A SAL No Regrets Speech

On Thursday, I was back in Sunway Mentari for our regular SAL meeting, where I delivered my CSL2(1) "Lead with Clear Structure" speech titled "No Regrets". 

In it, I shared how our mistakes are truly our teachers, urging everyone to view past events as lessons that shape our current wisdom rather than wishing they never happened. This requires us to forgive ourselves and release any lingering guilt, recognizing that we made the best possible choices with the knowledge we had at that moment. After all, dwelling on the past only traps our energy, so we must focus forward – letting yesterday's outcomes guide today's choices without carrying the weight of old pain.

Following the project speeches, it was time for "That's One Minute". The topic was the three-letter word, "Cat" 🐈. 

I must confess I am not a cat person. And so, I tactically chose laziness – skipping the metaphors to talk strictly about whiskers and litter trays. 😁😁😁

Photos of the said meeting:

👇RESPECT!

If you didn't know, Mark Ruffalo plays Bruce Banner/The Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Yayoi Kusama: The Queen of Dots

Yayoi Kusama (left), the legendary Japanese avant-garde artist globally revered as the "Polka Dot Queen", passed away in Tokyo, Japan, from multiple organ failure on August 14, 2026 at the age of 97. 

Over a pioneering seven-decade career, she transformed childhood hallucinations and psychological trauma into vibrant, globally celebrated art. 

After rising to prominence in the 1960s New York art scene alongside figures like Andy Warhol, she pushed the boundaries of Pop Art and Minimalism with her massive "Infinity Net" paintings, soft phallic sculptures, and radical anti-war performance art. 

Despite facing decades of marginalization and choosing to live voluntarily in a Tokyo psychiatric hospital since 1977, Kusama engineered one of the most spectacular late-career flowerings in cultural history. 

By her 80s and 90s, her signature Infinity Mirror Rooms and whimsical, dotted pumpkin sculptures had exploded into a massive global phenomenon, drawing millions of museum-goers and capturing the internet's imagination.

Instantly recognizable in her electric red wig and bold spotted garments, she seamlessly bridged the gap between fine art and pop culture through blockbuster exhibitions and luxury fashion collaborations with brands like Louis Vuitton. 

Kusama remained an unyielding force of creativity, painting daily at her studio until her final days and cementing her legacy as one of the most successful, influential, and best-selling female artists of all time.

The inherent irony of the digital saviour! 

It is an incredible paradox. The shift to digital was marketed as an environmental panacea, but it simply traded logging trucks for massive electrical grids and cooling towers.

Meta's $18B Settlement and Their Brilliant Counter-Attack

Meta have reached a landmark $18 billion agreement to resolve massive lawsuits accusing the company of intentionally designing Facebook and Instagram to addict children. 

This legal resolution includes roughly $17.1 billion to a 47-state coalition, alongside a distinct $1 billion arrangement with Texas. 

By resolving the case, the tech giant cleverly capped their financial exposure to a fraction of a worst-case jury verdict. Before the trial, state attorneys general argued statutory violations could theoretically expose the company to a staggering $1.4 trillion in penalties. While that maximum was highly improbable, the plaintiffs were realistically pursuing closer to $200 billion. 

The deal was struck on Wednesday morning, exactly one day after Instagram head Adam Mosseri testified and right before CEO Mark Zuckerberg was scheduled to take the stand. Ending the litigation immediately spared Zuckerberg from a highly publicized, potentially damaging cross-examination regarding internal files and executive knowledge of teen psychological harms. 

Furthermore, Meta’s legal team faced immense pressure following recent losses in similar courtroom battles, such as the New Mexico and Los Angeles verdicts. 

Realizing they faced an uphill battle convincing a federal jury, executives strategically structured the terms to drag competitors into the same restrictions. Meta will initially pay about 70% of the fund (~$12 billion). The remaining 30% is only triggered if TikTok and YouTube agree to similar financial penalties and default daily time limits. This allowed the company to position the outcome as an industry standard rather than a solo defeat. 

