Morning Brief

In January this year, Malaysia and Singapore signed a MOU on the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (SEZ), which aims to boost cross-border economic connectivity. However, talks of incentives are still ongoing, with the Johor government proposing that the Forest City Special Financial Zone (SFZ) be included within the SEZ. We speak to Francis Hutchinson, Senior Fellow, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute for his views.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The World Health Organization has declared a global public health emergency due to the Mpox outbreak in Africa, with over 14,000 cases reported this year. Due to the limited availability of doses, vaccination campaigns are expected to be delayed until October. We’ll dive into the details of this disease with Prof. Paul Ananth Tambyah, President of the International Society for Infectious Diseases.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has been removed from office after a court ruled he had violated the constitution, in a shock decision that plunges the kingdom into further political uncertainty. This move was a surprise to many including Thai observers as Thavison had only been in power for slightly less than a year. Michael Montesano, Associate Senior Fellow, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute will be helping us unpack the implications of this moveImage Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last month, Indonesia raised the minimum age to purchase cigarettes from 18 to 21 in a bid to lower the prevalence of smoking and curb underage smokers. Should Malaysia consider a similar policy? We discuss initiatives to combat nicotine use with healthcare policy expert Azrul Mohd Khalib.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announcing his resignation in September, his early departure concludes his leadership of the LDP. Despite his efforts to enhance Japan's defence and US ties, his tenure has been marred by a major corruption scandal. We discuss the implications of his resignation on Japan's future with William Pesek, Columnist, Nikkei AsiaImage Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Underlying US inflation as measured by the core CPI is at its slowest pace since 2021. Is this the confirmation that the Federal Reserve needs to cut rates in September? Tony Nash, CEO of Complete Intelligence tells us his view.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Digital Minister Gobind Singh has reported that Malaysia lost a total of 3.8 billion ringgit to online scams involving more than 98,000 people from 2021 to April 2024. With that, the government will be introducing new legislation to protect data whilst banks will be beefing up their account opening procedures. Raymond Ram, Certified Fraud Examiner and Anti-Money Laundering Specialist, Graymatter Forensic Advisory gives us an opinion if these measures will work.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government recently announced that it is looking to enhance protections for intimate partner violence (IPV) beyond the Domestic Violence Act 1994. We speak to lawyer Nooradila Abdul Aziz about the gaps in the current law and recommendations to strengthen action on domestic violence, IPV and stalking.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite Indonesia’s outgoing president Joko Widodo convening is first Cabinet meeting in the country's planned new capital on Monday, Nusantara is still some way away from being completed. Made Supriatma, Visiting Fellow, Indonesia Studies Programme at the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute shares his insights into the challenges this ambitious project to carve a new city from the jungles of Borneo and the future fate of the current capital, Jakarta, which is one of the fastest-sinking cities in the world.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Malaysian contingent has returned from the Paris Olympics with only two bronze medals. We speak to Haresh Deol, Editor of the online portal Twentytwo13 for an objective post-mortem on the performance of our athletes and more importantly, what needs to be done differently for us to win our first gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles games.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three Malaysiakini journalists were questioned by the police last week to reveal their anonymous sources in their report on high-profile transfers in the police force. What does this signal about the government's stance on media freedom? We speak to Premesh Chandran, Malaysiakini co-founder and also the chairperson of the Malaysian Media Council pro-tem committee about the laws protecting journalists and their sources as well as developments on the Media Council. Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore’s three domestic banks, DBS, UOB, and OCBC, are facing a shift in their earnings trajectory, as they grapple with narrowing net interest margins and slower lending growth. Sarah Jane Mahmud, a senior analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence shares her outlook for the sector amid a potential US rate cut, the recent market volatility and ongoing geopolitical tensions.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 6 main government-linked investment companies - Khazanah, EPF, KWAP, PNB, Tabung Haji and the Armed Forces Fund Board - have collectively pledged RM120 billion in direct domestic investments, with a focus on the semiconductor sector. Independent writer, P. Gunasegaram, shares his thoughts on a strategy like this, its implications and more crucially, will this truly benefit the rakyat?Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is confirmation that Ukraine's military has advanced up to 30km inside Russia, the deepest and most significant incursion since the invasion began in February 2022. Dr Alexey Muraviev, an associate professor at the National Security & Strategic Studies of Curtin University talks about what this means for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's strategy to expel Moscow's troops from areas in Ukraine that they have annexed.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore marks its 59th National Day today and the first one with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the helm. We take stock of his first three months in office and also the potential of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone to shape the regional economy and bilateral relations with James Gomez of the Asia Centre.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thailand’s Constitutional Court has dissolved the Move Forward Party, citing violations of constitutional norms and banning 11 top leaders for ten years. This ruling is set to reshape the political landscape, especially given the party's notable performance in the 2023 elections. Dr. Termsak Chalermpalanupap, Visiting Fellow, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute  shares his analysis into the impact of this decision and its implications for the future of Thai politics.