Morning Brief

Member of Parliament for Batu Kawan, Kasthuri Patto, shares with us the gaps in accountability and lack of transparency over the circumstances of the nine custodial deaths that have taken place just this year alone. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alexey Muraviev from Curtin University, Perth, unpacks the latest developments taking place in the Russian-Ukraine border as President Vladimir Putin orders troops into the Eastern Ukraine. Image credit: Pixabay.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin has announced that borders will reopen in the 2nd quarter of this year. But are we ready, what are the gaps in the health care system. Asst. Prof Dr Farhan Rusli, Public Health Medicine Specialist & Director of the Selangor Task Force (COVID-19) Operation weighs in with his views. Image credit: Unsplash.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore has unveiled its budget for the year last Friday and it plans to boost income and property taxes, also GST to hike over 2 years, amongst other things being announced. But will the budget be able to address the rising inequality in Singapore as well as restore its coffers sustainably? Lee Ju Ye, Economist, Maybank Investment Bank shares her thoughts on this. Image credit: EPA-EFE See omny...

The government is expected to table an anti-hopping bill when Parliament reconvenes next week. However many elements remain to be ironed out, including how the bill defines “anti-hopping.” We discuss the stumbling blocks in the drafting process and the political stakes if the bill doesn't come through. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the debate rages on whether to adopt in-person versus online learning or even some hybrid version, Teo Nie Ching, former Deputy Education Minister, helps us identify the challenges and the resolutions needed to move forward. Image credit: NAUFAL ZAQUAN / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute published its annual State of Southeast Asia survey report, unpacking how the region views major foriegn policy and issues and the differences in priorities across countries. 70% of respondents expressed concern that ASEAN was slow and ineffective - does this indicate decreasing relevance of the regional bloc? We discuss the key findings of the report with t...

Cybersecurity threat is getting increasingly rampant and it has become a priority of our governments and corporations. Cybersecurity threats are borderless and increasingly more sophisticated, but how much do we understand about these threats and what can we do if we fall victim to cybersecurity attacks? Ho Siew Kei, Executive Director, Cyber Risk Advisory at Deloitte shares his advice with us. Im...

Uncertainties remain whether the government will greenlight the Single Wholesale Network (SWN) model for Malaysia's 5G deployment, amid objections by the main telco operators. Telecommunications and 5G expert Brett Haan makes a case why the SWN model is worth the investment. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hong Kong has imposed its toughest measures since the start of the pandemic, as daily case numbers climb exponentially. Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced that she has no plans to impose a complete lockdown, but President Xi Jinping has asked for Hong Kong to mobilize all available forces and resource and take all necessary measures to stabilize and control the pandemic as soon as possible. Prof...

With a recovery on the horizon and the award of the 5 digital banking licenses, Edward Ling from The Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers (AICB) shares his perspective. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Malaysia 2020 Census Report was released which revealed data including population growth, urbanisation rates and even gender imbalance. The next step is using it for crafting national policies. Dr. Geoffrey Williams, Economist at Malaysia University of Science and Technology helps us understand why this is so important. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

South Korea has started the 22-day campaign period for the Presidential post that began last Tuesday with balloting on March 9. This election is closely watched by foreign countries as the candidates hold very different views. With just 6 weeks to go, what can we expect from the campaign season and how will the election likely pan out? William Pesek, Tokyo-based journalist and a columnist with Nik...

Dr Oh Ei Sun unpacks the latest developments taking place in the upcoming Johor state elections as more parties throw their hat into the ring and begin announcing their candidates. Image credit: Adi Haririe / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government is planning to introduce a series of affordable home programmes as part of its "Liveable Malaysia" initiative. However Bank Negara Malaysia has said that attention should be given to the supply and demand mismatch in the housing market as well as focus on price transparency issues instead. What is the solution needed to enable the M40 and B40 groups to purchase a home? Dr Suraya Ism...

Humanitarian aid and financial flows to Afghanistan have been halted since the Taliban’s return to government, with donors seeking to tie aid funding to conditions such as the upholding of human rights. But as countries haggle around the diplomatic table, the collapse of the economy in Afghanistan has plunged up to three-quarters of the population into acute poverty, and impacted the delivery of b...

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin is planning to table a new Tobacco and Smoking Control Act in the upcoming Parliament session in replacement of the old and some of the proposed measures of the legislation is to prohibit the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products including vape and e-cigarettes to people born after 2005. But will this be effective? Dr. Helmy Haja Mydin, consultant respiratory ph...

World Radio Day, which has been observed on 13 February since 2011 has just passed but this year's theme is “Radio and Trust". It’s still challenging times for traditional media, and radio is no exception. Meera Sivasothy, General Manager at BFM gives us the insider's view of how we as a station have pivoted in this new normal. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

The Cabinet has approved the addition of 1,500 permanent positions for doctors annually from 2023 to 2025. Is this welcoming news for contract doctors? Dr Kevin Ng, the former chairman for Malaysian Medical Association’s Section Concerning House Officers and Medical Officers from 2018 to 2020 shares with us his views. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

Over the past month, protests against Covid-19 mandates have grown into a catch-all anti-government movement that has disrupted economic activity in Ottawa and also crippled US-Canada border movements. We discuss the factors driving the ongoing protests with Dr. Matthew Kerby of ANU. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bank Negara released GDP for the last quarter of 2021 which was above consensus expectations thanks in part to the removal of most lockdown measures. Yet the Central Bank Governor warned that the balance of the risks are tilted towards the downside amid the pandemic. Firdaos Rosli, Chief Economist at MARC Ratings gives us his expectations for 2022 growth and whether inflation will be a risk to wat...

Datuk Seri Garry Chua, Immediate Past President of the Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA), addresses the woes of the F&B sector post-pandemic as the New Normal possibly heralds the end of one of Malaysia's most-loved pastimes: 24-7 dining. Image credit: Unsplash.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Malaysian GDP numbers to be released today beholds and what would the story be for the other countries in the region? Khoon Goh, Head of Asia Research for ANZ speaks to us. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The internet is one of the greatest inventions of the modern age, but its widespread usage has created various challenges for governments, tech platforms and individuals alike. How should we balance the right to access to information and freedom of expression, with the duty to prevent misinformation and hate speech? We discuss the issues at hand with media rights expert Gayathry Venkiteswaran. Ima...

There has been some fresh developments in the usually muted utilities sector lately; Tenaga Nasional's legal win against the Inland Revenue Board and YTL Power International's disposal of their stake in Australia’s ElectraNet. Moreover, sustainability is the latest talk of the town (or sector). So, how will utility companies in Malaysia perform and develop with regards to the nation's aim of renew...