Morning Brief

The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) has unveiled "Reforming Our Institutions: Blueprint for Reforms," last week highlighting 13 priority institutional reforms for the country. How much of this is actually reflected in the government's reform agenda? We discuss this with Salsabila Abdul Manan, Senior Executive with IDEAS. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/l...

Putrajaya wants to reinstate the cabotage policy exemption for foreign vessels conducting undersea cable repairs to help spur the growth of the digital economy and attract foreign investments in the data centre industry. Dr Rais Hussin, CEO of the Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI), explains what this might mean for the shipping industry and Malaysia’s economy. I...

Bersatu has passed a motion to amend its constitution that aims to nullify the membership of its MPs who support rival parties. It now requires the Registrar of Societies' approval. If that happens, the 6 Bersatu MPs who have stated their support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, might see their memberships end and likely trigger by-elections. Dr Azmi Hassan, Senior Fellow at the Nusant...

China's two main political parties - the National People's Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) - have begun their annual meeting. This is the time legislators will approve new laws, political appointments, and government work reports, among others. Richard McGregor, Senior Fellow at The Lowy Institute gives us an idea of what...

The seventh Bumiputera Economic Congress 2024 aimed to course-correct government policies on bumi empowerment and participation. Does the newly announced Bumiputera Economic Transformation Policy introduce anything new and innovative on this front? We get reactions from Azlan Awang, Senior Fellow with Majlis Tindakan Ekonomi Malaysia (MTEM). Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listen...

The Employees' Provident Fund will pay out a 2023 dividend rate of 5.5% for conventional savings and 5.4% for shariah. This compares with the 5.35% for conventional and 4.75% for shariah in 2022. Ng Zhu Hann, the CEO and founder of Tradeview Capital shares his views on EPF's performance the past year and what might we expect in 2024. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

For this year, Inland Revenue Board has a tax collection target of RM197 billion. With Individual and non-individual taxpayers eligible to submit their Tax Return Form through e-Filing starting last Friday, 1 March, what are some of the exemptions and tax allowances that you are entitled to? SM Thanneermalai, Managing Director, Thannees Tax Consulting Services walks us through that process. Image...

With there only being weeks left until Ramadan, peace talks between mediators from several countries have continued in Qatar, with US President Joe Biden praying for a deal as early as next week. We ask Middle East expert Dr. James Dorsey for his take on the recent developments in the Israel-Hamas war. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the next two weekends, Taylor Swift will be performing 6 sold out shows in the lion city with over 300 thousand tickets sold. Dr. Lau Kong Cheen, Associate Professor from the School of Business at Singapore University of Social Sciences tells us the multiplier effect these concerts have on the economy and why concerts are a core component of their tourism strategy. Image Credit: Shutterstock....

Currently there are only 100,000 EV cars on the road. Yet the government has target of 20% ownership by 2030. Is providing a one-off subsidy the solution? Lee Yuen How, Managing Director, EV Connection gives us his views whilst telling us what other measures the government should consider. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia's government is working out a legal system that will provide a kill switch to automatically act against fraudulent activities on any online domain or platform. Dr Selvakumar Manickam, an associate professor at Universiti Sains Malaysia helps us understand how effective current efforts are even as online scam cases continue to rise and what else could be done to address the situation. Imag...

On Monday, Cambodia’s ruling party won the Senate elections, paving the way for former prime minister Hun Sen to be the president of the upper chambers. The Senate President serves as the head of state when the King is absent from the country. We get insights from Jakarta-based journalist Erin Cook on Hun Sen’s return to front-line politics and it means for Cambodian politics moving forward. Image...

The government recently announced that there are no plans to enforce a mandatory build then sell concept for housing developers, but as the nation continues to battle with abandoned housing projects, what is the best method moving forward? We ask Datuk NK Tong, President, Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association on his perspective as well as the outlook for the real estate market. Image cre...

