Morning Brief

Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia are facing one of its deadliest waves of floods and landslides in recent memory. Nusrat Hassan, Operation Coordinator at the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), shares what's happening on the ground, the challenges of providing aid, and urgent lessons for disaster preparedness and prevention. Image Credit: Shutterst...

We’re taking a closer look at a document that will shape Subang Jaya for the next decade, that is, the Subang Jaya Local Plan 2035. It decides what gets built, how dense neighborhoods can be, and how the city evolves as it grows. We’ll be asking Michelle Ng Mei Sze, Assemblywoman for Subang Jaya, about what’s at stake, what rights residents have, and how transparent the process really is. This epi...

Recent tensions between China and Japan have led to fewer tourists numbers from the Mainland . This might have a signifcant effect as 24% of all tourists to the Japan for the first nine months of 2025 were from China. Catherine Lim, Senior Industry Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence tells us what impact it has on retail and tourism names. We also look if consumer sentiment has improved in China usi...

Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, Chief Minister of Sabah, unveiled his new cabinet, but some local assemblypersons have expressed anger over key appointments due to the inclusion of national party leaders, which they see as a betrayal of the “Sabah first” promise. We’ll discuss the stability of this new administration with Dr Vilashini Somiah, Senior Lecturer at University Malaya This episode of The First...

2026 appears to be a year of transition as the impact of tariffs and geopolitical tensions take hold with global growth slowing. However are there still bring spots in Asia's economy ? Lavanya Venkateswaran, Senior ASEAN Economist, OCBC gives us her perspective. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Bill 2025 introduces new taxes that will directly affect business owners, professionals, and higher-income earners. We’ll speak with Dr. Veerinderjeet Singh, senior advisor on tax policy from KPMG, on what these changes mean in practical terms, who will feel them most, and what you should be preparing for ahead of the assessment year 2026. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio....

We speak to Vincent Fong, Chief Editor, Fintech News Network to discuss Malaysia's fintech industry, zeroing into critical segments like digital banks, cross-border payments and BNPL. As industry players seek to improve resilience of infrastructure and policymakers amending the Consumer Credit Act 2025, we discuss how these developments may impact the fintech industry. Image Credit: Shutterstock.c...

The government highlights that a third of Malaysia’s FDI now comes from the CPTPP economies. Is this genuinely improving Malaysia’s trade and investment outlook or is the CPTPP effect overstated? Dr. Carmelo Ferlito, CEO of the Center for Market Education answers this questions whilst we also look at the recent PMI figures for clues as Malaysia's trade outlook. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See o...

DAP faced a wipeout in the Sabah state elections over the weekend, losing all 8 seats they contested in. Is this a trend that will be repeated in other state elections and GE16? And how can DAP win back its supporters? Professor Dr Ong Kian Ming, DAP member and Adjunct Professor at Taylor's University gives us his perspective. This episode of The First Look was brought to you by Emirates. Fly...

After a volatile year for bonds in 2024, returns have been good for this asset this year especially Malaysia where there was the additional forex gains. However what is the outlook for bonds in 2026, will this rally continue or is the uncertain US monetary policy a headwind. Winson Phoon, Head of Fixed Income Research, Maybank Investment Bank gives us his perspective and investment strategy t...

There is a rising wave of US involvement in Latin America, where public endorsements in Honduras’ election and military deployments near Venezuela might be reshaping regional dynamics. John Zogby, founder of Zogby Strategies, helps us understand the implications for stability, democracy, and the legality of it all. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia has been rocked by high-profile corruption scandals, from the Sabah mining to the FAM naturalisation of players - all this under the current Madani government. Pushpan Murugiah, CEO of the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4), breaks down what these scandals reveal about the rule of law, the independence of the bfmMACC, and the urgent reforms needed to restore public trust. Image...

Last week's high-rise fire in Hong Kong which has claimed more than 140 lives has prompted difficult questions about the safety of densely populated urban living, which applies to Malaysia as well. Edison Beh, a registered fire safety engineer from Safety Services and Logistics, shares insights into fire safety preparedness and how we can improve. Check out also : https://www.bfm.my/content/podcas...

Asian currencies have had a mixed year with low-yielders like the Taiwan dollar, Korean won and Singapore dollar holding up relatively well, while several high-yielders such as the rupee, rupiah and peso have struggled.  Stephen Chiu, Chief Asia FX and Rates Strategist, Bloomberg Intelligence explains why whilst giving us an outlook for Asia FX for 2026 and if talk of the dedollarisation is p...

With just twenty four hours to go before polling begins for the 17th Sabah state elections, all the major political parties have been out in force to win over the hearts of nearly 1.8mn registered voters. But what are the main campaign issues and who might emerge victorious? James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies, University of Tasmania gives us his perspective. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See...

The Deputy Works Minister has revealed that twelve out of thirty-three highway concessions recorded losses in 2024, spanning both newer expressways and some long-established routes. We speak to independent business writer, P. Gunasegaran as to whether the BOT model that Malaysia employs is flawed and what we can do to prevent loss making highways. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio...

Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled her first full UK Budget, presenting a £26 billion package aimed at balancing fiscal responsibility with support for households and businesses. How will it affect the UK’s economy, as well as citizens on the ground? We find out from Andy Williams, Managing Director of Corporate Affairs, Penta Group. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/liste...

The government will introduce next-generation MyKad equipped with security upgrades to curb forgery and misuse. This upgrade includes a QR code to verify their authenticity. Given MyKad’s integration with aid initiatives and Malaysia’s anxiety with data security, we discussed the safety and necessity of this upgrade with Amin Ashaari, CEO & Co-founder of SoyaCincau. Image Credit: Shutterstock....

On a year to date basis, the FBMKLCI is still in negative territory yet the outlook for 2026 still remains positive. We ask Munirah Khairuddin, CEO Principal Asset Management Berhad what investment strategy to adopt globally and in Malaysia in light of this cautious optimism. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Regular users of e-hailing services have been noticing fewer cars on the road and higher charges, as drivers themselves experience rising insurance premiums, mounting costs, and platform pressures. Jose Rizal from the Malaysia E-Hailing Coalition shares insights about what’s happening on the ground and why drivers are struggling today. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for...

The 2026 Sarawak Budget that was just tabled is focused on development spending, rural uplift, and human capital, while also marking a shift toward new forms of revenue generation as the state positions itself for a lower-carbon future. We ask Zafri Zulkeffeli, Deputy Chief Economist of BIMB Securities as to what this means for growth and fiscal position. This episode of The First Look was br...

The United Nations has estimated that rebuilding Gaza will cost at least US$70 billion, which is now in ruins after Israel destroyed homes, schools, hospitals, and essential public services over the past 2 years. Dr Anas Iqtait, of the Middle Eastern & Central Asia Studies at Australian National University, shares his view on what reconstructing Gaza might entail. Image Credit: Shutt...

As Sabah goes to the polls this weekend, the focus is on ensuring a clean and fair election. From money politics to threats or misuse of government resources, what violations have emerged so far? We discuss this with Faisal Aziz, Bersih Chairman. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia plans to ban children under 16 from signing up for social media accounts starting next year, using strict eKYC verification, hoping to address rising school violence. Dr Benjamin Loh, Course Director for the Bachelor of Digital Media and Communication, Monash University Malaysia, shares his take on this seemingly hurried put together legislation. This episode of The First Look was br...

Tensions in the Indo-Pacific have been rising steadily but in recent months, Taiwan has become the focal point of both geopolitical friction and economic concern. Dr. Adrian Ang, Research Fellow, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies tells us what the consequences of this is for Asia and if the rift between Japan and China will escalate. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/li...