Closing a caffeinated quarter
A March update.
By now, I’m asking the same questions as you: who is the PKR MP who received a “fee” from Victor Chin?
In his own words, Chin was supposed to name the lawmaker, but that hasn’t happened yet.
It’s a major party-pooper, of course, because that was supposed to be the main act.
This means former minister Rafizi Ramli’s allegation — that Sungai Buloh MP Ramanan’s lawyer had to settle with Chin’s camp — may yet prove out.
Chin’s description of the MP is of someone influential enough to make the corporate mafia gang stand down.
Should we take him seriously at this point?
The police confirmed that Chin was detained in December for alleged money laundering, and then let go.
So, this makes it a tad tricky.
On one hand, Chin is being childish by teasing the identity of the PKR MP while on the other hand, certain claims by the stock market operator check out.
Meanwhile, PM Anwar Ibrahim has not responded to Bloomberg’s latest claim that he asked for the report into MACC chief Azam Baki’s shareholdings to be delayed.
The rationale behind this, according to the newswire, was due to the negative perception it would have on Anwar’s government and the prospect of calling for a general election this year.
His civil service point man, Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, dismissed the report as misinformation. The AGC has since vowed to act against the newswire.
🚨 Some housekeeping: I’m retiring Southeast for now as I don’t have enough depth to make the section work.
I have a handful of contacts and there were some interesting stories, but in the grander scheme of things, this kind of beat requires either major skin in the game or people with that level of commitment in specific countries.
For example, I’d love to keep a tough eye on Singapore. Anyone willing to draw up a profile of home affairs minister K Shanmugam?
Or the money-laundering dirt that has yet to surface properly in the island republic?
So there’s clearly material out there, just not enough of it from local sources in my hands right now.
What’s next? I’ll be doubling down on audio and podcasts to see where that goes.
That’s the main agenda for the next few weeks.
And, as always, here are the best-performing stories for March.
These are pieces that drew around 3,000 views and converted at least 10 paying subscribers (monthly/annual/founding) each:
The Bugatti bill the royals don’t get
The PM’s corporate czar enters a boardroom tussle
The drone, the telco and the auditor
Who’s the real corporate mafia?
The Malaysian nightmare on Nine Elms
Someone took RM9.5 million and did nothing
Capital markets as a takeover weapon?
I survived the first three months of 2026 on a lot of coffee, subscription renewals and the generosity of friends and believers.
Here’s to a smashing second quarter. The Malaysianist returns tomorrow.