Morning Brief

The Sg. Bakap polls will see a straight fight between educator Dr. Joohari Ariffin of PKR and businessman Abidin Ismail of PAS. What might the demographic make-up of the constituency reveal about who holds decision-making power? We discuss expectations for the Sg. Bakap by-elections and expectations for the Parliament session that opens today with Danesh Prakash Chacko of Tindak Malaysia. Image Cr...

In Southeast Asia, elections don’t necessarily guarantee stability, as seen in Thailand and the Philippines where fragile alliances are on the brink. We unpack the political developments and what to watch with journalist Erin Cook. Image Credit: EPA-EFE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Sungai Bakap by-election is set for July 6th, with nomination day this Saturday. Both Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalitions have unveiled their candidates, setting the stage for a closely fought contest due to a narrow 1,563-vote margin in 2023. We gaze into the crystal ball to discuss potential outcomes with Arinah Najwa Ahmad Said, Director, BowerGroup Asia. Image Credi...

Nearly 30% of refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia are children, but they are barred from access to the public schooling system. On World Refugee Day, we speak to Deborah Henry, founder of the Fugee School to discuss the importance of providing education pathways for refugee children. Image Credit: Gaie Uchel / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang's official visit to Malaysia to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, resulted in the exchange of 14 MOUs, covering a wide range of cooperation including the export of fresh durians and visa exemptions. Collins Chong Yew Keat, Foreign Affairs, Security & Strategy Analyst at Universiti Malaya, analyses the implications and signific...

President Vladimir Putin was welcomed in Pyongyang this week with much fanfare in his first visit to North Korea in 24 years. Together with North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-Un, they signed a strategic partnership to assist each other in the event of aggression against their countries. What does this renewed relationship mean for international stability and security? Dr. Hoo Chiew Ping, Senior Fellow...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday dissolved the war cabinet, following the departure of key figures last week over the lack of a post-war strategy. The developments come as the two sides of the war consider a ceasefire proposal presented by US President Joe Biden earlier this month. What does this mean for the trajectory of the war? Middle East expert Dr. James Dorsey weighs...

The Inland Revenue Board (IRB) announced that they conducted a special operation to reduce tax leakage in cryptocurrency trading. We speak to SM Thanneermalai, Founder & Managing Director of Thannees Tax Consulting Services as to who and when is a person liable for this based on the guidelines. Image Credit: fabrikasimf / Freepik.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim this week signaled that Malaysia was looking to join BRICS, the bloc of emerging economies led by Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa. We discuss the why and the how with foreign policy analysis from Bunn Nagara, Honorary Fellow at the Perak Academy. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 16th is the International Day of Domestic Workers, a labourforce that many Malaysian households rely on. However despite our reliance on domestic workers, the sector remains under-regulated, and something as basic as mandatory leave days are not guaranteed for domestic workers here. We speak to Nasrikah Paidin, coordinator of the Indonesian domestic worker NGO PERTIMIG on why they are advocat...

As Malaysia recognises its heavy reliance on food imports and the consequences it brings, it is intensifying efforts to encourage urban farming to address national food security amid global supply chain disruptions that impact food availability. Dato’ Prof Dr Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah, the Vice-chancellor of Universiti Putra Malaysia talks to us about the university's Food Security Blueprint and...

China saw a strong start to their economy in the first two months of 2024, but the lustre has faded since. Now, the world’s 2nd biggest economy is seeing deflation, a highly indebted property sector, a gloomy job market, and on top of everything, a new tariff by the EU on China electric vehicles (EVs). To bring clarity to this murky situation, we have Tommy Xie, Head of Greater China Research, OCB...

Malaysia has seen a significant rise in dengue cases, accompanied by a 79% increase in related deaths, concentrated in Selangor. But there is a new Dengue Tetravalent Vaccine aimed at tackling the dengue epidemic. Professor Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman, Public Health Medicine Specialist shares his insights on this new vaccine and other essential strategies for preventing this disease. Image Cred...

