Examining Anwar Ibrahim's debut year in political spotlight

More: A Singapore-based lending platform raises funds. [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 spotlight: - [Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's tech controversies]( - An AI startup building its open-source large language model - Other newsy highlights such as TDCX’s financial health in 5 charts --------------------------------------------------------------- Hello {NAME} Imagine a country where its leader's charisma seems to outshine his policies, where the promise of foreign investments meets skepticism, and where the tech industry has become a stage for political theatrics. Welcome to Malaysia under Prime minister Anwar Ibrahim. The politician, in his first year in office, has garnered attention not just for his diplomatic endeavors but for the intriguing twists and turns in his interactions with tech entities like Elon Musk and TikTok. In today’s big story, we explore Anwar's time in office so far, delving into the highs and lows, scrutinizing the claims, decoding the statements, and uncovering the complexities that underscore the intersection of politics and tech in Malaysia. -- Deepti  ---------------------------------------------------------------  THE BIG STORY [Is Malaysia’s tech policy on autopilot?]( The country risks losing out as Prime Minister Anwar plays the populist fiddle. --------------------------------------------------------------- TRENDING NEWS [Exclusive: Y Combinator leads $2.2m round in SG-based AI analytics firm]( With the latest funding, Defog plans to accelerate the development of its SQLCoder models. [SG analytics firm bags $5m to forecast financial impact of climate change]( Climate Alpha offers AI-driven analytics for the real estate, asset management, and insurance industries to help drive sustainable investments. ---------------------------------------------------------------  VISUAL STORY OF THE DAY [TDCX’s financial health in 5 charts]( These charts indicate how TDCX is performing. --------------------------------------------------------------- TECH IN ASIA’S REGIONAL FOUNDERS MEETUP: VIETNAM  By popular demand - RFM returns to HCMC! Hey HCMC-based founders, we’re holding another Founders Meetup on November 30 at the Hive Villa. Don’t miss this opportunity to build your network and connect with your fellow founders - all over a couple of complimentary refreshments! Plus, we’re holding a fireside chat with Bryan Pelz, co-founder of VNG and Bootloader Studio. Pelz, who has built 11 companies, will share insights from his 30 years of experience in the gaming, media, and AI industries. Moderated by Tech in Asia engagement editor Peter Cowan, the fireside chat will dig deep into the realities of building and scaling a successful startup in Vietnam. [Get your tickets now]( before they run out! Special thanks to our event partners - AppWorks, AWS, CleverTap, Cooley, Sinarmas Land, Singapore Global Network (SGN), Quest Ventures, and Purple Quarter - as well as our venue host, the Hive Villa. ---------------------------------------------------------------  EVENTS HAPPENING You can also check out a curated list of trending tech events [over here](. - [Tech in Asia’s Founders Meetup: Vietnam on November 30]( We’re making our way back to Ho Chi Minh City on November 30 for our tenth Founders Meetup! Get a glimpse of the startup journey of Bryan Pelz, the co-founder of VNG and Bootloader Studio. Hear what he and Peter Cowan, Tech in Asia’s engagement editor, have to say about what it’s like to build and scale a startup in Vietnam. Plus, exchange ideas and tips with your fellow founders on how to navigate your own startup journey. Don’t miss out! Join us at the Hive Villa (29 Nguyễn Bá Lân, Thảo Điền, Quận 2, Thà nh phố Hồ Chí Minh 713385, Vietnam) on November 30 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (GMT+7). Hurry, tickets are selling like hotcakes - [RSVP now before they’re all sold out](  - [Tech in Asia’s Regional Founders Meetup: Singapore on December 5]( Calling all Singapore-based founders! We’re concluding this year’s Regional Founders Meetup event series at the Lion City, where it all began. As Tech in Asia gears up for its next adventure with SPH Media, our founder and CEO Willis Wee will share his startup journey and give insights on what it takes to pull off an M&A deal in a fireside chat moderated by our COO Maria Li. Join us at Mortar & Pestle (269 South Bridge Rd, Level 4, Singapore 058818) on December 5 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (SGT) to connect with fellow founders and end the year with a bang. Hurry, tickets are selling like hotcakes - [RSVP now before they run out]( Note: This event is closed-door and strictly off the record - no media buzz, please! While Willis and Maria will share as much about the M&A deal as possible, confidential terms will not be disclosed. ---------------------------------------------------------------  PRESS PEEKS The following press releases were published as they were received, without any editing from the Tech in Asia team. You too can publish your own press release on Tech in Asia by simply filling in [this]( page](. Our team will get back to you by the next business day. - Augmentus - [Augmentus Raises Oversubscribed USD 5M Series A Round to Bring No-Code Robotics to the World]( Augmentus pioneers intelligent, no-code computer vision and robot motion planning, enabling industrial robot programming in minutes instead of days. - NeuAlgo - [NeuAlgo’s SD-MBS Revolutionizes AI-Enhanced Content Delivery]( NeuAlgo's CEO announced a milestone in AI-optimized content delivery with the SD-MBS framework. ---------------------------------------------------------------  WHO'S HIRING You can post a job [here]( or search for jobs [here](. - [Engineering Manager]( at JALA Indonesia Yogyakarta, Indonesia - [Sr. Product Designer]( at Lion Parcel Jakarta, Indonesia - [Social Media Specialist]( at Avarik Saga Jakarta, Indonesia - [Account Executive Intern]( at Suitmedia Jakarta, Indonesia - [Finance Manager]( at Scout.inc Yogyakarta, Indonesia - [VMware Engineer]( at Graha Karya Informasi Jakarta, 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? Switch to a different frequency or get new content through our [preference center]( or [unsubscribe](. You can also break our hearts and remove yourself from all Tech in Asia emails over [here](  ---------------------------------------------------------------  Copyright © 2023 Tech in Asia, All rights reserved. 63 Robinson Road, Singapore 068894