☕️ You can have a say in the 13th Malaysia Plan

1. MARKET SUMMARY 📈

2. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE 🔢

Malaysia ranked 33rd out of 133 countries on the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2024, its highest position since 2016, according to Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang. This marks an improvement from being ranked 36th for three consecutive years (2021-2023). The GII is a key report by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), used globally to assess innovation ecosystems for policymaking and investment. To meet its goal of breaking into the top 30 by 2025, Malaysia plans to invest heavily in R&D, with a target of RM26 bil from the government and RM60 bil from the private sector annually, aiming to reach a GERD (gross domestic expenditure on R&D) of 3.5% by 2030. Additionally, the government will introduce the Malaysia Innovation Index (MII) in 2025 to track innovation at the state level. View the index here.

Between 2014 to 2021, India’s National Crime Records Bureau recorded 103 cases of human sacrifice in the country. Ritual killings are usually conducted to appease deities and are more common in tribal and remote areas, where belief in witchcraft and the occult is widespread. Recently, 5 people were arrested in India for the killing of a 7-year-old boy in an alleged ritual sacrifice to bring good fortune to a public school. The suspect includes the school director and the boy’s father.

In 2016, Kenyan authorities documented 130 cases of school burnings due to student unrest, with at least 63 arson cases reported in 2018. According to University of Nairobi researcher Isaac Muasya, the leading cause of school fires is arson, followed by risks from faulty electrical appliances and flammable substances like cigarettes. In 2017, Kenya’s National Crime Research Centre (NCRC) discovered that students set fires at schools because they are unhappy with bad school conditions or because they are upset with teachers they think are unfriendly. Stress from exams, strict rules, and long school terms are also common reasons.

3. IN MALAYSIA 🇲🇾

You can have a say in the 13th Malaysia Plan
The government is actively seeking public input to develop the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), which is set to be presented in Parliament next July. Economy Minister, Rafizi Ramli, announced that this initiative aims to gather diverse ideas from all levels of society - a distinct contrast from the previous approach of holding a single large session that was often dominated by government officials and elected representatives.

To facilitate this inclusive process, sessions are held throughout the country and will involve three main groups: the first will consist of government officials and leaders, followed by business captains and industry players. Finally, the floor will be open to members of the public like students and homemakers.

The government aims to complete the 13MP in just seven months, a significant reduction from the typical two-year timeline for previous plans. The plan is set to be finalised by April 2025 and tabled in parliament in July 2025.

If successful, 13MP projections could signal Malaysia's capability to achieve high-income status, says Rafizi. We’re already the world’s best-performing currency against the US dollar. Malaysia Boleh!

Goodies for Kelantan as Prime Minister makes trip East
An allocation of RM8 mil is being put towards building a dialysis centre under Yayasan Sultan Kelantan Darul Naim, as shared by PM Anwar Ibrahim. The funds will be managed by the Kelantan Public Works Department, and this plan was even presented to Sultan Muhammad V.

The government has also approved a RM5.5 million budget for essential repairs and upgrades for the 39-year-old Siti Khadijah Market, to the delight of 1,500 traders operating there daily. Besides announcing the allotment during a meet-and-greet session held at the market, Anwar cited concerns over safety issues such as leaking roofs and outdated wiring - he aims to see that upgrades begin after the Kelantan State Development looks at what needs repairing beforehand.

Anwar’s government has also recently worked with Kelantan state authorities to approve a land route located along Sungai Kelantan for the RM20 mil water pump project that was approved back in May. The project is expected to be expedited after receiving approval on Sept 19, as water is mission-critical for the rice farmers and vegetable growers in the state.

Good thing no Mercedes Benz.

Google’s Malaysian investment to bear significant fruit by 2030
Google’s significant investments locally, including the groundbreaking of a new USD2 bil (RM8.33 bil) data centre, are expected to create 26,500 jobs and contribute over USD3 bil to Malaysia’s GDP by 2030.

Ruth Porat, Google’s president and chief investment officer, highlighted that these investments aim to deliver high performance and reliability in response to the growing demand for digital services. Google is also committed to local sustainability efforts, including initiatives to improve water quality, besides having already trained 355,000 Malaysians in digital skills since 2019.

The influx of digital investments has positively impacted Malaysia's economy, with recent growth surpassing market expectations for two consecutive quarters. This sentiment is shared by Trade and Industry Minister, Zafrul Aziz, as he stated that the demand for data processing and storage solutions is increasing exponentially, with Malaysia at the forefront of meeting it.
Read: Data centres in our backyard: Pros and Cons

Shorts

1. JPJ app mandating MyDigital ID link starting Oct 10

   Remember MyDigital ID? Neither do we. Come Oct 10, Malaysians will need a MyDigital ID to log into JPJ’s MyJPJ app. Introduced by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, MyDigitalID was designed to enhance security for online transactions and simplify identity verification. To avoid any login issues, JPJ encouraged users to register for MyDigital ID through kiosks available at various locations across the country, including 200 NRD branches and over 350 Tealive outlets. ZUS Coffee don’t have?

2. Court told that Najib believed RM2.6 bil was a Saudi donation

   The High Court today heard that disgraced former PM Najib Razak believed the USD620 mil (RM2.6 bil) donation from Saudi Arabia was legitimate, as AmBank processed the funds under this assumption. Najib's defence argued that AmBank had a robust compliance department that verified the transaction based on letters claiming the money came from Arab royalty. This, in turn with no red flags being raised by Bank Negara, bolstered Najib's claim of innocence regarding the source of the funds.

