☕️ TVET grads earning more than academic peers

1. MARKET SUMMARY 📈

2. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE 🔢

Malaysians are a rich bunch — The special "A__A" series of vehicle registration number plates issued by the road transport department (JPJ) has generated a substantial RM24 mil for the department. Transport minister Loke Siew Fook announced that this special series was released to commemorate JPJ's 79th anniversary, with the bidding process taking place in Apr. A total of 24,470 individuals participated in the bidding, with 6,746 of them successfully securing their desired number plates. That’s an average of RM3.5k per plate!

In 2023, nearly 80% of the 6,754 reported cases of Occupational Noise-Induced Hearing Disorder (ONRHD) in Malaysia occurred within the manufacturing industry. An analysis of five years of data, spanning from 2019 to 2023, indicates that hearing-related disorders consistently represent the most prevalent occupational illnesses, accounting for 81% of the total 31,488 reported cases of occupational diseases. According to Dr. Majahar, a primary cause of these hearing-related issues is exposure to noise levels exceeding 85 decibels (dB), which surpasses the permissible workplace noise limits outlined in the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 2019.

According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2024: Nutrition, a concerning trend of consuming heavy meals late at night has emerged, with 41.8% of adolescents and 33.5% of adults reporting this habit at least once a week. Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad also highlighted that a significant 63.1% of adolescents and 47.0% of adults consume sugar in excess of recommended dietary levels, with nearly half of this sugar intake originating from sugary beverages.

3. IN MALAYSIA 🇲🇾

Up in smoke: Selangor cracks down on vape ads

TVET grads earning more than academic peers
A new study by the PNB Research Institute (PNBRI) has found that Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates in Malaysia are increasingly earning entry-level salaries on par with or higher than their academically inclined peers, with Malaysian Skills Certificate (SKM Level 3) holders surpassing STPM graduates since 2017 and Diploma Kemahiran Malaysia (DKM Level 4) holders seeing 14% wage rise between 2012–2022 compared to just 2% for academic diploma holders. While the labour market now places greater value on practical skills, 87.8% of TVET graduates still earn under RM2,000 monthly, a disconnect between qualifications and roles. The report recommends expanding access to higher-level TVET qualifications and stronger wage bargaining mechanisms to address stagnation. With employability rates as high as 98.7% at some institutions, the findings signal a shifting tide in how employers value skills over traditional credentials.
Honestly, TVET skills are more AI-proof than knowledge workers. Try getting ChatGPT to service your car. Actually, we might be wrong too:

Degrees losing edge as pay gap with SPM holders shrinks
Also, the PNB Research Institute also found that over the past 25 years, the wage gap between degree holders and SPM graduates has narrowed significantly from 2.7 times in 1997 to just 1.7 times in 2022 largely due to stagnant or declining graduate wages. After adjusting for inflation, entry-level pay fell by 28% for master’s holders and 10% for bachelor’s, while those with lower education levels saw faster wage growth, PMR holders by 89% and SPM by 44%. The report also highlighted growing job mismatch, with over half of diploma holders and 44% of degree holders overqualified for their roles, leading to wage penalties despite minimum wage protections.

Up in smoke: Selangor cracks down on vape ads
Selangor has ordered all local councils to immediately seize and remove advertisements for electronic cigarettes, a strategy aligned with the Control of Tobacco Product for Public Health Act 2023, which bans all forms of advertising and sponsorship of e-cigarette products. The decision, made during a recent coordination meeting chaired by State Public Health and Environment Committee chair Jamaliah Jamaluddin, also addressed enforcement hurdles, licensing, legal gaps, and the challenge of regulating online sale, identified as a key channel for teenage users. Citing the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2022, Jamaliah warned that 14.9% of male teens aged 13–17 are e-cigarette users, stressing the urgency of decisive state-level intervention.

