Morning Brief

Polly Cunanan, Communications Manager for Asia Pacific at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), says that despite the ceasefire, the situation in Gaza remains dire, with almost no functioning medical facilities and far less humanitarian aid entering than what was agreed upon with Israel. She adds that conditions in Sudan are equally alarming, with large numbers of people still unaccounted for since the...

Hong Kong’s economy grew 3.8% in the third quarter, outpacing expectations and keeping the city on track to meet its annual growth target of 2–3%. What does this mean for equity markets and who are the  winners?   Peter Lewis, Director, Peter Lewis Consulting Limited tells us whilst telling us what could be some of the speedbumps ahead. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/l...

States can help ease the burden of rising healthcare costs currently shouldered by the federal government, says Dr. Kelvin Yii, Member of Parliament for Bandar Kuching. In the near term, this support could come in the form of covering housing and allowances for healthcare professionals, while in the longer term, states could co-fund the development of hospitals and medical infrastructure. Image Cr...

Malaysia’s new Agreement on Reciprocal Trade with the US promises deeper economic ties and supply chain resilience, but critics have warned that it could compromise sovereignty and tilt in favour of Washington. Liew Chin Tong, the Deputy Investment, Trade & Industry Minister, joins us to unpack what the deal really entails and why it matters for local industries. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com...

Polls are happening in New York City (for its mayor) and the states of Virginia and New Jersey (for their governors), and Democrats appear to be regaining some momentum. Wendy Schiller, a professor of political science at Brown University, breaks down what these potential results might say about America’s political mood and maybe an assessment of the current Trump administration. Image Credit: Shu...

A recent landmark court ruling has awarded RM760,000 in compensation to 93 migrant workers stranded in Malaysia after falling victim to a worker quota fraud. This comes as Malaysia signed a new trade agreement with the US that includes stronger labour protection standards aligned with the ILO. Adrian Pereira, Executive Director of the North-South Initiative, explains what all this could mean for m...

The northeast monsoon is expected to begin this month and last until March next year, and with it, the risk of floods and landslides disrupting major transport routes once again. Dr. Choy Peng Ng, Associate Professor,  Department of Civil Engineering, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia tells us what changes need to be done to ensure safety on the roads. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See...

Malaysia’s political scene is heating up again, this time with Khairy Jamaluddin's possible return to Umno, two years after his sacking. Meanwhile, Bersatu's continued internal dissent continues to make headlines. Dr Azmi Hassan from the Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research breaks down how this may or may not reshape the balance of power. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/liste...

Over the past two years, AI-linked firms have driven much of the global equity rally, while earnings from other sectors have lagged behind. Do the recent tech earnings flash any signs that the AI rally might be over? Dan Ives, Managing Director, Wedbush Securities gives us his perspective whilst giving us his top tech buy ideas. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

The string of crimes involving underaged perpetrators is still fresh in our minds, as well as the government’s, because they are mulling several measures to regulate online games, as well as the installation of CCTVs in schools. Sharmila Sekaran, Chairperson, Voice of the Children - this is a local NGO that advocates for children’s rights - gives us her perspective on whether these measures will b...

The 19th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) wraps up as Malaysia hands over the chair to the Philippines. With regional defence and cyber threats on the agenda and US support offered on South China Sea issues, can ASEAN maintain its core value of centrality? We’ll discuss this with Chong Ja Ian, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, National University of Singapore. Image Cred...

Malaysia is on the cusp of becoming an aged society, and it’s happening faster than many expected. Are we ready for this silver tsunami? Questions we pose to Philip O’Keefe, Professor of Practice at the University of New South Wales and Director of the Ageing Asia Research Hub at the Centre for Population Ageing Research (CEPAR), lead author of a recently release report by the World Bank entitled,...

Yesterday, Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump met on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in South Korea for their long awaited trade talks - and parted ways in what both sides are calling a breakthrough. Sarah Tan, Economist, Moody's Analytics gives us her perspective on the outcome from the meeting and what it means for both their economies. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/list...

Markets were disappointed with the anticipated Federal Reserve Rate cut of 25 bps with declines across Asia and the US. This despite the conclusion of US-China trade talks where President Donald Trump claimed a victory of sorts. Aidan YAO, Senior Investment Strategist, Asia, Amundi tells us how investors can navigate these crosswinds and what investment strategy to adopt. Image Credit: S...

The US government shutdown has entered its 29th day, paralysing federal agencies, delaying pay for hundreds of thousands of workers, and threatening key welfare programmes. Bryan DeAngelis, Partner & Head of the Washington Office at Penta Group, talks about the political stalemate gripping Capitol Hill as well as the economic and social fallout. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.co...

Bursa Malaysia has filed legal action to stop MAA Group from holding an EGM  on KNM Group which is a PN17 company. We ask Dr Ismet Yusoff, CEO of Minority Shareholders Watch Group as to what this PN 17 status entails and why does Bursa intervene in cases like this. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As US President Donald Trump wraps up his three-nation tour of Asia, he got nearly $900 billion in investment pledges from Japan and South Korea, in exchange for cutting US tariffs to 15%. Alexis Dudden, Visiting Professor at the National University of Singapore, unpacks who truly benefits from these as well as how they reshape America’s economic and strategic leverage in Asia. Image Credit: Shutt...

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is back in Asia for the second time since May, visiting Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and South Korea in a bid to reinforce Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy amid escalating tensions with China. Thomas Daniel, Director of the Foreign Policy and Security Studies Programme at ISIS Malaysia, analyses the wider implications. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio....

Malaysia's semiconductors were excluded from the recent deal with the US and currently enjoys a tariff holiday. However how long will this exmption remain and how can Malaysia prepare for this? Questions we pose to Dato’ Seri Wong Siew Hai, President of the Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association whilst also getting a 2026 outlook. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Malaysia’s new digital trade agreement with the United States promises closer cooperation in technology and innovation, but comes with the removal of digital taxes, data localisation bans, and trusted supplier clauses. Farlina Said, Director of the Centre for Technology and Policy at ISIS Malaysia, breaks down what this means for Malaysia. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener...

Over the weekend, the US and China reached a preliminary consensus on easing some of the trade restrictions each had imposed on the other ahead of Presidents Xi Jin Ping and Donald Trump in South Korea next week. Does this indicate the beginnings of a recovery in trade ties between the two countries? Angeline Tan, Analyst, Institute Of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia gives us...

Yesterday, leaders of countries in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership  (RCEP) gathered in Kuala Lumpur for the first summit since the world’s largest trade pact was signed in 2020. What does this mean for both Malaysia and the region’s economic growth? We ask Professor Dr Ong Kian Ming, Adjunct Professor at Taylor's University and former Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and I...

Bersatu’s leadership turmoil shows no signs of easing, as Indera Mahkota MP Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah and six other division leaders, publicly urged Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to resign as party president. Associate Professor Dr Syaza Shukri, Department Head of Political Science and Madani Studies, International Islamic University Malaysia tells us why this chorus of dissent is getting louder, what i...

China’s National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays saw a strong rebound in travel and dining,  hinting at a long-awaited recovery in consumer sentiment after months of cautious spending. But will that trend continue for retail names as we approach the most important day for retail, Singles Day. Catherine Lim, Senior Industry Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence tells us her perspective and...

A number of trade deals have been signed over the weekend between the US and Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia. China has also indicated willingness to work with ASEAN for China on the success of a 3.0 FTA. For more insights on these trade deals, we speak to Julia Goh, Senior Economist, UOB. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.