Morning Brief

Malaysians have one of the highest rates of diabetes in Asia with our love of sugar. We speak to Dr Rafidah Abdullah, Consultant Nephrologist, Hospital Putrajaya on the consequences of unchecked sugar intake to our own wellbeing and the nation's healthcare system which is already stretched. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government aims to woo more investors to Malaysia with a proposed Semiconductor Strategic Plan, which the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) has been tasked with drawing up. We speak to Dato Seri Wong Siew Hai, president of the Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA) on industry expectations for the plan and how Malaysia can remain competitive in the sector.  I...

The surge in US Dollar strength is wreaking havoc on emerging market currencies and complicating central bank monetary policy decisions in Asia. We discuss the implications of King Dollar for emerging markets with Saktiandi Supaat of Maybank Group. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aligned with our country’s energy transition objectives, the government has established the Energy Exchange Malaysia (ENEGEM) to facilitate cross-border green electricity sales to neighbouring countries. Ganesha Pillai, Senior Research Associate, Center for Technology, Strategy and Sustainability, Asia School of Business shares his insights into the impact of this initiative on regional energy dyn...

Around 40 thousand voters will head to the polls on the 11th of May for the by-election of Kuala Kubu Baru. How will each political coalition strategize their campaign and candidate choice ? Dr Oh Ei Sun, Principal Adviser, Pacific Research Centre  helps us answer that question and if the outcome is status quo. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 15 marks a new political era for Singapore as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will step down and hand over the reins to his successor, Lawrence Wong. We discuss what this means for Singapore’s future with Dr. Gillian Koh, Senior Research Fellow at the NUS Institute of Public Policy. Image Credit: EPA-EFE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crude palm oil futures closed weaker earlier this week amid concerns over demand and the rising output of the commodity. Now, with the escalating geopolitical tensions and uncertain economic conditions thrown into the mix, how will this affect the sector moving forward? Alvin Tai, analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence gives us his take. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad has said that the proposed amendments to the Medical Act 1971 or Act 50, which aim to address the gap between the parallel pathway programme and the local master’s medicine programme is almost ready. However will this resolve the imbroglio? Dr. Kelvin Yii, MP, Bandar Kuching gives us his perspective whilst weighing in on the state of public hospitals and how it can...

Over the weekend, Iran launched a barrage of missiles on Israel in retaliation over an Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus that killed 13 people. Although no direct targets were hit, the unprecedented attack raises questions over the risk of a wider conflict in the Middle East. Dr. James Dorsey of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies discusses the potential repercussions...

Following a report that a man had fired a gun at the KLIA terminal building, injuring one person, and another involving an Israeli national who was in possession of 6 guns, we take a look at what gun control is like in Malaysia. Criminal lawyer, Goh Cia Yee, explains Malaysia’s legislation surrounding firearms and ammunition. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

The Bursa Malaysia Property Index has appreciated more than 68% since October 2022, reflecting improving demand supply dynamics post-pandemic. Positive news flow from Johor and Penang surrounding major infrastructure improvements also helped. Loong Kok Wen, Regional Head of Property, RHB Investment Bank, helps us understand what is fuelling this current rally and will it continue. Image Credit: Sh...

The latest Malaysia Retail Industry Report has projected the country's retail sales to grow 4% this year. However, after a 0.2% retail sales contraction for the fourth quarter of 2023, what can we expect for the rest of this year? Patrick Sim, council member of the Malaysia Retail Chain Association’s F&B division shares his insights in a year that is expected to see rising input costs and othe...

Advance estimates have revelaed that Singapore’s economy expanded slower than expected in the first quarter of 2024 with a 0.1% growth on a quarter-on-quarter basis, as manufacturing and construction weighed. Meanwhile, China saw its exports contract by 7.5% in March. Selena Ling, Chief Economist, OCBC Bank shares how these developments might impact economic outlook going forward. Image Credit: Sh...

A trilateral summit involving the leaders of the US, Japan and the Philippines was recently held with discussions centred around trade and technology among others. However, the main topic remained on security in a region where China holds influence. Dr Prashanth Parameswaran, a fellow with the Wilson Centre and founder of the weekly ASEAN Wonk newsletter helps us understand the implications. Image...

Recently, Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) leaders and members once an opposition party have joined the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) which is one of the component parties within the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition. Dr James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies, University of Tasmania tells us what this means for Sarawak politics and the recent moves by the state government to be more au...

Boycotts have in recent times been an outlet to express anger and dissatisfaction. But have these "movements" also been used by politicians to further their careers to the detriment of society? P Gunasegaram, independent business writer gives us his opinion on this. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The International Air Transport Association forecasted that the global airline industry is poised for increased profitability in 2024, with an estimated 4.7 billion travellers expected to take to the skies. Timothy Bacchus, Senior Research Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, shares with us if Asia Pacific aviation players will also see that same positive momentum. See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

The Centre to Combat Corruption & Cronyism is suggesting that an ombudsman system for Malaysia that responds to complaints of government maladministration from the public. This ombudsman office also needs to be impartial and independent. C4 CEO Pushpan Murugiah updates us on where this process is after Putrajaya signalled that such a bill may be tabled in Parliament later this year. See omnyst...

The price of gold has hit a record high of US$2,354 an ounce and in today's uncertain economic landscape, it is being viewed as an increasingly stable investment option. Christopher Wong, an FX strategist at OCBC Bank shares some nuggets of wisdom on how we can harness this precious metal's potential returns. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A massive container ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore and brought the structure down, two weeks ago. We discuss the economic consequences with Peter Tirschwell, Vice President of shipping intelligence at S&P Global Market Intelligence with a focus on supply chain disruption and a potential rise in costs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit has been tasked with overseeing the socioeconomic development of the community since 2008. It is now under the Prime Minister's Department's purview. Former MP, Kasthuri Patto, DAP's Deputy Secretary for International Affairs, talks about MITRA's effectiveness in achieving its goals after a series of allegations of financial mismanagement. Image Credit: Shu...

30 year Chinese government bond yields hit a record low of below 2.4% in March, almost close to dropping below 10 year yields which also hit a 22 year low. This narrowing yield differential has sparked discussions over whether the curve will flatten further or even invert. We ask Stephen Chiu, Chief Asia FX and Rates Strategist, Bloomberg Intelligence if the PBOC will change their monetary policy...

In recent weeks there have been questions over the qualification process to be a medical specialist in this country after the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) refused to recognize certain parallel pathway programs. Boo Su-Lyn, Editor-in-Chief, CodeBlue helps us unpack this complicated issue and if there should be reform at MMC as well. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener...

Tesla reported abysmal sales delivery numbers for the first quarter of the year, posting a 20% drop in deliveries from the previous quarter. This was also the first sales contraction in four years. What might this indicate about the prospects of the EV sector? We discuss Tesla’s fall in fortunes and what a recovery would take with Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See...

ASEAN is the proverbial deer caught between two elephants, with countries being careful to balance relations between the two global superpowers. The historical leaning has been towards the US, however the latest edition of the State of Southeast Asia survey showed for the first time that ASEAN respondents are leaning more towards Beijing. What accounts for this sentiment shift and how is the...