Morning Brief

Kuala Lumpur and Selangor are at the epicentre of the current outbreak and the government is ramping up the COVID-19 vaccination program with the introduction of Operation Surge Capacity, or O.S.C. for short. The O.S.C. aims to get every adult in KL and Selangor vaccinated with at least their first dose by August 1st. Bangi MP, YB Ong Kian Ming has been appointed as the coordinator on behalf of th...

As parliament is set to reconvene next week, we ask Ibrahim Suffian, Programme Director at the Merdeka Center what he expects from the parliamentary sitting. As a follow-up from the survey conducted by Merdeka Centre that showed Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s approval at 67%, we also ask him for an update on the approval rating of politicians. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See om...

As EMCO has been lifted last week for most of Klang Valley, Malaysia’s healthcare system remains strained to its limits. We ask Azrul Mohd Khalib, CEO, Galen Centre for Health & Social Policy if special privileges should be given to fully vaccinated individuals. We also discuss the decision to reopen schools in September and what strategies should the government take now. Image credit: S...

According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), mean salaries and wages fell 9% in 2020 due to the economic effects of the pandemic. Is this downward trend a temporary blip, or could we see long-lasting implications for the Malaysian economy? Labour economist Dr. Niaz Asadullah helps us understand the data better. Image Credit: EPA-EFE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

In the last week, Biden’s government implemented several measures that indicated a hardening stance against China. We speak to Richard McGregor, Senior Fellow, Lowy Institute about this tension between the two countries. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak to Dr. Sanjay Rampal about the most recent guidelines set by the Ministry of Human Resources on ventilation and air quality during the Covid pandemic. We also get Dr. Sanjay's perspective on the recent Klang Valley Taskforce and the recent spike in Covid cases. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amid changing SOPs, various types of movement restrictions, and opaque announcements, international chambers of commerce have been petitioning both the Federal and State governments to express their concern over the Covid-19 response. They have warned that businesses are rethinking their investment decisions here in Malaysia, as cases remain high and confidence erodes. So we reached out to Marco W...

Prof Datuk Dr. Denison Jayasooria, Co-Chair of the Malaysian CSO SDG Alliance discusses where Malaysia is strong and lacking in meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and the consequences of not meeting its commitments. For Malaysia's Voluntary National Review (VNR) 2021, click here . Image credit: United Nations See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grant Bowers, senior vice president, and portfolio manager with Franklin Templeton dissects the performance of US equities to date and his outlook on which sectors will continue to perform and outperforming for the rest of 2021. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fire season is starting up once again in parts of North America, just two weeks after a heatwave which killed hundred across the Pacific Northwest and western Canada. Some of the hottest temperatures on earth have been recorded over the weekend. So for some insight into the climate effects and what governments have to do to manage the consequences of extreme climate change, we speak to Zeke Hausfa...

With a weakening economy and the accumulation of government debt to provide more assistance to the most in need, we speak to P Gunasegaran from the Vibes about what can be done to strike the right balance between maintaining fiscal discipline and providing more aid to the rakyat as the government contemplates to increase its GDP to debt ceiling to 65%. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio...

After nearly 20 years, the exit of US troops from Afghanistan is underway, scheduled to be completed by the end of August. While this is a move long in the making, questions remain over whether a lack of US forces will once again allow for the Taliban to seize control of the country, and if Afghanistan's economy can survive the removal of military spending. We speak to Michael Kugelman, Deputy Dir...

This week we watched videos of thousands of Covid-19 positive individuals queuing up to get assessed at Stadium Melawati and the Bandar Mahkota Cheras CACs (Covid-19 Assessment Centres). Dr Ahmad Munawwar Helmi Salim, Covid-19 Task Coordinator, at Imaret (Islamic Medical Association of Malaysia Response and Relief Team) discusses improvements to reduce the burden on CACs and the healthcare system....

Consumer behavior changed as Covid-19 ravaged economies across the world. Sheila Shanmugam, Managing Director of m/SIX under GroupM Malaysia discusses consumption habits, advertising spending trends and how advertisers are cutting through the noise in Malaysia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vaccine hesitancy is an ongoing challenge for governments around the world, with no simple solution available to address it. Here in Asia, the skepticism is made worse by a slower vaccine rollout and mistrust of government institutions- so how can hesitancy be effectively addressed? We speak to Gaurav Gupta, Regional Director for Asia, Dalberg to find out. Image Credit: : FARID TAJUDDIN / Shutters...

As colleges look to cut fees by as much as 20% to attract enrolment, we speak to Geoffrey Williams, Economist, Malaysia University of Science and Technology on the impact on their sustainability. We ask him if enrolment has dropped more than expected and the issues on the accreditation of colleges. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, the Selangor government decided that only ‘truly essential’ economic services should remain open, while other economic activities in EMCO areas must remain closed until the restriction order is lifted. On the other hand, many industries are pleading with the government to reconsider its decision to close sectors in areas under the EMCO, citing their struggles to recover and...

Malaysia crossed an important threshold over the weekend, with 10% of the country's population fully vaccinated against Covid-19. But as the global vaccination rollout continues to pick up speed, more questions are now arising about vaccine mixing, efficacy against new variants, and when to reopen the economy. We tackle some of those questions with Ben Cowling, Head of the Division of Epidemiology...

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has chosen to remain as Prime Minister despite calls from Umno for his resignation. James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania discusses Umno’s possible move if Tun Mahathir Mohamad will return to active politics after Pejuang's registration, and how Malaysia can be saved. Image Credit: NAUFAL ZAQUAN | Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/lis...

Datuk Aishah Ahmad, President of the Malaysia Automotive Association discusses the challenges faced by the automotive sector hit by the lockdowns, global chip shortage and rising raw materials, and if car prices will go up. Image Credit: Abdul Razak Latif / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The number of suicide cases involving teenagers has been rising, and the pandemic is adding more pressure on the mental health of young people. Even more worryingly, children as young as 6 have also shown an awareness of taking one’s life, in part due to the depiction of suicide in popular media. What are the warning signs we can look out for and how do we strengthen measures to help emotion...

Khoon Goh, Head of Asia Research at ANZ Bank, talks about why he wasn't surprised at BNM keeping rates at 1.75%, the factors behind the Ringgit's weakness and Malaysia's expected 2021 growth rates. Image Credit: Ismail Sadiron Pictures / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Japan's decision to proceed with the Olympic Games has divided global opinion when framed against the slow pace of its vaccine rollout and continuing spikes in Covid cases. Jonathan Berkshire Miller, the Senior Fellow, Japan Institute of International Affairs, discusses. Image credit: angellodeco / Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the latest edition of the EIU’s Return to Normalcy Index, Malaysia ranks at the bottom of 50 countries after the government reimposed lockdowns across the nation. We discuss what needs to be done for Malaysia to achieve pre-pandemic normalcy sooner rather than later with Waqas Adenwala of EIU. Image credit: Hafiz Johari / Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UAE is blocking an extension of the OPEC+ deal to gradually increase oil production until the end of 2022, arguing that its quota is unfair. As a result, oil prices have hovered at multi-year highs, but how sustainable is this trend? We discuss the outlook for oil markets and whether we’ll ever see a return to USD100 per barrel levels with Salih Yilmaz of Bloomberg Intelligence. Image cr...