Morning Brief

Protesters in Iran have called for a three-day strike this week amid conflicting reports that the nation’s “morality police” had been shut down. The Iranian attorney-general reportedly made these comments on Sunday; however this has yet to be officially corroborated by state media. Street demonstrations have been ongoing in Iran since September, triggered by the death in custody of 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa Amini. Is the government showing signs of taking a more conciliatory approach in the face of unrest, or are concessions too little, too late to quell the persistent discontent in the clerical authorities? We speak to Rodger Shanahan of Lowy Institute for perspectives.Image Credit: Alexandros Michailidis / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ESG considerations are driving many capital investment decisions and fueling a demand for green financing. How is AmBank Group rising to the challenge of aiding the ESG transition for customers? We speak to Eqhwan Mokhzanee, CEO of Ambank Islamic and AmBank Group's Sustainability Champion to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Much of the analysis post-GE15 has been focused on the changing support base of Malay-based parties. However the elections have also seen detrimental outcomes for two major Chinese-based parties, namely MCA and Gerakan. Gerakan, which had aligned itself with Perikatan Nasional, lost in all 20 seats it contested, while MCA fared slightly better, winning two out of 44 seats contested. What does this election outcome mean for the future of MCA and Gerakan moving forward? Political analyst Dr. Oh Ei Sun weighs in.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia will be launching the long-awaited Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) Exchange on December 9 to drive the nation's environmental change and sustainable goals. How will the VCM be structured, how successful will it be and what will the take up be like?Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few weeks ago, Chinese authorities unveiled their most comprehensive rescue package to-date in a bid to salvage the ailing property sector. But the sector is still seeing a persistent slump in home sales as well as home prices. In November, the 100 biggest real estate developers witnessed a 26% y-o-y drop in new home sales, while new home prices fell 1.6% y-o-y, its biggest slump since 2015. What is the outlook for the property market in China and Hong Kong, and what could revive the embattled industry? For insights, we speak to Christine Li, Head of Research, Asia Pacific, Knight Frank.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was appointed Malaysia’s 10th prime minister, a lot of attention has been drawn to the congratulatory gestures from dignitaries throughout the world. While these gestures are an encouraging sign towards the international recognition of Anwar’s leadership, how exactly does it impact the dynamics of Malaysia’s international relations and enhance bilateral negotiations? For insights, we speak to Izzah Ibrahim, Analyst, Foreign Policy and Security Studies programme, ISIS Malaysia.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many important positions such as the IGP, MACC head and Judicial Appointments Commission members are decided by the Prime Minister. Surendra Ananth, Deputy Chairperson at Malaysian Bar Law Reform and Special Areas Committee tells us why these appointments should be independent of the executive branch of the government, in particular the Prime Minister.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to the World Bank’s 2018 Logistics Performance Index (LPI) score, Singapore stands out in ASEAN’s top country in terms of its logistic infrastructure and is also comparable with the EU. While Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand also stacked up fairly well in ASEAN, they are still lacking globally. Malaysia’s logistics sector is expected to expand at a >4% CAGR over 2022-2027, fuelled by higher adoption of e-commerce and higher rate of urbanisation and affluence. Are there any synergies between ASEAN countries which can bridge logistics connectivity and enhance efficiency across borders? We speak to Raja Nur Aqilah Raja Ali, Analyst, RHB Research for her views.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PAS, the conservative Islamist party which won the most seats in GE15, has gone on the offensive against the government of day. Adib Zalkapli, Director at BowerGroupAsia tells us why and how the Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's government should counter this narrative.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Speculation is rife that Malaysia's 10th Prime Minister will be appointing his cabinet soon but with 19 political parties in this coalition and a promise of a slimmer administration, who should be appointed? Datuk Dr Rais Hussin, Chief Executive Officer at Emir Research tells us what should be the criteria and important characteristics of these Malaysians that will lead the government.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taiwan’s local elections resulted in the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP, suffering its worst defeat in 36 years, holding on to only 5 out of 22 municipalities, down from 6 in 2018. The main opposition party, Kuomintang, or KMT, rose to victory in the mayoral and county elections, winning 13 of the 21, including the capital Taipei. What were the issues DPP was being punished for and does this show that voters in Taiwan are more pro-China? We speak to Brian Hew, co-founding editor of New Bloom magazine, an online magazine covering politics and youth culture in Taiwan.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newly minted Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recently chaired a special meeting of the 2022 National Action Council on the Cost of Living. He has set a two-week deadline to come up with a proposal on targeted subsidies and their implications. Malaysia is estimated to spend a record RM80 billion this year on subsidies with the largest being for fuel and cooking oil. How quickly and in what manner will the new government follow through with this initiative? For insights, we speak to Carmelo Ferlito, CEO of the Center for Market Education.