Why Malaysia’s government should avoid direct investments in startups

More: Alibaba injects US$353 million into Lazada and Byju’s guns for overall profitability. [Read from your browser]( Daily Newsletter --------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to Tech in Asia's free Daily Newsletter! Get full access to our subscribers-only Daily Newsletter and other insightful analysis on the big and messy topics of Asia’s tech and startup community by [registering here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- IN FOCUS In today's newsletter, we look at: - Why Malaysia’s government should [stop directly investing in startups]( - Why TikTok is deleting millions of videos from Indonesia - Other newsy highlights such as Alibaba pumping US$353 million into Lazada and Byju’s goal of hitting overall profitability in the June quarter. --------------------------------------------------------------- Hello {NAME} “Nanny state.” “Benevolent dictatorship.” “Authoritarian.” These are some of the terms used to describe or criticize Singapore’s government. For some time now, people have felt like its regulations might be too intrusive or harsh, such as when it bans some things outright. It’s funny because it seems like the long-term effects of these policies is to make ordinary citizens become more or even too reliant on them. There’s been cases where people [call the police]( to deal with mundane issues like inconsiderate neighbors, for instance. In some ways, it’s a good sign because it shows that public services are reliable enough for the common Singaporean. On the other hand, overreliance is never a good thing. This appears to be the case with the relationship between Malaysia’s government and the country’s startups. The solution? The government should wash its hands off most direct investments in startups, according to an insider. Our featured premium story explores why. -- Jonathan  ---------------------------------------------------------------  THE BIG STORY [Malaysia’s government shouldn’t directly invest in startups, says insider]( The country has to take some adventurous steps to make an impact. --------------------------------------------------------------- TRENDING NEWS [Alibaba pumps $353m into Lazada amid spinoff plans]( The move comes after Alibaba announced plans earlier this year to break up its operations, putting Lazada under its Global Digital Business Group. [SoftBank Ventures Asia’s divestment signals heightened focus on late-stage firms]( SoftBank Ventures Asia was acquired by Singapore-based investor The Edgeof earlier this week. [TikTok deleted 7.6 million videos from Indonesia in Q4 2022: report]( Globally, the final quarter of 2022 saw TikTok delete 85.7 million videos it considered inappropriate on its platform. [Tracking startup failures across Southeast Asia]( There are several reasons why startups in Southeast Asia go bust, but we lack data about it. This piece helps you track the region’s macro-level trends. [Byju’s eyes overall profitability in June quarter]( Five of the company’s six businesses are either profitable or breakeven, says CEO Raveendran at a DealStreetAsia webinar. [Ispace’s shares go untraded as backers hold on to shares]( The Japanese firm’s first lunar lander is set to touch down on the moon soon, which will make it the first commercial spacecraft to do so. ---------------------------------------------------------------  EVENTS HAPPENING You can also check out a curated list of trending tech events [over here](. - [Tech in Asia’s Product Development Conference 2023]( from May 16 to May 17 Tech in Asia’s Product Development Conference is back! 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Register today! ---------------------------------------------------------------  WHO'S HIRING You can post a job [here]( or search for jobs [here](. - [Mobile Developer]( at Koltiva Jakarta, Indonesia - [Accounting & Tax Supervisor]( at GAMAL Jakarta, Indonesia - [Associate Product Manager]( at PT Mitramas Infosys Global Jakarta, Indonesia - [Sales Executive Intern (IbuSibuk)]( at Moonlay Technology Jakarta, Indonesia - [Visual Designer]( at Bobobox Indonesia Bandung, Java, Indonesia - [IT Risk & Compliance Team Leader]( at PT Xapiens Teknologi Indonesia Tangerang, Indonesia [ADVERTISE]( | [SUBSCRIBE]( P.S. Don't miss out on the biggest tech news and analysis. Add newsletter@techinasia.com to your address book, contacts, or safe sender list. Or simply move us into your inbox. Tech in Asia thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Too many emails? 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