☕️ Drama terkini: N9 MB allegedly pressured to back ruler’s removal

1. MARKET SUMMARY 📈

2. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE 🔢

2,275% (aka 23.7x) – The shares of tech giant Apple grew that much under the stewardship of Tim Cook, who handed the reins to new CEO John Ternus after a little over 15 years in that position. During his time, Cook turned a tech company selling iPhones and Mac computers with a market capitalisation of less than USD350 bil (RM1.42 tril) into a diverse business that also sells watches, AirPods, and financial services that has a market capitalisation of USD4.6 tril. This is a growth rate of about USD32 mil per hour over the time he was CEO. Under Cook’s leadership, Apple also became the first company to top USD3 tril in market value. An analyst noted that the push into services is likely the most successful thing Cook did, considering it generates high-margin, recurring revenue (USD109 bil in FY2025, >25% of its revenue) that is among Apple’s fastest-growing categories. Cook will now be stepping into the role of Apple’s executive chairman.

USD58 mil (RM234.6 mil) – That’s the compensation package of incoming Apple CEO John Ternus for the 2027 fiscal year, according to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Sept 1, which was also Ternus’ first day on the job. The total is split between a USD3 mil annual salary and a stock grant with a target value of USD55 mil in 2027. Meanwhile, Apple’s former CEO and new executive chairman Tim Cook will receive a reduced annual salary from USD3 mil to USD2 mil in his new role, with the target value of his 2027 stock package coming in at USD45 mil for a total pay package of USD47 mil.

31.5% – Solar power now accounts for that large a segment of China’s total installed power generation capacity, with a capacity of 1,286 gigawatts. This is a key milestone for the country’s green energy boom, as this places solar panels as China’s top source of power capacity, surpassing coal. China remains the dominant player in the global solar supply chain, with its investment in the sector expected to top CNY2 tril (RM1.21 tril) over the next five years. This solar milestone also happened even as China’s record pace of renewable installations slowed significantly in 2026, following a policy overhaul that ended guaranteed revenue for wind and solar projects.

CNY2,400 (RM1,443) – The price to pay to have your GrabFood cross border. A customer in China paid a delivery rider to fly to Singapore to buy curry puffs in a recent incident. On Aug 31, the Hong Lim Curry Puff stall was visited by a Meituan delivery rider in full uniform, who purchased SGD13.50 (RM41) worth of curry puffs. The rider said that the customer covered the flight from China to Singapore but declined to reveal the size of his tip. Meituan is a Chinese super-app that provides a wide range of services but is best known for food delivery.

A little something extra to get through the first full week of work in a while.

3. IN MALAYSIA 🇲🇾

Kwasa Damansara targets 100,000 residents
Kwasa Damansara is expected to grow to around 100,000 residents within the next five years as more housing projects are completed. Master developer Kwasa Land Sdn. Bhd. said almost 2,000 affordable homes are nearing completion, with another 4,000 units planned in the next phase. The township will offer a mix of affordable, high-rise and landed homes, including the upcoming Seri Damansara development, where high-end condominiums are expected to cost around RM900,000 to RM1 mil. Longer term, Kwasa Land plans to deliver 11,000 affordable homes across the township. With two MRT stations, connections to six major roads and expressways, and about 11% of the development set aside for green and open spaces, Kwasa Land said the aim is to build a connected and liveable township that caters to different groups of Malaysians.

This major township matters to all of us - Kwasa Land is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EPF.

Malaysia’s Pisa scores improve, but Maths takes a hit
Malaysian students are doing a little better in Science and Reading, according to the latest Pisa 2025 results. Among 15-year-olds, Malaysia’s Science score went up three points to 419, while Reading improved by five points to 393. Maths was the weak spot, though, dropping 11 points to 397 compared with 2022. Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the drop needs closer attention rather than being brushed aside. On the brighter side, Malaysia was among just six countries that performed better than expected in computational problem-solving, which basically looks at how well students can break down and solve complex problems. There were also some worrying findings outside the classroom, with 5% of Malaysian students saying they had experienced cyberbullying.

Drama terkini: Negeri Sembilan MB allegedly pressured to back ruler’s removal
There’s fresh drama surrounding Negeri Sembilan’s royal institution, with a report claiming newly appointed Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim was pressured into signing a proclamation to remove Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir as the state ruler. According to Singapore’s Straits Times, the move allegedly involved Umno’s top leadership and the state’s traditional chieftains, the four traditional chiefs who play a key role in choosing Negeri Sembilan’s ruler.

The claim adds to the confusion as Ismail publicly pledged his full support and loyalty to Tuanku Muhriz just a day after the Undangs announced that he had signed the proclamation. The dispute has been brewing for months, with questions also hanging over the legitimacy of three of the four Undangs. Former MB Aminuddin Harun had previously sided with Tuanku Muhriz and refused to recognise an earlier attempt to remove him.