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chinese authorities have stepped up its presence in cities across China to clamp down on protestors following a series of demonstrations which turned political over the weekend. The protests come after a fire in a high-rise block in Urumqi, western China, killed 10 people last Thursday. Clara Ferreira Marques, a columnist with Bloomberg Opinion, talks about where these protests which have gone online and have spread amongst the Chinese diaspora overseas, might impact President Xi Jinping's legacy.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is making it his mission to no longer approve procurements without tenders as a way to prevent leakages and corruption. This is not without its challenges as transparency and legislation for procurement has always been in question, along with exceptions in place to allow for direct negotiations. Sri Murniati Yusuf, Deputy Research Director, Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), explains the hurdles this new administration might face.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is Malaysia's 10th prime minister, 24 years after he was sacked as deputy by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Today, his Pakatan Harapan coalition is leading the new administration but only as a result of all MPs except those from Perikatan Nasional declaring their support, effectively giving him 148 seats or a two-thirds majority in Parliament. Maha Balakrishnan, Parliamentary Consultant and Researcher, talks to us about what reforms we can expect and what needs to be prioritised as the Reformasi movement gains new life.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Anwar Ibrahim administration has its work cut out as rising competition for a limited share of the FDI pie from Indonesia and Vietnam. So far, Malaysia has attracted RM54 billion in net inflows for the first nine months of this year. But what will the strategy for this new government look like as it banks on the existing strong infrastructure and a slew of incentives to attract multinational companies to the country. Daniel Bernbeck, CEO of the Malaysian-German Chamber of Commerce & Industry talks about what MNCs want versus what might be offered.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A week after the US midterm elections, former President Donald Trump announced that he was making a bid to run as the Republican presidential candidate. President Joe Biden has also indicated that he intends to run again, thus setting the stage for a Biden vs. Trump rematch in 2024. Mark J. Rozell, Dean at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University tells us the likelihood of this.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After five days of post-election crisis, Malaysia has finally elected its 10th prime minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, a news welcomed by businesses who yearn for political clarity. Businesses will also be closely watching the government for their tabling of the budget and in turn addressing their concerns as soon as possible. We speak to Jeremy Lim, Vice-President, Persatuan Pemilik Restoran dan Bistro, for a check in on how the food and beverage industry is doing, and their outlook for the upcoming financial year and hopes for the new government to address.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China has seen a sharp increase in Covid-19 cases, thus presenting a conundrum for the leaders to either have dial down on its Zero Covid policy or revert to its familiar strict curbs to halt the outbreak at the expense of the economy. Even so, China continues to astound with its economic measures on helping the property and infrastructure sector. Yet the question remains: is China caught between a rock and hard place, and what would be their next move? We speak to Alfredo Montufar-Helu, Head of the China Center for Economics and Business, The Conference Board for insights.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) as one of the core components of the unity government under Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, what does this mean for federal-state relations with Sarawak? We discuss the political developments with analyst Dr. Arnold Puyok.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite the shocking defeat of UMNO at GE15, winning only 26 seats, this party is now playing kingmaker in determining which coalition will run Malaysia. Dr Azmi Hassan, Senior Research Fellow, Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research helps us make sense of their statement which states that it would be part of a unity government not led by PN. He also delves into the future of current party president, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many of the pressures that businesses are currently facing like labour shortages, rising cost and supply chain disruptions still exist globally but in Malaysia, political uncertainty has been added to the mix. Chin Chee Seong, National Secretary General, of the SME Association of Malaysia tells us the consequences of this political impasse and what can the new government do to help businesses.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FTX’s collapse from grace this month has been swift and reads better than any work of fiction with the once upon time, second largest cryptocurrency exchange filing for bankruptcy. Arun Pai, Principal at Monk's Hill Ventures tells if there was fraud and what is the consequence of this collapse on the wider cryptocurrency space.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the past week after GE15, words like Unity and Minority government have been bandied as no coalition has been able to command a majority. Dr Lau Zhe Wei, Assistant Professor at International Islamic University Malaysia tells us what is the difference between the two both from a theoretical and practical perspective.