The Revolutionary Guards and Iran’s other surviving decision-makers are betting it will be Trump who blinks first. Trump’s flip-flopping and U-turns are seen as signs of indecisiveness and incompetence. The regime believes Trump is doomed and trapped as a bad result for the Republicans in November’s congressional elections would seriously weaken his presidency.

Huff and puff as hard as the Iranian regime tried, they were surprised Trump has not blinked yet. On the contrary, Trump and his inner circle are believed to have made tons of money from the ups and downs of the financial markets as a result of the president’s flip-flopping decisions. Trump is sticking to his demand that Iran surrender its nuclear programme once and for all as a prime condition for ending the war for good.

Privately, Trump has even compared himself to the likes of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Napoleon Bonaparte, Julius Caesar and even Alexander the Great. “He’s been talking recently about how he is the most powerful person to ever live. He wants to be remembered as the one who did things that other people couldn’t do, because of his sheer power and force of will” one confidant said.

For days, Trump has been toying with two options – either severely punish Iran for failing to abandon its nuclear work, or avoid a significant escalation that could draw the U.S. deeper into a Middle East conflict. If possible, Trump wants to avoid a fresh bombing campaign, preferring a negotiated end to Tehran’s nuclear advancements and the war that has raised gas prices and hurt the global economy.

Instead, Trump approved a third option – provide guidance to commercial vessels that would enable them to safely transit the Strait of Hormuz, not the protection of a naval escort. The decision was viewed as the middle course between all-out war and the blockade after meeting with senior Pentagon officials last week. That operation, known as Project Freedom, began Monday (May 4).

However, within hours, Iran launched cruise missiles and drones at two U.S. Navy vessels, and attacked the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). It has even launched small boats to target U.S.-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz, but none were struck. The U.S. deployed Apache attack helicopters to blow up six small boats and intercept the drones.

Of course, Iranclaimed to have hit an American warship and also denied the U.S. sank any of its boats. It has even claimed to have stopped U.S. destroyers from entering the strait. Meanwhile, the U.A.E. said they had “engaged” 12 ballistic missiles, 3 cruise missiles and 4 drones fired from Iran, which resulted in 3 mild injuries. By hook or by crook, Iran cannot allow the U.S. to proceed with Project Freedom.

If the U.S. military could help free ships that have been “locked up” and unable to pass through the key trade route, it means Iran’s stranglehold over the strait is broken. Already, two U.S.-flagged merchant vessels had successfully transited through the strait “as a first step” in Trump’s new mission. Trump warned that Iran would be “blown off the face of the earth” if it targeted U.S. ships safeguarding commercial traffic through the strait.

Desperately to reassert Iran’s control in the strait, Tehran issued its threat – “We warn that any foreign armed force, especially the aggressive military of America, should they intend to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz, will be subjected to attack,” Hundreds of ships and thousands of crew members have been stranded, and many of them are running low on food and other necessities.

But “Project Freedom” could be seen as a way for the United States to try to build up a greater presence around the strait and to shift power dynamics in the waterway in its favor. U.S. forces may be using ship-guiding – which Trump described as a “humanitarian gesture” – to test Iran’s limits and to see how much, if any, of the waterway it can claim for itself under the auspices of a “humanitarian” operation. 

Therefore, Tehran may have walked into Trump’s trap. The president’s own political allies are pressuring the Commander-in-Chief to authorize new strikes as a swift retaliation because not only Iran has violated the cease-fire, but also attacked the U.S.’ humanitarian effort. While Trump didn’t want to be back in the position of striking Iran again, he has gotten the green light and justification to do so whenever he wants to.

Some U.S. and foreign officials said they believed Trump was likely to authorize a military response to Iran within days. After the cease-fire started on April 7, the U.S. engaged in talks to strip Iran of its nuclear infrastructure and enriched uranium. Tehran resisted, leading Washington on April 13 to impose a blockade on ships going to and from Iranian ports. Efforts to make a deal still fell short.

More importantly, the Trump administration wanted to show that U.S. forces were able to clear a safe pathway for commercial ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz despite Iranian sea mines. U.S. forces have recently used drones and other capabilities to clear mines in the strait, even without any help from allies such as NATO, Japan or South Korea.

The U.S. hopes its designation of a path close to the coast of Oman through which two U.S. destroyers and two commercial vessels passed on Monday without harm would instil confidence in other stucked vessels to also use the corridor under the U.S. protection. The world needs American leadership to secure the Strait of Hormuz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said.

Hegseth said the U.S. had “established a powerful red, white and blue dome over the Strait.” “American destroyers are on station, supported by hundreds of fighter jets, helicopters, drones and surveillance aircraft, providing 24/7 overwatch for peaceful commercial vessels, except Iran’s of course. In fact, six ships tried to run the blockade out of Iranian ports as Project Freedom commenced, and they were all turned around,” – he said. 

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The post Why Iran Attacks Trump’s Project Freedom, Which Could Be A Ruse first appeared on FinanceTwitter.

It was already bad that Chinese voters are angry with Loke’s leadership in the Democratic Action Party (DAP), the de facto Chinese component of Anwar’s ruling coalition called Pakatan Harapan. Under Loke Siew Fook, the party once seen as a protector against religious extremism and a defender of Chinese community interests has now reduced to a toothless tiger, or worse MCA 2.0.

The DAP secretary-general proclaims Zahid has rejected the formation of a new state government or a “backdoor” government in Negeri Sembilan. Since when Anthony Loke has become the disgraced spokesperson of Zahid, who is also the deputy prime minister? The hilarious part is Zahid has not personally, publicly, or directly announced his rejection of such backdoor effort.

What is so hard for Mr Zahid to openly express his disagreement and displeasure over the UMNO chapter in Negeri Sembilan seizing power – if indeed the UMNO president did not know about the coup as claimed? Interestingly, Loke is the only minister amongst the 31 ministers who claimed that Zahid himself had conveyed in Cabinet that he does not agree to any attempt to form a new government.  

So far, Zahid Hamidi has only said the crisis will be resolved through political channels and in accordance with the law, without interfering with state institutions. In fact, not only he did not reprimand any of the 14 rebels, but he also has “defended” the rogue UMNO assemblymen’s move to withdraw support for Chief Minister Aminuddin as having been made in good faith. Seriously?

Their actions should not be misinterpreted, argued Zahid, as it was intended to strengthen the position of royal and customary institutions. Based on his argument, were the 14 UMNO assemblymen going against the current Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz, or against the Undang Yang Empat who is trying to sack the Malay ruler?

Yes, Zahid and UMNO are playing both Anwar and Loke like a yo-yo. He claims that all 14 UMNO assemblymen in Negeri Sembilan support the state unity government, despite clear attempts to overthrow Aminuddin. He says there was no betrayal, even after UMNO Negeri Sembilan had joined forces with the opposition. He argues it was just different perceptions and interpretations, even though all 14 UMNO assemblymen had quit.

Forked-tongue Anwar appears to have met his match when despite Zahid’s insistence of support for the Unity Government, Negeri Sembilan UMNO is allowed to continue attacking the prime minister’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). Its chief Jalaluddin Alias indirectly mocked PKR, which secured only 5 seats in the 2023 Negeri Sembilan state election compared to UMNO’s 14 seats.

Obviously, power-hungry Jalaluddin is questioning PKR’s legitimacy. He was insulting PKR’s shameless and desperate measure to cling to power by insisting that Aminuddin remains the legitimate chief minister although the vice-president in Premier Anwar Ibrahim’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat is left with the support of just 17 members in the 36-strong state legislature – short of the 19 needed to form a simple-majority state government.

Mr Jalaluddin said UMNO Negeri Sembilan would now sit in the opposition for as long as it believes the state government is not performing effectively – contrary to UMNO president Zahid’s rhetoric that the crisis was solved. In a slap in the face of PKR and DAP, Zahid even said that no-confidence statements made are individual opinions that should be “respected”.

But there is still one big elephant in the room that both big talkers Anwar Ibrahim and Anthony Loke are trying very hard to avoid – UMNO deputy president Mohamad Hasan. Critics are questioning the support of the UMNO strongman in the Negeri Sembilan coup. Known as “Tok Mat”, the former Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar from 2004 to 2018 was one of the 14 rebellious UMNO assemblymen.

