September 2026 (Q3 — Month 3) · Q1–Q3 Comparison Available · Corporate Communications Division
Q3 2026 — SEPTEMBER
Q3 2026 — Executive Overview (September)
Integrated media monitoring across traditional and social channels. September 2026 (Q3, Month 3). See the Q1 vs Q2 vs Q3 tab for quarterly context.
Key metrics: Reputation Score = avg(MIS + NSS) × 100%. PR Value = Traditional + Social PR combined. July opened Q3 with NSS +0.03 and Total PR Value of RM80.3M. August closes the first two months of Q3 with NSS moderating further to +0.05 (still positive, MIS flat at 0.00) but Total PR Value surging to RM189.3M (RM82.68M Traditional + RM106.67M Social) — driven by a Merdeka-month spike in impressions (10.24 billion, up from July’s 2.46 billion) as the Malaysia Airlines pilot MDMA-smuggling arrest, a fatal landing-gear discovery at KLIA T2 and several viral incidents (KKIA SUV crash, SZB helicopter fire, KIA storm damage) drove exceptional volume alongside Riyadh Air’s inaugural KLIA service and an AVSEC officer’s viral SUKMA-athlete moment. September closes Q3 with NSS slipping to −0.01 (the quarter’s only negative month) while MIS recovers to 0.13, for a Reputation Score of 6%. Total PR Value is RM128.1M (RM82.78M Traditional + RM45.36M Social; Earned RM121.3M · Owned RM6.6M · Paid RM183.8k) on 4.04 billion impressions — volume driven by the FDS helicopter crash near Long Lellang STOLport (neutral), overseas drug-smuggling arrests linked to KUL departures and AirAsia’s reported RM500 million debt to MAHB.
September Total Mentions
169,226
Paid + Owned + Earned mentions across all channels (2,858 traditional articles · 168,575 social posts incl. online news)
September Total PR Value
RM 128.1M
RM82.78M Traditional + RM45.36M Social
September Reputation Score
6.0%
MIS 0.13 · NSS −0.01 combined
Social Media Impressions
4.04 Billion
Total platform impressions — September · Reach 144.8M
September NSS
−0.01
Slips from +0.05 in August — first negative month of Q3 as drug-smuggling and AirAsia-debt narratives weigh
September 2026 — Total Sentiment
169,226
Total mentions tracked (Paid + Owned + Earned)
9.4% Pos80.2% Neu10.4% Neg
NSS −0.01MIS 0.13Rep 6.0%RM128.1M PR
Q1 + Q2 + Q3 NSS Comparison (Jan–Sep)
January 2026NSS +0.30
February 2026NSS +0.32
March 2026NSS +0.44 ★
April 2026 (Q2)NSS −0.14 ▼
May 2026 (Q2)NSS −0.09 ↗
June 2026 (Q2)NSS +0.16 ★
July 2026 (Q3)NSS +0.03 ▼
August 2026 (Q3)NSS +0.05 ▲
September 2026 (Q3)NSS −0.01 ▼
Q3’s final month dips just below zero — negatives (10.4%) now marginally outweigh positives (9.4%) as three overseas drug-smuggling arrests linked to KUL departures and AirAsia’s reported RM500 million debt to MAHB drive criticism, while the very high-volume FDS helicopter crash near Long Lellang STOLport stays neutral.
September 2026 — Key Events
POSKLIA’s free Merdeka-themed fridge-magnet giveaway at T1 and T2 praised on Threads; F1 team engineers and staff arrive via KLIA ahead of the Sepang event
POSAVSEC assists police in seizing RM31.53 million worth of drugs and arresting 14 suspects
NEGMalaysian arrested at New Delhi with 15kg of cannabis off an AirAsia flight from KL; five Malaysians arrested at Soekarno-Hatta with 5kg of etomidate; @HilmiAdi calls KLIA a “transit hub for drugs”
NEGFacebook page Belacan Kini questions AirAsia’s reported RM500 million debt to MAHB and calls for transparency over PSC collections
NEUFDS helicopter crash near Long Lellang STOLport; MCBA DG misconduct complaint and disruptive passenger at KLIA T1; newborn abandoned at PIA
NEUAnak Krakatau volcanic ash closes CGK (41 cancellations across Malaysian airports); KKIA runway NOTAM closure for urgent repairs affects at least 20 flights
September Volume — Social vs Traditional
Q1 → September Reputation Score & NSS Trend
Traditional Media — Channel Breakdown (September)
Social Media — Platform Mix (September)
General Topic Sentiment Overview — September 2026
Sentiment by General Topic — September
InfrastructureVery Positive — NSS +0.67
PIA RM1.55B expansion on track, MYY RM445M expansion and KLIA Aeropolis cargo/aerospace stories · 3,016 total mentions
RegulatoryVery Negative — NSS −0.76
Drug-smuggling cases (New Delhi cannabis arrest, Lagos “transit hub” claim, Soekarno-Hatta etomidate arrests) — 11,739 Smuggling mentions, 88.7% negative — only partly offset by AVSEC-assisted seizures · 12,083 total mentions
Campaign & CorporateSlightly Positive — NSS +0.08
AirAsia’s reported RM500M debt to MAHB (8,798 mentions, 33.6% negative) weighs against airline/route wins — Sun PhuQuoc Airways, Gulf Air, OAG Megahubs ranking, Belanja & Menang and VM2026 · 13,744 total mentions
Customer ExperienceNeutral — NSS +0.03
FDS helicopter crash (82,467 mentions), KLIA T1 security incidents and the PIA newborn case dominate volume but stay neutral; fridge-magnet and F1-arrival positives vs baggage-delay and terminal-heat complaints · 140,383 total mentions (83.0% of all volume)
Topic Volume — September Distribution
August Total Mentions
323,189
Total posts across all channels (3,596 traditional + 319,593 social)
August Total PR Value
RM 189.3M
RM82.68M Traditional + RM106.67M Social
August Reputation Score
2.5%
MIS 0.00 · NSS +0.05 combined
Social Media Impressions
10.24 Billion
Total platform impressions — August
August NSS
+0.05
Edges up from +0.03 in July — still positive despite MDMA-arrest overhang
August 2026 — Total Sentiment
323,189
Total mentions tracked (social + traditional)
18.0% Pos69.1% Neu13.0% Neg
NSS +0.05MIS 0.00Rep 2.5%RM189.3M PR
Q1 + Q2 + Q3 NSS Comparison (Jan–Aug)
January 2026NSS +0.30
February 2026NSS +0.32
March 2026NSS +0.44 ★
April 2026 (Q2)NSS −0.14 ▼
May 2026 (Q2)NSS −0.09 ↗
June 2026 (Q2)NSS +0.16 ★
July 2026 (Q3)NSS +0.03 ▼
August 2026 (Q3)NSS +0.05 ▲
Q3’s second month edges NSS up slightly to +0.05 — the MDMA-smuggling narrative continues to weigh on Regulatory sentiment, but Riyadh Air’s launch, the AVSEC/SUKMA viral moment and contained (mostly neutral) coverage of the KKIA crash, SZB fire and KIA storm hold overall sentiment in positive territory.
August 2026 — Key Events
POSRiyadh Air launches inaugural direct Riyadh–Kuala Lumpur service — first Southeast Asia destination, 9th Middle Eastern carrier at KLIA
POSAVSEC officer’s warm interaction with SUKMA silat athlete during screening goes viral positive (Staff Behaviour: 43,783 positive mentions)
POSCabinet approves 17 recommendations to strengthen airport security; four drug-smuggling attempts foiled by AVSEC/MCBA at KLIA
NEGMalaysia Airlines pilot arrested in Jakarta carrying ~26kg MDMA — CAAM & multi-agency screening review ordered
NEUUnidentified man found dead in landing-gear wheel well of aircraft arriving KLIA T2 from Tokyo; towing driver killed in maintenance-pit accident near KLIA
NEUSevere weather damages KIA terminal; helicopter fire at SZB; white SUV crashes into KKIA T1 departure hall — all contained, largely neutral coverage
August Volume — Social vs Traditional
Q1 → August Reputation Score & NSS Trend
Traditional Media — Channel Breakdown (August)
Social Media — Platform Mix (August)
General Topic Sentiment Overview — August 2026
Sentiment by General Topic — August
InfrastructureSlightly Positive — NSS 0.06
MYY RM445M expansion tender, KKIA 9M→12M capacity proposal, MKZ runway-extension calls, offset by congestion/upgrade-pace complaints · 1,547 total mentions
Riyadh Air inaugural service, Merdeka Month campaigns, GEAR-uP/Procurement Showcase coverage · 2,954 total mentions
Customer ExperienceSlightly Positive — NSS +0.16
AVSEC/SUKMA viral compliment & F&B content drive positives; SUV crash, landing-gear discovery & helicopter fire dominate volume but skew neutral · 266,285 total mentions (82.4% of all volume)
Topic Volume — August Distribution
July Total Mentions
133,103
Total posts across all channels
July Total PR Value
RM 80.3M
RM48.4M Traditional + RM32.0M Social
July Reputation Score
11.5%
MIS 0.20 · NSS +0.03 combined
Social Media Impressions
2.46 Billion
Total platform impressions — July
July NSS
+0.03
Moderates from +0.16 in June — Smuggling/MDMA narrative weighs
July 2026 — Total Sentiment
133,642
Total mentions tracked (social + traditional)
23.1% Pos56.9% Neu20.0% Neg
NSS +0.03MIS 0.20Rep 11.5%RM80.3M PR
Q1 + Q2 + Q3 NSS Comparison (Jan–July)
January 2026NSS +0.30
February 2026NSS +0.32
March 2026NSS +0.44 ★
April 2026 (Q2)NSS −0.14 ▼
May 2026 (Q2)NSS −0.09 ↗
June 2026 (Q2)NSS +0.16 ★
July 2026 (Q3)NSS +0.03 ▼
Q3 opens with NSS still positive but moderating from June’s quarter-high — the Malaysia Airlines pilot MDMA-smuggling arrest at Jakarta dominates negative volume, offsetting AirBorneo’s Kuching route launches and JPJ/MAHB taxi-tout enforcement wins.
