Morning Brief

Markets in China and Hong Kong rallied more than 4% following the People's Bank of China's announcement of plans to lower borrowing costs and allow banks to increase their lending. These measures are aimed at reviving the country's flagging economy. Tommy Xie, the head of Asia Macro Research at OCBC Bank, shares his thoughts on whether or not these measures will do the job. Image Credit: shutterst...

Bid-rigging remains a critical issue in Malaysia, leading to substantial financial losses and diminished public service quality. In response, the Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC) is set to amend the Competition Act 2010, implementing incentives for individuals who report these unethical practices to foster greater transparency. For a clearer perspective on this initiative, we speak to MyCC C...

The European Commission has announced its newly appointed team of 26 commissioners, marking a shift in dynamics after a divisive parliamentary election. A key issue facing the Commission is the upcoming EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), set to take effect at the end of the year, which has raised concerns among Malaysian stakeholders about potential fines and market exclusion for small farmers, l...

The Forest City Special Financial Zone (SFZ) in Johor was launched last Friday and is set to offer a range of investment incentives, including a reduced corporate income tax rate of between 0% and 5%, as well as a 0% tax rate for family wealth offices, which is a first in Malaysia. Are these tax breaks sufficient to accelerate investments in Forest City after a slow start? Business commentator Pan...

The National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) is set to take legal actions against 430,000 borrowers who still owe about RM6 billion in unpaid student loans. Some have been accused of being irresponsible but could they be suffering from the impact of stagnant wages and/or rising cost of living? Dr Amirul Rafiq Abu Rahim, a research associate at Khazanah Research Institute gives us some pe...

Despite China’s New Energy Vehicle deliveries hitting a record in the first half of this year, major Chinese EV makers delivered mixed results in August, even with continued government incentives. Ray Kwok, Director of Research Department, CGS International Securities Hong Kong Limited, helps us understand the EV landscape in China along with the challenges he is anticipating. Image Credit: shutte...

Sri Lankans have elected Anura Kumara Dissanayake as their new president, following a second tally of preferential votes, the first time in the country's history. Dr Chulanee Attanayake, a researcher at Swinburne University of Technology, explains why this is significant as also for the first time, the president is not from a political dynasty. Plus, he will also navigate the country out of the ec...

The Penang DAP elections were held over the weekend and saw Human Resource Minister Steven Sim named its chairman, replacing Chow Kon Yeow, who did not contest. Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh was elected deputy chairman. Dr Oh Ei Sun, Principal Adviser at the Pacific Research Centre, takes a look at the outcome of the vote and helps us make sense of the party's path forward. Image Credit: shutte...

Recently, Thailand’s cabinet approved a cash handout plan totaling almost THB146 billion , or USD4.4 billion. The baht is also seeing its biggest rally since 1998. Poon Panichpibool, Markets Strategist at Krung Thai Bank helps put these developments into perspective and what it might mean for Thailand's economy with a new prime minister now in place. Image Credit: Shutter Stock See omnystudio.com/...

With under 2 months before Americans vote for the next president of the United States, campaigning has already been marred by two assassination attempts on the Republican candidate, Donald Trump. John Zogby, the founder of political survey companies John Zogby Strategies, shares his views on how heated campaigning has become as a result of rhetoric and how both the Harris and Trump teams might adj...

The US Federal Reserve has kicked off a historic easing cycle with a 50 basis point cut in its benchmark interest rate. What does this mean for the outlook of the US economy  and how will this factor into the subsequent trajectory of Fed monetary policy as we head into the final quarter of the year? Olu Sonola, Head of US Economic Research at Fitch Ratings gives us his analysis. Image Credit:...

The recent operational challenges faced by Malaysia Airlines in recent weeks have highlighted the talent retention issue in the country. This is amid reports that more than 60 of the local carrier's engineers had left for better-paying jobs in Singapore. Nic Chambers, Managing Director of recruitment agency Michael Page Malaysia helps put into context the problems Malaysia faces in retaining talen...

