Malaysia: Mass and KL Elite Mobility

#KhorReports #mobility research. Malaysia mass mobility and Kuala Lumpur (KL) elites mobility combined in one chart. You can see: (i) the panic shopping before the #lockdown: (ii) the crowded recreation parks situation; (iii) the apparently faster reaction of the KL elites pre- and post- lockdowns; and (iv) the re-lockdown (looser mode).

Interesting to see how the indices measure against the first lockdown proper and the business-as-usual phase that was interrupted by the surge of #Covid19 cases emanating from Sabah (its state election was cited as a “how not to” by Bloomberg; but cases were also spreading from Kedah).

Khor Reports mobility and consumer sentiment review

911, What's Your Emergency: Emergency Talk Sends Malaysia Abuzz (Again)

Emergency was the buzz word last week. Word spread that the ruling government sought emergency rule to break the spread of COVID-19 as the numbers continue to rise and to avert political instability. Last Friday, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had an audience with the Yang Dipertuan Agung (YDPA; the King) where he requested that he declare a state of emergency.

Political leaders from both sides of the fence questioned the need for such drastic measure. There was concern this would bring more harm to the ailing economy. Why not use other laws to impose strict movement control without resorting to emergency rule? Critics accused PM Muhyiddin of using it as a pretext to suspend Parliament; and to avoid vote of no confidence on Budget 2021, due to be tabled on 6 November. Muhyiddin holds a razor-thin majority in the Parliament while opposition had plans to vote against the supply bill. By declaring a state of emergency, Muhyiddin would wield power, without answering to Parliament.

The YDPA convened a Malay Rulers meeting on Sunday and came to a decision that there wasn’t a need for emergency rule. The King also called for an end to any politicking that could destabilise the government. He commended the government for handling the pandemic well and stressed that the Budget should be presented before Parliament as scheduled.

Our review of Twitter mentions shows a chorus of gratitude from netizens. #DaulatTuanku exploded on social media over the King’s decision to avert emergency rule. Interestingly, Muhyiddin did not get as much flack over social media, as his other senior ministers - Azmin Ali and Hamzan Zainuddin. But, the sentiment about the sitting PM could have been mitigated by reporting in a more positive tone by the media. Hamzah, who is said to be Muhyiddin’s operative, does not have much presence on social media, and was spared the brickbats.  

Sentiment for senior minister Azmin Ali was most in the negative as he had accused Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim of creating instability and sowing hatred amid the nation's battle against the pandemic. He also said that criticisms by opposition leaders about the nation descending into dictatorship if a state of "economic emergency" is declared is "an act of utter recklessness and irresponsibility most unbecoming of MPs". Azmin who has an active presence on social media was also seen as one of the architects for emergency rule. He also had a pivotal role in the ‘Sheraton move’ which toppled the 22 months Pakatan Harapan government. Public opinion on Azmin is heated. A skeptic commented that “[t]he word unite has become a vulgar word used by losers without an argument. The intention is to shut you up!” in reply to Azmin’s attempt to deliver a message of unity.

Another observer said, a unity government would be ideal until the situation is safe to head to the polls; especially if political parties from both sides of the aisle are not able to set their differences aside.

Muhyiddin is expected to hold his position for now. The storm, however, is far from over for PM8.

By KHOR Yu Leng, Sharon TAN, and the PolTracker team, 28 Oct 2020

From LinkedIn posting

#Malaysia #politicaleconomy. Unprecedented. Rulers reject Prime Minister's Emergency rule proposal. In #socialmedia check out netizens use of  #muhyiddinout #protesdarurat #daruratpolitik (political emergency) and Daulat Tuanku (long live the King). The arrival of cabinet members to the PM's home late last night to restrategize... captured in a tiktok vid (9:04 PM · Oct 25, 2020; with audio track that tickled audiences) https://lnkd.in/gtDT5tc

Bloomberg LP writes:  Emergency rule would include suspending parliament, the sources with direct knowledge of the matter said, a move critics have decried as an attempt by the premier to stay in power amid a leadership challenge... Several political leaders from the opposition and even the ruling coalition have come out against the proposed emergency, saying there was no justification for it except to prevent the collapse of the government. https://lnkd.in/gm5Fwx5

Prepare for Trouble, Make it Double: Anger in Malaysia after Double Standards by Government

In the past two weeks, Malaysians have taken to the social media to vent their frustrations over the handling of the surge of COVID-19.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin who had built his legitimacy on his swift tackling of the COVID-19 earlier this year saw his popular streak came to a grinding halt. Public sentiment turned against him in what they perceived as double-standard when his cabinet members were not subjected to quarantine upon returning from campaigning from Sabah. The government had only imposed quarantine for those returning from Sabah on September 27, a day after the state election.

