Morning Brief

Japan’s decision to release treated radioactive water from its Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean has caused neighbouring countries to be on alert about the safety of consuming Japanese seafood. Malaysia has not banned seafood imports from Japan yet, but we speak to Jeremy Lim, Vice-President & Media Liaisons, Persatuan Pemilik Restoran & Bistro to get his reactions to this development from the local F&B industry.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As part of our Merdeka series, we take a look at how Malaysia's economy might take shape in the next decade or more. Is the Madani Economy framework the right foundation for the next chapter of growth since it has lofty aims of creating a high-value economy? Are we paying too much attention to big projects and not enough on the SMEs? Economist Dr. Nungsari Radhi gives his views on Madani, target setting, and whether will it resolve our structural issues.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The informal alliance known as BRICS comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa will gain six new members beginning January 2024. What does the enlarged membership mean for the grouping, which has somewhat nebulous aims to begin with? We get the key takeaways from last week’s BRICS Summit with political scientist Dr. Pradeep Taneja.Image Credit: EPA-EFE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Generational End Game or GEG is proposed to be implemented in 2024 and is expected to cost up to 305 million ringgit. This law will ban smoking for anyone born after 2007. What are the key requirements in making this implementation effective? Benedict Weerasena, Research Director, Bait Al Amanah shares with us some insights.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nvidia reported knockout earnings and positive guidance in the recent quarter as it rides high on the generative artificial intelligence boom. Meanwhile, SoftBank-owned Arm this week unveiled plans for the biggest US IPO in almost two years. We delve into the prospects of both tech firms and the broader trends for the industry with Daniel Ives of Wedbush Securities.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The political tumult of the past 4 years has shifted the electoral calendar in such a way that it may be a while before we can return to concurrent elections given the staggered terms of Parliament and state assemblies. What are the implications of separate federal and state elections for the medium to long term? We discuss the changes to Malaysia's electoral cycle with elections analyst Dr. G. Manimaran.Image Credit:  Djohan Shahrin / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elon Musk has made a series of changes to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, since his $USD44 billion takeover, but have these moves furthered the cause of free speech as he claims? We discuss how changes to the platform's features could impact the reputation and attractiveness of X to users as well as advertisers with digital media expert Prof. Bradley Freeman.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thailand finally broke its political impasse as parliament voted in Srettha Thavisin of the Pheu Thai party as the new Prime Minister. On the same day, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinwatara returned after 15 years in exile. We speak with Dr Greg Raymond from the Australia National University to dissect what these twin developments mean for the future of Thailand.Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2023 was supposed to be China’s year to rebound after opening its doors post-pandemic; the first quarter numbers showed promise. But the 2nd quarter numbers paint a completely different picture. To help us make sense of all the economic data points coming out from China and whether markets are overreacting, we speak with Derek Scissors, Chief Economist at China Beige Book International whether China’s GDP growth rate of 5% is still achievable.Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The state elections may be over, but politics never stops. The Perak Menteri Besar confirmed a plot to topple his government, Bersatu is upset in Kedah, and Selangor begins a new chapter with a very different mix in the assembly. Meanwhile, by-elections in Pulai and Simpang Jeram in Johor will see PH battle it out with PN yet again. We speak to Adib Zalkapli, Director of BowerGroupAsia to get an update on the latest developments in Malaysian politics.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India has recently imposed an export ban on non-basmati white rice, and this week, followed with a 40% export duty on onions effective until 31 December. India is the world’s largest exporter of these two items, so what impact will this have on the food supply chain and prices? We speak with Priyanka Kishore, Economic and Forum Director at (International Market Assessment) IMA Asia to get some insights on the economic impact and inflationary pressure of India’s decision.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently, The Malay Chamber of Commerce called for the reinstatement of GST. We ask their Secretary General, Ahmad Yazid Othman why and what lessons can be learned to ensure that GST 2.0 is implemented properly.