July 2026 — Key Events
POSAirBorneo launches inaugural Kuching–KL flight (Jul 21) and first international Kuching–Singapore route (Jul 22)
POSJPJ & MAHB joint operation against illegal taxi touts at KLIA T1/T2 — 59 vehicles checked, 54 seized
POSPDRM/AVSEC arrest 5, seize 166.2kg cannabis worth RM13.34M in four operations
NEGMalaysia Airlines pilot arrested in Jakarta carrying 26kg MDMA — CAAM & airline reviews ordered
NEUViral Threads video of traveller’s child defecating in KLIA T2 rubbish bin draws public condemnation
Power bank fire & public-etiquette videos dominate volume but skew neutral · 82,373 total mentions (61.6% of all volume)
Topic Volume — July Distribution
Total Mentions
APR
203,817
→
MAY
135,697
→
JUN
136,852
→
JUL
133,103
→
AUG
323,189
→
SEP
169,226
Volume more than doubles in August on Merdeka-month virality, then roughly halves to 169,226 in September — back near the Apr–Jul range, with the FDS helicopter crash alone accounting for 82,467 mentions
Total PR Value
APR
RM74.5M
→
MAY
RM75.4M
→
JUN
RM73.6M
→
JUL
RM80.3M
→
AUG
RM189.3M
→
SEP
RM128.1M
−RM61.2M vs August as impressions normalise (4.04B) — but September’s RM128.1M is still higher than any month from January to July
Net Sentiment Score (NSS)
APR
−0.14
→
MAY
−0.09
→
JUN
+0.16
→
JUL
+0.03
→
AUG
+0.05
→
SEP
−0.01
−0.06 vs August — dips just below zero for the first time since May, on drug-smuggling and AirAsia-debt commentary
Media Impact Score (MIS)
APR
0.13
→
MAY
0.20
→
JUN
0.23
→
JUL
0.20
→
AUG
0.00
→
SEP
0.13
+0.13 vs August — traditional coverage tone recovers (41.15% positive, 6.96% negative)
Apr–Sep — NSS & MIS Trend
Apr–Sep — PR Value Split (Traditional vs Social)
Apr–Sep — Sentiment Distribution
Apr–Sep — Social Platform Volume
Paid · Owned · Earned Media Analysis
POE framework with PR values and NSS scores from official monthly reports. September 2026 (Q3) full POE breakdown.
September 2026 — POE Breakdown (RM128.1M Total)
Earned Media
RM 121.3M
NSS: −0.01
94.7% of total
167,659 mentions (8.55% pos · 80.91% neu · 10.54% neg). Marginally negative — drug-smuggling cases and AirAsia’s reported RM500M debt outweigh fridge-magnet and connectivity wins; FDS crash coverage stays neutral.
Owned Media
RM 6.6M
NSS: +1.00
5.2% of total
1,555 owned posts. Fully positive — Jakarta travel advisories, F1 readiness, the VM2026 contest, PSAs, and welcoming ceremonies for Sun PhuQuoc Airways and Gulf Air.
Paid Media
RM 183.8k
NSS: +1.00
0.1% of total
12 paid mentions. All positive — airport-connectivity features across Bernama, Astro Awani and KL Lifestyle.
POE PR Value — September 2026
POE PR Value Trend — Jan to September 2026
Social Media PR
September — Social PR Value RM45.36M
Positive (9.27%)RM 4.20M
Neutral (80.27%)RM 36.41M
Negative (10.46%)RM 4.74M
Social PR Value: Jun–Sep Comparison
Traditional Media PR
September — Traditional PR RM82.78M
Positive (41.15%)RM 34.06M
Neutral (51.89%)RM 42.95M
Negative (6.96%)RM 5.76M
Traditional Media — Channel PR Breakdown (September)
Social vs Traditional PR Value — Full Jan–September Trend
August 2026 — POE Breakdown (RM189.3M Total)
Earned Media
RM 183.0M
NSS: +0.04
96.7% of total
319,582 mentions. Marginally positive — Riyadh Air launch and AVSEC/SUKMA viral goodwill offset by the MDMA-smuggling arrest and Regulatory backlash.
Owned Media
RM 6.1M
NSS: +1.00
3.2% of total
2,158 owned posts. Fully positive — Merdeka Month campaigns, MAHB/KLIA official channel content and the Riyadh Air welcome ceremony calendar.
Paid Media
RM 211.8k
NSS: +1.00
0.1% of total
1,449 paid mentions. All positive sentiment maintained, led by TikTok and Instagram paid placements.
POE PR Value — August 2026
POE PR Value Trend — Jan to August 2026
Social Media PR
August — Social PR Value RM106.67M
Positive (17.95%)RM 19.15M
Neutral (69.10%)RM 73.71M
Negative (12.95%)RM 13.81M
Social PR Value: May–Aug Comparison
Traditional Media PR
August — Traditional PR RM82.68M
Positive (22.14%)RM 18.31M
Neutral (62.87%)RM 51.98M
Negative (14.99%)RM 12.39M
Traditional Media — Channel PR Breakdown (August, approx.)
Social vs Traditional PR Value — Full Jan–August Trend
July 2026 — POE Breakdown (RM80.3M Total)
Earned Media
RM 69.6M
NSS: −0.003
86.7% of total
~128,977 mentions. Essentially breakeven — AirBorneo route launches and taxi-tout enforcement wins offset by the MDMA-smuggling arrest narrative.
Owned Media
RM 9.6M
NSS: +1.00
12.0% of total
~4,566 owned posts. Fully positive — highest Owned PR value on record, driven by AirBorneo/Riyadh Air welcome ceremonies and the Ex-Urban Falcon emergency drill content calendar.
Paid Media
RM 1.0M
NSS: +1.00
1.2% of total
~99 paid mentions. All positive sentiment maintained — the highest paid mention volume since April.
POE PR Value — July 2026
POE PR Value Trend — Jan to July 2026
Social Media PR
July — Social PR Value RM31.96M
Positive (22.95%)RM 7.34M
Neutral (57.01%)RM 18.22M
Negative (20.04%)RM 6.41M
Social PR Value: Apr–Jul Comparison
Traditional Media PR
July — Traditional PR RM48.40M
Positive (63.90%)RM 30.93M
Neutral (23.96%)RM 11.60M
Negative (12.14%)RM 5.88M
Traditional Media — Channel PR Breakdown (July, approx.)
Social vs Traditional PR Value — Full Jan–July Trend
Sentiment Analysis — Deep Dive
NSS (Net Sentiment Score) = (Positive − Negative) ÷ Total mentions. MIS = Media Impact Score based on tone, key message traction, spokesperson presence, and media positioning.
September NSS
−0.01
15,906 pos · 17,668 neg of 169,226 total mentions
MIS 0.13Rep 6.0%
September MIS
0.13
Traditional media impact score 2,858 trad mentions tracked
Trad PR RM82.78M
Q1 Average NSS (Benchmark)
+0.35
Jan 0.30 · Feb 0.32 · Mar 0.44 Q1 improving trajectory
Q1 Benchmark
Q3 September vs August Trend
↓ −0.06
+0.05 Aug → −0.01 Sep Neg rate 13.0% → 10.4%, but Pos rate 18.0% → 9.4%
Positive share thins
Media Impact Score (MIS) — September Context
MIS methodology: tone of coverage, key message traction, spokesperson presence, and media positioning. Scale: −1.00 to +1.00.
