Morning Brief

Will Malaysia be dominated by coalition politics? Is it good or bad for Malaysia? Dr Tricia Yeoh, CEO, IDEAS shares her perspectives and reflections following 3 years of coalition politics in MalaysiaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In June, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri said that the government is reviewing 147 laws deemed obsolete but should we not also consider archaic laws that do not reflect the current times and infringe on our civil liberties? Dato’ Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, Constitutional Lawyer helps us define what archaic is and what needs reforming.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following an eventful weekend for Malaysia’s political landscape with several major parties holding conventions, we get some thoughts from Ibrahim Suffian, Programme Director, Merdeka Center on how the different political alliances are preparing for GE15See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest producer of oil is changing as it’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman tries to reduce its reliance on oil revenue. Will the initiatives bear fruit? Toby Iles, Head of Middle East and Africa Sovereigns at Fitch Ratings gives us an update on this.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Khoo Yoong Khean, Scientific Officer, Duke-NUS Centre for Outbreak Preparedness gives us an update on why Singapore is opting to go maskless indoors and also lessons that need to be learnt with 1 million people still dying from Covid this year despite the availability of vaccines and booster shots.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the Federal Court dismissed Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s final appeal over his sentence and conviction in the SRC International case, mentions of royal pardon have been garnering attention. Edmund Bon, Lawyer from Amer Bon Advocates tells us how the process work and if reform that is required.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Thailand’s constitutional court suspending prime minister Prayuth Chan-O-Cha from official duty while it considers a legal challenge to his 8 year term limit, Dr Michael Montesano, coordinator of the Thailand Studies Programme at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute tells us the implications of this and could this country call for early electionsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As government policy is important and is the foundation to catalysing change, businesses also need to adapt. With a mindset change that taking on a green transition is not a lose-lose situation Datin Seri Sunita Rajakumar, Chairperson of Climate Governance Malaysia tells us how businesses should pivot.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in prison for 12 years, it is now time for all political parties to reassess their positions. How will Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Harapan and the other parties use this new development to their advantage going into the 15th General Election that must be held by next year. Dr Azmi Hassan, Senior Research Fellow, Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research, shares his thoughts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak is finally in prison serving his 12-year jail sentence after just over 4 years since he was first charged for misappropriating RM42 million of SRC International funds. This was the result of judges at the KL High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court, all unanimously finding the former Prime Minister guilty. Transparency International Malaysia President, Dr Muhammad Mohan, explains that there is still a long way to go for Malaysia to completely stamp out corruption that has been so endemic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With an energy crisis, all time high inflation and weak currencies, is Europe and the UK in a recession already? Craig Erlam, Senior Market Analyst at OANDA tells us and if there are still nonetheless investment opportunities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More details continue to emerge on the Ministry of Defence's award in 2011 of a RM9 billion contract to Boustead Naval Shipyard for six littoral combat ships. PKR MP for Subang, Wong Chen, helps us sift through some of these details and how this scandal might shape the trajectory of GE15 similar to how 1MDB did for GE14.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BFM’s news team had been present at the Federal Court since the start of the appeal last Monday until the departure of the former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak in a black SUV that drove him to Kajang prison where he started serving his 12 year sentence. Sheryll Paul, News Writer & Producer at BFM 89.9 tells us what the situation was like on the ground.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been 6 months since Russia invaded Ukraine. We talk to Denys Mykhailiuk, the Chargé d'Affaires at the Ukrainian Embassy, on the country's 31st Independence Day to find out what is the way forward and if peace is ultimately achievable.Image credit: Tumofiy / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The SRC International corruption trial has ended with the Federal Court upholding Dato' Seri Najib Razak's 12-year prison sentence and RM210 million fine. Dr James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania, breaks down what this means for Umno and Malaysia, with the 15th General Election just up ahead.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

75 years ago last week, India won its independence from the British and split into two. Unfortunately the chaos, confusion and religious violence that followed resulted in the deaths of up to two million people and unleashed one of history’s largest displacements. We speak to Dr Pradeep Taneja, Senior Lecturer in Asian Politics at the University of Melbourne if ties have improved between India, Pakistan and even Bangladesh.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professsor Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah, Professor of Transport Engineering, USM shares his thoughts on the federal government's announcement to allocate 1.8 billion ringgit for maintenance of federal roads throughout Malaysia for 2022,See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can’t grow strawberries in Camerons. But is the picture more dire than we think and how can Malaysia adapt its agricultural policy to these situations? Ameen Kamal, Head of Science and Technology, EMIR Research shares his perspectiveSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The appeal at the Federal Court by convicted Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak wraps up this week. We speak to Goh Cia Yee, Criminal Lawyer on the many twists and turns that we observed so far and whether the tactic employed to constantly change the defence legal team will work?