Morning Brief

Prof. Dr. Moy Foong Ming discusses the progress of the phase 1 vaccination programme, her expectations of the phase 2 vaccine roll out and in particular whether it should be expanded to all or economic front-liners. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prof. Dr. Moy Foong Ming discusses the progress of the phase 1 vaccination programme, her expectations of the phase 2 vaccine roll out and in particular whether it should be expanded to all or economic front-liners. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A party that is celebrating its 75th Anniversary, UMNO Is at crossroads with increased factionalism within the party. Dr Bridget Welsh, Honorary Research Associate at the University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute-Malaysia breaks down the recently concluded General Assembly and what the outcome means for the PN coalition. Image credit: Shahjehan / Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Ooi Lean Hin, chairman of the Shipping Association of Malaysia provides us with a status update on the stuck Ever Given mega-vessel in the Suez canal, its impact on global trade and logistics as the Egyptian government is frantically trying to unlodge the ship. Image Credit: EPA-EFE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rusli Affandi, Secretary-General, National Union of Hotel, Bar & Restaurant Workers joins us to discuss the recent Federal Court ruling that hoteliers cannot use the service charges they collect from customers in order to pay their workers’ minimum wages. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A recent study published by the Global Development Policy Center of Boston University expects ASEAN to be a net loser of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) that is meant to create the largest free trade bloc in the world. Jayant Menon, Visiting Senior Fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, shares his views about the potential benefits to Malaysia, and the limitations of for...

After several Covid-19 quarantined cruise ships made a spate of bad headlines last year, it is estimated that the cruise industry saw revenue fall 15% last year. Some cruise liners have attempted to stay above water by offering round trips with no ports of call, but is that truly a sustainable measure to keep the industry afloat? We speak to Annie Chang, Director of Cruise at the Singapore Tourism...

Twice in one month, the Singapore Food Agency has issued recalls of eggs imported from Malaysia, following the discovery of a type of Salmonella bacteria in the batches. Considering some of the producers of the eggs have since been declared free of Salmonella by the Department of Veterinary Services, this has caused concern over what looks to be differences between Malaysia's food safety standards...

Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on Public Health gives an insider view on efforts to boost vaccination registration to achieve the inoculation target of 70% of the population. Dr. Jemilah sits on the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF), and the Special Committee On Covid-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV). Image Stock: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

With the implementation of UNDI18 pushed to September 2022, The Morning Run speaks to MUDA Co-Founder and President YB Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman for their next steps, reactions, and MUDA’s plan to run in GE15. Image Credit: EPA-EFE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Manufacturers of cars, computers and phones are feeling the pinch from a global shortage of semiconductor parts. Nick Marro, Lead, Global Trade, The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) discusses the underlying issues and when the situation might normalise. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Azrul Mohd Khalib, CEO, at Galen Centre for Health & Social Policy discusses the pros and cons of imposing a deadline for people to register for the vaccine, and the bigger problem of vaccine hesitancy. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently, there were calls to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate an alleged cartel within the police. Lawyer Dato' Malik Imtiaz Sarwar explains how an RCI works and how much power it really has. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datuk Shamsuddin Bardan, Executive Director of the Malaysian Employers Federation discusses the challenges employers face in meeting the deadline to screen all foreign workers, and also vaccination plans. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chinese tech companies such as Tencent and Alibaba flourished under China’s “light-touch” regulatory regime to become the giants they are today. However the regulatory environment appears to be changing, following the crackdown on Alibaba beginning in November of last year, and other big tech players are bracing themselves for greater scrutiny over uncompetitive practices. We dis...

Reports of a second fatal accident at the SUKE Highway construction site over the weekend have raised questions over construction safety standards in the country. Investigations are still ongoing into the causes of the incident, but ultimately why doe these accidents keep happening? Who is accountable? We speak to Mohamad Aliasman Morshidi, Vice President, Malaysian Society for Occupational Safety...

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan fired the central bank governor again, the fourth in the last two years. Daniel Moss, Columnist for Bloomberg Opinion, unpacks what is going on in the country, and what to expect under the newly appointed governor, Sahap Kavcioglu, who favours a dovish stance in interest rates. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

During his two-day visit to Sabah, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin outlined several measures to help the state close its socio-economic gap. But will these measures, and a new development plan announced by the state government, truly address the needs of Sabahans and bolster its ailing economy? We speak to Dr. Firdausi Suffian, Senior Lecturer in Public Policy at UiTM Sabah, to find out. S...

North Korea and Malaysia have severed diplomatic ties following Malaysia’s extradition of a North Korean national to the US for money-laundering charges. Dr Hoo Chiew-Ping, Senior Lecturer, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia discusses the broader implications and the likelihood and need for both countries to resume diplomacy. Image Credit:  EPA-EFE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

North Korea and Malaysia have severed diplomatic ties following Malaysia’s extradition of a North Korean national to the US for money-laundering charges. Dr Hoo Chiew-Ping, Senior Lecturer, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia discusses the broader implications and the likelihood and need for both countries to resume diplomacy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania, discusses the possibility of DAP working with UMNO and its implications. Image Credits: Shahjehan / Shutterstock.com; Norel H / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In conjunction with World Water Day, we turn our attention to the disputed Mekong River Basin, where population growth, low rainfall, and relentless dam-building has placed a stranglehold on the resource-rich Mekong River, which runs from China all the way down through Thailand. Lives and livelihoods depend on the preservation of the Mekong - yet will political interests win out? We speak to Mark...

With news that a Social Work Profession Bill is in the final stages of drafting, we speak to Dr Suhaimi Mohamad, President of the Malaysian Association of Social Workers, about the purpose of the bill, and how it hopes to change the landscape of social work here in Malaysia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pemerkasa is Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's second stimulus package of 2021 and his eighth since the Covid-19 crisis began. But the eternal question remains: is it enough to save the SMEs? Datuk Michael Kang, President of the SME Association of Malaysia, discusses. Image Credit: khoe / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made Japan his first overseas destination, while Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is set to visit the White House in April. We discuss what these visits signal for US-Japan ties moving forward with foreign policy expert Jonathan Berkshire Miller. We also get an update on the state of play of the Japanese vaccine roll-out, and as well as the outlook for th...