Q1 January MIS0.29
June 2026 MIS0.23
July 2026 MIS0.20
August 2026 MIS0.00
September 2026 MIS0.13
Traditional PR: RM82.78M · 2,858 mentions · tone 41.15% pos / 51.89% neu / 6.96% neg
September MIS recovers to 0.13 from August’s 0.00. Traditional tone turns clearly positive (1,176 positive vs 199 negative articles) on AVSEC-assisted drug seizures, KLIA’s OAG Megahubs ranking, new Sun PhuQuoc Airways and Gulf Air services and August passenger growth, balancing neutral FDS-crash and KKIA-runway coverage and the negative Soekarno-Hatta arrest story. Headline/first-sentence mentions led positioning (1,370; 674 positive), and MD Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani was the leading spokesperson (145 mentions).
NSS & MIS — Q1 to September Trend
Sentiment Distribution — September vs Q1–Q3 Monthly
Sentiment % Share — Q1 to September
Key Issues — September Sentiment Classification
Top Positive Themes — September
Issue / Theme
Airport
Sentiment
Merdeka-Themed Fridge-Magnet Giveaway
KLIA T1 / T2
Positive
F1 Team Engineers & Staff Arrive via KLIA
KLIA
Positive
Permata Seni Choir Performance on Return from Germany
KLIA
Positive
AVSEC-Assisted RM31.53M Drug Seizure, 14 Arrests
KLIA
Positive
PDRM/AVSEC Seize 418kg Cannabis in 10 Raids
KLIA
Positive
OAG Megahubs Index — Asia Pacific’s Most Connected
KLIA
Positive
MYY RM445M Expansion & PIA Expansion On Track
MYY / PIA
Positive
Top Negative/Critical Issues — September
Issue
Airport
Sentiment
Malaysian Arrested in New Delhi — 15kg Cannabis
KLIA T2
Negative
@HilmiAdi “Transit Hub for Drugs” Claim
KLIA
Negative
Five Malaysians Arrested at Soekarno-Hatta — 5kg Etomidate
KLIA
Negative
Belacan Kini Questions AirAsia’s Reported RM500M Debt
Social Media Sentiment by Platform — September (Mentions)
General Topic Sentiment — September 2026
Positive, neutral and negative mention counts per general topic for September. Customer Experience dominates volume (83.0%) but is almost entirely neutral on the FDS crash and security-incident coverage; Regulatory deepens to −0.76 on drug-smuggling arrests; Campaign & Corporate falls from +0.87 to +0.08 on AirAsia’s reported debt.
General Topic
Sep Pos
Sep Neg
Sep NSS
Sep Mentions
Trend vs August
Infrastructure
2,053
20
+0.67
3,016
Strongly improves from 0.06 — MYY/PIA/KKIA expansion and aerospace-hub stories, near-zero negative
Regulatory
1,224
10,418
−0.76
12,083
Worsens from −0.57 — three overseas drug-smuggling arrests linked to KUL departures intensify screening criticism
Campaign & Corporate
4,018
2,965
+0.08
13,744
Falls sharply from +0.87 — AirAsia’s reported RM500M debt to MAHB (2,953 negative mentions) erodes airline/route goodwill
Customer Experience
8,611
4,265
+0.03
140,383
Moderates from +0.16 — high-volume FDS crash, KLIA T1 incident and PIA newborn coverage all neutral; baggage delays and terminal heat drive negatives
News Publisher Sentiment Analysis
Sentiment breakdown for Online News and Print publishers covering MAHB in September 2026.
MIS methodology: tone of coverage, key message traction, spokesperson presence, and media positioning. Scale: −1.00 to +1.00.
Q1 January MIS0.29
April 2026 MIS0.13
May 2026 MIS0.20
June 2026 MIS0.23
July 2026 MIS0.20
August 2026 MIS0.00
Traditional PR: RM82.68M · 3,596 mentions
August MIS flattens to 0.00 from July’s 0.20, as sustained wall-to-wall traditional coverage of the MDMA-smuggling investigation (multi-agency reviews, Cabinet security plan, YDPA statement) neutralises the tone-positive impact of Riyadh Air’s launch and enforcement-success stories — the lowest MIS reading since tracking began.
NSS & MIS — Q1 to August Trend
Sentiment Distribution — August vs Q1–Q3 Monthly
Sentiment % Share — Q1 to August
Key Issues — August Sentiment Classification
Top Positive Themes — August
Issue / Theme
Airport
Sentiment
Riyadh Air Inaugural Direct Riyadh–KL Service
KLIA
Very Positive
AVSEC Officer’s Viral SUKMA Silat-Athlete Moment
KLIA T1
Very Positive
Airport Fast Track & F&B Content-Creator Promotions
KLIA
Positive
PDRM/AVSEC/MCBA Drug-Smuggling Interceptions
KLIA
Positive
Cabinet’s 17 Airport Security Recommendations
KLIA
Neutral/Positive
MYY RM445M Expansion & KKIA Capacity Growth Coverage
Malaysia Airlines Pilot Arrested — 26kg MDMA (Jakarta)
KLIA T1
Negative
Unidentified Man Found Dead in Landing-Gear Wheel Well
KLIA T2
Neutral/Sensitive
Towing Driver Killed — Maintenance-Pit Accident
KLIA (Airside)
Neutral/Sensitive
KLIA T1 New RM3 E-Hailing Pick-Up Fee Backlash
KLIA T1
Negative
Baggage Claim Delay Complaints
KLIA T2
Negative
Aerotrain RM456M Project — Recurring Criticism
KLIA T1
Negative
Immigration Congestion (IMI Congestion)
KLIA
Negative
Alleged Vaping-Toilet Bribery Incident
KLIA T2
Negative
Social Media Sentiment by Platform — August (Mentions)
General Topic Sentiment — August 2026
Positive, neutral and negative mention counts per general topic for August. Customer Experience dominates volume (82.4%) but stays mildly positive on Staff Behaviour compliments; Regulatory remains sharply negative on the MDMA-smuggling narrative.
Broadcaster news portal — Riyadh Air & security-plan coverage
Harian Metro (Online)
53
6
37
10
11.3%
18.9%
−0.08
Malay tabloid — MDMA arrest coverage
Utusan (Online)
53
8
35
10
15.1%
18.9%
−0.04
Malay daily — regulatory-focused coverage
News aggregators/portals (NewsWav, LumiNews, MSN, KLSE Screener) are excluded from this breakdown — table reflects editorial news outlets only, consistent with prior months’ methodology.
Print Articles Tracked
623
August 2026 — up from July 411
Most Positive Print
Borneo Post
NSS +0.39 · regional-connectivity coverage
Most Critical Print
China Press
NSS −0.24 · MDMA-arrest coverage weighs
Highest Volume Print
See Hua Daily News
75 articles — Sarawak/Sabah regional coverage
Print Publishers — Sentiment Distribution (August 2026)
Print / Newspapers — Full Publisher Breakdown (min. 5 articles)
Newspaper
Aug Articles
Positive
Neutral
Negative
Pos %
Neg %
NSS
Profile
See Hua Daily News
75
16
42
17
21.3%
22.7%
−0.01
Sabah/Sarawak Chinese — highest print volume in August
China Press
71
9
36
26
12.7%
36.6%
−0.24
Chinese daily — most negative print title, MDMA arrest coverage
Sin Chew Daily
64
20
34
10
31.3%
15.6%
+0.16
Chinese daily — balanced regulatory & campaign coverage
Guang Ming Daily
38
7
20
11
18.4%
28.9%
−0.11
Chinese daily — MDMA arrest coverage weighs on tone
Borneo Post
31
16
11
4
51.6%
12.9%
+0.39
East Malaysia broadsheet — most positive print title in August
Daily Express
27
12
13
2
44.4%
7.4%
+0.37
Sabah broadsheet — infrastructure & connectivity coverage
The Star
22
8
9
5
36.4%
22.7%
+0.14
English daily — broad monthly coverage
Nanyang Siang Pau
21
4
12
5
19.0%
23.8%
−0.05
Chinese daily — regulatory coverage
Sinar Harian
20
3
13
4
15.0%
20.0%
−0.05
Malay daily — regulatory-focused coverage
Harian Metro
18
2
11
5
11.1%
27.8%
−0.17
Malay tabloid — MDMA arrest coverage
August 2026 — Traditional Media Volume Summary
Online Articles Tracked
2,721
August 2026 — editorial outlets & portals
Print Articles
623
August 2026 print coverage
TV Reports
174
August 2026 broadcast coverage
Radio Reports
78
August 2026 radio mentions
July NSS
+0.03
30,919 pos · 26,701 neg of 133,642 total mentions
MIS 0.20Rep 11.5%
July MIS
0.20
Traditional media impact score 2,141 trad mentions tracked
Trad PR RM48.4M
Q1 Average NSS (Benchmark)
+0.35
Jan 0.30 · Feb 0.32 · Mar 0.44 Q1 improving trajectory
Q1 Benchmark
Q3 July vs June Trend
↓ −81%
+0.16 Jun → +0.03 Jul Neg rate: 5.0% → 20.0% ⚠
Smuggling narrative
Media Impact Score (MIS) — July Context
MIS methodology: tone of coverage, key message traction, spokesperson presence, and media positioning. Scale: −1.00 to +1.00.
