Morning Brief

There are serious gaps in the government’s housing policy for the urban poor, as revealed in the latest study by Khazanah Research Institute. We speak to Dr. Suraya Ismail on the main findings of the study and policy recommendations to consider.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, entered the lion’s den of the US Congress yesterday to argue against banning the app, as some lawmakers are proposing. We get the key takeaways of his testimony and what this means for the broader tech industry with Caitlin Chin of CSIS.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the recent appointments of Dato Dr. Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki as Secretary General and Azalina Othman as information chief we ask Dr James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies, University of Tasmania whether an UMNO revival will happen anytime soonImage credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was revealed in January that as many as 6 million Covid-19 vaccine shots are left in stock in Malaysia, after expired doses were destroyed due to poor demand. Why is it so tricky to estimate the amount of vaccines needed? Dr Khoo Yoong Khean, Scientific Officer, Duke-NUS Centre for Outbreak Preparedness, talks to us about navigating the balance of ensuring enough stock to tackle any pandemic while ensuring vaccine equity especially for poorer nations.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Dewan Rakyat approved the setting up of 10 Parliamentary Special Select Committees to oversee the decisions made by the government across the various ministries. We discuss why initiatives to empower select committees are important with parliamentary researcher Maha Balakrishnan.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thailand is set to hold general elections on May 14. Who will become the next Prime Minister - will it be the incumbent, former military general turned politician Prayuth Chan-ocha? Or would we see the return of a member of the Shinawatra political dynasty? We get insights from Dr. Termsak Chalermpalanupap of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.Image credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The banking crises in the US and Europe sparked a continued appetite for exposure to precious metals, especially gold. Will safe haven flows remain the the key trade for precious metals amid the uncertain macro backdrop? We discuss the outlook for metals with Zhu Yi of Bloomberg Intelligence.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can Malaysia's structural problem when it comes to labour, wages and the availability of jobs. be addressed with more of our young embarking on Technical and Vocational Education and Training? The Human Resources Ministry believes this may be the answer as it seeks to restructure these programmes in Malaysia. Dr Niaz Asadullah, Southeast Asia Lead at the Global Labour Organisation and a Professor of Economics, Monash University Malaysia, talks to us about the solutions he envisions.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

22nd March marks World Water Day, observed annually by the United Nations to highlight the importance of access to water and sanitation. What investments are needed to ensure sustainable water supply for Malaysia? S. Piarapakaran of the Association of Water and Energy Research gives us his recommendations.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Although Western countries have attempted to isolate Russia from the global economy, China provides an economic lifeline, with trade between the two countries surging to a record $190 billion US dollars in 2022. What do both sides gain from the alliance? We discuss the key takeaways from the summit between President Vladimir Putin and President Xi Jinping in Moscow this week with Dr. Alexey Muraviev of Curtin University.Image credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UMNO's recent party elections saw president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi cementing his grip on the party, with his loyalists sweeping most of the top posts, including two out of three vice-president posts. Ibrahim Suffian, Program Director at Merdeka Centre, helps us analyse what this means for the party's future as Perikatan Nasional seeks to oust Umno's self-declared position as champion of the Malay race and Islam.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Japan and South Korea have long had a frenemy-type relationship as a result of historical grievances. Does the recent visit to Tokyo by President Yoon Suk Yeol herald a new age in their bilateral relations? We discuss the outcome of this landmark visit with Tokyo-based journalist William Pesek.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Works Ministry has announced that the Multi Lane Free-Flow system may be implemented at all highways enabling non-stop toll collection while also allowing users to use payment systems other than Touch'n Go, which is currently the only option. The Transport Ministry also says Touch'n Go might also not be the only option to pay for rides. Alexander Wong, Managing Editor & Co-Founder of SoyaCincau tells us what this means for consumers.