☕️ Blurry Future: Rising childhood myopia in Malaysia

1. MARKET SUMMARY 📈

2. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE 🔢

On the educational front, Australia will be raising its cap on foreign students by 9% to 295,000 in 2026, with priority given to Southeast Asian applicants. This comes after limits were announced last year in a bid to rein in record migration, which had contributed to a surge in housing prices, with 270,000 places made available for 2025. The government said the additional slots being granted in 2026 were because the policy was successfully “bringing down out of control” international student numbers. The policy also included an increase in student visa fees in 2024 to more than double the previous amount. Universities in Australia welcomed the “sensible” increase in places for foreign students.

Unemployment and slow economic growth have led New Zealand citizens to leave the country. The exodus has hit the highest levels in 13 years, with over a third of those emigrating aged under 30 years of age. Data by Statistics New Zealand showed 71,800 citizens left the country in the year ended June 2025, up from 67,500 in the previous 12-month period, and just below the record 72,400 in the year ended Feb 2012. Net migration for the country has also fallen, as foreign nationals moving there have also nearly halved from 2024’s numbers. The economic downturn leading to the exodus is due to low productivity and various policy missteps, according to analysts, with unemployment also ticking to a five-year high of 5.2% in the second quarter.

Locally, teen pregnancy cases are continuing to show a slight increase, with 2,737 and 2,752 cases reported in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Deputy Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Noraini Ahmad also reported that preliminary data for 1Q2025 shows a total of 655 cases among those under the age of 18. Breaking it down by state showed Sarawak topped the list with the highest number of cases for both years, followed by Sabah and Pahang. She highlighted that a study in 2015 found that one of the main causes of teenage pregnancy in Malaysia is limited access to comprehensive reproductive health education, leading to many teens not clearly understanding how to protect themselves from unplanned pregnancies. Other contributing factors include peer pressure and media influence, among others.

3. IN MALAYSIA 🇲🇾

Blurry Future: Rising childhood myopia in Malaysia
Childhood myopia is rising fast in Malaysia, with experts warning it could soon be the norm in classrooms. Screenings in Klang Valley schools showed over half of pupils aged six to 12 had vision issues, with a third already short-sighted , caused by long screen hours and little outdoor play. Once the eyeball elongates, the damage is irreversible, raising risks of early cataracts and retinal disease. Prevention is possible: yearly eye checks from age 5, at least 2 hours outdoors daily and limiting screen time to 30-minute stretches. Parents and schools must spot signs like squinting or headaches and encourage healthy habits such as the 20-20-20 rule . With early measures, from special lenses to medicated drops, children can protect their sight for life.

Malaysia unveils first locally designed edge AI processor, boosting chip innovation
Malaysia launched its first locally designed edge AI processor, the MARS1000, developed by SkyeChip Sdn Bhd on 7-nanometre technology . The smart IoT chip supports applications from agriculture and automation to traffic and city safety, while also fostering AI literacy among students. SkyeChip CEO said the aim is to build an ecosystem of patents (which it owns 90+), IP and local silicon in the AI supercycle. Elliance Sdn Bhd also unveiled EdgeMind, an Edge AI system to make adoption faster and cheaper across industry, farming and education, following a partnership with Kaltech and Estek Automation in Nov 2024. The sector is gaining pace, with semiconductor and E&E exports up 15.7% in the first half of 2025.

Urban Renewal Bill moves forward despite criticism
The bill lays out a legal pathway for the redevelopment, regeneration and revitalisation of old urban areas. Town and Country Planning Department director-general Datuk Dr Alias Rameli said there is no reason to delay the Urban Renewal Bill, pointing out that it has already gone through more than 108 engagement sessions nationwide with professional bodies and residents’ associations . He stressed the bill will not override existing laws, affect Malay special rights or involve compulsory land acquisition, and that it respects the authority of states and local councils, including on wakaf land. Criticism from opposition states chief ministers say the bill undermines State autonomy to conduct own urban planning .
The proposed law, which outlines clear consent thresholds and criteria for urban renewal projects, is due for its second reading in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday despite calls for a postponement. Learn more about the bill here .