Anger towards Muhyiddin swelled when in his latest address to the nation, he threatened to ‘rotan’ or cane those who has flouted the SOPs. Hashtags such as #muhyiddinout calling for his ouster, #klustermenteri and #doublestandard gained traction on social media as people voiced their anger towards him. Many felt that he should have ‘caned’ his own cabinet members who have not adhered to the SOPs instead of threatening the public. This came after the minister at the prime minister’s department in charge of Religious Affairs was found to have COVID-19. Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri who had campaigned in Sabah which was a red zone, failed to self-quarantine, instead went on to travel to several other states on official visits. As a result of this, several cabinet members including Muhyiddin were subjected to 14 days quarantine as they had been in the same meeting with Zulkifli.

Maaflah jika abah ini mula menggunakan rotan sekarang. [Sorry that this ‘abah’ is using the cane now.]

Muhyiddin and the government were severely criticised when he was found to not have been issued a pink tag for which is the standard issue for those under quarantine. The Health Ministry came out in defence that Muhyiddin was tested frequently and was found to be negative on all occasions. However, that explanation did nothing to turn the tides.

Last week as the infection numbers surged throughout the country, schools have seen a drop in attendance. Several schools in the Klang Valley were also affected where pupils were confirmed to be positive. In the case of SK Bangsar which had two cases, authorities did not shut down the school despite appeals from parents. The parents then took matters to hand when they collectively did not send their children to attend classes the next day resulting in 0% attendance. This forced the Education Ministry to close the school for a week for purposes of cleaning and sanitation which is the standard practice for premises which have confirmed cases. This move by parents is another outraged against the government’s attitude in tackling the health crisis.

At this time of writing, the government has imposed conditional movement control order (CMCO) from October 14 to 27 on Selangor, Federal Territory Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya (Sabah has also been put under CMCO for 14 days beginning Oct 13) as an effort to stem the spread of the virus.

In the midst of this public anger and political instability, MP Syed Saddiq, who has since established his Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda), has launched the PauseMalaysia campaign (#PauseMalaysia), urging all politicians and political parties to stop their alleged tussle for powers and focus on safeguarding Malaysians from the Covid-19 pandemic

Citing Malaysians as being tired of the power play, the campaign called for ceasefire among all political parties arguing that the people are the ones who suffer as a result of the current spate of power grabbing. Pause Malaysia also asked that there should be no general election as long as the COVID-19 virus continues to spread. Its final request was for the government Opposition and Independent politicians to come together, find a way to cooperate and make the people’s welfare their top priority.

This call for political ceasefire is not unique to MUDA. In August, DAP’s MP Anthony Loke asked for a ceasefire which fell to deaf ears. #PauseMalaysia has yet to gain much traction outside the Twitter sphere. A poll ran by BFM, a local radio station, saw 60% of listeners disagreeing with the campaign while Bridget Welsh, honorary research associate at the University of Nottingham’s Asia Research Institute said that the campaign was mis-named as reality of COVID-19, patronage and politicking will go on. “Some parties already preparing for elections/by-elections. Muda could be seen ironically campaigning through this initiative. 'Pausing' empowers those in power w/o solutions to problems,” said Welsh.

By KHOR Yu Leng, Sharon TAN, and Khor Reports’ PolTracker, 15 Oct 2020

Sabah on the Eve of State Elections, 25 Sep 2020

Multiple parties and multi-cornered fights set the stage for the fight for Sabah with big personalities aiming to control the state.

A total of 447 candidates are vying for the 73 state assembly seats. Each seat sees a multiple fight with the least being three-corner while the Bengkoka seat in the Kudat parliamentary area has 11 candidates.

Parti Cinta Sabah, headed by Anifah Aman, is the only party to contest  all 73 state seats followed by Shafie Apdal’s Warisan Plus (61) (Warisan 46, Amanah 1, DAP 7 and  PKR 7), United Sabah National Organisation (47), LDP (46), BN (41), PN (29), Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (28), Parti Perpaduan Rakyat Sabah (24), PBS (22) and Upko (12).

Early favourites and incumbent, Warisan-Plus along with Upko are touting a theme of unity with an emphasis on protecting Sabah's interest and defending the rights of the people. Shafie had dissolved the state government to foil an attempt by former chief minister Musa Aman to replace him by engineering a crossover of assemblymen. (Post 2018 General Election, Shafie managed to form the state government when six BN assemblymen crossed over). 

The other favourite is Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) which is a combination of Perikatan Nasional-BN-Parti Bersatu Sabah. Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has been dangling sweet carrots of development provided being voted into power. Early this week, he announced a new economic stimulus package, Kita Prihatin, which includes financial assistance for the middle income group, and the bottom 40 percent wage earners.

This is a battle of warlords where personalities and ethnic groups and family allegiance hold more clout over loyalty to the party. While there is a sense of acceptance and unity among the people, the lines are clear when election rolls around. A candidate could switch parties and still be voted in as shown repeatedly by the likes of Jeffrey Kitingan of STAR.