With Lawrence Wong assuming office as Singapore's fourth Prime Minister on May 15th, we unpack his two-day working visit to Malaysia aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and cooperation between the two nations as well as overcome unresolved issues such as water and maritime border delineation. We delve into the key insights from the meeting with Thomas Daniel, Senior Fellow, ISIS Malaysia. Image...

As the dust settles following the outcome of the European parliamentary elections, what will the right-ward shift in the legislative body mean for the EU policy moving forward? We discuss the implications with Dr. Benjamin Barton of the University of Nottingham Malaysia. Image Credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hydrogen Economy & Technology Roadmap (HETR) launched last year projects Malaysia to gain between RM49 billion to RM61 bil ringgit in additional GDP contribution, as well as RM12.1 billion in revenue gains from the hydrogen market by 2030. Sarawak is leading this move, aiming to become a commercial hydrogen producer by 2027. Dr Rezal Khairi Ahmad, the CEO of NanoMalaysia, shares his views...

Thailand’s National Institute of Development Administration's latest survey has revealed that only a third of respondents are satisfied with the performance of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s government since it took power nine months ago. Dr Michael Montesano, Associate Senior Fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute helps us understand the current Thai political situation. Image Credit: shutt...

There is no denying that technical & vocational education & training (TVET) plays an important role in creating a skilled workforce, but it is seldom the choice of school leavers and the youth who prefer professional vocations. To address this, Putrajaya has launched the National TVET Policy 2030, pumping significant funding into it. Danial Abdul Rahman, CEO of the Asian Strategy and Leade...

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that legislative elections will take place with two rounds on June 30 and July 7. This followed the conclusion of European Parliamentary elections with far-right parties advancing in France, Germany and Italy. Prof. Peter McPhee at the University of Melbourne analyses why this is happening at this time and what the outcome might be. Image Credit: Shutters...

At the stroke of midnight, diesel prices in Peninsula Malaysia were raised to RM3.35 from RM2.15 with the government assuring that the prices of goods will not rise due to the mechanism that these subsidies are removed. Carmelo Ferlito, CEO of the Center for Market Education gives us his impressions of this and if its an essential part of Malaysia's fiscal reforms. Image Credit: brgfx/ freepik.com...

The Madani government wants to review the National Oil & Gas Service & Equipment (OGSE) Blueprint 2021-2030 that was introduced three years ago, believing it needs to address global competitiveness, sustainability, agility, and diversity within the sector. Syed Saggaf Syed Ahmad, President of The Malaysian Oil, Gas & Energy Services Council (MOGSC) gives us some perspectives on what th...

Bersatu has taken steps to address how to deal with 6 of their MPs who had openly declared support to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the Dewan Rakyat, abandoning their role as opposition. This situation now brings up how the anti-hopping law that has been in force since October 2022, comes into play. Dr Wong Chin Huat, a political scientist at Sunway University helps us unravel the com...

Prime office rents in Singapore reached a 15-year high in the first quarter of the year, but the picture may not stay as rosy given a number of headwinds on the horizon. How will commercial real estate trends affect the outlook for major Singapore property players? We get analysis from Ken Foong of Bloomberg Intelligence. Image Credit: Pro Aerial Master / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listen...

The Prime Minister's Office has just launched the Malaysia Madani Nationhood Training module to be undertaken by Akademi Kenegaraan Malaysia or AKM. The the module is firmly rooted in the Federal Constitution and reflects the core values outlined in the Rukun Negara but how useful will it be in achieving its goals of ensuring the patriotism and civic consciousness of future generations. Jason Wee,...

When the moratorium on EV road taxes ends in January 2026, EV owners won’t have to worry about sticker shock - this week the Transport Minister Anthony Loke unveiled a new road tax structure that will see EVs pay 85% lower fees. We discuss the implications of this and other auto-sector related policies with Daniel Fernandez, Editor of the auto news portal dsf.my . Image Credit: Shutterstock.com Se...