Morning Brief

Malaysia has witnessed a surge in mall construction but footfall traffic has not kept up, with seven states recording occupancy rates below 80%. As malls and retailers brace for the glut ahead, they are also facing fierce competition from the e-commerce players who have come up with catchy marketing strategies like 9-9, 10-10, and 11-11 to gain market share.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia improved from C to a C+ in the 2019 Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index report. The list of recommended actions to get a better rating such as "increasing the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals" is not easy to implement given the limited national finances.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While China hasn't sent troops into Hong Kong to their credit to quell the protests, the idea of "one country, two systems" is looking increasingly untenable especially with regards to its policy on Taiwan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The question of whether to ban or regulate vaping is a complex one, given that not only is Malaysia one of the biggest vaping markets in the world, but also that there are thousands of jobs at stake as well. We discuss this with Ridhwan Rosli, the Secretary-General of the Malaysian Vape Chamber of Commerce, and Erik Stoel, Managing Director of British American Tobacco. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following news of Indonesian President Joko Widodo's new Cabinet lineup, we speak to Enrico Tanuwidjaja, Economist at UOB Group, and Aaron Connolly, Research Fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, about their takes on the lineup, and what it means for Jokowi's second term.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia has jumped three places in the World Bank's 2020 Ease of Doing Business Report to 12th in the world. For more insight into this change, we speak to Professor Mahendhiran Nair and Professor Pervaiz Ahmed of Monash University Malaysia about what they think accounts for the move, and some obstacles to doing business in Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asia is slowing and the rest of the world has to find a way to cope. Nor will Malaysia be spared, though its government is more optimistic than the IMF and other analysts including Khoon Goh, Head of Asia Research at ANZ Bank in Singapore, who explains this disparity and offers some market insights.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

00:05 - Softbank has doubled down on its investment into WeWork, whose valuation has plummeted to just $8 billion. 05:43 - Mark Zuckerberg has struggled to convince Congress of Facebook's plans for cryptocurrency Libra, in light of the company's missteps in protecting data privacy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

00:40 - Khazanah Nasional has said Malaysia would need a capital injection of RM1 billion a year, if it wants to survive. 06:42 - The Port Klang Free Zone masterplan is looking to revitalise the area, transforming its 20 hectare commercial component and increasing utilisation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As protests sparked by a metro fare hike tap into a deeper vein of unrest in Chile, we speak to Dr. Jennifer Pribble, Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Studies, University of Richmond about what lead to this, and what the Chilean government can do to assuage protesters.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

00:23 - After a proposal to revamp the civil servant pension scheme was raised early this month, the subject has come up again after Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad revealed the government is struggling to bear the pension burden. 05:19 - Are gig economy workers considered fully employed? We ask this and more as the government considers adding them to the 12th Malaysia Plan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

00:23 - After a proposal to revamp the civil servant pension scheme was raised early this month, the subject has come up again after Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad revealed the government is struggling to bear the pension burden. 05:19 - Are gig economy workers considered fully employed? We ask this and more as the government considers adding them to the 12th Malaysia Plan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Throw in great talent, supportive regulation, funding, good market access and voila, you can't tell the difference between what's needed for the old or new economy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Throw in great talent, supportive regulation, funding, good market access and voila, you can't tell the difference between what's needed for the old or new economy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ambitious plan to build 4000km of roads to connect Brunei, Kalimantan, Sabah and Sarawak is part of efforts to bring development and socio-economic benefits to the region. We speak to Firdausi Suffian, Political Economist at UiTM Sabah to find out what the challenges are to this Trans-Borneo Highway but also what could be the positives while having a deeper dive on the political relations between the 3 countries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ambitious plan to build 4000km of roads to connect Brunei, Kalimantan, Sabah and Sarawak is part of efforts to bring development and socio-economic benefits to the region. We speak to Firdausi Suffian, Political Economist at UiTM Sabah to find out what the challenges are to this Trans-Borneo Highway but also what could be the positives while having a deeper dive on the political relations between the 3 countries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has been sworn in for his second and last term, and now all eyes are on who his choices will be for his Cabinet. For more about Jokowi's priorities this term, we speak to Alden Iswanto, analyst with political consultancy KRA Group.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

00:05 - Mumbai-based processors group the Solvent Extractors' Association have told their members to avoid purchasing palm oil from Malaysia, as a mark of solidarity following Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's comments that India 'invaded' Kashmir. 04:52 - Transport Minister Anthony Loke has refused to comment on the state of the Malaysian Aviation Commission, after he reportedly criticised both the commission and the state of the aviation industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

00:05 - Mumbai-based processors group the Solvent Extractors' Association have told their members to avoid purchasing palm oil from Malaysia, as a mark of solidarity following Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's comments that India 'invaded' Kashmir. 04:52 - Transport Minister Anthony Loke has refused to comment on the state of the Malaysian Aviation Commission, after he reportedly criticised both the commission and the state of the aviation industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

00:05 - Budget 2020's Graduates@Work scheme has come under criticism, on concerns that it will reduce the employability of fresh graduates. 09:15 - One of Budget 2020's stated objectives has been to ensure Malaysia is competitive as an investment destination. For some insight, we speak to Amarjeet Singh, EY Asean and Malaysia Tax Leader at Ernst & Young, about how exactly the budget goes about addressing that.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Malaysian aviation sector, experiencing material change from a regulatory and industry perspective, has enormous consequences for Malaysian Airports Holdings Bhd. Khair Mirza, Director of Airport Investor Resource, Modalis Infrastructure Partners Inc, discusses.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Malaysian aviation sector, experiencing material change from a regulatory and industry perspective, has enormous consequences for Malaysian Airports Holdings Bhd. Khair Mirza, Director of Airport Investor Resource, Modalis Infrastructure Partners Inc, discusses.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Daniel Béland, Director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada in Montreal, discusses Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's spectacular fall from grace, in the context of that country's upcoming elections. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another Brexit delay may be in the offing, after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was forced to request an extension to the Brexit deadline from the EU. But with the Withdrawal Agreement Bill making its way through the House of Commons, what is likely to happen next? We speak to Professor Fariborz Moshirian, Director of the Institute of Global Finance at UNSW Sydney, about whether we can expect an early general election any time soon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia has made a good start in the Fintech space but needs more to increase adoption and encourage consolidation in an already crowded space, says Mohammad Ridzuan Abdul Aziz, President of Fintech Association of Malaysia (FAOM). We also spoke to Harjeet Baura, Asia-Pacific Digital Banking Leader at PwC, about virtual banking and its potential.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia has made a good start in the Fintech space but needs more to increase adoption and encourage consolidation in an already crowded space, says Mohammad Ridzuan Abdul Aziz, President of Fintech Association of Malaysia (FAOM).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Although the EU and the UK have come to an agreement on Brexit, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson still has to brave his own House of Commons in order to push the deal through. With both the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist party and the opposition Labour party against Johnson's deal, it looks like it will be an uphill struggle as we head into the home stretch of the October 31st deadline.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has just launched the National Transport Policy, an ambitious holistic plan but we ask Laurence Todd, Head of Research and Development from IDEAS if this will resolve the many issues including the loss of GDP.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has just launched the National Transport Policy, an ambitious holistic plan but we ask Laurence Todd, Head of Research and Development from IDEAS if this will resolve the many issues including the loss of GDP.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Transport Policy will debut today hopefully to better lives soon. Chaly Koh believes that instead of selling more cars and building more roads in our landlocked urban centres, the government should use data to see how they can not only solve transportation woes but give people something they actually don't mind using.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US House of Representatives has passed several bills lending support to ongoing protests happening in Hong Kong. As these bills move on to the Senate, we ask how this move could affect the ongoing trade talks happening between the US and China.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US House of Representatives has passed several bills lending support to ongoing protests happening in Hong Kong. As these bills move on to the Senate, we ask how this move could affect the ongoing trade talks happening between the US and China.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thomas Rookmaaker, Director in Fitch Ratings’ Sovereigns tells us that for the moment Malaysia is not at risk of a sovereign downgrade but progress has to be made in debt reduction as GDP to debt remains high at 65% vs. regional peers at 48%.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thomas Rookmaaker, Director in Fitch Ratings’ Sovereigns tells us that for the moment Malaysia is not at risk of a sovereign downgrade but progress has to be made in debt reduction as GDP to debt remains high at 65% vs. regional peers at 48%.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the threat of US sanctions now hanging over several Turkish officials, how will Turkey proceed with its military incursion against Syria? We speak to James Dorsey, senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and the Middle East Institute in Singapore , for more insight into possible IS resurgences, Turkey's options, and the position of Russia as the kingmaker.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been 6 months since the FELDA White Paper came out, so we take stock on the progress of its reforms whilst also looking at its listed vehicle FGV and who is eyeing the company.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chong Tjen-San, Senior Vice President of Research at Alliance DBS reminds us of Budget 2020 goodies for the construction sector and who stands to benefit from the push of development in East Malaysia and also the big ticket projects in Peninsula Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lee Ju Ye, Economist at Maybank Kim Eng, gives a 101 on Singapore's monetary policy and how the regulators use currency instead of interest rates to cushion a slowdown. She also weighs in on how the island's GDP will look in 4th quarter of 2019 despite external headwinds.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Rent-to-Own schemes to a tweaked Real Property Gains Tax, a number of new things were introduced for the real estate sector in Budget 2020. To shed some light on them, we speak to Loong Chee Wei, Senior Associate Director at Affin Hwang Capital, about his take on the budget, and whether some controversial measures will wind up having a positive impact on the property sector. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A number of new initiatives were proposed under Budget 2020, including an expansion of the Bantuan Sara Hidup programme and details of a new fuel subsidy. For a dive into this, we speak to Calvin Cheng about the long-term effect of subsidies, and how we wean ourselves off them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

00:05 - The Budget 2020 was tabled by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng in Parliament last Friday, with the theme 'Driving growth and equitable outcomes towards shared prosperity. We look at some of the numbers put forward in the budget. 13:17 - Also at stake: PLUS's future, with the government now saying they are considering the possibility of taking over the country's largest toll concessionaire. 22:45 - For a deeper dive into how the Budget affects you and me, we speak to Sim Kwang Gek about some of the details of the expansionary budget, including benefits for B40s, women, graduates, and SMEs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia's government is spoilt for choices where the fate of their highways are concerned: four takeover proposals and one to buy them over in totality.  It's decision time -- but chief among all considerations should be the country's most important stakeholder: its people.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The October extended deadline for e-hailing drivers to obtain their Passenger Service Vehicle Licences ends tomorrow, with the government maintaining that no further extensions will be given. For some insights into the current state of the industry and what happens next, we speak to Daryl Chong, President of the Malaysian E-Hailing Drivers Association, about communication with the taxi industry, potential effects of the ruling, and fare regulation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Geopolitical risks have thrown the global market into flux, as we enter the final quarter of 2019. So for some insights into whether we should ride out this storm, we speak to Stephen Dover, Executive Vice President & Head of Equities at Franklin Templeton, about recessions, changing investment landscapes, and what advice he has for global investors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peck Boon Soon, Chief ASEAN Economist at RHB Research Institute tells us what he expects from Budget 2020 in particular how the government intends to implement its Shared Prosperity Vision whilst looking at bigger problems the government faces today in light of the slowing global growth impacting trade flows and business sentiment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Union of Journalists blames political interference for Utusan's demise. But in truth, UMNO was a mere catalyst. Utusan needed much, much more than sub-par politically tinged 'stories' to overcome competition, digital disruption, dwindling ad revenue and volatile newsprint costs to avoid meeting its maker.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paul Selvaraj, CEO of Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA), talks up FOMCA's wishlist for poor Malaysians, including reasonably priced groceries, cheaper public transport and better salaries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paul Selvaraj, CEO of Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA), talks up FOMCA's wishlist for poor Malaysians, including reasonably priced groceries, cheaper public transport and better salaries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahead of an informal summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we take a look at the possibility that the rising threat of US tariffs may draw these two long-standing rivals together. For more, we speak to Professor Kanti Bajpai the Professor of Asian Studies, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy for perspectives on the conflict between India and China thus far.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahead of an informal summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we take a look at the possibility that the rising threat of US tariffs may draw these two long-standing rivals together. For more, we speak to Professor Kanti Bajpai the Professor of Asian Studies, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy for perspectives on the conflict between India and China thus far.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.