The drug price display law, which is being mandated by Putrajaya, has been enforced since May 1, which will help consumers to be more informed in making decisions relating to their healthcare. Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad and Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Armizan Ali, in a joint statement, said the price transparency mechanism will allow patients to compare prices of medication and exercise judgment in making their choice. However, the authorities will still be lenient in their enforcement, especially in the first three months, to provide advocacy for health facilities to comply with the law. Unfortunately, not every good thing is likeable by everyone. Doctors strongly opposed the law and planned to organise a mass protest next week, in which the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) will participate. Their reason for the protest against the law is that the sale of medication is the only thing keeping clinics afloat, as the general practitioner (GP) fees have not been revised for the past 33 years. They added that the push for the law without revising the GP fees will lead to 136,000 private healthcare workers suffering wage cuts, stagnant salaries, or losing their jobs. Risau periuk nasi sendiri rupanya, cakaplah awal-awal.

Source: https://m.malaysiakini.com/news/741969

While some doctors are preparing to hold up the picket line in order to allegedly jaga their bottom line, pharmacies in Penang have started to comply with the law. A clinic in the island state, Welling Pharmacy Rock, said that it will ensure full compliance with the law in order to avoid being fined. Failure to comply with the order is punishable with up to RM100,000 in fines. Consumers also welcomed the move by the government, who view the law as a manifestation of the government’s concern for the rights and welfare of the people in obtaining health services transparently. One consumer group, the Malaysian Consumer and Family Economics Association, expressed its disappointment that the doctors rejected the law, and the doctors’ reaction failed to reflect the level of professionalism expected of them. The consumer suggests that doctors should collectively issue a paper stating their stance on the drug price display order, including concrete justification to support their stance.

Source: https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2025/05/1210053/penang-pharmacies-begin-medicine-price-label-compliance

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025/05/01/consumers-hail-govt-order-for-display-of-medicine-prices

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/05/01/issue-paper-with-reasoned-objections-to-drug-price-display-order-gps-told

White and blue-collar criminals in action

• The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has pulled in four people, including one individual with a ‘Datuk Seri’ title, to assist in its probe into the alleged false claim amounting to RM360 mil related to the 18km Maju Expressway Extension. MACC believed that the RM360 mil was allegedly siphoned from the RM1.3 bil of funds raised via sukuk by MEX II Sdn Bhd, an entity owned by Maju Holdings Sdn Bhd, to undertake the proposed 18km Putrajaya-KLIA Highway, also known as the MEX Extension. The project is intended to be a three-lane dual carriageway that will start at MEX’s Putrajaya Interchange and merge onto the existing KLIA highway. The sukuk was issued to finance the MEX Extension, however, the project was delayed and eventually stalled due to cash flow issues (any project in the world will be stalled if almost 30% of the funds intended for the project were missing due to ‘false claims’). MEX Extension was originally planned for completion by December 2019.

Source: https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/753625

• Breaking news – Pablo Escobar is not dead but reincarnated into a druglord in Malaysia as the police have uncovered RM82 mil worth of narcotics in a drug bust towards a family-run, internationally linked drug syndicate. According to Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (JSJN) acting director Deputy Commissioner Mat Zani @ Mohd Salahuddin Che Ali, the syndicate received the drugs from overseas via Port Klang, in gunny sacks mixed with fine plastic flakes. Then, the syndicate will coordinate, package and distribute the drugs for the domestic and international markets such as South Korea and Japan. The police suspected that the drugs originated from Latin America and utilised Malaysia as a transit point. The police intend to work with the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) on this matter. Oh, did I forget to mention that the RM82 mil worth of narcotics or 2.165 tonnes of methamphetamine, ketamine and ecstasy, were seized at residential homes in Cheras. Stand aside, Kajang, Cheras is the new Colombia.
• Source: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/04/29/police-bust-family-run-drug-syndicate-arrest-three-seize-rm82m-worth-of-drugs-in-major-raid-in-cheras-and-kajang/174940

Around the S.E.A

US economy contracting? No problem, says Trump

In response to the news that the US economy is shrinking for the first time since 2022, US President Donald Trump stated that as far as he was concerned, all is well with the economy and everything else, too. The data on the contraction of the US economy came just after the 100th day mark of his second presidency. The US Commerce Department recently reported that the US’ GDP shrank by 0.3% for 1Q2025, contrary to the previous projection that the economy would grow by 0.8%. The 1Q2025 performance was also a far cry compared to the US economy’s 4Q2024 performance, which grew by 2.4%. The negative growth rate for 1Q2025 was due to the blanket tariff announced by Trump. Although the Trump administration’s blanket tariffs were announced on April 2, after the end of the quarter, businesses sought to get ahead of the impact of the import duties by front-loading purchases early in the year. Because imports are subtracted from GDP, it depressed first-quarter economic growth to the lowest level since early 2022.

Source: https://www.malaymail.com/news/money/2025/05/02/contraction-what-contraction-trumps-cabinet-dismisses-economic-concerns-as-us-gdp-shrinks/175174

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gdp-report-today-trump-tariffs-economy-first-quarter-2025/

Singapore is bracing for its tightest general election so far tomorrow

As Singapore is going head first into the closest fought general election since its independence, it is always known that the question is not on who is going to win but instead, by how many more seats the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) will lose in the Parliament. Youth is playing a key role in this upcoming election, as we see more young candidates contesting in the polls. For example, 24-year-old Heng Zheng Dao is the youngest candidate to contest in the election, fighting against the PAP’s Lee Hsien Loong-led team at the Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency (GRC). This year’s election sees a stronger push by parties to renew their ranks, with 44 candidates under the age of 40, up from 32 in GE2020. Candidates’ ages range from 24 to 85, with a median of 48, slightly down from 49 in the previous election. To all our Singaporean friends, vote well, and we will see you again on social media soon to continue our bickering on whose food tastes better.

Source: https://www.malaymail.com/news/singapore/2025/05/01/singapore-ge2025-youth-surge-meets-veteran-stalwarts-in-most-age-diverse-race-yet/175196