Morning Brief

In the mid-term review of the 12th Malaysia Plan, the government highlighted the minerals industry as a sector for development, particularly in the field of non-radioactive rare-earth elements. Dato’ Sia Hok Kiang, Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia & Executive Chairman of Malaco Mining tells us what should be in the National Minerals Policy to balance economic growth with environmental preservation.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UMNO's internal problems seem to have no end. The president, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's presence at the DAP 2023 conference was clearly not liked by a few of UMNO members, thus a referendum was suggested to be carried among its grassroots on their willingness to cooperate with DAP. We speak to Adib Zalkapli, Director of BowerGroupAsia to analyse the conflict and development in UMNO, or whether there should be more optimism amongst the party ranks.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple launched its next generation iPhone 15 but only the higher-end Pro Max range saw a price hike. Dan Ives, Managing Director, Wedbush Securities, breaks down how this will shape the world's most valuable listed company's fortunes in the face of simmering US-China geopolitical tension.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India's economy has been on a tear recently while the country basks in the political limelight with the recent G20 summit. Pramod Amthe Head Of Institutional Equity Research of InCred Capital tells us if this rally still has legs and what could be the outperformers for the rest of the year.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ministry of Health has recently granted a one year exemption to foreign nurses from having to obtain a Post-Basic Qualification to work in private hospitals. How significant is this measure in alleviating the nursing shortage in the healthcare sector? We speak to Datuk Dr. Kuljit Singh, President of the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) on this as well as other recent Covid-19 developments around the world.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Article 10 of the Federal Constitution safeguards Malaysians’ right to freedom of speech, assembly and association. So why are public demonstrations still so contentious? We discuss the laws governing protests and whether permits are required with Firdaus Husni of the Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (MCCHR).Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During US President Joe Biden's visit to Hanoi this week, the US and Vietnam elevated their bilateral relations to that of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Journalist and author Sebastian Strangio joins us to discuss what this means and also how this development sits with Beijing.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Dewan Rakyat has kicked off a 6-day special session to table the 12th Malaysia Plan Mid-term Review with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim revealing that there will be a higher spending ceiling of RM15 billion taking the total amount to RM415 billion, and still remaining within the 3.5% deficit target by 2025. Chehan Perera, Head of Research & Strategist at CGS- CIMB Securities explores what this means for the equity markets.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Barisan Nasional chairman and Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi made history by becoming the first Barisan Nasional chairman and Umno president to attend a DAP congress, during which 9 resolutions that included recognition of Malay special rights were passed. Dr Azmil Tayeb, Associate Professor at Universiti Sains Malaysia also talks about how other recent local political developments might reshape the landscape.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bank Negara Malaysia kept the overnight policy rate at 3% in line with expectations. However what impact does that have on the bond market in light of the high foreign shareholding of MGS. Ang Beng Kuan, Head of Investments at Hong Leong Islamic Asset Management tells us.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The G20 summit meeting concluded in New Delhi, India yesterday and after initial concerns on member states refusing to sign the joint declaration, a “100% consensus from all countries” was reached. But with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi JinPing absent from the G20 summit, is the G20 still significant? We speak with Bunn Nagara, Director and Senior Fellow, BRI Caucus for Asia-Pacific, and Honorary Fellow, Perak Academy for his insights.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The electrical and electronic industry has been identified as one of the 5 priority sectors in the New Industrial Master Plan to help Malaysia drive its economic growth, create new employment opportunities, and increase the median salary levels. We speak with Dato' Lim Yong Jin, Vice President of Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association, to get his views on whether the announced action plans will be able to meet the ambitious 2030 targets and move the country up the value chain.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The curtains closed on the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta yesterday, with the chair, Indonesia, calling on world leaders to defuse tensions. The summit this time has been overshadowed by renewed disputes over the South China Sea and ASEAN’s failure to make progress on resolving the Myanmar crisis. Sharon Seah of the ISEAS-Yusof-Ishak Institute gives us the key takeaways of the event and what this bodes for the future of ASEAN as the chairmanship passes over to Laos.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Country Garden was once a shining star in the Chinese property sector, surviving the tumult that took down Evergrande. However its fortunes have turned for the worse of late, as the property giant warns of the risk of defaulting on its bond payments amid poor earnings in the first half of the year. What do the financial woes of Country Garden say about the broader Chinese economy? We get analysis from Kristy Hung of Bloomberg Intelligence.