TH Plantations CEO terminated over misconduct
TH Plantations Bhd, the plantation arm of Lembaga Tabung Haji, has terminated CEO Mohamed Zainurin Mohamed Zain’s contract for misconduct after show cause letters over alleged unauthorised RM5.1 mil payments to workers . CFO Marliyana Omar , also implicated, resigned. Zainurin, CEO since Oct 2021 and formerly with Khazanah Nasional and Sime Darby Plantation’s New Britain Palm Oil, had been on garden leave. The group posted 2QFY2025 net profit of RM11.79 mil, up 13.25% from RM10.41 mil a year earlier, on stronger crude palm oil and palm kernel prices. In 2019, its CFO was also dismissed after a forensic audit, though findings were never released. What kinda governance is going on there?

IOI Properties to launch REIT amid mixed FY2025 results
IOI Properties Group Bhd plans to list a real estate investment trust (REIT) on Bursa Malaysia’s Main Market , setting up IOIPG REIT Management Sdn Bhd as its manager for a potential RM6 bil to RM8 bil REIT. In June, IOI was reported by The Edge Malaysia to be eyeing a REIT to trim debt acquisitions. The company has been considering the REIT since Oct 2023 when group CEO Lee Yeow Seng said he was considering a REIT, though in a Singapore listing. Amongst the properties owned by the group: W Kuala Lumpur, Tropicana Gardens Mall, Putrajaya Marriott Hotel - see the list here .

4. AROUND THE WORLD 🌎

Norway fund divests from Caterpillar over violations of international humanitarian law in Palestine
The world’s largest wealth fund - the Norwegian wealth fund valued at USD2 tril (RM8.43 tril), has taken a bold step and announced that they have divested from US construction equipment giant Caterpillar, and five Israeli banks namely Hapoalim, Bank Leumi, Mizrahi Tefahot Bank, First International Bank of Israel and FIBI Holdings due to their purported involvement in rights violations by Israel in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Prior to its divestment, the fund held a 1.17% stake in Caterpillar valued at USD2.1 bil as of June 30, while the Norwegian fund’s stakes in the five Israeli banks were valued at a combined USD661 mil, according to fund data.

The fund’s ethics council attributed the divestment from Caterpillar largely due to the company’s products being used to commit “extensive and systematic violations of international humanitarian law” in Palestine and that Caterpillar has also “not implemented any measures to prevent such use” by Israeli authorities. For the banks, the council said that they play a part by providing financial services for the construction activities in Israeli settlements, which is also in violation of international law. Note that in a report by the UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese in early Jul , Caterpillar is one of the companies listed to be developing civilian technologies that serve as “dual-use tools” for Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory. Way to go, Norway.

Business
Intel warns US government stake could hurt business
Intel is not really comfortable with Trump’s administration's move to obtain a 9.9% stake in the company, citing that it could pose risks to its business. In a securities filing after the US government decided to convert USD11 bil (RM46.37 bil) in government grants into an equity stake in Intel, the chip giant laid out new risk factors including the possibility that its non-US business (76% of FY24 revenue) may be impacted by the US government being a significant stockholder, as this could subject the company to additional regulations or restrictions such as foreign subsidy laws in other countries . The government’s substantial additional powers over laws and regulations impacting Intel may also limit the company’s ability to pursue transactions that benefit shareholders. Separately, Intel chief executive Tan Lip-Bu said in a video posted on Aug 25 by the Commerce Department that the company did not need the government funding, but he does look forward to having the US government be a shareholder.

Pinault family exploring options for struggling Puma
It may be time to pull the plug on Puma, as the Pinault billionaire family, which owns a 29% stake in the Frankfurt-listed sport company, is reportedly exploring options to let go of the brand. It is said that they have reached out to prospective bidders, including Anta Sports Products and Li Ning to gauge interest in buying Puma, and they have also sounded out other sportswear firms in the US, as well as sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East. Puma currently has a market value of about EUR3.2 bil (RM15.72 bil). Founded in 1948, Puma reported EUR281.6 mil in net income in 2024 and EUR8.8 bil in sales, and counts a global workforce of roughly 22,000. However, its shares slumped 50 in the past 12 months, reportedly due to low demand and fear of the impact of the US tariffs. It sponsors English Premier League team Manchester City, the Portugal national team and Denmark’s men’s handball team, among others.

In the SEA
Indonesia protests over privileges for parliament members and ‘corrupt elites’ Thousands of students, workers and activists demonstrated outside Indonesia’s parliament on Monday as a form of protest against a monthly housing allowance of IDR50 mil rupiah (RM12,920.65) for MPs, which is almost 10 times the Jakarta minimum wage . They demanded the abolition of what they call “lavish allowances”, which comes on top of the lawmakers' salaries. The protest was also against the “corrupt elites” within the government and policies that benefit conglomerates and the military, as well as an apparent protest over the growing role of the military in civilian life under the government led by Prabowo, a former general of the army. The anger comes amid strict austerity measures implemented by President Prabowo, including cuts to education, health and public works. Such protests are understandable in Indonesia - graft regularly occurs in the country and activists say police and members of parliament are perceived as being widely corrupt in the country of more than 280 mil people.
Sidenote: Malaysian MPs do not have housing perks, but are entitled to an entertainment allowance of RM2,500 per month and earns RM400 every time they attend a sitting in the Parliament, among others.

Pirates of the Straits
A report from an anti-piracy monitoring group has revealed that incidents of piracy and armed robberies in the Strait of Malacca and Singapore have nearly quadrupled this year, with cases rising from 21 to 80 incidents in the same six month period in 2024 and 2025 . The Strait of Malacca is essential for global trade, serving as a crucial maritime corridor between the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, via the South China Sea. A large portion of piracy and robbery incidents this year occurred in the Phillip Channel of the Singapore Strait, where vessels are forced to slow down to navigate the narrow waterway. According to the National Bureau of Asian Research, the strait is a regional “chokepoint” with an estimated 90,000 merchant vessels and 60% of global maritime trade passing through it annually. Bulk carriers were the most frequently targeted ships (52%), followed by tankers (24%) and container vessels (11%). The pirates are mostly small organized crime groups operating in sampans, from remote Indonesian islands such as the Riau and Cula islands. Most of them are often facing financial hardship due to factors like unemployment and poverty and they are getting more adept at breaching security measures on sea vessels.

Shorts

1. Japan’s first osmotic power plant operational 
   Japan has inaugurated its first osmotic power plant in Fukuoka - a power plant that harnesses the osmotic power produced from mixing fresh and salt water. Only the second power plant of its type in the world, it is expected to generate about 880,000 kilowatt hours of electricity each year - an equivalent of powering about 220 Japanese households. While it is still an emerging technology, it does provide an advantage over other renewable energies and is available around the clock. The first plant was built in 2023 in Mariager, Denmark, by the venture company SaltPower. Here’s a quick lesson on osmotic power plant:

2. Burning of the US flag is a constitutional right… ..until Trump said enough 
   It appears that the president has signed an executive order punishing those who burn the country’s flag with one year in jail, despite a longstanding court ruling that flag burning is protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution. The move has been condemned by free speech groups who say that the order violates key civil liberties and violates protected expressive activity, but the order says that flag burning is tantamount to “incitement” or “fighting words”, with Trump saying that flag burning “incites riots at levels we’ve never seen before”. The order also threatens visa revocation, deportation and more for foreign nationals who do so.

3. Memoir of Epstein’s dead accuser to publish soon 
   Virginia Roberts Giuffre, accuser of the deceased child sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in Apr, was set to publish a new memoir detailing “intimate, disturbing, and heartbreaking new details” about her experiences with Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Prince Andrew, “regardless” of her circumstances. Giuffre had repeatedly alleged that as a teenager in the early 2000s, she was exploited by Epstein’s sex-trafficking ring and abused by Prince Andrew and other powerful men. The memoir titled “Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice,” will be posthumously published by publisher Alfred A. Knopf on Oct 21.

5. FOR YOUR EYES 📺

Unique houses

1. A literal fun house.

thedailynelly

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2. Gonna be a wild experience to hang out high above the ground on massive tall tree with friends. Franklin’s Tower is a large, continuously growing tree web built by Charlie's Webs , a company specialising in intricate treehouse structures.

charlies_webs

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