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There has been a significant surge in shipping traffic in the already busy waterways around Malaysia after the US tariff deadline for Chinese goods passed on Aug 1st. This has resulted in delays at Malaysian ports. Ooi Lean Hin, president of the Shipping Association Malaysia, talks about the impact these delays might have on the local economy and businesses relying on timely shipments.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meta Platforms recently apologised to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for removing his posts expressing condolences over the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh who was assassinated by Israel. The social media platform admitted it was a mistake on their part, eventually restoring the posts. Bradley Freeman, Professor of Digital Media with the School of Arts at Sunway University, analyses the repercussions of this development in relation to Putrajaya's plan to for a social media licensing framework starting next year.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Democratic President nominee Kamala Harris has unveiled Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota as her running mate, ending days of speculation. What does Walz bring to the table? We discuss reactions to the nomination with Justin Vaughn of Coastal Carolina University.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Markets were in turmoil this week thanks to a perfect storm of a possible US recession and the unwinding of the carry trade in Japan. Justin Patrie, Senior Director, Credit Policy Group, Head of Fitch Wire tells what other risks we should be aware of in the second half of the year and what are the implications of a US presidential election.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was always traditional for government departments, ministries and agencies to host lavish official events that included gift exchanges. However, this has raised risks of fostering bribery and compromising ethical standards over the years. Pushpan Murugiah, CEO of the Center to Combat Corruption & Cronyism (C4), shares his insights as the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission raised concerns over this practice.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK is currently seeing its worst riots since 2011, sparked by online disinformation about a deadly knife attack in Southport last week. What is the Labour government doing to quell the unrest and what does this indicate about the socio-economic discontent within British society? Dr Benjamin Barton of the University of Nottingham Malaysia weighs in.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In recent political news, Perikatan Nasional (PN) is dealing with internal tensions following a dispute with Gerakan over a school donation. PN Secretary-General Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin has assured that the issue has been settled, but the implications for the coalition's future are still unclear. Dr. Oh Ei Sun, Principal Adviser, Pacific Research Centre shares his perspective on how this situation could influence PN's cohesion and stability.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Bank of Japan raised interest rates for only the second time in 17 years last week to about 0.25%, despite patchy economic indicators. How might this affect the growth outlook for the sluggish Japanese economy? We discuss this with Stefan Angrick of Moody’s Analytics.Image Credit: Poetra.RH / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Second Finance Minister and Bank Negara Governor were in Singapore recently to meet with investors, the origins of the Asian Tiger economy conversation we’ve been having all week. Were investors convinced by this upbeat narrative? We get analysis from UOB economist Julia Goh, on the outlook for the Malaysian economy.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government recently announced plans to set-up a Data Commission as part of efforts to improve data protection and innovation in the country. What's needed for the commission to be effective in its role? We discuss this proposal and the amendments to the Personal Data Protection Act with Kenny Lam of RDS Law.Image Credit: rawpixel.com / Freepik.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MetMalaysia has issued a series of Level 1 heatwave alerts this week across the country, with the hotter temperatures and less rainfall also resulting in critical water shortages in the northern region. Sustainability specialist Dr. Renard Siew weighs in on the mitigation and adaptation policies needed for Malaysia to adjust to increasingly warmer weather.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The era of high interest rates finally appears to be coming to an end with the Federal Reserve signaling their willingness to cut the Fed Fund rate from the current 5.25-5.5% levels. But what impact has this delay had on the investment book of Asean banks and are they issuing new debt ? Rena Kwok, Credit Analyst for Asian Financials at Bloomberg Intelligence tells us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tensions in the Middle East on the Israel-Lebanon border have ratcheted, following the deadly rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied territory of Golan Heights on Saturday. Dr. James Dorsey, Senior Fellow, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies tells us if there is the potential of a wider war with Hezbollah.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A recent comment from second finance minister Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan saying that Malaysia is making great strides to reclaim its Asian Tiger status, has elicited discussion about whether or not Malaysia ever was one. P Gunasegaram, an independent business writer shares his views on if this comparison with economies like those of Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong holds water.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Nicolas Maduro has claimed victory in presidential elections on Sunday, an outcome that the opposition bloc claims goes against what people actually voted for. We break down the economic and political crisis in Venezuela with Dr. Raul Sanchez-Urribarri of La Trobe University. Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Russia’s foreign minister paid our PM Anwar Ibrahim a visit last Saturday at Seri Perdana, and according to Anwar, the meat of their discussion revolved around Malaysia’s potential membership in BRICS. We discuss how Malaysia might benefit from BRICs membership with Julia Roknifard, Assistant Professor, School of Politics, History and International Relations, University of Nottingham Malaysia.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China's consumer spending remains a concern with the slowdown seen in the F&B sector, while the gaming revenue out of Macau has underperformed. Angela Han Lee, Leisure Consumption Analyst, Team Leader of APAC Multi-Sector at Bloomberg Intelligence shares her views on where she thinks this trend is leading to.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been revealed that to date, a total of 3.4 million of the 13.1 million EPF members under the age of 55 have withdrawn RM8.9 billion from their flexible accounts since this option was made available in May. Meanwhile, Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan assures that EPF would not be negatively impacted. Dr Hafezali Iqbal Hussain, Professor at the School of Management & Marketing Faculty of Business & Law, Taylor’s University, shares his insights.