☕️ Visit Malaysia 2025: Trump, Putin and Li Qiang eye Malaysia for ASEAN Summit

1. MARKET SUMMARY 📈

2. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE 🔢

The cash-strapped Taliban government of Afghanistan has looked to the heavens for a source of money and, well, they found one. In the wake of Israel and Iran exchanging missiles and throwing flight paths into disarray, the skies above Afghanistan offer a less turbulent and faster route with virtually zero risk. Of course, the route comes with a price – a flat overflight fee of USD700 (RM2,944) per flight to the Taliban government, according to industry insiders. With over 200 planes flying over Afghan airspace every day, the Taliban would be raking in at least USD4.2 mil (RM17.7 mil) a month, a welcome injection to its coffers as it deals with a humanitarian crisis and a war-battered economy. It’s so bad that about 85% of Afghanistan’s population live on less than USD1 (RM4.21) per day, according to the UN.

Meanwhile, Malaysia has secured potential investments worth RM905 mil from meeting Chinese captains of industry and major businesses during PM Anwar Ibrahim’s recent four-day visit to China. According to Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, most of the potential investments were in the chemicals and telecommunications sectors. He added that Malaysia also secured a further RM108 mil worth of potential exports via Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com. Meeting representatives from the China Semiconductor Industrial Association and holding engagements with Matrade has also generated potential exports worth RM2.2 bil over the next two years, with an improvement in semiconductor trade between the two nations.

Japanese company Bandai Namco is looking to the overseas market for continued growth and is banking on a giant robot to see it through. The company has a large stable of character franchises ranging from Pac-man, Tamagotchi, and Anpanman to One Piece, Demon Slayer, and Dragon Ball. However, it marks Gundam as its most prized property, especially since the company holds essentially all the rights to Gundam, allowing the firm to explore new business opportunities and avenues through Gundam, such as live-action films, trading card games, and travelling brand name stores in addition to its numerous animated series and plastic models called Gunpla. Gundam is expected to generate about JPY160 bil (RM4.6 bil) for the company’s fiscal year ending Mar 2026. For its 2025 fiscal year, Bandai reported a revenue of over JPY1.2 tril (RM34.5 bil), with operating profit of JPY180.2 bil (RM5.2 bil). They even built one for Osaka Expo.

3. IN MALAYSIA 🇲🇾

Malaysia $ports Glory
Badminton champ$ $core boo$ted ca$h reward$
Malaysia’s badminton stars were given a historic reward after their breakthrough performances at the World Championships in Paris, with incentives raised beyond the usual National Sports Incentive Scheme (SHAKAM) rates. Mixed doubles pair Cheng Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei, who stunned China’s Jiang Zhen Bang-Wei Yaxin to clinch Malaysia’s first world title in the category, will each receive RM40,000, while Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, who battled their way to a silver medal in the women’s doubles against China’s Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning, will get RM20,000 each. Hannah Yeoh stated the decision was a one-off recognition of the unprecedented wins, noting that the annual nature of badminton’s world meet usually places it on a lower incentive tier compared to sports like wushu. She added that, “We do not lack talent, we only lack funds, and when we invest, the medals follow.”

Wu$hu $quad bag$ record gold haul
Malaysia’s RM4.3 mil investment in wushu has paid off spectacularly, with the national team clinching a record 5 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals at the World Championships in Brazil. Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh hailed the achievement as proof that targeted funding under the Podium Programme, covering training, equipment, overseas stints and development is bearing fruit, adding that the athletes had shown they could stand among the world’s best. The team will also receive RM480,000 in incentives under SHAKAM, with gold medallists earning RM80,000, silver winners RM40,000 and bronze winners RM20,000. Hannah said the success was achieved against competitors from over 70 countries.

Government plans to split AG and public prosecutor powers
Malaysia is set for a major legal reform after the cabinet agreed to fully separate the powers of the attorney-general (AG) and the public prosecutor through constitutional amendments. The decision followed two years of study and review of several models, with the cabinet opting for a complete separation to ensure both positions stand independently and on equal footing in the Federal Constitution. Articles 145, 183 and 42 will be amended to create an independent public prosecutor, alongside a new Law Reform (Public Prosecutor) Bill to update the Criminal Procedure Code and 18 related Acts. A separate Act will also be introduced to regulate remuneration for both roles, similar to the Judges’ Remuneration Act 1971. The reform will be introduced in phases, with a technical task force now working on organisational, staffing, logistical and financial details before presenting final recommendations to the cabinet. Understand the importance of splitting both roles here.

