Morning Brief

Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong delivered the country’s expansionary Budget for 2025 amounting to about SGD$ 143 billion dollars, constituting almost 19% of GDP with a nod towards alleviating cost of living pressures whilst making the city state a centre for new ventures. But are these measures enough to help Singapore navigate the choppy waters that is 2025? Selena Ling, Chief Economist,...

The Reserve Bank of Australia cut benchmark interest rates for the first time since November 2020, lowering the cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.1% as softening inflation allows room for easing policy. Sophia Angala, an economist, ANZ Research, shares her perspective on the decision and what can be expected in an uncertain 2025 for the global economy. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See...

Last week, US President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on all steel products imported into the country, which the Malaysian Iron and Steel Industry Federation (MISIF) said would lead to steel and aluminium imports being dumped on our shores. Roshan M. Abdullah, President of MISIF joins us to paint a picture of how this could impact local steel players. Image Credits: Shutterstock.com See omny...

The Trump administration's efforts to resume direct communication ties with Moscow and open negotiations to end the war in Ukraine has raised concerns that Kyiv and Europe would be left out of the discussions. We discuss these developments and possible foreign policy implications with Dr. Alexey Muraviev of Curtin University. Image Credits: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) is in talks with investment bankers, stockbroking companies, rating agencies, and other market participants to revamp existing fee structures and impose a levy on revenue from regulated activities. We ask Ng Zhu Hann, CEO & Founder of Tradeview Capital if this is timely, and the panacea to the SC's financial deficit. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com S...

As the DAP party elections on March 16 draw near, tensions within the party are reaching a boiling point, with Lim Guan Eng's leadership under scrutiny. At a recent dinner honoring Lim Kit Siang, an incident involving Lim Guan Eng’s aide and potential Penang chief minister candidate Steven Sim raised questions about the party's direction and leadership. Dr Oh Ei Sun, Principal Adviser at Pacific R...

Sarawak's move to launch AirBorneo is sparking discussions about the future of its aviation sector. As the region looks to chart its own course, the real challenge is not just growth—but ensuring sustainable success. We take a closer look at what’s ahead for AirBorneo with Khair Mirza, Head of Airport Investor Resource at Modalis Infrastructure Partners Inc. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omny...

The Malaysia Padi Farmers Brotherhood Association or PeSawah, has voiced concerns that the newly announced floor price of 1,500 Ringgit per tonne is insufficient, believing additional incentives are necessary in the face of rising input costs. Dr. Sarena Che Omar of the PNB Research Institute joins us to discuss if the new floor price helps or hurts paddy farmers. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com Se...

The government is reviewing vehicle valuation to ensure fair excise taxes, but experts warn that prices could rise by 10% to 30% from 2026. Mohd Shamsor Mohd Zain, President of Malaysian Automotive Association shares his insights on how these changes could affect the automotive industry. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The recent launch of Chinese startup, DeepSeek, has sparked a flurry of interest into AI-related stocks but Bloomberg Intelligence warns that this support could see some pressure in 2025. Robert Lea, Senior Tech Industry Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence, shares his perspective on this as the mainland Chinese and Hong Kong stock markets record gains. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com...

The abrupt resignation of a vice-chancellor from a prominent public university has raised serious questions about appointments of vice-chancellors and other leadership positions. We speak with Dr. Sharifah Munirah Alatas from the Allianz Centre for Governance on whether our ministers should still be the ultimate authority on the appointment of vice-chancellors. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See o...

Peter Lewis, Director, Peter Lewis Consulting (China) Limited discusses what's behind the recent rally behind the Hang Seng Index, and whether this trend will continue for the foreseeable future. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Chap Goh Meh and Valentine’s Day falling in the same week, florists have been flooded with orders. However, rising costs and supply challenges are shifting consumer buying habits. Is the love for fresh flowers fading or will demand continue to bloom? To get an industry perspective, we speak to Esda Meow, Member of the Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA). Image Credit: Shutterstock.com Se...