As the assemblyman for Rantau – one of the 14 UMNO-led Barisan Nasional assemblymen who withdrew support for Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Aminuddin – Mohamad Hasan’s “silence” has become even more significant not only due to his stature within UMNO and his deep roots in Negeri Sembilan, but also because he is also the Foreign Affairs Minister.

Perhaps Anwar and Loke should try to convince their respective grassroots that both top leadership of UMNO – Zahid and Mohamad – were clueless about UMNO Negeri Sembilan attempted coup to seize power. If you believe both UMNO president and deputy president had no idea about the treachery, then you should also believe in Tooth Fairy and Peter Pan’s Neverland.

While DAP only dare to outsource to its youth wing the task of demanding PM Anwar to sack Mohamad Hasan as foreign minister, which is nothing but a political drama to make DAP look tough and outspoken, all PKR leaders are as quiet as church mice. To distract PKR’s cowardice, PM Anwar condemned the Israeli regime’s interception of the “Sumud Flotilla” ships carrying humanitarian aid for Palestine.

Trying to downplay UMNO’s betrayal by blaming UMNO Negeri Sembilan as the sole troublemaker, Anwar and Anthony do not have the courage or balls to directly confront Mohamad Hasan. To sack the UMNO No. 2 would mean a declaration of war with the Malay nationalist party, which could lead to a withdrawal of support for power-hungry Anwar.

Anwar’s “Achilles heel” is the Iron Throne. And UMNO knew the fake reformist would do anything to cling to power, including “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” even when the PKR state government in Negeri Sembilan is on the brink of collapse due to UMNO’s betrayal and backstabbing. This has emboldened notorious UMNO Youth Chief Akmal Saleh to challenge Pakatan Harapan to sack all UMNO leaders.

Akmal’s bold and arrogant challenge has been met with “silence” from terrified PKR and DAP leaders. As Anwar and Loke buried their heads in the sand, everyone within Pakatan Harapan chickened out at PKR and DAP’s disgraced leadership. The prime minister could only say the issue should be handled carefully and prudently to preserve political stability and respect constitutional principles.

UMNO’s game is crystal clear. At the federal level, they will continue to support PM Anwar until the Parliament is dissolved. But at the state level, they will try to seize power and form backdoor government to expand power in preparation to take over the federal government after the next 16^th General Election. They backstab friends and allies at the state level, but feign ignorance at the federal level.

The endgame is to create political instability to pressure Anwar Ibrahim to call for a snap election this year to take advantage of the increasing economic turmoil as a result of the Iran War. The only reason Aminuddin administration hasn’t collapsed is due to a “deadlock” – a government that continues to function, yet whose legitimacy is being questioned.

Still, Chief Minister Aminuddin can’t hide and has to go through a vote of no confidence to confirm his legitimacy. Marking the 80th anniversary of UMNO, Zahid Hamidi said UMNO-led Barisan Nasional coalition is “almost certain” to contest the next general election independently or “go solo”.

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The post UMNO’s Betrayal – PKR & DAP Have To Pretend Everything’s Fine first appeared on FinanceTwitter.

Talks between the United States and Iran have stalled as both are playing a game of brinkmanship. American officials are betting that Iran will soon crack because of the deepening economic crisis. The Iranian regime, on the other hand, is betting the U.S. will crack first and end its blockade of Iranian ports to calm global markets and bring down American gasoline prices.

At the center of the game of chicken is the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow channel for roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Iran closed the strait at the early stage of the conflict, effectively using the waterway to hold the world economy hostage. Later, the U.S. responded with a naval blockade of its own, dealing a devastating blow to Iran’s already-battered economy.

Initially, Iran thought it had found the “holy grail” when it brought the entire planet to its knees by weaponizing the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran not only continued to ship its own oil and determined who can or cannot cross the strait, but also creatively monetized the strait by slapping toll charges on ships passing through – until Trump slapped the U.S. blockade on Iran’s blockade.

Isolated and unable to sell oil, Iran could end up worse than North Korea if the U.S. blockade continues. At least, Kim Jong-Un is alive, and North Korea can still do business with China, Russia and other countries, though its trade is severely restricted by international sanctions due to its nuclear program. But Iran is being blocked completely from trade and commerce.

The war has thrown around one million Iranian people out of work directly and another million indirectly. The cost of living has skyrocketed, with the annual inflation rate reaching 67% in the month through mid-April from the same period a year earlier. The subsidized price of red meat has gone up to around US$3.60 a pound, beyond the reach of most Iranians whose minimum wage is around US$130 a month.

Iran’s national currency on Wednesday hit a record low of 1.8 million rial to the dollar. Businesses across the country – from manufacturers to retailers – are closing. The lack of steel and other raw materials is hampering production in various industries. Electronic goods, which are mostly imported, are in short supply and expensive.

Worse, the bombing campaign by Israel and the U.S. caused extensive physical damage to roads, ports and residential buildings. It also hit key industries such as steel-making and petrochemical factories. Iranian state media estimates that postwar reconstruction could cost around US$270 billion, a crippling amount for a country with GDP (annual gross domestic product) last year of US$341 billion.

Before the blockade, most of Iran’s oil exports and most of its imports – from food to pharmaceuticals to raw materials – transited through the Strait of Hormuz. Now, Iran is struggling to ship oil and other commodities that generate most of its revenue. As recently as March, Iran exported 1.85 million barrels of crude oil a day, worth US$191 million at international prices.

Instead of pussyfooting, Iran is pushing for a quick reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, an indication of how vital it is to its economy. Tehran has presented mediators with an offer to stop its attacks in the strait in exchange for a full end to the war and a lifting of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. At the same time, it wants to postpone discussions about Iran’s nuclear program. But it fails to fool Trump.

Seeing the economic pain due to the U.S. blockade, President Donald Trump has instructed aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran. In recent meetings, including a Monday discussion in the Situation Room, Trump decided to continue squeezing Iran’s economy and oil exports by preventing shipping to and from its ports. This strategy is more effective and less risky than resume bombing.

Iran’s three-step offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and save nuclear talks for the final phase were not only an insult to Trump’s intelligence, but also showed Tehran was not negotiating in good faith. A senior U.S. official said the blockade is demonstrably crushing Iran’s economy – especially its inability to sell oil – and sparked fresh outreach by the regime to Washington.

To make matters worse for Iran, the U.S. Treasury Department has frozen nearly US$500 million in cryptocurrency tied to Iran and is ramping up efforts to choke off the regime’s access to global revenue streams as part of “Operation Economic Fury” – a campaign aimed at crippling Tehran’s financial lifelines by seizing Iranian assets, freezing bank accounts and pressuring foreign governments to cut ties with the nation.

The administration has signaled it is prepared to expand sanctions on foreign entities and financial institutions accused of facilitating Iran’s illicit trade, including airlines, shipping networks and financial institutions. Officials also flagged independent “teapot” refineries in China, particularly in Shandong Province, as ongoing buyers of Iranian crude oil, raising the risk of further enforcement actions.

Trump even brags that Iran has told him the country is in a “state of collapse” and wants the U.S. to open the Strait of Hormuz “as soon as possible” while they try to “figure out their leadership situation.” If the message was true, it came after the U.S. president cancelled a planned trip by his son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff to Islamabad, Pakistan on April 25.

Iran has a huge problem that cannot be hidden anymore. It is rapidly running out of space to store its oil as Trump continues his naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz – which could lead to “irreversible” damage to the regime’s biggest industry and lifeblood of its economy. Kharg Island, Iran’s primary oil export terminal, is soon nearing storage capacity, which will force the regime to reduce oil production.

Tehran has repeatedly tried to push its ships through the US naval blockade, but its ships are routinely intercepted. With nowhere for crude tankers to go thanks to the US blockade around the Gulf of Oman, the regime is using the vessels as floating storage. Heck, it is even trying to ship crude by rail to China – a desperate step aimed at delaying an infrastructure crisis and blunting Washington’s leverage.

Rail infrastructure links Tehran to the Chinese cities of Yiwu and Xi’an. But the trip, while generally shorter than ship voyages, can still take weeks. Also, rail isn’t as cost-effective as seaborne tankers – especially for the so-called teapot refineries in northeastern China, the main buyers of Iranian crude. That makes the rail push less a solution than a signal of distress in the system.

The situation was so bad that Iran has revived its retired ships as “junk storage”, such as Nasha, a 29-year-old Iranian supertanker which had suddenly appeared at Kharg Island after years off the radar. The Islamic Republic is scrambling against time before Iran hits “tank tops” – industry parlance for running out of room to store the crude it pumps.

