Morning Brief

Tesla is the first EV manufacturer to be exempted from approved permits under Malaysia’s new Global Battery Electric Vehicle initiative. But why should high end EV vehicles be exempted from duties and taxes? And why does the government intend to maintain the AP system? Does the AP system still make sense in the push for higher EV adoption and making Malaysia a regional hub for manufacturing? We discuss all thousand more with Daniel Fernandez of the auto news portal dsf.my.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President of the Philippines’ Ferdinand Marcos Jr held a three-day state visit this week. Thomas Daniel of ISIS Malaysia gives us his take on key bilateral issues between the two countries, including the South China Sea and Sabah dispute, as well as new opportunities for trade cooperation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last Monday, Russia withdrew from a deal that allows the safe export of Ukraine's grain via the Black Sea. We speak to Evghenia Sleptsova, Senior economist, Oxford Economics on how this will impact Ukraine’s economy and will we see a u- turn this time?Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DAP released their candidate lineup for Selangor, Penang and Negri Sembilan with many new faces. A move copied by other political parties. What is the strategy behind this move and does it help with the outcome or even voter turnout. Dr Wong Chin Huat, Political Scientist, Sunway University weighs in.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's central bank took a pause on its interest rate hikes last month after raising it 12 times in the past 14 months hoping to reign in inflation which is at a still-elevated 5.6%. For now property owners have a bit of respite. Mohsen Crofts, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence Australia, talks to us about how the RBA's fight against inflation is affecting the country's real estate and consumer markets, and what expectations are for the months ahead.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most legal fees for conveyancing transactions in Peninsular Malaysia have increased from 1% to 1.25% since July 15th, affecting transactions involving non-contentious matters like the sale and purchase of movable and immovable properties, financing and tenancies. The Malaysia Competition Commission is questioning this hike, calling it uncompetitive. Karen Cheah, the president of the Malaysian Bar, gives us the legal fraternity's side of the story and how lawyers are coping with increasing operating costs.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the course of a divorce proceeding, couples with children will have to navigate through issues related to custody, visitation rights, and child support. And NGO Sisters in Islam has raised an alarming trend on the ​​prevalence of parental child abduction. We speak to Nizam Bashir, Syariah Lawyer on the complicated process surrounding child custody battles and are the child’s best interest taken into consideration by the courts.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently, we saw reports that a rape victim was denied entry to the one-stop crisis centre of a government hospital and was told to lodge a police report first, which did not tally with the advice from Women’s Aid Organisation. So we speak to Zati Hanani, senior advocacy officer at WAO on what is the process in handling victims of rape and sexual assault and how can the process can be streamlined to consider the trauma the victim has suffered?Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

News of Russia terminating the Black Sea grain corridor agreement gave an immediate uplift to crude palm oil prices last week. But is this knee jerk reaction sustainable or will the sector fundamentals continue to place downward pressure on CPO price? We ask Alvin Tai, Senior Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence this question and where he sees CPO pricing headed moving forward?Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Education Ministry launched the Dual Language Programme in selected schools in 2016 for STEM subjects such as Mathematics and Science to be taught in English. However there are reports that at some top national full DLP schools, non-DLP classes have been introduced. We speak to Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim, Chairperson, Parent Action Group for Education as to the reasons for this and what are the consequences.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asian central banks have been striking very different tones on their monetary policy versus the Federal Reserve and even their European counterparts. Stephen Chiu, Chief Asia FX and Rates Strategist, Bloomberg Intelligence tells us what this means for currencies and also the bond market.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A revision in the Solicitor’s Remuneration Order (SRO 2023) will allow lawyers to charge more for conveyancing transactions increasing the conveyancing fee from 1% to 1.25% effective July 15th. This will affect the sale and purchase of movable and immovable properties, financing and tenancies. Iskandar Ismail, CEO of the Malaysia Competition Commission tells us why MyCC think this will unfairly impact consumers.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thailand's General Elections were held on May 14th and more than 2 months later, the kingdom still has no prime minister. Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the Move Forward party which won the most seats, has lost his final bid after lawmakers blocked a second vote on whether he should be PM. Dr Greg Raymond, Senior Lecturer, Australia National University talks about what happens next for Thailand as conservative voices appear to trump the people's will.