☕️ The RM75 bil ECRL: 82% complete, to start operations in 2027

1. MARKET SUMMARY 📈

2. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE 🔢

31,180 sqm – This is the total area of potholes (about 4.4 football fields) on federal and state roads in Kelantan that the Public Works Department (JKR) has repaired since January. Of this, 21,580 sq m were on federal roads and 9,600 sq m were on state roads. The JKR emphasises its commitment to immediate response and repair within 24 hours upon receiving reports of potholes. This follows a directive from the Works Minister urging road maintenance concessionaires to promptly address road damage to prevent accidents, with temporary patching required within a day and permanent repairs within three days under JKR's policy.

USD125 mil (RM532 mil) – The potential earnings for the winner of FIFA’s inaugural 32-team Club World Cup in the United States could reach this record-breaking sum. This figure is part of a total prize money fund of USD1 bil allocated for the tournament, which will take place from June 14 to July 13. FIFA has guaranteed USD 525 million in fees for participating teams, ranging from USD38.19 mil for the top-ranked European team to USD3.58 mil for the Oceania representative.

Two years later — A 35-year-old Australian woman was arrested for allegedly stealing a bottle of perfume valued worth SGD248 from The Shilla Duty Free Perfume and Cosmetics Shop at Changi Airport Terminal 1 in March 2023. Singaporean police were alerted to the missing item and identified the woman, who had already left the country. She was apprehended upon her return to Singapore on March 31 and faces a charge of theft in a dwelling, which carries a potential jail sentence of up to seven years and a fine.

3. IN MALAYSIA 🇲🇾

Full steam ahead: ECRL on track to transform Malaysia’s rail and landscape
The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), the RM74.96 bil, 665km (RM112.8 mil per km on average) rail network connecting Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, and Selangor, has reached 82.45% completion as of April. Phase 1 (Kota Bharu-Gombak) is on track for completion by the end of 2026, while Phase 2 (Gombak-Port Klang) targets December 2027. Over 400km of track from Maran to Kota Bharu has already been laid ahead of schedule, and tunnelling works for 38 out of 41 tunnels, including the 16.39km Genting Twin Tunnel, are complete. Commercial services will commence in January 2027, reducing Kota Bharu-Gombak travel time to four hours. The ECRL is set to ease traffic, lower emissions, and provide a cleaner, more sustainable option for both cargo and commuters.

Once the ECRL begins operations, about 1,800 jobs will be created, of which at least 80% will go to Malaysians. The ECRL Industrial Skills Training Programme (PLKI-ECRL) is designed to build a skilled local workforce and looks to train up to 3,200 individuals in roles ranging from train operations to systems maintenance for the ECRL’s operations and maintenance (O&M) phase. This year, 210 trainees will head to Liuzhou, China, for a year of specialised training, with the first batch of 102 leaving in stages starting May 15. Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirmed that all trainees will be offered jobs upon completion, marking a pivotal shift from infrastructure building to human capital development.

The China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) has also committed RM12 mil to support the PLKI-ECRL initiative as part of its sponsorship commitment to the programme. Additionally, a new operating entity, ECRL Operation Sdn Bhd, has been established as a joint venture between Malaysia and China to oversee the long-term management and service delivery of the megaproject.

Breakdown on the billions spent:

Mystery in plain sight: the disappearance of Datin Seri Pamela Ling
Police have confirmed that Datin Seri Pamela Ling Yueh’s husband is a possible suspect in her mysterious disappearance, with the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) revealing that over 16 individuals, including the husband, have had their statements recorded thus far. The couple’s children, currently in Singapore, will also be interviewed. While no motive has been established, the IGP confirmed that the case is being investigated under Section 363 of the Penal Code for kidnapping, and that Ling’s husband is still in Malaysia. Meanwhile, the Bukit Aman CID director confirmed that the three vehicles used in Ling’s suspected abduction carried fake number plates, according to checks with the Road Transport Department (JPJ). Authorities are now combing through CCTV footage across Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, and Selangor’s borders to trace the vehicles involved. As the search intensifies and questions swirl around police impersonators and security lapses, one can’t help but wonder, how does a woman vanish in plain sight, with no ransom and no trace?