A temporary halt to bombing does not mean the war has stopped. The war between the U.S. and Iran has turned into a race to see whether Tehran’s oil industry or global energy consumers crack first. Every barrel that can’t leave the country through normal export channels must go somewhere – into a tank, onto a ship, into an improvised storage site, or remain underground.

Geologically, Iranian oil wells, often located in mature fields, require constant pressure. Therefore, Iran cannot easily shut down oil production due to a lack of storage capacity because abruptly stopping oil wells causes “irreversible” geological damage, such as water encroachment and reservoir pressure loss, which can permanently damage field productivity.

Currently, Iran is engaged in firefighting. To contain the economic fallout, the government has increased the minimum wage and raised the salaries of government employees and continued to subsidize the price of bread, fuel and other essential goods. It is also giving cash handouts to the poor and issuing coupons for the purchase of rice, chicken, cooking oil and other goods.

Iran understood that a regime that slaughtered its own citizens to silence protests isn’t popular. So, to further soften the economic blow for regular people, strategic reserves of household staples were used. The government has appealed to Iranians to do their part by limiting their consumption of water, electricity and gas. Tehran residents were encouraged to drive less and use public transportation instead.

To bypass the U.S. blockade, the Iranian government is using rail and road connections with Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan as well as the Caspian Sea to the north to import goods. At least 11 vessels loaded with grain, corn and sunflower oil have arrived in Iran’s Caspian ports since the U.S. blockade started. As the blockade bites, Iran might go ballistic and resume its attacks on regional energy production.

Donald Trump’s next move is to do nothing but wait and watch, while maintaining the U.S. blockade. Even if the U.S. wanted to talk, there’s another complication – the Iranian negotiators sent to talk aren’t the decision makers. They would go back to negotiating with other Iranians – hardliners hiding in bunkers – to figure out what they can agree to, what they can offer, and what they’re willing to do.

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The post Iran Has Oil Storage Problem – Trump’s Using It To Inflict Pain first appeared on FinanceTwitter.

While the UAE did not clearly state why it decided to leave OPEC now, the energy ministry said the decision was based on the UAE’s national interest following a comprehensive review of its production policy and capacity. “We reaffirm our appreciation for the efforts of both OPEC and the OPEC+ alliance and wish them success,” – the energy ministry said in a statement.

“This decision follows decades of constructive cooperation. The UAE joined OPEC in 1967 through the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and continued its membership following the formation of the United Arab Emirates in 1971. Throughout this period, the UAE has played an active role in supporting global oil market stability and strengthening dialogue among producing nations,” – read the statement.

The statement from UAE Energy Minister Suhail Mohamed al-Mazrouei nevertheless offers some hints as to why the country made the decision to quit the cartel – “While near-term volatility, including disruptions in the Arabian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, continues to affect supply dynamics, underlying trends point to sustained growth in global energy demand over the medium to long term,”

The UAE, which is the Gulf state with the closest relationship to Israel, was targeted with thousands of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, destroying the appeal of Dubai, a luxury tourism hotspot. Tehran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has also severely constrained the UAE’s ability to export oil, threatening the foundation of its economy. It’s only natural for the kingdom to prioritize its own interests.

Losing the UAE, a longstanding OPEC member, would certainly weaken the group, which has usually sought to show a united front despite internal disagreements over a range of issues from geopolitics to production quotas. But the Gulf state, bordering Saudi Arabia and Oman, has no choice even though its decision would deal a heavy blow to OPEC and its de facto leader, Saudi Arabia.

UAE presidential advisor Anwar Gargash said the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – half of whom are also OPEC members – had failed to respond collectively after Iran launched retaliatory attacks against them. “The GCC’s stance was the weakest historically, considering the nature of the attack and the threat it posed to everyone,” – Gargash said.

“I expect this weak stance from the Arab League and I am not surprised by it, but I haven’t expected it from the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) and I am surprised by it,” – said Gargash. The UAE’s desperate position is partially due to its reliance on the Strait of Hormuz for oil exports and an unwillingness among the UAE’s elite to see Iran cement itself as a regional power in the Gulf.

But the real frustration came from strict OPEC production quotas and tensions with Saudi Arabia regarding energy strategy and regional influence. The move to leave the oil cartel would allow the UAE to independently increase oil production and pursue long-term economic goals. OPEC sets uniform petroleum policies among its member countries with the mission of maintaining stable global oil markets.

Crucially, leaving OPEC will give the UAE more flexibility in responding to market dynamics and allow it to increase oil production as much as leaders deem appropriate, which could, in theory, reduce the global price of oil. The U.A.E. has production capacity of 4.8 million barrels a day and is currently allowed around 3.4 million barrels a day under OPEC’s quota system.

Once outside the group, it will have both the incentive and the ability to increase production. The UAE national oil company, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), had already set a goal of increasing its crude oil production capacity to 5 million barrels per day (up from 2.94 million in 2023) by 2027. It has invested heavily in expanding capacity through ADNOC over the years, and its oil is relatively cheap to produce.

Jorge León, an analyst at Rystad, said – “The UAE withdrawal marks a significant shift for OPEC. Alongside Saudi Arabia, it is one of the few members with meaningful spare capacity – the mechanism through which the group exerts market influence. While near-term effects may be muted given ongoing disruptions in the strait of Hormuz, the longer-term implication is a structurally weaker OPEC.”

The UAE’s exit would take away 13% of OPEC’s production capacity, according to figures by the IEA (International Energy Agency), damaging the organization’s market capabilities. Alongside Saudi Arabia, the UAE is one of the few members with meaningful spare capacity, or the ability through which the group exerts market influence and responds to supply shocks.

OPEC was formed in 1960 by Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela to stabilize prices and sustain development among its member states. The organization has since expanded to 13 members. OPEC cooperates with a group of 11 non-member oil-producing countries such as Russia, Azerbaijan and Malaysia through the OPEC+ framework.

By coordinating how much its 12 members – Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, UAE, Kuwait, Algeria, Libya, Nigeria, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of the Congo and Venezuela – pump at any given time, it’s able to influence global energy markets and its decisions can ripple quickly through gasoline prices, inflation and the broader global economy.

However, analysts have noted OPEC’s weakening grip on the global oil market over time as production outside of member countries has surged. The non-OPEC supply of oil, including that from Brazil and the United States, has grown fast enough to partially offset cuts in the supply from member countries. In fact, the U.S. is the world’s largest oil producer, producing over 21–23 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2024-2025 –  roughly 22% of global production. 

After the emergence of U.S. shale oil, OPEC’s power to sway markets appeared greatly diminished. It teamed up with Russia, adding market share and pricing power. In recent weeks, OPEC producers have privately complained that attacks by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz have stripped them of their position as the main influence over swings in the global oil market.

Trump has accused OPEC of “ripping off the rest of the world” and argued that many OPEC members receive U.S. military protection “for nothing” while they’re simultaneously “exploiting” the U.S. Global policymakers have long described the group as a cartel manipulating prices. The UAE is not the first country leaving OPEC. Angola officially left OPEC on January 1, 2024, following disputes over reduced oil production quotas.

While the war has rattled the UAE’s economic model, which was built on its reputation as an oasis in a dangerous region, the kingdom is in quite a unique and privileged position with the ability to circumvent the blockage in the strait by routing more than half of its oil exports across the country. Its independence also allows the country to invest heavily in overland pipelines designed to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

Other Articles That May Interest You …

• Iran Ship Failed To Breach Blockade – Now It Could Become Spoils Of War
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• Round 2 – US To Blockade Hormuz After Talks Fail
• Wiping Iran Civilization – How & Why China Got Iran To A Ceasefire
• Seizing Iran Islands – How U.S. Marines Plan To Reopen Strait Of Hormuz
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The post UAE Leaving OPEC – Reasons Why This Kingdom Quits Oil Cartel first appeared on FinanceTwitter.

For more than 3 years since the formation of the multi-coalition Unity Government by Anwar-led Pakatan Harapan and Zahid-led Barisan Nasional, UMNO – the backbone of Barisan Nasional – has been playing a clever game. Keeping a low profile to cleanse its toxic image of corruption, arrogance and extremism, the party is determined to return to its former glory of leading the country.

