Morning Brief

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.

Anand Pathmakanthan, Head of Regional Equity Research at Maybank Kim Eng, weighs in on why the KLCI is the worst performing market in the region and will Budget 2020 change things. He also gives us his investment strategy and what his top picks are despite the weak market outlook.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anand Pathmakanthan, Head of Regional Equity Research at Maybank Kim Eng weighs in on why the KLCI is the worst performing market in the region and will Budget 2020 change things. He also gives us his investment strategy and what his top picks are despite the weak market outlook.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are many ways that the government can maintain national imperatives after the sale of strategic assets. One of the ways is through the golden share. Some good ideas surfaced by the RRJ proposal are worth thinking about: toll freeze/reduction, elimination of toll compensation and the introduction of technology. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IDEAS has proposed a tax reform that focuses on pairing imposition of indirect taxes like GST and capital gains tax with a reduction in direct taxes like income and corporate tax. While this may temper consumption, it has the effect of increasing savings, leading to higher levels of investment which is what the country currently needs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IDEAS has proposed a tax reform that focuses on pairing imposition of indirect taxes like GST and capital gains tax with a reduction in direct taxes like income and corporate tax. While this may temper consumption, it has the effect of increasing savings, leading to higher levels of investment which is what the country currently needs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IDEAS has proposed a tax reform that focuses on pairing imposition of indirect taxes like GST and capital gains tax with a reduction in direct taxes like income and corporate tax. While this may temper consumption, it has the effect of increasing savings, leading to higher levels of investment which is what the country currently needs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) remains a cornerstone of China's ambitious foreign policy but the form and focus have changed over the years. To get an update on this, we speak to Lee Ju Ye from Maybank Kim Eng and also ask if Malaysia can benefit from this.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the run-up to Budget 2020 this Friday, we're asking the question of what do employers and employees stand to gain? To get more insights on that, we speak to the Malaysian Employers Federation and the Malaysian Trade Union Congress about some of the key challenges facing both parties.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Debt pairing and asset sales like the luxury hotel in Singapore which raised RM1.4b and the imminent decision on Malaysian Airlines are signs of an existential crisis for Khazanah. The rakyat would want to know whether the RM140b locked up mostly in GLCs is really strategic. Are there other strategic options?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are many ways that the government can maintain national imperatives after the sale of strategic assets. One of the ways is through the golden share. Some good ideas surfaced by the RRJ proposal are worth thinking about: toll freeze/reduction, elimination of toll compensation and the introduction of technology. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahead of Budget 2020, we speak to Datuk Seri Garry Chua, president of the Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA), for what he hopes to see for the retail sector, as well as a look into how the industry has fared in the past year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahead of Budget 2020, we speak to Datuk Seri Garry Chua, president of the Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA), for what he hopes to see for the retail sector, as well as a look into how the industry has fared in the past year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Increasingly violent protests in Hong Kong have cast the city's immediate future into doubt, and have led to the government invoking emergency powers for the first time in more than 50 years. For a sense of what the situation is like on the ground, we speak to Mabel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Increasingly violent protests in Hong Kong have cast the city's immediate future into doubt, and have led to the government invoking emergency powers for the first time in more than 50 years. For a sense of what the situation is like on the ground, we speak to Mabel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good news for vehicle owners currently under the Bantuan Sara Hidup welfare payments as the government is handing them cash to deal with the removal of fuel subsidies. This scheme however indirectly supports private vehicle ownership possibly at the expense of public transportation and overall affordability issues.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Khazanah Research Institute has joined the call for more female participation in the labour force, with a report that more government investment in the childcare sector could add about 0.4% to real GDP growth. To discuss the report and some of its recommendations, we turn to Alyssa Jasmin, Research Associate at Khazanah Research Institute.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has launched its Shared Prosperity Vision 2030, meant to be a guide for Malaysia's economic growth over the next 10 years. To shed some light on the policy's broad scope, we speak to Tian Chua.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Global growth remains in positive territory, but are we seeing signs of weakness with job cuts in manufacturing and also banking? We discuss two very different sectors which are both facing headwinds from disruption and rising cost.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Global growth remains in positive territory, but are we seeing signs of weakness with job cuts in manufacturing and also banking? We discuss two very different sectors which are both facing headwinds from disruption and rising cost.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aoife O’Donoghue, Professor of International Law and Global Governance at Durham University, discusses the delicacies and technical developments with Boris Johnson’s latest iteration of his Brexit plan.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Saudi Arabia’s credit rating has been downgraded by Fitch Ratings. This comes on the back of recent news of the attack on Aramco facilities last month. While, Fitch noted that Aramco recovered from the attack quickly, it says: there is a risk of further attacks, which could result in economic damage. Apart from the attack, the ratings agency cited Saudi Arabia’s “continued fiscal deficits.” The deficit stems from increased state spending and lower average oil prices and oil production. We speak to Jan Friederich, Head of Middle East and African Sovereign Ratings at Fitch Ratings on this matter.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Saudi Arabia’s credit rating has been downgraded by Fitch Ratings. This comes on the back of recent news of the attack on Aramco facilities last month. While, Fitch noted that Aramco recovered from the attack quickly, it says: there is a risk of further attacks, which could result in economic damage. Apart from the attack, the ratings agency cited Saudi Arabia’s “continued fiscal deficits.” The deficit stems from increased state spending and lower average oil prices and oil production. We speak to Jan Friederich, Head of Middle East and African Sovereign Ratings at Fitch Ratings on this matter.