Morning Brief

Recently, the Special Council on the MA63 endorsed the proposal to increase East Malaysia representation in parliament to 35%, giving Sabah and Sarawak 78 of the 222 parliamentary seats. Would this actually increase effective political representation for East Malaysia? Danesh Prakash Chacko of Tindak Malaysia weighs in. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After 59 years, socio-economic development in Malaysia remains patchy and imbalanced, especially in East Malaysia. As post-pandemic economic recovery kicks in, what policy measures should be considered to even out development gaps? We speak to economist Dr. Dayang Affizzah Marikan for suggestions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former chief editor of The Edge, Azam Aris, and contributing editor Shanmugam Muragasu have been slapped with two charges of criminal defamation this week. We ask Sreekant Pillai, Criminal Lawyer as to what is the difference between this and civil defamation and should we repeal defamation laws in Malaysia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the country’s forces have recaptured  6,000 square kilometres of Russian-held territory in counter offensives this week. Moscow has described its troop withdrawal from the region in recent days as a "regrouping", although the explanation is seen as hollow by some observers. Do these developments mark a turning point in the war? Alexey Muraviev of Cu...

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri, has said that discussions will be held soon between relevant ministries regarding special moratoriums for SMEs. Carmelo Ferlito, CEO for the Center for Market Education tells us if this is the best way to help struggling SMEs or are there other solutions may be more productive. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The next general election will see over 1 million new voters aged between 18 to 21 eligible to cast their vote. As we head into GE15, politicians from both sides of the divide will no doubt intensify their efforts to attract the most eyeballs to their campaigns on social media, especially among first-time voters. But how effective is social media campaigning, and in a world of fake news and disinf...

Russia's closure of the Nordstream 1 gas pipeline has ramped up pressure on EU member states to respond to rising prices of gas and electricity. Can the EU come to a consensus on the package of measures to take before the onset of winter? We discuss what's at stake with Dr. Frederick Kliem of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

With the monsoon season approaching, what should the government be doing to prevent or mitigate flooding? We discuss policy measures to address the social and economic costs of annual floods in the country with Cha-Ly Koh of Urbanmetry See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Would a bridge between Melaka and Sumatra bring economic benefits, or is it more likely to become another white elephant? We get reactions to the proposal from economist Dr. Timothy Wong of the National University of Singapore (NUS) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Muda president Syed Saddiq said his party was ready to cooperate with Pakatan in GE15 and contesting in no more than 15 seats. But what has the reception been to this request? Ibrahim Suffian, Programme Director, Merdeka Center tell us whilst diving into what Muda as a party stands for. Image credit: shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How can companies listed on the LEAP market graduate to the ACE market? We discuss the proposed framework on the table with Datin Wong Muh Roh of Astramina Advisory. Image credit: shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been 21 years since the terrorist attacks of September 11 sparked long-term geopolitical repercussions across the world, and fundamentally changed the relationship between the US and Middle East states. With the Biden administration presiding over a different geopolitical landscape in the Middle East from 20 years ago, how much influence do the events of 9/11 still have on US foreign policy c...

The overnight policy rate is now at 2.5% after a 25bps hike by Bank Negara Malaysia. Was this expected and what could be gleamed from the MPC statement? Julia Goh, Senior Economist at UOB Malaysia gives us her answers whilst telling us how high the OPR could reach and can we achieve BNM GDP target for 2022. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday Queen Elizabeth II passed away at Balmoral Castle aged 96 after 70 years on the throne. How will she be remembered, both by the British public as well as the broader international community, and what can we expect from the reign of King Charles the Third? We reflect on the monarch's legacy with Prof. Chandran Kukathas of the Singapore Management University.  See omnystudio.com/liste...

Palm oil prices have been on the decline from the highs earlier this year, with November futures down 10% on a year-to-date basis, hovering around RM3600 ringgit. What's behind the downward trend and what's the outlook for palm oil markets heading into 2023? We get sector analysis from Alvin Tai of Bloomberg Intelligence. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is now possible to register as an organ donor on the MySejahtera app. It is hoped that this effort will encourage more people to do so, especially with Malaysia having a low transplantation rate and more than 10,000 people still waiting for organ transplants. Dr Hasdy Haron, senior clinical organ donation manager at the National Transplant Resource Centre helps us dispel some common misconcepti...

At the biggest product launch of the year, Apple unveiled a new lineup of products. Will this be a game changer for earnings? Daniel Ives, Managing Director from Wedbush Securities gives us his views whilst telling us his views on the tech sector and his top buys. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government signaled that they're considering introducing a lemon law to protect used car buyers in the event of defect issues or fraud. We speak to auto journalist Daniel Fernandez on why Malaysia needs lemon laws to regulate the car market. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Masks are Now Optional In Malaysia after almost 3 years but still required in hospitals, public transportation and nursing homes, However premise owners can also determine independently whether they’d prefer people to keep their masks on in that location. Dr Vinod Balasubramaniam, Senior Lecturer and Co-Lead, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine & Health Sciences gives us his first impressions of...

Singapore is introducing the Overseas Networks and Expertise (ONE) pass beginning next year to strengthen the country’s position as a global hub. The five-year visa will allow talents to work in the country across all sectors and operate in multiple firms at any one time. We speak to economist Walter Theseira about the rationale behind the policy and how it will impact Singapore's economic gr...

The government is planning to finalise a climate change bill by the end of the year with a view to tabling it in 2023. Although Malaysia is only responsible for some 0.37% of global carbon emissions, we are disproportionately impacted by the consequences of rising temperatures. What strategies should be employed in Malaysia's climate change response? We ask climate researcher Yin Shao Loong for hi...

While there is widespread acknowledgement that the size of the civil service does pose long-term challenges for Malaysia’s fiscal management, economist Dr. Nungsari A. Radhi helps us reconcile the need to right size versus attracting more talent into the civil service. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the weekend PAS concluded its 68th annual congress, the PAS Muktamar in Alor Setar, a key opportunity to rally the party faithful and strengthen alliances ahead of GE15. PAS has been careful to telegraph openness to collaborate with both Bersatu and UMNO. But with Bersatu and Umno at odds, can the trio find a middle ground before the pivotal elections? See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

Pankaj C. Kumar, business commentator and columnist for The Star shares his perspective on the tabling of Budget 2023 that is being tabled 3 weeks ahead and while we expect plenty of goodies, how will the Government strike the right balance after 2 years of pandemic spending? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The next UK Prime Minister is Liz Truss, after she beat rival Rishi Sunak in the Conservative party leadership race. She inherits a government that has swung from one crisis to another, from the pandemic to the war in Ukraine. How will Liz Truss handle this thrust into leadership, and can she deliver as cost of living crisis looms? Prof. Chandran Kukathas, Dean at the Singapore Management Uni...