Morning Brief

A few days ago, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that the government is keen to bring back the goods and services tax or GST. The GST was introduced in 2015 at a rate of 6% but was replaced by the sales and services tax or SST by the Pakatan Harapan government. So is this the right time to reintroduce GST, and how can it be implemented? Carmelo Ferlito, CEO of Center for Market E...

The High Court in Kota Bharu this week dismissed a lawsuit by a Muslim group of teachers to declare vernacular schools as unconstitutional, following a similar case filed in Kuala Lumpur last year. Why does the issue of vernacular schools remain controversial? We discuss viewpoints on vernacular education and national unity with Eddin Khoo, Founder of PUSAKA. See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

China's security focused charm offensive in the Pacific islands has given Australia further cause for alarm in the context of China's growing influence in the Asia-Pacific. James Batley, Distinguished Policy Fellow, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University, offers a perspective. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

With Budget '23 looming, Malaysia's budgetary process -- rightfully -- is under scrutiny, given the country's too-average rank on the latest Open Budget Survey, coming in at 57th place out of 120 countries. Sri Murniati Yusuf, Deputy Research Director, Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), discusses. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

The government has announced proposed private sector plans to build three new highways in the Klang Valley to resolve congestion issues. We discuss whether the rationale for more highways holds water and policy measures to ease perennial urban traffic jams with transport consultant Rosli Azad. Image credit: shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we celebrate World No Tobacco Day, we debate with Tengku Aslahuddin, President of Vape Consumer Association of Malaysia whether vaping is really a healthier alternative. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

North Korea recently launched its 17th missile test this year, hours after US President Joe Biden departed the region after a 5-day visit. With growing concern that North Korea is considering a seventh nuclear test, what options does the international community have to respond to the security threat? We discuss the situation in North Korea with Dr. Hoo Chiew Ping of UKM. Image Credit: EPA-EFE See...

Economists surveyed by Reuters predict that India’s economy would grow on average by 4% in the January to March period this year, compared to a year ago. Amid higher energy, food and commodities prices, how are the government and central bank navigating headwinds? We discuss the outlook for the Indian economy with Sanjay Mathur of ANZ Bank. Image Credit: WESTOCK PRODUCTIONS / Shutterstock.com...

Dr Vinod Balasubramaniam, Senior Lecturer and Co-Lead, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine & Health Sciences Descriptor: The WHO has declared monkeypox to be a moderate risk to global public health, with around 257 cases confirmed to date. How prepared is Malaysia to deal with a potential outbreak? We discuss what we know about the virus and assess Malaysia's prevention and mitigation measures wi...

With unofficial results showing Rafizi Ramli leading the race for the PKR deputy president, Dr Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow, Singapore Institute of International Affairs shares his insights on how an Anwar - Rafizi led party would change the fortunes of PKR in the upcoming GE15. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amid complaints of rising service fees, Transport Minister Dato' Sri Wee Ka Siong has warned e-hailing platforms to obey the 200% surcharge limit or risk further regulation. We discuss to what extent the government should intervene in the e-hailing market and policy priorities to alleviate last-mile connectivity woes with transport policy analyst Chung Yi Fan. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnyst...

A significant portion of Malaysian social media discourse on the war in Ukraine promotes the Russian position, contrary to the dominant global narrative in favour of Ukraine. We discuss the reasons for the prevalence of pro-Russian sentiment in Malaysia with researcher Dr. Benjamin Loh of Taylor's University. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Turkey is playing an obstructionist role in Finland and Sweden's NATO applications, prompting the question of what President Erdogan's larger objectives comprise. Dr. James Dorsey, Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute, explains. Image Credit: Gints Ivuskans/Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to the Climate Bonds Initiative, in 2021 sustainable and green bonds have recorded a cumulative volume of USD2.8 trillion since 2007. However, this still pales in comparison to the USD119 trillion size of the conventional bond market globally. Is the current interest in ESG investing creating momentum for sustainable and green bonds to be seen as a worthy alternative to conventional debt...

Saktiandi Supaat, Head of FX Research, Global Markets, Maybank Singapore, discusses whether Malaysia should once again peg the ringgit, following the currency's decline to 4.40-levels to the US dollar. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Khoon Goh, Head of Research at ANZ Bank, looks at Singapore's economy, following forecasts that the trade-focused city-state will feel the pain from runaway inflation and the fallout from the Ukraine conflict. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

25 May is Africa Day and marks the founding date of the Organisation of African Unity, now known as the African Union. How can Malaysia better leverage on long-standing ties with African countries? We speak to H.E. Dr. Hajara Ibrahim Salim, Nigerian High Commissioner to Malaysia on the opportunities to expand economic ties. Image credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

US President Joe Biden held his debut East Asian tour this week, and sparked a furious response from China when he appeared to suggest that the US would intervene militarily if Taiwan were attacked. This marked a departure from the previous White House position of strategic ambiguity on Taiwan. We discuss the implications of Biden's comments and broader takeaways from his visit to South Korea and...

The government is mulling a rescue of the beleaguered Sapura Energy and it is not the first time that our government has bailed out GLCs. It’s worth taking stock of lessons from the previous cases before jumping in to rescue Sapura Energy. P. Gunasegaram, Independent Business Writer shares his thoughts with us. Image credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shortages of chicken supplies in the country have dominated headlines this past week, raising the question of whether price ceilings have a counterproductive effect. Food policy expert Dr. Shaufique Sidique of UPM, analyses. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Malaysian government is expected to spend RM28 billion on fuel subsidies this year due to rising crude oil prices, compared to RM11 billion the previous year. In light of this, the government is mulling a proposal to impose targeted fuel subsidies for lower-income groups. Can an effective targeted subsidy mechanism be implemented, and what would this look like? We discuss with economist Dr. Ge...

Malaysia’s performance at the SEA Games this year has come under scrutiny, given the poor ranking in the medal tally. Malaysia garnered 39 gold medals, three more than the target of 36, but this showing put Malaysia at 6th place out of the 11 countries competing in the Games. What does this achievement signal about sports development in the country? We discuss the issues at hand with Haresh Deol o...

As the world’s second largest economy continues to be isolated from the rest of the world with its harsh containment measures, we ask Cathy Chao from Fitch Ratings helps us understand how will consumer demand play out for the rest of the year. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lai Gene Lih, Analyst, Maybank Investment Banking Group surveys the landscape for Southeast Asian tech, in the wake of Grab and Sea Ltd’s recent quarterly earnings reports. Image credit: Horth Rasur / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anthony Albanese, head of the Labour Party has emerged victorious in the race to become the next Prime Minister of Australia. What will be his government's policy priorities, and what happens next to Scott Morrison and the Liberal Party? We discuss the election outcome with political scientist Dr. Jill Sheppard of ANU. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.