And the strategy works like a charm. Today, it’s PKR president Anwar Ibrahim – not UMNO president Zahid Hamidi – who is seen to be racist, corrupt, power-crazy, hypocrite, arrogant, doublespeak, and whatnot. Because narcissist Anwar loves to be praised and wants to be worshiped every minute, everyone gladly and synchronously took a few steps back to leave Anwar in front and look like a hero taking charge.

That makes the prime minister more arrogant and hungrier for a second term because power corrupts him. That explains why the fake reformist was incredibly mad and furious when someone disagreed with him, especially when that someone was none other than (former) PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli. When even his own deputy criticized him, Anwar not only lost face, but felt threatened.

While the People’s Justice Party PKR under the leadership of Anwar is doing an excellent job undermining and splitting itself – through changing voting mechanisms, vote-rigging, and bribery – just to boot outspoken Rafizi in exchange of cronies and dynastic politics, UMNO has done exactly the opposite, opening its door via “Rumah Bangsa” to former members to strengthen the party.

UMNO also cleverly outsourced the dirty jobs of its trademark inflammatory and hateful provocation as well as racist politics towards the Chinese community to Akmal Saleh, the party’s Youth Chief. The goal was to swing back its traditional Malay supporters who had abandoned UMNO, which led to the collapse of the ruling Barisan Nasional government in the May 2018 General Election.

The best part is, while Anwar endorses Zahid’s plan of making ethnic Chinese the punching bag, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) under the leadership of spineless secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook – clearly drunk with power – keeps quiet since 2022 even as the Chinese community, which contributed 95% of votes to both PKR and DAP, was terrorized by the despicable Akmal. 

Zahid pitched the idea that to fight the religious extremist PAS Islamist party and the racist bigot Bersatu party, UMNO through Akmal must be allowed to bully the Chinese in order to convince Malays to return to UMNO. Anwar argued that UMNO-Malays are more important and Chinese voters have no other option but to vote blindly for Pakatan Harapan. And the useless Loke was convinced for the “greater good”.

However, behind closed doors, Zahid Hamidi has been having secret meetings with both opposition parties, PAS and Bersatu, to form a cooperation bloc for the 16th General Election. Following the meetings, Zahid during the 2025 UMNO General Assembly in January, shared his party’s pretext of uniting all Malay and Islamic parties under the so-called “grand collaboration”.

Yes, while both Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Transport Minister Anthony Loke were still dreaming about collaboration with UMNO in the next national polls, they were jolted by a surprise betrayal. Negeri Sembilan’s Chief Minister has lost his majority in the southern Malaysian state after all 14 assemblymen from UMNO withdrew support for him on Monday (April 27, 2026).

This leaves Chief Minister Aminuddin Harun, the vice-president in Premier Anwar Ibrahim’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat, with the support of just 17 members in the 36-strong state legislature – short of the 19 needed to form a simple-majority state government. Suddenly, panicking Pakatan Harapan lawmakers who had been in slumber land are now scrambling to remind UMNO about their alliance and cooperation.

Negeri Sembilan UMNO chief Jalaluddin Alias claimed they were dissatisfied that Mr Aminuddin had excluded them from any discussion about the state ruler’s crisis. “Such a crisis is seen as potentially affecting the administration of the Negeri Sembilan state government and, indirectly, significantly impacting government stability and social harmony,” – argued Jalaluddin.

The Negeri Sembilan crisis follows an attempt on April 19 by the traditional chieftains, known as the Undang, to oust the state’s ruler, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir. The next day, Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) Aminuddin recklessly and prematurely dismissed the attempt, declaring the move invalid. In retaliation, the chieftains then fought back on April 21, calling for Mr Aminuddin’s removal.

The Undang also boycotted the opening of the state assembly on April 23, a day after they said they wanted the session to be deferred pending the installation of a new ruler of their choosing – Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar. Despite losing his majority, Mr Aminuddin insisted on staying in power as a “minority government” after a meeting with the state’s ruler, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir.

DAP Chief Anthony Loke argues that a Menteri Besar could be ousted in two ways: either the state assembly passes a motion of no confidence; or the state’s ruler consents to appoint a new chief minister whose coalition commands a majority in the house. But opposition Perikatan Nasional, which has five state assemblymen, has announced its support for Barisan Nasional.

Crucially, Negeri Sembilan UMNO declared that it had accepted the opposition’s offer of collaboration and that they now command a simple majority of 19 out of 36 state seats. Like it or not, the current Aminuddin government could collapse anytime because it has lost its majority. UMNO’s next step is to seek an audience with Tuanku Muhriz to demonstrate its majority.

Opportunist UMNO Negeri Sembilan was not against Tuanku Muhriz, but merely taking advantage of Aminuddin’s tactical mistake to grab power. As long as UMNO can ensure its support for Tuanku Muhriz in the Undang’s royal coup to seize power, the monarch does not care whether the Chief Minister is Aminuddin or Jalaluddin.

Of course, Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi, the UMNO president, claims he was not aware of the coup and told reporters that the decisions taken by the UMNO assemblymen in Negeri Sembilan “were made independently”. Hilariously, to comfort themselves, pro-Anwar propagandists bloggers, cyber troopers, YouTubers, and TikTokers immediately – and naively – defend and trumpet Zahid’s claims.

Get real, nothing as huge as a “power snatching” could go ahead without the green light from the UMNO top leadership. If you believe Zahid Hamidi was unaware of UMNO Negeri Sembilan’s coup to seize power from ally PKR, then you should also believe Muhyiddin Yassin was unaware of Bersatu Perlis’s coup to seize power from ally PAS.

Anwar blind supporters can bury their heads in the sand for all they want. They can even sing Kumbaya with UMNO and lie to themselves that UMNO did not back stab, let alone betray them in Negeri Sembilan. We already warned back in August 2024 (read here) why “UMNO Cannot Be Trusted – The Predictable Game Plan Of The Corrupt Party To Reassert Its Single-Party Dominance.”

What UMNO did in Negeri Sembilan is precisely what it had been planning after it lost power since the 2018 General Election – regain the premiership. With Anwar struggling to mitigate plunging support in preparation for the national election, which could still happen this year despite economic turmoil as a result of the Iran War, UMNO has begun to distance itself from Anwar for obvious reasons.

The attempt to overthrow Aminuddin is UMNO’s first step to test the water and to provoke PKR and DAP to declare war on UMNO. If PM Anwar has no balls to pressure Zahid to fix the problem, which was blown out of proportion, it would encourage the Malay nationalist party to proceed with its next phase – demands for the Iron Throne. UMNO could argue that PKR should support Zahid as the next PM, the same way UMNO has supported Anwar.

There’s also a possibility that the UMNO’s coup in Negeri Sembilan was a deliberate political maneuver to extract concessions from the Anwar Madani in exchange for letting Aminuddin serve his remaining term. The concessions could range from former UMNO president Najib Razak’s request for a pardon to surrendering Pakatan Harapan safe seats for UMNO-Barisan Nasional in the next election.

Tactically, the UMNO Negeri Sembilan move could be designed to torpedo Pakatan Harapan’s plan to challenge UMNO in the upcoming Melaka and Johor state elections. UMNO wanted PKR and DAP to stop asking for more seats if they wanted UMNO to leave Negeri Sembilan alone. While Barisan Nasional has a two-third majority in Melaka and Johor, Pakatan Harapan does not even have a simple majority in Negeri Sembilan.   

More importantly, UMNO has also calculated that neither PKR nor DAP has the balls to retaliate by withdrawing support for the UMNO-led government in Perak and Pahang. In both states, the power-hungry opposition parties are ready to support UMNO in the event Pakatan Harapan pulls the plug. UMNO governments in Perak and Pahang wouldn’t collapse even without Pakatan Harapan’s support.

It’s not rocket science that the PAS Islamist party, having realized its past mistakes in rejecting the unity government proposal offered by the previous Agong (King) after the 15^th General Election that produced a hung parliament, is more than willing to support Zahid as the 11^th Prime Minister. PAS’ designated prime ministerial candidate, Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, could become the deputy prime minister.

In addition to Samsuri, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) could retain its current deputy prime minister portfolio in UMNO’s game plan to regain its lost premiership. In fact, UMNO is betting that the idiotic Anwar, in order to prevent him from being investigated for corruption in the corporate mafia scandal, could even agree to a demotion as deputy PM as long as PKR is part of the next government.