Eco-Shop set for RM6 bil debut amid surging profits
Eco-Shop Marketing Bhd is set to debut on the Main Market this Friday with a RM6.49 bil market cap, reporting a 45% surge in net profit to RM61.72 mil for 3QFY2025, driven by a 17.2% rise in revenue to RM736.35 mil on the back of 26 new store openings. Gross profit jumped 26% to RM206.15 mil with margins improving to 28% thanks to a better product mix and a stronger ringgit against the yuan. Operating expenses rose 16.1% to RM131.13 mil, though efficiency gains trimmed expenses as a share of revenue. For 9MFY2025, net profit rose 35.9% to RM154.91 mil, while revenue hit RM2.1 bil.

Eco-Shop plans to open 70 new outlets annually, banking on untapped potential in Malaysia’s dollar store space, which is expected to grow at a 14.2% CAGR through 2029. The RM392.11 mil IPO will fund distribution centre upgrades (RM200 mil), loan repayments, network expansion and listing costs. Eco-Shop said ‘add to cart’, and investors did!

PNB post record payout, sets sights on RM400bil AUM
Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) posted a record RM14.5 bil in income and bonus distribution for its 18 fixed-price and variable-price funds in 2023, with group net income surging 30.2% to RM16.97 bil and total assets under management (AUM) rising to RM348.3 bil. Performance was fuelled by a positive macroeconomic and capital market environment, strategic asset diversification, and a growing investor base, account numbers reached an all-time high of 16.2 mil, including 13.1 mil unique holders.

ASNB’s Amanah Saham Bumiputra declared a 5.75 sen per unit payout, its highest in five years, while all 18 funds beat benchmarks and 11 of 12 variable-price funds ranked in the top or second quartile among peers. Despite strong performance, PNB flagged challenges ahead including global geopolitical tensions and shifts in US trade policy, but reaffirmed its commitment to the LEAP 6 Strategic Plan with a goal of RM400 bil AUM by 2027. The group aims to strengthen financial literacy, broaden fund accessibility, and roll out new products to address changing consumer spending patterns and pressure on savings habits, supported by intensified sales and distribution efforts.

Shorts

1. DBKL denies cyberattack, blames tech glitch for system crash

   DBKL has refuted claims that its online service system was hacked and held to a USD55 mil (RM236.17 mil) ransom, clarifying instead that a technical disruption affecting 39 systems including e-housing, e-licensing, e-complaints, and e-booking was resolved by May 1. Mayor Maimunah Sharif confirmed there was no ransom demand involved, countering an earlier report citing an MP who claimed to have received the information from a “reliable source.” In the digital age, transparency moves faster than rumours, thankfully.

2. Raise the bar, not just the age: Azalina floats retirement at 65

   Minister in the PM’s Department (Law and Istitutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said has proposed raising Malaysia’s mandatory retirement age from 60 to 65, arguing that many senior citizens today remain healthy, productive, and capable of contributing meaningfully to the workforce. Speaking at her ministry’s 2024 Excellent Service Awards Ceremony, she stressed that her suggestion was personal and not reflective of Cabinet policy, but expressed that officers forced to retire at 60 often still have much to offer. Citing regional examples, she highlighted that in several ASEAN countries, law ministers and judges serve well into their 70s. Currently, the retirement age is set at 60 for both public servants and private sector employees under the Minimum Retirement Age Act 2012.

4. AROUND THE WORLD 🌎

Trump effect:

Trump signs bill outlawing ‘revenge porn’
US President Donald Trump has recently signed the Take It Down Act, a new bill that makes it a federal crime to publish intimate images of a person without their consent, and obligates social media platforms to remove such images within 48 hours after requested by victims. It applies to realistic-looking AI-created images, known as “deep fakes”, as well as genuine photos. While it is welcomed by the bipartisans and backed by many organisations dedicated to combating sexual harassment and assault, digital rights group on privacy and anti-censorship argues that the law could pose risk to free expression and user privacy, as the lawful contents such as satire, journalism, and political speech could be wrongly censored.

