Morning Brief

A-share Chinese stocks listed in New York and Hong Kong are at all-time lows amid concerns over the economy, the continuation of the zero-Covid policy and common prosperity theme. This coincides with China’s ruling Communist Party Congress where Xi Jinping is expected to continue a third term. Should investors start nibbling China equities or is there no near term visible catalysts? For answers, w...

With the date for GE15 set for 19th November, how will coalitions strategize to win the hearts and minds of voters? Dr Bridget Welsh, Honorary Research Associate at the University of Nottingham Malaysia gives a preview of the themes and narratives that could take centre stage. Image credit: Gwoeii/Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MAVCOM is inviting public feedback for amendments to improve the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code, which was introduced back in 2016. What should be included to better protect consumer rights? Baskaran Sithamparam of the National Consumer Complaints Centre weighs in. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Election campaign activities are governed by the Election Offences Act 1954 - but how effective are monitoring and enforcement efforts on this front? We speak to Dr Lau Zhe Wei of IIUM for a better understanding of what constitutes election violations, as well as his prediction of key dates for GE15. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, caretaker Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz announced plans to phase in e-invoicing for tax collection beginning next year as part of efforts to improve efficiency of the tax system. What are the speedbumps and challenges that need to be addressed for an effective transition to e-invoicing? Tax expert Dr Veerinderjeet Singh weighs in. Image credit: Shutterstock See om...

XBB is one of the “new class” of Omicron variants that is spreading in the region especially in Singapore. We ask Dr Paul Tambyah, President of the Asia Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection, if this is cause for concern, and what can we do to protect ourselves. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s secretary general, Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, the party has decided to wait until after GE15 to decide on who to cooperate with. Without naming any parties, Nanta said this has always been the coalition’s principle as GPS wants a stable federal government. We speak to Dr James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies, University of Tasmania, on the possible th...

The US introduced export control measures designed to limit US technology transfer to China. This ban will affect chips used in artificial intelligence and supercomputing and will certainly decouple the global semiconductor chain. How will China retaliate and will Malaysia technology companies benefit from China's Plus 1 strategy? We speak to Dato’ Wong Siew Hai, President, Malaysia Semi...

Bursa Malaysia’s data have revealed that more than 60% of the new individual Central Depository System accounts were opened by those aged between 25 and 44. We explore how the increased interest in online trading might have contributed to these statistics with Sammeer, the Managing Director and Head of Consumer, Private and Business Banking at Standard Chartered Malaysia. He will also share some p...

Thanks to UNDI18 and automatic voter registration, 6 million new voters will enter the electoral roll. With over 1 million comprising voters aged 18 to 21, political parties are attempting to woo the voting bloc by fielding new, younger candidates. We discuss trends impacting youth voting patterns with Jason Wee of Architects for Diversity. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

There has been considerable outcry over potential disciplinary action taken against Cikgu Fadhli Salleh, a primary school teacher in Gombak, for social media posts critical of the education system. We discuss the rules governing civil service discourse on government policy and what this case reveals about the state of Malaysian education. Image credit: fuadstephan / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio...

A plot is afoot to rid the Prime Minister of United Kingdom which is emanating from her own party after a disastrous mini-Budget which has already taken the career of chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng.  Professor Chandran Kukathas, Dean of the School of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University, gives us the chances that Liz Truss can survive beyond Halloween.   Image credit: Shutterstoc...

Will PAS' decision to stick with Perikatan backfire on them? Or will this change post elections and alliances that are formed with UMNO/BN? For insights, we speak to Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani, Deputy Managing Director from BowerGroupAsia who will also touch on PAS’ strategies and grassroots support.   Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Government-linked companies are a standard feature of the Malaysian corporate landscape, with top posts at GLCs often politically appointed by the government of the day. However the constant change of governments over the past 4 years has seen the Prime Minister trying to secure support through political appointments at GLCs, leaving a negative impact for business and the broader economy. How do w...

There will likely be no major surprises with Xi Jinping securing a third term as party secretary general. But the more important factors - relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions and who Xi appoints to his government will be closely watched. For more understanding on this, we speak to Angeline Tan, Researcher in the Foreign Policy and Security Studies programme, ISIS Malaysia.   Image credit: Shu...

Prasarana and MRT Corp have come under fire recently for poorly maintained station facilities and unreliable train services. Why does the Kuala Lumpur public train system fall short of regional peers? We get perspectives from transport analyst Datuk Ridza Abdoh Salleh. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss looks set to abandon her deeply unpopular mini budget and its tax cuts after weeks of volatile financial market. We speak to Douglas McWilliams, Chief Executive and Founder of CEBR, for his views on this, and whether the Governor of the Bank of England will keep to his promise to end the bond purchasing program. Image credit: EPA-EPE See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

As Malaysia head into GE15, the running of the country is in the hands of a caretaker government. But what are the limits of its powers? What are the remedies if it does so? Beatrice Chin, Constitutional Lawyer, gives us her answers.   Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we head into GE15, we can expect more disinformation to circulate. How can we be on guard against this? Munira Mustaffa, Executive Director of Chasseur Group, tells us the signs of how to distil fact from fiction. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While there were certainly monetary benefits, grants and tax cuts, could there more to be done to address other softer issues? For some context we speak to Datuk William Ng, Chairman, Small and Medium Enterprises Association. Brought to you by Mah Sing. Reinvent Spaces. Enhance Life.   Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos Jr. marked 100 days in office last week. To the surprise of some, he has opted for a path of traditional statesmanship and policy moderation in his first 3 months, especially when compared to his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, who was known for his firebrand politics and violent crackdown on drugs. However, amid deteriorating economic conditions in the Philippi...

Many quarters were opposed to holding the 15th general election during the monsoon season, especially given the unprecedented floods in December last year, but Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri has finally dissolved parliament. What does this say about who really is in charge of UMNO, and is this election theirs to lose? Dr Oh Ei Sun, Principal Adviser, Pacific Research Centre gives us his vi...

Budget 2023 included proposals to make Malaysia more business-friendly to attract more foreign direct investments. These included the extension of various tax incentives on eligible green projects and the implementation of a 15% global minimum tax to be implemented in 2024. Michel van Crombrugge, Vice President of the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce & Industry talks to us about wha...

The war in Ukraine has taken another turn after Russian forces launched air strikes across the country, in the most extensive attack by Russia since the beginning of the war. Although Russia said that it only targeted military, energy and telecommunications facilities, there is evidence that civilian infrastructures such as residential buildings and schools were also hit. Does this indicate a chan...

We discuss the country’s economic outlook with UOB senior economist Julia Goh following Budget 2023, and whether Malaysia will achieve GDP growth of between 6.5 to 7 percent this year, and projected GDP to grow between 4 to 5 percent in 2023 as it contents with bloated operating and development expenditure. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.