Amendments to the Communications and Multimedia Act came into effect earlier this week after it was passed by Dewan Rakyat. These are aimed at creating a more secure internet ecosystem to provide better protection for users, especially minors. Wathshlah Naidu, Executive Director, Centre for Independent Journalism, shares her perspectives on the impact of these amendments to journalistic freed...

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has wrapped up a two-day official visit to Malaysia holding discussions with PM Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Topics ranged from the reconstruction of Gaza as well as doubling bilateral trade from the current 24 billion ringgit. Dr Julia Roknifard, Senior Lecturer with the School of Law and Governance at Taylor’s University, shares her insights. Image Credit...

The rise in influenza cases has put the Ministry of Health on alert, with free flu vaccinations offered for eligible individuals including senior citizens. How concerned should we be about the uptick? We discuss measures to enhance public healthcare with Dr Haji Helmy Haja Mydin, Consultant Respiratory Specialist, Pantai Hospital. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for...

The Malaysian government is facing intense backlash over recent measures to address the nurse shortage, particularly the lowering of entry requirements for nursing diplomas and the proposed 45-hour work week. Critics argue that these changes would only exacerbate burnout and brain drain, while compromising the quality of patient care. We speak with Chairman of the Malaysian Medical Association, MM...

The Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan had suggested the formation of a Asean stock exchange to bolster the 10-nation group’s economic growth. We speak to P Gunasegaram, Independent Writer and Founding Editor of Kinibiz for the feasibility of such a proposal and what would be the benefits of it. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

China's top economic planning agency said on Sunday it was taking steps to scale back subsidies for renewable energy (RE) projects after a boom in solar and wind power installations. This announcement came after China broke its own records for new solar installations in 2024, and meeting targets that were meant for 2030. Pieter E. Stek, Senior Lecturer at the Asia School of Business explains what...

Malaysia’s Department of Environment, or DoE, estimates that 24.5 million units of electronic waste will be discarded this year alone, driven by rapid digitalisation. With mounting economic, legal, and health concerns, what steps should Malaysia take to address the growing e-waste issue and improve its recycling and disposal systems? Mohamed Tarek El-Fatatry of ERTH weighs in with his recommendati...

To enhance financial transparency, Malaysia has rolled out four new auditing guidelines following amendments to the Audit Act 1957. These changes give the Auditor General expanded authority to audit over 1,800 entities that receive public funds, including government-linked companies and investment firms. Dr Veerinderjeet Singh, Senior Advisor on Tax Policy at KPMG shares his insights on how these...

Despite an uptick in China's consumer inflation for this CNY, signs are emerging that this might not be sustainable amid persistent deflationary pressures. Angela Han Lee, Senior Industry Analyst, Gaming & Hospitality, Bloomberg Intelligence, shares her insights into how these may impact China's F&B, gaming and travel segments. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listene...

According to a new joint report between the World Bank and the Ministry of Economy, income inequality in Malaysia remains a major challenge, despite economic growth. Hawati Abdul Hamid, Head, Social Policy Research Section, EPF helps us distill the report and what policy measures are needed to improve economic mobility and in turn income inequality. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.co...

The proposal for Malaysia's Senior Citizens Bill has been under consideration since March 2023 and has yet to be tabled. Meanwhile, there has been a steady rise in cases of children abandoning their parents at hospitals in recent years peaking during festive seasons. Chai Sen Tyng, a senior research officer at Universiti Putra Malaysia shares his perspective. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omn...

US President Donald Trumps' proposal to 'take over' the Gaza Strip and turn it into the 'Riviera of the Middle East' has drawn backlash from Palestinian officials, several world leaders and human rights organizations. Israel has unsurprisingly thrown support for this plan. Dr Eyal Mayroz, Senior Lecturer of Peace and Conflict Studies from The University of Sydney, shares his insights. Image Credit...