Morning Brief

Close to a third of water supply dams in Malaysia are over 50 years old while another seven dams are in critical condition with their structural integrity in need of urgent attention. With water supplies potential overstated, what should the country do to ensure water security? Charles Santiago, Chairman of the National Water Services Commission tells us. Image credit: Bernama See omnystudio.com/l...

The government is considering introducing a mandatory monthly deduction for repaying PTPTN study loans through an automatic deduction facilitated by IRB. This is as the government agency is saddled with a total debt of RM66.9bn, with no easy solutions to reduce it. Dr Geoffrey Williams, Economist and Professor at Malaysia University of Science and Technology (MUST) suggests some radical solution f...

With Tom Emmer, hours after being nominated by the Republican party as the third Speaker candidate in 3 weeks withdrawing from the race for House Speaker, we get reactions to these developments from YS pollster John Zogby on why the Republicans remain deeply divided in selecting their leader. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last weekend, PAS held its 69th annual congress, marking a political party at its zenith of popularity with 42 seats in Parliament and running 4 state governments. Can it expand its reach to non-Muslim voters whom the party alienated in the past? We discuss what lies ahead for PAS with Dr. Azmil Tayeb, Associate Professor at University Sains Malaysia. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnyst...

Despite inflation declining to 1.9% in September and the economy accelerating to 3.3% in the third quarter of 2023, the Ringgit continues to weaken. We ask Nazmi Idrus, Head of Economics, CGS-CIMB Securities the reasons for this weakness ad his expectations at the next BNM MPC meeting. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The war in Gaza has entered the third week with no respite in sight for the over 2 million Palestinians trapped there. A Peace Summit in Cairo over the weekend yielded no progress - who are the geopolitical power brokers that can affect a meaningful ceasefire? We get analysis and updates from Middle East expert Dr. James Dorsey. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

Indonesia will hold its general elections on 14th February next year to elect the successor to President Joko Widodo, who is barred from running for a third term under the constitution. Who are the possible candidates and what are their prospects in one of the biggest exercises of democracy in the world? We discuss Indonesia’s political landscape with Maria Monica Wihardja of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak...

The poor attendance records of MPs has prompted Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul to consider making public their attendance records or docking their allowances. Aira Azhari, Senior Manager at the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) weighs in on whether these measures will make a difference and should there be other parliamentary reforms to enhance the legislative duties o...

A 2019 report by an independent committee appointed by the Pakatan Harapan government was published last week, highlighting issues surrounding the management and recruitment of foreign workers. Adrian Pereira, of the North South Initiative discusses the glaring discrepancies in Malaysia's foreign worker management and the reforms that the government should prioritise. Image credit: Shutterstock.co...

Budget 2024 was the first full term Budget for this Madani government but was it game changer? P. Gunasegaram, Independent Business Writer gives us his honest review and whether a very different Budget should have been tabled on October 13. Brought to you by Mah Sing. Reinvent Spaces. Enhance Life. Image credit: Bernama See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has allocated RM72 million ringgit to strengthen the competitive athlete ecosystem, including RM20 million for Malaysia’s Road to Gold programme and RM12 million to support para-athletes in international competitions. Will this be enough to secure the country’s first Olympic gold medal next year? Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh joins us in-studio to discuss her plans for sport...

China’s latest GDP figures came in higher than expected at 4.9% in the third quarter, a sign that many are hoping means that the worst is over for the world’s second largest economy. But with beleaguered property giant Country Garden on the brink of default, how much will the real estate sector weigh down on growth? We get analysis on the Chinese economic outlook with Gary Ng of Natixis. Image cre...

The Thai government is pursuing a $27.4 billion land bridge project in the south that would link the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea through road and railway, giving shipping operators the option of bypassing the Straits of Malacca. How would this impact the Malaysian shipping industry? We get reactions on this and also initiatives to improve the maritime sector in Budget 2024 with Ooi Lean H...