Trade tensions rise: US flags Malaysia’s policies
The US has flagged Malaysia’s stringent halal import rules and 30% bumiputera equity requirement in foreign-owned firms as key trade barriers in its 2025 National Trade Estimate Report, citing them as some of the reasons for a proposed 24% tariff on Malaysian exports to the US, now provisionally reduced to 10% for 90 days pending negotiations. The US Trade Representative's office criticised Malaysia’s insistence on halal-only facilities, multi-layered meat export approvals, and rigid food laws, saying they impose costly delays and deter newer US products. It also indicated restrictions across sectors like banking, oil and gas, and media, where foreign equity is capped or barred. Talks are ongoing, with PM Anwar Ibrahim asserting that Malaysia will not compromise on its core policies. In trade, the price of sovereignty is often paid in tariffs.

Shorts

1. Malaysia braces for rice risks amid regional tensions
   Malaysia might ramp up rice imports from regional neighbours like Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia as tensions between India and Pakistan, who collectively supply 38% of Malaysia’s rice, threaten to disrupt the country’s food security, said Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu. Speaking at the launch of Perak’s Certified Padi Seed Production Centre, he expressed hope that conflict would be avoided but stressed the need for preparedness. Meanwhile, he dismissed concerns over the potential panic buying of eggs and downplayed price hike fears following subsidy removals, noting that global feed costs are easing. In food security, calm preparation often beats crisis reaction.

2. Malaysia’s VFX prodigy hits new Hollywood high
   Malaysian VFX wizard and digital content creator Sofyank (Mohamad Sofian Abdullah) has hit a career high, teaming up with Hollywood A-lister Tom Cruise for a special visual effects video shoot in Tokyo. He teased the exciting collaboration with a snapshot of them together on Instagram, thanking fans for their support and urging them to stay tuned. Known for his viral, high-calibre visual effects, Sofyank’s latest venture marks a major leap from local stardom to the global stage. From Kuala Lumpur to cruising with Cruise, this is one crossover we sure didn’t know we needed. Check out his VFX works on his Instagram here.

4. AROUND THE WORLD 🌎

Backlash for Gaza plans and boycott bans
UN, aid agencies reject Israel security cabinet’s Gaza plan
The UN and other aid agencies have called the Israeli security cabinet’s “capture Gaza” plan a “breach of basic humanitarian principles” and have refused to cooperate with it, even as Hamas rejects the plan as “pressure and blackmail”. Within Israel, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents hostages' relatives, said the plan was an admission by the government that it was "choosing territories over the hostages" and that this was "against the will of over 70% of the people" in Israel.

Israeli PM Netanyahu said that the cabinet approved a plan to expand Israel’s military offensive against Hamas, A.K.A. a “forceful operation” to destroy Hamas and, after that, rescue its remaining hostages. Of course, the plan includes the full capture of Gaza, in which the population of 2.1 mil “will be moved in order to protect it”, most likely to the south, again. It also outlined, in principle, a plan to deliver aid through private companies, which would end a two-month blockade the UN says has caused severe food shortages. Israeli media reported that the first stage would include the seizure of additional areas of Gaza and the expansion of the Israeli-designated "buffer zone" running along the territory's borders.