With UMNO-PAS-PKR (perhaps Bersatu as a mosquito partner) in the government, DAP, whose chief Anthony Loke is still having wet dreams about partnering with UMNO, would return to the opposition. This configuration would make both UMNO and PAS happy because the DAP-Chinese have been their traditional enemy anyway. If PAS betrays UMNO, Zahid could easily entice DAP to checkmate PAS.

The burning question: why is UMNO making its move now? The short answer is the Iran War. The long answer is to launch a “surprise attack” to disrupt current political and economic stability. PM Anwar is considering calling a general election by October 2026, after Budget 2027 and ahead of the 2028 deadline, to secure a fresh mandate before implementing unpopular fuel subsidy cuts. 

If U.S. president Donald Trump and the Iranian regime suddenly strike a deal to end the war, it would still take at least one year for the economy to stabilize and recover, largely due to severe, long-term damage to energy infrastructure and shipping routes. But if the conflict drags on for a few months more, which is more likely the case, it would be worse for Anwar Madani.

Obviously, power-hungry UMNO is pressing all the right buttons to pressure PKR to cede power, beginning in Negeri Sembilan. With new taxes, e-invoice system, delay tax refunds, scrapping fuel subsidies, escalating cost of living, corporate mafia scandal, corruption, and cronyism already stacked against Anwar, losing Negeri Sembilan would be a slap in the face of the narcissist PM.

Unlike the pathetic DAP, who, despite possessing 40 MPs but appears powerless and weak, UMNO cannot play second fiddle. At best, UMNO would take over Negeri Sembilan but the unity government remains intact with PKR – reluctantly – playing second fiddle. At worst, the cooperation between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan ends abruptly. Either way, UMNO wins.

Grabbing Negeri Sembilan would add another trophy to UMNO’s power base in Melaka, Johor, Perak and Pahang. That would solidify and boost the party morale going into the 16^th General Election. Pakatan Harapan, thanks to Anwar and Loke’s arrogance and ignorance, would be left aimlessly and lame if they lost Negeri Sembilan (which happens to be Loke’s “home ground”) – just months after they were wiped out in the Sabah state election.

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The post Get Popcorn – UMNO Has Begun Seizing Power, Betraying PKR first appeared on FinanceTwitter.

Each year, the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCD) hosts a dinner to celebrate press freedom and the First Amendment. Founded in 1914, the association represents nearly 1,000 journalists who cover the White House. The event draws hundreds of journalists, celebrities and politicians from both major parties. It has been held at the Washington Hilton for decades.

High-profile guests walked the red carpet and posed for photos, including White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and her husband, as well as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, FBI Director Kash Patel and multiple cabinet members, along with business executives, lawmakers, and celebrities. 

A few minutes into the dinner, which started at 8 p.m., leaders of the White House Correspondents’ Association stepped onstage at the front of the Washington Hilton ballroom. The event host introduced Trump (last attended in 2011, when he was a reality TV star) and First Lady Melania Trump, with the POTUS stationed next to the association’s president, Weijia Jiang, a CBS News reporter. 

A military band played and the room stood for the national anthem before a break for dinner. As guests took their first bites of salads in the humming ballroom, a 31-year-old man from Los Angeles approached. He picked up speed as he ran toward a Secret Service security checkpoint. Event host Oz Pearlman was entertaining the first lady on stage when guests heard shots fired outside the ballroom.

Trump initially thought a tray had been dropped on the floor, but his wife worried it sounded more serious. All hell broke loose when a Secret Service agent shouted “Shots Fired!”. The president was pulled off the stage by security officials but appeared to stumble as they moved him. A huddle of agents formed around Trump as he was removed. Vance was ushered away in the opposite direction.

Several armed law-enforcement agents with long guns and helmets stationed themselves on the stage as it was being cleared of guests. Agents spread out across the ballroom, standing on tables and holding their weapons. Cabinet secretaries were rushed out of the room. Attendees hid under tables and behind chairs. Wine spilled and serving trays clattered to the ground as people screamed and sobbed. 

According to a security video posted by Mr. Trump afterward, law enforcement officials are seen chasing the suspect – identified as Cole Tomas Allen – as tuxedoed agents draw their guns and run toward the ballroom. The gunman exchanged gunfire with authorities before being brought under control by the Secret Service. However, he did not enter the ballroom.

Trump, the First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other top officials were escorted from the hotel around 9:45 p.m. At a White House later news conference later that night, Mr. Trump said that a Secret Service officer had been shot but was protected by a bulletproof vest. He was taken to a hospital. There were no other reported injuries, according to Markwayne Mullin, the homeland security secretary.

Mr. Allen, the man two law enforcement officials said was the suspect taken into custody, was carrying multiple knives, a shotgun and a handgun, officials said. A resident of Torrance, California, a coastal town in the South Bay area adjacent to Los Angeles, he was a guest at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the annual dinner was taking place.

Facebook postings appearing to relate to Cole show that he was named “Teacher of the Month” in December 2024 by the Torrance office of C2 Education, a nationwide private test-preparation and tutoring service for college-bound students. A LinkedIn profile describes him as a “mechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, independent game developer by experience, teacher by birth”.

The best part – he obtained a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the prestigious California Institute of Technology in 2017, and a master’s degree in computer science from California State University at Dominguez Hills in 2025, according to the profile. Caltech stated in a statement that a person of that name graduated in 2017.

He previously worked as a mechanical engineer for a company called IJK Controls in South Pasadena for a year, and before that, as a Caltech teaching assistant. The profile also includes a local newspaper article “on a robotics competition my team won” at Caltech in 2016. Authorities said they believe he acted alone but are investigating whether he was targeting the president.

But the shooting has raised security loopholes at the hotel. Attendees were able to access the Hilton’s lobby and lower levels without going through security scans, only passing through magnetometers as they entered the ballroom where the dinner was held. This is the same hotel where an attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan occurred and a common meeting place for world leaders and D.C.’s elite.

If the POTUS was the target of Tomas, then Trump may make it into the Guinness World Records as thepresident with the highest number of assassination attempts. Donald Trump has had attempts on his life before. In July, 2024, his ear was grazed by a bullet in an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, PA. Months later, a federal agent fired on an armed man at Mr. Trump’s Florida golf club.

While no one was killed, the FBI and security officials continue to investigate the incident and how the man was able to get weapons so close to the event. Trump said the security services did a “much better job than Butler,” where he was the target of an assassination attempt in 2024 during a campaign rally in the state of Pennsylvania. However, some believe the entire shooting drama was staged by Trump.

Around 10:30 p.m., the president posted a photo on social media of the shooter – shirtless –  face down on the hotel carpet with his hands cuffed behind his back and Secret Service standing around him. According to a Federal Election Commission record, Allen donated US$25 in October 2024 to the fundraising platform ActBlue, with the money earmarked for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign.

Bin Tang, a computer science professor at California State University-Dominguez Hills, told The Associated Press that Allen took a few of his classes before graduating. “He was a very good student indeed, always sitting in the front row of my class, paying attention, and frequently emailing me with coursework questions. Soft spoken, very polite, a good fellow. I am very shocked to see the news,” – Tang wrote in an email.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Sunday that the gunman travelled across the country before the event and is believed to have been targeting members of the Trump administration. The suspect is believed to have purchased the firearms he carried within the last couple of years, Blanche said. He is not being cooperative and is expected to face multiple charges on Monday.

Blanche said officials believe the suspect traveled by train from California to Chicago and then on to Washington, where in recent days he checked in as a guest at the hotel where one of Washington’s glitziest events was being held Saturday night. Dylan Wakayama, who knew Allen because he tutored high school students who were members of the Asian American Civic Trust, said his impression of Allen was that he was intelligent, quiet, and nice.

Shortly before 10 p.m., most people had exited the ballroom, leaving behind a scene of a party interrupted. Tables were covered with partially eaten starter salads and half-eaten bread rolls. Some guests left with bottles of wine tucked under their arms. As guests trickled out late Saturday, a man waved a cardboard sign that read, “Death to All of Them.” 

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The post Assassination – How “Teacher Of The Month” Gunman Sparked Panic At Trump’s Dinner first appeared on FinanceTwitter.

“He is doing his job. Why attack him? Why insult people who do their work?” – the PM defended his errand boy despite public demands to remove the MACC chief over his corporate shareholding irregularities and Bloomberg reports on “corporate mafia” involving Azam Baki’s agency. Instead of investigating Azam, PM Anwar ordered authorities to harass Bloomberg and threaten critics instead.