The state attorneys general accepted the terms because the deal secured immediate, historic product reforms and eliminated the hazards of a prolonged courtroom battle. 

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser noted that the agreement "exceeded what most courts might order", as judges rarely impose such sweeping operational mandates on tech corporations. 

For the plaintiffs, the primary objective was forcing structural changes to protect minors rather than securing a massive cash windfall. 

Had the states rejected the offer and won a larger verdict at trial, Meta would have appealed. This would lock the case in federal appellate courts and the Supreme Court for five to ten years, during which time the safety modifications would be frozen and the funds withheld. 

Ultimately, this $18 billion penalty stands as the largest enforcement fine ever levied against a social media company. It sends a severe warning shot to Silicon Valley without causing corporate insolvency. A bankrupt entity would be unable to pay damages, making a practical multi-billion-dollar distribution over ten years a far more secure guarantee for state budgets. 

However, this monumental resolution only appeases state governments; Meta’s broader legal battles are far from over. They still face thousands of independent civil claims from individual families, school districts, and local municipalities. 

Paradoxically, the state agreement strengthens the position of these private litigants, as the internal corporate documents exposed during the state trial can now be used as leverage to force further multi-billion-dollar payouts.

One Year's Jail: The Cost of Disrespect

A Swiss tourist has been sentenced to a year in prison in Bali for posting Instagram videos boasting that he had broken the rules of Nyepi, the Balinese Day of Silence. 

Luzian Andrin Zgraggen had filmed himself walking to an empty beach during the observance, smiling at the camera, and in one clip called the scene crazy while swearing in the caption. The video, since removed, was widely reshared and drew anger from Balinese residents. 

Police traced him after public complaints and arrested him the following day at a villa in Legian, a tourist area near Kuta beach. 

The 26-year-old (right) told the court, in a trial that began in June, that he had never meant to insult the holiday or the Balinese people, and that he made the posts while hungry and frustrated at being unable to get food during the shutdown, without fully understanding how far the restrictions went. 

"I deeply regret what I did, I apologise to the Balinese people", he said in his defence plea, according to AP. 

Zgraggen was convicted at the Denpasar district court on August 20, of insulting a religious observance under Indonesia's criminal code. The court found he had made the posts after staff at the villa where he was staying explicitly explained the restrictions to him. 

"What the defendant did offended the Balinese people, hurt their faith and provoked public outrage", said presiding judge, Tjokorda Putra Budi Pastima, according to the Associated Press. "The defendant must be held accountable for his actions". 

Nyepi, marking the Balinese Hindu New Year, fell on March 19 this year. For twenty-four hours, the day is strictly governed by four primary rules (Catur Brata Penyepian):

• Amati Geni: No fire, light, or electricity.
• Amati Karya: No working or physical labor.
• Amati Lelunganan: No traveling or leaving your home/hotel accommodation.
• Amati Lelanguan: No entertainment, loud music, or revelry.

For the Balinese, Nyepi is a sacred day of reflection, restraint, and spiritual renewal. To observe the day, nobody leaves their home or accommodation, except in an emergency. Even Bali's international airport closes entirely, streets are completely emptied, and even local internet access is restricted. Local community watchmen, known as Pecalang, patrol the streets to ensure absolute silence and compliance. Entertainment is restricted, even the use of electricity is discouraged, and residents stock up on food beforehand so they can stay indoors. The rules apply to everyone on the island whatever their religion or nationality. 

While past tourist violations were usually resolved through apologies or immediate deportation, this jail sentence reflects a broader, ongoing crackdown by Indonesian officials targeting foreigners who publicly disrespect local culture.

International Students Contribute RM20B Annually to Malaysia's Economy

The presence of about 167,000 international students in Malaysia currently contributes around RM20 billion annually to the country's economy through spending on tuition fees and living expenses, according to a New Straits Times report published August 23, 2026. 

In fact, Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) chief executive officer Novie Tajuddin (left) had asserted that based on a study conducted by EMGS, each international student spends an average of about RM10,000 a month throughout their stay in the country. 