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With just under a month before voters in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu head to the polls to elect their representatives for the next 5 years, political parties are positioning themselves for battle. Eyes are on how a Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional partnership might fare, whether or not Perikatan Nasional might make further in-roads post-GE15 and if MUDA's gamble to contest solo will bear fruit. Oh Ei Sun, Principal Adviser at Pacific Research Centre shares with us his views.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore's 5th ranking in Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 2022 is being tested after its Transport Minister S Iswaran was arrested by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau. This probe also involved hotel tycoon Ong Beng Seng. Additionally, two MPs have resigned resulting in a total of 5 constituencies without a people's representative. James Gomez, Regional Director, Asia Centre dissects these developments for us and how this impacts the performance of the People's Action Party that has been in power for 6 decades.Image by: ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUISee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deputy law and institutional reform minister Ramkarpal Singh has called for amendments to redefine a “mentally incapacitated” individual under the The Mental Health Act 2001. Dr Ravivarma Rao Panirselvam, Psychiatrist at the Hospital Miri Malaysia weighs in on this suggested amendments and if there should be any other changes. Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US economy has been resilient despite the record hikes in the Fed Fund rate. In the meantime China’s anticipating economic boom post the lifting of covid restrictions have not materialised. What then is the impact on Asia’s economies? Is the street still optimistic? Alex Holmes, Senior Economist At Oxford Economics weighs in on thisImage by: Megan_Rexazin | PixabaySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The EPF has proposed a slew of reforms for its retirement scheme, including mandatory monthly withdrawals and a new Account 3 designed to strengthen income security. Alvin Tan, President of the Financial Planning Association of Malaysia breaks down the rationale for these proposals and whether it will have the intended effect. Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest economic data coming out of China has further fueled concerns about the health of the world’s second largest economy. Exports sank by 12.4%, while imports tumbled 6.8%, worse than anticipated by economists. We get analysis from Bernard Aw of Coface on what options Beijing has to prop up the economy.Image Credit: humphery / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government is stepping up its fight against rent-seeking activities, or “Alibaba” culture, which is estimated to cost Malaysia losses amounting to 1% of GDP to corruption. We speak to economist Dr. Carmelo Ferlito, on the kinds of reforms needed to eliminate such activities in the country.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The two-day NATO Summit in Vilnius concluded yesterday, with mixed outcomes. Sweden will officially join the group after Turkey dropped its objections; but Ukraine’s membership path is far from certain, much to Kyiv’s chagrin. We discuss the key takeaways from the security summit with Chong Ja Ian of the National University of Singapore.Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we head into the second half of 2023, how are ASEAN economies faring? We check in with Chua Hak Bin of Maybank Investment Banking Group to find out the GDP prospects of the region and the pre-pandemic realities that ASEAN economies face.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deputy Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has given a three-month timeline for the Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Anti-Drug Agency (NADA) to effectively address the drug abuse problem affecting almost a million Malaysians. We speak with Professor Dr. Vicknasingam Kasinather, Centre for Drug Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia to gets his insights on how NADA, the Police and Ministry of Health have been working to tackle the problem.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2019 the Undi18 amendment was passed by parliament, and it was widely expected the young would vote for more progressive and reform minded parties. However, in last year's election, their vote was fairly split between PH and PN for the 18 to 40 age segment, dispelling the homogeneity of the youth. We’ll speak with Shahril Hamdan, former UMNO Information Chief and UMNO Youth Vice Chief, on how the youth might vote in the upcoming 6 state elections.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thailand’s inflation rate has dropped dramatically to its lowest level down to 0.2% in June 2023, while the Thai baht has proven resilient against a year of US dollar strengthening compared to other regional currencies. We speak to Daniel Moss, Columnist for Bloomberg Opinion to understand the reasons behind this, and also how the Thai economy will respond to a new government and global headwinds.