Morning Brief

China has announced a five-year package totaling CNY10 trillion to tackle local government debt problems, while signalling that more economic support would come next year and the year after that. Ho Woei Chen, an economist & senior vice president at UOB, shares her views on how effective Beijing's stimuli might be in the wake of slowing China growth and an impending Trump administration until...

Germany’s governing coalition has collapsed after Chancellor Olaf Scholz sacked his finance minister, following disagreements over the country’s weak economy. To address the crisis, Scholz has called for a confidence vote on Jan 15 and if he fails to secure support, Germany could face elections as early as March. Dr Frederick Kliem, Managing Director of Episteme Consultants, shares his views. Imag...

The award of the second 5G spectrum has taken many by surprise when U Mobile, the smallest of telco players won it. However, this has raised more questions as to the reasons, technical specifications and also the benefit to the country for this award that the regulator, MCMC has yet to answer. Professor Dr Ong Kian Ming, Pro Vice Chancellor for External Engagement, at Taylor's University gives us...

Following the death of an 18-year-old boy on a Penang express bus after being electrocuted while charging his phone, concerns have been raised over the safety of electrical components in public transport. What are the regulations that apply and could this be better enforced? We speak with Dr Law Teik Hua, Associate Professor at Road Safety Research Centre of Universiti Putra Malaysia for more insi...

Despite the political uncertainty in Japan after a shocking LDP loss and a Trump Presidency, the Japanese equity markets continue to do well, up 18%. We speak to Max Godwin, Portfolio Manager, Japan Equities, Eastspring Investments Singapore as to what is the best investment strategy to adopt and what sectors to pay attention to. Image Credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

Republican candidate Donald Trump has been elected the 47th president of the United States. The 78-year-old pulled off a stunning political comeback in one of the most polarised contests for the White House in the country’s history. Joining us to discuss the results of the 2024 US presidential election is John S. Jackson, Visiting Professor at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Image Credit...

Since 2023, the Ministry of Health received more than 300 complaints over complications from aesthetic procedures done at illegal beauty premises. Despite existing legislation, why are these cases becoming more prevalent? We discuss the state of enforcement and public awareness about cosmetic procedures with Datuk Dr Thirunavukarasu Rajoo, President-Elect, at the Malaysian Medical Association. Ima...

Who will be the next resident of the White House? We discuss expectations for the presidential elections, including the timeline of results and trends to watch with Samuel Garett, Research Associate at the United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney.  Image Credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ringgit has been one of the best performing currencies in Asia this year although some of the earlier gains have been returned. We speak to Dr Cassey Lee, Senior Fellow and Coordinator, Regional Economic Studies Programme, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute to understand how the Ringgit can appreciate in a sustainable manner for the long term. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/liste...

Kemi Badenoch has been voted the new leader of the U.K.'s opposition Conservative Party with the hope that she can revive the party's fortunes after securing just 121 seats in the 650-seat Parliament in the last elections. Dr Benjamin Barton, Head of School of Politics and International Relations at University of Nottingham Malaysia gives us his perspective on what changes she will make and an ove...

The US presidential race is going down to the wire, with Kamala Harris and Donald Trump neck-and-neck in opinion polls. We catch up with Dhanya Nair of BFM News on the eve of voting to gauge the mood and expectations of the elections. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The U.S. is set to elect a new leader in just a couple of days but concerns are growing that additional tariffs under a second Donald Trump presidency would dampen global growth. What impact however will it has specifically on the Asean 6 countries? Lavanya Venkateswaran, Senior ASEAN Economist, OCBC gives us her perspective whilst telling us if emerging market currencies would also see...

Bersatu held party elections over the weekend, but the process was far from smooth sailing. Some 10 divisions were suspended at the eleventh hour while 15 division committee members, announced they quit the party. Dr Azmil Mohd Tayeb, Political Scientist and Associate Professor, Universiti Sains Malaysia gives us a glimpse as to the reasons for this and what this means for their political future....

The Madani Government is reviving the National Service Training Programme (PLKN) 3.0 beginning January 2025 at a cost of RM50 million ringgit. Can the implementation of the national service programme truly improve nation building and unity among Malaysian youth? We speak with Syafiq Ridzwan, Chief of Information, Malaysian Youth Council for more insights. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See om...

Is the media acting responsibly when they chase stories involving children or are there cases where their rights are ignored? We speak with Dr Farah Nini Dusuki, Children's Commissioner at SUHAKAM about the implementation of regulations under the Child Act 2001 related to media reporting on cases involving children. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

There have been several developments in the Middle East this week, including the banning of UNWRA in Israel, as well as Israeli strikes on Iran, Gaza and Lebanon. We speak to Dr. Ghada Soliman of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies to discuss the implications of these events and whether the outcome of the US elections could impact what happens in the Middle East. Image Credit: s...

International rice prices have dropped following India's decision to resume exports of non-basmati rice for the first time in 14 months. With adverse climate conditions and volatile rice prices becoming the norm, how can the industry adapt to ensure food security? We speak to Dr. Paul Teng, Professor & Adjunct Senior Fellow at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies for insights. Image C...

The High Court will decide today whether or not there is a prima facie case against former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, for 25 counts of abuse of power and who has been charged with four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering. Giving his thoughts on the matter is P. Gunasegaram, Independent Business Writer.  Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/liste...

The upcoming US elections are being seen as the most consequential in recent history, with Vice-President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump what is the sentiment in the US ahead of elections? We speak to BFM correspondent Dhanya Nair on factors that could influence the outcome.  Image Credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Minister of Housing and Local Government Nga Kor Ming announced that under new anti-corruption criteria introduced this year, twelve local authorities (PBTs) have had their ratings downgraded. How are PBTs assessed for their anti-corruption efforts? We get views from Pushpan Murugiah, CEO of the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) on how these developments could reshape accountabilit...

Big Tech earnings are in the spotlight as 5 of the 7 Magnificents report their third quarter results, amid a focus on the AI revolution and how the upcoming US presidential elections might impact future performances. Dan Ives, Managing Director at Wedbush Securities, shares his views. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Japan's ruling coalition, the Liberal Democratic Party, led by PM Shigeru Ishiba, has failed to secure a parliamentary majority following a snap election he decided to call. Voters appear to be punishing the LDP over a funding scandal and inflation. Michael Čuček, Assistant Professor of Asian Studies at Temple University, Japan Campus shares his insights into what might transpire in the coming day...

The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living is looking to review commission fees imposed by e-commerce platforms on sellers. Eng Kin Hoong, President of Malaysia Cross Border E-Commerce Association discusses whether the government should indeed step in to regulate the commission e-commerce platforms take from sellers. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

Budget 2025's focus on Malaysia's real estate sector included a RM10 billion ringgit allocation for the Housing Credit Guarantee Scheme as well as tax relief and RM900 million ringgit for affordable home initiatives. Datuk Chang Kim Loong, Honorary Secretary-General of the National House Buyers Association shares his thoughts on the budget announcement. Brought to you by Mah Sing. Reinvent Spaces....

There have been a spate of human trafficking cases reported of late, most prominently stemming from the GISB probe. How robust is Malaysia's anti-trafficking regime and what are the gaps that need to be addressed? We discuss the situation with Dr Haezreena Begum Abdul Hamid, criminologist at Universiti Malaya. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.