- KLIA Aerotrain rosak lagi
- Mr DIY to go public in Thailand
- Madagascar military coup
IN MALAYSIA
The joke of the week – KLIA Aerotrain
Let’s start this fable of the week, as earlier this week, Deputy Transport Minister Hasbi Habibollah, with his chest span wide open and confidently told the Parliament, that after experiencing 19 operational issues between July 2 and September 30, the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Aerotrain system has now achieved full operational stability. Hasbi added that the new aerotrain system is currently under a two-year defects liability period, and the train manufacturer, Alstom, may face fines of up to RM190,000 a month if it fails to meet performance standards.
Then, shit went to the bin when yesterday, not one, but both aerotrains experienced a temporary power trip, resulting in a service disruption. The service disruption lasted from 8.30 PM until 9.27 PM. Shuttle buses were deployed immediately to ferry passengers from the Main Terminal and Satellite Building. Can we just start imposing the RM190k fine per month, as the failures of the aerotrain are not even funny anymore. If anyone is doing a 2025 recap later, please include the KLIA Aerotrain as one of the national embarrassments.
Source: https://www.bernama.com/en/general/news.php?id=2479652
WT Fish is wrong with the public school system?
It’s a tough week to be an incompetent Education Minister, as poor crisis management strips away whatever illusion of competence was left. A statutory rape case was reported in Baling, Kedah, after the victim, who is a minor, had sexual intercourse with each of the four suspects on separate occasions, including in an empty classroom and at a palm oil estate. Kedah police chief Adzli Abu Shah reversed the earlier report that the incident was an alleged gang rape. Adzli confirmed that one of the suspects, a 17-year-old, was the victim’s boyfriend. Initially, there were concerns that the sexual act was recorded and the videos were being monetised, but the claim was then refuted by the police. Statutory rape is the crime of sex with a minor when the sex is agreed to by both parties, not forced. The reason why it is considered rape is that the minor is considered to be too young to consent to have sex or sexual contact legally.
Despite that, Putrajaya is in panic mode as all levels of leadership, up to the top of the food chain, are scrambling to get on top of this crisis (gang rape in Melaka, stabbing in Bandar Utama, sexual assault in Negeri Sembilan and statutory rape in Kedah).
- PM-level – PM Anwar Ibrahim announced that a major decision will be made today by the Cabinet concerning recent incidents at the school. PM Anwar stopped short of calling the series of incidents a national crisis. It should be, as the protection of our children in schools is in jeopardy.
- Education Minister-level – Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek has rolled out immediate major reforms to schools nationwide, namely stricter enforcement of the ban on dangerous items, enhanced student mental health and psychosocial support ecosystems, the delivery of a reproductive and social health education program, and a continuous school physical safety audit across all schools nationwide. All 10,243 schools nationwide will be involved in this exercise, and the effectiveness of these efforts will be continuously evaluated every 15 days.
- Communications Minister-level – Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said that in order to protect children online, Malaysia will soon make electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) identity verification compulsory for social media platforms. This is to prevent children aged below 13 from making accounts on these websites and apps. This policy is not new, as Fahmi stated that he had made it clear that Malaysia would be making identity verification mandatory when he met with representatives from social media platforms last month.
Source: https://www.lowyat.net/2025/369783/malaysia-ekyc-verification-social-media/
Apart from that, Fahmi has also mobilised his ministry’s National Information Dissemination Centre (Nadi) to plan and deliver a parent-focused online safety program to the communities. He said the campaign must focus on preventing and limiting underage social media use. At the moment, there are 1,099 Nadi centres nationwide. These centres are being enhanced with an allocation of RM350 mil from Budget 2026.
Business news
- Mr DIY to go public again, but now in Thailand
Mr DIY’s Thailand arm, MR DIY Holding (Thailand) PCL, intends to go for the initial public offering (IPO) route, to raise up to RM470 mil. The funds will be utilised for its expansions and operations. The Thai company is, at the moment, operating separately from the publicly listed MR DIY Group (M) Bhd and only shares the same major shareholder. The move by the Thai company follows the steps taken by another company owned by the founders of Mr DIY, Malaysian brothers Tan Yu Yeh and Yu Wei, where they listed their Indonesian business PT Daya Intiguna Yasa Tbk, which is also neither a subsidiary nor an associate of the listed entity in Malaysia.
- CAB Cakaran Corp Bhd to mencakar lebih jauh
Poultry and retail chain player CAB Cakaran Corp Bhd plans to sink in at least RM100 mil over the next five years to breed the number of its retail outlets in Malaysia from 25 to 100. The group, which operates retail stores under Pasaraya Jaya Gading Sdn Bhd and Home Mart Fresh & Frozen Sdn Bhd, also eyes to grow its Kyros Kebab fast food chain following a rebranding exercise initiated last year. As part of the expansion plan, CAB also mooted to acquire Cargill Feed Sdn Bhd’s Malaysian feedmill operations and assets in Malaysia for RM231 mil, in the company’s bid to integrate its whole supply chain.
- RT Pastry want to go public also
Bakery products manufacturer, RT Pastry Holdings Bhd, is looking to raise funds on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia to open new outlets, purchase new machinery and equipment, repayment of bank borrowings and listing expenses. The company also intends to expand its OEM services by manufacturing bakery products based on recipes provided by clients, such as cafes and food retailers.
AROUND THE SEA
A military coup in Madagascar
We know that a coup is expected, but we thought that Thailand was where it was going to happen and not the island that inspired a Disney movie. The Gen-Z-led demonstrations that ravaged countries such as Indonesia and Nepal have now descended to Madagascar as an initial anger at corruption and water/power cuts quickly morphed into a broader anti-government movement calling for President Rajoelina’s resignation. Then last week, he appointed a general as his prime minister, claiming it was to restore order, but it is more of a move to keep the military on side. However, it did not stop the soldiers from Madagascar’s elite and influential CAPSAT unit from joining the demonstrations. Funny thing was that CAPSAT was the same military unit that first installed Rajoelina after the last coup in 2009 (he later won presidential elections in 2018). Now, CAPSAT’s chief is now in charge and suspending key institutions, promising to hold elections within two years. So, I guess CAPSAT is playing 4D chess years ahead to become the top dog in the country.
So, why does the world have to keep tabs on this news? As ~30% of global tanker traffic passes through the Mozambique Channel, supply chain executives will be bracing for any spill-over into maritime operations. Additionally, Madagascar single-handedly supplies the world with 80% of its vanilla, ~5% of its nickel (critical for the energy transition), and ~3% of its cobalt (EV batteries and electronics). And while single-digits might sound small, in today’s rattled world, that’s still enough to spike prices.
For Your EYES Only
One for the bois
— Ama Judith (@Ama_Serwaaa) October 15, 2025