On February 13, former economy minister Rafizi Ramli led seven other MPs from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), which is part of the government coalition, to call on party president Anwar to act against Mr Azam. “I would like to advise Prime Minister Anwar not to repeat the mistakes made by Najib Razak during the 1MDB scandal,” – Rafizi said, referring to the Malaysian state fund scandal which led to the fall and imprisonment of former PM Najib.

Rafizi’s show of defiance – indirectly challenging his party boss Anwar – would make the prime minister lose face and look weak if Azam’s contract is not extended for the fourth time. Surrounded by apple polishers, Anwar believes he is the best prime minister, most charismatic leader, most powerful man, cleverest finance minister, and the most popular Muslim leader in the world. 

After all, Mr Anwar was the one who extended Mr Azam’s tenure from May 12, 2023, to May 11, 2024, followed by another term from May 12, 2024, to May 12, 2025, and reappointed again for the third time until May 12, 2026. If he had done that thrice, surely he could do it again. The narcissist Premier would certainly look foolish and cowardly if he stops extending Azam’s contract after repeatedly praising the MACC chief’s “extraordinary courage”.

However, by early March, there was a change of tone. When grilled by journalists about a report by the Singapore-based Straits Times that the term for Azam would not be renewed, Anwar played dumb. He was no longer his usual arrogant self. His spectacular 180-degree turn from profusely defending Azam Baki to timidly avoiding the question was both hilarious and breathtaking.

On Wednesday (April 22), it was game over for the 62-year-old Azam. Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim said that he will “personally” select the country’s new anti-graft chief – the strongest sign that current MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki is set to be replaced. “I will determine the best candidate to lead the MACC after this,” – announced Sultan Ibrahim of Johor.

The King’s “intervention” is a humiliation to Anwar Madani. The first message sent by the monarch: Azam is guilty as hell over allegations of professional misconduct and breaches of public service regulations. This also means the prime minister has lied from the beginning in insisting Azam was clean. If Azam was indeed innocent as claimed, why would the King refuse to extend his contract?

The second message – the Monarch appears to have, behind closed doors, rejected Anwar’s effort to extend Azam’s contract again for another year at a time when the PM was resisting the pressure to axe Azam. Obviously, this is a slap in the PM’s face as he was fighting tooth and nail in a perception war with his protégé Rafizi that Azam was working incredibly hard fighting corruption and deserved a fourth contract extension.

The third message – Sultan Ibrahim has lost faith in Anwar’s leadership. The King said that the MACC chief commissioner’s role was vital in ensuring the agency continues to function effectively as the nation’s primary institution in combating corruption, embezzlement, and abuse of power. Never in the history of the country where a monarch undermined a PM by publicly announcing he would personally pick the anti-corruption agency chief.

It’s worth noting that the same outspoken sultan was responsible for approving Azam Baki’s extension twice since the monarch was sworn in as Malaysia’s 17th King (Yang di-Pertuan Agong) on January 31, 2024, marking the start of a five-year reign. On those two occasions, Sultan Ibrahim reappointed Azam based on the advice of the Prime Minister, as per Section 5 of the MACC Act 2009.

On Friday (April 24), two days after the King said he would choose the MACC’s new chief commissioner, Anwar – with egg on his face – presented Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim with a list of candidates. The PM can no longer bulldoze his choice of candidate, as that power is now in the hands of the King. Instead of rubber-stamping the MACC chief, the monarch demanded a list of choices – probably a whisper about his preferred candidate.

Arguably, King Sultan Ibrahim appears to have ignored PM Anwar’s power in Section 5 of the MACC Act 2009, which says that the Agong (King) shall appoint the MACC Chief Commissioner on the advice of the Prime Minister. By ignoring Anwar’s advice, the King shows not only his displeasure, but also distrust in the PM’s capability in choosing a credible candidate.

Yes, Sultan Ibrahim no longer takes advice from Anwar in the process of appointing the next MACC Chief Commissioner. And that’s a big deal because the monarch has essentially taken both roles – “to select” and “to appoint.” It shows dissatisfaction. It shows loss of trust. More importantly, it shows a loss of confidence in the 10^th Prime Minister, dealing a blow to Anwar’s chest-thumping rhetoric about fighting corruption.  

On Saturday (April 25), the puzzle was solved after Abdul Halim Aman, a former High Court judge, was appointed the new Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief to replace Azam Baki. While the battle against the reappointment of Azam has been won, it’s too early to tell whether the King’s new selection is a game-changer or merely old wine in a new bottle.

A former High Court judge who retired about three years ago, having served at the Penang High Court (2009) and Johor Baru High Court (2010) before his long tenure at the Shah Alam High Court from 2013 until his mandatory retirement in March 2023, the 69-year-old Abdul Halim would be under public’s microscope for every word and decision he makes.

His extensive background in criminal jurisprudence and courtroom management were perhaps the primary reason he got the King’s attention. However, his age could be a double-edged sword – either he could end up as Azam Baki 2.0, or he could become a fearsome graft buster. People had been hoping for former Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat to replace Azam.

Another potential candidate to succeed Azam Baki before the appointment of little-known Abdul Halim was Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, currently the Deputy Inspector-General of Police. Noted for his strict, no-nonsense approach to fighting corruption and crime, Ayob was bypassed by the Anwar administration for the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) when Razarudin Husain took the top post in June 2023. 

Crucially, the new MACC chief has to prove that he isn’t one of PM Anwar’s lackeys and has the balls to investigate Anwar’s cronies and former political secretary turned multi-millionaire businessman such as Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak – the key player in the Corporate Mafia scandal. Failure to do so would also affect Sultan Ibrahim’s reputation and image.

Ending Azam Baki’s service does not automatically end all the scandals, corruptions, and abuses of power associated with the MACC and other authorities deployed to cover up the shameful episodes. The new chief has to investigate – not harass – Bloomberg over MACC’s alleged collusion with a group of businessmen – dubbed the “corporate mafia” – in corporate tussles.

And just because Azam is out of MACC does not mean Anwar can forget about Azam’s extraordinary wealth in owning RM14 million in shares across nine companies, including 17.7 million shares of Velocity Capital Partner. Pussyfooting by asking agencies of the same feather – Royal Malaysia Police, Securities Commission, the Inland Revenue Board and the MACC – to look into Azam’s crimes is laughable.

It would be an insult to the people’s intelligence to say the MACC’s integrity and credibility has been restored just with the axing of Azam Baki and the new appointment of Abdul Halim. Worse, if Azam is rewarded by the despicable Anwar administration with new chairmanship or directorship of some GLCs (government-link-companies), it would send the wrong message that even the King has been played and manipulated.  

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The post Hidden Message Behind King Picking Ex-Judge As New Anti-Graft Chief first appeared on FinanceTwitter.

Having been in the business for more than 7 years, his Facebook account has skyrocketed to more than 560,000 followers, and it’s not hard to understand his popularity. Last Friday (April 17), a video clip went viral after he shared his experience in assisting a stranded motorcyclist late at night and refusing payment after realising the rider had barely enough for the repair.

The mechanic apparently had closed for business earlier than usual in Taman Kota Damansara due to heavy rain when he received a call at around 12.30 am from a motorcyclist in distress. The rider, Dicky Yau, had obtained his contact details via TikTok after unsuccessfully reaching out to other mechanics. Dicky told Yusof how he had contacted several mechanics, but was turned away, with one even blocked his number.

Pleading for help, Mr Yau explained that his motorcycle chain had snapped and the front sprocket was missing, leaving him stranded without assistance. While Mr Yusof had already gone home, he nevertheless asked for photos and the location in case he could help. Since it was late hour, the mechanic quoted RM145 (approximately US$36.67) for the repair, covering parts (RM105) and labour (RM40).

The rider tried to negotiate as he could only afford RM80 (US$20.23), to which the mechanic politely said the suggested price was too low due to the late hour. With no other choice, Dicky Yau agreed with the quoted price and waited for Mohd Yusof to fix his motorcycle. Upon arrival and after some casual chatting, the mechanic learnt that the rider had actually borrowed money from a friend to pay for the repair.

After completing the work, the rider attempted to make payment. However, the mechanic noticed that the amount displayed on the rider’s cellphone represented his remaining funds. Instead of offering discounts, Yusof refused payment entirely and covered the cost himself, treating it as an act of charity. In the video, the rider is seen repeatedly insisting on paying, but his offers were declined, leaving him visibly emotional.

