Morning Brief

A trilateral summit involving the leaders of the US, Japan and the Philippines was recently held with discussions centred around trade and technology among others. However, the main topic remained on security in a region where China holds influence. Dr Prashanth Parameswaran, a fellow with the Wilson Centre and founder of the weekly ASEAN Wonk newsletter helps us understand the implications.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently, Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) leaders and members once an opposition party have joined the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) which is one of the component parties within the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition. Dr James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies, University of Tasmania tells us what this means for Sarawak politics and the recent moves by the state government to be more autonomous.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Boycotts have in recent times been an outlet to express anger and dissatisfaction. But have these "movements" also been used by politicians to further their careers to the detriment of society? P Gunasegaram, independent business writer gives us his opinion on this.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The International Air Transport Association forecasted that the global airline industry is poised for increased profitability in 2024, with an estimated 4.7 billion travellers expected to take to the skies. Timothy Bacchus, Senior Research Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, shares with us if Asia Pacific aviation players will also see that same positive momentum.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Centre to Combat Corruption & Cronyism is suggesting that an ombudsman system for Malaysia that responds to complaints of government maladministration from the public. This ombudsman office also needs to be impartial and independent. C4 CEO Pushpan Murugiah updates us on where this process is after Putrajaya signalled that such a bill may be tabled in Parliament later this year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The price of gold has hit a record high of US$2,354 an ounce and in today's uncertain economic landscape, it is being viewed as an increasingly stable investment option. Christopher Wong, an FX strategist at OCBC Bank shares some nuggets of wisdom on how we can harness this precious metal's potential returns.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A massive container ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore and brought the structure down, two weeks ago. We discuss the economic consequences with Peter Tirschwell, Vice President of shipping intelligence at S&P Global Market Intelligence with a focus on supply chain disruption and a potential rise in costs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit has been tasked with overseeing the socioeconomic development of the community since 2008. It is now under the Prime Minister's Department's purview. Former MP, Kasthuri Patto, DAP's Deputy Secretary for International Affairs, talks about MITRA's effectiveness in achieving its goals after a series of allegations of financial mismanagement.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

30 year Chinese government bond yields hit a record low of below 2.4% in March, almost close to dropping below 10 year yields which also hit a 22 year low. This narrowing yield differential has sparked discussions over whether the curve will flatten further or even invert. We ask Stephen Chiu, Chief Asia FX and Rates Strategist, Bloomberg Intelligence if the PBOC will change their monetary policy as a result and also his outlook for Asian currencies.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In recent weeks there have been questions over the qualification process to be a medical specialist in this country after the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) refused to recognize certain parallel pathway programs. Boo Su-Lyn, Editor-in-Chief, CodeBlue helps us unpack this complicated issue and if there should be reform at MMC as well.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tesla reported abysmal sales delivery numbers for the first quarter of the year, posting a 20% drop in deliveries from the previous quarter. This was also the first sales contraction in four years. What might this indicate about the prospects of the EV sector? We discuss Tesla’s fall in fortunes and what a recovery would take with Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ASEAN is the proverbial deer caught between two elephants, with countries being careful to balance relations between the two global superpowers. The historical leaning has been towards the US, however the latest edition of the State of Southeast Asia survey showed for the first time that ASEAN respondents are leaning more towards Beijing. What accounts for this sentiment shift and how is the region navigating fluid geopolitical dynamics? Sharon Seah of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute discusses findings from the report.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trans-Borneo Railways project, proposed by Brunergy Utama, a Bruneian infrastructure company, aims to significantly enhance connectivity throughout the island. With an estimated investment of 70 billion dollars, the project promises to revolutionise transportation in the region. Dr. Mohamad Raduan Kabit, Senior Lecturer in Transportation Engineering at the Department of Civil Engineering UNIMAS shares his analysis on the economic advantages and obstacles of this transformative initiative.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week the Registrar of Societies (ROS) approved proposed amendments to Bersatu’s party constitution that would establish stringent protocols governing the resignation and expulsion of party members. Will this have any effect on the 6 Bersatu MPs that had pledged allegiance to Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim? We discuss the implications with Dr. Azmi Hassan of the Nusantara Academy of Strategic Research.  Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Small and Medium Enterprises Association (SAMENTA), renewed calls for the government to consider an Economic Sabotage Act in response to recent threats to Malaysian businesses. But how should we define economic sabotage? We speak to Datuk William Ng, President of SAMENTA on why he believes the act is necessary.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How much does China’s economic situation influence its initiatives to make nice with friends and foes? We scrutinise Beijing’s relationships with Washington, Canberra, New Delhi and Moscow with political scientist Dr. Pradeep Taneja of Melbourne University.Image Credit: Alexandros Michailidis / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite cooling measures introduced last year, Singapore’s home property market remains buoyant, as indicated by the 1.5% rise in private residence prices in the first quarter of 2024. How will economic conditions influence the trajectory of Singapore real estate in the coming months? We discuss trends in Singapore property with Alan Cheong, Executive Director of Savills Singapore.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Malaysia Venture Capital Roadmap (MVCR) for 2024-2030 signals the government commitment to economic growth by positioning the country as a leading global venture capital hub. We'll speak with its Malaysia Venture Capital Management Bhd (MAVCAP), Chief Operating Officer Noor Amy Ismail to delve into the strategic initiatives outlined in the blueprint.Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nordin Abdullah, founder, Crisis Management Centre helps us understand the inauthentic tactics taken in social media by digital mercenaries to manipulate public discourse and opinions as well as address what can be done to safeguard the integrity of public discourse.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The technology sector in Malaysia has been underperforming the broader market with a return of just 2.2% compared to the FBMKLCI return of 6.2%. This due to negative sentiment that the semiconductor cycle had not reached the bottom yet. However, is it time to bottom fish? Lee Meng Horng, Senior Analyst, RHB Investment Bank gives us the answer and what his top picks are.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Ministry has widened the scope of service tax exemptions to logistics service providers and maintenance services, just one month after the Sales & Service Tax rate rose from 6% to 8%. The intention is to mitigate rising costs on the rakyat. Dr Veerinderjeet Singh, Senior Adviser on Tax Policy at KPMG explains the impact of such a decision/indecision.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Starting September, DRB-Hicom unit, PUSPAKOM, will operate alongside other licensed vehicle inspection service providers, ending its three decade monopoly. This is part of the Transport Ministry's efforts to reduce monopolies and introduce healthy competition. Daniel Fernandez, Managing Editor of dsf.my explains the impact of these developments.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a shock turnaround from the general elections in May, the opposition CHP party secured major inroads in Turkiye's local elections, winning the popular vote and claiming victory in major cities including Istanbul and Ankara. What does this outcome mean for the ruling AK party and President Reccep Tayyip Erdogan? We get analysis from Middle East expert Dr. James Dorsey. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not everyone has the same sense of humour but comedians playing to sell-out shows has a certain allure to the business of comedy. However, in Malaysia, local comedians have to navigate racial, religious and political sensitivities while figuring out how to pay the bills. Comedian Kavin Jay shares with us what the local scene is like and is there money to be made by being funny.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The World Bank and Bank Negara Malaysia recently released a joint report entitled "Managing Flood Risks - Leveraging Finance for Business Resilience in Malaysia". We speak to Tatiana Didier, Senior economist at the World Bank Group for what policy changes are required to help business survive these increasingly frequent calamities due to climate change and overdevelopment.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know that Malaysia is the 8th most breached country in the world? The government now hopes the passing of the Cybersecurity Bill 2024 in the Dewan Rakyat will mark a pivotal moment in fortifying the nation's cybersecurity framework. Kenny Lam, partner with RDS Law, helps us understand what the implications are.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we move into the 2nd quarter of 2024, ASEAN Banks come under our radar as a barometer of how the economy is doing. Rena Kwok, Credit Analyst, Asian Financials, Bloomberg Intelligence joins us to discuss the impact of China’s property woes on these financial institutions, what a Fed rate cut does to earnings, and the outlook for their additional tier 1 bonds.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple is currently working to implement Google’s Gemini AI engine into the iPhone. With Microsoft hiring the cofounder of AI startup DeepMind. Adrian Chew of ASEAN AI joins us to discuss AI’s place within the tech sector going forward.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd reported a new all time high of its share price, a week after signing new operating and lease agreements with the government. Ahmad Maghfur Usman, of Nomura Malaysia shares with us details of this new agreement, as well as the outlook for aviation players. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The KK Mart sock controversy has catapulted UMNO Youth Chief Dr. Muhamad Akmal Saleh into the national spotlight. How much of the outrage he channels is due to genuine offence vs political posturing? We discuss the fallout from the controversy with political scientist Dr. Syaza Shukri of the International Islamic University Malaysia.Image Credit: Nashriq93/ Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PADU will close its registration window on March 31, with the government signaling that it may be reopened for a second round in the future. What does the government need to address to improve the rate of sign-ups? We discuss lessons learnt from the PADU registration exercise with Dr. Rachel Gong, Deputy Director, Khazanah Research Institute.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, the Home Minister Dato’ Seri Saifuddin Nasution announced the government will not proceed with two of five proposed constitutional amendments that would impact the citizenship of foundlings and abandoned babies, following massive public outcry.  However, this was only a partial victory for advocates - the remaining 4 regressive amendments were still tabled for the first reading in Dewan Rakyat on Monday. We speak to Suri Kempe of Family Frontiers about the negative implications of the regressive amendments.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police (Amendment) Bill 2024 was passed with little fanfare in the Dewan Rakyat last week but has since sparked significant debate. The bill also increases penalties for several offences, including obstructing police orders and failing to comply with instructions with fines potentially reaching up to RM10,000 and up to two years imprisonment. Do the Police Act amendments adequately balance considerations of civil liberty versus national security? We discuss this with lawyer Kee Shu Min.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the first time, the United States did not use its veto power to kill a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas. The legally binding resolution has now been passed with the other 14 members voting yes. Carrie Nooten, the UN Correspondent for Le Monde and Radio France Internationale helps put this development into context.