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singaporeans on 1 September will elect their 9th President. There are 3 candidates to choose from, with Former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam touted as the front-runner in the race. But with the People Action Party’s clean image taking a hit from recent scandals, will this have any bearing on voters' decisions? We speak with Chong Ja Ian, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, National University of Singapore, about the key issues on the minds of Singaporeans when they go to the ballot box.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We take a look at Bersatu’s performance in the state elections. It managed a win rate of 50% taking 40 seats across the 6 states, and performed better than PKR and UMNO. But when compared to PAS’ 83% win rate, perhaps there is still more work to be done for Bersatu. We speak with Dr Afif Bahardin of Bersatu, who narrowly won the Taman Medan in Selangor seat by a mere 30 votes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US recorded its deadliest wildfire incident in over a century when the Hawaiian island of Maui was razed last week, killing at least 100 victims. What caused the Maui wildfires to be so deadly, and how must we adapt to an environment more prone to wildfires due to climate change? Bushfire scientist David Bowman discusses the policy actions needed to mitigate wildfire risks amid climate change.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PKR won 26 out of the 58 contested seats in the state elections with losses in Selangor, Kedah, Kelantan and even Penang while winning no seats in Terengganu. Wong Chen, MP of Subang and KEADILAN Central Leadership Council Member explains this outcome to us whilst telling us what will be the Unity Government's focus to win the hearts and minds of voters.Image Credit: Facebook/Wong ChenSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why did the High Court quash the four charges of abuse of power against former Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin? Criminal lawyer Tiara Katrina Fuad unpacks the procedural rules at play and what might happen next in the trial.Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

VinFast, a Vietnamese Electric Vehicle company has barely exported 3 thousand units to North America and has just started constructing a plant in North Carolina that won’t be ready until 2025. But on the day of its Nasdaq listing, it was valued at 85 billion US dollars, making it more valuable than US giants Ford and General Motors. We speak with Ken Foong, Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence to find out what is going on with VinGroup and VinFast.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mention sovereign funds and names like Norway’s Government Global Pension, Singapore’s Temasek Holdings, and Malaysia’s Khazanah Nasional come to mind. Starting next year, Sarawak’s Sovereign Wealth Future Fund will join the mix. We speak with Elsa Satkunasingam, Senior Business Development Advisor, Executive Education, of the Asia School of Business to understand the best practices that go into setting up a sovereign wealth fund.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The sun continues to shine on Japan, as it recorded an impressive 2nd quarter GDP growth of 6%, driven by surging exports. However, not all is well as the yen continues to fall and the domestic economy remains weak. We speak to Vishnu Varathan, Head of Economics & Strategy at Mizuho Bank for an economic outlook, and whether its central bank will intervene on the Yen. Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gerakan, won 1 out of 36 seats it contested in at the recent state elections. Datuk Dr Dominic Lau, it's President reviews their performance and their role in the Perikatan Nasional despite being a multi-racial party.Image by: Dr. Dominic Lau Hoe Chai | FacebookSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Country Garden, one of the largest property developers in China, saw its shares plunge by more than 16 percent after it missed bond payments and warned of multibillion-dollar losses for the first half of the year. Louise Loo of Oxford Economics tells us what options are left for the builder to avoid collapse, and what this could mean for the broader Chinese economy.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On paper, DAP was one of the winners of the state elections, winning 46 of the 47 seat they contested in. But what strategy should they adopt for GE16 and what are the lesson learnt from these state polls as PN made significant inroads into Selangor whilst dominating Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu. Liew Chin Tong, DAP secretary-general and Strategist tells us his views whilst weighing in on the longevity of this Unity Government.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Minister of Education Fadhlina Sidek recently announced that the government is looking to make secondary education mandatory in a bid to curb school drop-outs. How would this policy be implemented? We speak to Shahnaz Al-Sadat, Chairperson of LeapEd Services for her views on how and when this should be rolled out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oil has been on a 7-week winning streak which has surprised pundits as demand conditions are still soft with China facing deflation and global growth slowing. We go behind the headlines with Ho Pei Hwa, Regional Energy Analyst at DBS Bank for the reasons for this price appreciation and who will be the listed winners.