4. AROUND THE WORLD 🌎

The world is calling for the invasion to stop, but the US is supporting the attacks
While other nations are quick to express their concern and calls for restraint amid Israel’s military operation into Lebanon, Washington declared that the “limited” ground offensive into southern Lebanon was “Israel’s right to defend itself”.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told his Israeli counterpart that Washington agrees on the need for a ground offensive to rid Lebanon’s southern border area of Hezbollah weapons and other means it can use to carry out attacks across the border.

On Tuesday night, Israeli troops advanced into Lebanon, further raising the risk of a wider escalation in the fight with the Iran-backed Hezbollah armed group or even across the Middle East region. UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force, warned that “any crossing into Lebanon is in violation of Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a violation of resolution 1701”.

Meanwhile, Lebanon caretaker PM Najib Mikati warned that the country is facing one of the “most dangerous phases of its history”, and urged the UN and the world to provide aid for 1 mil people now displaced by Israel’s attacks over the past weeks.

On another note, Iran fired around 180 missiles toward Israel in response to Israel’s killing of a top Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. The majority of the missiles were intercepted in Iran’s second strike on Israel this year.

From the aviation front:

1. Qatar Airways buys 25% stake in Virgin Australia, not a great day for Qantas
   Qatar Airways has decided to buy a 25% stake in Virgin Australia, which will pose a tougher contest for Qantas Airways which has dominated Australian routes all this while. Virgin Australia is set to benefit from the partnership, with upcoming plans to launch flights from Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney to Doha with leased aircraft by mid-2025, subject to approval from Australia's competition regulator. Shares in Qantas fell as much as 4.3% and were among the worst performers on the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index. The stake sale also serves as a cornerstone investment ahead of an anticipated return of Virgin Australia into public ownership.

2. US National Transportation Safety Board said that 40 airlines may be using Boeing 737s with suspect rudder parts
   The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said that more than 40 foreign operators of Boeing 737 airplanes might not be aware they are using planes with rudder components that may pose safety risks. Last week, NTSB issued urgent safety recommendations about the potential for a jammed rudder control system on some Boeing 737 airplanes, following a February incident where rudder pedals on a United Boeing 737 Max 8 were found “stuck” in the neutral position during a landing at Newark. Boeing shares fell 2.7% on Monday.

Across Asia:

1. 3 dead in Shanghai knife attack at a supermarket
   A 37-year-old man carried out a knife attack at a suburban supermarket in Shanghai, killing 3 people and injuring 15 others. He was reportedly enraged following a personal financial dispute. The attack took place as China prepared for its Golden Week holiday, and is the latest in a series of stabbing incidents in the country. In August, a 10-year-old Japanese schoolboy was stabbed, and earlier in May, a man killed eight people and injured one more with a knife in the city of Xiaogan in central Hubei.

2. School bus catches fire in Thailand, 23 confirmed dead
   A school bus carrying students and teachers on a field trip in the Uthai Thani province in Thailand was caught in a blazing fire after bursting one of its tires and crashing into a barrier. 23 have been confirmed dead, with the rest of the passengers hospitalised and the driver fleeing the site. Transport Minister Suriyahe Juangroongruangkit said the bus was powered by "extremely risky" compressed natural gas which could possibly contribute to the spread of the fire. Thailand has one of the worst road safety records in the world, with unsafe vehicles and poor driving contributing to roughly 20,000 fatalities a year.

Shorts:

1. Police detains over 900 workers and union members at Samsung India protests

   Workers at Samsung Electronics India in Chennai have been on a strike for 4 weeks now, demanding higher wages and union recognition at the plant. The home appliances plant accounts for a fifth of Samsung's USD12 bil (RM 49.98 bil) 2022-23 annual revenue in India. To date, the police said that they have detained 912 of the workers on strike, due to the illegality of the protests and inconveniences that it causes to the public. The Samsung plant employs roughly 1,800 workers and more than 1,000 of them have been on strike. They earn 25,000 rupees (RM1,242) on average each month and demand a raise of 36,000 rupees a month within three years.

2. WikiLeaks' Julian Assange to speak in public since his release from jail

   WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who was accused of obtaining and publishing US military secrets, including details of US military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan 5 years ago, was released from jail in June but had not spoken in public as his wife said he needed to recover. Yesterday was the first time he was to speak in public since his release. Assange was scheduled to give evidence to the legal affairs and human rights committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The hearing was set to discuss the harsh treatment he received during detention in prison as a political prisoner, which is seen to be violating human rights. Assange’s whistleblowing actions were celebrated by press freedom advocates, who heralded his role in bringing to light military conduct that might otherwise have been concealed.

3. Botanists identify 33 worldwide “dark spots” with thousands of unknown plants waiting to be discovered

   There are more than 100,000 plant species believed to be undiscovered on Earth, the majority of which are believed to be at risk of extinction. A recent project led by Kew’s Royal Botanic Gardens has identified 33 places aka “dark spots” around the world where these species are waiting to be discovered. Pandora on Earth? This will help improve conservation and speed up the rate of plant discoveries. Most of the regions identified are in Asia, alongside Africa and South America. Scientists believe the unknown species could hold clues to future drug discoveries, fuels or other innovations, but are wary that the discoveries are not made quickly enough before its extinction.

5. FOR YOUR EYES 📺

1. Season 2, are you ready? Coming this Dec 26 - trailer here.

2. As of 2023, non-citizen females have the highest life expectancy in Malaysia — 81.7 years.

3. “Anatomy of a Hug” by Luna Lu. Viewing hug from a different perspective, bringing our hearts literally closer to one another.