☕️ Sunway confirms roller coaster mishap

1. MARKET SUMMARY 📈

2. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE 🔢

12.6% – The district of Kampar in Perak has the highest proportion of senior citizens in Malaysia, with that segment of its population made up of those aged 65 and above in 2025. According to the National Population and Family Development Board, this is higher than the national average of 8%, and also exceeds Perak’s overall proportion of 10.2%, making ageing a key demographic issue for the district. The board attributed this to several factors, which include improved life expectancy and the migration of younger residents to major urban centres while some senior citizens choose to return to their hometown after retirement.

RM11 bil – That’s the total assets under management of all private retirement schemes (PRS) in Malaysia administered under the Private Pension Administrator (PPA). However, it was recently revealed that the average dormancy rate of the 695,869 members of PRS was 59.4%, meaning more than half of those members did not make a PRS contribution in a given year between 2020 and 2025. This also meant that the non-contributors were missing out on the personal income tax relief of up to RM3,000 available for PRS contributions made through the PPA.
Learn: What is PRS and the difference compared to EPF

85% – That’s the segment of affluent Malaysian investors that use AI for financial tasks, according to a survey commissioned by HSBC and conducted by research firm Ipsos. This ties Malaysia with mainland China, following only India with 86%. The global average of this is 73%. However, over half of Malaysia’s high-net-worth investors still prefer a hybrid approach that integrates human expertise with AI when making financial decisions. Traditional financial advisors and institutions remain the most trusted resource for local investors, providing 65% of investment ideas and having more than double the influence of AI tools on final decisions.

3. IN MALAYSIA 🇲🇾

FINAS
More freedom for local filmmakers
Malaysia’s film industry could be getting a little more creative breathing room, with FINAS (National Film Development Corporation Malaysia) backing PM Anwar Ibrahim’s call to give local filmmakers greater freedom in telling their stories. FINAS CEO Azmir Saifuddin Mutalib said the approach is in line with recent moves by the Film Censorship Board (LPF) towards more open censorship, including allowing certain content to remain in films while using age classifications such as 16 and 18 instead of simply cutting scenes. However, Azmir stressed that greater creative freedom should still go hand in hand with Malaysia’s culture and identity, particularly as the industry looks to bring more local content to international audiences (waiting for Malaysia’s Netflix breakthrough). The comments came following the opening of the new 15-storey Menara FINAS Damansara, which brings FINAS’ key operations and facilities under one roof.

The other C to battle - Cartels
Censorship done. Now, cartels. FINAS is looking to tackle concerns over possible “cartels” in Malaysia’s film industry, particularly where the same players may control production, funding and distribution. Azmir said FINAS wants fair competition and better opportunities for smaller industry players, even though it has yet to receive any formal complaints. The agency plans to bring producers and distributors together to discuss problems affecting access to cinema screens, including the lack of advance notice when major foreign films are released, which can leave local movies competing for limited screening slots. FINAS is also working on a wider overhaul of industry regulations, with new rules expected to cover areas such as AI-generated content and better protection for production crews through formal contracts on work and payment. The changes are still being developed and will require consultations before going to the Cabinet, with the overall regulatory overhaul expected to take about two years to implement.

KLCI - from 30 to 50 constituents
Malaysia’s main stock market index, the FBM KLCI, which tracks the performance of the country’s biggest listed companies, is set to expand from 30 to 50 stocks starting this Dec. Analysts are positive about the move, saying the bigger pool will give a broader picture of the Malaysian stock market and reduce the index’s heavy reliance on certain sectors and major companies - in short, reducing concentration. Financial stocks currently make up 42.7% of the index, but this is expected to gradually fall to 36.6% by June 2027, while technology stocks will also gain a presence. The expansion will happen in two phases to avoid too much disruption as investment funds adjust their portfolios, while the newly included companies could also benefit from greater visibility and trading activity.

Sunway confirms roller coaster mishap
There was some confusion online over where a roller coaster accident in Subang Jaya actually took place, with social media users speculating that it happened at Sunway Lagoon.

That has now been confirmed by Sunway Theme Parks, which said the Aug 22 mishap occurred at Sunway Lagoon and involved 22 riders, including Malaysians and foreign tourists aged between 11 and 44. About 10 people suffered minor injuries, with no fatalities reported. Sunway Theme Parks said it has been providing medical assistance and support to those affected and remains in contact with the guests and their families. The company is also cooperating with the authorities while carrying out its own investigation into what went wrong. Police have similarly urged the public not to speculate further while investigations into the cause of the accident continue. View incident here.

Shorts:

1. New MyKad switch disrupts printing
   The switch to Malaysia’s new generation MyKad is about to begin, but it will cause a short disruption to card printing nationwide. The National Registration Department (JPN) said MyKad printing services are expected to be temporarily affected from Aug 26 to 31 while it transitions from the current card to the new version. Those who do not urgently need to replace or exchange their MyKad are encouraged to wait until the transition is completed. Parents of children turning 12 may also want to hold off on first-time applications so their children can receive the new generation MyKad once production begins.

