Morning Brief

The Jakarta Composite Index is still up by 3.6% year-to-date and remains one of the few Asia markets still in positive territory. The economy appears to be on a stronger footing and inflation more contained and the November print coming in at 5.4%. Meanwhile, Bank Indonesia expects GDP for 2023 to expand from 4.5% to 5.3%. What does all this mean for Indonesia equities going in 2023 and which sect...

One of the persistent economic themes this year has been the shortage of foreign workers in key sectors such as plantations, construction and services. Why have bottlenecks persisted despite agreements signed with source countries? We discuss ways to alleviate the labour shortage with political economist Khor Yu Leng. Image credit: Hafiz Johari / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

The floods on the east coast have become a regular fixture during monsoon season, but this year is shaping up to be one of the worst in recent record for some areas. How are relief and rescue efforts being coordinated between government authorities and civil society, and what kind of help is most needed from those on the ground? For more insights, we speak to Amran Mahzan, Executive Director of MA...

From early 2020, a surge in global demand for PCs and logistics disruptions created the perfect storm for semiconductor shortages. This pushed lead times to reach a new high of around 20 weeks in April last year. The chip shortage situation has brought attention to the outsized role played by Asia in semiconductor manufacturing. But with recession headwinds impacting the global economy and US Chip...

The 15th Parliament convened yesterday for the first time since the general elections with the current seating chart reflecting the new political alliances in Malaysia. Crucially, the Prime Minister also succeeded in passing the motion of confidence via a voice vote. What tone does this sitting set for the agenda of the new government? Political analyst Dr. Oh Ei Sun weighs in with his analysis. I...

The glove industry rose like a phoenix in 2020 where it was the strongest beneficiary of the Covid-19 pandemic. The sharp expansion in average selling prices led to many small players jumping on the bandwagon, and even saw the rise of China as a glove manufacturer. Now, however, the industry has since fallen hard and is now reeling from overcapacity issues, deteriorating average selling prices and...

As the war in Ukraine continues with Russia intensifying their efforts, targeting infrastructure, we speak to Denys Mykhailiuk, Chargé d'Affaires at the Ukrainian Embassy in Malaysia for an update on the situation. We also ask if the Ukrainians are prepared for a cold long winter and if peace will prove elusive. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For insights on the situation in Sri Lanka, we ask Faraz Shauketaly, Editor of Ceylon Independent on whether the situation has improved following months of street protests that began early this year that culminated in the resignation of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in May. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Batang Kali landslide is a timely but a tragic reminder for Malaysia to relook its guidelines and laws with all things related to development. We speak to Assoc. Prof. Architect Sarly Adre Sarkum, President of the Malaysian Institute of Architects as to what the gaps are and how the realities of climate change can be incorporated. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

Tragically, a total of 24 victims have been confirmed dead at last count due from the Batang Kali landslide. Meanwhile, sixty-one people have been rescued while nine are still missing. Search and rescue operations are continuing at the Father’s Organic Farm campsite and investigations have begun. Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Minister of Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change gives us an update...

Under the new government, the portfolio held previously by two ministries has been merged into one: the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change. It’s a behemoth portfolio helmed by Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad with implications for the sustainability of the country, especially amid a global push towards renewable energy and reduction of fossil fuel usage. How should the...

Despite the disappointing lack of female representation among GE15 candidates, the Prime Minister has attempted to redress the imbalance in the Cabinet. The current line-up features five ministers and eight deputies who are women, making up 24% of the total composition, which is an improvement from previous administrations. What are the important gender-responsive policies that should be looked in...

The Bank of England is forecasting a recession that will last till 2024. Yet the FTSE100 has been surprisingly resilient. We ask Craig Erlam, Senior Market Analyst at OANDA whether it's time to invest in the UK and if so, what are the investment opportunities. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has made tackling the cost of living a priority for the new government. In his first days in office, the PM set a two week deadline for the National Action Council on the Cost of Living to come up with a proposal on targeted subsidies and their implications. How should the subsidy mechanism be revised to improve effectiveness and efficiency? We get suggestio...

Wong Yan Ke, Activist and Former President of Universiti Malaya Association of New Youth (UMANY) makes the case why it is now high time for the Higher Education Ministry to repeal the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (AUKU), provide greater autonomy for campus elections and transparency in the appointment of vice-chancellors and managing boards. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystud...

New Zealand has become the first country to legislate a generational end-game for smoking, with sale of tobacco products banned for those born in 2009 beginning next year. What lessons can Malaysia draw from the Kiwi experience? We speak to Tony Blakely, Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Melbourne for insights. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...

Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Anwar Ibrahim has signalled that institutional reform is a core pillar of his agenda with the appointment of Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman as the Minister for Law and Institutional Reform, and Ramkarpal Singh as her deputy. The policy wishlist of reforms is no doubt a long one - what does civil society see as the most important issues to tackle? Jerald Joseph, advisor to the CS...

The World Tourism Organization said that international tourism is on track to reach 65% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2022. To what extent is Malaysia capturing this rebound in tourism? That’s a key question for the newly appointed Minister of Tourism, Bintulu MP Dato’ Sri Tiong King Sing. What do tourism industry players need to consider in light of this? For more insights, we speak to Nig...

2022 was a record year for agriculture prices, no thanks to a perfect storm of climate change, the war in Ukraine and high energy prices but will this trend continue in 2023? Alvin Tai, Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence tells us whilst explaining why the correlation between high agriculture prices is not translated to stock prices. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

With 4 MPs from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) leaving Sabah Bersatu, lawyer Kee Hui Yee gives her perspective as the landmark anti-hopping law that came into force on 5th October is put to the test. Image credit: msyaraafiq / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Zaliha Mustafa, the MP for Sekijang has the distinction of being the country’s first woman health minister in the new government. The portfolio is a demanding one, especially with the Covid-19 pandemic magnifying the inadequacies of our health system. What issues should be prioritised by the Ministry of Health? Azrul Mohd Khalib of the Galen Centre gives us his recommendations. Image credit: Be...

With China showing signs of reopening, will 2023 be a smoother, less turbulent year for global aviation in particular in Asia? We speak to Shantanu Gangakhedkar at Frost & Sullivan on what he’s watching in the coming year. Image credit: Thanathip Rattanatum / Pexels.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi will have his hands full. One of his top priorities include ensuring the completion of Pan Borneo Highway in Sarawak and Sabah. Additionally, the condition of federal roads in the country remains in focus where in September, the works ministry announced that an allocation of 3.4 billion ringgit is needed to repair damaged federal roads throu...

The line up of twenty seven Deputy Ministers was finally revealed with a mix of old and new faces from the various parties. Ibrahim Suffian, Program Director at Merdeka Centre helps us to unpack the nuances of this whilst diving into the recent news headlines on Perikatan Nasional including the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) split from Bersatu. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener f...

Japan has revised its third quarter GDP figures, under the expectation that it will shrink to 0.8% on an annualised basis instead of 1.2%. But this doesn’t eliminate concerns over the economy’s resilience heading into 2023, even with the 210 billion US dollars. Moreover, the yen's persistent weakness against the US dollar has impacted prices of imports; Japan recorded a current account deficit of...