Can We Plant Trees in a Pothole?

 

There are many recognised methods for reporting potholes. Citizens can lodge complaints, submit photographs, contact local authorities or tag municipal agencies on social media while hoping their vehicle suspension survives long enough to see progress. But somewhere along the way, Malaysians appear to have developed an alternative system, one involving agriculture. A recent social media post by @dahfollowbelum showed a banana tree planted squarely inside a pothole. This has amused and impressed netizens alike. 

 

Source: https://focusmalaysia.my/@dahfollowbelum 

According to the post, the authorities quickly came to repair the road after noticing the banana tree growing there. We all know that some potholes are so well established that they feel less like temporary damage and more like unofficial landmarks. Yet the moment greenery enters the picture, everything changes. A banana tree standing defiantly in the middle of a road has a way of transforming road damage into public theatre. 

Then there are retired folks who try to repair potholes with their own tools. Why? Because they see danger for motorcyclists or even car drivers. They don’t have to do it, but it is just their way of helping local councils – who may have budget issues – tak ada bajet! 

Better is to grow bananas, jagung or other fast-growing fruits for consumption. This may help achieve food security. The only drawback is night driving – for which we could use some cheap reflectors or solar lamps to help motorists? 

Why can’t the Federal Government provide each constituency, local council with adequate funds to repair, re-tar roads? Then hold them accountable for outcomes? A re-tarred road is a great sight to see and feel. Many voters will support the initiative, something tangible and meaningful. It also provides contracts for small businesses, employment for locals and the multiplier effect locally. Today, even tolled highways are with potholes. The “tidak apa” attitude is all pervasive. Unless residents and citizens demand changes, we will have the finance minister sending money to Gaza! 

Reference:

Plant trees in a pothole to speed up the repair work, claims a netizen, CS Ming, Focus Malaysia, 25 May 2026 

 

A+ in Moral but Bankrupt in Integrity!

 

We have created a system where a student can ace Pendidikan Moral, walk out of the exam hall, and grow up believing that integrity is flexible, honesty is situational, and responsibility applies only when convenient. This is not about blaming students. It reflects a deeper contradiction within our system. 

The Education Ministry had the right intention. Moral education was meant to shape character. But somewhere along the way, it became formulaic: memorise values, learn the right keywords, reproduce model answers, secure the “A”. The result is a generation that can articulate moral principles fluently but struggles to live by them. Honestly, should we be surprised?

 

Source: https://www.wikihow.life

In classrooms, students are taught that honesty is a core value. Outside, they quickly learn what seems to matter more: results. Avoid getting caught. Cut corners if it brings advantage. Say the right things, but do what benefits you. That becomes the real lesson—the one no textbook acknowledges. 

Psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg argued that morality cannot be memorised. It develops through difficult choices, real consequences and the courage to act. Yet our system often does the opposite. It minimises risk, rewards memorisation and encourages conformity. We are not shaping character. We are teaching performance. Road rage turning violent. Academic dishonesty dismissed as minor. Public trust eroded by repeated misconduct. These are not isolated incidents. They reflect a deeper issue. We claim to value integrity but have not fully internalised it. 

So what does an A+ in Moral actually mean? It does not necessarily reflect honesty. At best, it shows that a student understands what is expected. It says little about how they will act when faced with pressure or temptation. If we are serious about change, small adjustments will not be enough. A more fundamental shift is needed. 

Moral education must move beyond exams and into lived experience. Community service should be meaningful, not a formality. Students should be exposed to real-world challenges—inequality, hardship, ethical dilemmas—so they can develop empathy and judgement. Assessment should not focus solely on written responses, but also on behaviour and accountability. 

There is also a broader issue we cannot ignore: inconsistency between what is taught and what is practised. Values promoted in schools must be reflected in wider society. When contradictions become visible, they undermine credibility. Young people are perceptive. When they see gaps between principle and practice, they may conclude that values are optional. 

As reflected in the teachings of many traditions, education is not only about producing capable individuals. It is about developing trustworthy human beings. Without that foundation, knowledge becomes a tool without direction. Malaysia risks becoming a society of high achievers with low accountability—impressive on paper, but fragile where it matters. An A+ in Moral should carry meaning. At present, it does not. Until we close the gap between what we teach and what we practise, we are not building character. We are sustaining an illusion. And illusions do not last. 

Reference:

OPINION | A+ in moral but bankrupt in integrity, K. T. Maran, Newswav, 10 May 2026

Two-Teacher Classroom Model!

