Morning Brief

Recently, Minister for Local Government Development, Nga Khor Meng said that local council polls must take a backseat, until the government has managed to revive the economy and address the people’s problems first. We explore why governments of the day are so reluctant with Danesh Prakash Chacko, Director of Tindak Malaysia and the importance of it. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/li...

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim concluded a half-day official visit to Singapore, his first as Malaysia’s 10th Prime Minister. We check in with Thomas Daniel, Senior Fellow at ISIS Malaysia on the future of bilateral ties and how we can improve trading relations. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tensions are flaring between Palestine and Israel following a raid by the Israeli military last Thursday in the town of Jenin in the occupied West Bank. In the aftermath of the Jenin raid, the Palestinian National Authority withdrew its security cooperation with Israel. Meanwhile Israel’s security cabinet signalled plans to relax gun laws and withdraw Palestinian social security rights. Will this...

The mass purge of UMNO members sent shockwaves although names which included Khairy Jamaluddin and Tan Sri Noh Omar were not a surprise. Reasons cited include criticising the party president and working with opposition parties during GE15. Dr Azmi Hassan, Senior Fellow, Nusantara Academy of Strategic Research helps us unpack the consequence of this move. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.c...

Overcrowding in public hospitals have reached alarming levels in Malaysia. Azrul Khalib, Chief Executive, from Galen Centre gives us the reasons for it whilst sounding the warning bells on the urgency of critical holistic reform needed for healthcare. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What makes Singapore’s HDB affordable housing scheme so successful, and can this model be replicated here? We discuss this with Alan Cheong, Executive Director of Savills Singapore with affordable housing being a long standing issue in Malaysia with Bank Negara noting that there has been severe mismatch of demand and supply. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

Can China lift Asia economies? The Covid lockdowns hampered the region’s economy hard. Asia was also unique in that it may have been the first to lockdown but it was also slow to reopen. Some of Covid holdouts like Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan only played catch-up in recovery with much of the world in the latter half of last year. What headwinds is Asia sailing into and will China reopening be a bi...

As the latest earnings season kicks in, what trends can we glean from early tech sector results, including from the likes of Tesla, Microsoft and Intel? Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities weighs in with his tech outlook. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The shock resignation of former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has shone a spotlight on the effects of burnout in the workplace. How can employers and employees address long-term fatigue in the corporate world? HR consultant Deepa George weighs in with tips on how to deal with burnout. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What constitutes vote-buying under the Election Offences Act? Why are veteran politicians seemingly confused about what electoral corruption looks like? We discuss urgently needed reforms in political financing with Thomas Fann of Bersih. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Although the inflation rate is slowly moderating, Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli believes that consumers can do more to arrest price increases. He recently singled out restaurant dining as one of the main contributors to inflation and urged customers to make educated purchases. Economist Dr. Geoffrey Williams weighs in on how smart consumerism can temper inflation as well as other policies the...

OCBC is forecasting global growth to come in slightly below 2% for 2023. However its likely to be a tale of 2 halves with a better second half thanks to Federal Reserve inching close to the terminal rate. Selena Ling, Chief Economist at OCBC tells why she has this view. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The announcement of Jacinda Ardern's resignation as Prime Minister of New Zealand surprised political observers both locally and abroad. What legacy does she leave behind and can her successor Chris Hipkins lead the Labour party to victory when Kiwis vote in the October general elections? Grant Duncan of Massey University weighs in on the political outlook of the country. Image credit: Shutterstoc...

We discuss what’s ahead for Hong Kong equities in the coming year with Peter Lewis, Founder & Director, Peter Lewis Consulting in Hong Kong. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2021, 1650 cars were stolen which is actually a decline from 2020 but most are still avoidable. Daniel Fernandez, Managing Director, at online car portal, dsf.my gives us the reason why this remains an issue in Malaysia with the onset of new scams. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bank Negara Malaysia surprised markets by keeping the overnight policy rate at 2.75 percent yesterday. It revealed that data showed Malaysia recorded economic expansion in the last quarter of 2022 and headline inflation moderated slightly from high levels in recent months. However, with the FED still sticking to its hawkish stance, will we see BNM hiking the OPR in the coming months? For answers,...

Selangor Menteri Besar recently announced plans to establish a Greater Klang Valley area comprising 4 cities in Selangor within the next decade. These four cities are Petaling Jaya, Subang Jaya, Shah Alam, and Klang, which is still a municipality currently. What is driving this initiative and are there any synergies to be derived? For insights, we speak to Cha-Ly Koh, CEO & Founder, Urban...

Justin Chan, Equity Research Associate CLSA helps us navigate CLSA's 2023 tongue in cheek Feng Shui Guide as we understand the months, sectors and asset classes that will likely outperform for the different element and zodiac signs. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Six states that did not hold concurrent elections during the 15th general election last November must do so this year as their five-year mandate comes to an end. Aside from the dates, all eyes are on Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan as to whether their cooperation at the federal level will continue in these state polls. But can a collaboration be strong enough to take on Perikatan Nasional? Fo...

Since late November 2022, share prices of Wynn Macau, MGM China Holdings and Sands China have risen sharply due to the award of new licenses to the city’s existing casinos. This outperformance continued with China reopening its borders on January 8. But can the gaming industry reach pre-pandemic levels this year and what casino stocks should investors be focusing on - VIP or Mass? For insights, we...

A total of 3.8 million vehicles are expected to use expressways this Chinese New Year but with 4000 fatalities registered just from January to September last year, how can we make our roads safer? Professor Dr Kulanthayan Mani, Head of Putra Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Research Group under the Department of Community Health at Universiti Putra Malaysia tells us. Image credit: Shuttersto...

2022 was a year of volatile commodity prices, no thanks to the Russia-Ukraine war and an uncertain economic outlook. But will 2023 have a more positive outlook on the back of China's reopening and which metals should shine this year? Daniel Hynes, Senior Commodity Strategist from ANZ answers those questions.   Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his cabinet had a one day' working retreat aimed at strengthening cooperation and unity among the ministers taking a cue from companies where for some it was an annual or even bi-annual affair. However before embarking on one, what are the critical questions that should be asked to ensure efficacy? Indira Nair, Communications Coach tells us. Image credit...

Bank Negara Malaysia's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting starts today and will continue tomorrow. Most economists are expecting a 25 bp increase bringing the OPR to 3.0%. Another key event to watch is the tabling of a revised Budget on February 24 where the Prime Minister Anwar's statement that the national debt including liabilities has reached 1.5 trillion Ringgit. This may provide some cl...

One of the biggest negatively impacted sectors from the pandemic was property which saw sales and launches decline. Recovery was seen in 2021 and also last year but still below pre-pandemic levels. Chan Ai Cheng, President, Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents tell us if recovery is in view for 2023 despite the economic slowdown and rising interest rates. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio....