Morning Brief

Nurses in Malaysia are frequently described as overworked, underpaid, and undervalued. But in countries like Singapore, long-term retention incentive schemes are being introduced for both local and foreign nurses in the public healthcare system. Dr. Timothy Cheng, Vice Chairman, Malaysian Medical Association or SCHOMOS breaks down why this might amplify brain drain, and how to nurse working condit...

The Economist Intelligence Unit released their annual democracy index which provides a snapshot of the state of democracy in 165 countries and 2 territories. This year’s report title which is “AGE of Conflict” is not an auspicious one but aptly describes the current state with Wars in Ukraine and Gaza still raging with no end to the cycle of violence. We speak to Sumedha Dasgupta, Senior Analyst a...

We delve into how far Sarawak has come and the economic potential that lies ahead with Adam Mohamed Rahim, Equity Research Analyst, RHB Research as the Land of the Hornbills aims to achieve a GDP of 282 billion ringgit by 2030, double of the value achieved in 2023. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even with its relaunch last December through a collaboration with Tokopedia, TikTok Shop remains under regulatory scrutiny in Indonesia. The platform's allowance of direct transactions on social media continues to breach local regulations. Nathan Naidu, Equity Research Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence shares his insights into the implications of this regulatory scrutiny and potential measures to mi...

How should regulating misinformation and protecting media freedoms be balanced, especially in social and digital media? The new code of ethics for journalists was launched this week, sparking concerns over the generic wording which could grant unwarranted powers to the Communications Ministry. We get reactions from media expert Dr. Benjamin Loh of Taylor's University. Image credit: Shutterstock.co...

The Israel-Palestine issue is in the spotlight again this week, as hearings on the legality of Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories run from February 19th to 26th at the International Court of Justice. We discuss what to expect from the proceedings with Juliette McIntyre, Law Lecturer, University of South Australia, and whether a ruling can have any material impact on the ground. Imag...

The Ringgit continues to slide against the USD despite the strength of the economy inching perilously close to the all time low seen during the Asian Financial crisis in 1998. We explore reasons for this two decade decline and what should be done to restore the Ringgit's fortunes with P Gunasegaram, independent business writer. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

The widespread availability of unregistered medical devices, notably on e-commerce platforms, is a significant concern for public health and safety. These products may lack adherence to essential quality and safety standards, potentially posing health risks to its users. Dr. Muralitharan Paramasua, CEO, Medical Device Authority shares his insights into these hazards and how they are addressing&nbs...

Historically, markets do well in the Year of the Dragon. Could we expect similar trend in 2024? Francis Tan, Investment Strategist at UOB shares his views whilst weighing in on how the world’s two largest economies; US and China will fare. Wealth Advice That Matters is brought to you by UOB Privilege Banking. Visit www.uob.com.my/bfm to find out more about upcoming topics. See omnystudio.com/liste...

Sustainable fuels are paramount for the aviation space amid the green transition. Most recently, Singapore has announced an initiative mandating that its flights use at least 1% sustainable aviation fuel by 2026. We get comments from Shantanu Gangakhedkar, Aviation Consultant, Frost & Sullivan, who will also weigh in on the aviation industry’s postpandemic recovery status. Image cred...

Despite a striking 47.3% surge in domestic tourism spending during the Lunar New Year Holidays totalling a substantial 632.7 billion yuan or 87.96 billion dollars, is the Chinese economy on track to recovery? Tommy Xie, Head of Asia Macro Research at OCBC Bank tells us how views whilst weighing in what are the other levers the government can pull to revive the economy and restore confidence. Image...

Indian farmers won a major coup in 2021 when long-running mass protests led to the withdrawal of controversial agricultural laws.  Ahead of elections in April and May, why are Indian farmers taking to the streets again? We speak to RN Bhaskar, contributing editor of The Free Press Journal for his take on what is spurring the latest protests. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/l...