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government is looking to set up an independent commission for children’s rights. What should be the mandate of this body and how will it strengthen the enforcement of child protection legislation? We discuss this with children’s rights advocate Srividhya Ganapathy of CRIB Foundation.Image credit: Bernama & NSTSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK Chancellor for the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt tabled the Spring Budget last week, touting it as a “budget for growth" as he highlights ambitious plans to revamp childcare, pensions and business investments. We discuss the implications of this for the UK economy and markets with Craig Erlam of OANDA. Photo credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The SVB banking meltdown in the US sparked a wave of negative sentiment across the world, with banking stocks taking a hit. How much exposure does the Malaysian banking industry have to the crisis? We discuss this with economist Firdaos Rosli.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government recently announced the formation of a Cabinet committee to resolve traffic congestion, as well as an upcoming public transportation framework to address long-standing issues faced by urban commuters. What solutions should the government consider to end the traffic jam nightmare of Klang Valley commuters and improve the effectiveness and experience of Malaysian public transport? Transport expert Wan Agyl Wan Hassan weighs in with his recommendations.Image credit: 123rf.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How old will you be in 2056? According to the World Bank, 20% of the Malaysian population will be older than 65. What kind of policy measures should be put in place to address Malaysia’s ageing demographic? We discuss the proposal to enact a Senior Citizen Bill with PC Gan of Homage Malaysia.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With GDP expanding by 2.6% for the full 2022 year, Thailand posted the slowest growth rate among the major ASEAN economies. As the tourist arrivals pick-up with the reopening of China's borders, how much of a boost will tourism give Thailand’s GDP this year?Image credit: 123rf.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Budget 2023 last month highlighted the need for the government to strengthen its fiscal standing by improving tax collection revenue. However, the issue is how do you expand the tax base? There are suggestions for a luxury goods tax, as well as a capital gains tax. Dr Veerinderjeet Singh, Chairman of Tricor Malaysia breaks down the arguments for us and shares what he thinks about the much-debated GST.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia risks losing out in hundreds of millions of ringgit in revenues from concerts and live events which are known to draw foreign tourists to the country. All this because of updated guidelines from PUSPAL, the central authority governing foreign filming and performances, that prohibit events from happening during religious holidays and even how performers are dressed. Rizal Kamal, President of the Arts, Live Festival and Events Association (ALIFE), explains the situation for us.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last year CPO prices at one point reached a record high of over RM6000 ringgit per metric tonne in April, as a result of heightened demand due to the Ukraine war and issues affecting production supply. It’s currently trading at a much more modest RM3970 ringgit, down 4% on a year to date basis. How will CPO prices trend in the months ahead? Alvin Tay of Bloomberg Intelligence discusses the outlook for the sector.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Given the 10th Prime Minister’s reformist credentials, there are high hopes that his Cabinet will deliver many of the long-awaited changes in political and institutional governance that can strengthen Malaysian democracy. The CSO Platform for Reform, a coalition of 60 civil society organisations in Malaysia, released its 100-day report card this week, assessing Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s performance in the first three months. We speak to Jerald Joseph, Chair of the CSO Platform the highlights and lowlights in reforms.Image credit: Abdul Razak LatifSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With another MRT line set to be operational tomorrow, the Klang Valley's transit system is starting to take shape. What will this mean for property development in the region? Should developers build at transit centres or should transit centres be built at where people already are? Datuk NK Tong, the Real Estate & Housing Developers' Association Malaysia's president breaks it down for us.Image credit: Jaggat RashidiSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The banking and crypto-currency sectors faced a triple whammy this past week, with the failure of Silvergate Capital, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in quick succession. The three were central banking partners to the crypto sector, acting as conduits between regulated financial institutions, centralised crypto services, and decentralised finance. How much of a setback are these developments for the growth of digital assets? Fintech expert Varun Mittal weighs in.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced plans to allow those in dire financial straits to apply for personal loans using their EPF funds as a form of collateral. Would the proposal placate those calling for another round of EPF withdrawals? We discuss ideas to revamp Malaysia's retirement system to address demographic challenges with Dr. Lee Hwok-Aun of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bersatu conducted their annual general meeting over the weekend, with the party rallying behind beleaguered party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. How will the corruption charges against Bersatu leaders impact their chances at the state elections? We discuss the scenarios with Adib Zalkapli of BowerGroup Asia.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

