Morning Brief

National-level celebrations for HAWANA 2024 (National Journalists Day) were held in Kuching, Sarawak over the weekend. During the event, comments by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on the relevance of World Press Freedom Index rankings raised questions about the government's commitment to free, independent media. We discuss the divergence between government rhetoric and action concerning news media with Wathshlah Naidu of the Center for Independent Journalism (CIJ).Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Saturday, some parts of Kuala Lumpur and PJ were also hit by a storm which caused many trees to fall causing damage although this time, no loss of life. We speak to Lim Yi Wei, Assemblywoman of Kampung Tunku as to whether there is enough funding at the state level to ensure that these trees are safe whilst keeping that balance between development and the natural environment.Image Credit: Fire and Rescue DepartmentSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leaders from China, Japan, and South Korea convened for their first trilateral meeting in over four years with a focus on trade and security. William Pesek, Columnist, Nikkei Asia tells us what implications this summit has against the backdrop of increasing tensions between US and China.Image Credit: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The general elections in India are winding towards the end, and surprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s target of more than 400 seats for his coalition appears to be a harder goal to achieve than expected. We speak to Dr Rahul Mishra, Associate Professor with the Jawaharlal Nehru University on why the outcome of a wipeout of the opposition is less certain and what this means for geopolitics in the region.Image Credit: EPA imagesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last Saturday, the Coalition for Clean and Free Elections otherwise known as Bersih held their annual Congress. 19 motions were approved in line with the causes they champion. We discuss their assessment of the government's progress in institutional reforms with Faisal Abdul Aziz, Chairman of Bersih.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has visited Japan for the second time within six months. This trip saw him meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Zarina Zainuddin, an analyst in Foreign Policy and Security Studies at ISIS Malaysia talks about what this means for both countries' bilateral relations.Image Credit: Prime Minister's Office of Malaysia Official WebsiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following a slow start at the beginning of 2024, industrial metals like copper have recently been hitting new highs. The rally is also seen in precious metals like gold and silver. Michelle Leung, Head of Asia Metals & Mining at Bloomberg Intelligence helps us understand what is behind this rally in metals' prices and is this sustainable.Image Credit: Freepik.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The situation in Gaza has deteriorated into a humanitarian catastrophe over the course of 7 months. The recent advancement of the Israeli Defence Forces into Rafah and the closure of the border crossing to Egypt has meant that civilians and international aid workers are trapped, including a team of Malaysian doctors under Mercy Malaysia. We speak to Dato’ Dr. Faizal Mohd Perdaus, President of Mercy Malaysia for updates from the ground.Image Credit: Mercy Malaysia FacebookSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a Special Address, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim reminded the nation that the government fiscal reforms are on track, starting with the targeted subsidy plan. We get Dr. Geoffrey Williams views on the messaging, level of ambition and the likely schedule of rolling out the rationalization.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday, it was confirmed that Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi had died in a helicopter crash.  Maryam Ismail, analyst at ISIS Malaysia goes through his legacy and possible successors. We also ask her that with the death  of both the President and the Foreign Minister how might this impact Iran’s foreign policy during a time of heightened regional tensions.Image Credit: EPA imagesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore's three major banks - DBS, UOB and OCBC - have all reported their first quarter earnings. Sarah Jane Mahmud, a senior financial services research analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, reflects on what was announced and the implications for Singapore's banking sector as well as Malaysia's going forward.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Eurozone remains vulnerable to global supply shocks, including through rising food prices resulting from climate change and extreme weather patterns. How should the European Central Bank (ECB) navigate these headwinds? Economist Tomas Dvorak of Oxford Economics weighs in. Image Credit: Pexels.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The sudden notice by the Chief Registrar of the Federal Court last week that the e-Jamin online bail system would be phased out and replaced with the previously used manual process caused an uproar in the legal fraternity, who decried the inefficiency of the move. The Prime Minister's Department has since reversed the initial decision and announced that e-Jamin would remain in use. But why was the decision? made in the first place? We discuss the issue with criminal lawyer Goh Cia Yee.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been a distressing week after violent storms uprooted trees in the middle of Kuala Lumpur, resulting in the death of one person whose car was crushed. As a result, DBKL have been directed to establish a task force to closely monitor and maintain these shade trees. Hashim Gombri, a landscape architect consultant, talks about the challenges in preserving old trees in urban environments.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Typically small cap investing is not without its risk as these companies tend to have less publicly available information with lower trading volumes. But  Lee Meng Horng, Head of Small Cap Research at RHB Investment Bank helps us navigate this on the back of their recently published  Top 20 Small Cap Jewels book.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia tabled its Budget with a second consecutive surplus of A$9.3 billion, quickly followed by a projected deficit of A$28.3 billion in 2024-25. James McIntyre, Economist at Bloomberg Intelligence helps us makes sense of the numbers and also new policies like the "Future Made in Australia" program and the Energy bill relief package.