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Boeing has seen crisis after crisis since 2 crashes involving its 737MAX planes. More recently, a panel that exposed a hole in an Alaska Airlines jet shortly after takeoff, raised questions about Boeing's production processes. Greg Waldron, the Asia Managing Editor of FlightGlobal talks about the impact the recently announced changes at Boeing's top management might have on its fortunes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bank Negara hopes its Financial Inclusion Framework 2023 to 2026 will result in affordable financial products and services available to all segments of Malaysian society, regardless of geographical location or income level. The key here is to expand digital financial services. Vincent Fong, Chief Editor of Fintech News Malaysia looks at the developments so far.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Malaysian capital market showed resilience despite slow recovery in 2023 amid global headwinds, according to the Securities Commission Malaysia in its latest 2023 annual report published yesterday. We speak to Ng Zhu Hann, CEO and founder of Tradeview Capital on the key highlights of the SC’s report as well as measures that can be taken to boost the competitiveness of the country’s capital market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Islamic State has claimed reponsibility for a terrorist attack at a concert hall in Moscow, resulting in the loss of over 130 lives. Four men have been charged with committing an act of terrorism. Dr Alexey Muraviev, Associate Professor of National Security and Strategic Studies at Curtin University talks about how this development might affect President Vladimir Putin's offensive in Ukraine, now into its third year.Image credit: EPA ImagesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week the Ministry of Transport announced that vehicle deregistration will soon be able to be done online via e-Dereg, as part of efforts to make it easier to dispose of end-of-life vehicles. How effective might this policy be? We get industry reactions from Cho Chee Seng, Immediate Past Secretary General of the Malaysian Automotive Recyclers Association (MAARA).Image Credit: Wirestock Creators/ Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Education Ministry recently announced an intervention curriculum for Standard 1 students to prepare them for the expected 2027 school curriculum, that emphasises mastering literacy and numeracy. This comes as the state of Malaysian education comes under intense scrutiny following the impact of the pandemic and the abolition of the Dual Language Programme. Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim, Chair of the Parent Action Group For Education (PAGE) Malaysia helps us understand the issues at hand.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economy minister Rafizi Ramli has warned that any delay in implementing targeted subsidies would cost the government RM2 billion a month in blanket petrol subsidies. It is now depending on a successful PADU initiative to begin reforming how subsidies are doled out. Jeremy Goh, Head of Research at Hong Leong Investment Bank helps us analyse the issue.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Home minister Saifuddin Nasution expressing his readiness to discuss with the Communications Ministry on the possibility of regulating streaming platforms such as Netflix, we ask Dr Benjamin Loh, Director of the Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions Impact Lab at Taylor's University shares with us if this is a reasonable course of action as well as the possibility of doing so with existing legislation.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Malaysia's facing a growing demand for skilled workers, widening supply- demand job mismatches, stagnant wages and the threat of automation on traditional jobs, we delve deeper into what Malaysia needs to do to address these challenges with Dr Niaz Asadullah, Southeast Asia Lead at the Global Labor Organisation & Professor of Economics, Monash University MalaysiaImage Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong resigned over corruption allegations, the latest in a string of leadership shake-ups over the past several years that have observers worried about the political stability of the country. We speak to Sebastian Strangio, Southeast Asia Editor at The Diplomat to better understand what’s happening in Hanoi and what the implications of the latest developments might be.Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hong Kong passed a new national security law that cracks down on all forms of dissent and allows for trials to be held behind closed doors. This has triggered fresh criticism over fear that it will further erode civil liberties. Elaine Pearson, Asia Director, Human Rights Watch shares with us what is in this new law, its impact, and what can the international community do.Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sabah's political dynamics have grabbed headlines over infighting within UMNO and PKR ahead of the state elections due to be held by October 2025. We speak to Prof. Dr. Lee Kuok Tiung of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) about how political developments could impact alliances leading into the elections.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Department of Statistics Malaysia will be developing a new indicator to measure the cost of living. It told Utusan Malaysia that this will be launched in September and will include where Malaysians live as part of its component. Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr Norma Mansor, Director at the Social Wellbeing Research Centre of University Malaya shares her insights.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday, Bank Negara Malaysia issued its 2023 annual report and related financial reports detailing the health of the macroeconomy. What are the factors that will influence the trajectory of economic growth? We discuss the highlights with Dr. Afzanizam Abdul Rashid, Chief Economist of Bank Muamalat.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has just concluded a 2-day trip to the Philippines just as its President Ferdinand Marcos Jr admitted that Beijing’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea continue to be a point of contention. Andrea Chloe Wong, a Philippines' political analyst helps us contextualise all this along with a perceived rift between Marcos Jr and his VP Sara Duterte-Carpio, the daughter of the previous president, Rodrigo Duterte.Image Credit: Office of the President MarcosSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world's longest monetary policy experiment has ended with the Bank of Japan finally raising rates after 17 years. In what was a widely anticipated move, the overnight rate is now in a range of about zero to 0.1 percent, from minus 0.1 percent. William Pesek, columnist, Nikkei Asia tells us what this entails for the economy, markets and the yen.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.