And the five main countries currently contributing international students to Malaysia are China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

He noted that Malaysia is now recognised as one of the world's 14 leading higher education destinations, demonstrating that the country is increasingly becoming a preferred choice among international students pursuing their studies. 

"This shows that we have become a competitor in global higher education", he trumpeted. 

Novie noted the number of international students in Malaysia had increased by about 23 percent over the past three years, indicating growing interest among foreign students in pursuing their studies in the country. And he affirmed that Malaysia aims to attract 500,000 international students by 2035, as outlined in the 10-year Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint. 

A reminder to self:

"Happiness, homegrown" – Victor Ong.

😇😇😇

The Linz Capitulation

In a stunning self-inflicted collapse, Celtic fell 5-1 to LASK in Austria during the second leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off yesterday, obliterating their 3-0 first-leg advantage to lose 5-4 on aggregate. 

In fact, Celtic appeared to put the tie to bed early when Yang Hyun-jun set up Callum McGregor, who slotted home to give the Hoops a massive four-goal aggregate lead in the 21st minute. 

But LASK began their improbable comeback, hammering home a five-goal blitz – in the 32nd, 48th, 58th, 90th and 109th minutes to complete the massacre and eliminate Celtic from the Champions League. 

Fingers are being pointed at manager Martin O'Neill (right) for his heavy second-half rotation, which completely broke the team's defensive cohesion and triggered the implosion. 

Reo Hatate and Sebastian Tounekti were brought on in the 62nd minute, followed by Liam Scales and Luke McCowan in the 70th, and Dane Murray in the 77th minute. 

Instead of closing out the match, these conservative adjustments invited persistent pressure from LASK, rendering the Celtic backline entirely passive. 

It was one of the most spectacular European capitulations in Celtic's history! 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Remembering Hashim Adnan: Words, Wisdom, and Wonders

Yesterday, Money Mastery-KL Toastmasters Club hosted an intimate tribute to honor one of their distinguished members, the indefatigable Hashim Adnan (refer to my blog post dated July 29, 2026). 

In true Toastmasters fashion, his celebration of life featured an open mic for friends to share their favourite stories of his wonderful life. 

Naturally, I was there too. 

The late Hashim and I shared many milestones, but one special experience stands out. 

When I set out to complete one of my Competent Communication manuals – having finished a total of 67 of them throughout my journey spanning 4,292 days – he boundlessly undertook the challenge to be my speech evaluator for all ten projects. Together, we traveled to ten different Toastmasters clubs in ten different locations, with him evaluating every single speech. 

Standing among fellow Toastmasters on Tuesday reminded me that while people may leave us, the stories we share keep them alive. I am deeply grateful to have shared a stage, a journey, and a profound friendship with Hashim. He will be dearly missed, but never forgotten.

Mark Zuckerbeg’s Meta in $1.4 Trillion Addiction Showdown

Meta headed to a US court on August 18, 2026 to face accusations that they broke child safety laws and harmed underage users’ mental health. 

It has even been highlighted that a loss could mathematically bankrupt Mark Zuckerberg’s company and force permanent changes to Facebook and Instagram. 

California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey are suing Meta in a federal court in Oakland, California. The four states are parties to a wider lawsuit involving a total of 29 states, filed in 2023. The remaining 25 states are expected to have their trials at later dates. 

Attorneys general in all 29 states have consolidated thousands of individual complaints – a practice known as multi-district litigation – all alleging that Meta knowingly harmed their youngest and most vulnerable users. 

All four states argue that the social media giant deliberately engineered their platforms to keep children and teenagers scrolling for as long as possible, while knowingly allowing under-13s to use these platforms without parental consent. 

“Meta have harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens. Their motive is profit, and in seeking to maximize their financial gains”, the lawsuit states. 

These addictive design features – including the infinite scroll feature and algorithms that encourage “compulsive use” – amount to unfair, fraudulent, or deceptive business practices in all four states, the plaintiffs allege. 

Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges that Meta know their products are harming users’ mental health, but “prioritize engagement and profits to the detriment of young users’ well-being”, for example by recommending “content related to eating disorders” to young girls. 

On top of these ‘addiction’ allegations, the four plaintiffs claim that Meta violated federal law, namely the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), by collecting personal information from under-13s without obtaining parental consent, and instead fall back on their nominal ban on the said users to skirt their COPPA obligations. 

But Meta’s own records reveal that they have actual knowledge that Instagram and Facebook target and successfully enroll children as users, according to internal documents detailing the company’s efforts to increase “penetration” in the 11- to 13-year-old demographic. 

The Oakland case comes after Meta suffered back-to-back legal losses this year. 

In early March, a state court in New Mexico found the company liable for 75,000 violations of the state’s Unfair Practices Act, fining the social media giant $375 million, before branding their platforms a “public nuisance” to teens’ mental health and imposing an additional fine of $567 million. 

Later in March, Los Angeles County Superior Court ordered Meta to pay $3 million in compensation to a 20-year-old California woman identified as ‘Kaley’, who developed anxiety, depression, and body dysmorphia after becoming addicted to Instagram, YouTube, and other social media platforms as a pre-teen. Meta were also ordered to pay $2.1 million in punitive damages. 

The Los Angeles case was a bellwether, in that the jury accepted the plaintiff’s argument that the design features of Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms – and not the content that Kaley was exposed to – caused her harm. 

Kaley’s lawyers presented some of the same internal documents included in the latest case, which show Meta employees discussing plans to bring in more under-13 users and maximize their screen time, and that the company are very much aware that heavy use of their platforms is linked to depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation among teens. 

The Oakland trial marks the first time that these arguments will be heard in a federal courtroom, and the first time that Meta are being tried for breaches of state and federal law in the same case. Should Meta lose, the case could be brought to the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and potentially to the US Supreme Court, where any ruling would set a legal precedent. 

The four states are seeking damages of up to $1.4 trillion, a figure that would almost equal Meta’s entire market capitalization and therefore, potentially wipe out the company. However, this figure assumes individual payouts for hundreds of thousands of users affected by Meta’s practices, rather than a single payout for every deceptive practice committed by the company. 

The plaintiffs also want Meta to implement a process of parental verification for teenage users, change their “dopamine-manipulating recommendation algorithms”, remove image filters “designed around beautification”, end the autoplay of video content, and end “ephemeral” video content such as stories. 

Meta have long argued that mental health issues are triggered by far more factors than social media. 

“Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app”, a company spokesperson said after losing the Los Angeles lawsuit in March. “We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously as every case is different, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online”. 

Ahead of Tuesday's trial, Meta maintained: “These lawsuits misportray our company and the work we do every day to provide young people with safe, valuable experiences online. We have listened to parents, researched the issues that matter most, and made real changes to protect teens online”. 

Meta also pointed to their introduction of restricted teen accounts on Instagram last year, and their use of AI to detect teens attempting to use adult accounts as examples of these changes. 

However, during his testimony in Los Angeles in March, Zuckerberg (left) admitted that it is “very difficult” to prevent under-13s from lying about their age to set up accounts. 

Regarding the potential of a $1.4 trillion fine, Meta wrote in a court filing last month that “a sanction of that size has no analog in the history of consumer protection enforcement”.

Beijing Rebrands Yasukuni Shrine

Whenever a question was asked about Japanese leaders visiting or making offerings to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, China’s Foreign Ministry would refer to it by its name, describe it as a place that houses World War II war criminals and mete out its criticism. 

On August 17, that approach took a subtle turn. The ministry spokesperson, when replying to a question at a regular press briefing, did not mention Yasukuni Shrine by its Chinese name, “jing guo shen she” or “peaceful country shrine”, at all. Instead, he called it “zhan fan shen she”, or “war criminals shrine” in Chinese. 

