- ChatGPT Go was released in Malaysia
- Top Glove finally embraced the black for the first time since the pandemic
- Israel, Hamas agree on Trump’s peace plan
IN MALAYSIA
Sabah, how politics and inefficiencies screwed up a state
The Sabah State Legislative Assembly has been dissolved, and we have entered the state election season in the Negeri di Bawah Bayu. However, most Malaysians and Sabahans might have a little PTSD when it comes to the Sabah state election, because the last time it happened in 2020, it triggered a new wave of the coronavirus pandemic for the whole nation. Hopefully, this time around, it will not initiate any canon event. My mental health cannot handle another COVID-19. So, with every new election, the incumbent will try to plead for an extension of time at the office. But, kalau performance ashe-ashe, tak malu ke nak mintak stay.
Not at par scoring for the current Sabah Maju Jaya’s report card
Caretaker Chief Minister Hajiji Noor pleaded for a new mandate to continue his Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) plan, the five-year development plan to transform the state. While, of course, government officers hail the plan as the next best thing after sliced bread, some lambast it as mere lip service. Let’s review some of SMJ’s achievements –
- Recorded around RM7 bil in revenue in a recent year. As a comparison, Sarawak recorded RM14.2 bil revenue in 2024. ;
- Expanded welfare and education aid by 133%, from RM55 mil in 2022 to RM128 mil in 2025, focusing on student flight subsidies, low-income housing and assistance for the hardcore poor;
- In order to ensure water security, dams are constructed in Papar and Tawau, and to corporatise the Sabah Water Corporation (but, if you ask any Sabahans, there is no such thing as water security, and the numbers say so as non-revenue water losses floated at around 57% – 60%).;
Politically, he managed to keep hold of the loose coalition dubbed Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), a rare feat in Sabah’s political scene. But the administration did face a huge corruption scandal, particularly over the alleged mining license scandal. Two have been charged with receiving bribes. So, to Sabahans, retain Hajiji or bid sayonara to him?
Btw, Kedah baik.
Business news
- OpenAI launches ChatGPT Go in Malaysia
OpenAI released the marhaen version of ChatGPT, dubbed the ChatGPT Go, to 16 countries in Asia, including Malaysia, at a more affordable price. Priced at RM38.99 per month, ChatGPT Go subscribers will gain access to ChatGPT’s most popular features, including higher message limits, image generation, file uploads and memory, all powered by GPT-5, OpenAI’s most advanced model.
- Sagtec Global Ltd went public on Nasdaq
Sagtec Global Ltd just went through its initial public offering (IPO) on the US-based Nasdaq at USD4 per share, with a valuation of RM220 mil. With this, any equity crowdfunding (ECF) investors who put their money into Sagtec Group Sdn Bhd and CL Technologies Sdn Bhd in 2020 (both are now Sagtec Global Ltd’s subsidiaries), these investors has now made a return of 10 to 15 times their initial investment amount. Actually, Sagtec Global was listed on Nasdaq in early March, but why the news baru keluar sekarang? Sagtec CEO Kevin Ng stated that back then, a few Malaysian companies that listed on Nasdaq performed piss-poor, so he did not want the bad vibes to affect his company. The six-month moratorium on shareholding, also known as the lock-up period, was still in place back then. So, the share price at that time was not the ‘real’ price. Btw, how’s the journey of both companies from ECF to IPO? Sagtec Group recorded year-on-year revenue growth of 301% for its financial year 2020 (FY2020), 186% for FY2021, 261% for FY2022, 162% for FY2023 and 205% for FY2024. Meanwhile, CL Technologies recorded annual revenue growth of 495% for FY2021, 332% for FY2022, 194% for FY2023 and 201% for FY2024.
- Top Glove is in the black for the first time since the pandemic
Pandemic-darling Top Glove Corporation Bhd recorded another quarterly profit, registering all black quarters for the current financial year, for the first time since the pandemic. Once priced at RM8.90 per share in 2020, the share is now priced at 67 sen, despite surging by 16% yesterday. At its market close, the world’s largest natural rubber glove maker by capacity was valued at about RM5.51 bil. The full-year earnings for Top Glove are at RM109.07 mil, thanks to stronger sales and softer raw material prices. Moving forward, the company is looking to strengthen its global presence, with the US market as the main focus.
Around the SEA
Israel, Hamas accept the peace plan
The Gaza War might come to an end as Israel and Hamas have signed the first phase of President Trump’s peace plan for Gaza. Under the first phase, Hamas will release all Israeli hostages (dead and alive), and in return, the Israeli forces will withdraw to the edge of the yellow line (below).
As the war in Gaza passed the 2-year mark last Tuesday, so far, it has claimed more than 90,000 people, of whom more than 90% were Palestinian civilians. While the war has garnered a global audience in watching the cruelty of the Israeli forces in 4K HD, let’s pragmatically analyse how this war has shifted the geopolitical balance –
- It triggers a humanitarian crisis
The world has now spent two years watching in high-def as Israel’s response to the Hamas attacks levelled Gaza, left tens of thousands dead, millions displaced, an estimated USD50 bil reconstruction bill, and a generation traumatised.
- Israel’s global standing is close to non-existent
Israel got isolated as the war dragged on: we are talking UN resolutions, plus countries cutting ties, expelling Israeli ambassadors, and suspending arms sales, while the Saudis paused historic normalisation talks. Even Israel’s closest friends have shifted, with US public sentiment now polling at record lows. South Africa’s genocide claims before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) are embarrassing for Israel, as the term ‘genocide’ was itself first coined by Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin to describe the Nazi extermination campaigns that killed millions of Jews and others. Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has arrest warrants out for Israel’s Netanyahu and former defence minister.
- However, Israel has become a stronger regionally
Defying all expectations, Israel managed multiple wars at once, not only defanging Hamas, but also Hezbollah, the Houthis, and even their Iranian backers, who’ve been left embarrassed at home and diminished abroad. So if the Hamas attacks punctured Israel’s deterrence, its response has now restored it.
But, the elephant in the room is still this question – can the peace last? Even if this peace holds, will it finally usher in a viable two-state solution and lay the foundation for a durable Middle East peace? And one last thing – will US President Donald Trump get a Nobel Peace Prize for brokering this deal? The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize will be announced today. If I were on the Nobel Peace Prize committee, I would just give it to Trump. We should not upset a trigger-happy Orange Man.
Source: https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2025/10/09/live-israel-gaza-hamas-deal-hostages/
For Your EYES Only
Ahead of the full implementation of the multi-lane fast flow (MLFF), several highway operators are adopting competing systems that work for them. For example, the operator of the North-South Expressway, PLUS Malaysia, has decided to trial its automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system, using its in-house JustGo app for payments. On the other hand, Prolintas is piloting Touch ‘n Go’s MLFF solution, using RFID tags as the main identification medium, while using Touch ‘n Go’s eWallet as the payment mechanism. Now it begs the question that if each 33 highway concessionaires adopted different MLFF, do we have to download 33 separate apps as users? Tbh, we do not have a straight answer.