France's Senate has passed by a vote of 195 to 112, President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform plan to raise the retirement age by two years, from 62 to 64. It also proposes to increase the number of years of work required to claim a full pension. This proposal has sparked protests since 2018. Emeritus Professor of History Peter McPhee of the University of Melbourne breaks down how this might impact Macron's Renaissance party's fortunes and the country's social fabric.Image credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since the reopening of the nation’s border in April last year, Malaysia has recorded more than 10 million tourist arrivals and 28 billion ringgit in tourist receipts but with a ban on luxury tax and shopping inclusion in tourists itinerary, we speak to Nigel Wong, Honorary Treasurer & Spokesperson, Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) to get his perspective on the long term outlookImage credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Indonesia's GDP growth climbed to its strongest in nine years last year, and has been betting big on the EV industry. We ask Anthony Nafte, Senior Economist at CLSA the outlook for ASEAN economies and Indonesia's progress to transform itself to an EV hub.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Khair Mirza, Managing Partner, Integral Capital helps us answer the question to how should investments be prioritised to ensure that Malaysia’s existing airport infrastructure is improved as well as cater for expansion taking place across the country.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Silicon Valley Bank is the first US bank to collapse in a decade followed by New York's Signature Bank. We ask Christopher Whalen, investment banker and Chairman at Whalen Global Advisors about what gave rise to these fallouts and the key developments to watch out for.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was charged in the KL High Court today with several counts of corruption under the MACC Act as well as the Anti-Money Laundering Act. What does this mean for the political career of the Pagoh MP and the prospects for the Perikatan Nasional coalition that he leads? Political analyst Dr. Oh Ei Sun weighs in. Image credit: BernamaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bank Negara’s Monetary Policy Committee maintained the OPR rate at 2.75% in yesterday’s meeting. We parse through BNM’s statement and signals for the economy with Abdul Mui'zz Morhalim, Economist, MIDF Research.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two years ago, the UN agreed to commemorate March 10th as International Day for Women Judges to raise awareness on the important role of women in the judiciary and legal system. Women make up half of the legal profession in Malaysia, but it wasn’t until recently that we see more women take on prominent roles in senior leadership of the judiciary. Annabel Kok, Partner at RDS Law shares her reflections on gender representation in the Malaysian judiciary.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, the White House endorsed a bipartisan bill, known as the RESTRICT Act, that could give the President powers to ban or force the sale of foreign-owned technology platforms if they pose a national security threat. The RESTRICT Act would ensnare the TikTok app, owned by Chinese company Bytedance, which is viewed by lawmakers as a possible security backdoor for the CCP government to US data. How are investors reacting to the possibility of a ban on TikTok and which stocks could benefit? Mandeep Singh of Bloomberg Intelligence explains.Image credit: AscannioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week in Parliament, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that the government is willing to relinquish its discretion in appointing the chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to Parliament. How will placing the MACC under the parliamentary purview improve its independence? We discuss measures needed to strengthen the anti-graft body's role with Sudhagaran Stanley of the C4 Center.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The EU is set to introduce the Deforestation-Free Products Regulation (EUDR) that would require companies to produce a due diligence report with "verifiable" information that commodities such as palm oil, cocoa, soy and timber were not grown on land deforested after 2020. Will the new EUDR become another trade barrier for palm oil when it comes into force and how prepared are Malaysian palm oil players in meeting the standards? Political economist Khor Yu Leng weighs in on what the palm oil industry can do to adapt to new sustainability imperatives.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China's National People’s Congress on Sunday saw the world’s second largest economy setting its lowest GDP growth target in decades at 5% for 2023. Beijing has also highlighted uncertain global challenges amid high youth unemployment. Lance Noble, Head of China Reality Research at CLSA, talks to us about where China might be heading, two months after it abandoned its zero-Covid policy and reopened its economy.