Perikatan Nasional has rejected the MOU offered by the Madani government to resolve the issue of equal constituency development funds for the opposition. PN claims the MOU could threaten the rights of Malays and Bumiputeras, clash with cultural values, and limit MPs' freedom of speech. Independent political analyst, Adib Zalkapli, shares his insights into this development along with his take on th...

As climate change wreaks havoc on weather patterns in Southeast Asia, how has this affected perceptions of climate change action amongst its diverse population? We discuss the findings of the 2024 Southeast Asia Climate Outlook with Sharon Seah of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sri Lanka will hold its presidential election this Saturday, September 21st, following the country's 2022 economic collapse which saw the president at the time having to flee amid mass protests. Faraz Shauketaly, an independent broadcaster and investigative journalist talks to us about the sentiments going into election day as 17 million eligible voters select from 38 candidates, who will lead the...

The news that JAKIM is considering making halal certification mandatory for restaurants and food establishments that do not serve pork or alcohol, has sparked debate highlighting the complexity and importance of this move. Prof Dr Abdul Malik Musharat, Chairman of Global Halal Malaysia Traders and Consumer Association shares his insights on this issue. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio...

The price of crude palm oil is currently hovering above the RM3,800 level as Malaysia’s August palm oil stockpile rose to a six-month high since February, driven by seasonally higher production and lower exports. Alvin Tai, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, shares his views on the direction of the commodity amid the strengthening of the ringgit, weakening soybean oil prices and even the prospe...

The government is developing new regulations to support the integration of autonomous vehicles (AVs) into public transport. What can Malaysia learn from the experience of other countries in integrating this technology in transport systems? We get insights from economist Dr. Walter Theseira about the potential of AVs to transform the transport landscape. Image Credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudi...

DAP will hold state elections on 22 September, with incumbent Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow stating that he will not defend his post as state party chair. What does that say about the internal dynamics of DAP? We discuss this with political analyst Dr. Azmi Hassan. Image Credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the US debate, it appeared that Kamala Harris had the upper hand. But what were the economic policies of both candidates? Vasu Menon, Managing Director, Investment Strategy, OCBC weighs in and also tells how volatile markets will be until polling day on November 5th. Image Credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Water pollution is a continuous issue in our country. Most recently, residents in Selangor experienced unscheduled water cuts caused by water contamination and a new case of illegal waste dumping is also causing odour pollution in Johor. We speak to Dr Zaki Zainudin, Water Quality and Water Quality Modeling Specialist about the legal framework on water pollution in Malaysia, and what can be done t...

The government recently agreed to amend both the Trustee Act and the Trustee (Incorporation) Act to prevent the misappropriation of funds by established trustees for purposes such as religious, social, and welfare activities. Given past cases of public fund misuse, including in the Aman Palestin scandal, are these legal reforms the way forward for enhanced governance? Alliff Benjamin Suhaimi, Part...

This new law offers better protection for platform workers like private hire drivers and freelance delivery workers, by creating a new legal category between employees and the self-employed. Dr. Walter Theseira, Associate Professor of Economics, Singapore University of Social Sciences explains the details of this bill and how it impacts the future of platform work. Image Credit: shutterstock.com S...

The Ministry of Education has identified 28% of Year 1 pupils are lagging in 3R skills i.e. reading, writing and arithmetic, and require additional support. What kind of interventions would work best to shore up the basic skills needed by primary students? Shahnaz Al-Sadat of LeapEd gives us her insights.  Image Credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to the government’s National Property Information Centre (NAPIC), there was the highest property sales growth since 2019 during the first half of 2024, increasing by 23.8% year-on-year to approximately RM105.7 billion. Chan Ai Cheng, Immediate Past-President of the Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents tells us if this positive momentum can be sustained for the rest of 2024 and what...