- The loan agreement for pandas has been extended for Malaysia
- Indonesia is in a deep hole
- Thailand to proceed with the USD29 bil land bridge linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans
IN Malaysia
Is the cost of living in Malaysia going upwards? – The short answer is yes
- Prudential Malaysia announced that it would increase medical health premiums starting next month, as the insurer stated that the decision to jack up the premiums was made due to the increase in the average number of claims by 19.6%, compared to the previous year. Prudential CEO Lim Eng Seong said in the notice that 74 out of 1,000 policyholders made claims under the PRUHealth plan compared with 62 a year ago. Lim also blamed inflation for the reason why the company is being forced to increase the premiums. Wow, it looks like Prudential is really struggling. Let’s see how they perform financially over the past few years. For FY2023, Prudential Assurance Malaysia Berhad recorded an RM5.07 bil revenue, an 11.4% increase compared to the previous year. From a net profit perspective, Prudential enjoys a healthy RM963.47 mil net profit for FY2023, a 68.4% increase compared to FY2022. So, they enjoyed an almost 70% bump in net profit for FY2023, but the moment its insured started to claim more by an average of 20%, instead of taking one for the team, Prudential allegedly decided to straightaway cascade down the cost to the consumers and protect its profits. So, choose your insurance wisely. Like what was said in the movie Everything Everywhere All At One, starring Michelle Yeoh – ‘In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.’ Perhaps they also should add an insurance premium hike.
tunjuk gambar ni tunjuk gambar ni
bila nak client. bila nak ajen.
“Kalau mati “bila lagi nk
anak camne?” melancong free?” https://t.co/khK7b5bo5t pic.twitter.com/nTwAAKMoKB— Argyptism (@ajipkasa) March 24, 2025
- MIDF Research predicted that the top 15% (T15) income bracket fuel subsidy eligibility criteria, to be finalised by mid-2025, may push some consumers to downgrade their vehicle choices or switch to electric vehicles (EVs). However, for the T15, their future vehicle choices may be further limited as the new excise duties on completely knocked down (CKD) components, will drive up the price of CKD cars by 10% – 30%. Susah sangat we naik public transport jela. At least I can say I have a driver commuting to work.
Shorts
- Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad announced that the loan agreement for two giant pandas – Fu Wa and Feng Yi, has been extended between China and Malaysia, a strong indicator of the close relationship between both countries. Fu Wa and Feng Yi, the two giant pandas at Zoo Negara, were loaned from China to Malaysia on May 21, 2014, marking the 40th anniversary of Malaysia-China relations. The couple have produced three offspring, of which all of them were sent back to China.
Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025/03/24/malaysia-china-panda-loan-extended-says-nik-nazmi
- Navy Chief Admiral Zulhelmy Ithnain said that Sarawak’s first naval base will be built in Muara Tebas near Kuching and it will serve as a strategic transit point for submarines. The new naval base dubbed Mawilla 4 was initially planned for construction in Samalaju, Bintulu, but was relocated to Muara Tebas due to various factors. Malaysia currently has two Scopene-class submarines – KD Tunku Abdul Rahman and KD Tunku Abdul Razak, which were commissioned in 2009 and 2010 respectively.
Around the S.E.A.
Indonesia in the spotlight
- The stock market tumbled – The Indonesia Stock Market (JCI) still has not rebounded and suffered more than 4% and its currency hit a three-week low yesterday alone. Traders remained on edge as US President Donald Trump’s barrage of tariffs due next week threatened global trade and economic growth. Alan Richardson, senior portfolio manager at Samsung Asset Management said that Indonesia’s stock market is suffering as investors see Indonesia as uninvestable due to its policy uncertainty, akin to what happened with China in 1H2024.
- Military in Indonesia says: I’m backkk – Indonesia President Parbowo Subinato, an ex-special forces general, has ratified controversial changes to its military law that will open doors for armed forces personnel to hold more civilian posts. Activists stated that this new law would mark a return to the ‘New Order’ era under the former authoritarian rule of Suharto. However, Indonesia Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas was quick to deny the reference as he stated that changes in the military law are needed due to ‘domestic and geopolitical challenges’.
- Ex-Thai PM Thaksin is involved in all things ASEAN – Apart from being the advisor to PM Anwar Ibrahim in regard to Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship, former Thailand PM Thaksin Shinawatra is also part of the ‘dream team’ of advisors that will chart the strategy of the RM3.9 tril new sovereign fund Danantara Indonesia. The ‘dream team’ also include former Indonesian presidents – Joko Widodo and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, founder of the world’s largest hedge fund Bridgewater, Ray Dalio and economist Jeffrey Sachs.
Thailand to push forward with the USD29 bil plan to build a land bridge
Thailand has unveiled draft legislation to create a special economic zone in the south of the country that would pave the way for a multibillion-dollar transport project linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The transport project a.k.a the land bridge, spanning about 100km will connect the Indian and Pacific Oceans via a new highway or rail line. Two new seaports will be constructed at both ends of the land bridge, where the whole project will cost a whopping USD29 bil. To give you an estimation of how expensive is the project, the USD29 bil price tag is equivalent to 20 Burj Khalifas – which only cost USD1.4 bil each. Thailand aims to complete the project by 2030 and foreign investors will be allowed to own more than 50% ventures with local companies to build the infrastructure.
For your EYES only
According to the Malaysianist, Mamee-Double Decker is set to receive an RM1 bil duit raya from Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (Diperbadankan) (KWAP), under the government’s GearUp programme, which aims to push GLIC to invest in high-growth, high-value industries. At the moment, KWAP already owns 9.3% of the snack brand. If the new investment by KWAP materialises, it will value Mamee-Double Decker at RM4 bil. Not too bad for a humble snacks company.
Source:
Mamee-Double Decker is set to receive a RM1 billion investment from KWAP, reports The Malaysianist.
The investment, which is part of the government’s GearUp programme, is expected to value the Malaysian snack maker at RM4 billion.https://t.co/TEKhqmZdii pic.twitter.com/E6OFWUPUVS
— BFM News (@NewsBFM) March 21, 2025