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last Saturday, all of MUDA’s 19 candidates suffered heavy defeats and lost their deposits. It appears the decision to part ways with the Pakatan Harapan coalition and go solo has backfired. With no signs that it can win any election as a stand-alone party, what can the party do from now till GE16? We’ll be speaking with MUDA’s President Syed Saddiq to share his thoughts and analysis.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Penang has been a stronghold for Pakatan Harapan since 2008, with DAP holding the biggest share at 19 out of 40 seats in the state assembly. However, following the shake-up in DAP candidates and a recent high-profile exit from the party, can PH retain control of the state or could PN make inroads?  We speak to Dr Azmil Tayeb of Universiti Sains Malaysia for his projections in Penang.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We take a close look at the battle for Malaysia’s richest and most developed state, as its outcome will be closely scrutinised by the local and international community. Dr James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania tells us if the tried and tested PH government can safely keep Selangor.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Negeri Sembilan is a unity government stronghold with all 36 seats held by UMNO and PH parties. But can the PH-BN coalition afford to be complacent as PN seeks to make inroads into the state? We speak with Dr Azmi Hassan, Senior Fellow, Nusantara Academy of Strategic Research to gauge the prospects of both coalitions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s the role of a lead prosecutor in a criminal case? We discuss this and other procedural matters with criminal lawyer Sreekant Pillai in light of the change in the prosecution team in the Yayasan Akalbudi trial involving Deputy Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Image Credit: Shahjehan / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The trio Singapore banks of DBS, OCBC and UOB have all concluded their second quarter earnings recently with record profit thanks to rate hikes. We speak to Sarah Jane Mahmud of Bloomberg Intelligence for her take on which bank is outpacing peers and whether growth prospects are sustainable amid weak global economic conditions.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Perikatan Nasional completed their launch of state election manifestos last Friday, the final coalition to do so midway through the campaign period. Can PN win voters with its manifesto promises and how confident are they of making inroads in states beyond the Green Belt of Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah? We discuss this with PN Deputy Youth Chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With almost 3 million youth votes at stake in the state elections, political parties have been working hard to convince this cohort that their needs and demands will be addressed. Dr. Syaza Shukri, Associate Professor and Political Science Researcher from the International Islamic University Malaysia discusses how the youth experience could influence voting trends on August 12th.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As part of BFM's debate series for the Selangor state elections, we feature all the candidates of N34, Bukit Gasing. In the hot seats were VKK Raja (Muda), Nallan Dhanabalan (PN) and Rajiv Rishyakaran (PH) as we uncover where they stand on the critical issues like development, environment and local council elections.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Early voting starts today in the state elections for approximately 97 thousand Malaysians, mainly those serving in Armed Forces and Police. The remaining 5 days of campaigning will see intensified efforts to entice voters to the ballot box - with ceramahs and tik tok platforms thrown in the mix. We speak with Thomas Fann, Chairperson, Bersih for his observations on the election campaign, why your vote matters, and his expectations for turnout this Saturday.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economy Minister, Rafizi Ramli launched Phase 1 of the National Energy Transition Roadmap, also known as NETR with 10 flagship catalyst initiatives. With 25 billion ringgit in total investments and 23,000 job opportunities in the pipeline, who are the beneficiaries? Anand Pathmakanthan, Regional Head of Research at Maybank Investment Bank will tell us.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Perikatan Nasional has launched its manifesto with the theme of ‘Selangor Baharu Kita Bangkit’. With all coalition party manifestos announced, the battle to win over the 3.7 million Selangor voters intensifies. We speak with Datuk Dr. Marzuki Mohamad, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, International Islamic University Malaysia and former Principal Private Secretary to the 8th Prime Minister to share his views on the fight to win over the voters.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The N39 Kota Damansara constituency will witness a three-corner fight between Izuan Kasim of PH; Radzlan Jalaludin of PN; and Sivarajan Arumugam of PSM. Tune in to the fiery debate between the candidates to find out why they should be elected as representatives, what are their positions on policy issues affecting Kota Damansara.