Suicide finally decriminalised in Malaysia
Malaysia has officially decriminalised suicide, with legal amendments taking effect on Sept 10, in conjunction with World Suicide Prevention Day. The Health Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Department’s legal division said abetment of suicide remains an offence, with new provisions targeting those who incite vulnerable groups such as children or individuals lacking mental capacity. The reforms also introduce Crisis Intervention Officers (CIOs) from enforcement agencies, empowered to bring individuals who attempt suicide to psychiatric hospitals under the Mental Health Act 2001. Nearly 145 hospitals, including two university hospitals, are being gazetted to receive referrals, with nationwide training underway.

Visit Malaysia 2025: Trump, Putin & Li Qiang eye Malaysia for ASEAN Summit
Our PM has confirmed that US President Donald Trump will visit Malaysia next month for the 47th Asean Summit, joining Chinese Premier Li Qiang, while Russian President Vladimir Putin is “seriously considering” attending following his recent meeting with Anwar in Beijing. Speaking at Ambank Group’s 50th Golden Jubilee Anniversary Dinner, Anwar said the high-profile visits reflect Malaysia’s rising geopolitical weight despite global uncertainties, reiterating that the country’s political stability and clear economic direction from the semiconductor push to the energy transition roadmap, position it as a resilient and trusted regional partner.

Savvy or lucky? How Aliff Syukri turned RM99k into 500 homes
Business celebrity Aliff Syukri revealed that he owns between 400-500 houses, crediting his success to years of hard work and an early start in property investment. At 38 years old now, He bought his first home, a RM99,000 corner-lot terrace in Puncak Alam at just 21, when prices were far more affordable. Over time, he steadily expanded his portfolio, benefiting from the sharp rise in property values. The father of six’s story has not only impressed his followers but also sparked admiration for his financial foresight, with many noting how his decision to invest young has cemented his reputation as a savvy businessman and inspired others to think smart about wealth-building. But don’t be so easily impressed - property ownership generally comes with debt. Unless, he bought with cash.

4. AROUND THE WORLD 🌎

Qatar, Poland attacked
Qatar condemns Israel for missile attack on Doha, Israelis unrepentant
Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, leader of Qatar, has condemned Israel’s “reckless criminal attack” in the Qatari capital of Doha, calling it a “flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and security, and a clear violation of the rules and principles of international law. Israel said the attack was targeting Hamas leaders in Doha, which Hamas reported had survived, though the son and aide of Hamas senior leader Khalil al-Hayya were killed. It should be no surprise that Hamas has a delegation there, considering Qatar is one of the mediators of the conflict between Hamas and Israel. Israel, however, said that if the air strike had not killed Hamas leaders, it would succeed next time, according to the Israeli ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter.

However, the families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza are fearful that the strike torpedoed any chance of a ceasefire and that their loved ones might be subject to Hamas retribution. The families were outraged by the assassination attempt in Doha, especially with the current American-led ceasefire push.

Trump “very unhappy” about the missile strike as Qatar denies White House warning
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is saying that it had warned Qatar prior to the attack, but Qatar has denied those claims, saying that the call from a US official only came when blasts were already being heard in Doha. Still, Trump has assured the emir of Qatar that such a strike “will not happen again” on Qatar soil, though the emir said that Qatar “reserves the right to respond to this blatant attack”. However, Hamas still holds the US jointly responsible, due to the US providing “ongoing support for the aggression and crimes of the Israeli occupation against our people”.

President Trump was also reportedly very unhappy with Israeli PM Netanyahu and the missile strike, saying that the strike on a US ally did not advance the goals of Israel or the US. He also stated that the decision to strike Qatar was made solely by Netanyahu, and that he had no part in it. US officials also revealed that the US military did receive a warning from Israel shortly before the strike, and that there was no coordination with or approval from Washington. Still, interesting how Qatar’s air defences could take down Yemeni missiles, but could not even detect the Israeli missile.

