The Fourth Angle

The Fourth Angle Bite-size clarity for smarter thinking and better questions.

56 issues

New The Clause Nobody Mentioned in the Amendment

Parliament passed the Communications Amendment on 20 March 2026 with 148-32 votes. Buried in Section 14A: platforms become liable for user content.

Law & Rights

72.4

New 2.5 Million Workers With Zero Safety Net

DOSM estimates 2.5 million gig and informal workers lack EPF, SOCSO, or EIS coverage, while Parliament debates a voluntary opt-in framework.

Money & Economy

72.1

New The Highway Contracts You Are Not Allowed to Read

Works Ministry confirmed that 21 toll concession agreements remain classified under the Official Secrets Act despite repeated parliamentary questions since 2008.

Law & Rights

69.8

Updated RM9 Billion for Ships That Do Not Exist

The PAC's eighth report on the Littoral Combat Ship programme confirmed RM6.08B spent with zero vessels delivered, while Boustead Naval Shipyard's accounts remain qualified.

Money & Economy

68.4

New Every Election. No Rules. No Receipts.

Malaysia has held 15 general elections without a campaign finance law — parties are not required to disclose donors, spending, or funding sources.

People & Society

69.3

New The Top 20% Own Nearly Everything

DOSM's 2023 Household Income Survey shows the top 20% of Malaysian households control approximately 70% of national wealth while the bottom 40% hold under 8%.

Money & Economy

71.2

New Born Here, Documented Nowhere

An estimated 50,000 to 100,000 children born in Malaysia lack citizenship due to gaps in the Federal Constitution, statelessness of parents, or administrative failures.

Law & Rights

68.9

RM5.4 billion development fund missing from Sabah state accounts

Sabah's state accounts showed a RM5.4 billion discrepancy between federal development allocations received and expenditures recorded between 2019-2024.

Law & Rights

RM18 billion highway concession terms remain classified for 30 years

Concession agreements for major toll highways worth RM18 billion remain classified under OSA, with full terms not scheduled for disclosure until 2035 at the earliest.

Law & Rights

87.5

Putrajaya's RM1.4 billion smart city project has zero measurable outcomes

The Putrajaya Smart City Initiative launched in 2021 with RM1.4 billion allocation has produced no published outcome metrics, KPIs, or measurable improvements after four years.

Law & Rights

82.4

RM23 billion MRT3 project awarded without competitive international tender

The RM23 billion MRT3 Circle Line project was awarded through direct negotiation to a consortium without an open international competitive bidding process.

Law & Rights

Government's RM680 million advertising spend lacks transparency

Federal government spent RM680 million on advertising and media campaigns in 2025, with no publicly accessible breakdown of which media outlets received what amounts.

Law & Rights

75.9

Customs scandal: 47 containers of sanctioned goods cleared without inspection

Forty-seven containers of goods subject to international trade sanctions were cleared through Port Klang without mandatory inspection in 2025, exposing systemic customs enforcement failure.

Law & Rights

86.5

Subsidy rationalisation saved RM14 billion but delivery mechanism leaks 30%

Malaysia's 2024-2025 subsidy rationalisation saved RM14 billion on paper, but implementation audits show 30% of targeted subsidies still reached non-eligible recipients.

Law & Rights

Cabinet committees bypass parliament on 23 policy decisions

Twenty-three major policy decisions in 2025 were made through cabinet committees rather than parliamentary debate, including changes affecting taxation, education, and environmental standards.

Law & Rights

76.4

Press ↑↓ to navigate · Enter to read · / to search

About

Last updated 30 March 2026

The fourth angle: the uncomfortable, the important, the overlooked.

~112 min of reading remaining

Select an issue from the feed