Finance and Economy
Anwar Ibrahim never abandoned his UMNO DNA – he just changed his uniform from red to blue. Given a choice, he would choose to return to the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) or merge his current Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) with UMNO. His unfinished business was to become the UMNO president, his ultimate ambition when […]
... written on Mar 18 2026Did Iran really think Donald Trump would surrender after the regime has disrupted one of the world’s most important waterways, the Strait of Hormuz? Not only is Tehran suspected of the attacks on at least 16 foreign commercial ships in the Persian Gulf area since the war began on February 28, but it is also jamming signals […]
... written on Mar 15 2026Iran has weaponized the Strait of Hormuz to create a global oil crisis. As a result, crude oil prices skyrocketed to almost US$120 a barrel on Monday, before fell on Tuesday sparked by President Trump’s comment that the war would be over “very soon.” Brent, the global benchmark, was still 27% higher than on the eve […]
... written on Mar 12 2026Russia is arguably the “only winner”, if not one of the biggest winners, in the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran. Not only does the conflict trigger a spike in oil prices, which translates into stronger revenues for Russia, which remains one of the world’s largest oil exporters despite Western sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine, […]
... written on Mar 10 2026Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab states like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had thought that it was safer to be on friendly terms with a hostile Iran rather than confront it. When China brokered a deal in March 2023 to restore diplomatic relations between two bitter rivals in the Middle East, Saudi and Iran, the peace proposal […]
... written on Mar 09 2026For three years, like a Mafia Godfather, PM Anwar Ibrahim watched proudly as leaders in the multi-coalition Unity Government kissed his ring. He loves the symbolic gesture of respect, loyalty and more importantly – submission. Leading the packs was the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), whose president – Ahmad Zahid Hamidi – was Anwar’s former […]
... written on Mar 07 2026Azerbaijan, which borders Iran to the north and has nothing to do with the Middle East conflict, has now become the latest country dragged by Iran into the war. The former Soviet republic promised a response after it said Iran’s regional attacks had spread to its territory, injuring two people thanks to Iranian drones. The […]
... written on Mar 05 2026Desperate people do desperate things. The war has spread after Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and more than 40 senior Iranian commanders were killed by the Israel Air Force (IAF) in less than a minute in the opening wave of Operation Roaring Lion. That’s a humiliation of the highest order, and the Iranian regime is seeking revenge, or […]
... written on Mar 04 2026For most of the day on Saturday, despite the stunning military strike unleashed by the U.S. and Israel on Iran, tourists and residents relaxed on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah, tanning on the man-made beaches and throwing birthday parties for their children. Even incoming Iranian missiles being intercepted over the Persian Gulf did not create any panic. […]
... written on Mar 02 2026All eyes will be glued to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) announcement this Saturday (February 28, 2026), The retirement fund will announce its annual dividend rate. Experts believe that it could maintain the dividend rate for conventional savings at 6.3% or possibly reach 6.5%. For 2024, both the conventional and shariah EPF funds reported dividends […]
... written on Feb 26 2026
