Morning Brief

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) schemes have seen explosive growth in Malaysia, a 30% jump from a year earlier. Dr Liew Chee Yoong, Associate Professor, Department of Accounting and Finance, UCSI University tells us if the Consumer Credit Act 2025 and the Consumer Credit Commission, or CCC are the right steps to regulate the industry. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener...

Overlapping functions within government-linked companies or GLCs have sparked calls for a major overhaul. Could merging or restructuring these entities unlock new opportunities for Malaysia’s economy? To explore this, we speak with Lee Chean Chung, MP for Petaling Jaya. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Singapore Exchange (SGX) reported its highest revenue and net profit since listing. However, the group recorded only six new equity listings during the financial year, down from seven in FY2024. We ask Ng Yao Loong, Head of Equities, SGX as to the reasons for the good results, how do they intend to compete with the regional bourses who also want a share of listings and market volumes...

Danial Abdul Rahman, CEO of the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI), underscores both the promising initiatives and persistent gaps in the 13th Malaysia Plan’s education reforms, which span from preschool to tertiary levels. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore celebrates its diamond jubilee, commemorating 60 years of nationhood, on Aug 9, with this year’s theme : Building Our Singapore Together. Dr Mustafa Izzuddin, Senior International Affairs Analyst at Solaris Strategies Singapore, reflects on what it means to be Singaporean and what the island nation may have to navigate as it faces an uncertain geopolitical future. Image Credit: Shutterst...

The Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur Planning Rules 2025 came into force from June 16, granting the Datuk Bandar broad powers to approve developments. It was also passed without public consultation. Alliff Benjamin Suhaimi, a partner at Thomas Philip explains the implications. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the date for Sabah’s state election, which must be held before Nov 11, approaches, news has emerged that UMNO is considering running on its own. This is after Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) formed an electoral pact. Ariff Adi Putera Anwar, Research Associate at the Institute for Development Studies Sabah, shares his insights into how the political sands are shifting in the...

Could peace emerge from Trump’s upcoming meeting with Putin and Zelensky? Dr. Sonia Mycak, Research Fellow at the ANU Centre for European Studies, explains why a peaceful resolution remains unlikely and unpacks the underlying motives driving Putin’s continued aggression toward Ukraine, despite mounting U.S. sanctions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Galen Centre for Health & Social Policy believes the recently tabled 13th Malaysia Plan falls short in several key areas of Putrajaya's plans to reform Malaysia's health sector. Azrul Mohd Khalib, the think tank's CEO, breaks down what the missed opportunities are. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia has agreed to buy and invest over US$240 billion with the US which has resulted in the lower 19% tariff rate, down from the threatened 25%. Dr Carmelo Ferlito from the Centre for Market Education talks about the resulting strategic and economic implications there may arise from this deal. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Malaysia becomes an aged nation faster than expected, the government is mulling a major reform : monthly pension payouts on top of lump-sum withdrawals. Chai Sen Tyng, Senior Research Officer, Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing (myAgeing), Universiti Putra Malaysia discusses this proposal and what more needs to be done. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Collins Chong, foreign affairs and security analyst at Universiti Malaya, unpacks the Kremlin’s orchestrated posturing and how provocative tweets by Russian military leader and former president Dmitry Medvedev rattled U.S. President Donald Trump into threatening the use of nuclear submarines. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite lofty valuations, the Magnificent 7 still have room to run. Dan Ives, Managing Director at Wedbush Securities, breaks down the key growth drivers and reveals his top five tech stock picks following the Q2 2025 earnings season. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a shaky start, the peace truce between Thailand and Cambodia appears to be holding, following two rounds of talks in Kuala Lumpur under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, current chair of the ASEAN bloc. Dato’ Dr Ilango Karuppannan, former Malaysian ambassador and Adjunct Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, says personal relationships r...

The 13th Malaysia Plan sets bold targets for public transport reform. With major rail projects, structural changes, and increased investment in the pipeline, will these efforts be enough to drive real improvement? We get insights from Dr Law Teik Hua, Associate Professor, Universiti Putra Malaysia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two key indicators that economists monitor to assess the strength of China’s economy are industrial production and domestic demand. With China approaching the August 12th deadline to renew its tariff truce with the US, how might this impact the outlook for the country’s manufacturing production and domestic consumption? For insights, we’ll be speaking with Ada Li, Senior Industry Analyst at Bloomb...

As Parliament convenes for its second meeting of 2025, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has released multiple reports. Teresa Kok, Vice Chairman, Public Accounts Committee (PAC) & Member of Parliament for Seputeh reminds us about the critical role they play and how it is the best example of bipartisan politics at work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during the tabling of the 13MP announced that the country is targeting MSMEs to contribute 50 per cent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030, a significant increase from about 39 per cent in 2023. Datuk William Ng, Chairman, Small and Medium Enterprises Association (SAMENTA) tells if the 13MP initiatives can help MSMEs achieve this...

Edmund Bon Tai Soon, Chair and Representative of Malaysia to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), shares an update on a proposed legally binding human rights resolution targeted for adoption within five years. He also discusses two key declarations on the environment and on peace that are expected to be adopted at the 47th ASEAN Summit. See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

The U.S. has raised tariffs on a number of ASEAN countries, with rates ranging from 19% to as high as 40%. Could this hurt the region’s growth and push Southeast Asia to rethink its trade ties? We speak to Dr. Jayant Menon, Visiting Senior Fellow at ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia has officially made secondary education mandatory following passing of the Education (Amendment) Bill in Parliament. Meanwhile, plans to build vertical schools in the Klang Valley are progressing, with the Education Ministry announcing that development guidelines have been finalised. Joining us now is Chan Soon Seng, CEO of Teach For Malaysia, to help us unpack what these developments mea...

Under this plan, the economy is projected to grow by 4.5-5.5% a year, with aspirations for Malaysia to be a high income nation by 2030 and one of the top 30 economies in the world. This plan is also supposed to have a sharper focus on domestic demand, good governance, digital transformation, and sustainable growth, Professor Tricia Yeoh, Associate Professor of Practice, University of Nottingham Ma...

The tariff deadline for US tariffs has just passed and with many countries not having a trade deal, what impact does that have on Asia's economy? Tommy Xie, Head of Asia Macro Research, OCBC Bank gives us his perspective and what is the reason for the US dollar to appreciate of late. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

International support for Palestinian statehood has been gaining momentum with Canada and Britain lending their voices. Additionally, a group of 15 countries including Australia and New Zealand have signed a New York Call joint diplomatic appeal to revive momentum for a two-state solution. Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern & Central Asian Studies at the Australian National Univ...

Malaysia’s government debt could top the statutory ceiling of 65% debt-to-GDP ratio this year amid a moderating economy and sustained spending. Dr Cassey Lee, Senior Fellow and Coordinator, Regional Economic Studies Programme, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute gives us his thoughts if this is cause for concern. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.