US bill to ban Israel boycotts faces internal backlash over free speech
Meanwhile, in Washington, allies of Trump at the US Congress have stated their opposition towards a bill that aims to further penalise the boycotting of countries “friendly to the US”. Several conservatives, albeit close to Trump, voiced opposition to the bill, saying that it jeopardises free speech. With these opposing voices, it is most likely that the bill will not pass. Dubbed the International Governmental Organization (IGO) Anti-Boycott Act, the proposed legislation was introduced by pro-Israel hawks in the US Congress, Republican Mike Lawler and Democrat Josh Gottheimer, in January, and has been co-sponsored by 22 other lawmakers from both major parties. Expanding the legislation to include IGOs risks penalising individuals and companies in the US that boycott firms listed by the UN as doing business in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Europe calls for US scientists with an attractive USD566mil fund
European Commission (EU) President Ursula von der Leyen recently unveiled a USD566 mil funding package designed to turn Europe into a global hub for scientific research, effectively luring US scientists into the EU as they face Trump’s research budget cuts across the nation. Dubbed the "Choose Europe" initiative, the package includes "super grants" for top-tier scientists through the European Council Research, longer contracts and expanded incentives for early-career scientists, and doubled relocation bonuses for researchers who choose the EU as their base. The Trump administration has already frozen USD2.3bil in federal funding to Harvard University, suspended dozens of federal research grants at Princeton University, and signed an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education. The cuts have triggered hiring freezes, layoffs, and fears of a long-term brain drain that could weaken the US’s position as a global science leader.

Business:
OpenAI says non-profit will remain in control after backlash
After a power struggle over the business, ChatGPT parent OpenAI has announced that its non-profit arm would continue to control OpenAI, but the company will eventually become a public benefit corporation. Unlike traditional for-profit companies, which are bound to act in service to shareholders, a public-benefit corporation is also responsible for a public mission. The update follows widespread scrutiny of the startup, which began as a non-profit and faced criticism that its quest for growth is pushing it to stray from its original mission of creating technology for the benefit of humanity. However, OpenAI's former policy and ethics adviser said the update did not resolve issues such as who would own the firm's technology and how its goals would be prioritised.

DoorDash to buy Deliveroo for USD3.9 bil
US meal delivery firm DoorDash will be acquiring its British rival Deliveroo for GBP2.9 bil (USD3.9 bil), after the latter finally agreed to a 180 pence per share proposal. DoorDash had approached Deliveroo earlier in 2024, but their offer was rejected due to the proposed valuation at that time. DoorDash, which controls two-thirds of the restaurant delivery market in the US, will expand its reach to more than 40 countries with the acquisition. The two companies combined had a gross order value of about USD90 bil in 2024 and have a combined 50 mil monthly active users. The acquisition will help DoorDash grow its market share in Europe, competing against Just Eat and Uber Eats and reaching out to Deliveroo’s largest market in Britain and Ireland. As if one massive deal is not exciting enough, hours after announcing this, DoorDash then bought restaurant tech company SevenRooms for USD1.2 bil.

Shorts:

1. Sir David Attenborough has the “greatest message” for the world

   Almost-centenarian Sir David Attenborough has one important message in conjunction with his 99th birthday this week — that the world takes firm action to address the rapidly deteriorating state of our oceans. He believes that his latest cinema-length film Ocean could play a decisive role in saving biodiversity and protecting the planet from climate change. The film documents how the conditions of the world’s oceans and our understanding of how they function have changed in the course of his lifetime. Attenborough also hopes that this new film will spur world leaders to take firm action on their promise to protect a third of the world’s oceans at a UN conference next month. Ocean will be in cinemas across the UK from Thursday. Trailer below.

2. Majority of Americans and west Europeans think a “third world war” is looming within a decade

   In conjunction with the 80th year of Victory in Europe (VE) Day in the UK, a poll run by British firm YouGov discovered that many Americans and Western Europeans believe that a third global conflict could break out within a decade. The probable causes are likely tensions with Russia, followed by Islamic terrorism. Majorities of 68% to 76% said they expected any new conflict would involve nuclear weapons, and between 57% and 73% also said a third world war would lead to a greater loss of life than in 1939-1945. Many (25% to 44%) believed it would kill most people in the world. Interestingly, almost half of Germans (47%) said they also thought their country had been “overly conscious of its Nazi past”, preventing it from acting strongly enough on more recent problems. Read more on the results here.

5. FOR YOUR EYES 📺

Entertainment Today

1. Squid Game: Season 3 trailer. Out this coming Jun 27.

2. Throwback to when the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, was in Malaysia back in 1996. He even visited One Utama.

3. Famous songs/soundtracks you know of, but not their names. Now you know the name of track #42.