Russian drones over Poland shot down, Polish PM calls on Nato Article 4
Poland reported that it had shot down 19 objects that entered its airspace during a large Russian air attack on Ukraine, marking the first time a member of Nato fired shots during Russia’s war in Ukraine. Polish PM Donald Tusk told parliament that it was the “closest Poland has been to open conflict since World War II”, though he also said he “had no reason to believe we’re on the brink of war”. The Kremlin has called the accusations “groundless”, saying that there has been no evidence presented that the drones were of Russian origin.

Still, Tusk has asked Nato to open consultations under Article 4 of the alliance’s treaty, which states that the members of the treaty will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territory, political independence, or security of any of them is threatened. The discussions could lead to some form of joint decision or action. If it is judged that Russia has attacked the territory of a member state – Poland – Article 5 would become the focus. Article 5, in essence, says that any armed attack against one or more of Nato’s members in Europe or North America will be considered an attack against all of them, which would lead to decisions taken on the use of armed forces.

Nepal: more politician-related aggression, and potential talks
Soldiers guarded Nepal’s parliament and patrolled the streets of Kathmandu’s seemingly calm streets as the army worked to normalise the situation, with a curfew set in place until Thursday morning. The army said that relevant parties were coordinating to resolve the cause of the unrest, with preparations being made for the authorities and the protesters to hold talks, though no details were given. Most of the protesters were young people voicing their frustrations at the perceived failure of the government to fight corruption and boost economic opportunities, leading to the protests being called the Gen Z protests. Unfortunately, this came too late for at least 25 people, who lost their lives during the unrest. Among them is Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar, the wife of former Nepalese PM Jhalanath Khanal, who was tragically killed after protesters trapped her inside their house before setting it ablaze. There were also other acts of aggression towards politicians, with Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel being chased and beaten up during the protests.

Oracle expects USD500 bil in booked cloud orders, making founder Larry Ellison world’s richest man
The shares of tech firm Oracle soared 28.4% to USD309.99 (RM1,306.61) per share on the back of a significant increase in bookings and the firm’s aggressive outlook for its cloud infrastructure business. A deal inked with OpenAI for 4.5 gigawatts worth of data centre capacity, along with other major cloud customers like ByteDance’s TikTok and AI chip giant Nvidia, boosted the firm’s bookings to USD455 bil (RM1.9 tril) at the end of its first fiscal quarter, and demand is continuing to build, according to Oracle CEO Safra Catz. More customer signups are expected in the coming months, which will push the remaining performance obligations – how bookings are measured – past the USD500 bil mark. The firm’s revenue for the quarter came up to USD14.9 bil, of which cloud infrastructure revenue made up USD3.3 bil.

The soaring share prices also made someone far, far richer – Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle. His net worth soared by USD101 bil (in a single day!) to bring his total fortune to USD393 bil, making him the world’s richest man, surpassing Elon Musk, who sits at USD385 bil. Elison, who is now Oracle’s chairman and chief technology officer, saw this increase due to having the bulk of his net worth tied up in Oracle. The new surge should be happy news for his wife Jolin. At 34 years old, she is also 47 years younger than him and is Ellison’s sixth wife.

Shorts

1. Australia approves first chlamydia vaccine for koalas
   This is the first time such a vaccine was approved and marks a development that scientists believe could stop the spread of the disease that accounts for up to half of all koala deaths in the wild. The vaccine could reduce the likelihood of koalas developing symptoms of chlamydia during breeding age and cut mortality among wild koalas by at least 65%. Only one dose of the vaccine is required, meaning there is no need to recapture and readminister another dose.

2. UK to create first "super-university" 
   The London and South East University Group will be the result of a merger between the universities of Kent and Greenwich. This marks the first merger of such a scale in the UK, with the total number of students in the new institution reaching almost 50,000. The Office for Students, England’s higher education regulator, welcomed the move and suggested more universities may explore similar options due to economic challenges. It is believed that 40% of English universities are now in financial deficit.

5. FOR YOUR EYES 📺

1. More on Nepal. What triggered the protest? This is also endemic in Southeast Asia.

2. PSA: Scammers getting more advance with their bag of tricks. Please watch this and share it with your friends and family.

sarawaktribune

9,067 followers

View more on Instagram

3. iPhone 17 and lain2 announced by Apple in under 7 minutes. More on iPhone Air here.