Morning Brief

China's recent data points to a sharper-than-expected cyclical slowdown as industrial output, retail sales and investment all stumbled in August, adding to doubts over whether Beijing can sustain its 5% growth target. Heron Lim, Lecturer of Economics at ESSEC Business School tells us if policy makers will be initiating new policy measures to counter this. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystu...

Malaysia’s live entertainment scene has been in the spotlight recently, due to discussions over dress codes. Earlier this year, the government introduced new guidelines and incentives to position Malaysia as a concert hub. To unpack these initiatives, we speak with Para Rajagopal, Founder of ALIFE, a collective of concert promoters. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

Recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN is gaining momentum, with Australia, the UK and France joining over 145 countries in support. Yet major players like the US and Japan remain hesitant. What impact does this have on a long lasting solution to the war in Gaza? We’ll discuss this with Dr James Dorsey, Adjunct Senior Fellow at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Image Credit: Shu...

The redevelopment of Kampung Sungai Baru has reignited heated debate after a chaotic eviction operation early this month. However the eviction was not sudden, but rather the result of nearly a decade of planning, disagreements, and legal battles. Lawyer Aliff Benjamin Suhaimi breaks down the legal arguments in the case. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...

The Budi Madani RON95 (Budi95) fuel subsidy does not primarily benefit lower-income households, as initially indicated by the government, but instead rewards those who consume less petrol. Economist Dr Geoffrey Williams explains how this scheme fits into the Madani government’s broader fiscal reform agenda. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Heated nation-wide protests have erupted in the Philippines as frustration grows over unmaterialised flood-control projects despite billions of pesos allegedly being poured into them. To help us unpack what these protests reveal about sentiment and corruption in the Philippines is Erin Cook, Journalist for Southeast Asian Affairs. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

Dr. Deborah K. Elms, Head of Trade Policy at the Hinrich Foundation, says it is time for ASEAN countries to tackle non-tariff barriers to strengthen intra-regional trade,  as external pressures from the Trump administration intensify. Image Credit: Shutterstock.co See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Media authorities have fined Sin Chew Media and Sinar Karangkraf RM100,000 each. What does this mean for press freedom, and do we need clearer guidelines as AI becomes more mainstream in journalism? Joining us to discuss is Dr Benjamin Loh, Course Director of the Bachelor of Digital Media and Communication at Monash University Malaysia. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

Election spending limits under the Election Offences Act 1954 have remained unchanged since 2023. Bersih Chairman Faisal Aziz outlines his proposals for updated spending caps and the reforms he believes should be in place ahead of the next general election, GE16. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China’s consumption recovery is losing steam, with August retail sales rising only 3.4% and falling short of expectations yet again. Policymakers are leaning on vouchers, cheaper credit, and holiday demand to revive momentum. Will this be enough to turn sentiment around? Catherine Lim, Senior Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, shares her analysis. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/...

Three out of four local manufacturers are already feeling the pinch from U.S. tariffs on their exports. Datuk William Ng, Chairman of the Small and Medium Enterprises Association (SAMENTA), describes how SMEs are responding by collaborating and sharing facilities to cut costs and stay competitive. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Global rice prices have fallen to their lowest level in eight years, with the UN’s All Rice Price Index shedding 24% in August compared with the same period last year. Helping us make sense of what’s shaping global rice markets is Lucrezia Cogliati, Agribusiness Analyst from BMI. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Donald Trump has just completed his second state visit to Britain steeped in royal ceremony, but also met with public protest and diplomatic friction. Dr Benjamin Barton, Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham Malaysia looks at what’s at stake for London, Washington, and beyond. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sabah has been hit by heavy rain over the past week, resulting in a series of floods and landslides in areas of the state. Ariff Adi Putera, Research Officer, Institute for Development Studies (Sabah) discusses reactions to government aid efforts and how this might inform voter decisions in the upcoming state elections. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...

Malaysia wants at least 30 tech companies to be IPO-ready by 2028, under a new initiative led by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC). Ng Zhu Hann, CEO and Founder of Tradeview Capital, shares his views on this ambition for tech firms to broaden access to capital markets, create more listed champions, and strengthen the digital economy. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/...

PAS wrapped up its 71st Muktamar in Kota Sarang Semut, Kedah, where the members called for the party to pushed to take a leading role in the Perikatan National coalition. We discuss the potential impact on PN and the Malaysian political scene with Adib Zalkapli, Managing Director of Viewfinder Global Affairs. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week US and China government officials announced that a framework agreement had been reached to enable TikTok to continue its American operations. We discuss what we know about the deal with George Chen, Partner & Co-chair of Digital Practice at The Asia Group. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the RON95 petrol subsidy rationalization seemingly forthcoming, the Ministry of Finance has said eligibility will be determined using PADU’s socio-economic database, along with income and asset data. Officials claim the move could save up to 8 billion ringgit a year, while costing about 20 billion ringgit annually. P Gunasegaram, independent business writer gives us his thoughts on its implem...

The U.S. political landscape has been shaken by the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk last week. Against this backdrop, how is the Trump administration navigating the current political dynamics? For perspective, we’ll be speaking with Dr. Adrian Ang, Research Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

The ASEAN-6 light vehicle market is seeing significant shifts in its competitive landscape, with Chinese OEMs rapidly gaining market share at the expense of Japanese brands. Patrick Ziechmann, PwC’s ASEAN Automotive Leader, describes how ASEAN is strengthening its role as a major consumer market and a regional production hub. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

Since September 10, Malaysia has decriminalised attempted suicide and strengthened protections for vulnerable groups. Crisis Intervention Officers are now on the frontlines offering immediate support. For more insights on the impact of these changes, we speak with Justin Victor, Former Chairman of Befrienders KL Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Cabinet has decided in principle to fully separate the roles of the Attorney-General and Public Prosecutor. Lawyer Andrew Khoo weighs in on the reforms needed to ensure full independence for prosecutorial decisions in Malaysia. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Currently Malaysians navigate 288 apps built by 125 government agencies.  MyGOV aims to change this by consolidating essential services into a single, secure hub, but is that possible? Alex Wong, Managing Editor & Co-Founder of SoyaCincau gives us his perspective. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the death toll in Gaza nears 67,000, Israel launched an airstrike on Doha, Qatar’s capital. We speak to Mohd Amirul Asraf bin Othman, research scholar at the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, The Australian National University, on whether President Trump’s ceasefire ultimatum can bring peace — or deepen the conflict. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

Asia’s second-quarter earnings season wrapped up on a muted note, coming in 1.8% below expectations. Yet investor reaction have been mild with minimal selling. Marvin Chen, Senior Asia Equity Strategist, Bloomberg Intelligence gives us his outlook for the rest of 2025 and what markets will outperform. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.