 

A Newswav poll of around 2,100 respondents shows strong public scepticism towards the idea of having two teachers in a single classroom. While the Ministry of Education plans to introduce a co-teaching model nationwide from 2027, 83% voted “No”, compared to just 17% who believe it would improve student learning.

 

 

Under the proposed model, two teachers will co-teach the same class simultaneously, working together to deliver lessons, manage classroom dynamics, and support student development. According to the Education Ministry, this approach could help address mixed learning abilities, improve engagement, and reduce the burden on individual teachers. 

Internationally, co-teaching has been used in some education systems to support inclusive learning, particularly for students with different learning abilities. Education Minister has said the model is intended to promote better interaction, character-building, and classroom support, particularly in increasingly diverse learning environments. 

Poll comments reveal that most scepticism centres on priorities and practicality. Many respondents questioned whether placing two teachers in one classroom is the best use of limited resources, especially when schools continue to face overcrowded classes, teacher shortages, and heavy administrative workloads. Several felt the funding would be better directed toward improving school facilities, hiring more teachers to reduce class sizes, providing school nurses or counsellors, or offering free breakfast programmes for students. 

A common suggestion was that smaller classes, rather than co-teaching, would allow educators to focus more effectively on individual students. Others highlighted that teachers are already stretched thin by paperwork and deadlines, arguing that reforms to curriculum design, assessment methods, and school management should come before introducing new teaching models. 

As usual, the education minister is the top star for “blunders”. Can’t they do a check with Singapore, how they do it? Is it below our dignity or maruah? 

Reference:

Survey: 83% of Malaysians Unconvinced by Two-Teacher Classroom Model, Newswav,
13 May 2026

 

Malaysians See Surplus of Income Over Consumption Spending?

 

Malaysians begin to record a surplus of income over consumption spending at 29, according to the National Transfer Accounts (NTA) Malaysia 2022 report. Chief statistician Uzir Mahidin said the surplus peaks at age 44, reaching RM14,523 per capita annually, before gradually declining and returning to a deficit at around age 56. The findings are outlined in the NTA Malaysia 2022 report.

For 2022, national consumption spending totalled RM1.24 trillion, while labour income stood at RM764 billion, resulting in a Lifecycle Deficit (LCD) of RM477 billion. The deficit was financed through asset-based reallocations amounting to RM491 billion, equivalent to 103.1 percent of the deficit.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org

In terms of income, average annual labour income per capita rose with age, peaking at 49 at RM48,379. At the same age, self-employment income also reached its highest level at RM13,042 per capita. Average consumption per capita was RM37,947. Those aged 60 to 64 recorded higher spending at RM50,429, while individuals aged 65 and above spent RM51,211. In contrast, children under four recorded lower consumption at RM26,313 per capita.

Household spending was largely driven by the private sector at RM31,564 per capita, while public sector consumption stood at RM6,382. Public sector provides targeted support across age groups, particularly in financing education for children and prioritising healthcare for the elderly.

NTA is an intergenerational economic framework used to measure how resources such as production, consumption, income and transfers are generated and distributed across different age groups. The framework is adapted from a United Nations manual to analyse the impact of demographic changes on future income and consumption patterns.

Reference;

Report: M'sians see surplus of income over consumption spending from age 29, Bernama/Malaysiakini, 29 April 2026

Is eFishery an Expensive Lesson for KWAP?

 

Indonesian aquaculture company eFishery’s co-founder Gibran Huzaifah was handed a nine-year prison sentence last Wednesday for embezzlement and money laundering. The start-up, which deployed feeders to fish and shrimp farmers in Indonesia, incurred several hundred million dollars in losses between 2018 and 2024. The business began unravelling after a board investigation revealed the company may have inflated its revenue and profit over several years. The scandal triggered widespread scrutiny over regulatory oversight and due diligence standards in South-east Asia’s venture capital markets.

 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org

 

 This is a high-profile US$300 million scandal that not only crushed what was one of Southeast Asia’s most celebrated unicorns but also serves as a lesson for several high-profile investors. And that includes Japanese conglomerate Softbank Group and Singapore’s Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd. The lesson is perhaps more reputational for the wealthier funds. 

For Kumpulan Wang Persaraan Diperbadankan (KWAP), which invested US$47.7 million or about 24% of eFishery’s US$200 million Series D funding round in July 2023, the RM200 million eFishery lesson is expensive even though it is only 0.1% of its fund size and about 1.1% of its hitherto highest annual investment income of RM18 billion in 2024. 