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the planned privatization of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) by a consortium formed by EPF, Khazanah Nasional Berhad, state investment arm of Abu Dhabi, and New York-based investment fund Global Infrastructure Partners; Khair Mirza, Head of Airport Investor Resource at Modalis Infrastructure Partners shares with us what this possible equity restructuring entails and whether it could benefit the nation.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recent weeks we have been seeing a series of attacks on Malaysian football players. One of which was the National right winger Faisal Halim that landed in the intensive care unit with fourth-degree burns after being splashed with acid. Dr Hazwan Khair, Head of Sports Medicine, Selangor FC shares with us updates on how Faisal is doing, and what is being done to protect the players.Image Credit: Selangor FCSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The state of Johor is seeing a range of economic opportunities and catalysts the proposed Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, as well as ongoing works on the Forest City Special Financial Zone. We discuss with Nordin Abdullah, Vice Chairman, Malaysia Australian Business Council (MABC) about the right package of incentives to appeal to investors.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At a staggering pace of approximately 1000 departures per week, New Zealanders are leaving their country. Statistics indicate that a figure of 52,500 citizens migrated in the year, with Australia being a prominent destination. We discuss the factors driving this trend and its implications for the nation with Independent Political Analyst Grant Duncan.Image Credit: David_Peterson https://pixabay.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed economist Andrey Belousov as the new defence minister to replace Sergei Shoigu who was at the post since 2012. Shoigu is now head of the country's security council. Dr Alexey Muraviev, Associate Professor at the National Security and Strategic Studies of Curtin University, helps analyse these latest developments.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2024 Presidential elections are shaping up to be a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, but neither are facing a smooth runway to November. We discuss the headwinds for both camps with pollster John Zogby.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the May holidays in China, tourists made a total of 295 million trips within the country during that 5 day long holiday, 28% more than in 2019. Is this a harbinger of better economic times ahead for China? Gary Ng, APAC Economist, Natixis gives us his perspective and what do the recent PBOC, CPI and PPI numbers tell us.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been 55 years since racial tensions boiled over marking one of the darkest moments in Malaysia's history. May 13th, 1969 saw hundreds of people killed, with exact figures still unknown to this day. Eddin Khoo, a historian and writer, shares his insights with us and how we, as Malaysians, can learn from this tragic event to ensure it is never repeated.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A recent UNICEF report that studied the impact of the pandemic on women and children in low-income families in KL, has revealed that 80% of households are grappling with inadequate income levels to sustainably cover essential expenses. This is alarmingly higher than the 70% reported during the peak of Covid-19. Dr Amjad Rabi, a visiting expert at the Social Wellbeing Research Centre, Universiti Malaya, shares his insights.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Companies (amendment) Act 2024 came into force on 1st April this year. With that all entities have until 30th June to submit information on their beneficial owner to the Companies Commission of Malaysia. The Act also improves on previous regulations regarding the definition and also reporting framework of beneficiaries. Ranjit Singh, senior litigation partner of Ranjit Singh & Yeoh explains the mechanics of this and why this is a step in the right direction.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak to Dr. James Dorsey, Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies to get some insights on the potential for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and how the recent attacks in Rafah complicate matters. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 1MDB chapter in the US court system came to a close this week, but Goldman Sachs still has unfinished business with the Malaysian government. We get a refresher with independent business writer P. Gunasegaram on where the 1MDB accountability process stands and the loose threads that need to be tied up by the 1MDB Taskforce.Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Electoral reform advocacy group Bersih has called out the Madani government for appointing two members of the Electoral Commission without an open and transparent process as promised in previous election manifestos. We speak to Ooi Kok Hin, Executive Director of Bersih on how the selection process should be reformed especially in light of the EC Chair becoming vacant today.Image Credit: Gwoeii / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A delegation of US Department of Treasury officials are in town this week to discuss concerns that counter-terrorism funding is being channelled through Malaysia's financial system. We discuss the potential implications and ways to improve our counter-terrorism financing response with Raymon Ram of Graymatter Forensic Advisory.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week President Xi Jinping is embarking on his first European tour since 2019, under vastly different circumstances. His visit to France, Serbia and Hungary comes at a time when tensions with the EU are at a high over Beijing’s support to Russia and contentions over trade practices. Will this visit succeed in reframing the narrative? We discuss the visit with political analyst Dr. Frederick Kliem of Episteme Consultancy and Adjunct Fellow with the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index has been rallying and so far it has chalked up a tenth successive session, registering its longest winning streak since 2018, thanks to improving market sentiment. Peter Lewis, the founder and director of Peter Lewis Consulting (China) Limited helps us analyse what's been going on and if this upswing has more legs to it.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia recorded a dismal performance, plummeting 34 spots to 107th place in the rankings with our overall score also falling by 10 points to 52, Gayathry Venkiteswaran, Assistant Professor, University of Nottingham Malaysia tells us the reasons for this decline and what the government should focus on to improve those rankings.