☕️ Porsche, Lambo, Ferrari, Royce, Bentley owners owe RM35.7 mil road tax

1. MARKET SUMMARY 📈

2. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE 🔢

As of Sept 14, local authorities have seized 83,305kg of drugs in solid form and 69,155.85 litres of liquid drugs worth about RM2 bil involving 174,134 cases, with 189,788 individuals detained. However, the Inspector-General of Police said that the successes of the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department actually reflect the scale of the challenge. Still, the firm stance of the police in combating drug smuggling, trafficking, and abuse through continuous intelligence and firm enforcement action with community support has proven effective in crippling drug syndicates.

However, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) reported that the nation suffered revenue leakages totalling RM277 bil over the last six years, largely due to corruption involving collusion between parties managing public funds and those vying for government contracts. According to the MACC Chief Commissioner, one of the main issues is related to the procurement of government funds, especially tenders for projects, which are highly contested. Transparency remains a critical issue, as corruption leads to revenue loss from taxes, licences, and other forms of collections as well.

Car owners of five luxury brands owe the government road tax, and of the five brands, owners of 4,308 Porsche cars owe RM13.7 mil of the total RM35.7 mil. The other brands are Rolls-Royce with 345 vehicles owing RM6.4 mil, Lamborghini with 372 vehicles owing RM3.7 mil, Bentley with 660 vehicles owing RM7 mil, and Ferrari with 675 vehicles owing RM4.7 mil. According to Transport Minister Anthony Loke, among these car owners are prominent individuals like politicians and businessmen. The minister called for these car owners to renew their road tax, rather than wait for their vehicles to be seized. Then again, they probably prefer paying a RM300 fine rather than renewing their annual road tax, which can range up to RM30,000 a year depending on the model and specifications of the car. Don’t be like the celebrity who claimed they forgot to renew their road tax for nearly three years.

3. IN MALAYSIA 🇲🇾

Shocking DPP arrest at MACC 
A deputy public prosecutor (DPP) recently seconded to the MACC was arrested for alleged drug offences. A DPP prosecutes cases for the Malaysian Government under the Attorney General (AG). The officer, who only began duties at MACC last week, was detained at his home on Sept 23. Substances believed to be drugs were discovered and he tested positive for drug consumption. The case has been referred to AG Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar, as the officer is from the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC). The matter is under police jurisdiction, with MACC reaffirming their commitment to integrity, and zero tolerance for misconduct or criminal behaviour by its personnel. The DPP has been remanded until Sept 25 under Sections 12(1) and 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

Budi Madani RON95 subsidy shake-up
The Government may exclude higher-income groups from receiving Budi Madani RON95 (Budi95) fuel subsidies in future phases, as part of a gradual plan to improve fairness and efficiency, said PM’s political aide, Muhammad Kamil Abdul Munim. The current phase ensures all Malaysian citizens with valid identity cards and driving licences can purchase RON95 at RM1.99 per litre, with a monthly threshold set at 300 litres to prevent abuse and reselling. Subsequent phases could cut off the top 15% of income earners, the so-called “T15,” after careful monitoring to avoid disruptions. He stressed that reform is gradual, aiming to refine the system with minimal impact on revenue, and confirmed that from Sept 30, all Malaysians with a valid driving licence will be eligible for subsidised RON95. In a twist that has raised eyebrows, this report first carried by major outlets like The Star and New Straits Times, was quickly taken down from their websites, sparking over the sensitive nature of the subsidy changes.

Sabah mining scandal: alleged million-ringgit payouts
Businessperson Albert Tei has released a video claiming he made payments to Sabah politicians linked to a mining scandal. In the recording from a KL meeting on Oct 13 2024, Tei said he gave RM1.78 mil to Jeffrey Kitingan, Sabah Deputy Chief Minister I and president of Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku, over RM500,000 to Kitingan’s deputy Ellron Alfred Angin, and RM300,000 to Bingkor assemblyperson Robert Tawik. He also said his company had already invested RM7.7 mil in mining projects before the licences were cancelled. Kitingan did not confirm or deny the allegations. Tei clarified the payments happened during and after the 2022 general election. Tei and two assemblypersons have been charged, while the status of the others mentioned remains unclear.

