Morning Brief

China is restarting its engine, as the coronavirus outbreak in the country dies down. The question on everyone's mind is, how quickly will they recover, particularly as the rest of the world suffers through the Covid-19 pandemic? For insight, we speak to Tommy Xie, Head of Greater China Research at OCBC Bank, about whether a V-shaped recovery is still realistic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With flattening the Covid 19 infection curve a priority for the Malaysian government, we speak to Kahlil Anwar, Member of the MIER Health Financing Group to talk about the whether the MCO has achieved the objective. We also ask when the cases will peak based on their projections and whether our figures are better than global averages.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As expected, Bank Negara has lowered the country's growth target from 0.5% to -2%, highlighting the risks to the economy from Covid 19. Julia Goh, Senior Economist at UOB Bank provides a deeper analysis on the central bank's Economic Monetary Review report whilst giving their house view on the economy and warning of a new twin risk.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The economic repercussions of Covid-19 has led to a downgrade of Malaysia's banking sector, according to Willie Tanoto, a Director in Fitch Ratings’ Asia-Pacific Banking Team, which continues to monitor the impact on all sectors of the economy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With cases and mortalities rising daily, it's clear that America's fragmented, complex and overlapping healthcare system is unprepared for what has rapidly spiralled into a global pandemic, says Gustav Ando, Head of Life Sciences and Industry Services at IHS Markit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In its early days, the Movement Control Order (MCO) led to closure of farmer markets (pasar tani) and disrupted the agriculture supply chain, resulting in food wastages. Since then, the Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (FAMA) has announced the re-opening of these informal markets with precautions in selected locations. We discuss with Azulita Salim, Director-General of Farmers' Organisation Authority (LPP), on the challenges faced by food producers due to the MCO.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia to contract 0.1% in 2020 if conditions persist, says World Bank's Richard RecordSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

P. Gunasegaram, Editor-in-Chief, Focus Malaysia talks about his version of a Makcik Kiah and alternative ways to support the B40 community.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

