Morning Brief

According to the Annual Transaction Trail Report by Duff & Phelps, A Kroll Business consultancy, global deal-making activity surged to a record USD4.4 trillion this year, with USD280 billion worth of activity taking place in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. How do the different countries compare in terms of deal-making activities, and which sectors drew the most investments? We discuss insig...

Datuk Wira Ameer Ali Mydin tells us his side of the story as to why he forgives the looters of his store in Sri Muda. He also tells us that better coordination between individuals, corporates, NGOs and government is much needed during this crisis. Image credit: Shah Alam Police See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has postponed the tabling of the controversial bill to amend the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988, also known as Act 342. We speak to YB Dr. Kelvin Yii, chair of Parliamentary Select Committee on health, science and innovation to discuss concerns over the bill in its present form, and the consultation process moving forward. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See o...

The massive flooding in the Klang Valley and elsewhere this week has shone a spotlight on insurance coverage in the face of natural disasters. We speak to PIAM President Antony Lee on how insurance players are adapting to increasing climate change risk. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

he global aviation industry was buoyed by the reopening of borders earlier in the year, but the new Omicron variant has thrown a spanner into the recovery path. We speak to Shantanu Gangakhedkar of Frost & Sullivan on the outlook for travel and aviation in the coming year. Image credit: Pixabay.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With SMEs already struggling from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, we ask Chin Chee Seong from SME Association of Malaysia how are they handling this flood and what assistance do they need. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fikri Faisal from the Centre unpacks the gaps in the government's response to the floods and what lessons can we avoid in the future to avoid such disasters from occurring again. Image credit: EPA-EFE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bank Indonesia has projected GDP growth to be more than 4.5% in the fourth quarter of the year, after growth slowed the previous quarter due to pandemic restrictions. To support the nation’s economic recovery efforts, the central bank has also kept interest rates at a record low of 3.5 per cent for now. Is the worst over for the Indonesian economy as we head in 2022? Economist Wellian Wiranto...

Following GPS's stunning victory in Sarawak's state election, Dr James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies, University of Tasmania helps us understand what this will mean for the state and for federal politics in the immediate future. Image credit: Najmi Arif / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With one of the worst flash floods experienced in decades, YB Charles Santiago, Klang MP, helps us assess the situation on the ground and the preparedness of Federal and State governments in anticipating and responding to disasters. Image credit: YB Charles Santiago Facebook Page See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Malaysia tries to overcome the economic scars caused by Covid 19, is this actually an opportunity for us to reskill the nation and embrace the new economy? We have a discussion with Kamarulzaman Bin Ahmad, Head of Corporate Ventures at Tenaga Nasional and Mohamed Ridzuan Mohamed, Director of Research at Khazanah Nasional on ways to pivot to renewable energy, and their thoughts on the green econ...

The government is introducing new laws aimed at enhancing tax compliance and collection procedures via the new Section 106A of the Income Tax Act. The amendments allow the Inland Revenue Board to obtain taxpayers' bank account details for review or investigation under certain circumstances without notice. How do these changes affect Malaysian taxpayers? We discuss the implications with tax expert&...

Sarawakians vote tomorrow in the 12th Sarawak state election, with the governing coalition GPS widely expected to retain their majority. The key question is how wide will the GPS margin of victory be? And why haven't Pakatan Harapan and other opposition parties managed to forge a stronger front against the incumbent? Political analyst Dr. Oh Ei Sun gives us a preview of what to expect. Image credi...

With the onset of rising property prices, Alan Cheong from Savills Singapore provides his assessment whether the proposed measures to cool Singapore property prices will be enough. Image credit: Unsplash.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was recently revealed in Parliament that Prime Minister Dato' Seri Ismail Sabri spends some RM136,000 on special advisers per month, which is the most since the Najib Razak administration. Should the selection of advisers be more transparent and strategic? We discuss whether such appointments are justified and how they can be improved with Tricia Yeoh, CEO of IDEAS. Image credit: Bernama See om...

Thomas Daniel, Senior Fellow in the Foreign Policy and Security Studies Programme, ISIS Malaysia shares whether the recent short trip by the US Secretary of State will elevate US-Malaysia's relations moving forward. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Electric vehicles are poised to become mainstream amid a global push towards electrification and green energy. EVs currently make up just 3% of total vehicles, but this is estimated to grow to 10% in 5 years. The anticipated surge in consumer demand has seen electric vehicle makers become investor darlings. We discuss the factors driving the bullishness in EVs with Daniel Ives of Wedbush Securitie...

The Dewan Rakyat unanimously passed the MA63 Bill this week, approving several amendments to the constitution in recognition of the special status of Sabah and Sarawak. We discuss the implications of these constitutional amendments with political commentator Dr James Chin, ahead of the Sarawak state elections this weekend. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

The High Court has ordered the Home Ministry to register MUDA as a political party within two weeks after its first attempt to do so in September 2020. YB Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, MP for Muar and Founder, MUDA tells us his reaction to this judgement and what is next for the party as GE15 draws closer. Image credit: MUDA See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Malaysia Competition Commission is launching investigations into 500 companies across various sectors for suspected bid-rigging in government procurement tenders worth over RM2 billion. We discuss the scope and timeline of investigations with MyCC CEO Iskandar Ismail, as well as proposed amendments to competition legislation. Image credit: Pexels.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

Professor Rouben Azizian, Director, Centre for Defence and Security Studies, Massey University helps us unpack the Russian - Ukraine conflict and the likelihood of the situation spiralling into armed conflict and how did the parties get here? Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the global rise of Omicron and the clear lax of SOP compliance among the wider public, we ask Dr Khor Swee Kheng if the proposed hefty increases in compounds will be able to ensure better adherence to Covid-19 SOPs. Image credit: Bernama See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As it celebrates its 70th anniversary, director of BowerGroupAsia, Adib Zalkapli helps us understand what the future holds for PAS and Muafakat Nasional as it plans for the upcoming GE15. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Joe Biden rolled out his foreign policy platform for the 2020 presidential campaign, he made a big promise: to gather the world's democracies at a major summit, where they would show solidarity against a rising tide of authoritarianism. He kept that promise but did the summit actually achieve its objectives? Professor Benjamin Reilly, political scientist at University of Western Australia tel...

Shahrill Sabaruddin, Director of Consultancy, Bait Al-Amanah helps us unpack the recent 90% KPI achievement of the first 100-days of Ismail Sabri's government and whether there is a better way to assess government effectiveness. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.