Morning Brief

Sabah has been hit by heavy rain over the past week, resulting in a series of floods and landslides in areas of the state. Ariff Adi Putera, Research Officer, Institute for Development Studies (Sabah) discusses reactions to government aid efforts and how this might inform voter decisions in the upcoming state elections.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia wants at least 30 tech companies to be IPO-ready by 2028, under a new initiative led by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC). Ng Zhu Hann, CEO and Founder of Tradeview Capital, shares his views on this ambition for tech firms to broaden access to capital markets, create more listed champions, and strengthen the digital economy.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PAS wrapped up its 71st Muktamar in Kota Sarang Semut, Kedah, where the members called for the party to pushed to take a leading role in the Perikatan National coalition. We discuss the potential impact on PN and the Malaysian political scene with Adib Zalkapli, Managing Director of Viewfinder Global Affairs.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week US and China government officials announced that a framework agreement had been reached to enable TikTok to continue its American operations. We discuss what we know about the deal with George Chen, Partner & Co-chair of Digital Practice at The Asia Group.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the RON95 petrol subsidy rationalization seemingly forthcoming, the Ministry of Finance has said eligibility will be determined using PADU’s socio-economic database, along with income and asset data. Officials claim the move could save up to 8 billion ringgit a year, while costing about 20 billion ringgit annually. P Gunasegaram, independent business writer gives us his thoughts on its implementation.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The U.S. political landscape has been shaken by the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk last week. Against this backdrop, how is the Trump administration navigating the current political dynamics? For perspective, we’ll be speaking with Dr. Adrian Ang, Research Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ASEAN-6 light vehicle market is seeing significant shifts in its competitive landscape, with Chinese OEMs rapidly gaining market share at the expense of Japanese brands. Patrick Ziechmann, PwC’s ASEAN Automotive Leader, describes how ASEAN is strengthening its role as a major consumer market and a regional production hub.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since September 10, Malaysia has decriminalised attempted suicide and strengthened protections for vulnerable groups. Crisis Intervention Officers are now on the frontlines offering immediate support. For more insights on the impact of these changes, we speak with Justin Victor, Former Chairman of Befrienders KLImage Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Cabinet has decided in principle to fully separate the roles of the Attorney-General and Public Prosecutor. Lawyer Andrew Khoo weighs in on the reforms needed to ensure full independence for prosecutorial decisions in Malaysia.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Currently Malaysians navigate 288 apps built by 125 government agencies.  MyGOV aims to change this by consolidating essential services into a single, secure hub, but is that possible? Alex Wong, Managing Editor & Co-Founder of SoyaCincau gives us his perspective.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the death toll in Gaza nears 67,000, Israel launched an airstrike on Doha, Qatar’s capital. We speak to Mohd Amirul Asraf bin Othman, research scholar at the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, The Australian National University, on whether President Trump’s ceasefire ultimatum can bring peace — or deepen the conflict.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asia’s second-quarter earnings season wrapped up on a muted note, coming in 1.8% below expectations. Yet investor reaction have been mild with minimal selling. Marvin Chen, Senior Asia Equity Strategist, Bloomberg Intelligence gives us his outlook for the rest of 2025 and what markets will outperform.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gig workers are set to receive stronger protections under the newly passed Gig Workers Bill. Dato’ Freddie Fernandez, President of the Malaysian Artistes’ Association (Karyawan), welcomed the move, highlighting the tripartite council established to determine income and working conditions as a key benefit for workers in the entertainment sector.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The EU-ASEAN Business Council has just released the latest iteration of its Business Sentiment Survey, which showed that ASEAN remains a bright spot in the eyes of EU businesses. Chris Humphrey, Executive Chairman of the Council joins us to discuss some of the survey’s findings.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nepal’s Prime Minister Sharma Oli has been forced to step down after fierce protests left 22 people dead and more than 100 injured, with roads blocked and parliament along with other government buildings set on fire. We’ll be speaking to Dr. Amit Ranjan, Research Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, to discuss the political situation in the Himalayan nationImage Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last year, PTPTN launched the Lestari Pendidikan Campaign to encourage borrowers to repay their higher education loans via restructuring programs. Ahmad Dasuki bin Abdul Majid, Chief Executive of PTPTN tells us about how the campaign works, and how successful it's been.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) remains at the heart of Malaysia’s retirement system, but with RM145bn withdrawn during the pandemic, many Malaysians are ill prepared for retirement. We speak to Dr. Paul Anthony, Senior Lecturer,  Faculty of Business & Law, Taylor’s University to find out what measures can be taken to overcome this issue against a backdrop of an aging population.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Digital Ministry and Transport Ministry have announced plans to introduce new legislation for autonomous vehicles (AVs), aimed at ensuring safety and establishing clear standards before driverless cars are allowed on Malaysian roads. Dr Law Teik Hua, Associate Professor, Universiti Putra Malaysia tell us the challenges of drating and implementing this legislation.