Morning Brief

Malaysia has imposed a freeze on new foreign worker recruitment, affecting labour-intensive industries grappling with manpower shortages, despite there currently being 2 million migrant workers distributed across five sectors. Adrian Pereira, Executive Director at the North South Initiative talks to us about how he thinks the country can address these issues. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omn...

What does 2024 look like for Malaysia's automotive industry, after last year saw total industry volume for sales of new motor vehicles increased 11% year-on-year to nearly 800,000 units, a second consecutive annual all-time high? We find out from Daniel Fernandez, Managing Editor of  dsf.my . Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Data released yesterday showed that China’s 2023 GDP grew by 5.2% y-o-y, in line with government’s estimates but disappointing market expectations for recovery. Gary Ng of Natixis analyses the latest economic data with us, and tells us if he is optimistic for the year ahead. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The chronic weight management market is at an inflection point. Analysts have forecast that sales of weight-loss drugs could potentially hit 100 billion US dollars by 2030, buoyed by promising results in recent clinical trials. We speak to Michael Shah, Senior Equity Research Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence for insights into this growing market.   Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystud...

The legal fraternity convened in Putrajaya on Monday for the opening of the Legal Year 2024, and the Attorney General Datuk Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh raised eyebrows when he asserted that he is not constitutionally bound to provide reasons for prosecutorial decisions, such as the dropping of criminal charges. We get reactions to these comments from constitutional lawyer New Sin Yew, and also di...

There’s been some progress on the proposed Singapore-KL High Speed Rail, with news emerging that seven local and international consortiums have submitted request for information proposals for the lucrative RM100 billion ringgit contract. Which companies are in the running and will this provide a catalyst for construction equities in Malaysia? We get views from Loong Chee Wei of Affin Hwang In...

Former President Donald Trump dominated the Iowa caucus on Monday, winning more than 50% of the vote share and solidifying his lead over rivals Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley. What does Iowa portend about the rest of the Republican presidential race? We get analysis on the outcome with political scientist John S. Jackson of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. Image credit: EPA-EFE See omnyst...

Its early days yet for the FBMKLCI but its already one of the best performing markets in Asia with only Japan and Philippines doing better. We ask Simon Lim, Head of Equities at Hong Leong Asset Management if this trend will persist for the rest of the year and what sectors we should be paying attention to. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

The new capital gains tax officially came into force on January 1st this year, but it was recently brought to light that the actual scope of this new tax surpasses the initial impressions conveyed during the budget presentation. Soh Lian Seng, Head of Tax at KPMG tells us what are the other surprises in the rollout of this new tax and what have been the implications so far. Image credit: Shutterst...

Conversations about a Fixed Term Parliament Act is regaining traction in political circles especially with rumours that MPs may be orchestrating another attempt to topple the Anwar Ibrahim government. Dr Wong Chin Huat, Political Scientist with Sunway University, explains the proposal and its impact to Malaysia's democratic and constitutional processes. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omny...

South Africa created waves on the international stage when it recently brought a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice for genocide. Why does South Africa have legal standing to do so? For a better understanding of the proceedings at the ICJ and the workings of the international justice system, we speak to Juliette McIntyre, Law Lecturer at the University of South Australia. Im...

William Lai Ching-te, the Democratic Progressive Party candidate secured victory in Taiwan’s presidential polls over the weekend. The result signifies a continued distancing from Beijing's influence. Chong Ja Ian, Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore weighs in on the implications of the election outcomes. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

The conflict in the Middle East sees no signs of easing with the recent airstrikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen by the US and some of its allies. Likewise, there is no concrete action pointing to a de-escalation of conflict in the Israel-Hamas war. We speak to Middle East expert Dr. James Dorsey for updates on the situation in the region. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/lis...

Malaysia has imposed a windfall tax levy of 3% on palm oil prices above RM3000 for Peninsular Malaysia and RM3500 for East Malaysia since 1998. Industry players have made calls to the government to do away with this levy - what justifications are they putting forth? We speak with economist Khor Yu Leng of Segi Enam Advisors to find out what needs to be done for Malaysia to remain relevant in the p...

Last week, the home of Beruas MP Dato' Ngeh Koo Ham was torched in the wee hours of the morning, destroying three of his vehicles but thankfully, there were no injuries. Remember also that in July last year, lawyer-activist Siti Kasim found pipe bombs underneath her car. We speak to the Perak DAP leader himself about his experience, as police work hard to uncover the motive behind such attack...

Last week, the world was confronted with two aviation incidents involving Japan and Alaska Airlines, evoking widespread concern. These occurrences have prompted a thorough examination of safety protocols and procedures within the aviation industry. Shantanu Gangakhedkar, Aviation Consultant from Frost & Sullivan shares his insights on airline safety. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Se...

The US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) approved exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that invest directly in Bitcoin, after more than a decade of opposition from the regulator. This is considered a watershed moment for the digital-asset industry. Sam Reynolds, senior reporter at Coindesk explains why and if this means that cryptocurrencies have gone mainstream. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See...

Malaysia and Singapore on Thursday signed an MOU on a new Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone to enhance economic cooperation, while also boosting the cross-border flow of goods and people as well as developing a framework that will lead to a full-fledged agreement. We speak with Tan Sri Dr Sulaiman Mahbob, Chairman of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) on Malaysia’s trade ini...

Gabriel Attal has been appointed as France's new prime minister following the resignation of Élisabeth Borne after a 20-month stint. Peter McPhee, Emeritus Professor of French History at the University of Melbourne analyses what the future holds for the 34-year-old former Health and Education minister, who also once served as président Emmanuel Macron's spokesperson. Image credit: EPA Images See o...

Malaysia invests significantly on public transport but issues faced by commuters such as punctuality, poor last-mile connectivity and expensive fares do not help build user confidence. Also, big investments are made towards station construction, but maintenance has often been lacking. We speak with transport expert Wan Agyl Wan Hassan to understand what Malaysia needs to create a better public tra...

There have been calls for Malaysia to work harder to be a green investment hub, even more so as we face strong competition from our ASEAN neighbours. One way is the reformation of the power sector to accommodate the potential export of renewable energy. We speak to Dr Renato Lima de Oliveira, Senior Fellow at Institute of Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) to understand what direction Malaysia...

2023 was a tale of two halves for the world's biggest economies, with the US and China markets diverging in sentiment. Will we see similar trends this year and how should investors recalibrate their portfolio in response? Francis Tan of UOB weighs in on investment strategies for 2024. Wealth Advice That Matters is brought to you by UOB Privilege Banking. Visit www.uob.com.my/bfm to find out more a...

Indonesia has had strong relations with Malaysia throughout the years. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim even made his first foreign visit there upon assuming office. However, it has not always been smooth as there are long standing border issues that the two neighbours need to agree on. Thomas Daniel, Senior Fellow of ISIS Malaysia discusses the key issues, why has it taken so long and also...

Malaysia's oil and gas industry is a key pillar of the economy, making up approximately 20% of annual GDP. This year, the oil & gas, services and equipment, or OGSE industry anticipates a notable rise in capital expenditure, signalling positive growth prospects. Yet, attention is drawn to the Middle East, where potential conflict escalation could bring both uncertainties and potential advantag...

The government will be revising the guidelines on the appointment process for board members of Federal Statutory Bodies. Meanwhile, a new format for MPs and administrative officials to declare their assets will be tabled soon in a Cabinet meeting. Alissa Rode, Research Manager for Public Finance Unit, IDEAS shares her insights on whether these efforts will be able to foster better governance and&n...