Sesame Street - a Trump Tariff casualty and its Netflix future
Following Trump’s recent executive order to stop funding for its free-to-air Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), iconic children’s programme Sesame Street that has been airing for over half a century will now be on Netflix as well. PBS and National Public Radio (NPR) have been alleged by Trump’s administration to have engaged in "biased and partisan news coverage", hence the end of funding. Netflix and Sesame Street agreed to offer 300 mil subscribers a new season of the show and 90 hours of previous episodes on the streaming platform, while PBS will get access to Sesame Street episodes on the same day they are released on Netflix. Sesame Street has long been loved by children and adults alike, founded in the late 1960s as a novel way of teaching American children. Founders of Sesame Street went to the lengths of engaging developmental psychologists to analyse childhood psychology and produce entertaining lessons to educate children on a variety of topics, with lovable characters and collaborations with influential people and celebrities.

Read Elmo’s Linkedin post here on him losing his job following the budget cut.

Regeneron buys 23andMe for USD256 mil (RM1.1 bil) 
DNA profiling company 23andMe has received a new “lease on life” after declaring bankruptcy, thanks to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals who has recently bought the genetic testing company for USD256 mil. Once valued at USD6 bil, 23andMe during its heydays has managed to collect genetic information of roughly 15 mil people. In 2023, the company had to endure reputational damage due to a data breach that exposed sensitive genetic and personal information of its users. It led to the bankruptcy filing and scrutiny from lawmakers and agencies wary of genetic data ending up in the hands of malicious parties. Nevertheless, acknowledging the issue, Regeneron said it will uphold 23andMe’s existing privacy policies and comply with all applicable data protection laws and is even optimistic that their investments in genomics “make good strategic sense”. Fun fact: CEO of 23andMe Anne Wojcicki was once married to Sergey Brin, one of Google’s co-founders.

Another utility blackout hit Spain
Merely weeks after a nationwide power blackout, Spain went into another utility chaos yesterday morning as its major mobile network outage left millions without phone or internet access. The mobile blackout affected all major telecom providers, disrupting services in cities across the country such as Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia, Bilbao, and Malaga. EU-wide emergency numbers were also disrupted in several regions, prompting authorities to issue alternative contact numbers. Spanish media attributed the failure to a major technical fault during a network upgrade by Telefonica, the country's second-largest company and key operator for most of Spain’s mobile infrastructure. Telefonica acknowledged the problem, stating that they are working on resolving the issue. The nationwide power outage in Apr, dubbed the 2025 Iberian Peninsula Blackout, left Spain and parts of Portugal without electricity for nearly 10 hours, severely affecting transport systems, payment terminals, and public safety infrastructure.

Shorts:

1. Israel continues to batter hospitals and healthcare in Gaza 
   The Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza has yet again been targeted by Israel, effectively forcing it to shut down and cripple services in all public hospitals in North Gaza. On and on again, the world watches as Israel continues to bombard health facilities, medical personnels and patients - an obvious violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention which considers the act as a war crime. Incessant attacks on Gaza’s healthcare sector have left it reeling, devastating its ability to function, while doctors say they are out of medicine to treat routine conditions. Strikes over the weekend have also put the European Hospital, the only remaining facility providing cancer treatments in Gaza, out of service.

2. US surgeons perform first human bladder transplant 
   Surgeons from UCLA and USC have successfully carried out the world’s first human bladder transplant, igniting new hope for people suffering from debilitating bladder conditions. Human bladder transplant has never been performed before due to some complexities with the pelvic region’s vascular structure. Most patients have to undergo bladder removal, with a portion of their intestine repurposed to help them pass urine. However bowel tissue, riddled with bacteria, is “inherently contaminated” causing it to infect the “inherently sterile” urinary tracts that leads to complications in up to 80% of the patients.

3. Scientists reports emerging threats facing bees
   Bees, the world’s essential global pollinators, are on the brink of crisis, as scientists report 12 most pressing threats to it over the next decade. Among the emerging threats are war zones, microplastics and artificial street lights - factors that disrupt the natural behaviours of bees and contaminate their beehives. Furthermore, scientists are calling for the world to make an effort in protecting the bees, as these pollinators are central to our food systems, climate resilience and economic security. How much further can humans harm this planet?

5. FOR YOUR EYES 📺

1. Heaven and hell - same same but different.

2. China taking drone warfare to the next level. Read more here.