The RM200 million would have been enough to give about RM9 each to 22 million adult Malaysians and is about 6% of Putrajaya’s monthly retirement charges burden of RM3.83 billion (RM40.06 billion annually) in 2024. 

That RM200 million is almost five times the much-criticised high-profile RM43.9 million investment loss at FashionValet Sdn Bhd suffered by Khazanah Nasional Bhd and Permodalan Nasional Bhd, which invested RM27 million and RM20 million respectively but exited with only RM3.1 million collectively. Some observers note that FashionValet was at least founded by Malaysians while eFishery’s founders were Indonesian. 

Yet, with KWAP’s fund size of RM200 billion not being able to grow fast enough to carry Malaysia’s public pension burden for the foreseeable future without sizeable cash injections, every ringgit should count. With a fuel subsidy bill running at RM7 billion a month, Putrajaya on April 29 instructed all its ministries, departments and agencies to review spending and propose operating expenditure cuts by May 15. 

KWAP had yet to replace Datuk Nik Amlizan Mohamed, who served as CEO from November 2020 to end-March 2026. The efishery episode serves as an expensive lesson, not just for the fund’s incoming CEO, but for every steward of public money. 

There are always risks in lending or investing. But when it is a public institution like KWAP, it needs more rigour and care of its funds. It should revise its investment manual and focus on local investments and that too in less risk-prone sectors. But a RM200 million tuition fee is too high for the CEO, the management and the Board. An independent body should produce a forensic report and revamp this institution. 

References:

Frankly Speaking: eFishery an Expensive Lesion for KWAP, GLICs, The Edge Malaysia, 4 May 2026 

eFishery Founder Gets 9-year Jail Term in $383 Million Indonesian Fraud Case, The Straits Times, 29 April 2026

Is Boosting Ridership Key to Reducing Prasarana’s Deficit?

Few would contend that public transport should be run purely to maximise profit. Yet, as Prasarana Malaysia Bhd continues to operate at a huge deficit every year, scrutiny from the public and policymakers has intensified. Is the problem stagnant fares or an underutilised network of rail lines, buses and demand-responsive transit (DRT) services across the Klang Valley? 

For Prasarana president and group CEO, the solution lies in getting more people to ride its network of rail and bus services. More people on trains and buses would spread the burden of high fixed costs and narrow the deficit. But reliability must improve. 

On Jan 21, Transport Minister Anthony Loke told parliament that Rapid Rail recorded a RM603 million deficit in 2025. The company’s operating costs totalled RM1.324 billion, while unaudited revenue reached RM721.5 million — RM695.2 million from fares and RM26.8 million from non-fare sources. The My50 Unlimited Travel Pass accounted for RM234 million of Rapid Rail’s revenue in 2025, accounting for one-third of the company’s total revenue for the year. To plug the shortfall between revenue and operating costs, Prasarana injected RM700 million in capital into Rapid Rail in 2025. 

Despite the losses, the company’s revenue has continued to grow. Revenue jumped 29.3% to RM839.56 million in 2024, from RM649.4 million in the previous year. Except for 2021, when its revenue fell from the preceding year, Prasarana’s top line has been growing over the five-year period to 2024. 

One of Prasarana’s efforts to minimise operating costs is shifting its procurement of spare parts from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to original parts manufacturers (OPMs).

 

 

Reducing Prasarana’s deficits is not just a matter of cost management, given its substantial fixed costs. To achieve sustainability, the company must increase ridership, curtail costs and re-structure its business model. 

Monthly ridership has climbed steadily as services improved, rising from a pandemic-era high of 14.47 million in April 2021 to 22.6 million in December 2022, and surpassing 30 million in December 2023. The completion of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Putrajaya Line in March 2023 boosted usage further, with monthly ridership across Prasarana’s network in the Klang Valley, Penang and Kuantan reaching 35.5 million in December 2024. In July last year, 38.3 million passengers used the network — the highest monthly figure in five years. 

One way the government has committed to improving public transport services is by ensuring that Prasarana maintains a fleet of buses and vans in top condition to serve the public. The government has allocated RM1.9 billion in 2025 to replace and expand Prasarana’s fleet of buses and vans, strengthening first- and last-mile connectivity in the Klang Valley and Penang. The funding covers 1,660 new buses, comprising 310 diesel and 1,350 electric, to replace ageing vehicles. All diesel units have been delivered. 

