☕️ PN walks out of Parliament sitting on TH RCI because Anwar is absent for surgery

1. MARKET SUMMARY 📈

2. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE 🔢

29 days – Ultra-runner Sophie Woods, a 42-year-old from New Zealand, ran 2,000km across eight countries in that time to break the record for completing the Via Alpina. Known as one of the world’s toughest endurance challenges, the course follows the entire length of the Alps with a total elevation gain equivalent to climbing Mount Everest 12 times. Woods started in Italy, following a trail network through Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and France before ending in Monaco. Throughout her challenge, Woods and her team faced two heatwaves, storms, a swarm of horseflies, and wildfires that forced a detour, adding 5km and 200m of treacherous climbing to her route. The previous record of 35 days was set by British runner Jake Catterall in 2024.

JPY101.7 bil (RM2.62 bil) – Japanese sporting goods maker Yonex’s badminton division posted that amount in sales in 2025, up 20% from the previous year. Of that amount, JPY82.9 bil, or 81.5%, came from overseas sales. The rising popularity of badminton worldwide has boosted the company’s sales, especially with the growing demand for shuttlecocks. Yonex sells tournament-grade shuttlecocks for JPY7,700 per dozen and practice-grade shuttlecocks for JPY6,380, up roughly 30% over three price increases in the past two years. This is due to a shortage of natural feathers used to make the shuttlecocks. The 16 feathers of each shuttlecock are primarily sourced from ducks, geese, and other waterfowl processed for meat in China. However, recent years have seen avian flu outbreaks, and this, combined with changes in Chinese meat preferences favouring pork and beef, has put pressure on waterfowl breeders. The dwindling waterfowl supply due to declining profitability has, in turn, lowered the supply of feathers, leading to increased prices.

Between 1.3 mil and 1.5 mil – That’s the number of Hyrox participants around the world during the 2025 to 2026 season, which marks Hyrox as among the fastest-growing properties in functional fitness. The upcoming season is projected to feature about 100 events worldwide with more than 1 mil athletes participating, and China has emerged as one of the Hyrox organisation’s most important growth markets. Participation in China grew from about 1,600 competitors at the country’s inaugural event in late 2024 in Beijing to over 7,000 athletes at Shanghai events in 2025. Sports brands have also cashed in on this trend, with Puma identified as one of Hyrox’s most aggressive backers. The firm saw a 9% increase in revenue year-on-year in the Chinese market on the back of its Hyrox-specific products, which have offset weaknesses in other categories.
Learn: What is Hyrox?

3. IN MALAYSIA 🇲🇾

Tabung Haji in Parliament

Anwar undergoes surgery, misses TH debate
Instead of birthday celebrations, PM Anwar Ibrahim spent his 79th birthday undergoing surgery to treat an abdominal hernia, a condition where tissue pushes through a weak spot in the abdominal wall. His medical team said the planned laparoscopic procedure was successfully completed, and he is now recovering under medical observation while receiving physiotherapy. Deputy Prime Minister Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he will chair Cabinet meetings while Anwar recuperates.
Learn: What are hernias?

As a result, Anwar apologised for missing the special Dewan Rakyat sitting on the RCI report into Tabung Haji. His press secretary said the PM's condition is improving and that he will continue receiving treatment under a team of medical specialists. Although unable to attend, Anwar said he would closely follow the debate to ensure matters involving Tabung Haji receive proper attention. The special sitting was convened to debate the 211-page RCI report, which was made public on Jul 29.

PN throws tantrum over PM’s absence
PM Anwar Ibrahim has criticised Perikatan Nasional (PN) after the opposition walked out of a special Dewan Rakyat sitting on the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report into Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH). The walkout came after the Speaker rejected a request to postpone the sitting until Anwar could attend, as he is currently under medical supervision.

In response, Anwar questioned PN's commitment to defending Malay and Islamic interests, saying the opposition chose political drama over debating issues affecting Tabung Haji depositors. He urged the coalition to focus on the alleged wrongdoing highlighted in the RCI report rather than turning the sitting into a political dispute.

BN wants wider TH probe
Umno MPs have called for the Tabung Haji probe to go beyond the current RCI, saying investigations should also cover the fund's post-2018 restructuring and Urusharta Jamaah Sdn Bhd (UJSB), the government-owned company set up after the 2018 general election. UJ was set up to save TH. During the special Dewan Rakyat sitting, BN lawmakers defended the coalition against claims that its leaders had "plundered" the pilgrims' fund, arguing that anyone found guilty of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power or mismanagement should face legal action regardless of their position or political affiliation. The RCI covers the period from 2014 to 2020, when Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim (UMNO person) chaired Tabung Haji for much of the period under review.

SC to have oversight of TH
The government plans to strengthen oversight of TH by placing its investment activities under the Securities Commission (SC), while haj operations will continue to be overseen by the Religious Affairs Minister. Religious Affairs Minister Dr Zulkifli Hasan said a task force involving Bank Negara Malaysia and the SC has been formed to review the new regulatory framework and proposed amendments to the Tabung Haji Act 1995. He stressed that TH will remain a single entity, with the changes aimed at improving governance, financial oversight and accountability in line with recommendations made by the RCI. The proposed amendments have yet to receive Cabinet approval and will still need to be tabled in Parliament.

Haze makes a comeback
Looks like the haze is making a comeback. Several areas in Sarawak, along with one location in Selangor, have recorded unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings as dry weather, an intensifying El Niño and forest fires in Indonesia begin taking a toll on air quality. The situation could get worse over the coming weeks, with smoke from Kalimantan and Sumatra being carried into Malaysia by seasonal winds. While occasional rain may bring temporary relief, the haze is expected to linger until at least Sept if dry conditions and fires continue.

Lee Chong Wei launches junior cup
Our badminton legend Lee Chong Wei is launching the inaugural Lee Chong Wei Cup, a new junior tournament aimed at uncovering Malaysia's next generation of badminton stars. Taking place from Aug 29 to Sept 6 at Stadium Juara, Bukit Kiara, the competition will feature Under-13, Under-15 and Under-17 categories across five events, with total prize money of RM100,000. The tournament will also adopt the new 15x3 scoring system set to be introduced on the BWF World Tour next year. He said outstanding performers could catch the attention of national coaches and potentially earn a place in the national squad. Visit official site here for more info.

4. AROUND THE WORLD 🌎

Magnitude 7.4 earthquake strikes Colombia
Not long after the devastating earthquake in Venezuela in June, another South American nation, Colombia, was struck by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake on Monday, leaving at least 132 people killed and hundreds remaining missing at the time of writing.

The quake was the worst to hit the country this century, with the epicentre in San José del Palmar in the Choco region, about 400 km west of the capital, Bogotá. Dozens of collapsed buildings and damaged homes were reported across affected areas of western Colombia, including Cali, Pereira, Quibdo and Manizales. Small earthquakes, known as “temblores”, are common in Colombia, which sits along the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, but those above magnitude 6.0 are rare.

Trump antics
Trump x Iran ping-pong games continue
As the Strait of Hormuz deal continues, Trump has apparently demanded compensation for “50 years” of damages caused by Iran, framing the move as a direct response to Tehran’s claims that it will not open the Strait of Hormuz unless Washington agrees to pay war reparations and end sanctions. Trump also said Tehran should compensate families of the 17 US sailors killed in an Oct 2000 attack in Yemen on the USS Cole naval vessel, although it is actually blamed on al-Qaeda, not Iran. The new demand risks complicating efforts to reopen the maritime passage, even as Iran said that it is approaching a final pact with Oman regarding the waterway.