Q1 January MIS0.29
April 2026 MIS0.13
May 2026 MIS0.20
June 2026 MIS0.23
July 2026 MIS0.20
Traditional PR: RM48.40M · 2,141 mentions
July MIS eased slightly to 0.20 from June’s Q2-high of 0.23, as the MDMA-smuggling arrest and PAC accountability findings introduced negative traditional coverage (63.9% positive, 12.1% negative) — still comfortably above April’s 0.13 low, supported by AirBorneo’s Kuching route launches and JPJ/MAHB taxi-tout enforcement coverage.
Man Behaving Erratically, Removed Clothing on Railing
KLIA T2
Neutral
Social Media Sentiment by Platform — July (Mentions)
General Topic Sentiment — July 2026
Positive, neutral and negative mention counts per general topic for July. Customer Experience still dominates volume (61.6%) but Regulatory turns sharply negative on the MDMA-smuggling arrest.
General Topic
Jul Pos
Jul Neg
Jul NSS
Jul Mentions
Trend vs June
Infrastructure
979
4
0.73
1,327
Sustained — Subang MRO groundbreaking, ART/boarding-bridge upgrades keep tone very positive
Malay daily — MDMA arrest and AirBorneo coverage, moderate positive tone
China Press (Online)
29
14
13
2
48.3%
6.9%
+0.41
Chinese daily — balanced coverage across regulatory, customer experience & AirBorneo stories
News aggregators/portals (NewsWav, LumiNews, KLSE Screener) are excluded from this breakdown — table reflects editorial news outlets only, consistent with the April–June methodology.
Print Publishers — Sentiment Distribution (July 2026)
Print / Newspapers — Full Publisher Breakdown (min. 5 articles)
Newspaper
Language
Jul Articles
Positive
Neutral
Negative
Pos %
Neg %
NSS
Profile
See Hua Daily News
Chinese
89
65
16
8
73.0%
9.0%
+0.64
Sarawak Chinese — AirBorneo Kuching launch, strongly positive
Sin Chew Daily
Chinese
40
23
13
4
57.5%
10.0%
+0.47
Chinese daily — AirBorneo & PAC coverage
China Press
Chinese
28
17
11
0
60.7%
0.0%
+0.61
Chinese daily — AirBorneo coverage, zero negative
Borneo Post
English
27
23
4
0
85.2%
0.0%
+0.85
East Malaysia broadsheet — AirBorneo/Kuching hub story
Daily Express
English
21
13
7
1
61.9%
4.8%
+0.57
Sabah broadsheet — cannabis seizure & airport development
United Daily News
Chinese
16
10
4
2
62.5%
12.5%
+0.50
Chinese daily — regional airport coverage
Guang Ming Daily
Chinese
15
9
4
2
60.0%
13.3%
+0.47
Chinese daily — MDMA arrest coverage weighs on tone
Suara Sarawak
Malay
15
14
1
0
93.3%
0.0%
+0.93
Sarawak Malay daily — AirBorneo launch, most positive of July
Utusan Borneo Sarawak
Malay
14
12
1
1
85.7%
7.1%
+0.79
East Malaysia Malay daily — AirBorneo Kuching hub coverage
The Star
English
13
9
4
0
69.2%
0.0%
+0.69
English daily — no negative July print stories
July 2026 — Traditional Media Volume Summary
Online Articles Tracked
1,587
July 2026 — editorial outlets & portals
Print Articles
411
July 2026 print coverage
TV Reports
104
July 2026 broadcast coverage
Radio Reports
38
July 2026 radio mentions
Media Comparison — Traditional vs Social
PR value, volume and sentiment comparison across media types. September 2026 (Q3). Traditional PR = Advertising Space Rate (ASR).
September Social PR Value
RM 45.36M
vs August RM106.67M ↓ — impressions normalise to 4.04B
September Traditional PR Value
RM 82.78M
vs August RM82.68M ↑ (flat) — now 64.6% of total PR
September Traditional MIS
0.13
vs August 0.00 ↑ — traditional tone 41.15% positive, 6.96% negative
September Social NSS (auto-sentiment)
−0.01
vs August +0.05 ↓ — TikTok turns negative; Threads & Twitter/X improve
PR Value — Social vs Traditional (Q1 + Apr–Sep)
Traditional Media Volume by Channel (September)
Social Platform Breakdown — September vs August vs July
Social Media Impressions — Q1 to September
Platform Performance Summary — September 2026
Platform
Type
Sep Mentions
Sep Pos
Sep Neg
Sep NSS
Trend vs August
Key Driver
TikTok
Social
56,934
775
5,140
−0.08
↓ from +0.21
Still the highest-volume platform — FDS helicopter-crash footage (89.61% neutral) plus negative shares of the New Delhi cannabis arrest
Facebook
Social
48,603
5,107
4,705
+0.01
↑ from −0.18
Belacan Kini’s AirAsia-debt post offset by Bernama’s ACMT/passenger-care coverage and MAHB official posts
Threads
Social
45,608
6,834
4,590
+0.05
↑ from −0.19
Fridge-magnet giveaway, F1-team arrivals and Permata Seni Choir positives vs baggage, staff-conduct and heat complaints; MCBA DG post neutral
Twitter/X
Social
13,437
1,196
2,516
−0.10
↑ from −0.23 — still negative
@HilmiAdi’s “transit hub for drugs” claim and screening/corruption criticism — highest negative rate of the major platforms (18.72%)
Instagram
Social
1,693
733
517
+0.13
↓ from +0.24
Owned VM2026/welcoming-ceremony content vs negative shares of the cannabis-arrest story (30.54% negative)
Online News
Traditional
2,207
901
167
+0.33
↑ from +0.07
AVSEC-assisted seizures, OAG Megahubs ranking, new airline services and August traffic growth
Print
Traditional
445
190
30
+0.36
↑ from +0.04
Regional broadsheets on MYY/PIA expansion and KKIA runway repairs
TV
Traditional
131
49
0
+0.37
↑ from +0.18 — zero negative
Astro Awani, TV1, Bernama TV — drug-seizure, F1-readiness and connectivity coverage
Radio
Traditional
70
31
2
+0.41
↑ from +0.13
Business FM, Lite FM, Bernama Radio — airline and traffic announcements
LinkedIn
Social
80
77
0
+0.96
↑ from +0.35 — zero negative
Corporate milestones, OAG ranking and career-fair posts
YouTube
Social
11
6
1
+0.45
↑ from +0.05
Low-volume explainer and news clips
⚠ TikTok Reversal: TikTok swung from +0.21 (August) to −0.08 in September — positive share collapsed from 24.72% to 1.36% as FDS-crash footage (neutral) and New Delhi cannabis-arrest shares (negative) replaced August’s positive AVSEC/SUKMA virality. Threads (+0.05) and Facebook (+0.01) moved the other way, turning net positive.
Traditional Media PR Breakdown — September 2026
Online News PR
RM 63.2M
2,207 articles · primary channel (76.3% of traditional PR)
TV Broadcast PR
RM 11.5M
131 reports · high per-clip value
Print PR
RM 7.5M
445 newspaper + 5 magazine articles · Radio RM0.56M
Traditional Media PR Breakdown by Channel — July vs August vs September
Platform NSS — July vs August vs September Side-by-Side
August Social PR Value
RM 106.67M
vs July RM31.96M ↑ (highest of the year to date)
August Traditional PR Value
RM 82.68M
vs July RM48.40M ↑
August Traditional MIS
0.00
vs July 0.20 ↓ — MDMA-arrest news cycle dominates traditional coverage
August Social NSS (auto-sentiment)
+0.05
vs July +0.02 ↑ slight improvement despite Threads/Twitter reversal
PR Value — Social vs Traditional (Q1 + Apr–Aug)
Traditional Media Volume by Channel (August)
Social Platform Breakdown — August vs July vs June
Social Media Impressions — Q1 to August
Platform Performance Summary — August 2026
Platform
Type
Aug Mentions
Aug Pos
Aug Neg
Aug NSS
Trend vs July
Key Driver
TikTok
Social
180,115
44,519
7,029
+0.21
→ steady vs +0.21
By far August’s highest-volume platform — viral shares of the KKIA SUV crash, SZB helicopter fire & KIA storm footage
⚠ Twitter/X Reversal: Twitter/X swung from +0.02 (July) to −0.23 in August — the sharpest platform deterioration of the month — as security-policy criticism, AI-generated-artwork backlash and screening-gap commentary dominated the platform’s discussion threads.
