Morning Brief

The Sarawak state legislative assembly was dissolved on November 3rd, paving the way for polls to be held before January 2nd. However, over 100,000 young Malaysians could be disenfranchised as Undi18 would not have kicked in yet. Will GPS’ strategy of rushing the elections backfire? We discuss the likely campaign issues and political dynamics ahead of state polls with political commentator D...

With Budget 2022 allocating a whopping RM52.6 billion for the education sector, we ask former Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching whether this huge allocation will help in improving the quality of education in the long run.  Image credit: Ismunazif Fendy / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We ask Ben Cowling from Hong Kong University on the surge of cases in Europe and whether it will spread to Asia with the rise of Delta plus and also dissect some of the scientific breakthroughs and medical advancements in therapeutics.  Image credit: shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A week after its announcement and with the market's and people's reaction to it, Wong Chen, Subang MP, offers an opposition take on Budget 2022. Image credit: Richard Bradford / Shutterstock.com Brought to you by Mah Sing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We ask Wai-Shin Chan, Global Head of Climate Change Centre and ESG Research of HSBC on how investors in Asia are framing ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) in their portfolios and how will COP26 impact investment strategies. Image credit: shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nigel Wong, Honorary Secretary-General, The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) helps us unpack how Budget 2022 will support the tourism industry, the current recovery trajectory and the outlook for next year. Brought to you by Mah Sing. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nomination day in Melaka is drawing near but existing political alliances may not hold. Will this state election see 3-cornered fights?  Professor Dr. Azmi Hassan, political analyst at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia tells us whilst giving us his view as to who the winner will be. Image credit: shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Ali Izadi-Najafabadi, APAC Research Head, BloombergNEF givss us a quick update on the developments of COP-26 in Glasgow and how far the commitments made so far are in helping the world achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Image credit: EPA-EFE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Azrul Mohd Khalib, CEO at the Galen Centre for Health & Social Policy helps us dissect whether the 2022 budget was sufficient as we gradually exit out from the pandemic. Brought to you by Mah Sing. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There were a slew of initiatives for women in Budget 2022 but was it ambitious enough? Will it help women who have been disproportionally affect by Covid 19 ? Anis Farid, Research and Advocacy Officer, Women's Aid Organisation give us her views. Image credit: shutterstock Brought to you by Mah Sing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the political upheaval in Sudan, we speak to Okech Francis from Bloomberg on the geopolitical risk and the impact of the coup on the Sudanese oil and gas industry and specifically on the situation facing Petronas.  Image credit: shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We ask Sim Kwang Gek, Tax Leader, Deloitte Malaysia on Budget 2022 and the mechanics behind Cukai Makmur and  tax on foreign-sourced income as she analyzes whether the numbers are realistic and how does the Budget impact the Malaysian businesses and the public.  Image credit: zmpixes / Shutterstock.com Brought to you by Mah Sing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Under Budget 2022, the government has made several allocations to help Malaysian SMEs navigate the reopening of the economy after a torrid pandemic season. Do these initiatives hit the mark in terms of providing support that SMEs need? We hear from Datuk William Ng of Samenta for his take on Budget 2022. Image credit: YuriAbas / Shutterstock.com Brought to you by Mah Sing See omnystudio.com/l...

With a record RM332 billion ringgit budget, we ask Julia Goh, Senior Economist, UOB Malaysia on whether this expansionary budget is feasible and how will the government finance this expenditure? Brought to you by Mah Sing. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysian glove markets are in the spotlight again with the U.S. barring  Supermax imports over alleged labour abuses. We ask Dr Supramaniam Shanmugam from the Malaysian Rubber Gloves Manufacturers Association (MARGMA) as to why this sector is a repeat offender. We also ask about the sector's Budget 2022 wishlist. Image credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

According to the Prime Minister, Dato’ Seri Ismail Sabri, the budget will have “wow factors” to benefit all quarters in line with Keluarga Malaysia. However, the government has already launched eight economic stimulus packages since March 2020, valued at RM530 billion ringgit. Given the government’s limited fiscal headroom, how much “wow” can the government actu...

Facebook is changing its corporate name to Meta, as it broadens its reach beyond social media to include virtual reality. Can the rebranding help its flagging reputation, amid whistleblower allegations that it prioritizes profits over safety? We discuss name change and growth prospects with Mandeep Singh of Bloomberg Intelligence. Image Credit: EPA-EFE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

With Pakatan Harapan launching its Budget 2022 Strategy Document, we ask Wong Chen, MP for Kelana Jaya, what he expects to hear from the Finance Minister on Budget 2022 and whether Pakatan Harapan is likely to support the Government's budget in light of the MOU. Brought to you by Mah Sing. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Malaysian automotive players have been adversely impacted by the pandemic with car dealers registered total losses of more than 14 billion ringgit during the closure in June and July this year. Datuk Aishah Ahmad, President, Malaysia Automotive Association (MAA) tell us the industry wish list for Budget 2022. Brought to you by Mah Sing. Image credit: Abdul Razak Latif / Shutterstock.com See om...

Chung Yi Fan, independent transport policy analyst discusses the challenges in improving public transport modal share and debates what actions are needed to encourage more public transport usage despite so much money and time spent already on building our transport system.  Image credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chung Yi Fan, independent transport policy analyst discusses the challenges in improving public transport modal share and debates what actions are needed to encourage more public transport usage despite so much money and time spent already on building our transport system.  Image credit:  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Philip Andrews-Speed, Senior Principal Research Fellow from the National University of Singapore shares with us his perspective on whether China's goal to be Carbon neutral by 2060 is achievable especially since there’s a lack of details on how exactly China plans to achieve them. Image credit: Zhang BinSir / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Philip Andrews-Speed, Senior Principal Research Fellow from the National University of Singapore shares with us his perspective on whether China's goal to be Carbon neutral by 2060 is achievable especially since there’s a lack of details on how exactly China plans to achieve them. Image credit: Zhang BinSir / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After more than a year of disruptions in production and a surge in demand for electronics, we ask Dato Seri Wong Siew Hai from Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association how the industry is recovering and will Budget 2022 be able to provide the necessary catalyst for Malaysia to build a lasting and structural advantage in this lucrative sector. Brought to you by Mah Sing. Image credit: Shuttersto...

AirAsia X is offering all creditors just 0.5% of its USD8bn debt. Included in this deal are all the passengers who have made advanced payments for flights not taken due to Covid 19. Pankaj C. Kumar, a business columnist tells us if passengers should rank pari passu with other creditors or should there be an alternative option. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...