Morning Brief

Bank Negara Malaysia reported the country’s economy grew 5.2% in the third quarter, which suggest that  Malaysia is on course to hit the upper end of the 4% to 4.8% growth target for this year. Dr Afzanizam Abdul Rashid, Chief Economist, Bank Muamalat tells us the house view of GDP growth and Ringgit outlook for 2026. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Yesterday, the Federal Court dismissed Semantan Estate’s appeal to reclaim ownership of the 263-acre plot in Bukit Semantan, Kuala Lumpur. Haniff Khatri, practising lawyer explains why the court made that decision and how compensation might be determined. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sabah heads to the polls at the end of this month with nomination day tomorrow. We break down the shifting alliances and explore what’s at stake with Professor James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If successful, Visit Malaysia Year 2026 could contribute as much as 16% to Malaysia’s GDP next year. Imran Yusof, Head of Research at MBSB Research, discusses the key growth drivers, potential risks, the sectors poised to benefit, and shares his top five stock picks tied to this theme. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Private credit has expanded rapidly since the global financial crisis, growing into a US 1.7 trillion dollar market as tighter banking regulations pushed more lending activity outside traditional finance. Thomas Cheong, President of Principal APAC & Middle East and Executive Vice President of Principal Financial Group helps us understand where the opportunities are in this asset class and what...

Felix Neoh, Director of Financial Planning at Finwealth Management, explains the objectives and expected impact of the new 15-minute financial education module that consumers applying for personal loans above RM100,000 will be required to complete starting in 2027. Nonetheless, there isn’t a test at the end. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The BBC’s ongoing controversy comes amid rising licensing fees paid by UK viewers and increasing scrutiny over the company’s editorial integrity. Dr. Benjamin Barton, Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham Malaysia, outlines the challenges facing the broadcaster and believes it is unlikely to settle former US President Trump’s US$1 billion lawsuit threat. Image Credit: Shutterstock.co...

There is news that the government plans to amend the MARA Act 1966 to improve governance and centralise oversight. The 59-year-old agency has faced scrutiny over transparency, overlapping functions, and underperformance. Ahmad Yazid Othman, Senior Fellow at the Majlis Tindakan Ekonomi Melayu (MTEM), shares his views on this. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

Malaysia has had some recent wins from the strength of the Ringgit to strong economic growth despite the geopolitical tensions and trade war. So,  has Malaysia found its glory days again. A question that was posed by Daniel Moss, a Bloomberg commentator in his op-ed piece entitled "Malaysia Got Its Mojo Back. But for How Long?" . We ask him why he wrote the article and if there are challenges...

Associate Professor Dr Te Kian Keong, Principal Practitioner and Director of Traditional & Complementary Medicine Centre at UTAR Hospital tells us about the new law regulating traditional and complementary medicine facilities. Active dialog between the regulator and practitioners is key to ensuring this law effectively improves standards and safety for patients. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com...

Asian equities have delivered one of the strongest rallies globally this year, but weeks of volatile trading across Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, seem to indicate some hesitation. Vis Nayar, Chief Investment Officer at Eastspring Investments, talks about the factors behind Asia’s market momentum, the outlook for 2026, and where investors should be positioning next. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com...

Sabah’s political scene is once again in motion with UPKO’s exit from Pakatan Harapan, following party president Datuk Ewon Benedick’s resignation from Cabinet. All this ahead of the state's election at the end of the month. Ariff Adi Putera Anwar, Research Associate at the Institute for Development Studies (Sabah), shares his views. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

As Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto marks one year in office and Thailand’s Anutin Charnvirakul wraps up his second month as prime minister, both leaders are confronting early tests of leadership. Journalist Erin Cook joins us with an analysis of some of the latest developments in these two ASEAN member nations. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

Japan’s new government under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is signalling a significant shift in economic policy, preferring to take a longer lens. We ask Alvin Liew, Senior Economist & Senior Vice President, UOB what are the implications of this change and what are the next steps the BOJ will take. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The excise duty exemption for CKDs is due to be removed while the RM100,000 selling price floor for EVs will be scrapped. What does this mean for the auto sector in Malaysia. Iftaar Hakim, Equity Analyst at RHB Investment Bank gives us his perspective whilst we also ask about EV penetration rates. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The process to end the 41-day US government shutdown is ongoing as the Senate works towards a deal. Next the House of Representatives will need to weigh in before President Donald Trump puts his signature. Dr Kathryn Robison, a lecturer at the United States Studies Centre of University of Sydney, shares her views on this. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

The Malaysian Media Council has officially commenced its work with the election of 12 board members at its inaugural Annual General Meeting last Friday. With this establishment, what changes can be expected in the standards and direction of Malaysia’s media? We’ll get an insider’s look with Radzi Razak, Founding Board Member of the Malaysian Media Council. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnyst...

Malaysia’s classrooms are set for a big change in 2027 with a new subject called Nature and Humanity , and a co-teaching model where two teachers share one class. What will that look like in practice? We speak with Chan Soon Seng, CEO of Teach for Malaysia to better understand the impact it will have on students, parents and educators when this kicks in 14 months.  Image Credit: Shutterstock....

Singapore’s three biggest banks have turned in mixed results for the latest quarter, with all of them flagging margin pressures ahead of 2026 as interest rates trend lower. Sarah Jane Mahmud, Senior Industry Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence tells what to expect from the sector in 2026 and which bank is most resilient. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

With a record 596 candidates fighting for just 73 seats, the outcome of Sabah’s 2025 state election is anyone’s guess, says Prof. Dr. Lee Kuok Tiung of Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's never a dull weekend in politics. Upko President Ewon Benedict resigned as Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development. We also saw some tense scenes at the Amanah party conference yesterday. Ibrahim Suffian, Co-Founder & Programme Director at the Merdeka Center, gives us his take on these events, what it means for Sabah state elections and who could be the new ministers. Image...

COP30 is taking place in Belem, Brazil this year with the notable absence of many world leaders. We ask Dr Renato Lima de Oliveira, Faculty Director of the Center for Technology, Strategy & Sustainability, Asia School of Business if this means that this UN Climate Change Conference is still relevant and do the commitments of  1.5-degree target still matter. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com...

As expected, Bank Negara Malaysia kept the overnight policy rate at 2.75%. We ask Lavanya Venkateswaran, Senior ASEAN Economist, OCBC for her views on this decision and what could be gleaned from their statement as to the broader economy. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US government shutdown now in its second month, forcing the Federal Aviation Administration to consider cutting flights at major airports by up to 10%. Could these disruptions ripple through Asia’s aviation sector? We discuss the implications with Shukor Yusof, Founder and Primary Analyst, Endau Analytics. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cliff Lim, Director of Risk & Compliance for Southeast Asia at Dow Jones, explains how transnational scam networks and money laundering operations exploit gaps in cross-border regulations. His insights underscore the urgent need for stronger government-to-government (G2G) cooperation and greater regulatory harmonisation to keep pace with kingpins and scammers who increasingly take advantage of...