Education Ministry cracks down on unhealthy canteen foods
The Education Ministry has tightened school canteen rules by banning 12 categories of food and drinks to promote healthier eating among students. Items on the prohibited list include processed and junk food, sweets, chocolate, pickled food, creamy or sugar-coated items, instant products, confectionery and ice cream, drinks with toppings or sweet mixes, as well as energy, isotonic and herbal drinks. Tea, coffee, alcohol-based products, expired goods and food in the form of toys are also barred.

The Future of Tony Fernandes’ Empire
Capital A Bhd restructures, prepares airline disposal
Capital A Bhd expects to complete the disposal of its airline business to AirAsia X Bhd by Oct, paving the way to exit Practice Note 17 (PN17) by year-end. The deal requires securing RM1 bil in capital, six consent letters and a waiver from the Thai Stock Exchange, with progress already underway. Capital A, classified under PN17 in Jan 2022 after Covid-19 battered air travel, will apply to Bursa Malaysia once the transfer is done. The restructuring will strengthen the aviation arm and highlight six businesses built during the pandemic: Asia Digital Engineering, Teleport, AirAsia Move, Santan, BigPay and ABC, a new venture focused on branding, loyalty and digital assets. The group is also considering a dual listing in Hong Kong, with interest from US underwriters.

AirAsia targets 45% of Malaysia’s aviation market
AirAsia is eyeing a bigger slice of Malaysia’s skies, setting its sights on 45% of the overall aviation market and 70% of the domestic share within two years, up from the current 41% and 60%. The push will be fuelled by new aircraft deliveries and an ambitious international expansion, with routes to Karachi and Tashkent already launched this year and Istanbul next in line. The airline is also exploring the Gulf as a hub to link Kuala Lumpur with Europe, including London, as part of its multi-hub strategy. Speaking at the relaunch of AirAsia’s Kuala Lumpur-Cebu service on Sept 23, Woo said the goal is to cement Kuala Lumpur as the group’s mega hub, driving seamless connectivity across ASEAN and beyond.

AirAsia eyes Vietnam for ASEAN takeover
AirAsia is moving closer to entering the Vietnamese market, with talks underway with a local partner, though no deal has been finalised. Speaking at the ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting 2025, Tony Fernandes said Vietnam is a key market for the airline, but warned that executing the plan may face challenges. AirAsia already operates in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Cambodia, and is exploring opportunities in Laos and Brunei, leaving only Myanmar and Singapore outside its reach. If successful, AirAsia would compete with Vietjet and Pacific Airlines, a Vietnam Airlines subsidiary, advancing Fernandes’ goal of establishing an ASEAN-wide presence before stepping down.

4. AROUND THE WORLD 🌎

Trump wants Israel-Gaza war stopped immediately
US President Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly that the war in Gaza must stop immediately, even as he called the recent recognition of Palestinian statehood by a number of countries a “reward” for Hamas. He said that those who support peace should be united in demanding the release of the 48 captives, of which only 20 are believed to be still alive. A professor at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar said that Trump may want the war to stop but has not mentioned how. The professor believes that Trump knows the main reason the war is sustaining itself is because Trump himself is supporting it. So far, Trump has blamed breakdowns in ceasefire talks on Hamas, insisting that the group repeatedly rejected reasonable offers to make peace. Meanwhile, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has been continually accused of stalling negotiations since the start of the war.

Disasters in Asia
50m deep sinkhole opens up in Bangkok
The sinkhole opened up near the Vajira Hospital and extended about 900 square metres in front of it, halting traffic and leaving the hospital to announce that it would not be taking on patients during the incident. Footage showed the road slowly sinking as electricity poles were dragged down. Thankfully, the incident saw no deaths or injuries, according to Thai PM Anutin Charnvirakul.