2. Selangor gets a Sukma holiday
   Selangor has earned itself an extra day off after finishing as overall champions of Sukma 2026. Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari announced Tuesday, Sept 1 (long, long weekend) as a special state holiday following the contingent’s dominant performance, which saw Selangor collect 245 medals, including 101 golds. It marks the state’s 10th overall Sukma title and makes Selangor the most successful state in the Games’ history. The win was made even sweeter as the hosts surpassed their previous best and comfortably beat their target of 80 gold medals.

4. AROUND THE WORLD 🌎

US launches Operation Economic Outcast to cripple Iran
The US has officially launched a campaign designed to put Iran into an “economic onslaught” by imposing severe sanctions against any country or entity maintaining economic ties with Iran. Seems like the US hopes to achieve with economic measures what military means have so far failed to do. However, it is not clear if they are imposing it on China, Iran’s biggest trading partner.

The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has published new sanctions against 60 specific individuals, companies and shipping vessels that allegedly aided Iran in generating oil revenues, procuring weapons and cyber operations. Several Singapore-based entities are listed, and in Malaysia, Vast Mart Sdn Bhd was accused of transferring funds to Hong Kong-based Sweet Ocean on “multiple occasions”.

Sweet Ocean is accused of acting as an intermediary for sensitive equipment destined for Malek Ashtar University of Technology in Iran. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that each violator would be given a deadline to cut ties or face US sanctions, depending on individual circumstances. Meanwhile, Iran vowed retaliation against any country that took part in this US-led isolation campaign.

Violent world
Even kids playing kites scare Israel
Israeli PM Netanyahu has threatened to escalate attacks over the alleged launching of paper kites from the war-torn enclave, leading to attacks on a warehouse in az-Zawayda and Salah al-Din Street that killed a four-year-old and two other Palestinians. The deadly bombardment comes as Palestinian and Israeli affairs experts warn that the government is fabricating a security crisis around children’s toys to derail ceasefire agreements, enforce demographic changes and ensure Netanyahu’s political survival. They also threatened the forced displacement of Palestinians from areas “used as launch sites for kites, drones and balloons”. All these attacks came despite the Israeli military acknowledging that the recovered kites contained no explosives and were simply flown by children.

Arson and bomb attacks plague Thailand's southern region
Suspected insurgents in south Thailand have set fire to government buildings, shops, cars and utility poles in more than 70 locations across the region ​over the weekend, injuring at least three people in a coordinated ‌ series of arson attacks. More than 7,800 people have been killed in provinces bordering Malaysia since 2004, when the latest round of a long-running insurgency led mainly by the ​Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) flared. Thailand's predominantly Muslim and ethnic Malay in its southern provinces have faced a ‌decades-long ⁠insurgency seeking greater autonomy or independence. The region was part of the independent Malay sultanate of Patani before its incorporation into Thailand was formalised in 1909.

India
Indian food safety officer kicking it up a notch
Tukaram Mundhe, Commissioner of the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in India, has taken food safety to another level, as he began raiding food businesses in the country's commercial capital, Mumbai. The movement marks an ⁠unprecedented crackdown on poor hygiene and unsafe food long plaguing the community in India. Every year since 2020, more than 100,000 food samples have been checked by Indian food inspectors and found roughly 20% to be unsafe, substandard or lacking proper labels.

The raid has led to numerous discoveries of unsafe food hygiene practices, and even suspensions of food permits of four Domino's and ‌one Pizza Hut outlet in recent weeks. It also targeted a Mumbai British-era cricket club, a 70-year-old ice cream parlour, a 110-year-old Parsi Dairy, hotels and well-known restaurants in over 3,000 raids. Mundhe has won widespread public admiration across India because ⁠he has tapped into deep public frustration where unsafe food practices had to be “normalised”.

Looks like the world won’t run out of matcha
The skyrocketing demand for matcha worldwide has contributed to a unique collaboration between India and Japan. In Jul, the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre in India’s north-eastern Assam state managed to sell the country’s first commercial batch of matcha, a green tea traditionally made from shade-grown Camellia sinensis leaves in Japan. This tea, however, was made from an indigenous variety grown locally and processed using Japanese machinery in Chota Tingrai, a tea estate in Assam that has nudged India’s 200-plus-year-old tea industry into a new frontier. Chota Tingrai’s matcha currently sells for around 3,000 rupees (USD31 or RM125.29) to 3,800 rupees a kilogram at the auction house, where it is picked up by buyers for further sales. In India alone, the growing demand for matcha in recent years is projected to reach USD167 mil by 2030.

5. FOR YOUR EYES 📺

1. From MYD (Malayan Dollar) to Ringgit. Where Ringgit got its name.

2. The famous Lorem ipsum placeholder text has its origins back in 45 BC.

3. Duolingo x Miniso tissue collaboration. Improve your vocab when using tissue, for whatever reasons.