Morning Brief

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.

Japan is seeing a renewed boom as its stock market rises to near historical highs and even attracted Berkshire Hathaway’s largest bet outside of America to date, following Buffet’s trip in April. However inflation remains stubborn and the yen has been declining against major currencies. We speak to William Pesek, Columnist from Nikkei Asia, to understand what’s happening in Japan and what the outlook will be for the rest of the year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has announced plans to introduce an omnibus bill by January 2024 to create a centralised data management system that would facilitate the implementation of targeted subsidies. We speak to lawyer Kenny Lam of RDS Law on how such a legislation could take shape and what this means for data privacy and protection.Image Credit: 123rf.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ChatGPT, Bard, ERNIE-Bot: these are some of the generative A.I. chatbots that have been rolled out by the major tech companies. How is this technology shaping the investment landscape of the sector? We get analysis from Mandeep Singh of Bloomberg IntelligenceImage by: 123rf.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister announced yesterday a reduction in stamp duty for shares traded in Bursa Malaysia, along with some initiatives to boost the local capital markets. We speak to Pankaj C. Kumar, business writer on the reforms and what needs to be done to make Malaysian investments more attractive, and also turning the ringgit around.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US State Department issues an annual report on global trafficking in persons, and this year Malaysia has been elevated from the bottom rank, Tier 3 to Tier 2 Watchlist. What does this say about government efforts to eradicate human trafficking? We get reactions and policy recommendations from Adrian Pereira of the North-South Initiative.Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest economic indicators for May signal that China’s economic recovery is stalling, leading to many major banks downgrading their growth outlook for the world’s second largest economy. We speak to Prof. Tan Kong Yam of the Nanyang Technological University for insights into what’s holding back the animal spirits of China’s economy. Prof. Tan is a speaker at the Invest ASEAN 2023 conference organised by Maybank. Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Khazanah is under scrutiny for its investment decisions over Kidzania Singapore, after news reports revealed it had made losses of up to RM160 million. We review Khazanah's investment track record with independent business writer P. Gunasegaram and whether the sovereign wealth fund is living up to its development mandate for the country.Image by: UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Health White Paper was passed in parliament on 15 June, detailing the current state of our healthcare system, the gaps, issues and constraints plaguing the sector. The paper outlined reform strategies and proposals for the next 15 years but lacks details and data. Unpacking the details or lack thereof, we speak with Dr Farhan Rusli, Public Health Medicine Specialist at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and who should be leading this critical reform.Image by: UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Countries in the ASEAN region have been seeing a change of pace on their tightening cycles this year. So amid a challenging macroeconomic backdrop as well as volatility in the global banking markets, Rena Kwok of Bloomberg Intelligence shares with us whether banks are seeing deterioration in asset quality and the credit outlook for the rest of the year.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EPF launched the Belanjawanku Expenditure Guide, which provides estimations of minimum monthly expenditures. So should we stop talking about minimum subsistence wage and move the narrative to Living Wage? We speak with Director of Social Wellbeing Research Centre of Universiti Malaya (SWRC) Professor Datuk Dr Norma Mansor to understand the research, the issues, and the objectives of the whole Belanjawanku program.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In early June, the US Securities & Exchange Commission filed lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase, the world's 2 largest crypto exchanges, causing more volatility in an industry that is already accustomed to it. Juan Correa Ossa, Associate Vice President at BCA Research helps us understand if cryptos are a security like a stock, a commodity or neither, and are they a viable investment option?Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, or Suhakam, is getting a boost as the government motioned to amend the Suhakam Act to give the commission more power. But over its 23 year history, the Suhakam annual report has only been tabled to Parliament twice. We get former commissioner of Suhakam, Jerald Joseph, views on making Suhakam more independent and how past annual reports have been altered and meddled with.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty in a Miami Federal Court, after facing 37 charges including willful retention of national defence information. Is this enough to dent his Presidential campaign, where he faces off 9 other candidates including former allies Mike Pence and Ron De Santis? We speak with Dr Adrian Ang of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies on the road to the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill which has been 13 years in the making is facing a critical juncture as it has now been referred to the Parliament Special Committee after its first reading instead of being debated and voted on. We speak to former Health Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin for this thoughts on this development and should the GEG be decoupled from the billImage by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Local Government Development minister Nga Kor Ming aspires to reach 100% home ownership. But with almost 600 sick and abandoned projects, Ministry of Local Government Development Deputy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir seeks to revitalise all these projects. We speak with Datuk N.K. Tong, President of REHDA, on his views of the projects and discussions to amend the HDA 118 Act.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, the Turkish lira fell to a record low after newly re-elected President Erdogan reshuffled his cabinet and appointed Mehmet Simsek as his finance minister. Does this mark a turning point for Turkiye's economic policy direction? We discuss the developments with Enver Erkan, chief economist at Dinamik Investments.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UMNO general assembly has just concluded. We check in with Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, Associate Director from Vriens & Partners on what were the key takeaways and is the party looking for a new directionImage by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After months of reinforcement from its western allies, Ukraine launched its counter offensive across a 1,000 kilometre front line. Will the summer offensive be successful or will it get bogged down by the floods caused by the collapse of Kakhovka dam? We speak with Dr Alexey Muraviev, Associate Professor of National Security and Strategic Studies, Curtin University to get the latest updates.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo concludes a two-day visit to Malaysia, with six MOUs signed. We discuss the key takeaways from the visit and what kind of tone it sets for bilateral relations moving forward with Bunn Nagara, Honorary Research Fellow, Perak AcademyImage by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh recently announced a proposal to introduce e-sports as part of co-curricular activities in school. Is this a good idea and what kind of policies can promote a healthy e-sports eco-system? We speak to Kenn Leandre of Kakuchopurei.com for his viewsImage by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opec+ has committed to production cuts till 2024 but yet prices are still soft, we speak to Sean Lim Ooi Leong, Head of Regional Oil & Gas, RHB Investment Bank for the reasons why. We also delve into results of Petronas and their capex plans to know who stands to benefit from it.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil recently called out social media platform Telegram for not taking action on illicit activity on the platform. Does the MCMC have the authority and legal means to regulate digital platforms hosted overseas? We discuss the legal framework that applies and gaps in regulation with Intellectual Property and Information Technology Lawyer, Foong Cheng Leong.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has turned his sights on affordable homes, stating that the 30% quota imposed on developers is inadequate. We speak with Dr Suraya Ismail, Director of Research, Khazanah Research Institute, to find what defines a low cost home and what policies the Local Government Development Ministry could review to help affordable housing development.Image by: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.