Morning Brief

Saudi Arabia hosted the World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth, and Energy for Development this week, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in attendance. We discuss Malaysia's bilateral ties with Saudi Arabia and the opportunities that could be explored in the aftermath of the event with Bunn Nagara of the Perak Academy.  Image Credit: EPA-EFE S...

Earlier this week the government announced a cabinet reshuffle, the first under Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s watch, which saw six new faces added to the line-up and four ministers dropped. Dr Greg Raymond, Senior Lecturer, Australian National University tells us why these changes were made whilst giving us a review of Thavisin's deliverables or lack thereof. Image Credit: teera.noisakran / Sh...

China's retail numbers appear to be healthy so far this year with physical sales up 5.5% for the first two months of this year, while online figures registered a 14% jump, indicating resilience in the e-commerce sector. Catherine Lim, a senior analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence breaks down the numbers and where consumer sentiment in the world's second largest economy is headed for the rest of 2024....

The amendments to the Companies 2016 have come into force on 1 April with all Malaysian businesses that are registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia having to disclose the names of their beneficial owners. Pushpan Murugiah, Chief Executive Officer, Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism tells us the implication of this and what more needs to be done to stamp out corruption. Image Cre...

The Women, Family & Community Development Ministry is investigating how welfare centres and elder care facilities operate, after video clips where a resident in a welfare home was beaten up. The centre in question was found to not have a proper licence. Delren Douglas, President of the Association for Residential Aged Care Operators of Malaysia (AGECOPE) give us a view of how these centres are...

The upcoming Kuala Kubu Baru state by-election will see a competitive four-cornered race with the incumbent Pakatan Harapan DAP candidate facing off with Bersatu for Perikatan Nasional, Parti Rakyat Malaysian and an independent candidate. Dr Lau Zhe Wei, Assistant Professor with the Department of Political Science at the International Islamic University Malaysia lays out the different scenarios ho...

EPF yesterday unveiled details of Account 3, also known as Flexible Account. The restructuring will be applicable for members under the age of 55 and provide flexibility for savings in this third account to be withdrawn at any time. Ng Zhu Hann, CEO & Founder, Tradeview Capital tells us how this restructuring could impact EPF’s portfolio, and who should consider transferring part of the saving...

Malaysia is looking to restart negotiations with the European Union on a free trade agreement, 12 years after talks stalled. Is the environment more ripe for an agreement to be reached this time around? We discuss the opportunities and challenges posed by FTAs with former deputy minister of international trade Ong Kian Ming. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

India is currently in the second of seven phases for its parliamentary elections, with the outcome slated for early June. Sanjay Mathur, Chief Economist for Southeast Asia and India, ANZ Bank tells us what set of challenges await for the incoming government, and the economic outlook for the world’s most populous country. Image Credit: Sumit Saraswat / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener f...

The US Federal Trade Commission is imposing a ban on non-compete clauses in employment contracts, a seismic shift in the US labour environment. Why has the regulator deemed this clause problematic and do the same issues apply in a Malaysian context? We discuss the law with labour lawyer Sunitha Ruthram. Image Credit:  DCStockPhotography/ Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

China’s property slump sees no signs of turnaround yet as sales from top real estate companies in March fell by 46%, as did the prices of homes. We speak to Patrick Wong of Bloomberg Intelligence Hong Kong for his outlook on China real estate, as well as what the property data tells us about who's winning the financial hub war between Hong Kong and Singapore. Image Credit: Shutterstock.c...

The National Credit Counseling & Management Agency (AKPK) reported that 53,000 youths aged 30 and below have debt worth nearly 1.9 billion ringgit in total. The bulk of this is a result of credit card debts and personal loans. Rajen Devadason, a licensed financial planner, highlights the growing concern about how the young are not as financially savvy as they need to be while new products prov...

The rising number of children, especially those under 13 years old, using social media platforms is alarming, given the risks they encounter, including cyberbullying and exposure to inappropriate content. We'll delve into methods to shield children from these potential harms while ensuring they benefit from valuable digital education, with insights from Nur Arfah Zaini, Licensed & Registered C...

As we approach the end of the implementation period for the Higher Education Blueprint 2015 - 2025, the government has signalled that it is beginning work on a successor blueprint to transform the tertiary education system for the next decade. What are the priorities that should be emphasised? We get recommendations from Prof. Zaharom Nain of GERAK. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.co...

The recent case of a senior citizen sentenced to imprisonment for petty theft has raised questions about sentencing practices in Malaysia. We discuss what judges take into account when deciding a sentence and the state of access to justice in our legal system with lawyer Edmund Bon. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government is set to open applications for hauliers to obtain a fleet card that will allow them to continue enjoying diesel at subsidised prices the subsidy rationalisation plan is rolled out. But how will this impact retailers. Datuk Khairul Annuar Abdul Aziz, President of the Petrol Dealers' Association Malaysia, shares his insights. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener...

With the average Malaysian's life expectancy currently at 78 for men and 80 for women, there will be long-term implications for the country as it becomes an ageing nation. This now raises conversations about the nature and timeline for retirement. Chai Sen Tyng, the senior research officer at Universiti Putra Malaysia' Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing (myAgeing), shares his thoughts on how M...

Malaysia hoping to become the natural home for more unicorns, i.e. start-ups valued at more than $1 billion US dollars. As part of efforts to create the right ecosystem, the Ministry of Economy yesterday launched the KL20 Action Plan to attract capital, talent and start-ups to set-up shop on our shores. We discuss the highlights of the strategy with economist Dr. Carmelo Ferlito of the Center for...

How will the court decide on the judicial review application regarding the royal addendum on former Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Razak’s pardon? We try to untangle the legal process with lawyer Dato’ Vignesh Kumar. Image Credit: NAUFAL ZAQUAN / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the weekend, the US House of Representatives finally approved a $95 billion dollar aid package, which includes $61 billion for Ukraine, $26 billion for Israel and $8bn for the Indo-Pacific region.  In a rare show of bi-partisan support, House Speaker Mike Johnson put his position on the line by getting both support from mainstream Republicans and Democrats. What do these developments ind...

Parti Keadilan Rakyat celebrated its silver jubilee as part of a coalition that is now the country's ruling government, following a substantial time in opposition. Dr Azmil Tayeb, Political Scientist at Universiti Sains Malaysia talks about the path PKR is charting for itself with the 16th General Election which has to happen at the latest by February 2028. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnys...

EPF is reportedly going to restructure retirement savings accounts for members below the age of 55, with the formation of a new flexible Account. We speak to Pankaj C. Kumar, Financial Market Columnist as to whether such a move should be welcomed, will it affect dividends and what conditions should be attached to allow for withdrawals. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for...

President Joe Biden this week said that the White House would push to raise tariffs on Chinese steel to insulate American producers from cheap imports. The announcement came as the US Trade Representative announced a new investigation into unfair trade practices by China in maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors. What does this mean for US-China trade relations? We discuss the dynamics with...

The escalation of Middle East tensions earlier this week pushed prices above $90 US dollars per barrel - how might geopolitics influence the price trajectory in the coming months? We discuss factors influencing the demand and supply of oil with analyst Vandana Hari of Vanda Insights. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Starting from December 1st, Singapore employees will be able to seek four-day work weeks, more remote work days, and staggered schedules. We speak to Deepa George, Managing Consultant, MYHRC Services on how this can be best implemented from an employer and employee perspective since this is also provided for under Malaysian labour laws. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener fo...