P. Gunasegaram, Editor-in-Chief, Focus Malaysia talks about his version of a Makcik Kiah and alternative ways to support the B40 community.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Global oil prices are in a free fall. Rob Barnett, Senior Energy Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence helps us make sense of what’s going on and when might prices recover.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Financial Times reports that almost 630,000 retail outlets in the US have been forced to close due to Covid-19 fears. As further shutdowns are implemented across the US and people are staying home, there is little to no income coming in for non-essential retailers. The National Retail Federation calculates that the industry could lose $430 billion in revenues over the next three months. How many stores will be able to reopen if and when the crisis passes?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Under the Movement Control Order (MCO), the government has imposed roadblocks and closures, deployed drones, and arrested people for not complying. Melissa Sasidaran, Director, at Lawyers For Liberty, talks about what is happening on the ground.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As fasting month looms during Covid-19, the national dialogue shifts to the Ramadan bazaar, mass gatherings which have traditionally offered pretty traders and low income households sustenance and wages.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datuk Michael Kang, President of the SME Association of Malaysia, feels short-changed by the govt stimulus program, saying the sector, which employs some 10 million people and accounts for 38% of national GDP, has insufficient aid to sustain beyond the immediate term.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 3-week national lockdown which began on March 25th. However there has been much criticism of the initiative as many people buy food with the money they earn each day, and many more fall into poverty under the lockdown. So much so that #ModiMadeDisaster was trending on Twitter in India on Sunday.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Denis Low, President of Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (MARGMA) warns there will be a chronic global shortage of medical rubber gloves, which could result in higher infections among frontline medics. We speak to him on the severity of the situation and whether there will be enough gloves in Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last Friday, the Perikatan Nasional government unveiled a RM250 billion stimulus package against the social and economic fallouts from the pandemic, the largest stimulus package the country has unveiled ever since the Global Financial crisis of 2008/2009.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last Friday, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin unveiled his next round of stimulus package to bring it to a total of RM250 billion. Christopher Choong, Deputy Director of Research, at Khazanah Research Institute talks about what else the government could do.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Khoon Goh, Head of Asia Research, at ANZ Bank unpacks the Resilience Budget by Singapore, and how Malaysia’s stimulus package stacks up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Indonesia's infection rate looks unbelievably low as does its stimulus package. Singapore has been able to lead the way in crisis management owing in no small part to its accumulated wealth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:06 - Ahead of the Second Economic Stimulus Package set to be released today, all eyes are on Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, to see how much the package will contain, and where it will be targeted. To give us some thoughts, we speak to Hamdan Abdul Majeed, Managing Director of Think City, about measures needed to alleviate Malaysians' economic burden. 04:31 - We also speak to Professor Nur Ain Shahrier, Professor of Economics at Sunway University, on what we can expect from the stimulus package.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The tourism and hotel industry has been badly hit by the Covid-19 outbreak, more so now with the declaration of the Movement Control Order, which is set to last until mid-April. Some reports have placed the industry's potential losses at over half a billion ringgit in revenue during the MCO- and to speak about this and more, we reached out to Yap Lip Seng, CEO of the Malaysian Association of Hotels.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following the extension of the Movement Control Order by another two weeks to April 14th, many industries are now questioning whether they will be able to survive this period of forced inactivity. The Food and Beverages sector has appealed for economic contingency plans to protect their livelihoods, as they cope with diminished sales on top of ongoing payment obligations. For more on this, we speak to Jennifer Ong, Founder and CEO of HAPA Group, about what kind of support is needed for the F&B sector, to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The outlook for the aviation sector has not been good, amid travel restrictions brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. Following the International Air Transport Association's decision to cut its 2020 revenue forecast dramatically, we speak to Jonathan Root, Senior Vice President at Moody's Investor Service, for his thoughts on the global airlines sector, and whether there are any bright spots to be found.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bank Negara granted an automatic 6-month loan moratorium to many sectors including housing loans. We ask whether the B40 or M40 will benefit from this.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With education institutions from kindergartens to universities all closed under the Movement Control Order, students have had no choice but to stay at home and find other ways to keep their education going. But if the order is extended, how much more will this affect students from all walks of life? We speak to Chan Soon Seng, Programme Director of Teach For Malaysia, about the impact this will have on education systems, public exams, and vulnerable groups among both teachers and students.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

00:00 - Bank Negara Malaysia has instructed banks to implement a 6 month loan moratorium for all loans, except credit cards. The Morning Run team explores what kind of an effect this will have, and whether or not this just kicks the problems down the road. 03:50 - Malaysia ranks 40th out of 113 countries tracked in the Global Food Security Index, due to its heavy reliance on imported foods. But with Covid-19 disrupting supply chains around the world, how much will our food security be affected? We speak to Khor Yu Leng, Independent Political Economist at Segi Enam Advisors, about Malaysia's reliance on outside sources, and how the outbreak as affected the agrifood sector.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As coronavirus anxieties rage on, US President Donald Trump may end lockdowns to save businesses. Playing God accompanied with ladling out generous stimulus money might be just what the doctor ordered to win an election. Or maybe not.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The coronavirus outbreak has brought business continuity plans or BCP into staple corporate speak. We check out whether BCPs work during a coronageddon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The COVID-19 outbreak has tested healthcare systems around the world. With public healthcare in countries like Italy buckling under the new influx of patients, we speak to Milena Izmirlieva, Life Sciences Director at IHS Markit, about the current limitations of healthcare systems, as well as how to mitigate them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are concerns that the government's policy to stimulate the economy with EPF savings kicks the retirement can down the road. YB Wong Chen tallies up the tab from other possible sources of stimulus funding.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

