Morning Brief

With its crushing landslide win in the Chini by-election, UMNO / BN has made it 6 of 11 by-election wins, begging the question: if snap elections were to be called now, would the coalition enjoy the same euphoria? Ben Suffian, Programme Director of the Merdeka Center, offers some perspective See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As India and China lock horns on Tik-Tok's perceived threat to national security and data privacy, doomsayers suggest that technology's so-called weaponisation -- aka 'techno-nationalism' -- offers a lightning rod that reflects wider geopolitical fissures. Alex Capri, Visiting Senior Fellow, NUS Business School, discusses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government is allowing for some medical tourists to enter Malaysia for treatment. We speak with Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh, President, Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia on the impact of the MCO and Covid-19 on the industry’s fortunes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While countries around the world emerge from their respective lockdowns, fears have now turned towards the possibility of a second wave of infections. How well-prepared are we to weather that possibility? Will other economies in the region be able to withstand a surge in Covid-19 cases? To help us answer this question, we speak to Suhaimi Ilias, Chief Economist at Maybank Kim Eng, who together wit...

The Malaysia Electronic Sports Federation (MESF) has announced a RM140 million partnership agreement with Dynasty Esports, to create an official national esports platform for Malaysia. This is slated to feature the country’s first leaderboard and ranking system for respective esports game titles for Malaysians, a national esports calendar for esports-related activities within the nation...

As the economy begins to reopen, we speak to Darryl Ong, President, Malaysian E-Hailing Drivers Association on how the E-hailing industry has coped during this time and the effectiveness of PENJANA and PRIHATIN in supporting the drivers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the next three months, all stock of Remdesivir has been brought up by the United States, leaving none for the rest of the world. The drug is the first to be approved by licensing authorities in the US to treat Covid-19 and it has been shown to help people recover faster from the disease, and this unilateral move by the United States has raised alarms about its wider implications, namely in the...

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has recently appointed 24 new independent members to 3 different committees. To understand better the workings of MACC, and whether they will be able to strengthen governance within the anti-graft body, we speak to Alex Tan, Forensics and Risk Leader at PwC Malaysia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Joe Biden set to be the Democratic Party’s nominee for the upcoming US presidential elections, all eyes are now on who will be his pick for the Vice President post. Robert Shapiro, Professor of Government at Columbia University shares his thoughts on who is the most promising candidate and what will influence Biden's choice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Now that the MCO has been lifted and people are returning to the daily grind, businesses are hopeful that people will start spending again. And it’s a sentiment shared by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department for Economic Affairs, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed. Earlier this week in an op-ed he wrote, he called on Malaysians to start spending in order to help our economy, and according to...

As the impact of COVID-19 unfolds, the structural gaps have been exposed in our economy. The government has responded with various short-term measures, but such initiatives have mainly been government led and focused on short to medium term, particularly liquidity issues, but realistically there’s only so much the government can do. In the longer term, the Institute of Capital Markets Resear...

With the support of the US, Israel is initiating annexation of up to 30% of the West Bank despite protests from Palestine and the international community. James Dorsey, Senior Fellow, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies & the Middle East Institute in Singapore, helps us analyse the legality and complexity of the situation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The MCO has disrupted consumption patterns and advertising spend and also caused several well-known media brands to cease publications and cut jobs in Malaysia. Jon-Paul Best,Managing Director, Nielsen Media Malaysia predicts ad trends, and how media companies could survive. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Under the Prihatin Rakyat Economic Stimulus Package, Bank Negara Malaysia announced an automatic moratorium on all loan repayments by individuals and SMEs for six months. With September not too far away, questions are being asked about whether loan moratoriums should be extended. With that in mind, we speak to Carmelo about this and the potential impact on the wider financial system? See omnystudi...

Over the weekend, reports emerged that Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is seeking to replace Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof as Dewan Rakyat Speaker. The motion, which also includes Deputy Speaker Nga Kor Ming, is set to be tabled on July 13th, when Parliament reconvenes. For a better understanding of the constitutionality of the move, and how it will affect the no-confidence vote also expe...

Over the weekend, reports emerged that Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is seeking to replace Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof as Dewan Rakyat Speaker. The motion, which also includes Deputy Speaker Nga Kor Ming, is set to be tabled on July 13th, when Parliament reconvenes. For a better understanding of the constitutionality of the move, and how it will affect the no-confidence vote also expe...

Pakatan Harapan Plus has endorsed Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal as their prime ministerial candidate. James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania weighs in on this issue and what PKR is likely to do next. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Top rubber glove companies in Malaysia have reported stellar results due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Denis Low, President, Malaysian Rubber Gloves Manufacturers Association predicts what’s in store for the industry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The coronavirus has fundamentally altered consumer behaviour around the world. It has not only affected crucial factors that determine our spending habits such as income, consumer confidence or mobility, but also altered how and where people choose to spend or save their money. We turn our eye specifically to the European region to study how far has the pandemic impacted consumption, savings as we...

Growth has slowed and business is suffering. Which makes the protection of ordinary Malaysians all the more important. Achim Schmillen, Senior Economist for Social Protection & Labour, World Bank Group, discusses the adequacy of Malaysia's social protection measures. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Working from home appears to be the new normal but there are obvious and some not-so-obvious ramifications for doing so. Siti Aiysyah Tumin, Research Associate, Khazanah Research Institute, discusses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Covid -19 and the global recession, the US elections in November would seem to be an inconsequential event for US equity markets. However, history has a habit of repeating itself, so we speak to Ed Clissold, Chief US Strategist at Ned Davis Research to find out how markets might move pre and post elections which is now uncertain especially since incumbent Donald Trump may not be back in the W...

The palm oil sector supply chain, what can be considered an essential service during the many phases of the movement control order was largely not impacted by Covid-19. We ask Khor Yu Leng whether demand is the real issue here and if the restriction on foreign labour will be a  problem for Malaysia’s most important agricultural export. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

Prof. Mohd Tajuddin Rasdi, social commentator and long time observer of Malaysian politics gives us his views on the Tun Mahathir - Datuk Seri Anwar spat. He also wades into recent attempts by DAP to relaunch itself as a multi-racial and age diversified party and whether that will be successful. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Purchasing managers’ index data for the Eurozone indicates that the region's recovery is gathering momentum. Kenneth Wattret, Chief Europe Economist at IHS Markit, discusses this theme as well as the various stimulus programs proposed to further reinvigorate the zone. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.