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visit to China seeks to mend strained ties with Beijing, with both nations engaged in a tit-for-tat trade war. Is the world big enough for these 2 superpowers? Will they share the spoils, or choose a winner-take-all strategy? We speak to Richard McGregor, senior fellow at the Lowy Institute to find out more on Yellen’s visit and will this set up a meeting between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping during the November APEC meeting in San Francisco?Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to the latest data on global economies compiled by the World Bank, Malaysia remains an upper middle-income country; however Sarawak has joined the ranks of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Penang as members of the high-income economy club. We discuss what the data actually reveals with Distinguished Professor of Economics Dr. Rajah Rasiah of Universiti Malaya.Image by: KYTan / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Negeri Sembilan is a unity government strong hold with all 36 seats held by BN and PH. On paper, it looks like it will be another clean sweep in the upcoming state elections but the poster boy for the Chief Minister has not been agreed upon. So will PN split the Malay vote and win a few seats themselves? We speak with Dr Azmi Hassan, Senior Fellow, Nusantara Academy of Strategic Research chimes to get his analysisImage by: Adobe stockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fahizah Shamsuddin, Programme Director and Senior Lecturer, School of Media & Communication, Taylor's UniversityDescriptor: On Thursday, Mark Zuckerberg launched a new platform, Threads, that is meant to rival Elon Musk's beleaguered Twitter. Will this result in a mass exodus from the blue bird app? Questions we pose to Fahizah Shamsuddin, Senior Lecturer at School of Media & Communication of Taylor's University.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 6 state elections will finally go to the polls on Saturday 12 August, 38 weeks after GE-15. 9.8 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots, including the 600 thousand first time voters from UNDI 18. But with political fatigue and apathy setting in, will we get a 70% voter turnout or will voters just avoid making the long trek home? We speak with Thomas Fann, Chairperson, Bersih to get his views and expectations come polling day, and why your vote remains important.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Monday,  Israel unleashed one of its largest military operations in the Palestinian city of Jenin, withdrawing their forces yesterday. This two-day operation has killed at least 12 Palestinians, injured approximately 100 others and caused widespread destruction. We speak to Dr James Dorsey of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies on the implications of this latest escalation of violence by the Israeli militaryImage by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3 NGOs have filed for a judicial review at the High Court to challenge the Health Minister and the Government on the decision to amend the Poison Act 1952. These amendments allow eCigarette and vapes to be sold to anyone without any legal consequences. So a child can now buy a vape as easily as a packet of nasi lemak. We speak with Sharmila Sekaran, Chairperson from Voice of The Children, on what they expect to achieve in this lawsuit.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is visiting Beijing this week as the 2 superpowers continue to keep open communication channels through the tit-for-tat trade war and geopolitical tensions. This visit comes 3 weeks after Secretary of State Antony Blinken met President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden labelling Xi a dictator. We speak with Brock Silvers, CIO of Kaiyuan Capital, on what we can expect from Yellen’s visit and whether the strained ties can be improved.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Datuk Sri Anwar Ibrahim made a surprise visit to KLIA, for a first hand assessment of the credibility and integrity of the Immigration Department which has been recently criticised due to bribery allegations for foreign tourists to clear detention. We speak with Dr Muhammad Mohan, President, Transparency International Malaysia to get his views on the recent immigration incident and the progress the Madani government has made in its battle against corruptionImage by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

50 days after the May general election, the Thai Parliament convened this week and kicked off the process of forming a government. What are the key events to look forward to and can leading prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat see enough support for his premiership? We discuss expectations with Dr. Greg Raymond of ANU.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three years after the killing of George Floyd by police officers in the US, France is facing a similar crisis after a 17-year-old boy was shot dead in a Paris traffic stop last week. The shooting sparked days of unrest, causing French President Emmanuel Macron to cancel a visit to Germany. We discuss the causes and consequences of the protests with Prof. Peter McPhee of Melbourne University.Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 2018 Penang state election, DAP, PKR and Amanah won 35 out of the 40 seats available. And in the run up to the state elections, Penang voters have been feted with news of project approvals, such as the Penang South Islands and the Tanjung Bungah Penang Airport LRT line.Will Penang remain a safe state for PH, or will PN spring a few surprises? We will speak with Dr Azmil Tayeb, Political Scientist, Universiti Sains Malaysia to get a sense of the on ground situation.