Traditional Media PR Breakdown — August 2026
Online News PR
RM 58.1M
2,721 articles · primary channel
TV Broadcast PR
RM 11.7M
174 reports · high per-clip value
Print PR
RM 12.3M
623 articles · national & regional broadsheets
Traditional Media PR Breakdown by Channel — June vs July vs August
Platform NSS — June vs July vs August Side-by-Side
July Social PR Value
RM 31.96M
vs June RM20.14M ↑ (highest of Q2/Q3 to date)
July Traditional PR Value
RM 48.40M
vs June RM53.52M ↓
July Traditional MIS
0.20
vs June 0.23 ↓ — MDMA arrest & PAC findings weigh
July Social NSS (auto-sentiment)
+0.02
vs June +0.23 (Threads) ↓ sharp reversal
PR Value — Social vs Traditional (Q1 + Apr–Jul)
Traditional Media Volume by Channel (July)
Social Platform Breakdown — July vs June vs May
Social Media Impressions — Q1 to July
Platform Performance Summary — July 2026
Platform
Type
Jul Mentions
Jul Pos
Jul Neg
Jul NSS
Trend vs June
Key Driver
Threads
Social
46,561
1,749
7,306
−0.12
↓ from +0.23
Most active discussion platform — MDMA arrest, exhibition-error criticism & taxi-tout warnings drag sentiment negative
⚠ Threads Reversal: Threads swung from +0.23 (June, RIMBA debate & LTCP resolution) to −0.12 in July — the sharpest platform deterioration of Q3 — as the MDMA-smuggling arrest, exhibition-signage criticism and taxi-overcharging warnings dominated the platform’s high-engagement discussion threads.
Traditional Media PR Breakdown — July 2026
Online News PR
RM 38.9M
1,587 articles · primary channel
TV Broadcast PR
RM 3.8M
104 reports · high per-clip value
Print PR
RM 5.3M
411 articles · national & regional broadsheets
Traditional Media PR Breakdown by Channel — May vs June vs July
Platform NSS — May vs June vs July Side-by-Side
MAHB Owned Accounts — MAHB vs KLIA Comparison
Performance of MAHB’s official social media channels (POE: Owned). September 2026 (Q3).
MAHB TikTok Followers
19,500
+200 from August (19,300)
NSS +1.00
KLIA TikTok Followers
23,000
+200 from August (22,800) — continues to lead MAHB
NSS +1.00
MAHB Facebook Page Likes
2,930,085
Largest social audience — September 2026
Total Social PR Value
RM 45.36M
September 2026 Social Media PR Value
Social Media Indicators — September 2026
Platform
MAHB Followers
KLIA Followers
Notes
Facebook
2,930,085
20,665
MAHB leads massively — 28 vs 29 posts in September; MAHB engagement rate 11.85%
Twitter/X
202,426
1,888
MAHB dominant — 15 vs 9 posts; KLIA higher engagement rate (5.13% vs 0.72%)
Instagram
172,514
8,114
MAHB larger and higher engagement rate (7.74% vs 5.17%) · 13 vs 17 posts
TikTok
19,500
23,000
KLIA continues to lead MAHB on TikTok · 3 vs 8 posts
Threads
27,300
633
MAHB dominant — 2 vs 6 posts in September
LinkedIn
157,357
—
MAHB-only platform — 16 posts, 891 interactions
Weibo
185,000
—
MAHB-only platform — Chinese audience reach
Xiaohongshu
9,191
—
MAHB-only platform — 2 posts in September
Social PR Value
RM 45,361,029.58
Total social PR value — September 2026
Total Impressions
4,041,386,858
4.04 billion impressions across all social platforms · reach 144.8M
1,555 of 169,226 total Owned share of PR value rises to 5.2% (from 3.2%)
Earned dominates on FDS-crash volume
Overall NSS With Owned
−0.01
Owned/Paid fully positive narrows Earned’s −0.01 tone — overall stays just below zero
Owned Content Mix by Platform — September 2026
Platform
Owned Posts
Share of Owned Volume
Facebook
551
35.4%
Instagram
501
32.2%
Threads
267
17.2%
TikTok
86
5.5%
Twitter/X
78
5.0%
LinkedIn
70
4.5%
Xiaohongshu
2
0.1%
Key Observations — September Owned Performance
Owned PR Value Edges Up and Its Share of Total PR Recovers
September’s Owned PR value of RM6.6M is up from August (RM6.1M), and its share of total PR value recovers to 5.2% (from 3.2%) as Earned value normalised after August’s surge. Owned content remained fully positive (NSS +1.00) — Jakarta flight travel advisories, emergency exercises at KKIA, condolence messages for the LGL FDS crash victims, the VM2026 Instagram contest, F1 simulator activities and welcoming ceremonies for Sun PhuQuoc Airways (KLIA T2) and Gulf Air (KLIA T1).
Facebook and Instagram Lead the Owned Content Mix
Facebook accounted for 35.4% of owned posts in September, closely followed by Instagram (32.2%) and Threads (17.2%) — Instagram and Threads both gained share versus August. MAHB Facebook and Instagram ranked 77th and 88th by virality with positive sentiment. #MYairportsshares, #KLIA, #KLIATerminal2, #AirportOperations, #FacesOfKLIA, #KKIA, #MalaysiaAirportsAcademy, #MYairportsupdates, #MYairportskongsi, #PIA and #MYairlinesstories were the primary hashtags in September 2026.
MAHB TikTok Followers
19,300
+100 from July (19,200)
NSS +1.00
KLIA TikTok Followers
22,800
+500 from July (22,300) — continues to lead MAHB
NSS +1.00
MAHB Facebook Page Likes
2,936,674
Largest social audience — August 2026
Total Social PR Value
RM 106.67M
August 2026 Social Media PR Value
Social Media Indicators — August 2026
Platform
MAHB Followers
KLIA Followers
Notes
Facebook
2,936,674
20,239
MAHB leads massively — corporate & ceremonial content · 36 vs 37 posts in August
2,158 of 323,189 total Share dilutes as earned viral volume surges
Earned dominates on viral volume
Overall NSS With Owned
+0.05
Owned/Paid fully positive helps offset a near-flat Earned tone from the MDMA-arrest narrative
Owned Content Mix by Platform — August 2026
Platform
Owned Posts
Share of Owned Volume
Facebook
931
43.1%
TikTok
609
28.2%
Instagram
437
20.2%
LinkedIn
85
3.9%
Twitter/X
68
3.2%
Threads
19
0.9%
Xiaohongshu
9
0.4%
Key Observations — August Owned Performance
Owned Volume Share Dilutes as Earned Viral Traffic Surges
August’s Owned PR value of RM6.1M is broadly in line with July (RM9.6M) and June (RM6.4M), but its share of total volume falls to just 0.7% (from July’s 3.4%) as Earned mentions more than doubled on the SUV crash, landing-gear discovery, helicopter fire and MDMA-arrest stories. Owned content remained fully positive throughout — Merdeka Month campaigns, the Riyadh Air welcome ceremony and routine official-channel posting.
Facebook Leads Owned Content Mix — TikTok and Instagram Follow
Facebook accounted for 43.1% of owned posts in August, ahead of TikTok (28.2%) and Instagram (20.2%). #MYairportsshares, #MYairportsupdates, #MYairportskongsi, #SZB, #KCH, #SBW, #TWU, #BTU, #MYairportfacilities and #IPH were the primary hashtags driving owned content traction across MAHB and KLIA’s official channels in August 2026.
MAHB TikTok Followers
19,200
+100 from June (19,100)
NSS +1.00
KLIA TikTok Followers
22,300
+1,700 from June (20,600) — continues to lead MAHB
MAHB larger, KLIA drives higher ER via Butterfly Effect content
TikTok
19,200
22,300
KLIA continues to lead MAHB on TikTok
Weibo
185,000
—
MAHB-only platform — Chinese audience reach
Xiaohongshu
8,800
—
MAHB-only platform — steady growth vs June (8,700)
Social PR Value
RM 31,962,348.61
Total social PR value — July 2026
Total Impressions
2,461,160,038
2.46 billion impressions across all social platforms
Owned PR Value — July
RM 9.6M
~4,566 owned mentions · NSS +1.00 Highest Owned PR value on record — AirBorneo/Riyadh Air ceremonies, festive & safety content
Full Positive
Owned % of Total Volume
3.4%
~4,566 of 133,642 total Highest owned share of the year to date
Earned still dominates
Overall NSS With Owned
+0.03
Owned/Paid fully positive offsets an Earned dip caused by the MDMA-smuggling arrest narrative
Owned Content Mix by Platform — July 2026
Platform
Owned Posts
Share of Owned Volume
TikTok
1,945
42.6%
Facebook
1,652
36.2%
Instagram
680
14.9%
Twitter/X
147
3.2%
LinkedIn
96
2.1%
Threads
36
0.8%
Xiaohongshu
10
0.2%
Key Observations — July Owned Performance
July Owned PR Value Reaches New High of RM9.6M
July’s Owned Media PR value of RM9.6M is the highest recorded across Q2–Q3 (April RM0.3M, May RM4.7M, June RM6.4M), reflecting a packed owned content calendar — welcoming ceremonies for AirBorneo and Riyadh Air at KLIA T1, the Irama Yours Truly Sarawak performance and art exhibition, the Ex-Urban Falcon full-scale emergency exercise, and The Butterfly Effect school airport tour for SAM and SMK Sungai Rawang.