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia continues to be in a political quagmire with no government but the economic problems still exist and are in fact exacerbated by this uncertainty. Dr Geoffrey Williams, economist at the Malaysia University of Science and Technology tells us what the new government's priorities should be.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The police have warned Malaysian social media users against uploading content that would threaten public safety and order, after it came to public attention that there were Tik Tok clips bringing up the May 13 racial riots in relation to GE15. Munira Mustaffa, Executive Director of the Chasseur Group tells us the reason for the rise of such damaging rhetoric and if there are organised forces behind it.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Disney empire saw a sudden change of leadership on Sunday, when the board announced that Bob Chapek was stepping down as CEO to be replaced by his predecessor, Bob Iger. Iger is taking over the company as it seeks to staunch billions of dollars in losses in its streaming business. Can Iger bring back the magic for Disney investors?Image credit: Silvia Elizabeth Pangaro / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we enter the third day post-GE15, negotiations are still ongoing to form the next federal government. The two biggest coalitions, Perikatan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan, are racing to build their numbers, to cross the 112 threshold of MPs needed to claim majority in Parliament. We discuss the political considerations at play with Dr. Francis Hutchinson of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Academic studies have placed Malaysia as the 13th worst malapportioned country, with unequal representation of voters across constituencies. How should the electoral map be redrawn for fairer political representation? We speak to Danesh Prakash Chacko of Tindak Malaysia to better understand the challenges of redelineation.Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Qatar was awarded the rights to host the 2022 World Cup, thus making history with this World Cup being the first to be held in the Middle East. The Qatari government's goal may have been to bring international prestige, but it has also come under scrutiny for the country’s human rights practices. Adding to this are also long-standing corruption allegations hanging over the bidding process for the games, which Qatar has consistently denied any wrongdoing. For Qatar, what will be the political and economic impact of hosting the World Cup? We speak to Dr. James Dorsey, Adjunct Senior Fellow, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies for insights.Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whichever coalition eventually governs Malaysia, the road ahead will be a challenging one with a global recession impending. Dr Nungsari Radhi, Economist tells us what are the solutions and the consequences if we ignore the problems.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak to Alizan Mahadi from ISIS Malaysia on the recently concluded COP27 negotiations in Egypt as delegates managed to pull out a resolution on Loss and Damage. The question is if this is enough to avert a climate catastrophe?Image credit: PixabaySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With no single coalition able to win enough seats to form the government, Istana Negara instructed coalition and party leaders to notify the Dewan Rakyat Speaker of their numbers to form a new government and respective PM candidates by 2pm today. The Federal Constitution states the King has the discretion to appoint as prime minister the person he feels is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the Dewan Rakyat and can act at his discretion. But what is the process from here on and what does the law or convention tell us? For answers we speak to Dato’ Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, Constitutional Lawyer.Image credit: 123RF.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With GE15 looming soon, how do the different coalitions stack up against each other in their manifestos concerning women’s issues? We speak to Abinaya Mohan, Head of Campaigns, WAO on her thoughts on each manifesto, and what voters should consider when casting their votes on this issue this Saturday.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GE15 will see an electorate size of over 21 million, thanks to automatic voter registration and UNDI 18. A high turnout rate is crucial to give legitimacy to Parliament. Encouragingly, early voting on Tuesday saw an almost 95% turnout rate and we continue to hear stories of Malaysians abroad racing against time to ferry votes back to our country. So as the clock ticks towards the 19th of November to choose the future we want, how different has this campaigning period been and why should you go out to vote? For answers, we speak to Jason Wee, Co-Founder, Architects of Diversity.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the past two weeks, politicians of all stripes have been campaigning in earnest to win the hearts and minds of voters. With many unprecedented factors at play, how does the mood of these elections compare with past GEs? We speak to SCMP's Hadi Azmi for observations from the campaign trail.Image Credit: IZWAN IS / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the first time, Malaysians have a buffet of options when it comes to the Prime Minister candidate. Each of the three main coalitions have their designated PM - but each man has to first win their federal parliamentary seats on the road to Putrajaya. We discuss the prospects of the potential PMs with political analyst Dr. Kartini Aboo Talib @ Khalid of UKM.Image credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Indonesia took over the chairmanship of the G20 last year, no one foresaw the outbreak of the war in Ukraine which would derail geopolitical ties between the largest economies in the world. The G20 Summit was successfully hosted in Bali amid ongoing developments in Ukraine - but was this event a case of form over substance? Bunn Nagara, Honorary Research Fellow of Perak Academy gives us the key takeaways from the summit.Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Malaysia where political debates are not the norm, we speak to three out of the 10 candidates running for the Batu constituency: PKR incumbent P Prabakaran, takes on independent candidates Siti Kasim and Tian Chua. We put them through their paces and ask them why they deserve to be the MP for this constituency.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, Russian troops withdrew from the southern city of Kherson marking the latest setback for Russia in the nine-month long siege of Ukraine. Does the liberation of Kherson mark another turn towards the end of the war - or will Russia strike back harder as the winter months turn colder? Prof. Rouben Azizian of Massey University weighs in.Image credit: EPA-EPESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Graphic artist and activist Fahmi Reza is filling in the gaps in political literacy through his popular #KelasDemokrasi, both online and through in-person sessions at local universities. However, his classes have been disrupted at 7 public universities so far. We ask Dr Benjamin Loh, Senior Lecturer, School of Media & Communication at Taylor's University why and how should lessons on democracy and politics be taught.Image credit: Twitter.com / @kuasasiswaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Titiwangsa federal parliamentary constituency will see a four-cornered race, with the two frontrunners being from Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan. We speak to Amanah and PH candidate Khalid Samad on why he left his previous seat of Shah Alam to contest in Titiwangsa and what he brings to the table.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The sleepy town of Kuala Selangor is the battleground for another showdown of giants this GE15. Caretaker Finance Minister Tengku Dato’ Sri Zafrul Aziz will make his maiden run here, going up against Amanah incumbent and former Health Minister Dato’ Dzulkefly Ahmad. How will voters decide this time around? Adib Zalkapli of BowerGroupAsia gives us his take.Image credit: Berita HarianSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hang Seng Index at one point last month was trading at 11-year lows. But it has rebounded strongly from the depths it reached in October and is up by more than 20%. Part of the gains as well as speculation that China may be gradually relaxing its stringent Covid-19 policies and the recent property rescue incentives. Recently China reduced the quarantine time for international travellers by two days to five days. Will China continue to gradually dial back on its Covid-19 policies and will this be a boon for the stock market? For insights we speak to Peter Lewis, Founder and Director of Peter Lewis Consulting (China) Limited.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia’s economy registered a stronger growth of 14.2 percent in the third quarter of 2022 from 8.9 percent in the second quarter. The 14.2 percent is the fastest GDP pace posted by any Southeast Asian nation during the period, surpassing Vietnam's 13.7 percent. Bank Negara Malaysia governor Tan Sri Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus said headline inflation was likely to have peaked for the year at 4.5 percent during the quarter from 2.8 percent in Q2 2022. What does this all mean for the future OPR hikes and the Ringgit? For insights, we speak to Julia Goh, Senior Economist, UOB Malaysia.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For GE15, 3 major coalitions are fighting to run the country, with a crowded field of 945 candidates contesting in 222 parliamentary seats. All of which makes the outcome harder to predict, thus raising the prospect of a hung parliament after every vote has been counted. New Sin Yew, Constitutional Lawyer, tells us what the Federal Constitution does say or doesn't say about such a situation.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak to Richard McGregor, Senior Fellow at the Lowy Institute, as to what the stakes are for this much anticipated meeting between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping who will be having their first face to face meeting since Biden became the President of the US on the sidelines of the Group 20 summit in Bali.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FTX, which was at one time the 2nd largest crypto exchange, saw its fortunes take a dive after a series of bad decisions by its owner, Sam Bankman-Fried. It looked like a white knight in the form of a rival, Binance would come and save the day but that deal is now dead in the water. Bankman-Fried told investors that the company is facing a shortfall of up to 8 billion dollars from withdrawal requests and needs emergency funding. Will all this have a contagion on the price of cryptocurrencies and broader markets and will there be a white knight that will come to FTX's rescue? For insights we speak to Varun Mittal, Chief Growth Officer, Singlife with Aviva.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With GE15 round the corner, what are the do's and don'ts for voters, candidates and parties alike? Thomas Fann, Chairperson of Bersih reminds us whilst dispelling the fake news that has been swirling on the voting process.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ampang P99 seat is a nine corner fight featuring five women candidates. Will this just be a toss up between former Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities and incumbent MP Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin who will be defending her seat under the Parti Bangsa Malaysia ticket and Pakatan Harapan’s Rodziah Ismail? Will voters forgive her for the Sheraton move? Zuraida won the seat in GE14 under the PKR ticket and in 2020, she infamously joined the Sheraton Move which saw her defecting to Bersatu leading to the downfall of the Pakatan Harapan government. For insights, we speak to Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, Associate Director, Vriens and Partners.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.