The government has allocated RM350 million ringgit in Budget 2024 to get ready for the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign, alongside other initiatives to boost tourist arrivals. We discuss how impactful these announcements are for the tourism and hospitality sector with travel analyst Hannah Pearson of Pear Anderson. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Budget 2024 included an interim payment of between RM1,000 and RM2,000 for civil servants Grade 56 and below, including those on contract. Retirees were not excluded while all public sector employees including uniformed personnel would receive an incentive payment of RM1,000. Economist, Dr Nungsari Radhi shares his thoughts on how this might improve the delivery of Malaysia's public services. Brou...

The Education Ministry received the biggest slice of the 2024 Budget pie with an allocation of 58.7 billion ringgit. However, does it tackle the critical issues facing schools? Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim, Chairman of Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) tells us. Brought to you by Mah Sing. Reinvent Spaces. Enhance Life. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

World leaders have convened in Beijing to mark the 10th anniversary of the belt and road initiative. And some noteworthy attendees include Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the sole head of state or government from the European Union. Angeline Tan, Researcher in the Foreign Policy and Security Studies Programme, ISIS Malaysia shares with us BRI’s journey s...

As world leaders criss-cross the Middle East to contain the geopolitical fallout from Israel’s military escalation on Gaza, the humanitarian situation is becoming untenable. We speak to Tom Porteous of the Human Rights Watch for the latest on the ground situation. Image credit: EPA-EFE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Budget 2024, the Health Ministry’s allocation rose by 13.5% to RM41.2 billion, the largest increase of allocation among ministries. How is funding being prioritised? Public health medicine specialist Dr. Farhan Rusli weighs in on how Budget 2024 is shaping healthcare policy. Brought to you by Mah Sing. Reinvent Spaces. Enhance Life. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for...

The Madani government tabled Budget 2024 on Friday, with the theme Economic Reform, Empowering People. The plan however does have its detractors who among others, called out its lack of focus as well as possibly increasing the cost of living with the hike hit SST. Dr Afif Bahardin, Secretary of Perikatan Nasional Selangor and the assemblyman for Taman Medan gives us his take. Brought to you by Mah...

The Gaza Strip is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe as over 2 million Palestinians are trapped by an Israeli blockade with an imminent ground invasion by the IDF military. Can the international community bring any pressure to bear on belligerent parties, in particular Tel Aviv? The Ambassador of Palestine to Malaysia, H.E. Walid Abu Ali weighs in on the crisis. Image credit: EPA-EFE See o...

Budget 2024 had incentives to help Malaysia's MSMEs. These include RM44 billion in loans and financing guarantees, as well as RM2.2 billion in total funding to support them automate their business processes, digitalise their operations and increase their international footprint. Datuk William Ng, National President, Small and Medium Enterprises Association of Malaysia (SAMENTA), tells us how these...

In Budget 2024, revenue projections are at RM307bn. What new taxes were introduced for that purpose and were there any goodies for the rakyat considering the fiscal consolidation pressures? Sim Kwang Gek, Country Tax Leader, Deloitte Malaysia shares with us her perspective. Brought to you by Mah Sing. Reinvent Spaces. Enhance Life. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

The RM393.8 billion ringgit Budget 2024 hopes to see Malaysia's fiscal deficit narrow from 5% this year to 4.3% of GDP for 2024. Julia Goh, Senior Economist at UOB Malaysia breaks the details down further for us as she assesses how the phasing out of diesel subsidies, the end of chicken and egg price controls and the continuation of targeted electricity subsidies based on consumption might affect...

All eyes are on the Budget 2024 tabling this Friday, with a lot of scrutiny on how the government plans to narrow the fiscal deficit in line with recently passed Public Finance and Fiscal Responsibility Act. How will this new law and Budget 2024 shape Malaysia’s economic policies moving forward? Economist Dr. Afzanizam Abdul Rashid gives us a preview of expectations for the budget. Brought to...