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) remains at the heart of Malaysia’s retirement system, but with RM145bn withdrawn during the pandemic, many Malaysians are ill prepared for retirement. We speak to Dr. Paul Anthony, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Business & Law, Taylor’s University to find out what measures can be taken to overcome this issue against a backdrop of an aging population.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thailand’s new Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul steps in amid weak growth, with just four months before voters return to the polls. With GDP forecasts at only 1.8% to 2.3% this year, what can he do to revive the economy within a short timeframe? Krystal Tan, Economist at ANZ Bank, weighs in on what lies ahead.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Bersatu AGM was overshadowed by a scuffle during party President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's policy speech, which revealed frictions over the leadership of the party. Despite this, Muhyiddin Yassin was retained as the President and Prime Minister candidate for Bersatu. Does he represent the PN coalition overall? We discuss this with political scientist Dr. Azmil Mohd Tayeb.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Sunday, Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced his resignation after less than a year in office following election losses. Who will emerge as the next leader, and what does this mean for Japan’s political landscape? We speak with Prof. Alexis Dudden, Visiting Professor, Department of Japanese Studies, National University of Singapore.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In France, Prime Minister François Bayrou has become the fourth to fall in just three years. This marks a deepening of a crisis that threatens President Emmanuel Macron’s ability to steer the country through mounting economic and geopolitical pressures. Dr Benjamin Barton, Associate Professor, University of Nottingham Malaysia tells us what to expect next and is France doomed to repeat this political deadlock again.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Google dodged a major penalty last week as a US court stopped short of breaking up the company in the case regarding its search engine monopoly. We speak to Dr. Rob Nicholls, Senior Research Associate in Media and Communications from the University of Sydney, about what this ruling means for parent company Alphabet and the wider tech industry.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia’s two pre-university pathways — STPM and matriculation — may need reform, as the tougher and longer STPM syllabus puts its students at a disadvantage. Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin suggests short-term solutions such as introducing a common entry exam for both streams or giving greater weighting to STPM results.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Urban Renewal Bill 2025 has sparked debate as it may concentrate too much power in the minister, favour developers, and leave homeowners vulnerable. Acknowledging these risks, seven PKR MPs have called for the Bill to be reviewed and only retabled when the Dewan Rakyat reconvenes in October. We speak to Dato' Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik, MP for Balik Pulau, who is among the MPs that co-signed the call for review for his reservations on the URA and how this bill can be improved to benefit all.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bank Negara Malaysia has kept the overnight policy rate unchanged at 2.75% in its second-last review of the year, as widely expected.The decision follows a pre-emptive 25-basis-point cut in July, the first since July 2020. Firdaos Rosli, Chief Economist, AmBank Group tells us his monetary policy expectations and also the economic outlook for Malaysia.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra became the latest casualty of Thai politics in her family after she was removed as Prime Minister by the Thai Constitutional Court last week. What does this mean for the once-powerful Shinawatra dynasty and can the new Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul of the BJP steer the country to steadier waters? We discuss this with Dr. Greg Raymond of ANU.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo has announced that all liabilities of Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) will be fully borne by its three shareholder telcos — CelcomDigi, Maxis, and YTL Power International — once the government divests from the company. To unpack the implications of this move, we’ll be speaking with Ng Zhu Hann, CEO and Founder of investment firm Tradeview Capital.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China has hosted world leaders including Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un for its 80th Victory Day parade in Beijing, marking the end of World War II and Japan’s surrender. It was intended to showcase China's military might and global influence. Richard McGregor, a senior fellow at the Lowy Institute, talks about what a potential Beijing-led new world order might look like.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah announced that the government is drafting a new tax incentive framework to attract more high-value investments. Dr. Veerinderjeet Singh, Senior Adviser on Tax Policy at KPMG. With the shifting global order and intense competition among governments for capital, are tax incentives the best tool for Malaysia to position itself as a preferred investment destination? We discuss this with tax expert Dr. Veerinderjeet Singh.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Widespread protests in Indonesia have stretched on for a fortnight, while uncertainty over who will lead Thailand after Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was removed last week, have rocked these two nations' economies. Rena Kwok, a credit analyst for Asian financials at Bloomberg Intelligence, shares her insights into how financial institutions in this region are reacting.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Indonesian government is moving to ease public concerns over economic hardship and lawmakers’ housing perks. Lavanya Venkateswaran, Senior ASEAN Economist at OCBC, expects the economy to stay on track with 4.7% growth, supported by another policy rate cut from the central bank.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Malaysians face rising living costs, the government has rolled out the SARA cash aid program and is set to introduce a targeted RON95 petrol subsidy for eligible households and motorists. Are these initiatives enough to ease the economic burden? We speak with Prof. Emeritus Datuk Dr. Norma Mansor, Director of the Social Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Malaya.