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Singapore Food Agency's seizure of fresh and processed produce illegally imported from Malaysia on concerns of high levels of pesticides used, has brought home the awareness that what we consume in this country may require more washing than initially thought. Prof DrChai Lay Ching, a microbiologist & pro-vice-chancellor of education at Sunway University explains the issues for us.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia is unenviably the country which has won the most Olympic medals without winning a gold, with 8 silver and 5 bronze. Will Paris 2024 reveal a change in our fortunes and what event(s) will present the best chance for our 26-strong contingent? T.Avineshwaran, a senior sports writer at the Star talks about how the Road to Gold programme may or may not be the catalyst that could make this elusive gold medal dream a reality.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fresh from an election which saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party winning with a slim victory, his administration has tabled a USD23.9 billion budget for job creation, and skills development, a to support an economic growth forecast of 6.5% to 7%. Sanjay Mathur, the chief economist for Southeast Asia and India at ANZ Bank, talks about how effective this budget might be in addressing India's current economic issues.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore's core inflation decreased to 2.4% in June lower than expectation. It was a similar outcome for Malaysia as  CPI came in held steady at 2.0% YoY. Khoon Goh, Head of Asia Research, ANZ Bank tell us what this means for the central bank policy and it's respective currencies.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs' aim in developing there Malaysia Open Budget Index was to help the rakyat (and by extension taxpayers) understand how the federal and state budgetary process works. With MyOBI into its second year, Nischal Ranjinath Muniandy, senior executive of research at IDEAS helps us understand why all this is important.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The semiconductor industry has become a critical cog of the global economy, with Malaysia playing its part as a major microchip exporter, but how will our country fare moving forward with different pressures bearing down on the industry? Discussing this with us today is Alissa Rode, Senior Manager, Research, Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS). Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China’s recent cut to the seven-day reverse repo rate aims to boost its struggling economy. With the country facing its slowest growth in over a year, there’s a pressing need for immediate economic support. Gary Ng, APAC Economist, Natixis shares his analysis on how China can balance long-term goals with urgent economic needs and the fiscal policies required to complement the rate cut and ensure sustainable growth.Image Credit: kstudio / Freepik.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US Vice President Kamala Harris appears to be on track to secure the Democratic presidential nomination, but it’s far from certain. What hurdles stand in her way and how does this shake up the November elections? We discuss what to watch for with Prof. John S. Jackson of the University of Illinois, Carbondale. Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since earlier this month, university students in Bangladesh have taken to the streets to demonstrate against the country’s government job quota policy, which reserves large percentages of civil service positions to descendants of “freedom fighters”. Subsequently, the protests have escalated in intensity, leading to clashes with the  armed forces, resulting in more than a 100 dead from the violence. Dr. Ali Riaz, Distinguished Professor​ at the Department of Politics and Government, Illinois State University joins us in discussing the situation in Bangladesh.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Joe Biden has withdrawn from the presidential race, claiming that he is doing so in the best interests of the party and the country. He has also endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee to the White House. John Zogby, founder of Zogby Strategies takes us through the different scenarios in the lead up to November 5th when Americans choose their President.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Putrajaya wants to review and strengthen existing cyberbullying laws which have been proven to be inadequate, This was after an individual was fined just RM100 for making offensive social media comments, which led to the tragic death by suicide of a social media influencer. Lawyer, Harpal Singh of T Harpal & Associates, gives us an idea what our existing cyberbullying law are like and how they might be improved.Image Credit: freepik.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The global tech outage on Friday plunged the world into a pre-technology world that felt unfamiliar and primitive, with flights grounded, health services disrupted, payment systems crashing and access to Microsoft services effectively blocked. It was eventually traced back to a cybersecurity firm called CrowdStrike, which provides software to a wide range of industries. CF Fong, executive chairman of LGMS Bhd, with the benefit of hindsight, talks about what happened, its impact and how we can prepare if this happens again.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China's Third Plenum, a once-in-five-years conclave of top officials that usually deals with major economic and political policy changes concluded yesterday. We gleam through the statement for clues as to the future economic direction of the country which faces its own set of structural issues with Koh King Kee, President of the Centre for New Inclusive Asia.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SMEs reported a rather good first quarter boosted by strong consumer spending but now report of higher cost pressures whilst sales have slowed. We ask Chin Chee Seong, National Secretary General, SME Association as to how challenging the situation is on the ground and what measures can be taken by the SMEs to overcome these headwinds.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Madani government has signalled that it will table a Freedom of Information bill in Parliament by the end of the year. What should an effective FOI law encompass? We discuss the importance and implications of an FOI law with Dr. Benjamin Loh of Taylor’s University.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Loan sharks have increasingly turned to digital platforms to extend their reach, with Bukit Aman recently uncovering a loan shark syndicate that recruited henchmen via Facebook ads and then communicated tasks via Whatsapp. Dr Zaharuddin A Rahman, a shariah advisor at shariah consultancy firm, Elzar Shariah Solution, shed some light into how this has been happening and how the public can be more vigilant.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.