The 15th Parliament reconvened for its first meeting of the third session on Monday, with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim delivering his inaugural royal address. What were the key takeaways and how does this set the tone for this sitting's parliamentary proceedings? Political scientist Dr. Syaza Syukri of UIA discusses the expectations for parliament and the Madani government. Image Credi...

The legal fraternity is convening in Sabah this week for the Borneo Rainforest Law Conference 2024, spotlighting issues related to environmental conservation. As rising climate change risk underscores the importance of conserving the environment, are Malaysia’s environmental laws sufficient to meet these challenges and how can our legal framework be strengthened? We get recommendations from lawyer...

The Japanese contradiction is leaving many observers scratching their heads: despite its economy falling into a technical recession and weak economic data, the stock market has never been stronger with the Nikkei surpassing 1989 highs. What explains the dissonance between markets and the economy? We ask economist Norihiro Yamaguchi from Oxford Economics for his analysis. Image credit: Shutterstock...

The 1st of March will see the sales and services tax (SST) rate rising from 6 to 8%. With two days to go, the government has announced an expansion in the scope of SST to include most categories of maintenance and repair jobs. We ask Alan Chung, Senior Executive Director of Indirect Tax and Transfer Pricing Practices, Grant Thornton Malaysia to clarify the implications of this amendment on SST, an...

The US-China trade tensions are showing no signs of abating. And the rivalry between the two major powers are putting pressure on the smaller nations, particularly in Southeast Asia. We will be speaking to Chong Ja Ian, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, National University of Singapore on how Malaysia and other nations can leverage on this position amid the contending narrative...

Malaysia is emerging as a major hub for higher education with the establishment of foreign university branch campuses, many ranked in the top 100 globally. How do these international branch campuses (IBC) impact the academic landscape? We speak to Dr. Sharifah Munirah Alatas, Independent Scholar and Deputy Chair of the Malaysian Academic Movement (GERAK) on the pros and cons of the burgeoning pres...

Asia is home to around 63% of the world’s commercial laying hens, but the vast majority of them are confined to battery cages. How do different countries stack-up in terms of encouraging cage-free practices and regulating for better welfare conditions in the poultry industry? We get insights from the latest Asia Cage-Free Benchmark report with Jonathon Tree of the Environment & Anima...

Donald Trump has secured another Republican nomination to be the GOP candidate for president after winning the South Carolina primary. However, the only contender left, Nikki Haley, isn't giving up. John S Jackson, Visiting Professor at Southern Illinois University, analyses if the former South Carolina governor still stands a chance and what a Trump-Biden rematch might look like. Image...

Russia may have invaded Ukraine on Feb 24, 2022, but the war really started ten years ago in 2014, with the annexation of Crimea. Denys Mykhailiuk, Chargé d'Affaires at the Ukrainian Embassy in Malaysia talks to us about his countrymen's fight to expel Russian troops and take back its territory, as military aid from its western allies begin to hit roadblocks. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omn...

Recently a restaurant chain came under fire for deducting salaries due to medical leave taken or frequent visits to the washrooms during working hours. Sunitha Ruthram, Advocate & Solicitor of Sunitha Ruthram & Co tells us what are the rights of the employees under the Act and what are the remedial actions they can take if those rights are infringed on. Image credit: Shutterstock...

The government is expected to table a raft of amendments to the constitution on the issue of citizenship, which civil society and human rights observers criticise will exacerbate the issue of statelessness in the country. We speak to Dr. Farah Nini Dusuki, Children's Commissioner of SUHAKAM about the implications of these proposals for vulnerable groups such as foundlings and abandoned children. I...

Singapore’s Budget 2024 recently unveiled saw a renewed focus on skills training and income support. What are the some of the measures to emulate here in Malaysia to address the current skill gaps we have. Anthony Raja Devadoss, Country Managing Director at Korn Ferry Malaysia gives us his suggestions. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.