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Donald Trump is taking a sledgehammer to the notion of Federal Reserve independence by putting immense political pressure on the central bank to cut interest rates. How might the loss of an independent Fed affect the US economy and market sentiment? We discuss this with Mark Spindel, Chief Investment Officer of Potomac River Capital. He co-authored the book "The Myth of Independence: How Congress Governs the Federal Reserve.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite having an estimated 16.1 million metric tonnes of rare earth elements, Malaysia has struggled to build a competitive industry. With China offering technical assistance, can the country boost its position in the global REE market? To explore this, we speak with Trung Ghi, Partner and Head of Energy & Utilities at Arthur D. Little Asia Pacific.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Protests have broken out in different parts of Indonesia and have grown increasingly violent and chaotic, even deadly. Erin Cook, a journalist for Southeast Asian Affairs based in Jakarta shares her views on how demonstrations over the government's spending policies escalated after the accidental death of a food delivery rider and where we are today.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Segamat area in Johor was hit by six earthquakes over the past week, raising concerns about whether Malaysian buildings, especially high-rise ones can withstand these seismic movements. Prof Dr Daniel Looi, Head of the School of Engineering at Sunway University, shares his thoughts on how Malaysian building laws address these issues, if at all.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Tuesday, the Federal Court unanimously dismissed a company’s application to reclaim part of a land acquired by the government about two decades ago for the Old Klang Road upgrade project. To help us understand the significance of this ruling, we speak to Aufa Radzi, Partner at the law firm Skrine.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nvidia posted record second-quarter earnings, but its outlook is clouded by stalled China sales under U.S. export curbs. George Chen, partner and co-chair of the Digital Practice at The Asia Group, shares his take on the road ahead.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite an opposition walkout during the reading of the controversial Government Procurement Bill 2025, the bill was passed. Alissa Rode, Senior Manager for Research at the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), pointed to loopholes in the bill, including provisions that concentrate procurement decisions in the hands of the Finance Ministry.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In light of the Public Accounts Committee report highlighting land development issues in Kuala Lumpur, a group of MPs are pushing for local government elections to be revived in the capital city. Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, MP for Setiawangsa details the rationale for the proposal.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Urban Renewal Bill promises faster redevelopment of ageing and unsafe buildings by lowering the consent threshold for property owners. Supporters say it’s a much-needed catalyst for urban regeneration, while critics warn it could open the door to abuse, displacement, and gentrification. Theebalakshmi Kunasekaran of the Khazanah Research Institute discusses the implications of the URA.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thailand’s most influential political dynasty is once again under pressure. Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has just been acquitted of lese majeste charges, while his daughter, current PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra, faces trial over a leaked conversation with Cambodia’s Senate President that has inflamed border tensions. Dr Michael Montesano of the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute discusses the Thai political situation and its impact on the country's economy.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bank Negara Malaysia has introduced major enhancements to its Claims Settlement Practices Policy Document, aimed at simplifying procedures, improving service standards, and accelerating approvals for motor insurance claims. Lailatul Akma, Deputy Director, Consumer & Market Conduct Department, Bank Negara Malaysia explains how these changes can help Malaysian consumers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The procurement of defence assets such as helicopters and warships has come under scrutiny following recent corruption scandals. Marhalim Abas, a freelance writer on defence and national security issues, stresses that strong political will is essential to ensure transparency and credibility in the country’s defence acquisitions.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FGV Holdings Bhd, a commercial arm of Felda, will be delisted from Bursa Malaysia this Thursday. This comes more than 13 years after its initial public offering (IPO) in 2012. What led up to this delisting, and what needs to be done for FGV to emerge from this as a better entity? We discuss this with Khor Yu Leng, Economist, Segi Enam Advisers.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The summit between South Korea’s President Lee and U.S. President Trump resulted in a wave of corporate investments in the United States, alongside Seoul’s agreement to purchase 103 Boeing jets. Dr. Hoo Chiew Ping, Co-Founder of the East Asian International Relations Caucus, discusses the broader implications of the summit and its impact on South Korea’s economy.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia is planning to offer incentives to property developers who adopt the "build-then-sell" policy, with the aim of eliminating abandoned projects by 2030. Dr Consilz Tan, Research Fellow at the Centre for Market Education, shares her views on what might make this work and who it ultimately benefits more : developers or buyers.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Geetha Ranganathan, Senior Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, highlights that streaming giants Disney, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery are starting to see results from their focus on sports and cost discipline. While earnings have improved, these companies are banking on bold bets to secure future revenueImage Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.