“He kept insisting that I take the money for my work. But seeing his situation, I just could not do it,” – the kind-hearted mechanic, known as “Abang Minyak Hitam Jalanan”, said. The encounter ended in an emotional exchange, with the mechanic saying he was moved to tears when the rider embraced him. “When he hugged me, I could not hold back my tears. Every person has their own struggles,” – he said.

After the video went viral, the rider, identified as Dicky, later commented online to express gratitude and confirm that his motorcycle had been repaired safely. He also expressed deep appreciation for Yusof’s assistance, and said the mechanic arrived in about 20 minutes despite it being past midnight. Of course, thousands of social media users have praised the mechanic’s empathy and willingness to help a stranger in need.

It was learnt later that Dicky Yau is a single father from Sabah who had travelled to Kuala Lumpur for work and was facing financial hardship while supporting his family. But the story of the two strangers did not end there. The viral video triggered waves of donations from the public. Touched by the concern shown by social media users who had offered to extend financial help, the single father has since refused to accept any more donations.

“I would like to thank everyone who sent private messages to offer help. However, I cannot accept any donations from anyone. If there is any account asking for donations using my name, it is fake. Thanks everyone for your concern,” – Yau said in a TikTok post on Saturday (April 18). He said any donations received would be given to the mechanics featured in the TikTok account @minyakhitamjalanan

“Next week, I will look for that brother (mechanic). I will give these TikTok live gifts to that brother so he can help others,” – said Yau. In the latest clip on Wednesday (April 22), the two men met again after the simple act of kindness attracted donations to the tune of about RM6,000. Dicky had earlier suggested that half of the money be given to the mechanic to continue helping others in need as “infak” (charity).

However, in the latest video, the mechanic attempts to hand the money back to Dicky. The moment turns emotional once again when the mechanic tries to pass him the cash but Dicky quickly declines, saying – “Bang, jangan bang.” The mechanic, whom Dicky called “Abang Usop”, however, gently insists, urging Dicky to keep it, saying – “You have a child,” as the emotional Dicky breaks down and wipes away his tears.

While the episodes strongly demonstrate a rare display of sincerity, humility and mutual care, with many social media users praising both men for putting others before themselves, even in difficult circumstances, it also provides many lessons which politicians could and should learn from two ordinary folks – a Malay mechanic and a Chinese motorcyclist trying to make ends meet.

Unlike Anwar Ibrahim’s slogan during election time – “Anak Melayu, Anak India, Anak Cina, Anak Kadazan, Anak Iban, semua anak saya” – to hoodwink voters, only to show his true colour by repeatedly discriminating, mocking and even insulting the non-Malays after becoming the 10^th Prime Minister, the mechanic ignored skin colour when he decided to absorb the total cost of repairs for the struggling single father.

It also shows that unlike the narcissist Premier, who would always demand credit and praise for the slightest achievement, the mechanic is genuinely sincere in earning a living and humble in helping others without blowing his own trumpet. PM Anwar strongly believes he deserves respect due to his position despite spending taxpayers’ money to do his job, whilst Abang Usop believes in using his own “infak” money for charity and received praises organically.

Heck, Anwar should be ashamed of himself for gifting former Prime Minister Najib Razak with 50% discount on the crook’s original 12-year jail term and 75% discount on the RM210 million fine after stealing billions in the 1MDB scandal. The Prime Minister should learn from the Malay mechanic and the Chinese single father why both profusely pushed the RM6,000 donation gifts to each other – they aren’t greedy. Anwar helped a wealthy crook, while the mechanic helped a poor man.

In the same breath, unlike former Prime Minister Muhyiddin’s “Malay First” and PAS Islamist party president Hadi Awang’s “Muslim First” mantra, the Malay-Muslim mechanic does not adopt the same racist bigotry and religious extremism when he decided to help a Chinese motorcyclist in trouble whom many other mechanics had refused to entertain.

Crucially, the event proves that contrary to decades of political false rhetoric, deceptive tactics and misinformation to manipulate ethnic Malay’s opinion that the ethnic Chinese are all super rich and wealthy, the truth is there are tons of Malaysian Chinese who are still struggling to put food on the table. Poverty does not discriminate against race, religion, culture, gender or background.

For over 60 years, racist politicians have been stirring up racial and religious sentiments among the Malays that the Muslims and Malay rulers have lost power so that they can continue to justify their existence just to steal and plunder the national coffers. The gap between the super rich and poor people like Dicky Yau clearly shows PM Anwar’s declaration that hardcore poverty has been eliminated in Kuala Lumpur back in February 2024 is laughable.

From the Muhyiddin’s backdoor regime mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic to the current Anwar’s arrogant Madani administration, the “Kita Jaga Kita” slogan that directly translates to “we take care of ourselves”or”we look out for each other” is still valid because all selfish and hypocrite politicians – regardless of parties – are too busy enriching themselves than to take care of the ordinary people’s welfare. 

To Dicky Yau, his saviour that night was a stranger of different skin colour, race and religion called Abang Usop, not Premier Anwar Ibrahim, Opposition Leader Hamzah Zainudin, DAP Anthony Loke or former prime ministers like Mahathir Mohamad, Muhyiddin Yassin or “turtle-egg” man Ismail Sabri. And among all the mechanics he had asked for help, only Mohd Yusof responded selflessly.

Yes, like it or not, Malays often go out of their way to stop and assist those with broken-down vehicles, flat tires, or empty fuel tanks. The community’s willingness to help stranded motorists is largely due to their sense of “kampung (village)” spirit and community solidarity. Unfortunately, this kindness and soft spots are being milked and exploited at the same time by despicable politicians weaponizing race and religion.

Without politicians’ divide-and-rule dirty tactic, Malaysia is an absolutely peaceful country. Even Anwar, despite having been left in the political wilderness as opposition for 24 years, did not learn his lesson after he got power – protecting corrupt leaders of all sizes, allowing racists like Akmal Saleh to terrorize the Chinese community, defending corporate mafia, marginalizing minorities’ interests, and whatnot.

And unlike the mechanic, who admitted during an interview last year that he received with an open heart to both praise and criticisms over his services, Ayatollah Anwar – unable to accept critical criticisms – has been abusing government resources to block or blacklist websites, portals or social media accounts which do not sing songs of praise of him.

The emotional exchange between the mechanic and the stranded motorcyclist was not fake like those played out by drama queen prime minister and politicians. Forked-tongue leaders or politicians should learn from the episode not to doublespeak or practice double standards in order to earn people’s respect. That mechanic is not only a better Muslim, but also has more dignity and deserves more respect than all politicians and prime ministers combined.

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The post What PM & Politicians Can Learn From This Mechanic & Motorcyclist first appeared on FinanceTwitter.

What will happen to the ship and its crew would depend on what it was carrying. The containership, part of a fleet controlled by a subsidiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, a company that has been accused of transporting items with potential military use to Iran, has been under sanctions since 2018 – until its luck ran out on Sunday.

According to MarineTraffic.com, the Touska’s last port of call was Port Klang, Malaysia, on April 12. Before that, it had been going back and forth between the Chinese city of Zhuhai and various Iranian ports. The ship is owned by the Mosakhar Darya Shipping Co, which has an address in Tehran and is subject to sanctions, according to the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) says the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance warned the Touska repeatedly over a six-hour period, during which time the container ship was steaming in the Arabian Sea toward Bandar Abbas, Iran. The ship’s defiance saw the destroyer warned the crew to evacuate the ship’s engine room before firing several rounds from its 5-inch gun, disabling its propulsion.

After the Touska’s diesel engine was knocked out, marines from the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli then boarded the Touska by helicopter. Searching such a huge ship at sea would be impossible, with potentially thousands of containers to be inspected. Therefore, the disabled Iranian ship would need to be towed to an anchorage or port for inspection or valuation.

Once that is done and its cargo can be determined, it could eventually become property of the U.S. government as a “prize.”It can be treated as a “spoils of war”, like any enemy combatant or materials seized from an enemy in the course of armed conflict. Essentially, those tolls collected by the Iranian regime may not be enough to cover the losses of the Touska.

“Under the laws of naval warfare, you can seize a vessel in these circumstances that has tried to run a blockade,” said Jennifer Parker, a non-resident fellow at the Lowy Institute and a former Royal Australian Navy officer. “If they choose to keep it for the long term, it would need to go through a prize court, which would need to be established,” – she said.

