Morning Brief

Malaysia’s energy sector has traditionally been dominated by state-owned enterprises. While this model of energy supply may be effective in providing reliable and affordable energy to Malaysian consumers, it is not equipped to effectively transition towards renewable energy. We speak to Dr Renato de Lima Oliveira, Senior Fellow with IDEAS and Assistant Professor at the Asia School of Business...

In the recent cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim separated the Communications and Digital Ministry into two independent bodies. Gobind Singh Deo reenters the cabinet as Digital Minister, while Fahmi Fadzil remains Communications Minister within this revised setup. We discuss the expectations and changes in the communication and digital landscape that stem from this division...

With the two major superpowers - China and US trying to curry favour with Vietnam, how will the Southeast Asian nation put its 'bamboo diplomacy' into practice as geopolitics become increasingly complex? We speak to Phan Xuan Dung, research officer of Vietnam Studies Programme at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute about what this means for Vietnam moving forward. Image credit: AP Photos See...

Government released data showing that the gender pay gap has widened since 2020, with women receiving 66 ringgit for every 100 ringgit their male counterparts earn, far from the 96 ringgit reported in 2021. Anis Farid, Research Project Manager, Women’s Aid Organisation shares with us the systemic issues women face in the fight for wage equality. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystu...

Could President Joe Biden become only the 4th US president to be impeached? We discuss the latest move by the House of Representatives to authorise an impeachment inquiry and how this is impacting the presidential race with independent pollster John Zogby. Editorial credit: Muhammad Aamir Sumsum / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does the new Cabinet composition reflect a strengthened political presence of the East Malaysia bloc? We discuss this with Ariff Adi Putra of the Institute for Development Studies in Sabah. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After two gruelling weeks, countries at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai have agreed to "shift energy systems away from fossil fuels in a just, orderly and equitable manner", the first time a transition away from fossil fuels has been included. Does this outcome go far enough to avert climate catastrophe? We get insights from Chee Yoke Ling of the Third World Network on what this means for t...

Last Tuesday, former Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad was appointed as the Health Minister once again, taking over from Dr. Zaliha Mustafa. The Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim believes that his appointment would strengthen the ministry, which has been burdened with many issues. We ask Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh, President, Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia on the reforms t...

The US-China chip war has been ongoing for over a year now. Recently, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo has raised concerns over China's breakthrough in advanced chipmaking. Meanwhile, Nvidia's dealings with China have also come under heavy scrutiny. Alex Holmes, senior economist at Oxford Economics shares his updates on how the semiconductor industry is coping amid the ongoing tensions. Im...

Dato’ Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir took control of the Ministry of Higher Education. His appointment comes amidst the higher education system coming under fire as to whether it prepares Malaysians for the fast changing nature of work and required technical skills. Prof. Zaharom Nain, Professor of Media and Communication Studies, University of Nottingham Malaysia shares his views on the required init...

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has announced a revamp of his administration. The Madani government now has 31 ministries with the addition of the Federal Territories portfolio and the splitting up of responsibilities at the Communications & Digital as well as the Natural Resources, Environment & Climate Change Ministries. Ibrahim Suffian, Programme Director at the Merdeka Centre shares his a...

Dato’ Sri Amir Hamzah Azizan, the former CEO of EPF has been tapped to become Finance Minister II. What might he bring to the table and what is expected of the fortified MOF leadership? We get reactions from economist Dr. Afzanizam Abdul Rashid of Bank Muamalat. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia is currently strategising two major projects, the tram system in Melaka and the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail. One for vanity, another for necessity. Will these two projects create a catalyst for more people to use public transport for their travels? Will it ease congestion? We discuss their practicalities with Transit Malaysia Member, Bernard Chong. Image credit: Metro Trem See...

Over the weekend, several skirmishes were reported between Chinese and Philippines’ vessels in the South China Sea, highlighting continued tensions over maritime territory in the region. We discuss what transpired with security analyst Chong Ja Ian of the National University of Singapore. Image credit: EPA-EFE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Environmental Impact Assessments were introduced back in 1974 under the Environmental Quality Act to evaluate the sustainability and long-term viability of a proposed project or development. However, amid accusations that these EIAs have not fulfilled their purpose, the Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Ministry might want to make it more robust. Kwong Chiew Ee, a member of th...

TERAJU was established in 2011 under the Prime Minister's Department to increase Bumiputera participation in the economy, but how successful has this agency been in delivering its mandate? As the government relooks at its strategy to uplift the Bumiputera economy, more focus needs to be done on its proper implementation and ensure support is given to those who need it. Ahmad Yazid Othman, Secretar...

Investors begin a cautious week as the final Federal Reserve meeting of 2023 looms, hoping for any signals on when central bankers will begin to cut interest rates. Stephen Chiu, Chief Asia FX and Rates Strategist with Bloomberg Intelligence shares with us how recent market movements and impending Fed decision will impact Asian rates as well as currencies. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnyst...

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently made a whirlwind visit to the UAE and Saudi Arabia last week, covering issues such as the war in Gaza and OPEC+ ties. We speak to Muhammad Faizal Abdul Rahman, Research Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies to find out the meetings’ wider implications for geopolitics and oil. Image credit: EPA-EFE See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

Malaysia is seeing a demographic transition, with projections indicating that about 15% of the population will be elderly by 2030 - consisting of individuals aged 60 and above. Chai Sen Tyng, a senior research officer at the Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing (MyAgeing), Universiti Putra Malaysia, discusses what should be considered with the Senior Citizen Bill expected to be tabled next year...

Data from the Programme for International Student Assessment or PISA 2022 showed a steep decline in performance of Malaysian students in all three domains, namely mathematics, science and reading. Chan Soon Seng, CEO at Teach for Malaysia analyses the data, what ails the education industry and how the government can do better to improve the future of Malaysian students. Image credit: Berita Harian...

The Printing Presses Publication Act (PPPA) 1984 gives absolute power to the Home Affairs Minister to ban any publications which are deemed to be prejudicial to public order, morality, security, or which is likely to alarm public opinion. Sheena Gurbakhash, Writer and EXCO Member of PEN Malaysia explains why the powers of this statute is very broad, open to misinterpretation and may impede creativ...

The MyDigital ID programme is set to launch for the public in July next year and is expected to be used for verification to receive targeted subsidies. However, there is also concern about the possibility of data breaches given past experiences of government portals. What's being done to assuage such concerns? We discuss the implementation of national digital IDs with Intellectual Property and Inf...

It’s been 21 months since the outbreak of war in Ukraine, and Western financial assistance is beginning to dwindle. On Wednesday, Republicans blocked a bill in the US Senate that would provide much-needed financial support to Kyiv. What impact might this have on the Ukrainian counter-offensive? We get updates from Denys Mykhailiuk, Chargé d'Affaires, Ukrainian Embassy in Malaysia. Image credit: EP...

The government aims to say goodbye to toll gantries via a Multi Lane Free Flow (MLFF) system, thus making it easier for drivers to coast onto the highways. However, The Association of Highway Concessionaires Malaysia pushed a roadblock to the government’s move to directly award the project to a private company. To understand what obstacles this plan faces, we speak to Professor Dr. Ahmad Farhan Mo...

The Global Carbon Budget report highlights that carbon dioxide emissions from coal, oil, and gas continue to increase. This is despite recommendations that there needs to be a 45% decline in gas usage by 2050 to prevent temperatures from exceeding the critical 1.5°C limit. Dr Ali Izadi-Najafabadi, Head of APAC Research at Bloomberg-NEF discusses the implications if no consensus is reached. Image c...