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Why does every PM want Tengku Zafrul?
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Why does every PM want Tengku Zafrul?

Brainjam #2.

Jun 04, 2025
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Why does every PM want Tengku Zafrul?
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In case you missed Sunday’s 🌶️ read on Mavcap’s VC misfire (or mishap as an acquaintance put it). Millions of public money went out but not much returned:

The great Mavcap misfire

The great Mavcap misfire

Emmanuel Samarathisa
·
Jun 1
Read full story

Brainjam is an experiment for founding members where I push out fillers and leave comments open. It’s the only place on The Malaysianist where you can have a say while meaningfully engaging with others.

The usual commenting caveats apply: no defamatory remarks et al.

Initially I did say that I might kill it off it didn’t take flight but this is slowly morphing into something in its own right.

The last Brainjam had a couple of comments. But it’s also a place where I can publish unstructured material, such as thought pieces, commentary or even B-sides to some of the big stories I ran on the newsletter — like, perhaps, an additional dataset.

Let’s see how things go. This is Brainjam #2. Two more editions before I settle on something.

You’re reading a paid version of The Malaysianist, a newsletter on money and power by writer and journalist Emmanuel Samarathisa.

I run monthly and annual subscriptions. There’s also the atas or founding member tier where you get all the perks of an annual subscription and more, such as an annual or founder’s report and insight into how this little corner of the internet fared throughout the year.

Group subscriptions are on the table, if you’re mulling over purchases for your organisation or for family members.

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Tengku Zafrul Aziz is hot property.

He is the only Cabinet member to survive three prime ministers — Muhyiddin Yassin, Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Anwar Ibrahim — each from different parties.

Unlike many of his peers, Zafrul is amphibious. He first entered politics as a senator and finance minister under Muhyiddin, retained the post under Ismail Sabri, and later made a surprise comeback as investment, trade and industry minister (Miti) under Anwar.

Made by mandate… and monarchy

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