Dr Amjad Rabi, a visiting expert at the Social Wellbeing Research Centre with Universiti Malaya, has proposed several measures to address how the Madani government could proceed with its subsidy rationalisation plans. He takes us through some of his suggestions that include a package of cash assistance in the form of periodic payments to vulnerable groups but is against poverty targeting which ten...

Bank Negara Malaysia on Friday announced that Malaysia’s GDP expanded 3.0% yoy in 4Q23, lower than reported by Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) advanced GDP estimates and also consensus figures of 3.4%. Firdaos Rosli, Chief Economist of Ambank Group explains this disappointing figure and what this means for growth in 2024. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

Last week, the government announced plans to introduce a new category of white rice known as Beras Putih Malaysia Madani to replace the existing local and imported categories. The Minister of Agriculture has since clarified that no final decision has been made - but would the Madani white rice create more problems than it resolves? We speak to Prof. Dr. Fatimah Arshad of UPM to better understand t...

Singapore has unveiled a comprehensive Budget plan for 2024 amounting to S$131.4 billion, constituting roughly 18% of its GDP. This is also 0.5% more than what was set aside for 2023. Khoon Goh, Head of Asia Research, ANZ Bank, helps us unpack what the different focus points are in this latest plan. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The recent property scam case involving the prominent Puthucheary family in Johor is a cautionary tale to remain vigilant against fraudsters, including those with legitimate real estate credentials. We speak to Tan Kian Aun, President of the Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents (MIEA) on how prospective property buyers or sellers can safeguard against unscrupulous actors. More information availabl...

Peace remains elusive with tensions in the Middle East showing no signs of de-escalation. Over the past weekend, the US military has launched dozens of airstrikes on targets in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. We speak to Dr. Asif Shuja, Director of GeoPo Consult, a geopolitics management consultancy based in Dubai for his outlook on the ongoing tensions in the region. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystu...

Indonesian voters have spoken - unofficial results indicate that defence minister Prabowo Subianto has won the presidential election by a comfortable margin. What does this mean for the policy direction of the country? We get colour and analysis from journalist Erin Cook who’s on the ground in Jakarta. Image credit: EPA-EFE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently, Malaysian hoteliers have warned that next month's increase in the Sales & Services Tax (SST) from 6% to 8% will likely result in room rates going up by between 10% and 30%. Shaharuddin Saaid, Executive Director of the Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners (MAHO), explains what the challenges are for the industry which has yet to recover to pre-pandemic. Image credit: Shutterstock.com...

This Lunar New Year is China's second without Covid restrictions since the pandemic and official data have revealed that nearly 274 million passenger trips were handled by the country's transport sector on the second day of the dragon year, up 23% from last year. Angela Han Lee, Senior Equity Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence also breaks down how this impacted Macau's recovering gaming sector. Ima...

Donald Trump’s antipathy towards NATO was a well-known feature of his presidency. What would his return to the top job mean for the security alliance? We discuss Trump’s NATO policy and updates on the war in Ukraine with security analyst Alexey Muraviev of Curtin University. Image credit: Alexandros Michailidis / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tensions between Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and DAP national chairman Lim Guan Eng have started to surface. Will this impact DAP nationwide or is it just a state issue. Dr. Oh Ei Sun, Principal Adviser, Pacific Research Centre gives us his view and if the recent reduction in sentence and fine of Datuk Seri Najib Razak has caused dissatisfaction among its grassroot supporters. Image c...

The recent surge in popularity of energy sticks - nasal inhalers marketed as energy boosting health products - have become a cause for urgent concern. Promoted to minors under taglines such as ‘Snort first, then head to school’, health experts have cautioned they may carry some of the health risks that vapes do. We speak to NV Subbarow, Senior Education Officer, Consumers Association of Penang or...

Elections for the world's 3rd largest democracy takes place on 14 February. We examine the legacy left behind by President Jokowi - is he really the king maker in these elections? Erin Cook, a journalist based in Jakarta gives us her views and if it is a foregone conclusion that Prabowo Subianto will emerge victorious. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...