund the acquisition. Ximalaya is an app-based online audio platform with 303 mil monthly active users as of 2023, while Tencent Music, one of the biggest online music entertainment platforms in China, owns apps such as QQ Music, Kugou, Kuwo and WeSing, according to its website.

Crimes of different severity

Man charged with murder of an unborn baby
A man in Texas has been charged with murder for allegedly slipping a “Plan C” abortion drug into his six-weeks pregnant girlfriend’s drink, resulting in her miscarriage and losing the baby a few days later. The ex-girlfriend also claimed that he suggested the pill after knowing that she was pregnant and offered to cover abortion costs, but she wanted to keep the baby. Further investigations into the case has found out that he had deleted crucial evidence related to the case by resetting it on his mobile phone, in which he is also charged with tampering with physical evidence. Note that Texas has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the US, banning all abortions except in dire medical circumstances.

Nobody wants their pants pulled down
A woman in her 50s in South Korea has been slapped with a USD 2,100 (RM8,894.55) fine for her act of “pantsing” her younger colleague by accident, in front of other colleagues. Pantsing or “debagging” is a term used to describe the pulling down of someone’s trousers, which could include underwear, and is often seen as a common practical joke despite criticism that it is a form of bullying. It has also long been used as a comic routine in TV shows in the country. This was not the first time someone got into trouble for this terrible act - in 2019, a South Korean Olympian was suspended for a year after pantsing his peer and in 2021, a group of elementary school students were investigated for bullying a younger boy at a playground by pulling down his pants.

Shorts

1. Deposit some money and get a Labubu 
   China’s financial regulators have banned its banks from using gifts to lure people into depositing their money amid the falling interest rates and profit margins in the sector. One bank has been offering the wildly popular Labubu collectables in multiple cities for new depositors who can park in CNY50,000 (RM29,492.24) for three months. Others offer free items like rice or small home appliances, as well as e-gifts such as memberships on internet platforms. Chinese lenders are walking a tightrope as they balance between deposit taking and protecting margins that are now at record-low levels across the sector.

2. Time to worry about population decline 
   According to a new report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the world has begun an unprecedented decline in fertility rates, citing the prohibitive cost of parenthood and the lack of a suitable partner as one of the main reasons. The agency surveyed 14,000 people in 14 countries, with a mix of low, middle and high-income countries. It also found out that an even bigger barrier to children than finances was a lack of time. Nevertheless, the UNFPA is urging caution in response to low fertility, as some governments may use it as an excuse to implement nationalist, anti-migrant policies and gender conservative policies. Find out more from the full report.

5. FOR YOUR EYES 📺

Here’s a Fear Factor kind of level to excite your mid-week.

1. When you see no Nemo during scuba diving, but a great white shark instead.

castlesurfco

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2. From the ocean to the skies. POV: skydiving through the clouds.

bigboyben004

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3. Apple WWDC 2025 summary in 9 minutes. One of the major changes - Liquid Glass UI. Yay or Nay?