Morning Brief

With Malaysia facing a third wave of Covid-19 case, we speak to Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Public Health, on what is the best approach towards flattening the pandemic curve. We also ask if the CMCO is the right balance between public health and the economy, as well as discuss whether the accusations that the government is withholding data are fair. Image C...

The Singaporean government projects the country's economy will grow between 4-6% next year, but amidst a pandemic that has not abated, how likely is this for a country so vulnerable to external shocks? We speak to Khoon Goh about Singapore's third-quarter economic data as well as its outlook. Image Credit: i359702 / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parliament is expected to vote on whether to pass Budget 2021 through to the third reading this week. It’s widely seen as a de facto no-confidence motion against Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s government. James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania, reminds us of the political negotiations behind the scenes whilst revealing what each political party is asking for....

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Covid-19 enabled the government to declare a state of emergency -- and therefore a postponement -- of the Batu Sapi by-election in Sandakan. But critics question: was it a politically expedient tool that allowed Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and Perikatan Nasional to re-strategise their battle plan, or truly an act of compassion designed to halt the pandemic's spread? Dr Hamidin Abdul Hamid, Research Fell...

Even as its valuations skyrocket and mass Electric Vehicle (EV) uptake remains a distant proposition, Elon Musk's Tesla continues to defy gravity. Its latest boost? Inclusion in the S&P 500. Daniel Ives, Managing Director for Equities Research at Wedbush Securities, discusses its earnings and share prospects. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia hosted the first-ever virtual APEC Leaders Meeting last Friday with 21 economies participating, which was concluded with a Putrajaya Vision. However, how important is the APEC forum in the broader multilateral landscape, especially where trade is concerned? Aidonna Jan Ayub, Deputy Director at the Khazanah Research Institute, answers this question whilst also reminding us of the challenge...

The recent spike in new cases this week from a construction site cluster in Damansara has raised questions over Malaysia's treatment of its labour workforce, and whether SOPs can be properly carried out in dormitories. Considering Singapore faced an outbreak in its migrant worker dormitories back in April, it is vital that Malaysia also takes action to ensure the same does not happen here. We reac...

What does the Ant IPO suspension say about President Xi Jinping’s strategic direction for China and the Communist Party in the years to come? The Morning Run dives into this and whether this could lead to the stifling of innovation in China, as well as thoughts on President Xi's long-term vision for the CCP and China, whether he intends to remain in power beyond 2022, and US-China relations...

The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in school closures around the world, with many students left in the lurch, uncertain of whether they will be able to continue their studies or get into university this year. Yet, the impact of the coronavirus on our children may be greater than we suspect. In conjunction with Universal Children's Day, we look into the growing consequences that the pandemic is hav...

November marks the start of the northeast monsoon season, raising the risk of heavy rains and flooding in states like Kelantan and Terengganu. However, being displaced from their homes isn't the only threat to residents in these affected areas - in rural parts of Kelantan, and even Sabah and Sarawak, a dearth of infrastructure leaves local inhabitants without access to basic needs like proper sani...

Pfizer may be the first drugmaker to file for US regulatory authorization for its Covid-19 vaccine, which it says is 95% effective with no serious side effects. This comes right on the heels of news out of Moderna, which says its vaccine also stands at over 94%. With hopes rising that we may see a vaccine in distribution by the end of the year, we speak to Sam Fazeli, Senior Healthcare Analyst at...

Can UMNO reform from within? The Morning Run speaks to Dr Bridget Welsh on the push for reform in UMNO, how much traction there is for young leaders to rise within the party, and why reformists don't spin-off to form their own party. We also get her thoughts on the Emergency Declaration in Batu Sapi. Image Credit: Mohd Nasri Bin Mohd Zain / Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

EPF’s i-Sinar scheme of allowing members who lost their jobs to take an advance on their retirement savings has attracted mixed feedback. Dr Geoffrey Williams, Professor at HELP University, discusses alternatives to funding social protection for Malaysians at large. Image Credit: Ismail Sadiron / Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is President Trump out of line in refusing to concede and denying President-elect Joe Biden a smooth transition of power? Mark Rozell breaks down the process of the presidential transition, its importance, what it entails, and Joe Biden's options. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Federal Territories Ministry has declared Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan as free trade areas for five months. Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, MP for Setiawangsa, weighs in on the pros and cons of this measure. Image Credit: Nazri Yaakub / Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EPF has announced a new scheme called i-Sinar, which will allow active members who have lost their jobs, or who have no source of income, to withdraw a certain amount from their EPF Account 1, depending on their existing account balances. The Morning Run team discusses the impact this will have on long-term retirement planning as well as Malaysia's capital markets, with comments from EPF CEO Tunku...

What happens if Budget 2021 doesn’t receive the votes it needs to be passed in Parliament? We explore this question with constitutional lawyer Lim Wei Jiet. The Morning Run also gets into the parliamentary process of passing a Budget bill, what happens if the budget doesn’t get the votes it needs at the third reading, the options thereafter, and whether a failure to pass the Budget mea...

Last week, 15 countries signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) after nearly a decade of negotiations, creating the world's largest trading bloc. We investigate how much of an impact Malaysia and other countries will feel from RCEP, as well as whether this new bloc will pressure a new US administration into revisiting the CPTPP, with Dr Jayant Menon, Visiting Senior Fellow at...

Individuals, as well as businesses, have had to remake themselves in order to survive in this new normal. But are training and re-skilling services equally accessible to everyone? What are the obstacles that one might face in attempting to re-skill? We speak to Edwin Goh, Policy Researcher at think tank The Centre, who conducted a study which found that many in the informal sector still face sever...

Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, explains Budget 2021 incentives to create jobs for youth, and recommends that Bank Negara Malaysia should print money and give it directly to citizens. Image Credit: Azlan Kamarazaman See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Mario Hardy, CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), discusses his outlook for the tourism industry in light of travel bubble arrangements and the news that a vaccine might be released in the second half of 2021. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia’s Q3 GDP rebounded significantly from the second quarter, but will the ongoing CMCO stall Malaysia's path to recovery? The improved performance in Q3 largely reflected the impact of the reopening of the economy after the MCO as well as better external demand conditions. Overall for 2020, Bank Negara projects that GDP will contract by between 3.5% and 5.5%, and forecasts clearer skie...

Budget 2021 allocated RM4.5 million to the state of Sarawak, which was followed closely by the state government’s tabling of RM9.8 million in additional state spending. But is that going to be enough for Sarawak’s recovery and infrastructure development? To help us answer this question, we reached out to Dr Dayang Affizzah Awang Marikan, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics...

Budget 2021 allocated RM4.5 million to the state of Sarawak, which was followed closely by the state government’s tabling of RM9.8 million in additional state spending. But is that going to be enough for Sarawak’s recovery and infrastructure development? To help us answer this question, we reached out to Dr Dayang Affizzah Awang Marikan, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics...