Morning Brief

Russia launched its biggest drone attack yet as President Trump resumed military aid to Ukraine, frustrated by failed talks with Russian President Putin. Meanwhile US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met his Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrovat the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting in Kuala Lumpur amidst these tensions. Dr. Julia Roknifard, Senior Lecturer, School of Law and Governance,...

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Malaysia culminated in the signing of a strategic civil nuclear cooperation agreement, signaling Washington’s intent to deepen ties with Southeast Asia amid rising geopolitical competition. Elina Noor, Senior Fellow with the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, helps us make sense of what this means for the re...

The Home Ministry has announced plans to introduce a national refugee registration system known as the Refugee and Asylum Seeker Database, or DPP. Will this pave the way for greater rights and protections for refugees in Malaysia? To help us unpack this database, we speak with Aslam Abd Jalil, Senior Lecturer at the International Institute of Public Policy and Management, Universiti Malaya. See om...

As Kuala Lumpur hosts the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, senior officials from the US, China, Norway, Australia and Russia are in attendance. Can regional leaders find common ground on escalating tariffs and mounting geopolitical tensions? Sharon Seah, Senior Fellow, ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, shares her insights on what to expect from this high-stakes gathering. Image Credit: Shutt...

President Donald Trump has issued a flurry of letters warning that steep import tariffs will take effect on August 1, unless they can agree to new trade deals with the United States. We speak to Katrina Ell, Director & Head of Asia-Pacific Economics, Moody's Analytics on what impact this will have on the economies of Asia Pacific and if a round of GDP downgrades are to be expect...

The war in Gaza has raged for nearly two years with no lasting ceasefire. U.S President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are pushing a proposed 60-day truce but face tough issues over aid and security guarantees. We get insights from Dr. Ferooze Ali, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law and International Relations, Sultan Zainal Abidin University. Image Credit: Shutterst...

Malaysia is set to roll out its Guidelines for Responsible AI Communication, aimed at media, public relations, and digital content professionals. What must be included to ensure meaningful protection against misinformation and manipulation? We speak to Professor Dr Joanne Lim, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and lecturer in Digital Media, Communications, and Cultural Studies at the...

Recently hotels in Malaysia asserted that they would need to raise room rates by up to 15% as a result of the revised tax structure. We ask Nigel Wong, President, The Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA) if this price increase is warranted whilst getting an outlook on the tourism sector. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More Chinese nationals are travelling abroad, but spending per tourist is on the decline. Catherine Lim, Senior Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, explains where Chinese consumers are directing their spending and which sectors and companies stand to benefit from this shift in consumption trends. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

Tesla maintains a positive long-term outlook despite recent credit cuts under the Big Beautiful Bill. While the company — along with the broader tech sector — faces headwinds including tariffs, weaker tech spending, and a slowdown in U.S. AI investments, sentiment remains optimistic. Dan Ives, Managing Director at Wedbush Securities, continues to back top tech names and describes the coming six mo...

Nine PKR Members of Parliament, including former Cabinet members, Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, are calling for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into alleged political interference and delays in judicial appointments. One of the other 9 MPs, Wong Chen, who represents Subang, joins us to warn us of this crisis of confidence in Malaysia’s judiciary and the urgent actions needed to be...

As Robinhood launches tokenised equities tied to private firms like OpenAI and SpaceX, questions are mounting over the risks of unregulated digital assets. Varun Mittal, founder of Fintech Nation explains the issues as well as where he thinks bitcoin may be heading. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Major reforms are underway to elevate the Malaysian Skills Certificate (SKM) to degree-equivalent status and guarantee apprentices a minimum wage of RM1,700 as Malaysia rethinks the role of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Shazrul Ariff Suhaimi of Khazanah Research Institute explains the implications. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

On a year to date basis, the USD has depreciated against major currencies by almost 10%, the sharpest drop since 1973. We ask Peter Chia, Senior FX Strategist, UOB as if that trend will continue and also where Asian currencies are heading. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By the end of July, there will be three vacancies in Malaysia's top three judicial positions: the Chief Justice of the Federal Court, the President of the Court of Appeal, and the Chief Judge of Malaya, raising concerns about judicial independence and the need for timely appointments. Lim Wei Jiat, a constitutional lawyer, shares his perspectives on this issue. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See o...

With the July 9th deadline fast approaching before the 90-day pause on Liberation Day reciprocal tariffs ends, only the UK and Vietnam appear to have struck a semblance of a trade deal with the US. Lavanya Venkateswaran, Senior ASEAN Economist at OCBC, analyses the situation and what this might mean for Vietnam and other countries in the 10-nation bloc. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudi...

Indonesia’s budget deficit is set to hit Rp662 trillion rupiah, around $40 billion US dollars or 2.8% of GDP, pushing close to its 3% legal cap. Can the government keep spending under control while rolling out social programmes such as free meals and low-cost housing? We’ll get perspective from Daniel Moss, Opinion Columnist at Bloomberg. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener...

With its general assembly delayed and political alliances shifting, UMNO is recalibrating ahead of Sabah’s 17th state election. Can the party hold its ground amid shifting political dynamics? We speak to Adib Zalkapli, managing director of geopolitical and public policy advisory firm, Viewfinder Global Affairs, for insights. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

The Federal Court on Tuesday ruled that Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, which criminalizes the failure to give police five days’ notice before a peaceful assembly, is unconstitutional. We breakdown the court's ruling with Andrew Khoo, Human Rights Lawyer and if the Act should be repealed. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The property market in Singapore has been showing contrasting trends with Urban Redevelopment Authority reporting private home prices rising by 0.5% in the second quarter while sales of private residential units fell in May to their lowest level in five months. Ken Foong, Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence helps us make of the figures and which developers are poised for stronger earnings in 2025. See...

GEAR-uP, the Finance Ministry's Government-linked Enterprises Activation & Reform Programme, is Putrajaya's initiative designed to help SMEs grow and become more competitive. Government-Linked Investment Companies (GLICs), including Khazanah, EPF, PNB, KWAP, LTAT, and Tabung Haji, have committed around RM25 billion for this. Ng Zhu Hann, CEO of TradeView Capital shares his thoughts. Image Cred...

The Fitch Ratings’ Global Economic Outlook report for June 2025 now forecasts the world’s GDP to grow by 2.2% in 2025, up from its April projection of 1.9%. Alex Muscatelli, Director, Fitch Ratings’ Economics Team explains the rationale behind this and what are the risks that we should be aware of. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Less than one year in office and Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra faces suspension from duty if the kingdom's Constitutional Court accepts a petition filed by conservative senators accusing her of breaching ethical standards. Dr Michael Montesano, Associate Senior Fellow at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, shares his insights on this development and what it means for the future of Thai politi...

The US Senate has narrowly passed the US President Donald Trump’s multitrillion-dollar tax-and-spending package. We speak to Dr Kathryn Robison, Lecturer in American Studies, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney about the political implications of this. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The expanded Sales and Service Tax (SST) comes into effect today with many businesses across Malaysia anticipating higher operating costs. Chin Chee Seong, National President, SME Association of Malaysia tell how the implementation has been for his members and whether Malaysian can expects prices to rise in tandem. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.