Shorts:

1. Johor steps up stray dog operations after child attack

   Johor has launched a large-scale operation to capture stray dogs after a two-year-old girl was seriously injured by five dogs in Kampung Tambak, Peserai. The state government said the operation will focus on capturing the strays and checking that they are free from rabies, with authorities urged to step up monitoring and use different methods to bring the situation under control. Previous operations in Aug had already captured 22 stray dogs, but authorities said the number in the area remained high. The state government will also cover the girl’s medical and follow-up treatment costs, while counselling is being provided to her 12-year-old brother, who witnessed the attack. The girl remains sedated and under medical observation after undergoing her first surgery.

2. Trevor Noah makes KL debut this Nov

   Trevor Noah is finally making his Malaysian debut, with the South African comedian set to perform a one-night show at Idea Live Arena in KL on Nov 9. Best known for hosting The Daily Show from 2015 to 2022, the Emmy-winning comedian has since kept busy with stand-up, his podcast and several other projects, including hosting the Grammys for six years in a row. Malaysian fans can catch him at 8pm, with tickets priced from RM228 to RM528. Pre-sale starts on Sept 9 via Fantopia (get it here), while general sales open on Sept 11.

4. AROUND THE WORLD 🌎

Jamaica seeks USD10 bil (RM40.44 bil) in slavery reparations from the UK
Jamaica, a country once colonised and enslaved by the UK, is planning to file a petition addressing King Charles III about slavery reparations. In 1655, Jamaica became an English colony where an estimated 600,000 to a million enslaved African people toiled in the country for more than 300 years under brutal conditions. Although Jamaica gained independence in 1962, King Charles III remains the head of state, as the country is yet to transition from a constitutional monarchy to a republic.

Jamaica plans to push for reparations for its African ancestors, and to discuss the repatriation of cultural artefacts taken from Jamaica. It will also ask the King to answer three questions on the transatlantic slave trade to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the Caribbean island’s highest court of appeal based in London.

The Jamaican government estimates that the country is owed about USD10 bil, but the UK has repeatedly refused to pay for historical slavery. However, reparations have been paid once to the owners of slaves. In 1833, the British government paid GBP20 mil (RM109.34 mil) to slave owners for the “loss of their property”, after passing legislation to abolish slavery in the British Empire, worth about GBP2 bil (USD2.6 bil) today. Today, historians say that the UK government's stance still favours the elite by compensating owners instead of the slaves, although British society at large seems to be ready to apologise.

What’s the version of modern day colonialism?

No one is prepared for the consequences of AI
OpenAI scientist and lead Jakub Pachocki has written on his blog that he is concerned no one is truly prepared for the consequences of a continued rapid rise in machine intelligence. He called for extreme caution over AI’s progress and more human intervention to ensure humans remain in control of the future. He added that OpenAI would continue to "build defensive systems" and seek technical solutions to ensure a machine's actions and goals perfectly match human intent and safety guardrails. Truth is, global regulations are struggling to keep up with the pace of AI development - a law can be applied in one place, but outside its jurisdiction, nothing can stop a rogue AI.

Separately, the UN rights chief has warned that AI could pose an “existential threat to humanity” and demanded that actions be taken to reduce the risks. He said that he would be writing to AI companies to urge them to take the preventive steps and called for independent verification and stronger collaboration on security within the industry.

 Many times we have featured this word - Terminator. Used to be sci-fi but now sounds more and more like non-fiction.

OpenAI secures Malaysian data centre capacity
Meanwhile, OpenAI has signed a multi-year agreement with Australian AI infrastructure firm Firmus to secure computing capacity from two Malaysian data centres. This effectively makes OpenAI an anchor customer for the facilities and lifts Firmus’ contracted capacity across its customers to more than 900 megawatts (MW). Firmus, which is backed by Nvidia, was valued at more than USD10.5 bil (RM42.47 bil) in its latest fundraising round.

Shorts:

1. Philippine lawmaker arrested in the hospital
   Lawmaker and cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Martin Romualdez, has been arrested on his sick bed in the hospital following a filed “plunder” case that alleges him of up to PHP7.4 bil (RM480 mil) in bribes, anomalous budget insertions and project allocations that tie to a bogus flood-control project. He was admitted into a private hospital after suffering from “unstable blood pressure” and “anxiety attack”. Sounds like a familiar predicament closer to home.

   Enrich your vocab - learn the meaning of plunder here.

2. Netanyahu “unfit” to serve, says political rivals
   Netanyahu is currently facing intense scrutiny over his “failure” to respond to a report from the UAE that had warned him before the Oct 7, 2023 attack. Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reported that the UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan spoke to Netanyahu a week and a half before the attack and told him that Hamas was planning a major operation. Election rivals Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett are among the loudest calling out Netanyahu for his “failures”, with opposition parties saying that they will prioritise establishing a commission of inquiry over the attack if elected in the upcoming Oct elections.

5. FOR YOUR EYES 📺

A(rt)ds

1. The contrast - peace in running shoes. Puma x Tibetan monks.

2. A South Korean content creator was showing off her vast collection of Vaseline, and pronounced it as Baseline, explaining that Korean has no native V sound, hence the B. Vaseline, owned by Unilever, generates about USD1.1 bil a year in revenue. The brand capitalised on her content and ran with it, resulting in a viral marketing campaign.

3. Emirates introduces its Premium Economy seat, redesigning for our modern electronic lifestyle. They say its Premium Economy, we say its Business Class.