Top Hashtags Driving Owned Engagement — July
#MYairportsshares, #MYairportsUpdates, #MYairportskongsi, #SurrealExperiences (VM2026), #PEN, #LGK, #MKZ, #MYairlinesstories, #KCH and #TGG were the primary hashtags driving owned content traction across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X and TikTok in July 2026.
Airport Intelligence Dashboard
Sentiment, ASQ category issues and top complaints by airport — September 2026 (Q3).
Report KLIA social summary (all KLIA codes combined): 64,012 mentions — 16.41% positive · 57.31% neutral · 26.28% negative. Cards below show each airport code separately.
LGL STOLport
NSS 0.00
82,581 mentions · September 2026 ← HIGHEST VOLUME
0.1% pos · 99.9% neu · 0.0% neg ✓ zero negative
Key ASQ: FDS BO-105 helicopter crash near the STOLport (82,467 mentions) — tragic but factual coverage, zero negative; condolence posts positive
KLIA T1
NSS +0.11
26,867 mentions · September 2026
17.7% pos · 75.7% neu · 6.6% neg
Key ASQ: MCBA DG complaint & disruptive passenger stay neutral; fridge-magnet & F1-arrival positives vs 99.8%-negative baggage-claim delays and Aerotrain
Drug-smuggling coverage generated 11,795 mentions (88.8% negative) in September — a Malaysian arrested in New Delhi with 15kg of cannabis off an AirAsia flight from KL, five Malaysians arrested at Soekarno-Hatta with 5kg of etomidate, and @HilmiAdi’s claim that KLIA had become a “transit hub for drugs”. Regulatory NSS deepened to −0.76.
Actions: (1) Maintain coordinated messaging with PDRM, MOT, KDN/MCBA, CAAM and airlines, reinforcing MAHB’s cooperation with authorities. (2) Proactively communicate confirmed enhancements to screening, surveillance, staff controls and inter-agency enforcement — including the 17 measures under the Security and Screening Improvement and Mitigation Action Plan — to address public concerns and strengthen confidence in KLIA’s security. (3) Amplify AVSEC-assisted enforcement wins (RM31.53M seizure, 14 arrests; 418kg cannabis in 10 raids).
Belacan Kini’s post and blogger Wee Choo Keong’s calls for disclosure drove 8,798 AirAsia Financial Strain mentions (33.6% negative), pulling Campaign & Corporate NSS down from +0.87 to +0.08. The RM500 million figure remains unverified, and AirAsia has denied it.
Actions: (1) Continue monitoring public discourse surrounding AirAsia’s reported outstanding debt and prepare a factual clarification, if necessary. (2) Any external communication should be carefully assessed and coordinated with relevant internal stakeholders to ensure consistent messaging and safeguard commercially sensitive information.
Baggage/BHS complaints at KLIA T1 reached 853 mentions (99.8% negative), alongside Aerotrain criticism (268, 91.0% negative), terminal heat and staff-conduct complaints at the bus terminal and immigration.
Actions: (1) Continue monitoring complaints on airport conditions and facilities, and highlight improvements via official social media and media engagements — e.g. Belt C hoarding removal, Carousel E & F (January 2027) and the new arrivals FIDS. (2) Improvements must also be amplified on social media by third parties (blogs, content creators, etc.).
⚡ KKIA — Runway Disruption: Close the Loop
The NOTAM runway closure for urgent repairs, prolonged by rainfall, affected at least 20 flights but stayed largely neutral (2,071 mentions, 6.3% negative) thanks to safety-first messaging and airline coordination.
Actions: (1) Publish a post-repair update on runway integrity and preventive maintenance. (2) Pre-agree a passenger-care protocol with airlines for weather-extended closures (families with infants and elderly passengers were the most-cited pain point).
✦ LGL / KLIA T1 / PIA — Handle High-Volume Sensitive Incidents with Care
The FDS helicopter crash near Long Lellang STOLport (82,467 mentions), KLIA T1’s MCBA DG complaint and disruptive-passenger incident (19,661) and the newborn abandoned at PIA (8,996) were all neutral — but each is a sensitive human event.
Actions: (1) Continue factual, respectful statements; refer agency-specific matters (MCBA, PDRM) to the relevant authority. (2) Recognise the role of MAHB staff and Long Lellang residents in the crash response, which drew positive coverage.
By Issue Category — September 2026
⚠ Regional Airport Facilities — SDK, TGG, AOR
TGG (NSS −0.98) and AOR (−0.88) recorded the worst airport readings of the month on roof-maintenance and amenities complaints, while SDK (−0.18) drew heat and cabin-baggage weighing complaints for the second month running.
Actions: (1) Prioritise visible maintenance fixes (TGG roof, SDK air-conditioning) and confirm completion publicly. (2) Clarify the SDK cabin-baggage weighing process and charges at the boarding gate. (3) Review morning F&B/amenity hours at AOR.
KLIA T2 vehicle congestion drew 414 fully negative mentions; e-hailing entry-fee negativity eased to 30.8% (from 71.6% in August), but faulty barrier gates, wrong-level pickups and VAMS grace-period complaints persist.
Actions: (1) Issue real-time traffic advisories during roadworks (KLIA T2 road resurfacing). (2) Improve e-hailing level signage and barrier-gate reliability; coordinate pickup guidance with Grab.
✦ Sustain the Infrastructure & Connectivity Narrative
Infrastructure was September’s standout topic (NSS +0.67, 3,016 mentions) — MYY’s RM445M expansion and PIA’s RM1.55B expansion — while KLIA’s OAG Megahubs ranking, Sun PhuQuoc Airways, Gulf Air and Lufthansa’s October return support connectivity stories.
Actions: (1) Package upcoming airline launches (three more international airlines by end-2026) as a VM2026 connectivity series. (2) Continue amplifying passenger-traffic growth and the 99.7% KLIA passenger-satisfaction result.
September’s NSS of −0.01 is the first negative month of Q3 (Q3 average +0.02), while MIS recovered to 0.13 and the Reputation Score to 6%. Positive share fell to 9.4%, so recovery depends as much on generating positive volume as on reducing negatives.
Actions: (1) Set an October target of NSS ≥ +0.05. (2) Use the F1 event, Lufthansa’s return and VM2026 campaigns for positive volume. (3) Resolve baggage-claim and regional-facility complaints quickly so they do not carry into Q4.
The Malaysia Airlines pilot’s MDMA-smuggling case remains the dominant reputational risk into August (52,386 mentions, 61.0% negative), now compounded by the Cabinet’s 17-point security plan, a special CAAM/MCBA briefing and continued NCID investigations.
Actions: (1) Maintain coordinated messaging with PDRM, MOT, KDN/MCBA, CAAM and Malaysia Airlines while investigations remain ongoing. (2) Proactively communicate confirmed enhancements to screening, surveillance, staff controls and inter-agency enforcement to address public concerns and strengthen confidence in KLIA’s security. (3) Continue to reinforce that narcotics enforcement is a PDRM/MCBA function distinct from MAHB’s aviation-security screening remit.
A politician-amplified complaint over out-of-service toilets and a two-week escalator outage at Sandakan Airport generated 464 mentions, 99.4% negative — the worst airport-level NSS of the month, despite low absolute volume.
Actions: (1) Expedite the maintenance fix and publicly confirm completion once resolved. (2) Proactively brief state-level elected representatives on facilities-maintenance timelines to prevent repeat escalation. (3) Audit other East Malaysia regional airports for similar aging-infrastructure risk before it surfaces publicly.
⚡ KLIA T1 — New E-Hailing RM3 Fee: Proactive Value Communication
The new e-hailing pick-up fee introduced August 4 (structured bays, LPR tracking, passenger displays) generated 1,046 mentions, 71.6% negative, with drivers and passengers questioning the RM3 charge and process changes.
Actions: (1) Publish a clear passenger-facing explainer on why the fee exists and what it funds (congestion reduction, organised bays, tracking systems). (2) Engage e-hailing platforms (Grab) directly to fix app/GPS coordination issues raised by drivers. (3) Monitor for a repeat of July/June-style fee controversies at other terminals before extending the model network-wide.