Charlie Brown, a former U.S. Navy officer and senior adviser for United Against Nuclear Iran, a U.S.-based advocacy group, said the Touska’s decision to try to breach the blockade suggested it was carrying something of value to Iran. “It must have been worth the risk to try to run the blockade, but they chose poorly,” – he said.

As for the fate of the Touska’s crew, that would depend on their nationalities. If it was Indian or Filipino sailors, for example, the crew would just be taken off the vessel and repatriated. However, if the crew are Iranian, they may be detained, or worse – if members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were aboard, they could be held as prisoners of war (POW).

Obviously, if the Touska was carrying any weapons or armaments for Iran, the crew would likely be detained. Either way, the Touska, which last month was flagged as one of several Iranian ships that continued to operate despite the conflict, would not be returned to Iran. The Touska was one of nine other Iranian ships that visited Zhuhai port since the start of the Iran war on February 28.

The Touska is controlled by an IRISL subsidiary, Rahbaran Omid Darya Ship Management, according to the EU’s Equasis database. Last year, two other containerships controlled by the subsidiary transported from China 1,000 tons of a material used in the solid propellant for Iranian midrange missiles. Two other cargo ships affiliated with IRISL traveled from Zhuhai to Iran last month, raising concerns that they were carrying missile fuel components.

While China says it doesn’t sell arms to Iran and maintains strict control of equipment with both civilian and military applications, known as dual-use goods, at the same time, Beijing doesn’t recognize U.S. sanctions, which it calls unilateral and illegal. Despite the U.S. self-imposed sanctions on Iran’s energy sector, China became the leading buyer of Iranian oil.

The U.S. Navy announced last week that ships sanctioned by the U.S. would be subject to boarding, search and seizure. The U.S. said all Iranian ships were subject to potential stops, regardless of location, along with ships suspected of carrying items deemed contraband such as weapons, ammunition and military electronics.

The chances of a breakthrough in any U.S.-Iran talks – if they even take place – are slim at best. Whatever slivers of hope there were in Islamabad eight days ago have shrunk further as Iran accuses Washington of breaching the ceasefire with its naval blockade of all Iran’s Gulf ports – and now, of maritime piracy after U.S. forces fired on and impounded the Iranian-flagged MV Touska.

Iran, having briefly reopened the Strait of Hormuz before closing it, said it might not even show up after the U.S. seized one of its ships. Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on Monday that Tehran had no plans yet regarding a second round of talks, accusing the U.S. of lacking “seriousness in pursuing a diplomatic process.”

But Trump announced Sunday that a negotiating team was on their way to Islamabad on Monday evening and warned Iran against walking away from negotiations. The president said – “We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!”

Interestingly, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said “war is not in anyone’s interest” and “every rational and diplomatic path must be used to reduce tensions,” – suggesting that despite a divide between the hardliners and reformers in Iran, the moderate leaders are still trying to make a deal with the Trump administration as the war entered its eighth week.

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The post Iran Ship Failed To Breach Blockade – Now It Could Become Spoils Of War first appeared on FinanceTwitter.

No ships apart from ones controlled by the Iranian regime have crossed through the main route at the center of the waterway since the war began on February 28. On Friday (April 17), some 48 days later, as dozens of world leaders were discussing how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in a videoconference led by France and Britain, President Trump declared on social media that the strait would be fully reopened.

In celebration, Donald Trump also claimed on Friday that Iran had agreed never to close the strategic waterway again, hailing “A GREAT AND BRILLIANT DAY FOR THE WORLD!” On the same day – the first full day of a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon – Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that the strait has reopened for commercial vessels.

“In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organisation of the Islamic Republic of Iran,”  – Araghchi wrote on X. His post has encouraged Trump to claim bigger credits.

For several hours on Friday, through a series of interviews and social-media posts, Trump kept bragging his victories and what he got from Tehran – a full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, falling oil prices, a promise from Iran that it would give up its supply of enriched uranium, and commitments for Iran to halt its support for proxy terror groups in the region.

Oil prices plunged 13% and the Dow Jones popped over 1,000 points after after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz would be “completely open”. A barrel of Brent crude fell to US$88. Before the conflict, Brent crude was trading at under US$70 per barrel. It rose above US$100 before reaching a peak of more than US$119 per barrel in March. Then, U-turns began. 

Mahmoud Nabavian, a conservative lawmaker and member of Iran’s negotiating team, rejected Trump’s announcement that the strait was fully open. He said Iran would continue charging tolls for commercial ships going through the strait. Tasnim, an Iranian media outlet aligned with the country’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, criticised Araghchi for his post.

A follow-up social media post from U.S. President Donald Trump said the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz “will remain in full force” and attacks will resume if no agreement is reached with Iran. That was like a slap in the face on Tehran. It made the IRGC look weak as if it had surrendered the strait after the U.S. blockade. The regime can’t lose face whilst Trump was busy boasting about victories.

Iran’s parliamentary speaker later warned it would shut the strait of Hormuz again if the U.S. blockade continues. Tehran also said the country’s stockpile of enriched uranium would not be transferred “anywhere under any circumstances”, denying Trump’s claim on Friday that the regime had agreed to hand it over to the U.S. The contractions between Trump and Tehran as well as within Iran’s own government have created confusion.

Less than 24 hours after the U.S. and the Iranian government declared it open, Tehran said on Saturday that it has closed again the Strait of Hormuz – blaming Trump’s blockade. Worse, commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz came under attack for the first time since the ceasefire. The U-turn has forced the 20 ships waiting to cross the strategic waterway to turn back toward Oman.

“The IRGC is vetoing whatever the foreign minister is doing. I mean, they couldn’t be more clear,” – said Yoruk Isik, the head of the ship-tracking consultancy Bosphorus Observer. The divergent messages from Iran’s political and military establishment heightened concerns about the difficulty of opening the strait even through a diplomatic agreement with Iran.

Adding more confusion to the half-baked cease-fire deal was when the U.S. reportedly told Tehran it would give Iran access to US$20 billion in frozen funds held in foreign countries as part of a deal for Iran to give up its stockpile of uranium, only for Trump to deny the proposal in an interview with CBS. A second round of talks between the U.S. and Iran is expected to take place on Monday in Pakistan. 

Vice President JD Vance is expected to lead the negotiations again, alongside Trump’s Middle East peace envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law. “Only President Trump, not Iran, determines who negotiates on behalf of the United States,” said White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly. “We will not negotiate through the press, and anything not announced by President Trump or the White House should be considered speculation.”

In spite of Trump’s confidence and optimistic statements that “we’re very close to having a deal”, two major sticking points remain in the peace talks – Iran’s stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium and the future of the Strait of Hormuz. While Iran defends its right to what it says is a civilian nuclear energy programme, Trump says the U.S. would remove Iran’s stockpiles of enriched uranium.

During the first round of talks, the U.S. proposed a 20-year suspension of all Iranian nuclear activity, while Iran suggested a halt of three to five years. There were signs of a compromise that could remove part of the stockpile. But the distrust and suspicion between the U.S. and Iran may see the current conflict drag on for a few more months.

Pakistan deployed fighter jets to escort an Iranian delegation home from talks with the U.S. after concerns were raised they could be targeted during their return. About 20 aircraft, including fighter jets and an airborne warning system, were involved in the operation to provide cover for the Iranian delegation. The delegation was escorted beyond Pakistani airspace.

The hostility is expected to only increase now that the U.S. military is preparing in coming days to board Iran-linked oil tankers and seize commercial ships in international water. The U.S. has already turned back 23 ships that have sought to leave Iranian ports as part of a naval blockade of Iranian ports. President Trump is optimistic that the naval blockade will help strike a “peace deal”.

The U.S. Treasury Department revealed it was expanding its list of sanctioned vessels, companies and individuals to intensify pressure on Iran’s illicit oil trade. The newly sanctioned ships and companies are controlled by oil shipping magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, son of Ali Shamkhani, who was a top security adviser to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and who was killed along with the Iranian leader.

Mark Nevitt, associate professor of law at Emory University Law School, said that the Trump administration appears to be involved in three actions at sea – the blockade near Iran, the potential seizure of dark fleet vessels in other parts of the world and an effort to crack down on contraband, such as missile parts.

Other Articles That May Interest You …

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• Seizing Iran Islands – How U.S. Marines Plan To Reopen Strait Of Hormuz
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The post Hormuz Opened & Closed – Trump & Tehran Create More Confusion & Contradiction first appeared on FinanceTwitter.