Morning Brief

The World Health Organization announced on Friday May 5 that Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency, and immediately drew mixed reactions and emotions from health experts and stakeholders alike. Dr Khoo Yoong Khean, Scientific Officer, Duke-NUS Centre for Outbreak Preparedness helps us dissect these fractions and share his thoughts on how we should move forward in this pandemic phase. Ima...

Malaysia came in 3rd in this year’s Economist Crony-Capitalism Index. Surprisingly Singapore is ranked 4th. So what defines a crony capitalist economy and how does it differ between Malaysia and Singapore? For answers to this and more, we are joined by Pushpan Murugiah, Acting CEO, Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism, or commonly known as C4. Image by: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener...

Over the long Hari Raya weekend, vegetable farmers in the country had to dump surplus fresh vegetables on a large scale, causing millions of ringgit in losses and unnecessary food waste. An ironic situation considering questions over the level of food security in Malaysia and the rising cost of food. Prof. Dr. Fatimah Arshad, Research Fellow at Laboratory of Agricultural & Food Policy Studies,...

Over the long Hari Raya weekend, vegetable farmers in the country had to dump surplus fresh vegetables on a large scale, causing millions of ringgit in losses and unnecessary food waste. An ironic situation considering questions over the level of food security in Malaysia and the rising cost of food. Prof. Dr. Fatimah Arshad, Research Fellow at Laboratory of Agricultural & Food Policy Studies,...

In a country which has had 12 army coups since 1932, will elections which are due on May 14 bring forth a stable government that can appeal to the army and a very divided electorate. James Gomez, Regional Director, Asia Centre gives us an update whilst telling us who might be the Prime Minister. Image by: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a country which has had 12 army coups since 1932, will elections which are due on May 14 bring forth a stable government that can appeal to the army and a very divided electorate. James Gomez, Regional Director, Asia Centre gives us an update whilst telling us who might be the Prime Minister. Image by: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government announced that Malaysia will allow for a dual-wholesale network of the 5G roll-out once national coverage has reached 80% by the end of the year. What are the implications of this decision for telcos and consumers? We get reactions from Alexander Wong, Managing Editor of tech news portal SoyaCincau. Image by: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bank Negara Malaysia, US Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, and Reserve Bank of Australia all raise rates by 25bps this week. It appears central bankers are more concerned about inflation rather than recession. Joining us to share his take on this surprising but not unexpected hikes, we have with us Firdaos Rosli, Chief Economist at Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad. Image by: Shutterstock See omnys...

Malaysia jumped 40 spots in this year’s World Press Freedom Index, ranked at number 73, ahead of regional peers. What accounts for the massive improvement and how do we compare to the rest of ASEAN? We speak to Daniel Bastard of Reporters Without Borders for insights from the report. Image by: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The admission by Daihatsu that it rigged safety tests for four car models that it manufactures, including the Perodua Axia, has put the spotlight on safety standards for cars sold in Asian regions. Auto journalist Daniel Fernandez speaks to us about the implications of the scandal and whether it will have an impact on demand. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

According to Fitch Solutions, the global rice market is heading towards a record shortfall this year. What factors underpin these projections and what does this mean for the global 3.5 billion rice consumers? We discuss the trends with Priyanka Kishore of IMA Asia. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On World Press Freedom Day, we check in with founder and managing director of our own station, Malek Ali to ask the questions about editorial freedom and the challenge of operating an independent radio in a digital age. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, rumours were ablaze that certain BN MP's were going to join PN to topple the government. Dr Azmil Tayeb, Political Scientist, Universiti Sains Malaysia tells us if there was any truth to this. He also tells us the chances of sacked UMNO members who may or may not run on the opposition ticket at the upcoming state elections. Image by: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

It seems like every other month, company databases are being breached and our personal details are sold on the dark web. Is our PDPA Act strong enough or is this an enforcement issue of the existing laws? Kenny Lam, Partner, RDS Law, joins us to share his thoughts on the state of cyber security and data protection in the country. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

The Luxury sector continues to be recession proof for the world’s richest person, LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault. And with China reopening, will the good times continue to roll or will the boom end? Deborah Aitken, Senior Equity Analyst for Global Luxury Goods Bloomberg Intelligence, gives us her insights on the industry moving forward. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Regional banks in the US play a significant role in the economy serving small town communities which went unnoticed until the failure of SVB bank. Herman Chan, senior analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence tells us the health of these regional banks and if there should be regulatory changes. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Penang South Islands reclamation project recently received Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval from the Department of Environment, to the dismay of fishing community associations and environmental activists who have long protested the mega development. We speak to Mageswari Sangaralingam of Sahabat Alam Malaysia on the implications of the project for marine biodiversity. Image credi...

India is set to overtake China as the world’s most populous country, reaching 1.43 billion people by the end of the month. We discuss what these demographic shifts mean for policymakers with Sanghmitra Singh from the Population Foundation of India. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2016 Companies Act was arguably a game changer for Malaysian standards of corporate governance, demanding more accountability from company directors and specifying their duties. But what are the standards expected to ensure good corporate standards? Ranjit Singh, founding partner of Ranjit Singh & Yeoh tells us. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

Continuing our two part episode focusing on scams, Ooi Beng Cheang of FPAM comes on the show again this time to talk about online scams. He shares tips on how to spot online phishing scams, what to do when you're caught in one and what you can do if you fall for one. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Joe Biden has officially declared that he is running for re-election in 2024, setting up a potential showdown with erstwhile rival Donald Trump. We discuss the variables in the presidential race with Prof. Robert Shapiro of Columbia University. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Asian central banks begin to press pause on rate hikes while the Fed continues its tightening cycle, what effect would this have on FX trends? We discuss the outlook for Asia-Pacific currencies with Stephen Chiu of Bloomberg Intelligence. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the 15th straight year, the Economist Intelligence Unit has named Singapore as the world’s leading business environment in its annual Best Place to do Business Report, and that it will hold that position for the next 5 years as well. What sets Singapore apart from other nations? Where is Malaysia? Cheah Wen Chong, an analyst at the EIU, discusses what is in the report. Image credit: Shuttersto...

The list of ingredients in many a packaged food product frequently reads like a chemistry textbook. In light of Taiwan's health authorities detecting excessive levels of a carcinogenic substance in 2 instant noodle brands - one from Malaysia and the other from Indonesia - it is good to know what is safe and what isn't to eat. Dr Chai Lay Ching, Associate Professor at the Institute of Biological Sc...

Intellectual property isn’t always a priority for businesses, be it small or big. Yet, as Malaysia moves toward a knowledge driven economy, it should be essential. Gerald Peter Samuel, Director at Marks & Clerk explains what IP is and the process involved. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.