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have started an investigation on Sam Waltman’s OpenAI’s chatbot, ChatGPT, and echoes calls that AI needs to be regulated by Elon Musk and Geofrey Hinton. Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil said Malaysia will also consider an artificial intelligence regulatory framework. We speak with Zachary Scully, Partner of RHTLaw Asia and HMS Law to get his views on the rules we may expect to see in an AI regulation framework.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re less than 10 days away until the state elections on Aug 12th, where close to 10 million registered voters are expected to cast their ballots. We ask Danesh Prakash Chacko of Tindak Malaysia what are the expectations for voter turnout, how to boost up the numbers, understanding local council elections, and why is it important to elect members of the state assembly and the state government?Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The general election in Myanmar that was supposed to be held this month has been delayed, as the military junta extended the state of emergency in the country for six more months. We speak to Hunter Marston of the Australian National University for an update on what this means for the country and the developments related to NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this year, the government promised to absorb 12,800 contract doctors into permanent positions. The first batch of 4,200 doctors reported for duty at the end of July. However, the placement of these doctors have been fraught with controversy, leaving many hospitals understaffed and relocation claims not reimbursed. We speak with Dr. Timothy Cheng of the Malaysia Medical Association on problems with the relocation exercise and implications for public health services.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former President Donald Trump is facing a third tranche of indictments over his efforts to overturn the 2020 Presidential election results. What accounts for Trump’s enduring popularity, despite facing legal scandal after scandal? We discuss factors influencing voter sentiment with independent pollster John Zogby.Image by: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MUDA is striking it alone in the state elections, aiming to mainstream its "new politics" tagline. We discuss elements of its manifesto and the policy direction of the party with Teacher Thanusha, Muda's candidate for the Sentosa state assembly seat in Selangor. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China’s factory activity contracted for a fourth consecutive month in July, while non-manufacturing activity slowed to its weakest this year. In response, the government has made a number of pledges to boost its flagging economy. Gary Ng of Natixis discusses whether the measures introduced are sufficient to spur growth.Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, Economy Minister Mohd Rafizi Ramli launched Part 1 of the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), with 10 flagship projects generating 25 billion ringgit in total investments, creating 23 thousand job opportunities, and a reduction of over 10 thousand Gigagrams (Gg) of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) equivalent. We’ll speak with Azril Zainal, Energy Leader in Malaysia, Arup to help us digest the announcement, notably on the solar front.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There have been a flurry of high level visits between the US and China over the past months, raising hopes that better ties will prevail between the arch-rivals. However geopolitical analyst Bunn Nagara is less sanguine about the positive momentum, and we discuss what's the root cause of the longstanding tensions.Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim launched the Madani Economy economic framework yesterday, with the goal of catapulting Malaysia’s economy into the world’s top 30 within the decade. We get reactions to the announcement from economist Dr. Geoffrey Williams - an economist at the Malaysia University of Science and Technology.Image by: Facebook/Anwar IbrahimSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hong Kong’s top officials and business leaders are visiting Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia this week, as the territory aims to increase bilateral trade and gain support to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. We speak to Dr Jonathan Choi, Chairman of the Hong Kong Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, to find out how Hong Kong aims to regain its status as Asia’s premier financial hub.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Perikatan Nasional has unveiled their candidates list for the state elections, with names like Azmin Ali and Rina Harun contesting in Selangor. But could the green wave make its way here and in Penang? And With the recent freezing of Bersatu's bank accounts by the authorities, how will this impact the state election machinery? Dr Kartini Aboo Talib @ Khalid, Deputy Director, Institute of Ethnic Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia shares with us her insights.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.