Aerotrain criticism resurfaced again in August (2,180 mentions, 78.1% negative), confirming this remains an unresolved reputational overhang from Q1’s ALSTOM–IJM-PESTECH LAD episode.
Actions: (1) Reinforce updates on performance metrics for the Aerotrain; amplify validations from regulators, industry experts and passenger data to demonstrate improvements. (2) Consider a dedicated FAQ/explainer addressing recurring safety and reliability questions to pre-empt viral resurfacing of dated criticism.
August produced four large, largely neutral viral stories — the AVSEC/SUKMA compliment (44,012 mentions, positive), the KIA storm/roof damage (59,190, neutral), the KKIA SUV crash (12,553, neutral) and the SZB helicopter fire (7,363, neutral) — each handled with prompt, factual MAHB/CAAM statements that kept sentiment from turning negative.
Actions: (1) Continue the same rapid-statement playbook (cause, response, current status) for future viral operational incidents. (2) Actively amplify the AVSEC/SUKMA compliment story as a proactive goodwill piece, given its scale and fully positive tone.
Baggage/BHS complaints reached 1,028 mentions, 97.9% negative — one of the most uniformly negative issue categories of the month, concentrated at KLIA T2.
Actions: (1) Review KLIA T2 baggage-handling-system throughput during peak arrival banks. (2) Continue monitoring complaints on airport conditions and facilities, and highlight improvements via official social media and media engagements once remediated — improvements should also be amplified on social media by third parties (blogs, content creators, etc.).
⚡ Immigration Congestion — Sustained Monitoring
IMI Congestion complaints reached 3,464 mentions, 39.1% negative, concentrated at KLIA — consistent with recurring passenger frustration over manual-processing queues, particularly for non-autogate-eligible travellers.
Actions: (1) Coordinate with Immigration Department on counter staffing during peak periods and Merdeka-week travel surges. (2) Promote MyBorderPass and autogate-eligibility awareness campaigns to reduce manual-queue pressure.
⚡ Regulatory Narrative Management — Separate MAHB From Airline/Enforcement Matters
The Regulatory topic remains sharply negative (NSS −0.57, 52,402 mentions) almost entirely due to the MDMA arrest, even though the incident falls under airline crew conduct and national narcotics enforcement rather than airport security operations.
Actions: (1) Maintain a standing statement clarifying the division of responsibility between airport security screening (MAHB/AVSEC) and narcotics enforcement (PDRM/MCBA). (2) Continue amplifying positive regulatory wins — the four AVSEC/MCBA smuggling interceptions and the Cabinet’s 17-point security plan — which together still drove 1,859 positive Regulatory mentions.
✦ Sustain Riyadh Air & Merdeka Month as National Connectivity Milestones
Riyadh Air’s inaugural direct Riyadh–Kuala Lumpur service and Merdeka Month/GEAR-uP campaign content drove Campaign & Corporate to its best NSS reading of the year (+0.87), with 2,567 positive mentions and only 3 negative.
Actions: (1) Continue the airline-partnership storytelling series (Riyadh Air, TransNusa) into September as new-route announcements continue. (2) Package the GEAR-uP/Procurement Showcase narrative as a recurring positive corporate-investment story for Q3–Q4.
⚡ Q3 NSS Recovery — Build Toward Q2’s June High (Target ≥ +0.15)
August’s NSS of +0.05 is a small improvement on July’s +0.03, but both months remain well short of June’s Q2-high of +0.16 — the MDMA-smuggling arrest is the dominant, persistent drag across both months of Q3 so far.
Actions: (1) Set a September recovery target of NSS ≥ +0.15, contingent on the MDMA narrative fading from news cycles once investigations conclude. (2) Sustain the positive connectivity narrative pipeline — Riyadh Air, AirBorneo, GEAR-uP, PIA/KKIA/MYY upgrades. (3) Resolve the SDK facilities complaint and E-Hailing fee criticism promptly to prevent them becoming recurring negative drivers into September.
The Malaysia Airlines pilot’s arrest in Jakarta for allegedly carrying 26kg of MDMA generated 26,996 mentions with 82.3% negative sentiment — the single largest reputational risk of the month, despite MAHB not being directly implicated in the screening lapse (which falls under airline/regulatory jurisdiction).
Actions: (1) Align messaging closely with CAAM, PDRM and Malaysia Airlines — clarify publicly that airport screening focuses on aviation security threats, while narcotics enforcement is a separate regulatory function. (2) Reinforce MAHB’s cooperation with ongoing investigations and highlight any screening enhancements already in place. (3) Monitor for narrative drift that could implicate MAHB directly; prepare a holding statement in case of media inquiries. (4) Avoid amplifying the story directly — let CAAM/Malaysia Airlines lead on airline-crew matters.
⚠ KLIA T2 — Exhibition Content Quality Control (gateway@klia2)
Threads user @hilman’s criticism of repeated Malay/English grammatical errors at the Wonders of Malaysia exhibition generated 1,269 mentions, 100% negative, with pickup from The Rakyat Post, MSN and BeautifulNara — a preventable, reputationally embarrassing content-quality lapse.
Actions: (1) Escalate immediately to gateway@klia2 management for correction and a full review of all exhibition signage and display content. (2) Institute stronger proofreading and approval checks before any public-facing exhibition or display content goes live. (3) Conduct a network-wide audit of similar static displays (KLIA Ekspres signage, wayfinding) for language accuracy, given a similar teacher-flagged error (Threads user @sir_asai) was also reported this month.
Aerotrain criticism resurfaced again in July (331 mentions, 95.8% negative) despite June’s 24-hour resumption milestone — confirming this remains an unresolved reputational overhang from Q1’s ALSTOM–IJM-PESTECH LAD episode.
Actions: (1) Continue publishing monthly Aerotrain reliability data (uptime, MTBF) as a recurring positive proof-point, as recommended in prior months. (2) Consider a dedicated FAQ/explainer addressing recurring safety and reliability questions to pre-empt viral resurfacing of dated content.
⚡ KIA — Terminal Temperature & Facilities Monitoring
KIA recorded a small but 100%-negative cluster of terminal-temperature complaints (692 mentions) alongside otherwise strong AirBorneo-driven positive sentiment (NSS +0.77 overall).
Actions: (1) Review HVAC scheduling and passenger-load-based cooling calibration at KIA ahead of the AirBorneo-driven traffic increase. (2) Continue monitoring network-wide airport-conditions complaints and highlight facility improvements via official social channels.
KIA posted strong positive sentiment (NSS +0.77) on AirBorneo’s inaugural Kuching–Kuala Lumpur and Kuching–Singapore routes, while SZB recorded its best month of the year (NSS +0.96) on the Subang MRO Logistics Complex groundbreaking with Mitsui Fudosan.
Actions: (1) Sustain the AirBorneo route-launch content series — plane-spotting, welcome ceremonies, and passenger-experience stories. (2) Package the RM80M Subang MRO Logistics Complex as a flagship aerospace-investment story for Q3, tracking construction milestones toward Q4 2027 completion.
By Issue Category — July 2026
⚠ Threads Sentiment Reversal — Priority Platform for Q3
Threads swung from +0.23 NSS in June to −0.12 in July — the sharpest platform deterioration of the quarter — driven by the MDMA arrest, exhibition-signage criticism and taxi-overcharging warnings dominating the platform’s high-engagement discussion threads (46,561 mentions, the highest-volume platform in July).
Actions: (1) Establish a dedicated Threads monitoring protocol given it is now MAHB’s highest-volume platform — flag any post exceeding 5,000 views for rapid review. (2) Engage proactively in Threads discussions with factual, non-defensive responses to complaints (taxi overcharging, exhibition errors) rather than allowing narratives to run unaddressed. (3) Build a positive-content pipeline for Threads specifically — AirBorneo route content performed well there.
⚡ Q3 NSS Recovery — Rebuild Toward Q2’s June High (Target ≥ +0.15)
July’s NSS of +0.03 is a sharp moderation from June’s Q2-high of +0.16, though still in positive territory — the MDMA-smuggling arrest is the dominant drag, while AirBorneo route launches and enforcement wins provided a partial offset.
Actions: (1) Set a Q3 recovery target of NSS ≥ +0.15 for August, contingent on the MDMA narrative fading from news cycles. (2) Sustain the positive connectivity narrative pipeline — AirBorneo network expansion, Subang MRO, PIA/KKIA/Lahad Datu upgrades. (3) Address the Exhibition Signage and content-quality gap immediately to prevent a repeat negative driver in August.
⚡ Regulatory Narrative Management — Separate MAHB From Airline/Enforcement Matters
The Regulatory topic swung to NSS −0.63 (from +0.71 in June) almost entirely due to the MDMA arrest, even though the incident falls under airline crew conduct and national narcotics enforcement rather than airport security operations.