Trump’s decoy a la James Bond
A credible Iran-related assassination threat to Trump has reportedly led the US President to switch planes in Turkiye last month, with Air Force One serving as a decoy while he flew out on a smaller military aircraft. While everyone thinks that he would depart the NATO Summit on an older version of Air Force One, he was actually spirited into a catering container, which then ferried him to a small C-32A aircraft that took him to the United Kingdom. Once in the UK, Trump appeared before the media exiting the older Air Force One, and then flew to Washington on board the new, Qatari-gifted plane.

AI
Anthropic introduces watermark in Claude AI texts
As part of its commitments toward more transparency under the European Union AI Act, Anthropic has announced that new Claude models will embed an "imperceptible watermark" directly into AI-generated text, which travels even when copied and pasted and "may persist through some editing”. Anthropic said it also plans to provide third parties with tools to detect them. AI watermarking could be a turning point for the publishing industry, which has been grappling with AI-generated content - but for Anthropic, there are still loopholes, as heavy editing, paraphrasing, translating, or mixing Claude's output with other writing can make its watermark undetectable.

Nvidia seals USD500 bil deals with Wall Street firms for AI financing
Nvidia has inked deals with six major Wall Street financial institutions, namely Apollo, BlackRock, Blackstone, Brookfield, Goldman Sachs and KKR, to raise ⁠more than USD500 bil (RM2.05 tril) capital for artificial intelligence infrastructure. Boss Jensen Huang said the company has the option to backstop up to USD125 bil, or 25% of the potential deals. The deal will create financing platforms, allowing third-party investors to treat AI “compute” as an asset class. While spending on AI seems to stay and shows no sign of slowing down, there have been concerns over the link between high valuations of tech companies and the need for vast investments to support their ambitions. Nvidia is now worth a staggering USD5.3 tril.

SEC in favour: Separately, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has made it easier for data centre owners to sell asset-backed securities, potentially opening the door for more debt sales as tech firms like Nvidia scour Wall Street for ways to pay for artificial intelligence. Speaking of adding fuel to the fire.

Shorts

1. Fast food chains learn that cheap deals no longer do the trick
   McDonald’s, which has been struggling to retain customers in the second quarter, has learned that it’s no longer just discounts that keep customers coming back - it’s now the strongest performers paired bargains with menu innovation, quality improvements and a smoother customer experience. Chains like Yum Brands' Taco Bell and Burger King have fared better with such creative approaches in their marketing, by offering cheap meal boxes alongside new and innovative menu items that keep budget-conscious consumers coming back.

2. Monkey whisperers for hire
   A group of men specialising in mimicking the sounds of the langur monkey has been hired to keep rhesus monkeys away from the badminton World Championships happening in New Delhi next week. Turns out that rhesus monkeys are a menace in the capital, often gatecrashing buildings and attacking unsuspecting pedestrians or residents, but they are afraid of the langurs. By having men mimicking the sounds, organisers are hoping that no “monkey problems” will occur throughout the tournament.

   Learn: Langur monkey vs rhesus monkey

3. Mars Bar from 1991 found, and it's way larger!
   A woman who discovered a 35-year-old Mars Bar during a house clearance in Scunthorpe, UK, has revealed that the older Mars Bar was 62.5 g, compared to today's Mars Bar, which is only 40 g - slimming down 36%! Shrinkflation is real. Clearly the bar has “slimmed down” a lot, and a spokesperson from Mars has said that over the last 35 years, several updates to their bar sizes and pack formats have been made to “reflect consumer demand” alongside considering wider external factors such as manufacturing costs and the price of cocoa. Mars was way tastier back in the day too.

5. FOR YOUR EYES 📺

1. Did you know: Norway popularised salmon sushi by introducing it in Japan in the 1980s? Apart from Erling Haaland, salmon is another great export of Norway, now accounting for 53% of the global salmon market.

2. Didn’t know of some of these iPhone tricks.

3. Babi air on leash spotted in Selayang (according to comments). Another one spotted also in Selayang roaming on its own, but not sure if it’s the same. Owning one requires authorisation from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, usually reserved for zoos and licensed sanctuaries.