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following President Jokowi's speech when he tabled Indonesia's 2023 budget, we ask Krystal Tan, Economist, ANZ Bank on the outlook of Indonesia's economy as we dissect their fiscal prudence measures and their hope to shift their economy further downstreamSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia continues to languish in Tier 3, the the lowest rank, in the new US Trafficking in Persons Report 2022 for a second consecutive year. Minal Patel Davis, Director, Houston Mayor's Office of Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence tells us how we can improve our rankingsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Court of Appeal earlier this month overturned the 2021 landmark decision of the High Court in Kuala Lumpur, which ruled that Malaysian mothers have the same right as Malaysian fathers to confer citizenship by operation of law to children born overseas. We speak to YB Kasthuri Patto, Member of Parliament for Batu Kawan for how we can change the law and why the delay. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Venture capital deal activity soared to a record 20 billion dollars in 2021 in ASEAN which is a 1.6 times increase from 2020. However in an era of rising rates and poor debuts in the public market, is the outlook still as positive? Cameron Joyce, Deputy Head of Research Insights at Preqin tells us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

J Solomon, Secretary General, National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) makes the case that more needs to be done to improve the Employment Act but strongly advocates that the Government should not delay its implementation this SeptemberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is accepted that pollution pricing instruments are key in achieving in reducing greenhouse emissions but Asia is struggling to adopt this against a backdrop of soaring inflation, rising energy prices and economic instability. So unsurprisingly, carbon markets and taxes in this region are mostly off to a slow and disappointing start. Arun Pai, Executive-In-Residence at Monk's Hill Ventures tells us where the gaps are.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

KL City Hall now has a new rule from this year that house owners have 1 year to complete their house renovations starting from the date of approval. If renovations are not completed within a year, permission must be reapplied and a reason must be given to convince the One-Stop Centre committee. David Teoh, Council Member of the Malaysian Institute of Architects, talks about some lack of clarity in these new regulations as well as how this will impact homeowners planning to renovate their homes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Starting Sept 1st, 2022, amendments to the Malaysian Employment Act 1955 will take effect. This means employees will get longer maternity leave, paternity leave will be introduced and there will also be a lower cap to how long people can work a week. Datuk Wira Ameer Ali Mydin, advisor to the Federation of Malaysian Business Associations tells us about how receptive and prepared employers are for these changes aimed at elevating Malaysia's employment landscape.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Royal Malaysian Navy's littoral combat ship scandal would have been swept under the carpet if not for the 250-page Public Accounts Committee that highlighted how more than RM6 billion was spent with no vessel materialising. What does this say about Malaysia's national security as well as corruption at high levels of government? Economist Dr Nungsari A Radhi talks about how these issues can be addressed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US corporate earnings' season is winding down with overall results either surpassing or meeting street expectations. This surprised investors who had been bracing for a gloomier outlook on both businesses and the economy. Dave Sekera, the Chief US Market Strategist at Morningstar talks to us about his expectations for the rest of the year and what he sees are sectors to keep an eye on.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Putrajaya expects to table the Health White Paper in Parliament in November. The aim is to ensure a sustainable and resilient health system that can survive changes in the government. It is also looking to increase health expenditure from the current 2.59% to 5% of GDP. Dr Khor Swee Kheng, co-founder of the Malaysian Health Coalition talks to us about how effective these proposals might be.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Barisan Nasional chairman and Umno president Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi is calling for early elections whilst Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri wants to study the outcome of a BN survey. So when will GE15 be called? Adib Zalkapli, Director at BowerGroupAsia attempts to answer that question whilst telling us the respective issues that both BN and PH will campaign on.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the Hong Kong Government cutting its growth forecast, we ask Michael Frank, Senior Analyst of Public Policy, Economist Impact how will China's Covid Zero policy impact its immediate and long term future as well as understand who will benefit from Hong Kong's declineSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, the Federal Court ruled that victims of road accidents should automatically be given compensation without having to sue insurance companies. But what are the actual mechanics of this ruling and does this mean higher premiums for all motorist? Antony Lee, President of the Persatuan Insurans Am Malaysia clarifies the law.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inflation in Australia hit a 21 year high in June at 6.1% which caused the Reserve Bank of Australia to raise rates by 50 basis points to 1.85% in August. However what impact does this have on the property sector and also the consumer? Catherine Birch, Senior Economist at ANZ Research tells us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All eyes are on the Federal Court today as it hears former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak’s appeal to quash his conviction and jail sentence in the 42 million ringgit SRC International corruption case. Tom Wright, Co-author of the Billion Dollar Whale and co-founder of Project Brazen, a journalism production studio tell us what he thinks the outcome will be and will this mark the end of his political career.