Morning Brief

Chinese equity markets started the year on a lackluster note albeit there was a remarkable turnaround in September when the government issued a bevy of fiscal support. However by the last quarter of the year, Chinese equities have returned half of September's 35% gain and remained in a tight trading range. What then can we expect in 2025? Yip Kah Ming, Assistant Portfolio Manager, AHAM Capital&nbs...

Two rallies are set to be held outside Menara Kinabalu on New Year's Eve following allegations of corruption involving the state's chief minister and 7 lawmakers. One rally is calling for more anti-corruption action and the other is in support of the chief minister. Dr Oh Ei Sun, Principal Adviser, Pacific Research Centre, shares his analysis on Sabah politics with state elections due to be held&n...

Singapore is the sleeper hit amongst Asean markets, up 16% on a year to date basis. We ask Thilan Wickramasinghe, Head of Research, Singapore and Regional Head of Financials, Maybank Investment Bank as to why the city state has rallied, will this strong outperformance continue and what stocks will outperform in 2025. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Malaysia’s agricultural self-sufficiency came under the spotlight this year given the shortage in locally produced rice. How is the Madani Government responding to the challenges of managing a ballooning food imports bill and ensuring adequate agricultural yield? We discuss this with food security expert Prof. Datin Paduka Fatimah Arshad of Universiti Putra Malaysia. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com...

Palm oil remains the most widely consumed vegetable oil in the world which has seen strong price momentum in 2024. We ask Alvin Tai, Global Agriculture Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence what explains this price trend and more importantly what is the outlook for 2025 despite the headwinds. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Under the National Energy Transition Roadmap or NETR, Malaysia plans to achieve 70% renewable energy capacity by 2040. How far have we progressed towards that path this year, and can global momentum for renewable energy be sustained under the incoming Trump presidency? We review the year in energy with Dhana Raj Markandu of ISIS Malaysia. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener...

With 2024, eventually seeing challenges for the transportation sector - both aviation and maritime - despite positive expectations when the year began, what fortunes will 2025 bring? Ahmad Maghfur Usman, Equity Analyst at Nomura Malaysia, talks about some of the factors that had played a part in the sector's performance this year and what his expectations will be next year. Image Credit: Shutterst...

Since the first meeting on the establishment of the Malaysian Media Council after GE14 in 2018, the Malaysian Media Council (MMC) Bill 2024 is now expected to be tabled for a second reading in February next year, nearly 5 years on. Wathshlah Naidu, Executive Director of the Centre for Independent Journalism, talks about how to make an imperfect bill as perfect as possible. Image Credit: Shutt...

The tech sector has boomed this year driven by investor exuberance over AI tech, with the Magnificent 7 dominating the equity markets. Will this momentum be sustained in the new year, when variables change under a second Trump administration? We get analysis from Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, Bank Negara Malaysia as the financial regulator for the insurance sector announced interim measures to limit the hike in insurance premiums resulting from medical inflation. While broadly welcome by stakeholders, the announcement is but a temporary band aid for what ails healthcare financing. What policies need to be considered to address the issue more holistically? We discuss this wit...

The Chinese equity markets started on a soft note in 2024 until a raft of stimulus measures were announced in mid-September, resulting in a 35% jump. But as markets normalised and are now only around 14% up on a year-to-date basis, Yu Junqiang, Acting Head of Equity, Hong Leong Asset Management, shares his insights on what we can expect in 2025. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/li...

The Malaysian public healthcare system is at its breaking point, with medical staff overstretched and burnt out due to the various demands on their time and expertise without commensurate reward. What policy measures are needed to resolve the long-term crisis in public sector healthcare staffing? We discuss a proposal to introduce a rotational system in medical placement and other recommendations...

South Korean markets have had a dismal 2024, as the country’s benchmark stock index, the Kospi, has lost over 9% on year-to-date basis making one of the worst performing main exchange in Asia. This was made worse by the recent declaration of martial law which was rescinded. Marvin Chen, Senior Asia Equity Strategist at Bloomberg Intelligence tells us if it's time to bottom fish or will that perenn...

Controversial figure Tun Musa Aman, who served as Sabah’s Chief Minister from 2003 till 2018, has been appointed as the state’s governor with the backing of the current Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. What does this development signal about the evolving landscape of Sabah politics? We get analysis from  Ariff Adi Putera of the Institute for Development Studies (Sabah). Image Credit: Sh...

International ratings agency, Fitch has reaffirmed Malaysia’s long term currency issuer default rating at BBB+ with a stable outlook. We speak to Kathleen Chen, Associate Director Fitch Ratings’ Asia-Pacific Sovereigns who is also the primary Sovereign analyst for Malaysia as to the reasons for this and what is required for us to achieve an upgrade. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omn...

The government launched a National Artificial Intelligence Office (NAIO), which is a brand-new agency under the Digital Ministry. According to its website, the office is expected to serve as a centralised agency for AI, providing strategic planning, R&D, as well as regulatory oversight, among others. So, how will this agency fit into Malaysia’s agenda of accelerating AI adoption? Dr. Jun-E Tan...

The healthcare sector has been making headlines recently, with many calling for regulatory and systemic reforms as insurance premiums are expected to rise by up to 70% next year. As a result, the Health Ministry has proposed that diagnosis-related group pricing system, (DRG) be implemented. Oong Chun Sung, Equity Research Analyst, RHB Investment Bank tells us if DRG will be a boom or bane for earn...

It's expected that the Thai Economy will only expand by less than 3%, lower than that of its Asean neighbours. Poon Panichpibool, Markets Strategist, Krung Thai Bank tells us whether the recent debt support measures and cash handouts will boost consumption and in turn growth for 2025. We also ask what we can expect from their equity markets which are one of the worst performing in Asia....

Late last week, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the opposition, accusing it for repeatedly undermining the Constitution. This on the back of the Congress party attempting to impeach the Vice President. Dr Mishra, Associate Professor at the Centre for Indo-Pacific Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi helps us unpack the latest political developments and what we can expect...

Rumors were swirling last week about how Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry and Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul might be joining PKR. How might his departure impact the party and the broader Madani coalition? Giving us his thoughts on the matter is Dr Azmi Hassan, Senior Fellow, Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com...

The Chinese government concluded its Central Economic Work Conference last Thursday, promising a number of policy changes to meet major economic benchmarks next year. They include a higher fiscal deficit ceiling, more treasury bonds and cuts to interest rates. So are these pledges enough to restore investors’ confidence in Chinese stocks? Brock Silvers, Chief Investment Officer of Kaiyuan Capital...

Coffee drinkers may soon see their morning beverage get more expensive, as the price of coffee on international commodity markets hit its highest level on record on Tuesday. The price for Arabica beans, which account for most of global production, jumped more than 80% this year, while Robusta beans hit a fresh high in September. Helping us unpack the rally behind coffee prices is Judith Ganes, Com...

As land is a state matter and there are 600 industrial parks in the country with very different standards, The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) and the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) are collaborating with Sirim Bhd to set up a star rating system for industrial parks. We speak to Liew Chin Tong, Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry as to how this wi...

Private healthcare providers are under fire over the rising cost of medical services, but the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) argue that public data does not accurately reflect the cost pressures they face. What needs to be in place for diagnosis-related group pricing to be effective in the Malaysian context? We hear from Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh, President of the APHM for the i...

In response to public outcry over rising medical costs, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim this week announced that the government will study options to standardise the cost of private healthcare, including through the diagnosis-related group or DRG system, which could enhance transparency of patient treatment charges. To what extent could the DRG-system moderate medical inflation? Prof.&nbsp...