Actions: (1) Prepare a standing statement clarifying the division of responsibility between airport security screening (MAHB/AVSEC) and narcotics enforcement (PDRM) for future similar incidents. (2) Continue amplifying the positive regulatory wins — the JPJ/MAHB taxi-tout operation and PDRM/AVSEC cannabis seizures — which together still drove 4,897 positive Regulatory mentions.
✦ VM2026 — Sustain AirBorneo as a National Connectivity Milestone
AirBorneo’s inaugural Kuching–Kuala Lumpur (July 21) and first international Kuching–Singapore (July 22) routes are a significant positive milestone, driving Campaign & Corporate to its best NSS reading of the year (+0.88) and dominating positive coverage across TV, print and online news.
Actions: (1) Continue the AirBorneo ambassador/creator programme into August as the airline scales toward its planned 2027–2030 fleet expansion. (2) Track AirBorneo’s announced Jakarta and other ASEAN destination plans as subsequent positive news hooks. (3) Position KIA’s growth alongside AirBorneo as a VM2026 East Malaysia connectivity story for national media.
Q1 vs Q2 vs Q3 — Quarterly Comparison
Q1 2026 (January–March), Q2 2026 (April–June) and Q3 2026 (July–September, now complete) compared side by side.
Methodology: Q1 and Q2 each aggregate three monthly reports into a single bucket — volume metrics (Total Mentions, Total PR Value, POE values, sentiment/platform counts, Social Impressions) are summed across the three months; rate metrics (NSS, MIS, Reputation Score) are averaged, consistent with each quarter’s own official methodology. Q3 is now complete and is shown both as a quarter (summed / averaged on the same basis) and as its three individual months; volume-metric cards also show each quarter’s monthly average for a like-for-like comparison against the single-month figures. Airport NSS uses each airport’s available months per quarter; KIA is excluded from this chart (its August spike is analysed in the Airports tab; it lacks consistent tracking across all periods).
Headline KPIs
Total Mentions
Q1
508,179
Q2
476,366
Q3
625,518
JUL
133,103
AUG
323,189
SEP
169,226
Monthly avg: Q1 169,393 · Q2 158,789 · Q3 208,506 · Sep 169,226 — Q3 has the highest monthly average of the year, lifted by August’s virality spike; September returns to the Q1 monthly norm
Total PR Value
Q1
RM238.5M
Q2
RM223.5M
Q3
RM397.8M
JUL
RM80.3M
AUG
RM189.3M
SEP
RM128.1M
Monthly avg: Q1 RM79.5M · Q2 RM74.5M · Q3 RM132.6M · Sep RM128.1M — Q3 is the strongest PR quarter of the year (+78% vs Q2); August remains the single highest month
Net Sentiment Score (NSS)
Q1
+0.35
Q2
−0.02
Q3
+0.02
JUL
+0.03
AUG
+0.05
SEP
−0.01
Q3 averages +0.02 — above Q2’s −0.02 but far below Q1’s +0.35; September dips just below zero
Media Impact Score (MIS)
Q1
0.26
Q2
0.19
Q3
0.11
JUL
0.20
AUG
0.00
SEP
0.13
Q3 averages 0.11, the lowest quarter of the year — September’s 0.13 recovers from August’s 0.00 low as traditional tone turns positive
Reputation Score
Q1 AVG
30.5%
Q2 AVG
8.2%
Q3 AVG
6.7%
JUL
11.5%
AUG
2.5%
SEP
6.0%
Q3 averages 6.7%, the lowest quarter of the year; September recovers to 6.0% from August’s 2.5% — Reputation Score = avg(MIS+NSS)/2 × 100%
Social Media Impressions
Q1 TOTAL
5.4B
Q2 TOTAL
6.29B
Q3 TOTAL
16.75B
JUL
2.46B
AUG
10.24B
SEP
4.04B
Q3 totals 16.75B impressions — the highest quarter of the year, driven by August’s 10.24B; September normalises to 4.04B
Negative share climbed from Q1’s low 4.6% to Q2’s 25.9%, eased to 20.0% in July, and eased further to 13.0% in August. Neutral share keeps growing each period (57.2% → 51.8% → 56.9% → 69.1%) as high-volume, low-controversy viral content makes up an increasing share of total mentions. September’s negative share eased again to 10.4%, but positive share fell to 9.4% (from 18.0%) and neutral rose to 80.2% — leaving Q3 overall at 16.8% positive · 69.5% neutral · 13.8% negative.
Platform Volume Comparison (Top 5)
Q1 vs Q2 vs Q3 (Jul · Aug · Sep) — Mentions by Platform
TikTok dominated Q1 (299,416) and Q2 (254,055), fell to 39,811 in July, then rebounded sharply to 180,115 in August. Threads climbed steadily through July (45,961 → 74,698 → 46,561) and continued rising to 56,425 in August, again the platform with the most consistent upward trend. Instagram partially recovers in August (12,439) after July’s low of 3,060, though still well below Q1/Q2 levels. In September TikTok (56,934) remains the top platform but Facebook (48,603) and Threads (45,608) close the gap, while Instagram drops to 1,693; Q3 totals: TikTok 276,860 · Threads 148,594 · Facebook 129,617 · Twitter/X 44,638 · Instagram 17,192.
Airport NSS Comparison
Q1 and Q2 values are each quarter’s average NSS across available months. LBU, MKZ and MYY have no Q1 data (not yet tracked) and partial Q2 coverage (marked ✦). Q3 values are the July–September average. KIA is excluded from this chart (tracked in Q1, April, August and September only — analysed separately in the Airports tab).
Biggest Decline, Q1 → September
KLIA
Q1 avg +0.40 → September −0.24 (−0.64) — drug-smuggling screening concerns concentrate at the main hub code; KLIA T2 also turns negative (−0.29) on AirAsia’s reported debt
⚠ Sentiment Recovering, But Still Below Q1’s Highs
Q1 opened the year with a strong +0.35 average NSS and a 30.5% average Reputation Score. Q2 saw a sharp reversal (−0.02 NSS, 8.2% Reputation Score) driven by the KBR security incident, BHS disruption and LTCP parking controversy. Q3-to-date (Jul+Aug average +0.04 NSS, 7.0% Reputation Score) marks only a partial recovery — both months remain dominated by the MDMA-smuggling narrative and neither has returned to Q1 levels.
✦ Total PR Value Hits a New High in August
Total PR Value climbed to RM189.3M in August — the single highest month of the year — more than double July’s RM80.3M and comfortably above both Q1’s (RM79.5M) and Q2’s (RM74.5M) monthly averages. The surge is driven almost entirely by Earned media (RM183.0M, 96.7% of the month’s total).
⚡ Owned Media’s PR Share Normalizes After Peaking in July
Owned PR value’s share of the total rose every period from Q1 (0.8%) through Q2 (7.6%) to July (12.0%), then eased back to 3.2% in August as Earned media’s value surged. Owned NSS has held a perfect +1.00 across all four periods, underscoring the reliability of fully-controlled channels regardless of the external news cycle.
⚠ KLIA Overtakes KLIA T1 as the Primary Reputation-Risk Hotspot
While KLIA T1 improved from July’s −0.24 to +0.26 in August, the broader KLIA code fell to −0.35 — the worst reading of any tracked airport in Q3 to date, and a −0.75 swing from its Q1 average of +0.40 — driven by Smuggling, Regulatory and IMI Congestion narratives that concentrate on the main hub designation rather than the terminal-specific codes.
⚠ Q3 Closes Below Zero in September — Sentiment Recovery Stalls
Q3 averaged +0.02 NSS and a 6.7% Reputation Score — the lowest quarterly Reputation Score of the year. September (−0.01) was Q3’s only negative month, driven by three overseas drug-smuggling arrests linked to KUL departures (11,795 mentions, 88.8% negative) and AirAsia’s reported RM500 million debt to MAHB (8,798 mentions, 33.6% negative).
✦ Q3 Is the Strongest PR Quarter of 2026
Q3 Total PR Value reached RM397.8M — 67% above Q1 (RM238.5M) and 78% above Q2 (RM223.5M) — with September’s RM128.1M the quarter’s second-highest month. Earned media contributed RM373.9M (94.0%), Owned RM22.3M (5.6%) and Paid RM1.40M (0.4%).
⚡ Traditional Tone Recovers While Social Tone Slips
September’s MIS rebounded to 0.13 (41.15% positive traditional coverage) while social NSS fell to −0.01. MAHB’s positive stories — AVSEC-assisted seizures, the OAG Megahubs ranking, new airline services, passenger growth — land with mainstream media but are outweighed on social platforms by drug-smuggling and AirAsia-debt commentary.