The Yasukuni Shrine commemorates Japan’s 2.5 million war dead but among them are 14 World War II criminals, making any visit or offerings to the shrine by the country’s leaders anathema to China and South Korea, which grievously suffered under Japanese occupation. 

The term “war criminals shrine” first surfaced during a regular media briefing of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing on April 21, after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made an offering to the shrine on the first day of a traditional spring festival. 

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said then that Yasukuni was “in effect” a war criminals shrine. 

At the August 17 briefing, the qualifier was dropped. The spokesman, Lin Jian, called it “war criminals shrine” outright, while replying to a question on Takaichi sending another offering on August 15, marked in Japan as the 81st anniversary of the end of World War II. 

While the dispute centres on a site that has long been associated with Japan’s wartime past, the latest shift in language comes as Beijing and Tokyo are facing a broader deterioration in ties, shaped by tensions over Taiwan, Japan’s defence modernisation and the two sides’ competition for influence in South-east Asia. 

Chen Yang, a research fellow at Chinese think-tank Charhar Institute, described the new phrasing as marking a shift by China from factually citing the presence of 14 convicted Class-A war criminals enshrined in Yasukuni as deities, to applying a political judgment to the shrine itself as an institution. 

“‘War criminals shrine’ has formally become part of China’s diplomatic vocabulary”, he explained. “This linguistic shift signals at home and abroad that China rejects attempts to portray Yasukuni Shrine simply as an ordinary religious facility or a memorial site for those killed in war”. 

Japanese officials have justified past visits to the shrine as being done in their personal capacity to honour those who died in the nation’s wars, but such visits are seen in China and South Korea as evidence of a lack of remorse on the part of the Japanese for their war atrocities. 

Both China and South Korea’s governments have repeatedly criticised the shrine visits by top Japanese leaders, and Seoul reiterated on August 15 that future relations with Japan must be built on Japan showing remorse for past wrongs. 

Chen added that China’s newer term is meant to deny Japanese conservative politicians room to present the site simply as a religious facility or a memorial for the war dead. 

“Japan’s right wing has long sought to present Yasukuni as a site for personal acts of mourning”, he said, but the phrase “war criminals shrine” directly binds the site to those convicted of wartime crimes. 

Professor Heng Yee Kuang of the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Public Policy claimed that this new labeling is consistent with China's recent warnings about "neo-fascism" and "new militarism" in Japan. 

He noted that the Japanese media uses similar “war criminal” language to describe those convicted at the Tokyo Trials, but not to describe the shrine as a whole. The trials took place from May 1946 to November 1948, during which high-ranking Japanese leaders were prosecuted over atrocities committed during World War II.

How to Speedrun a 12-Minute Presentation

After playing hide-and-seek with KEPENTAS meetings for months, karma finally caught up with me on Wednesday. 

I walked into the room at Sunway Mentari, again challenging myself to speak in Malay. For context, everyone was required to speak – no exceptions, no hiding in the back. My brain stayed calm, even though I could feel the nervousness slowly creeping in. 

When my turn arrived, my tongue waged a fierce battle with the language. A 12-minute presentation was brutally executed – and deceased – in under eight minutes flat. 

The silver lining? At least I saved everyone four minutes of their lives. 

Honestly, I should take this as a sign to stop treating KEPENTAS like an optional side quest and actually show up consistently before my next linguistic ambush.

A Bizarre Call to NYC’s Mayor to Fix Malaysian Potholes

A viral social media campaign where Malaysian internet users are jokingly appealing to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to fix the chronic pothole problem on Malaysian roads. 

The meme storm ignited after a viral TikTok video showcased a Malaysian citizen pleading directly to Mayor Mamdani for help after suffering a road accident caused by a major pothole. The video concluded with a satirical "Malaysia Madani" poster featuring Mamdani’s face against the Kuala Lumpur skyline. 

The joke stems from a long-running linguistic coincidence. When Mamdani won the NYC mayoral primary, international commentators frequently mispronounced his surname as "Madani". 

This sounds identical to "Malaysia Madani", the signature nation-building slogan of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Malaysians quickly adopted Mamdani as a satirical, honorary member of the Malaysian government using the hashtag #MalaysiaMamdani. 