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to Tun Dr Mahathir, the government will study calls for the re-introduction of GST “if that is what the people want''. This is following a suggestion from MIER back on Tuesday to revive the GST but at a lower rate of 3% as it possibly has a wider tax base and is a fairer system. At the same time, certain quarters have suggested that the existing SST system can stay but needs to be further improved. 04:51 - According to a recent Nielsen report, hypermarket sales went down by 4% last year despite convenience and personal care stores enjoying double-digit growths. To find out what is driving the popularity of these smaller-format stores, and if large physical hypermarkets are on the decline, we speak to Lee Boon Hoo from Nielsen Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mervyn Lai, a lawyer at the Tommy Thomas law firm with expertise in competition law, discusses MyCC's reposed RM87 million fine on Grab.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 Mervyn Lau, a lawyer at the Tommy Thomas law firm with expertise in competition law, discusses MyCC’s reposed RM87 million fine on Grab.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We often use the term “B40” as a shorthand for poor or low-income households. The Khazanah Research Institute (KRI) recently released a report which suggests we should rethink using the term “B40” as a shorthand for poor or low-income households. KRI propose to demarcate different categories of households by factoring in location, household sizes and consumption levels. We speak to Gregory Ho Wai Son, co-author of the report and Research Associate at Khazanah Research Institute to get a better understanding of the report. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We often  use the term “B40” as a shorthand for poor or low-income households. The Khazanah Research Institute recently released a report which suggests we should rethink using term “B40” category as a shorthand for poor or low-income households. KRI proposed demarcation different categories of households by factoring in location, household sizes and consumption levels. We speak to Gregory Ho Wai Son, co-author of the report and Research Associate at Khazanah Research Institute to get a better understanding of the report. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 On 2 October, Singapore's new "Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act" came into act, which stipulates that any government minister is able to decide what is a “false statement of fact.” The government can then order platforms to remove false statements which are “against the public interest” and issue corrections. It may also order internet providers to block access to offending websites or be fined SGD2000 a day up to maximum SGD500,000 We speak to James Gomez, Director of the Asia Centre for more insight. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 On 2 October, Singapore's new "Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act" came into act, which stipulates that any government minister is able to decide what is a “false statement of fact.” The government can then order platforms to remove false statements which are “against the public interest” and issue corrections. It may also order internet providers to block access to offending websites or be fined SGD2000 a day up to maximum SGD500,000 We speak to James Gomez, Director of the Asia Centre for more insight. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiichi Murashima, Chief Economist at Citigroup Global Markets Japan, analyses the impact of the government hike in consumption tax on the economy, consumption, business confidence and government revenue.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiichi Murashima, Chief Economist at Citigroup Global Markets Japan, analyses the impact of the government hike in consumption tax on the economy, consumption, business confidence and government revenue.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the UN Climate Action Summit, we saw a lot of governments and companies pledge their commitment to their environment-related goals. MESTECC Minister Yeo Bee Yin said that the government is looking to review its carbon emissions commitments under the 2016 Paris Agreement. At the CIMB Cooler Earth Sustainability Summit, CIMB also launched its renewable energy financing for SMEs in Malaysia. This is in line with politicians and CEOs aligning the sustainability goals with their business and economic targets. We speak to Marie Morice, Head of Sustainable Finance at UN Global Compact, about this development. 07:18 - Three ministries are forming a committee to look into the issues related to Foodpanda and the gig economy. More than 200 Foodpanda riders staged a strike at the company's headquarters, urging the company to revert to the original payment scheme and threatened more protests in other states should the company refuse to address their grievances. FoodPanda has responded ”that the company will monitor the new pay scheme that has been put in place in a few states before deciding if it can revert to the old scheme". See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Housing and Local Government Ministry is looking to introduce new plastics recycling policy to hopefully improve our plastic waste management while helping to boost the country’s economy. Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said that the policy will take inputs from the industry into consideration as she wants Malaysia to tap into and capitalise on the worldwide plastic recycling industry worth some 600 billion dollars.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance Minister, Lim Guan Eng, indicated the direction of the upcoming Budget 2020 by saying that one cannot take sides between development expenditure and managing debts. Despite having a fiscal deficit, Malaysia has enjoyed a current account surplus and Guan Eng said development expenditure must continue. While focusing on restoring the country’s fiscal health, Budget 2020 will give emphasis on creating more jobs with reasonable pay and has identified Industry 4.0 as its new source of productivity and economic growth. Digital tax is also set to commence by 1 January 2020 and is expected to rake in RM 2.4 billion a year. At the same light, MIER has urged the government to re-introduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Budget 2020 at lower rate of 3%. Tan Sri Kamal Salih, MIER chairman, said GST is a fair system because there is an exclusion clauses that will protect the B40 income group.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance Minister, Lim Guan Eng, indicated the direction of the upcoming Budget 2020 by saying that one cannot take sides between development expenditure and managing debts. Despite having a fiscal deficit, Malaysia has enjoyed a current account surplus and Guan Eng said development expenditure must continue While focusing on restoring the country’s fiscal health, Budget 2020 will give emphasis on creating more jobs with reasonable pay and has identified Industry 4.0 as its new source of productivity and economic growth. Digital tax is also set to commence by 1 January 2020 and is expected to rake in RM 2.4 billion a year At the same light, MIER has urged the government to re-introduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Budget 2020 at lower rate of 3%. Tan Sri Kamal Salih, MIER chairman, said GST is a fair system because there is an exclusion clauses that will protect the B40 income group.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.