Morning Brief

The 6 main government-linked investment companies - Khazanah, EPF, KWAP, PNB, Tabung Haji and the Armed Forces Fund Board - have collectively pledged RM120 billion in direct domestic investments, with a focus on the semiconductor sector. Independent writer, P. Gunasegaram, shares his thoughts on a strategy like this, its implications and more crucially, will this truly benefit the rakyat? Image Cr...

There is confirmation that Ukraine's military has advanced up to 30km inside Russia, the deepest and most significant incursion since the invasion began in February 2022. Dr Alexey Muraviev, an associate professor at the National Security & Strategic Studies of Curtin University talks about what this means for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's strategy to expel Moscow's troops from areas in Ukra...

Singapore marks its 59th National Day today and the first one with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the helm. We take stock of his first three months in office and also the potential of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone to shape the regional economy and bilateral relations with James Gomez of the Asia Centre. Image Credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

Thailand’s Constitutional Court has dissolved the Move Forward Party, citing violations of constitutional norms and banning 11 top leaders for ten years. This ruling is set to reshape the political landscape, especially given the party's notable performance in the 2023 elections. Dr. Termsak Chalermpalanupap, Visiting Fellow, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute  shares his analysis into the impact of...

There has been a significant surge in shipping traffic in the already busy waterways around Malaysia after the US tariff deadline for Chinese goods passed on Aug 1st. This has resulted in delays at Malaysian ports. Ooi Lean Hin, president of the Shipping Association Malaysia, talks about the impact these delays might have on the local economy and businesses relying on timely shipments. Image Credi...

Meta Platforms recently apologised to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for removing his posts expressing condolences over the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh who was assassinated by Israel. The social media platform admitted it was a mistake on their part, eventually restoring the posts. Bradley Freeman, Professor of Digital Media with the School of Arts at Sunway University, analyses...

Democratic President nominee Kamala Harris has unveiled Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota as her running mate, ending days of speculation. What does Walz bring to the table? We discuss reactions to the nomination with Justin Vaughn of Coastal Carolina University. Image Credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Markets were in turmoil this week thanks to a perfect storm of a possible US recession and the unwinding of the carry trade in Japan. Justin Patrie, Senior Director, Credit Policy Group, Head of Fitch Wire tells what other risks we should be aware of in the second half of the year and what are the implications of a US presidential election. Image Credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listene...

It was always traditional for government departments, ministries and agencies to host lavish official events that included gift exchanges. However, this has raised risks of fostering bribery and compromising ethical standards over the years. Pushpan Murugiah, CEO of the Center to Combat Corruption & Cronyism (C4), shares his insights as the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission raised concer...

The UK is currently seeing its worst riots since 2011, sparked by online disinformation about a deadly knife attack in Southport last week. What is the Labour government doing to quell the unrest and what does this indicate about the socio-economic discontent within British society? Dr Benjamin Barton of the University of Nottingham Malaysia weighs in. Image Credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio...

In recent political news, Perikatan Nasional (PN) is dealing with internal tensions following a dispute with Gerakan over a school donation. PN Secretary-General Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin has assured that the issue has been settled, but the implications for the coalition's future are still unclear. Dr. Oh Ei Sun, Principal Adviser, Pacific Research Centre shares his perspective on how this situat...

The Bank of Japan raised interest rates for only the second time in 17 years last week to about 0.25%, despite patchy economic indicators. How might this affect the growth outlook for the sluggish Japanese economy? We discuss this with Stefan Angrick of Moody’s Analytics. Image Credit: Poetra. RH / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Second Finance Minister and Bank Negara Governor were in Singapore recently to meet with investors, the origins of the Asian Tiger economy conversation we’ve been having all week. Were investors convinced by this upbeat narrative? We get analysis from UOB economist Julia Goh, on the outlook for the Malaysian economy. Image Credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

The government recently announced plans to set-up a Data Commission as part of efforts to improve data protection and innovation in the country. What's needed for the commission to be effective in its role? We discuss this proposal and the amendments to the Personal Data Protection Act with Kenny Lam of RDS Law. Image Credit: rawpixel.com / Freepik.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

MetMalaysia has issued a series of Level 1 heatwave alerts this week across the country, with the hotter temperatures and less rainfall also resulting in critical water shortages in the northern region. Sustainability specialist Dr. Renard Siew weighs in on the mitigation and adaptation policies needed for Malaysia to adjust to increasingly warmer weather. Image Credit: shutterstock.com See omnyst...

The era of high interest rates finally appears to be coming to an end with the Federal Reserve signaling their willingness to cut the Fed Fund rate from the current 5.25-5.5% levels. But what impact has this delay had on the investment book of Asean banks and are they issuing new debt ? Rena Kwok, Credit Analyst for Asian Financials at Bloomberg Intelligence tells us. See omnystudio.com/listener f...

Tensions in the Middle East on the Israel-Lebanon border have ratcheted, following the deadly rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied territory of Golan Heights on Saturday. Dr. James Dorsey, Senior Fellow, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies tells us if there is the potential of a wider war with Hezbollah. Image Credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A recent comment from second finance minister Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan saying that Malaysia is making great strides to reclaim its Asian Tiger status, has elicited discussion about whether or not Malaysia ever was one. P Gunasegaram, an independent business writer shares his views on if this comparison with economies like those of Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong holds water. Imag...

President Nicolas Maduro has claimed victory in presidential elections on Sunday, an outcome that the opposition bloc claims goes against what people actually voted for. We break down the economic and political crisis in Venezuela with Dr. Raul Sanchez-Urribarri of La Trobe University.  Image Credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Russia’s foreign minister paid our PM Anwar Ibrahim a visit last Saturday at Seri Perdana, and according to Anwar, the meat of their discussion revolved around Malaysia’s potential membership in BRICS. We discuss how Malaysia might benefit from BRICs membership with Julia Roknifard, Assistant Professor, School of Politics, History and International Relations, University of Nottingham Malaysia. Ima...

China's consumer spending remains a concern with the slowdown seen in the F&B sector, while the gaming revenue out of Macau has underperformed. Angela Han Lee, Leisure Consumption Analyst, Team Leader of APAC Multi-Sector at Bloomberg Intelligence shares her views on where she thinks this trend is leading to. Image Credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been revealed that to date, a total of 3.4 million of the 13.1 million EPF members under the age of 55 have withdrawn RM8.9 billion from their flexible accounts since this option was made available in May. Meanwhile, Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan assures that EPF would not be negatively impacted. Dr Hafezali Iqbal Hussain, Professor at the School of Management &...

The Singapore Food Agency's seizure of fresh and processed produce illegally imported from Malaysia on concerns of high levels of pesticides used, has brought home the awareness that what we consume in this country may require more washing than initially thought. Prof DrChai Lay Ching, a microbiologist & pro-vice-chancellor of education at Sunway University explains the issues for us. Image Cr...

Malaysia is unenviably the country which has won the most Olympic medals without winning a gold, with 8 silver and 5 bronze. Will Paris 2024 reveal a change in our fortunes and what event(s) will present the best chance for our 26-strong contingent? T.Avineshwaran, a senior sports writer at the Star talks about how the Road to Gold programme may or may not be the catalyst that could make this elus...

Fresh from an election which saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party winning with a slim victory, his administration has tabled a USD23.9 billion budget for job creation, and skills development, a to support an economic growth forecast of 6.5% to 7%. Sanjay Mathur, the chief economist for Southeast Asia and India at ANZ Bank, talks about how effective this budget might be in addr...