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is reportedly planning to issue arrest warrants for Israeli political and military figures, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over allegations of war crimes in the state of Palestine. We discuss the legal proceedings at play with Dr. Juliette McIntyre of the University of South Australia.Image Credit: oliverdelahaye / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, the Japanese yen plunged to a 34-year low before strengthening to 157, sparking speculation about intervention by Japanese authorities. We discuss the implications of the yen's weakness and what this means for the Bank of Japan with William Pesek, columnist at Nikkei Asia.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has urged tourism players to comply with the ASEAN Tourism Standards. Nigel Wong, President, Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents shares with us what are the guidelines in these set of standards as well as his review on the recently unveiled strategic direction towards Visit Malaysia Year 2026.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In light of World Press Freedom Day, we discuss the current media landscape in Malaysia as well as assess the Madani government’s commitment to press freedom. Is their rhetoric backed by action? Dr. Benjamin Loh of Taylor’s University weighs in.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Anwar Ibrahim-administration launched the country's inaugural National Human Resource Policy Framework on Labour Day. It aims to address pressing issues like fair wages, job welfare, labour union movements, job mismatches and foreign labour. Adrian Pereira, Executive Director of the North South Initiative breaks down what was unveiled.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An MOU was signed between Malaysia and Singapore to create a Johor- Singapore Special economic zone (SEZ). Details are still pending but both economies and multiple sectors will likely benefit. Thilan Wickramasinghe , Head of Research, Singapore, Maybank Investment Bank tells us what are the ingredients for a success SEZ and which companies stand to do well from this.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Saudi Arabia hosted the World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth, and Energy for Development this week, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in attendance. We discuss Malaysia's bilateral ties with Saudi Arabia and the opportunities that could be explored in the aftermath of the event with Bunn Nagara of the Perak Academy. Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this week the government announced a cabinet reshuffle, the first under Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s watch, which saw six new faces added to the line-up and four ministers dropped. Dr Greg Raymond, Senior Lecturer, Australian National University tells us why these changes were made whilst giving us a review of Thavisin's deliverables or lack thereof.Image Credit: teera.noisakran / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China's retail numbers appear to be healthy so far this year with physical sales up 5.5% for the first two months of this year, while online figures registered a 14% jump, indicating resilience in the e-commerce sector. Catherine Lim, a senior analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence breaks down the numbers and where consumer sentiment in the world's second largest economy is headed for the rest of 2024.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The amendments to the Companies 2016 have come into force on 1 April with all Malaysian businesses that are registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia having to disclose the names of their beneficial owners. Pushpan Murugiah, Chief Executive Officer, Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism tells us the implication of this and what more needs to be done to stamp out corruption.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Women, Family & Community Development Ministry is investigating how welfare centres and elder care facilities operate, after video clips where a resident in a welfare home was beaten up. The centre in question was found to not have a proper licence. Delren Douglas, President of the Association for Residential Aged Care Operators of Malaysia (AGECOPE) give us a view of how these centres are regulated ... or not.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The upcoming Kuala Kubu Baru state by-election will see a competitive four-cornered race with the incumbent Pakatan Harapan DAP candidate facing off with Bersatu for Perikatan Nasional, Parti Rakyat Malaysian and an independent candidate. Dr Lau Zhe Wei, Assistant Professor with the Department of Political Science at the International Islamic University Malaysia lays out the different scenarios how this election might pan out when voters cast their ballots on May 11th.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EPF yesterday unveiled details of Account 3, also known as Flexible Account. The restructuring will be applicable for members under the age of 55 and provide flexibility for savings in this third account to be withdrawn at any time. Ng Zhu Hann, CEO & Founder, Tradeview Capital tells us how this restructuring could impact EPF’s portfolio, and who should consider transferring part of the savings from account 2 to this new flexible account.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia is looking to restart negotiations with the European Union on a free trade agreement, 12 years after talks stalled. Is the environment more ripe for an agreement to be reached this time around? We discuss the opportunities and challenges posed by FTAs with former deputy minister of international trade Ong Kian Ming.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India is currently in the second of seven phases for its parliamentary elections, with the outcome slated for early June. Sanjay Mathur, Chief Economist for Southeast Asia and India, ANZ Bank tells us what set of challenges await for the incoming government, and the economic outlook for the world’s most populous country.Image Credit: Sumit Saraswat / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US Federal Trade Commission is imposing a ban on non-compete clauses in employment contracts, a seismic shift in the US labour environment. Why has the regulator deemed this clause problematic and do the same issues apply in a Malaysian context? We discuss the law with labour lawyer Sunitha Ruthram.Image Credit:  DCStockPhotography/ Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China’s property slump sees no signs of turnaround yet as sales from top real estate companies in March fell by 46%, as did the prices of homes. We speak to Patrick Wong of Bloomberg Intelligence Hong Kong for his outlook on China real estate, as well as what the property data tells us about who's winning the financial hub war between Hong Kong and Singapore.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.