Morning Brief

The Election Commission has confirmed that Johor state elections will be held on March 12th, with Nomination Day set for February 26th. Muda has aligned itself as a strategic partner to Pakatan Harapan, and will contest in at least 6 seats, potentially 9 pending negotiations with PKR. Can opposition parties form a united front against Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional parties? Political anal...

Political analyst Andrea Chloe Wong discusses the Philippines’ national elections, where nearly 68 million Filipinos will vote in a new leader on May 9th. We discuss the prospects of the frontrunner candidates, including  Ferdinand Marcos Jr, fondly known as Bong Bong, and current Vice President Leni Robredo, as well as other names in the fray such as former boxer and senator Manny Pacquiao....

MARA is responsible for developing, encouraging, facilitating and fostering economic and social development in Malaysia's rural areas. So what happens when questions of integrity in MARA and its related agencies arise? Dr. Nungsari A. Radhi, Economist answers that question. Image credit: Mara Corp See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Valentine's Day is just a few days away and many singles may be looking for their potential date on an online dating app. But how is the business of dating apps faring, especially during the pandemic? Matthew Martino, Technology Analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence discusses the prospects of the online matchmaking players Bumble and Match Group. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/lis...

The National Recovery Council (NRC) announced plans to reopen borders to fully vaccinated travellers without mandatory quarantine on 1 March, subject to Cabinet approval. Meanwhile the Ministry of Health introduced measures to increase the take-up of booster shots to safeguard the healthcare system in the face of the Omicron wave. We discuss whether Malaysia is ready to enter the endemic phas...

The Minister of Human Resources Datuk Seri M. Saravanan has mooted for minimum wage levels to be increased to RM1500 by the end of the year. This has sparked a debate between labour unions and employer associations on the right timing for wage increases, given the precarious economic recovery. We discuss the economic considerations at play with business commentator Pankaj C. Kumar. Image credit: S...

Oil prices have rallied to over USD90 per barrel this month, the highest level seen since 2014. What's driving up oil prices and is the rally sustainable? Bloomberg Intelligence senior analyst Horace Chan weighs in on the discussion. Image credit: Pexels.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Johor state elections will be closely watched with 56 seats up from grabs. This time round, will MCA able to recover from their disastrous loss in GE14? Dr James Chin, Lecturer in Asian Studies at University of Tasmania gives us his views whilst also rating DAP's chances. Image credit: EPA-EFE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Election Commission will announce the nomination and polling days for the Johor state elections this Wednesday. Umno is seen as the party with pole position in Johor, but how much of an advantage do they have? Dr. Bridget Welsh, Honorary Research Associate at the University of Nottingham-Malaysia discusses the dynamics within Umno and also with erstwhile allies Perikatan Nasional. Image c...

Last week Meta stock took a plunge after it released results that were below expectations. But market sentiments picked up as more positive tech earnings got released. So will technology remain the darling sector in 2022? We speak to Dan Ives, Managing Director of Wedbush Securities to understand more. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak to Dr Khoo Yoong Khean, Managing Editor of Malaysian Medical Gazette to get the low down on Covid-19 vaccination for children aged 5 to 11. And with cases hitting over 10,000 for the first time since October, we also pick his thoughts on relaxing current restrictions. Image credit: Unsplash.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Beijing Winter Olympics will officially commence 14 years after the wildly successful Beijing Summer Olympics 2008 that heralded the opening of China to the world. However, these Winter Olympics are being held under very different circumstances and under intense international scrutiny. China is juggling with the challenges of organizing a major sporting event amid a global Omicron wave, as wel...

Global sovereign credit conditions have improved in the second year of the pandemic when compared to 2020 but with policy makers marching to the tune of monetary tightening, what does this mean for sovereign ratings. James McCormack, Global Head of Sovereign Ratings at Fitch Ratings whilst telling us if Malaysia is at risk of a downgrade. Image credit: Pixabay.com See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

What is the latest employment trend in Malaysia? Ridhima Khanduja, Partner and Market Leader, Kincentric Malaysia shares with us glimpses of the current employment market and tips on how to manage employees during these times. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping will be meeting on the sidelines of the Winter Olympics this week, amid increasing tensions with the US. How have Sino-Russian ties evolved and what implications does the Russia-Ukraine stand-off have for geopolitical strategy? We discuss the dynamics at play with Alexey Muraviev of Curtin University. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listen...

Sime Darby Plantations has become the latest Malaysian company to be served with a Withhold Release Order or W.R.O, by the US Customs and Border Protection department, over allegations of forced labour. Khor Yu Leng, political economist at Segi Enam Advisers weighs in on much needed policy reform. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For analysis on what could be in store for global equity markets, Sean Markowicz, Strategist at Schroders helps us understand different investment strategies as the Fed begins to unwind their accommodative monetary policy. Image credit: Pixabay.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With a disastrous showing in Sarawak and Melaka for the opposition, what is their strategy to retake back the largest state in Peninsula Malaysia. YB Fahmi Fadzil, Communications Director of PKR and MP of Lembah Pantai gives us some insight into their plan and what would be outcome if it fails. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We see more glitzy new hotels springing up, but what does this translate in occupancy rate with the lack of tourists from abroad? Yap Lip Seng, CEO of Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) tells us more. Image credit: Unsplash.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We take the pulse of the region with Steve Cochrane, Chief APAC Economist at Moody’s Analytics, as he gives us an overview on what to expect in the region this year. Image credit: Unsplash.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the Fed expected to raise rates by at least three to four times in 2022, what does this mean for the Malaysian Fixed Income market? Ang Beng Kuan, Head of investment, Hong Leong Islamic Asset Management tells us whilst giving us his investment strategy for this year. Image credit: Pixabay.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pakatan Harapan will be contesting under two banners in the Johor state elections - PKR will use their own party logo, while DAP and Amanah will campaign using the PH logo. What does this move say about the unity of the coalition? We ask Johor DAP Chairman Liew Chin Tong on the rationale for the decision and the PH political strategy ahead of the state polls. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omn...

Bank Negara Malaysia launched its 5-year Financial Services Blueprint 2022 - 2026 (FSB3) this week, which outlined the key priorities of the financial sector amidst changing market conditions. We hear from Bank Negara Asst. Governor Adnan Zaylani on the objectives of the blueprint. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the year of the Water Tiger fast approaches, we take a look at the Feng Shui Index released annually by the international brokerage and investment group, CLSA. Will the God of Wealth whisper into your ear in 2022? Wand bearer Justin Chan whose real day job is the Hong Kong/China Small and Mid cap analyst tells us. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Supply chain disruptions have been a long running issue throughout the pandemic, where a confluence of factors, including bottlenecks at trading ports, panic buying from consumers and rising freight charges, collide into a perfect storm. Amid a broad global economic recovery, will supply chain disruptions dampen the growth outlook? We discuss the situation with Steve Saxon of McKinsey & C...