The viral appeal is fueled by Mamdani’s reputation for highly responsive public service in New York City. The mayor previously made waves on social media for personally joining road crews to patch up infamous NYC bumps and rapidly acting on local TikTok requests to fill potholes. 

This trend proves how a single social media complaint can blow a localized issue entirely out of proportion, even when official statistics show that formal pothole accident reports remain relatively low. 

What transformed a solitary TikTok video into an international news story was a perfect storm of internet culture, linguistic coincidences, and shared civilian experiences. By wrapping a universal everyday frustration in a bizarre political pun, Malaysian netizens turned a minor grievance into a viral masterclass in satire – and which I think is downright silly!

The Andoni Iraola era began in underwhelming fashion, as Liverpool could only salvage a 2-2 stalemate against Newcastle yesterday.

The Magpies took a fifth-minute lead following a defensive mistake. Ryan Gravenberch turned over possession on the edge of the Reds box, allowing a Newcastle player to intercept the ball and slip a pass through to his teammate, who drove a firm strike across Alisson Becker into the back of the net. 

In the 54th minute, Cody Gakpo found space inside the box and slotted home the equalizer for Liverpool. 

But, just two minutes later, a Magpie substitute scored immediately after coming off the bench to restore their 2-1 lead. 

Thankfully, the Reds were awarded a late penalty following a foul on sub Victor Muñoz, which Dominik Szoboszlai converted deep into stoppage time to secure the draw.

A below-par performance from Liverpool!

Desperate Choices in the Supermarket Aisle

Millions of Australians are eating expired food or flat-out breaking the law to save money as soaring grocery bills push households to desperate measures. 

New Finder research found 14 percent of Australians – around 3 million people – have eaten expired food in a bid to cut costs. 

Some have gone even further, with 4 percent admitting they’ve deliberately scanned items as cheaper products at self-serve checkouts. 

Another 2 percent said they had even stolen food to get by. 

The findings come as the cost-of-living crisis continues to dig its heels in, driven by persistent inflation and high interest rates. Inflation has largely stayed outside the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) 2-3 percent target band over the last five years. 

And despite the RBA holding interest rates at 4.35 per cent at its August meeting last week, Governor Michele Bullock warned that inflation is not expected to settle back into the middle of the target range until 2028. 

RBA modelling – which is based on market predictions – indicates interest rates will likely remain elevated around 4.4 to 4.5 per cent well into the next two years, meaning a rate cut anytime soon is unlikely. 

On top of that, households are spending an average of $206 a week on groceries, according to July data from Finder’s consumer sentiment tracker. 

Finder personal finance expert Sarah Megginson said the results indicate serious financial hardship for families. 

“When people are eating expired food or resorting to theft to feed themselves, it’s a sign the cost-of-living crisis is pushing some households into genuine financial hardship”, she said. “Most Australians are doing the right thing by switching to cheaper brands or changing what they buy, but for some families those options simply aren’t enough anymore”. 

The survey of 1,010 people found 68 percent of Australians had taken some form of action to save money on groceries. 

Switching to supermarket home brands was the most common tactic, with 42 percent opting for cheaper alternatives. 

Almost one in three said they were buying food in bulk, while 30 percent were sticking to seasonal fruit and vegetables.

Around a quarter were buying imperfect fruit and vegetables, while 17 percent said they had cut meat from their diet for a cheaper shop. 

Megginson said Australians struggling to keep their supermarket spending under control should also look at other major household expenses. 

“It’s worth looking beyond the weekly grocery shop. Comparing your mortgage, insurance, energy and internet bills could free up hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year, easing pressure on the household budget”.

Ultimately, these stark findings reveal that the cost-of-living crisis is no longer just a financial metric, but a humanitarian challenge forcing millions of Australians to compromise on their health and ethics just to eat. Until systemic inflation and interest rates ease, the kitchen table will remain the front line of an ongoing battle for basic household survival.