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During GE15, there was a considerable increase in support for Perikatan Nasional among the Malay vote base. This has sparked debate on how much opposition parties should be empowered, with measures to level the playing field such as the provision of equal constituency development funding put on hold. Dato' Sri Anwar Ibrahim has long campaigned for political reforms, but will populist concerns and a desire to stay in power affect the pace of progress? We discuss this with political scientist Dr. Wong Chin Huat.Image credit: aizaq abdullahSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Under the Low Carbon Mobility Blueprint, Malaysia has set a target of achieving 700,000 EVs on the road by 2030 and 10,000 charging stations by 2025. However, given that we're starting from a 2023 base of 2000 EVs and 1000 charging stations, what kind of policies are needed to achieve these goals? Mohd Junaizee Mohd Noor of ZEVA gives us his assessment of Budget 2023 incentives and further measures to grow the Malaysian EV industry.Image credit: Friko KeiroSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been a great start so far for Malaysian women in 2023. The Cabinet has agreed to amend the Federal Constitution to confer automatic Malaysian citizenship to children born overseas to Malaysian mothers, the Employment Act was amended to increase the duration of maternity and paternity leave, and Socso will have grants to encourage women to return to work. Louise Tan, Head of Campaigns at the Women’s Aid Organisation also breaks down the hits and misses of Budget 2023.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Covid-19 pandemic disproportionately affected women's share of employment, with the share of women in middle and senior leadership positions stagnating. If education and skills levels are comparable, why do women continue to have fewer opportunities for career progression? We discuss the implications of the underutilisation of women in the workforce with Katrina Ell of Moody's Analytics.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the weekend, United Nation member states finally agreed to a text on the first international treaty to protect the high seas. The treaty, which took years of negotiations, is crucial for enforcing the 30x30 pledge made by countries at the UN biodiversity conference in December. What is the significance and implications of the agreement for the conservation of ocean biodiversity? We discuss this with Shantini Guna Rajan of WWF Malaysia. Image credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, SingaporeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, former Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Razak was acquitted by the High Court over the tampering of the 1MDB audit report. Separately, the government announced that a deal had been reached with Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth funds IPIC and its subsidiary Aabar Investments for $1.8 billion US dollars. What's the update on all this and how much can Malaysia recoup from on-going settlements with other parties? For answers, we speak to P. Gunasegaram, independent business writer.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monsoon season is far from over, as heavy rain in several states wreak havoc in Johor, Pahang and Melaka. At least 5 people have been killed so far, while more than 50,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes. With climate change creating unprecedented weather events, how can flood risks be better mitigated? We get updates and recommendations from Dato' Dr Ahmad Faizal Mohd Perdaus, President, Mercy Malaysia.Image credit: ahmad faizalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Employee Provident Fund (EPF) declared a dividend rate of 5.35% for conventional savings and 4.75% for Shariah Savings for 2022. This was lower than 2021’s rate of 6.1% and 5.65% respectively. Pankaj C. Kumar, Business Commentator gives us his comments on their performance and how we can rebuild the savings of Malaysia after RM145billion was withdrawn during the pandemic.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Anwar Ibrahim and his unity government have weathered 100 days in office to mixed results. Anwar has managed to marry parties that were once on opposing sides, namely PH and BN, and bring about a degree of stability in Malaysian politics. However with so many political stakeholders to please coupled with the upcoming State elections, the Prime Minister has a lot to ponder about. How will all these developments affect Malaysian politics? For answers, we speak to Dr. Azmi Hassan, Research Fellow, Nusantara Academy of Strategic Research.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China’s annual National People’s Congress started yesterday morning, an important political event watched closely that will last until March 13. At the opening, Premier Li Keqiang gave his last government report whilst outlining a gross domestic product (GDP) target of 5% for 2023. Alfredo Montufar-Helu, Head of the China Center for Economics and Business, The Conference Board gives us observations of events so far and on the significant changes in leadership.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the revised Budget 2023, Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Anwar Ibrahim said that people who were declared bankrupt deserved a second chance and announced several measures that would provide a lifeline to those who find themselves in these unwanted circumstances. We speak to Linnet Lee, CEO of Financial Planning Association of Malaysia to understand why the rise in bankruptcy cases and what are the possible solutions for this issue.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.