Morning Brief

Parti Bersama Malaysia is making another bid for electoral relevance, fielding 15 candidates in the Melaka state election after failing to win a seat in Johor. The party argues that voters need an alternative to Malaysia’s established political blocs, but it still faces questions over where its support will come from and whether it risks further fragmenting the opposition vote. Can Bersama turn Me...

Six of ASEAN's biggest economies just reported second-quarter growth, and the split is stark. Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia all beat consensus on the back of the global AI supply chain — Singapore's full-year forecast was hiked from 2–4% all the way to 4.5–5.5%, and Malaysia clocked 6%. Thailand and the Philippines went the other way, caught on the frontline of the energy crisis. We s...

Think tank IDEAS released its Malaysia Open Budget Index 2026, evaluating all 13 states. Ahmad Abi Shifa Mohd Hassan, Assistant Manager for Research at IDEAS, joins BFM’s Morning Brief to unpack why Terengganu led in transparency while Selangor topped legislative oversight, and how a methodology overhaul affected overall state scores despite broader improvements in document disclosure. He discusse...

The government is reviewing the RM1,700 monthly minimum wage to determine whether it still meets workers’ needs. Dr Geoffrey Williams, an economist, founder and director of Williams Business Consulting, shares his views on this and if the latest proposal have its desired effect of raising workers’ wages without harming businesses. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 33% in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, the lowest of his presidency, as frustration grows over the Iran war, fuel prices and the cost of living. With Democrats needing only modest gains to retake the House and signs of discontent emerging even among Republican voters, could Trump become his party’s biggest vulnerability heading into November? And if Repu...

Prime Minister and PKR President Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim extended an open invitation to former party veterans and the otai-otai old guard to return to the fold. Tian Chua, former PKR Vice-President and former MP for Batu, joins BFM’s Morning Brief to discuss his readiness to rejoin the party. He reflects on the internal reconciliation needed to heal past fractures and addresses critical gaps in h...

Following DAP's National Congress vote to remain in the unity government, questions remain over how the party should leverage its position. Charles Santiago, former DAP lawmaker and former MP for Klang, joins BFM’s Morning Brief to analyse the 48% delegate turnout at the Congress and explain why the party must urgently recalibrate its relationship and agenda-setting process with the Prime Minister...

July’s consumer inflation of 1.8% came in slightly below consensus expectations and despite uncertainties surrounding the war in the Middle East, the overall impact on inflation in 2026 is expected to remain under control. Julia Goh, Senior Economist at UOB Malaysia, helps us make sense of the latest consumer numbers. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 60-day US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding has expired without a permanent agreement, leaving both sides once again confronting the possibility of a deeper conflict. Washington and Tehran remain divided over sanctions, the Strait of Hormuz and the terms for renewed negotiations, while increasingly confrontational rhetoric suggests neither side is preparing to compromise easily. With regional p...

PKR wrapped up its national congress over the weekend, during which party president and prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced several reforms, in the aftermath of election losses and high-profile departures. Dr Khoo Ying Hooi, Associate Professor at the Department of International & Strategic Studies, Universiti Malaya, shares her insights into what transpired at the event. Image C...

DAP delegates voted overwhelmingly at the National Congress to remain in the federal Unity government through the end of the parliamentary term. Kasthuri Patto, Central Executive Committee Member of DAP, joins BFM’s Morning Brief to discuss the mood on the ground, the internal debates between leaving and staying, and what the party must deliver to restore voter confidence. She explains why staying...

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has announced the government’s decision to abolish the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971, after decades of calls for its abolition. Dr Sharifah Munirah Alatas, an independent scholar, author and researcher, shares her thoughts on this development and why it still falls short. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

Malaysia’s economy grew a stronger-than-expected 6% in the second quarter, beating forecasts as manufacturing, exports and AI-related investment provided fresh momentum. The numbers reinforce Malaysia’s growing role in the global technology supply chain, although softer household consumption and continued uncertainty from the Middle East point to vulnerabilities beneath the headline growth. With B...

