Morning Brief

A widening scandal over mining license bribes in Sabah has rocked the state’s political establishment, with 15 ruling-coalition politicians implicated since 2023. Professor James Chin of the University of Tasmania talks about the implications for Sabah’s political stability, the federal-state power dynamic, and how voter sentiment may shift ahead of the next election. Image Credit: Shutterstock.co...

The deadly gas pipeline explosion in Putra Heights on Apr 1st has been traced back to unstable, waterlogged soil and not foul play or negligence. Dr Joshua Netto, Director at Blue Stone Management and a former President of the Project Management Institute Malaysia Chapter, talks about his takeaways from the official report released about the incident. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio....

The United States, once a top contributor to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi), has withdrawn its funding, raising alarms across the public health world. Professor Dr Abhimanyu Veerakumarasivam, Provost of Sunway Medical School, shares his view about what this means for the world’s most vulnerable children and the fight against future pandemics. Image Credit: Shutterstock.co...

The government is preparing to roll out MyGOV Malaysia, a mobile application designed to centralise seven major public services on a single secure platform. However, with so many apps already in use, will this be the one that actually delivers on convenience and security? We’ll discuss this with CF Fong, CEO of LGMS Berhad. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

Last week, China hosted the World Economic Forum’s second-largest annual gathering in Tianjin. To unpack what Beijing’s messaging at the event means for China’s economic outlook, we’ll be speaking with Heron Lim, Assistant Director–Economist at Moody’s Analytics. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Court of Appeal acquitted former Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman on the basis that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case and raised doubts about key witnesses. What does that suggest about the strength of the MACC’s investigative work or the prosecution’s case-building process? Goh Cia Yee, Criminal Lawyer gives us his perspective. Image Credit: Shutterstock...

After a five-year legal battle, the Member of Parliament for Muar was acquitted of all corruption and money laundering charges by the Court of Appeal. We speak to Syed Saddiq for his reflections of this and whether he will return to Muda as their President. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Tuesday, the government announced the formation of a joint ministerial committee to oversee the Reset framework, an initiative that aims to keep medical inflation in check. For some thoughts on the framework, we speak to Dr Khor Swee Kheng, CEO, Angsana Health & specialist in health systems. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia is set to unveil the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK-13), a bold five-year blueprint to reshape the nation from 2026 to 2030. But is it enough to tackle the challenges ahead? To unpack what’s at stake, we speak with Prof. Tricia Yeoh, Associate Professor of Practice, School of Politics & International Relations, University of Nottingham Malaysia. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio....

Malaysia’s expanded Sales & Service Tax is set to take effect on July 1st and the food & beverage industry is worried this will result in higher costs for dining out for the average person. Dato' Seri Abdul Malik Abdullah, Chairman of the Federation of Malaysian Business Associations and Founder of the d'Tandoor Group, shares his insights into this issue. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See...

In the midst of the Israel-Iran conflict, fears of a renewed global arms race have resurfaced, as Tehran hints at withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Dr Alvin Chew from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies helps us understand the issues at stake including the current state of global nuclear weapons and the effectiveness of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Imag...

With nearly 620,000 jobs in Malaysia’s formal sector expected to be impacted by AI in the next few years, concerns are growing over job losses and the urgent need for education and reskilling. What is the government doing to ensure Malaysians are AI-ready? Thomas Mathew, Group CEO of TalentCorp weighs in. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Research firm Merdeka Center, in its latest mid-term survey, found that the approval rating for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has improved. We speak to Ibrahim Suffian, their Programme Director for an analysis of their findings which includes what most Malaysians are concerned about. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Starting August 1, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) will take over both safety and economic oversight by absorbing the Malaysian Aviation Commission’s (MAVCOM) functions. What does this merger mean for the aviation sector? We speak with Khair Mirza, Head of Airport Investor Resource at Modalis Infrastructure Partners Inc. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

The NATO Summit is taking place this week amid changing dynamics within the bloc, especially with the return of US President Donald Trump to the White House. We discuss expectations for the summit with Dr. Reuben Wong, Deputy Head of the Political Science Department at the National University of Singapore. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In April 2024, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) initiated a comprehensive review of Malaysia’s e-commerce laws, which should be completed by August. Ganesh Kumar Bangah, Current Advisor, National Tech Association of Malaysia (PIKOM) and Chairman of its think-tank Future Digital tells the challenges of balancing the needs to all stakeholders and what are the current challeng...

On a year-to-date basis the USD is down almost 8% but with recent attacks on Iran, investors have ploughed back into the greenback. We ask Stephen Chiu, Chief Asia FX and Rates Strategist, Bloomberg Intelligence if the US dollar still remains the dominant currency whilst taking a look at the Yen, Euro and the Ringgit. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

Malaysia continues to lag behind the region in education rights, scoring just 67.5% and ranking among the lowest in ASEAN in the 2025 Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI) report. What are the human rights gaps in the government's education policies? We discuss this with Keshia Mahmood, Southeast Asia Consultant with HRMI. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

US President Donald Trump made a gamble when he approved US strikes on Iran nuclear facilities in aid of Israel, despite a campaign pledge to avoid forever wars. Has his subsequent ceasefire declaration staved a broader political fallout? We discuss the implications for Trump's domestic base with pollster John Zogby.  Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

Malaysia's total auto industry volume from January to May fell 5%. We ask Mohd Shamsor Mohd Zain, President, Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) for the reasons to this and if the outlook will remain as dim for the rest of the year against a backdrop of SST expansion, US tariffs and the RON95 petrol subsidy rationalisation. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

ASEAN economies are contending with various external headwinds. As we head into the second half of the year, the 90-day pause on US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs is set to expire, amid escalating geopolitical tensions and a potential war in the Middle East. We’ll be speaking with Lavanya Venkateswaran, Senior ASEAN Economist at OCBC, about how these developments are shaping the outlook...

Over the weekend the US launched airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in a bid to cripple Tehran's nuclear arms ambitions. What are the implications of this for dynamics in the Middle East and how might Iran retaliate? We discuss the scenarios with Middle East expert Dr. James Dorsey. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last Friday, former PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) over three money laundering charges involving RM27 million linked to SRC International after prosecutors failed to provide key documents. We discuss the outcome of the case with independent business writer P. Gunasegaram and how this reflects on the Madani Government's commitment to tackle co...

The retail industry has joined calls for the government to defer the upcoming expansion of the Sales and Service Tax (SST) citing rising cost and implementation hurdles. We speak to Michael Liew, Secretary-General, Malaysia Retail Chain Association to find out if their concerns are legitimate and what assistance they require from the government for a smooth implementation of the expanded SST list....

Malaysia’s residential property market remains under pressure, with over 23,500 completed but unsold units worth around RM15 billion ringgit recorded in the first quarter of 2025. As measures like Penang’s 5% discount and the revised Sales and Service Tax (SST) come into effect, concerns persist over whether these interventions can effectively address the overhang issue. We speak to Dr. Consilz Ta...