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We ask Suhaimi Ilias, Chief Economist at Maybank Investment Bank on whether the Government can afford an expansionary budget following Bank Negara releasing the 2nd quarter GDP figures last Friday that beat consensus expectations with the country’s economy growing by 8.9%See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With reports that more than 21,000 students had quit school between March 2020 and July 2021, there are calls for the Education Act 1996 be amended to make schooling compulsory up to Form 5. Does Malaysia have the infrastructure to do so? What other solutions can be explored? Hema Letchamanan, senior lecturer at Taylor’s University School of Education shares her thoughts on systemic changes that might improve Malaysia's education system See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine unleashed a perfect storm that roiled the global energy markets with governments worldwide under enormous pressure to cope with reduced gas flows. So does this crisis impede or catalyze the global energy transition? Evan Ng, Energy Market Analyst tells us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SMEs are the backbone of the Malaysian economy with Department of Statistics saying the sector's contribution to GDP stands at around 37%. And in conjunction with International Youth Day, we explore the important role young entrepreneurs play in the nation's development. Stefen Cheng, Chairman of the Digitalisation Sub-committee, Small and Medium Enterprises Association (SAMENTA), share his personal experiences with us and what he thinks young business owners need.Image credit: shutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There has been a landmark ruling by the Federal Court that victims of road accidents should automatically be compensated by insurance companies without requiring legal action to do so. The Judge's ruling is that provisions in the Road Transport Act 1987 should be construed to protect all motorists, including victims of road accidents. Transport consultant, Dr Rosli Azad, takes us through the implications of this and other related developments.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The FBI has raided former US President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. Trump's lawyers say the FBI had broken into a safe and seized 15 boxes of documents. Reports say the raid is related to an ongoing investigation into whether or not laws were broken when boxes of White House records, some marked Top Secre, were not sent to the National Archives. Robert Shapiro, a Professor of Government at Columbia University in New York, takes us through how these developments might impact the upcoming mid-term elections and Trump's 2024 presidential bid.Image credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri said the special cabinet committee on anti corruption had agreed in principle to a political funding bill but is there political will for it and what should it contain to create a fairer political system . Tricia Yeoh, CEO of IDEAS tells us.Image credit: shutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bank Negara has had to raise interest rates to combat rising inflation, which is already a global phenomenon. This however impacts the people because with higher interest rates, financing costs go up - more expensive home loans, vehicle loans, credit card loans etc. Lower income households are particularly hit, especially those still reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic impact. Jason Loh, Head of Social, Law and Human Rights at EMIR Research, believes there may be a solution that can help the B40 while keeping inflation under control.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than a week since the arrival of Nancy Pelosi in Taiwan, we ask Chong Ja Ian, Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science, National University of Singapore how likely will tensions between Taiwan and China continue to escalate and what this will mean for US allies around the regionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Interest rates are on the way up as central banks across the Asia Pacific use this tool to tame inflation. In Malaysia, Bank Negara has increased the Overnight Policy Rate twice so far this year from 1.75% in July 2020 and is now 2.25%. The ringgit has however softened - it is at its all-time weakest against the Singapore dollar. Willie Tanoto, Director at Fitch Ratings' Asia-Pacific Financial Institutions team explains what rate hikes can achieve.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wong Kah Woh, Chairman, PAC and Member of Parliament for Ipoh Timor unpacks the recent revelations from the Public Accounts Committee report on the littoral combat ship (LCS) project as not a single ship has been completed despite RM 6 billion being spentSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Singapore celebrates National day, we take a look at the reasons for its success and also its future challenges with Dr Oh Ei Sun, Principal adviser at Pacific Research Center. We also ask if PM designate, Lawrence Wong will bring a change to this city state in terms of leadership style.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is GE15 for BN to lose? Or will we see another seismic shift in our political paradigm? Dr Azmi Hassan, Senior Research Fellow, Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research helps us answer these questions as this watershed election loomsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) has been accused by Meta of running a troll farm that sought to promote the current government coalition and to criticise its opponents. However, PDRM refuted the allegation claiming that they are gathering further information about it. For more details, we speak to Alexander Wong, Managing Editor of SoyaCincau. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back in 2013-2015, multiple women’s groups came together and worked with the Attorney General’s Chambers and other parties to criminalise stalking. And after 10 years, progress is being made. But is this Anti-Stalking bill enough to protect Malaysians against stalking ? For a deeper dive, we speak to Yu Ren Chung, Deputy Executive Director of Women's Aid Organisation (WAO).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.