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Western economies move to "de-risk" from China amid geopolitical tensions with the US, how might this impact the world's second largest economy? We speak to Gary Ng of Natixis about the headwinds for China growth and the options Beijing has on the table to engineer a turnaround. Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the dissolution of all 6 state assemblies this week, we focus on Terengganu, dubbed as the ultimate swing state, after being run by both PAS and Barisan Nasional in the past 3 decades. Incumbent PAS Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar appears to have the upperhand and is expected to win the majority of the 32 seats available. We’ll speak with Amir Fareed, Director of Strategy, KRA Group to find out more on the politics and voters of the turtle state.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wagner Group, led by Prigozhin, marched towards the gates of Moscow, before making a U-Turn after Belarussian leader Lukashenko brokered a peace deal. But what will happen to the 50 thousand Wagner force? How have these events damaged Putin's reputation and his grip on power? And what does it do for the morale of the Russian troops fighting in Ukraine? We speak with Dr Malcolm Davis, Senior Analyst, Australian Strategic Policy Institute to get the answers.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Medical groups have lambasted the Ministry of Health over a statement regarding on-call allowances for public sector doctors. We discuss the root cause of doctors’ dissatisfaction and other pain points for the medical workforce with Dr. Timothy Cheng of the Malaysian Medical Association.Image by: 123rf.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Asia Pacific real estate sector is facing headwinds as declining property sales and record high office space vacancies in Hong Kong and China are expected to persist until at least the end of the year. We get analysis from Patrick Wong, Head of Bloomberg Intelligence Hong Kong on how global uncertainties will affect the region, and also on the outlook for the real estate market for the rest of 2023.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following the amendment to the Federal Constitution to allow Malaysian mothers to confer automatic citizenship on children born overseas, equal to Malaysian fathers, we speak to Suri Kempe, President of Family Frontiers for more details over proposed amendments that could exacerbate child statelessnessImage by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Muda has decided to go solo at the upcoming state elections, putting an end to their relationship after being shunned by Pakatan Harapan. We speak to Syed Saddiq to find out why and how they will differentiate themselves from the main coalitions. Can they learn anything from the Pejuang defeat in the last elections and even win any seats, or will they just split the PH vote?Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There has been a changing of the guard in the Royal Malaysian Police, after the IGP Tan Sri Acryl Sani stepped down last Thursday. What do we know about his successor, Tan Sri Razarudin Hussain? We discuss the new leadership of the police force and recommendations for reform with Dato’ Sri M. Ramachelvam, President of the National Human Rights Society, better known as HAKAMImage by: fotoBERNAMASee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Vladimir Putin appeared to be in a precarious position after the the Wagner Group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin staged an insurrection towards Moscow. The Wagner Group with close to 50 thousand troops is credited with the capture of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, and is considered one of Russia's most effective military units. We try to piece together what happened over the weekend and what the exile to Belarus means with Dr. Alexey Muraviev of Curtin University.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world reopened after the pandemic to hopeful economic recovery, but 2023 has seen countries grappling with much uncertainty. Inflation persist despite hawkish monetary policies while China which was supposed to be the poster boy for economic recovery proved disappointing. We speak to Lavanya Venkateswaran, Economist at OCBC Bank for an update on what to expect for the rest of 2023.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was feted by the US government in his state visit to Washington D.C. this week, with an address to congress and a state dinner. What are the aims of both sides for this visit, and is the US-India relationship a case of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”? - the common enemy here being China. We discuss US-India ties with political scientist Dr. Pradeep Taneja of Melbourne UniversityImage by: gettyimages.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our Prime Minister has said that interns should be paid enough to cover their basic needs but did not go so far as to make it mandatory. We speak to Arulkumar Singaraveloo, Co-Founder & CEO, Malaysia HR Forum to find out what is the right balance?Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is Malaysia losing out to regional peers when it comes to international concerts? This discussion comes as major acts like Coldplay and Taylor Swift announce multiple concert dates in Singapore, but shunning Malaysia. Is it all a question of money or is there more to it? Rizal Kamal, President of the industry association A-LIFE, weighs in on what’s needed to create a vibrant entertainment ecosystem in Malaysia.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.