Hole real deep - footage of the sinkhole:

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Floods kill 12 in Kolkata's heaviest rains in almost 40 years
The floods are due to the heaviest rains that Kolkata has witnessed since 1988, with most of the rain, as much as 251.6mm in 24 hours, falling on Tuesday morning. The floodwaters hit the city ahead of the Durga Puja festival, disrupting transport and leaving residents stranded for hours. Authorities reported that most of the deaths were due to electrocution. Power outages also affected multiple areas for hours. More rain is predicted over the next few days due to the formation of a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, according to the India Meteorological Department. Still, authorities said conditions will normalise by Wednesday evening.

Typhoon Ragasa kills 17 in Taiwan
A barrier lake in Hualien County overflowed and sent a wall of water into a town, with 17 dead and 17 missing. Residents there said they were not given sufficient warning when the lake overflowed due to Typhoon Ragasa’s torrential rains. Now, Ragasa is making its way into China, striking the southern Chinese city of Yangjiang and tracking towards Maoming, one of China’s biggest oil refining cities. China’s marine authority has also issued its highest red wave warning for the first time this year, forecasting storm surges of up to 2.8 metres.

AI by the numbers
UK government's counter-fraud AI tool recovers GBP500 mil
According to sources, the AI tool, called the Fraud Risk Assessment Accelerator, helped the UK government recover almost GBP500 mil (USD672.5 mil or RM2.83 bil) over the last year, with more than a third of it related to fraudulent activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The rest was recouped from unlawful council tax claims and illegal subletting of social housing. The Government is set to announce at an upcoming anti-fraud summit that the tool will be licensed to other countries as well, including the US and Australia. The Government will also be using the amount to recruit nurses, teachers, and police officers. With the news shared under ‘Numbers at a glance’, this software could be useful to Madani and Gang.

OpenAI, Oracle, SoftBank to open five new AI data centres
The three firms will be opening the five new AI data centres in the US to build out their Stargate project. ChatGPT parent OpenAI will open three new sites with Oracle in Texas, New Mexico, and at an undisclosed site in the Midwest. Two more will be built in Ohio and Texas by OpenAI, Japan’s SoftBank, and a SoftBank affiliate. These sites will bring Stargate’s total data centre capacity to nearly 7 gigawatts and more than USD400 bil (RM1.684 tril) in investment over the next three years. The project was intended to generate 10 gigawatts in total data centre capacity.

Shorts:

1. Zebra cows earn scientists parody prize 
   11 researchers from Kyoto University and the Aichi Agricultural Research Centre were recognised at the Ig Nobel awards ceremony (the parody version of Nobel Prize). The prize honours scientific achievements that first make people laugh, then make them think. The experiment saw the researchers trying to determine if painting white stripes on cows’ legs and flanks affected the number of flies that landed and bit the animals, with results measured in the number of times the cattle flicked their tails, shook their heads, or otherwise tried to keep the flies off. The result? Painted cows were bitten about 50% less than the rest of the herd. Still, it is unknown why flies are less attracted to striped animals. Learn more about Ig Nobel awards here.

2. NASA announces next manned Moon mission 
   The US space agency announced that the first crewed flight in its Artemis programme could make the trip around the moon and back as early as Feb 2026. The goal of this mission is to make a 10-day flight to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars. The programme is the flagship effort by the US to put humans back on the moon and is a multibillion-dollar series of missions that rivals a similar effort by China, which is aiming for a 2030 astronaut moon landing.
   The last humans paid a visit to the lunar surface was 53 years ago between Dec 7-19, 1972 on the Apollo 17 mission, which was NASA’s sixth Apollo programme.

5. FOR YOUR EYES 📺

A bit more about parenting and how to be better uncles and aunties.

1. Sexual predators, paedophiles everywhere - left and right - quietly in front of all of us. Parents, uncles, aunties, brothers, sisters - read this.

2. In Internet culture, the term brain rot describes digital media that is considered trivial, simplistic, or low in quality.

3. The right way to disciplining your child during toddlerhood.

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