Issues for Sabah have remained the same, of bread and butter, development, infrastructure and the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). It is one of the poorest states in the country despite having resources such as oil and gas, and palm oil. According to the department of statistics (DOSM), the absolute poverty rate in Sabah is at 20% in 2019 as compared to 6% for Malaysia on the whole. The T20 in Sabah has a bigger share of the income share at 46.2% as compared to the B40 at 16.3%.

In terms of telecommunications, the state has the lowest broadband penetration in the country at 81% per 100 inhabitants as of 1Q2019. The issue came to the fore when university student Veveonah Mosibin had to get onto a tree to receive a signal for her phone in order to sit for her exam during the lockdown.

Other concerns include Tanjung Aru Eco Development, Papar Dam project, Kalabakan deforestation and Balambangan silica mining. 

Illegal or undocumented immigrants remained another issue for the state but has not been hotly debated. It bears no benefits for either side to stir up the issue as the support from the Kadazandusun community is crucial. Back in 2019, the then PH government, which Warisan was part of, embarked on a plan to register undocumented migrants which received a lot of opposition from the Kadazandusun community. The BN government in the 1990s were accused of Project IC with an influx of illegal immigrants which displaced the Christian Kadazandusun from power. 

An estimated 250,000 Sabahan reside and work in Peninsular Malaysia. State or by-election generally does not see many making the trip home to cast their votes unlike in a General Election. This time around, the sentiment is that those elected in are expected to switch sides post-election hence there is little motivation to head home to cast their votes. There is also a reluctance to travel to Sabah which is a hotspot of Covid-19 presently with eight clusters.

The race remains tight on the eve of the election but none of the parties helmed by big names could claim advantage over the other. More horse trading is to be expected post-election where new alignments would form a coalition to rule the state.

Credit: Khor Reports PolTRACK team

(c) Khor Reports - Segi Enam Advisors Pte Ltd. 2020. All rights reserved.

Boba Boom: The Rise of Boba and the Sugar Strikes Back

There has recently been a proliferation of bubble tea establishments across Malaysia and we wanted to find out what the hype is all about. Boba has a number of monikers — bubble tea, milk tea, pearl milk tea. It is a Taiwanese drink that commonly features a base made from tea and milk with chewy tapioca pearls at the bottom of the cup. There are also other variants popping up with coffee and fruit.

According to a report by Allied Market Research, the global bubble tea market was valued at USD 1,957 million in 2016, and is projected to reach USD 3,214 million by 2023, with a CAGR of 7.40% from 2017 to 2023. Khor Reports has consolidated data on bubble tea locations in a dashboard. This provides an overall view of popular bubble tea establishments across Malaysia. The data is as of 15 October 2019.

With the advent of mandatory nutrition labels and an advertising ban for high sugar and pre-packaged drinks in Singapore, the research team at Khor Reports could not help but wonder how much sugar we may be consuming in a serving of bubble tea. We found that consuming a 500ml drink of bubble tea at 100% sugar level was equivalent to drinking three cans of Coca Cola; which exceeds the daily recommended sugar intake for adults by 205% (in Malaysia) and 293% (in the United Kingdom). 

But, bubble teas are not the only beverage you should worry about in terms of teaspoons of sugar. The amount of sugar (per 100ml) in a Coca Cola was equivalent to that of a teh tarik. Freshly squeezed apple juice may have a sugar content (per 100 ml) 28.6% higher than in a soda! To be sure a fruit juice and soda have different chemistry and other attributes. 

Moving forward, we may need to be more mindful of our drink choices. Opt for healthier drinks with less or no sugar. Eat whole fruits instead of juices. Customise your bubble tea with lower sugar levels. Simple requests such as ‘kurang manis, bos’ or ‘pearl milk tea, less ice, less sugar,’ may just help to keep health risks at bay while enjoying an occasional treat.

More details are available on a customised basis; including additional data fields. Please contact us to find out more. 

Maps and datasets were assisted by Nadirah Sharif and Loh Rachel of Khor Reports; together with Wong Ivan, our foodie specialist. 

#RethinkOurDrink #BubbleTea #Boba #Sugar #Malaysia 

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Data-info addendum by the Khor Reports Boba Ops, 11 Nov 2019

Ed by Wong Ivan:

The bubble tea, or more specifically brown sugar milk tea, craze seems to be slowly dying down as there are lesser crowds lining up at shops. The reason behind this could be that there are too many brands selling the same product in the same area. However, the branches in shopping malls still have a consistent flow of customers. Queues at Chatime and Tealive are also still going strong as they have many ongoing promotions, which makes them cheaper alternatives for consumers.

Also, Xing Fu Tang is currently embroiled in a bitter dispute with its Taiwan Headquarters which resulted in two branches (SS15 & Sri Petaling) being defaced with red paint thrown onto their front doors. More information can be found here.

Japanese Shaved Ice (Kakigori) popularity seems to rising as they are popping up in many major hangout spots.

(c) Khor Reports - Segi Enam Advisors Pte Ltd. 2019. All rights reserved.