Morning Brief

The European Parliament approved pioneering regulations for AI which will be finalised in May and fully implemented by 2026. Dr Sia Chin Chin, Programme Director and Senior Lecturer of Business & Law, Taylor’s Law School shares her insights on the ramifications and operational framework of the AI Act whilst taking a look at what the Malaysian guidelines will look like. Image Credit: Shuttersto...

Recently, The Malaysian Aviation Commission unveiled a series of revisions to the Passenger Service Charge, also known as PSC. Will the resulting hike in airfares dampen the travel and tourism sector recovery? Khair Mirza, Head of Airport Investor Resource at Modalis Infrastructure Partners weighs in on the purpose and implications of the PSC. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/list...

The US is the largest source for foreign direct investment or FDI in Malaysia, accounting for USD38 billion in new commitments over the past two years, according to government statistics. However, given the US-China geopolitical rivalry increasing competition in the ASEAN region, is Malaysia still an attractive destination for US investors? The latest Economic Impact Survey conducted by the Americ...

The Thai Election Commission is submitting a motion to the Constitutional Court for the highly popular Move Forward Party (MFP) to be disbanded. Can the MFP, which won the most electoral seats in the elections last year but failed to form government, survive the latest legal onslaught? We discuss the implications with political scientist Dr. Termsak of ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. Image Credit: EP...

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is struggling to find a host for the 2026 Commonwealth Games after the Australian state of Victoria backed out. The government is reportedly considering an offer from the CGF for Malaysia to take on the role of host, which has elicited varied responses from both critics and enthusiasts. Journalist T. Avineshwaran of the Star Media Group weighs in on the deba...

Recently the government decided to bring forward the last date for migrant workers to enter the country to May 31st instead of end September whilst also cancelling any unused visas. What impact does this policy flip flop have on businesses and the broader economy? Dato' Nathan K Suppiah, Vice President, Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers tells us. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.c...

Back in December, the Madani government announced a revamp of the Malaysia My Second Home or MM2H programme that includes new regulations for MM2H agents. However, agents are currently in limbo as they have yet to receive instructions on the renewal of their licences with the March 31st deadline looming. We discuss confusion in the industry over the new guidelines for MM2H with Andy Davison of The...

After a two year winter for cryptos, Bitcoin hit new highs this week whilst Ethereum also broke past USD4000 for the first time since December 2021. We speak to Sam Reynolds, senior reporter, Coindesk to find out the reasons for this price surge and will the rally continue. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China just concluded their Two Sessions meetings where a 5% GDP target for 2024 was revealed. However some say that the announcements were short on details but what could be gleamed from meetings? Marvin Chen, Senior Asia Equity Strategist, Bloomberg Intelligence tells us what impact this has on the equity market and what can be expected from result season. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnys...

Tensions have flared between the Philippines and China over skirmishes in the South China Sea. How are stakeholders in the region responding to the ongoing flashpoint? We discuss the latest developments with security analyst Ridzwan Rahmat of defence consultancy Janes. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government revealed that the level of productivity per worker in Malaysia rose to around RM96,700 in 2023, marking a 0.87% increase from the previous year. This falls below the 2-3% productivity growth target - what accounts for the shortfall? We discuss how best to improve productivity data with economist Dr. Geoffrey Williams of MUST. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listene...

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil drew flak for his remarks that the Cabinet would contact the Dewan Rakyat Speaker’s office over false statements issued by MPs, although this was later clarified. How can the separation of powers between the executive and legislative powers be better enforced? We discuss this with lawyer N. Surendran. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

Despite slowing GDP growth, Bank Negara's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) held interest rates at 3% for the fifth consecutive meeting. How is the central bank factoring in economic headwinds into its decision-making and what levers do they have to tackle the weak Ringgit? We discuss this with Adnan Zaylani Mohamad Zahid, Deputy Governor of Bank Negara. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

The fate of TikTok in the US is once again in question, with the US House of Representatives set to vote this week on a bill that will force its parent company, China-owned ByteDance to divest from TikTok or face a US ban. We discuss the implications of this bill with Caitlin Chin, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/liste...

In a pivotal ruling by the Federal Court, a private hospital was held accountable for medical negligence, refuting claims of doctors acting as independent contractors. We talk to Azrul Mohd Khalib, CEO of Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy to offer his insights on the implications of this ruling for our healthcare system. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

Khazanah Research Institute's “Shifting Tides: Charting Career Progression of Malaysia’s Skilled Talent" report highlights that the gender pay gap and wage stagnation still persists. Female graduates also trail behind males when it comes to securing employment. Hawati Abdul Hamid, deputy director of research at KRI takes us through the salient points of the report. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com S...

Bank Negara's Monetary Policy Committee has decided to maintain the Overnight Policy Rate at 3% for its fifth consecutive meeting; it last raised it by 25 basis points in May 2023. Meanwhile, BNM also believe the ringgit is currently undervalued. Julia Goh, a senior economist at UOB helps us unpack the implications of the decision and comments in the official statement that followed. Image Credit:...

According to the World Bank Group's 2024 Women, Business, and Law report, women enjoy less than two-thirds of the legal rights available to men despite the introduction of equal opportunity laws over the past 5 decades. What explains the gap between legal reforms and implementation? We discuss insights from the report with Julia Braunmiller of the World Bank Group.  Image Credit: Sh...

The government is looking to expand preschool education, starting with institutions under the Ministry of Education. What policies are needed to improve the quality of early childhood care and education in the country? We discuss recommendations with Dr. Lydia Foong of Taylor's University. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Super Tuesday, 16 states and 1 territory held primaries for the presidential race, with Joe Biden and Donald Trump winning comfortably. What does this mean for the November 2024 elections? We discuss this with political scientist Wendy Schiller of Brown University.  Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently, the chairman of Bursa Malaysia has advocated for a mandatory disclosure of diversity, equity and inclusivity across all businesses. In a multiracial society where there could be varying availability of a diverse workforce based on different factors, How best can we cultivate a diverse workforce while maintaining a balance with competency? Deepa George, Managing Consultant of MYHRC Servic...

Currently in the palm oil sector, smallholders manage 27% of the total palm oil area in Malaysia. To increase yield, the government  has suggested consolidating them into clusters overseen by medium or large estates. Could this yield the desired results? Khor Yu Leng, Economist at Segi Enam Advisors shares her insights on the merits and drawbacks of this proposed strategy. Image Credit: Shutt...

The government is currently considering implementing home detention for inmates to address prison overcrowding. However, there are concerns about whether this could inadvertently favour privileged or powerful criminals. Jerald Joseph, Chair of CSO Platform for Reform shares his insights on strategies and accountability needed for this implementation Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.co...

Sabah's Chief Minister Datuk Seri Haji Noor recently highlighted the record gains in state revenue in 2023, amounting to RM7 billion ringgit. There are also targets of 4% GDP growth for 2024. We ask Dr. Janis Yasin, Senior Lecturer, UiTM Sabah if the Sabah Maju Jaya roadmap will help the state achieve its goals and where are the gaps. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Earlier this week, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed leaders from the ASEAN member states at a special summit in Melbourne. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also made his first official visit to the country to forge better bilateral ties. We will be speaking to Thomas Daniel, senior fellow at ISIS Malaysia for his take on the outcome of the summit Image Credit:...