In 2025, the government allocated RM200 million for the My50 programme without any cap, meaning that even after the budget is fully used, additional riders can still subscribe. Demand exceeded expectations, creating an RM84 million shortfall that Prasarana absorbed in 2025. When the unlimited travel passes My50 and My100 were introduced in 2018, Prasarana operated two LRT lines, one MRT line, the KL Monorail and Rapid buses in the Klang Valley, Penang and Kuantan. The My100 pass originally allowed passengers to access all Prasarana services, whereas the My50 pass was limited to the bus system, excluding the Sunway Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). At that time, there was only one MRT line. In January 2022, the programme was reorganised into a single My50 pass, offering unlimited travel on all Prasarana-operated services except the DRT. Prasarana now also operates the MRT Putrajaya Line, completed in March 2023. 

Reducing car dependency in the Klang Valley will require a radical shift in how transportation is perceived. Without broader changes in policy and public attitudes, Prasarana’s deficits are likely to continue to grow, unless we restructure Prasarana with an asset company owned by the Government and an operating company owned by an experienced private sector operator. 

So, is boosting ridership the key to reducing deficit? That’s only part of the answer. It is cost, business model, revenue enhancements (including dynamic pricing) and others.

 

 

 

Reference:

Boosting ridership key to reducing Prasarana’s deficit, Kamarul Azhar, The Edge Malaysia, 10 March 2026

Funding the Power and SCEL!

 

When a top banking official recently suggested that the central bank expand single customer limits of banks’ financing of the country’s energy transition, it highlighted a growing funding gap. As Malaysia’s solar projects increase in scale, it is increasingly difficult to get access to the domestic banking sector. This stems largely from the Single Counterparty Exposure Limit (SCEL), which caps how much banks can lend to a single borrower or related group. 

The country’s large-scale solar (LSS) projects, despite being awarded to several companies, all have one common off taker – Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB). Going by SCEL rules, banks cannot have more than 25% of eligible capital exposed to any single counterparty or connected counterparties. TNB and Petroliam Nasional Bhd or PETRONAS are exceptions, with an additional 10% allowance. 

While banks still have headroom, this buffer is narrowing as more large-scale renewable energy (RE) projects enter the pipeline. LSS6 tenders are expected to open soon and will include battery storage requirements. Adding to the challenge are weakening “project economics”. Newer projects are not only larger in scale but are also awarded at relatively low tariffs. This is further exacerbated by rising construction costs, driven by higher solar panel and fuel prices. The rise in diesel price, for example, is having a huge impact on the cost of earthworks, which is the early part of building out a solar farm. 

One obvious alternative to bank financing is the bond market. But bond issuances can be more costly and the issuer needs to get a rating, which means not all can make it, especially smaller newbies.

 

Malaysia is now in its fifth iteration of LSS development, with two tranches – LSS5 and the supplementary LSS5+ – awarded to build larger utility-scale solar plants, with projects typically around 100MW in size, with some projects larger. Taken together, LSS5 and LSS5+ represent roughly 4GW of awarded capacity, marking one of the largest utility-scale solar build-outs in Malaysia. 

Tariffs for LSS5 and LSS5+ projects are understood to range between 13.75 sen and 18 sen per kWh, compared with 17.68 sen to 24.81 sen per kWh under LSS4, reflecting continued downward pressure from competitive bidding. 

This, in turn, suggests that internal rates of return for LSS5 and LSS5+ projects could compress to 5% to 6%, compared with earlier expectations of 7% to 8% – levels which are still bankable but expected to keep domestic banks at the centre of financing, as they typically offer lower funding costs. Private equity, however, is generally considered less suitable for long-gestation infrastructure assets due to its shorter investment horizons. The Asean Catalytic Green Finance Facility (ACGF), led by the Asian Development Bank, as an example of blended finance structures that combine concessional, multilateral and private capital to improve project bankability and crowd in private investment. 

There is a gap and market accessibility to funds. As long as BNM holds firm to SCEL, there is need for third parties to provide Guarantees or Suppliers’ Credit. Without Danajamin, BPMB could step in but they too are constrained by SCEL. Technically, BPMB should be outside of SCEL since it is a development bank! If this is not feasible, then all development institutions should be exempted from this (SCEL) provision. 

Reference:

Funding the Power, Gurmeet Kaur, The Star, 2 May 2026