☕️ Dear parents, drug addiction is now claiming school kids

1. MARKET SUMMARY 📈

2. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE 🔢

Some good news for Malaysian football. Harimau Malaya rose to 123rd in the latest Fifa world rankings, Malaysia’s highest position since January 18, 2006, when the team sat at 124th. Coach Peter Cklamovski attributed the results to the players’ “relentless work ethic”. This jump from 125th in the rankings also follows two decisive victories in September, which the coach said demonstrated a building up of the squad’s depth. The two victories, which saw the team beat Singapore 2-1 and Palestine 1-0, gave the team 9.75 points, which was enough to push them up the rankings. Now, they are also ranked 23rd in Asia and fifth in ASEAN, behind Australia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

Despite finishing 15th in the last season of the Premier League, their worst placing since the 1973-1974 relegation campaign, Manchester United Football Club reported an increased financial revenue of GBP666.5 mil (RM3.8 bil), up 0.7% from the previous year. This increase was attributed to good matchday revenue and the start of their five-year front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with Snapdragon. Manchester United also narrowed their losses to GBP33 mil (RM187.2 mil) for the year, a 70.8% debt reduction compared to the previous year’s GBP113.2 mil (RM642.3 mil). This follows cost-cutting measures, such as paring down their workforce from 1,100 to 700 over the past two years and cutting wages.

Swedish pole vault superstar Armand Duplantis was the first human to clear the 6.3m barrier, setting him apart from a small group of only 28 people who have cleared the 6m mark. This gave him the gold medal at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Duplantis, also known as Mondo, now has an unbeaten streak of 37 competitions stretching back to July 2023. Over the course of his career, he has been pushing the world record up incrementally, with his current victory his 14th world record. He set his first world record in 2020 by clearing 6.17m. Duplantis’ father was a former elite competitor in the spot and an inspiration to him and his sister, with the latter turning professional earlier this year.

3. IN MALAYSIA 🇲🇾

Where is PM Anwar Ibrahim?
Amid US President Donald Trump’s antics in complaining about everything from the teleprompter to the escalator, one noticeable thing was that PM Anwar Ibrahim was nowhere in New York for the United Nations’ General Assembly. So, where was he?

PM Anwar was in Timor-Leste
PM Anwar was on a two-day visit to Timor-Leste from September 23, the first by a Malaysian leader to the country in 22 years. During the visit, PM Anwar officiated the launch of the International Convention Centre (ICC) development project at Dili Port, which is expected to enhance Timor-Leste’s capacity to host major international events. PM Anwar was also given the honour to address the National Parliament of Timor-Leste, a nod to Malaysia’s support for the country since before its independence. During the speech, in a pure gentlemanly act, PM Anwar expressed gratitude to former PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for Malaysia’s consistent support of Timor-Leste’s journey towards ASEAN membership.

PM Anwar hosted ASEAN Economic Ministers
Once he concluded his Timor-Leste trip, PM Anwar hosted the 57th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ (AEM) Meeting and related meetings Gala Dinner in Kuala Lumpur on September 24, where PM Anwar engaged in durian diplomacy and suggested durian to the attendees, equating durian’s taste to blue cheese.

So, was PM Anwar signalling that Timor-Leste and the ASEAN dinner were more important compared to the United Nations (UN)? Apparently so, as the UN snub by PM Anwar was due to the UN’s failure in handling the Gaza crisis. However, Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan will attend the General Assembly on behalf of PM Anwar and is scheduled to present the National Statement at the General Debate session on Sunday.

The naughty list of JPJ offenders
Teens driving lorries in Terengganu
Terengganu JPJ state director Mohd Zamri Samion stated that his department has observed a trend of some commercial vehicle operators hiring underage drivers. The reason behind it? To cut costs as younger drivers mean lower pay. During a special operation on September 24, a 16-year-old boy was arrested for driving a commercial vehicle without a licence on Jalan Tok Adis-Cendering. Both the driver and the lorry attendant were underage. Minimum legal age to drive a car is 17 and 21 for lorry - view legal age limits here.

Heavy vehicle operators adopt the wait-and-see approach when it comes to speed limiter verification
Transport Minister Anthony Loke slammed the heavy vehicle operators who remained non-compliant in verifying Speed Limitation Devices (SLDs), when strict enforcement will begin on October 1. SLD enforcement comes into the picture on the back of the recent Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) bus crash. At the moment, only 2,915 vehicles, or 2.7%, have verified their SLD installations out of 108,805 vehicles identified under Phase One. SLDs are integrated with the vehicle’s Electronic Control Unit (ECU), which manages engine performance by communicating with the throttle and fuel injection systems. Once the vehicle reaches the set speed limit of 90 km/h, the SLD automatically cuts throttle response, adjusts the fuel supply, and, in some systems, modifies ignition timing. The SLD does not apply the brakes but prevents the engine from accelerating further once the limit is reached.

Drug addiction has infected school kids
Deputy PM Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that drug addiction is now claiming children as young as ten in primary schools. Ahmad Zahid has urged the National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK) to adopt more creative approaches, particularly in detecting drug smuggling and monitoring new trends such as the use of delivery services. He highlighted that drug abuse in Malaysia is a cross-racial issue, with the highest addiction rates in Kelantan, Terengganu, Perlis, and Kedah. Currently, the addiction rate is at 396 addicts per 100,000 people for the current year up to June, with Malaysia recording 586 addicts per 100,000 people in 2024. Remember the ‘Belia Benci Dadah’ campaign when we were at school?

