Morning Brief

Yesterday, the High Court rejected former Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Razak’s bid for house arrest, ruling the royal decree invalid. Could this mark the end of his political influence, and does he have other legal options? We’ll discuss this matter with Independent Business Writer, P. Gunasegaram. This episode of The First Look was brought to you by Emirates. Fly better, fly Emirates Image Cred...

Indian equities continue to command attention. The Nifty 50 is up more than ten percent year to date, even as global investors grapple with slower growth, trade tensions, and rising focus on currency risk. What lies beneath this resilience, and what does it mean for Indian equities as we look toward 2026. We explore these questions with Pramod Amthe, Head of Institutional Equity Research at InCred...

Malaysia’s retail industry grew faster than expected in the third quarter of 2025, expanding almost 5% on a y-o-y basis, significantly exceeding the projected growth rate of 2.6%. Could this momentum carry over into 2026? We’ll be getting an outlook for the sector from Michael Liew, Secretary-General, Malaysia Retail Chain Association. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Tensions along the Thailand-Cambodia border have escalated beyond a familiar bilateral dispute, drawing renewed regional and international attention. Bunn Nagara, Director & Senior Fellow at the Renaissance Strategic Research Institute, examines why the conflict matters now, what is truly at stake for Southeast Asia, and what mediation might look like. This episode of The First Look was brough...

As the world’s second-largest producer, palm oil remains a cornerstone of Malaysia’s economy and its most important cash crop.  But despite that importance, prices have struggled to find clear direction in 2025. What then is the outlook for 2026 and which planters have a better earnings profile. Alvin Tai, Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence tells us. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio...

Shipping companies in 2025 had to navigate geopolitical disruption, tighter environmental rules and uncertainty over future fuel choices. All of which reshaped trade flows and operating costs. Kenneth Loh, Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence tells us if the outlook of 2026 will continue to be as challenging. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kuala Lumpur is entering a critical phase, with a new Federal Territories Minister, a new Mayor, and a long-term vision like the KL Structure Plan 2040 in place. Cha-ly Koh, founder and CEO of UrbanMetry, talks about whether this moment represents a true reset for KL or whether the city remains locked into past decisions. This episode of The First Look was brought to you by Emirates. Fly better, f...

Shipping companies in 2025 had to navigate geopolitical disruption, tighter environmental rules and uncertainty over future fuel choices. All of which reshaped trade flows and operating costs. Kenneth Loh, Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence tells us if the outlook of 2026 will continue to be as challenging. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Now that Sabah's state election is out of the way and the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah government led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor is in charge, the state's claim to a 40% special grant of federal revenue is back in focus. Dr Oh Ei Sun, Principal Adviser at the Pacific Research Centre, share his views on the new administration's priorities going forward. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omn...

Malaysia is about to see a significant shift in how online platforms are regulated. Under the Online Safety Act, global platforms with large Malaysian user bases such as WhatsApp, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube will now fall clearly under Malaysian law. CF Fong, Founder and CEO of LGMS Berhad gives us an update on the Act and the impact it will have. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com...

Following the recent mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, questions have been asked about how strict are Australia’s gun controls.  Professor Andrew Hemming, Associate Professor in Law at the University of Southern Queensland, walks us through the current regulatory landscape and explains how Australian politicians might act next. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener f...

Yesterday, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad reaffirmed that a full ban on vape and e-cigarettes might happen as early as mid-2026, with implementation happening in phases. Azrul Mohd Khalib, CEO, Galen Centre for Health & Social Policy gives us his thoughts on this move, and whether there might be unintended consequences as a result. This episode of The First Look was brought to y...

Asean equities are a tale of two halves with Singapore and Indonesia outperforming and Thailand and Philippines languishing while Malaysia is sandwiched in between. We speak to Khoo Hsien Liang, Senior Portfolio Manager at AHAM Capital as to the economic outlook of this bloc and which markets will do better in 2026. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

After weeks of speculation, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim finally announced a cabinet reshuffle following 4 ministerial vacancies. Dr. Azmi Hassan, Senior Fellow, Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research gives us his perspective and which parties were the winners and losers of the changes. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia’s education system is undergoing reforms aimed at improving teacher welfare, enhancing infrastructure, and addressing student discipline. Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim, Chairperson of the Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) talks about changes she would like to see going forward. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A proposed development near Selangor’s Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve has captured national attention, touching on the broader issues of planning transparency and the future of green spaces in rapidly urbanising areas outside Kuala Lumpur. Wong Chen, the MP for Subang talks about the details of the project and clarity (or lack thereof) from the state government. This episode of The First Look was broug...

On a year-to-date basis, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia Small Cap Index is down 13%. However are valuations in this space too attractive to ignore? Lee Meng Horng, Senior Analyst, RHB Investment Bank tells us his perspective, the investment strategy to adopt and his top buy ideas. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The debate over recognising the Unified Examination Certificate, or UEC, for entry into Malaysia’s public universities has resurfaced once again, with questions about language, fairness, and national identity. Eddin Khoo, Founder of PUSAKA and Chairman of the UEC Policy Task Force helps us understand the issues at stake. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

Following recent peace talks in Berlin, both US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have expressed optimism for a real peace process to happen. Dr Sonia Mycak, Research Fellow at the ANU Centre for European Studies, shares her insights on these latest developments, analysing the conditions of the peace deal and how sustainable it might be. This episode of The First Look was...

The theme for Sabah's budget is ‘Driving Development, Prioritising the People’s Well-Being’. We ask Zafri Zulkeffeli, Deputy Chief Economist of BIMB Securities for his impressions of this RM6.4bn budget and which sectors stand to benefit. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over seven hundred contract pharmacists who were previously identified for eventual permanent roles recently had that status withdrawn, raising fresh questions about human capital planning in the public health sector.  Prof. Amrahi Buang, President of the Malaysian Pharmacists tells us what are some of the consequences and policy solutions to overcome this. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See...

With the border crisis with Cambodia still raging, Thailand plunges into early elections as Prime Minister Anu-tin Charn-vira-kul dissolves parliament. What’s really behind this sudden move, and how will it shake up the country’s political scene? We dig into the fallout with Dr. Michael Montesano, Associate Senior Fellow at ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio...

The government is set to ban social media use for those under 16 years old next year. However, is this the best approach to achieve a safer screen society?  Professor Tricia Yeoh, Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Nottingham Malaysia's School of Politics & International Relations, walks us through these concerns. This episode of The First Look was brought to you by Emir...

ASEAN economies has shown surprising resilience in 2025 despite higher US tariffs and global uncertainty. Chua Hak Bin, Regional Co-Head, Macro Research, Maybank IBG gives us the outlook for 2026 and what could be the headwinds that derail growth. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SMEs that earn less than 1 million ringgit annually will no longer have to implement e-invoicing. Previously, the income threshold for e-invoicing was set at 500 thousand ringgit, Datuk William Ng, Chairman, Small and Medium Enterprises Association (SAMENTA) explains why this was needed for the sector whilst giving us an outlook for 2026. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener...