Morning Brief

00:05 - Following statements from Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad that Malaysia has been 'bullied' into closing Iranian-linked bank accounts, we speak to Dr. Behrang Samadi, a university lecturer, Iranian national, and longtime resident of Malaysia, about his experiences with the issue. 06:41 - The government have said it is confident that Malaysia will eventually be removed from the US Treasury's watch list of potential currency manipulators.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nomination day for the Tanjung Piai by-election is upon us, with the election itself set to be held on November 16th. Who is going to win the seat? For some insight, we speak to Ibrahim Suffian, Program Director of the Merdeka Centre, for an on-the-ground look at the issues that matter in Tanjung Piai, some of the sentiment surrounding the election, and what it could mean signal for Pakatan Harapan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nomination day for the Tanjung Piai by-election is upon us, with the election itself set to be held on November 16th. Who is going to win the seat? For some insight, we speak to Ibrahim Suffian, Program Director of the Merdeka Centre, for an on-the-ground look at the issues that matter in Tanjung Piai, some of the sentiment surrounding the election, and what it could mean signal for Pakatan Harapan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The evidence is clear and damning: traffic congestion is a significant drain on human productivity and growth. In his 'Future Cities Report', the HSBC economist James Pomeroy offers some solutions and insights.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The evidence is clear and damning: traffic congestion is a significant drain on human productivity and growth. In his 'Future Cities Report', the HSBC economist James Pomeroy offers some solutions and insights.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1MDB remains one of the Malaysia's biggest scandals but one of the key players may have apparently reached a tentative settlement with the US Department of Justice. Low Taek Jho, more commonly known as Jho Low is reported  to have waived his rights to assets valued at over US$1 billion allegedly acquired with 1MDB funds. However we ask the question that continues to baffles Malaysians - where is he?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Competition in the streaming space is about to get even more heated, with HBO Max announcing it will launch in May 2020 at a price of $14.99. We speak to Matthew Bloxham, a Media, Technology and Telecom Research Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, for his take on the numerous players in the streaming sector, international viewers, and the importance of localised content.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has won parliamentary approval to hold an early December election- the first in almost a century. The hope is that the polls will help to break the Brexit deadlock, for better or for worse. For some insight into the issues, we speak to Patrick Diamond, Associate Professor of Public Policy at Queen Mary University of London, about what we can expect going into December.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has won parliamentary approval to hold an early December election- the first in almost a century. The hope is that the polls will help to break the Brexit deadlock, for better or for worse. For some insight into the issues, we speak to Patrick Diamond, Associate Professor of Public Policy at Queen Mary University of London, about what we can expect going into December.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Think tank IDEAS say that Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir is wielding too much power in moving the control of key strategic GLCs from the Ministry of Finance to 3 important ministries helmed by people believed to be his allies. The fact that such ministries oversee a lot of money is not reassuring for the governance agenda.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Think tank IDEAS say that Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir is wielding too much power in moving the control of key strategic GLCs from the Ministry of Finance to 3 important ministries helmed by people believed to be his allies. The fact that such ministries oversee a lot of money is not reassuring for the governance agenda.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So the Education Ministry is dishing out money to kickstart student unions in five universities. Academic Zaharom Nain thinks it's about time students are allowed to be adults.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newly minted Peronist President Alberto Fernandez rightly wants to be for the Argentines. Will he fund noble aspirations with the unenviable task of worshiping at the altar of the IMF?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

00:05 - Sirius TV, to be launched next month, is attempting to take a share in the satellite pay-TV market that Astro has monopolised for 20 years. But competition in the pay-TV segment may not be the biggest challenge as the industry is also facing disruption from free or low-cost online streaming platforms. 05:48 - Nine of out ten Malaysians are willing to emigrate for better career opportunities and work-life balance, highlighting the severity of the country's brain drain problem. We discuss the reasons and how Malaysia can retain its much needed talent.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 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.