The Deputy PM is also calling on ASEAN to be more involved in countering drug smuggling to safeguard the region from sophisticated transnational drug syndicates, mainly based in the Golden Triangle, which spans Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and the southern Philippines. Ahmad Zahid said that only a regional approach grounded in data, technology, and mutual trust among member states can effectively curb the threat of drug smuggling and trafficking.

Astro fumbling lagi
Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd announced that its net profit fell 70% for the three months ended July 31, 2025. The firm reported RM16.4 mil in net profit compared to RM54.7 mil over the same quarter last year. What was to blame? The slump in advertising expenditure by brands, higher content and marketing expenses, and the unspoken reason - no one watches TV anymore. Most brands have already shifted their spending to online and social media, where consumers spend most of their time. Shares of Astro Malaysia closed unchanged at 14 sen on Thursday, valuing the company at about RM680 mil. Someone should end Astro’s misery at one point. Oh, the presentation slides can be viewed here.

4. AROUND THE WORLD 🌎

Italy, Spain send navy ships to protect Gaza aid flotilla
As the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) approaches Gaza and is being threatened by Israeli forces, Spain and Italy have sent naval ships into the Mediterranean Sea charged with protecting the flotilla carrying humanitarian aid for the suffering Gazans. Rome dispatched a warship the previous day following a drone attack on the GSF in international waters. Multiple boats were targeted by the low-flying drones, which dropped flashbang-type explosive devices and other unidentified objects on and near boats, according to passengers on board. Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez said that international law must be respected and the citizens of 45 nations participating in the aid mission had every right to sail in the Mediterranean unharmed. He also added that Spain will dispatch a naval vessel from Cartagena with all necessary resources in case it is necessary to assist the flotilla and carry out a rescue operation.

China’s new climate goal
China has announced a bold and ambitious climate goal at the United Nations climate summit. The world’s largest carbon polluting nation said that they aim to cut emissions by 7% to 10% by 2035. Within the next 10 years, China plans to increase its installed capacity of wind and solar power to more than six times its 2020 levels. It also plans to boost its share of non-fossil fuels in domestic energy consumption to more than 30%. China contributes to more than 31% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, followed by the US, who is also the world’s biggest historical greenhouse gas emitter.

Under the 2015 Paris Accord, 195 nations were supposed to submit new, more stringent five-year plans on how to curb carbon emissions. Note that the US has withdrawn from this accord, with Trump not being a big supporter of climate action. The Paris accord set the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius since the mid-19th century, and the world has already warmed about 1.3 degrees Celsius since. To quote Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva: No one is safe from the effects of climate change. Walls at borders will not stop droughts or storms. Nature does not bow down to bombs or warships. No country stands above another.

Business issues:
Apple warns EU to amend anti-monopoly laws
Apple is calling for the European Union (EU) to revoke or make amendments to its Digital Markets Act and its three-year-old anti-monopoly legislation, which is intended to regulate the gatekeeper power of the largest digital companies including search engines, app providers, and messaging services. The company said that the act was leading to a worse experience for Apple users, exposing them to security risks, and disrupting the seamless way Apple products work together as they are unable to release certain features that do not adhere to the act’s requirements. Apple also warned that if the act is not amended, it would stop shipping some products and services to the EU, although they did not specify which products or services. While the act is supposed to ensure a fair and contestable digital market in the region, Apple added that Brussels was creating unfair competition as the rules were not applied to Samsung, the largest smartphone provider in the EU.

Starbucks to close shops, cut jobs
Starbucks Corp. will be closing stores and eliminating up to 900 jobs in an upcoming restructuring effort, dropping store counts by 1% in the US and Canada. Subsequently, it plans to grow the number of stores it operates and refurbish another 1,000 restaurants. The restructuring comes with its new CEO Brian Niccol’s aspiration to make Starbucks a more inviting place to visit and stay. It is also a part of his efforts to lead a turnaround at the coffee chain after six straight quarters of same-store sales contractions. Most recently, Starbucks reported sales and profits that missed expectations for the fiscal third quarter. The company is also facing increased competition from smaller chains in the US and China, its two largest markets, that are cranking out cheaper beverages to customers at a faster rate. The coffee chain reported a 3% year-on-year increase in revenue to USD9.5 bil, but noted a net earnings per share of USD0.50, down 45% year-on-year and missing estimates.

Shorts:

1. Brazil police can earn bonuses for killing ‘criminals’
   Police officers in Brazil can now earn a bonus of 10% to 150% of their salary when they kill a “criminal”. In other words, they are entitled to bonuses “during the seizure of heavy-calibre weapons or situations resulting in the neutralisation of criminals”. Human rights defenders are expressing their worry that it could lead to massacres by officers who would do anything to earn more money. Statistically, in 2024, 703 people died during police interventions in the state of Rio — nearly two every day, according to official figures. A similar measure, nicknamed the “Wild West Bonus,” was in effect from 1995 to 1998 when it was scrapped due to a sharp rise in deaths at the hands of Brazilian police.

2. Iran’s carpet slump

   Gorgeous handwoven carpets are often synonymous with Iran, but the once-thriving industry is now suffering from international sanctions and a slowdown in demand locally and internationally. Iran’s carpet industry made more than USD2 bil (RM8.5 bil) in export revenues in its heyday of the early 1990s, and in 2017, just before the US sanctions were revived, rugs were still considered one of the country’s key non-oil exports, with a revenue of more than USD400 mil. Now, the industry now struggles to scrape together around USD40 mil, marking a dramatic collapse of more than 95%. Officials in Iran are still trying to revive the industry, saying that they should consider making more contemporary designs and branding it online.

5. FOR YOUR EYES 📺

1. Lecture in geopolitics - Prof Jiang explains why the US always ❤️ Israel

2. China business eating Malaysian F&B brands’ lunch?