Morning Brief

With newly appointed deputy prime minister and senior minister, and UMNO withdrawing the party's support for Perikatan Nasional. We ask Dr. Hamidin Abd Hamid, Research Fellow, Ilham Centre what does Ismail Sabri's appointment means, and will we be seeing UMNO MPs leaving. Image credit: Roy Azis Abd Aziz / Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Siobhan Das, CEO of AMCHAM gives her perspective on how significant the EMCO impact will have on Malaysia's global position in the supply chain as well as the trading and manufacturing hub. Image credit: Tom Fisk / pexels.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Members of Parliament have mixed views on the reopening of the august house on 26 July, with one of the concerns being whether 5 days is adequate to properly debate issues facing the country. We hear from Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi, Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, and the MP for Kapit on his expectations for the parliamentary sitting. Image Credit: Jaggat Rashidi | Shuttersto...

As Penang will transition to Phase Two of the Movement Control under the National Recovery Plan (PPN) today, we speak to Datuk Seri Lee Kah Choon, Director of InvestPenang and the special investment advisor to the Chief Minister of Penang on how has the lockdown impacted the state and what are the recovery plans. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are the rules with regards to reconvening Parliament during an emergency? Constitutional Lawyer, Dato’ Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, tells us while weighing in on what a hybrid Parliament might look like. Image credit: Lens Hitam / Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are the rules with regards to reconvening Parliament during an emergency? Constitutional Lawyer, Dato’ Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, tells us while weighing in on what a hybrid Parliament might look like. Image credit: Lens Hitam / Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Indonesia is facing the worst Covid-19 crisis in the region, as daily new infections climb beyond 25,000 cases. The surge in cases has placed the healthcare system under enormous pressure, with hospitals in some cities reporting a shortage of oxygen supply. Correspondent Resty Woro Yuniar describes the situation on the ground, and how the Jokowi government is responding. Image Credit: Toto Santiko...

Phuket has reopened to tourists from 63 countries who meet certain conditions albeit Malaysia is excluded from that list. Is this the beginning of travel in a post-Covid-19 world? We speak to Brendan Sobie, Independent Analyst at Sobie Aviation for his views and also if digital covid certificates are a viable option. Credit: Pikoso.kz | Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

The government has announced that a 5-day Parliamentary sitting will be held beginning 26 July to discuss the National Recovery Plan and the state of emergency. This comes amid rumblings of an UMNO mutiny within Perikatan Nasional. How much actual debate can we expect during this sitting, and is PN on the cusp of splintering? We discuss the scenarios with political commentator Dr. Bridget Welsh. I...

A RM300,000 government allocation for MPs under a food basket initiative has prompted a hailstorm of comments, centring on, amongst others, sufficiency and flexibility. YB Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Setiawangsa MP, expounds. Image credit: Twitter @nikznazmi See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia has been downgraded to Tier 3 in the US State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report, indicating a failure to comply with minimum standards to combat the crime. One of the issues highlighted in the report is the lack of a victim-centric approach in the government’s response. We discuss the gaps in addressing the needs of trafficking victims with Dr. Hartini Zainuddi...

While Selangor and parts of Kuala Lumpur have been placed under enhanced lockdown, five other states have been given the green light to progress to Phase 2 of the National Recovery Plan. How much leeway do states have to determine their own strategies to tackle the pandemic? We discuss the need for data-driven policymaking with Tricia Yeoh of IDEAS. Image credit: ANDY_GK / Shutterstock See omnystu...

5G is the next big thing in the telco world but its rollout in ASEAN has been besieged by Covid-19, differing national policies and geopolitical considerations. Anthea Lai, Senior TMT Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, explains. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has just launched a new National Fourth Industrial Revolution Policy, aimed at propelling Malaysia towards high-income nation status, through the use of developing technologies. But while the country undoubtedly needs to digitize in order to move forward into a new technological age, does this policy provide a sufficient roadmap? We speak to Dr. Rachel Gong, Senior Research Associat...

Parts of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur will be placed under EMCO from tomorrow onwards for two weeks. Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, Chair of the Selangor Task Force on Covid-19 discusses much-needed measures to reduce the number of Covid-19 cases, and if it is too heavy-handed to close down most factories given that manufacturing only contributes about 10% of cases now. Image Credit: YuriAbas / ...

The Monetary Authority of Singapore has raised concerns that Gen Z- digital natives born in the late-90s to early-00s- are spending carelessly, with many opting for the Buy-Now-Pay-Later service. We speak to Anton Ruddenklau, partner and head of financial services at KPMG to find out if younger people truly are moving away from traditional modes of spending, and what the consequences of that might...

MACC is calling for new laws on beneficial ownership to expose crimes and the perpetrators. Alex Tan, Cyber and Forensics Leader, PwC Malaysia discusses how companies typically launder money, the need for tighter regulations, and investigation challenges. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steve Cochrane, Chief APAC Economist, at Moody’s Analytics discusses the impact of the economic divergence between the countries that are controlling Covid-19 better than others, and the implications on emerging markets as the Fed might be raising interest rate sooner than expected. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Understanding of how Covid-19 spreads has evolved since the start of the pandemic, and we've had to modify our SOPs to reflect those changes. There have since been more calls for the Malaysian government to adopt clearer guidelines for ventilation to minimise the virus's spread- and we speak to Tan Sri Dr. Jemilah Mahmood, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Public Health to find out more. Im...

The government is allowing another round of EPF withdrawals under the Pemulih package, raising questions about the consequences of drawing on contributors' hard-earned savings. To talk us through the risks this may pose down the line, we speak to Pankaj C Kumar, Financial Market Columnist, and former Chief Investment Officer. Image Credit: Ismail Sadiron Pictures | Shutterstock.com See omnystudio....

As the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) celebrates its 100 years anniversary, what lies ahead for it as citizens become bolder, educated and digitally savvy? Professor Steve Tsang, Director of SOAS China Institute, at SOAS, University of London discusses the challenges facing the CCP and Xi Jinping’s succession. Image credit: Frederic Legrand - COMEO / Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener f...

The government's recently-announced Pemulih stimulus package outlines several measures targeted at supporting the business sector. We get in touch with Chin Chee Seong, Vice President of the SME Association of Malaysia to find out whether this is enough, and what more could be done to prevent further SME closures. Image credit: Samguw / Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

Datuk Johan Merican, Director of the National Budget Office, at the Ministry of Finance defends the Pemulih package, how it would be funded without raising taxes, and efforts to provide more sustainable social protection in the long-term. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Catherine Birch, Senior Economist, at ANZ Research discusses why Australia’s economy continues to hold up despite the withdrawal of some support, the rise of Covid-19 variants, closure of international borders, and trade tensions with China. Image Credit: Nils Versemann | Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced an RM150 billion aid package yesterday, called Pemulih. This is the largest package announced since the very first Prihatin package at the start of the pandemic- but is it enough to cushion the impact of Covid-19? We speak to Dr Carmelo Ferlito, CEO of the Center for Market Education to find out. Image credit: S.O / Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/...