00:29 - The Morning Run team brings you a quick round-up of all the Covid-19 news that happened over the weekend. 03:20 - AirAsia, which was embroiled in corruption allegations as a result of the UK inquiry into Airbus, has cleared its co-founders Tan Sri Tony Fernandez and Datuk Kamarudin Meranun, after the results of an independent inquiry. We speak to P. Gunasegaram, editor-in-chief of Focus Malaysia, for his reactions, and an update on the other probes said to be happening into AirAsia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In conjunction with World Water Day, which is celebrated on March 22nd every year, this morning we take a look at a crucial aspect of the battle against the coronavirus: access to clean water. To do this, we speak to former Minister of Water, Land, and Natural Resources, Dr. Xavier Jayakumar, who has also been a consistent advocate of these issues, for a sense of the situation on the ground, as well as the challenges in maintaining the national water supply.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the Covid-19 pandemic, will the Summer Olympic games in Japan happen? For the moment, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe looks set to hold the games in July despite the obvious health risks. We speak to Jonathan Berkshire Miller, Senior Fellow at Japan Institute of International Affairs for the reasons behind that mindset while discussing while asking why the country seems to have such low infection rates.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Chua Sook Ning, Founder of Relate, recommends what employers can do to support the mental health of their staff and how we can all stay sane in this current time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With its global reserve currency and safe-haven status, the US dollar has been hitting fresh highs on a daily basis. Saktiandi Supaat, Head of FX Research, Maybank, discusses what this rally means for the Ringgit among other emerging-market currencies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Majority of e-hailing drivers and food delivery riders have minimal savings. Darryl Chong, Chairman of the Malaysian E-Hailing Drivers Association talks about what we can do to protect its members in this difficult time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To battle the economic blow of COVID-19, US President Donald Trump’s administration has backed a $1.3 trillion stimulus package, the stimulus package passed in 2009 was $787 billion, but will this be enough to support the US economy and mitigate the likelihood of a downturn?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Workers’ rights are particularly vulnerable when the govt-imposed Movement Control Order throttles consumption and employers feel the pinch of vastly reduced (or no) cashflow. Some clarity on this critical area comes from Mohan Ramakrishnan a Labour and Industrial Relations lawyer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Workers’ rights are particularly vulnerable when the govt-imposed Movement Control Order throttles consumption and employers feel the pinch of vastly reduced (or no) cashflow. Some clarity on this critical area comes from Mohan Ramakrishnan a Labour and Industrial Relations lawyer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daily commuters from Malaysia form almost a tenth of Singapore’s labour force. Selena Ling, Chief Economist at OCBC Bank discusses the implication of Malaysia’s Movement Control Order that bans Malaysians from travelling to Singapore.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daily commuters from Malaysia form almost a tenth of Singapore’s labour force. Selena Ling, Chief Economist at OCBC Bank discusses the implication of Malaysia’s Movement Control Order that bans Malaysians from travelling to Singapore.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China's economy took a major hit in January and February. Yue Sue, China Economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) expects a U recovery in light of a global slowdown.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China's economy took a major hit in January and February. Yue Sue, China Economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) expects a U recovery in light of a global slowdown.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘Unprecedented’ is an appropriate description for Covid-19’s impact on the workforce and the government's imposition of a Movement Control Order. Dr. Idlan Rabihah Zakaria, Chief Executive Officer at The Centre, a Malaysian-based think tank, discusses the specific impact on the gig economy and whether or not they have been left behind.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘Unprecedented’ is be an apt description for Covid-19’s impact on the workforce and the government's imposition of a Movement Control Order. Dr. Idlan Rabihah Zakaria, Chief Executive Officer at The Centre, a Malaysian-based think tank, discusses the specific impact on the gig economy and whether or not they have been left behind.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Monday night, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced a movement restriction order that would require many businesses to close temporarily, as well as restricting all tourist entries and foreign visitors into the country, among various other measures. While it is clear that these measures were put in place to minimize interpersonal interactions as much as possible, one of the biggest questions this raises for us is: what does it mean for the economy?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Azrul Mohd Khalib, CEO of the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy weighs in on the effectiveness of a movement control order to enforce social distancing, and Malaysia's capacity to deal with a pandemic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Azrul Mohd Khalib, CEO of the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy weighs in on the effectiveness of a movement control order to enforce social distancing, and Malaysia's capacity to deal with a pandemic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Countries around the world are grappling with the Covid-19 outbreak as global infections surpassed the number of cases in China for the first time yesterday. As of yesterday, there have been a total 168,000 cases recorded and 6,600 deaths and the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Europe the "epicentre" of the pandemic, which originated in China.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.