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Saturday is polling day for the by-elections in the Pulai parliamentary and Simpang Jeram state constituencies in Johor. Both are seeing a 3-way fight. Dr. Azmi Hassan, Senior Fellow, Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research, analyses the chances of the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional against Perikatan Nasional following the outcome of the recent 6 state elections in a state that has been seen as an Umno stronghold.Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China issued an updated version of its standard map last week, which extended its territorial claims over the South China Sea, much to the displeasure of other claimant states. What are the implications of this for geopolitical tensions in the region? We speak to Veerle Nouwens from the Institute of International and Strategic Studies for a better understanding of the dynamics at play.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beginning 1st September, Malaysia Airlines is flying-solo having discontinued its partnership with long-term caterer Brahim’s Food Services. However the transition to new arrangements has been turbulent, resulting in public backlash over its in-flight food service. How might this impact MAG’s earnings outlook and reputation? We speak to aviation analyst Shukor Yusof for his analysis.Image Credit: Sean Liew / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the weekend Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim admitted to weaknesses in the Government’s communication machinery. We speak with Dr Benjamin Loh, Senior Lecturer, School of Media and Communication, Taylor's University for his views on whether these criticisms have merits and how the Government should respond.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The New Industrial Master Plan 2030 emphasises the role of SMEs as a key contributor to economic growth, targeting to double SME exports to 25% in seven years. We speak to Datuk William Ng of SAMENTA for his views on the plan and support needed by SMEs to achieve the goals of the NIMP.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last Friday, former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam emerged as the winner of the Singapore Presidential elections with 70% of the vote. What are the implications of this outcome for Singaporean politics? James Gomez of the Asia Centre weighs in. Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As BFM turns 15 years old, we take a look at the local and international headlines that we reviewed and analysed as a radio station from the bad which of course includes 1MDB, the tragic and even the joyful moments in sports and arts.Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All this week to mark our 66th Merdeka, we’re imagining what a better Malaysia could look like from different aspects of our lives. Today we’re focusing on social protection, which is becoming increasingly urgent for the severely poor, vulnerable, and marginalised. We speak with Prof. Emeritus Datuk Dr Norma Mansor, Director, Social Wellbeing Research Centre of Universiti Malaya on what is needed for a more compassionate and equitable Malaysia.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The national oil company Petronas released its second-quarter results on Wednesday, posting weaker earnings due to lower oil and gas prices. Petronas’s CEO said that oil and gas prices will remain volatile amid an uncertain global economy, but the company will press ahead with its plan to become a net-zero carbon country by 2050. We speak to Kong Ho Meng, Senior Analyst at UOB Kay Hian Research to dissect the numbers and get an outlook for the energy sector.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All this week to mark Merdeka Day, we’re imagining what a better Malaysia could look like from different aspects of our lives. Today we’re focusing on the environment and climate change action, which are existential issues for policymakers. Meena Raman of Sahabat Alam Malaysia weighs in on the policies needed to ensure future generations can inherit a green and clean Malaysia.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Given that banking results are seen as the barometer of an economy, what do the earnings of the sector bode for Malaysia’s economic outlook? Willie Tanoto, Director at Fitch Ratings' Financial Institutions team discusses the increasing downside risks to the credit quality of loan portfolios, and M&A potential in this space.  Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Businesses are excited over the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to reshape the business landscape, but many companies are still unsure how to leverage on the technology. How should companies strategise and adapt to the AI revolution?BFM moderated a panel discussion on themes and issues related to AI with Denyu Bostandzhiev, Managing Director of Audi Malaysia; Dr. Nikolai Dobberstein Malaysia Country Head, Global Lead, Communications, Media & Technology at Kearney; and Dr Sia Chin Chin, the programme director, Master of Laws Programme and senior lecturer with the Faculty of Business and Law of Taylor’s University. The BFM CEO Forum AI: An Opportunity for Disruption is presented by Audi Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we continue our Merdeka series on what Malaysia could be in the decades to come, we are taking a look at education as it is the bedrock upon which a country's future is built. CEO of Teach For Malaysia, Chan Soon Seng shares with us the perennial structural problems in the education sector, is decentralisation, the solution moving forward and his vision for the future.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.