Wong Chen has resigned as MP for Subang, and the Election Commission has confirmed there will be no by-election to replace him. That follows the resignations of Rafizi Ramli in Pandan and Nik Nazmi in Setiawangsa — three constituencies now without an elected representative, potentially until the next general election. So what actually governs a casual vacancy, and what happens to constituents left...

PKR's National Congress happens this weekend, following state election setbacks and high-profile leadership exits. Parti Keadilan Rakyat faces critical questions over voter dissatisfaction and its long-term strategic direction. Sivarasa Rasiah, long-time PKR member and former PKR Vice-President, joins BFM’s Morning Brief to discuss how the party can rally its base and address policy grievances amo...

Malaysia has nearly 33,000 completed homes sitting unsold — and still, ordinary households say they can't afford a place of their own. The new National Housing Policy 2026-2035 promises one million affordable homes by 2035, scrapping the flat RM300,000 affordability ceiling for region-based pricing, using big data and AI to match supply with real demand, and pushing developers from Sell-Then-Build...

Malaysia dominated the global rubber glove industry during the pandemic, before collapsing demand and aggressive competition from lower-cost Chinese manufacturers brought the boom to an abrupt end. Now, Malaysian producers are clawing back market share, particularly in the United States, while improved efficiency is helping profitability recover. But with oversupply, intense competition and volati...

Falling car sales for ten consecutive months and JD.com's first quarterly revenue drop in over a decade underscore China's persistent household consumption slowdown, even as AI tech exports continue to drive growth. Carlos Casanova, Senior Economist at UBP, joins BFM’s Market Watch to analyse why massive consumer savings are not translating into domestic spending and what structural reforms are ne...

After 17 years with PKR and three terms representing Subang, Wong Chen has resigned as an MP, left the party and joined the newly formed Bersama. His departure follows those of Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, and comes after Wong Chen lost access to the MyKhas constituency funding portal and was removed as chairman of Malaysia Debt Ventures. He says Malaysia needs a stronger multiracial oppo...

Malaysian SMEs are being squeezed from several directions at once — higher energy costs, an expanded SST, tighter financing, e-invoicing compliance, and foreign competitors undercutting them on price. ACCCIM is calling for Budget 2027 to ease that cost burden, but there's a harder question underneath: how much of this is external pressure, and how much is a productivity problem SMEs need to fix th...

The Black Sea is becoming an increasingly dangerous front in the Russia-Ukraine war, as attacks on ports, warships and commercial infrastructure threaten some of the world's most important grain and energy routes. A major Ukrainian strike on Russia's Novorossiysk port has damaged grain export facilities and added pressure on Moscow to divert cargo through alternative routes, while Türkiye is propo...

Haze is once again clouding the skies over parts of Malaysia, with unhealthy air quality recorded in Sarawak and Selangor. Dr Helena Varkkey, Associate Professor of Political Ecology at Universiti Malaya, shares her insights into why this region seems to struggle to find a lasting solution to transboundary haze, despite decades of regional efforts and policy changes. Image Credit: Shutterstock See...

DAP marks its 60th anniversary this weekend at a party congress that could prove far more consequential than the celebrations suggest. More than 4,000 delegates are expected to gather as the party debates whether it should remain in the federal government for the rest of the current parliamentary term. The decision comes amid questions over DAP's influence within government, its relationship with...

Singapore’s second quarter GDP grew 5.9%, prompting the government to raise its 2026 full-year growth forecast, driven largely by an AI-fuelled manufacturing boom. Barnabas Gan, Group Chief Economist & Head of Market Research at RHB Bank, gets granular with these data exploring how domestic-facing sectors such as retail and F&B are performing. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/...

A public spat has emerged in Kelantan after comments from PAS President Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang drew criticism from the relatively new Kesatuan Pondok-Pondok Kelantan (Pondok Madani). Dr. Azmil Tayeb, Political Scientist at Universiti Sains Malaysia, joins BFM’s Morning Brief to analyse the political significance of Pondok Madani’s criticism, evaluate the contradiction between PAS’s messaging on...