Morning Brief

It’s been 21 years since the terrorist attacks of September 11 sparked long-term geopolitical repercussions across the world, and fundamentally changed the relationship between the US and Middle East states. With the Biden administration presiding over a different geopolitical landscape in the Middle East from 20 years ago, how much influence do the events of 9/11 still have on US foreign policy considerations? Middle East expert Dr. James Dorsey weighs in.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The overnight policy rate is now at 2.5% after a 25bps hike by Bank Negara Malaysia. Was this expected and what could be gleamed from the MPC statement? Julia Goh, Senior Economist at UOB Malaysia gives us her answers whilst telling us how high the OPR could reach and can we achieve BNM GDP target for 2022.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday Queen Elizabeth II passed away at Balmoral Castle aged 96 after 70 years on the throne. How will she be remembered, both by the British public as well as the broader international community, and what can we expect from the reign of King Charles the Third? We reflect on the monarch's legacy with Prof. Chandran Kukathas of the Singapore Management University. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Palm oil prices have been on the decline from the highs earlier this year, with November futures down 10% on a year-to-date basis, hovering around RM3600 ringgit. What's behind the downward trend and what's the outlook for palm oil markets heading into 2023? We get sector analysis from Alvin Tai of Bloomberg Intelligence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is now possible to register as an organ donor on the MySejahtera app. It is hoped that this effort will encourage more people to do so, especially with Malaysia having a low transplantation rate and more than 10,000 people still waiting for organ transplants. Dr Hasdy Haron, senior clinical organ donation manager at the National Transplant Resource Centre helps us dispel some common misconceptions and confusion on this.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the biggest product launch of the year, Apple unveiled a new lineup of products. Will this be a game changer for earnings? Daniel Ives, Managing Director from Wedbush Securities gives us his views whilst telling us his views on the tech sector and his top buys.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government signaled that they're considering introducing a lemon law to protect used car buyers in the event of defect issues or fraud. We speak to auto journalist Daniel Fernandez on why Malaysia needs lemon laws to regulate the car market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Masks are Now Optional In Malaysia after almost 3 years but still required in hospitals, public transportation and nursing homes, However premise owners can also determine independently whether they’d prefer people to keep their masks on in that location. Dr Vinod Balasubramaniam, Senior Lecturer and Co-Lead, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine & Health Sciences gives us his first impressions of this change in law.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore is introducing the Overseas Networks and Expertise (ONE) pass beginning next year to strengthen the country’s position as a global hub. The five-year visa will allow talents to work in the country across all sectors and operate in multiple firms at any one time. We speak to economist Walter Theseira about the rationale behind the policy and how it will impact Singapore's economic growth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government is planning to finalise a climate change bill by the end of the year with a view to tabling it in 2023. Although Malaysia is only responsible for some 0.37% of global carbon emissions, we are disproportionately impacted by the consequences of rising temperatures. What strategies should be employed in Malaysia's climate change response? We ask climate researcher Yin Shao Loong for his recommendations on policy priorities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While there is widespread acknowledgement that the size of the civil service does pose long-term challenges for Malaysia’s fiscal management, economist Dr. Nungsari A. Radhi helps us reconcile the need to right size versus attracting more talent into the civil service.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the weekend PAS concluded its 68th annual congress, the PAS Muktamar in Alor Setar, a key opportunity to rally the party faithful and strengthen alliances ahead of GE15. PAS has been careful to telegraph openness to collaborate with both Bersatu and UMNO. But with Bersatu and Umno at odds, can the trio find a middle ground before the pivotal elections?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pankaj C. Kumar, business commentator and columnist for The Star shares his perspective on the tabling of Budget 2023 that is being tabled 3 weeks ahead and while we expect plenty of goodies, how will the Government strike the right balance after 2 years of pandemic spending?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The next UK Prime Minister is Liz Truss, after she beat rival Rishi Sunak in the Conservative party leadership race. She inherits a government that has swung from one crisis to another, from the pandemic to the war in Ukraine. How will Liz Truss handle this thrust into leadership, and can she deliver as cost of living crisis looms? Prof. Chandran Kukathas, Dean at the Singapore Management University weighs in with his reactions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Prime Minister Dato' Sri Najib Razak is likely to be  disqualified as a Member of Parliament for Pekan within 14 days of his Federal Court conviction if he doesn't seek a royal pardon. What are the implications of Najib vacating his seat for Umno? We discuss the scenarios with political expert Dr. Hamidin Abdul Hamid, and also get his reactions to the Rembau MP Khairy Jamaludin forgoing his seat in GE15.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In an effort to woo wealthy foreign investors to Malaysia, the government has launched the Premium Visa Programme (P-VIP), which will be open for applications on 1 October. We get reactions to this policy from Shaun Cheah of Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sri Lanka’s disgraced former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa returned to Colombo on Friday, less than two months after he fled during the nation’s worst economic crisis in memory. In the meantime, there is a potential USD2.9b loan from the IMF. We speak to Anushka Wijesinha, economist and Co-Founder of Centre for a Smart Future, a think tank based in Sri Lanka for an update on these latest developments.Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Aug 31st deadline has come and gone for Malaysia's 6 main mobile network operators to agree and finalise terms on equity stakes in a state-controlled 5G single wholesale network run by Digital Nasional Bhd. There is confirmation that U Mobile will not be pursuing this option, while Maxis is reportedly likely to opt out, leaving DNB with 4 takers. Alexander Wong, Managing Editor at SoyaCincau explains the implications of these developments.Image credit: istock/jamesteohartSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Chinese economy is facing its biggest challenges since the Great Financial Crisis of 2008. Gary Ng, APAC Economist at Natixis tells how the government intends to overcome the slowdown and what policy tools its has at its disposal.Image credit: shutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and her husband the former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak are now convicted felons. Rosmah was found guilty on all three counts of corruption in connection with the RM1.25 billion Sarawak rural schools’ solar energy project. She faces a 10-year jail sentence and a RM970 million fine, the highest for a corruption case. Tom Wright, co-author of Billion Dollar Whale, breaks down how we got here.Image credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As concerns over Covid-19 wane, Europe is expected to recover 70% of pre-pandemic travel demand in 2022. The recovery could be attributed to the EU Digital COVID Certificate which helped ease the process of travelling between EU members. Back in 2020 when the pandemic first hit, ASEAN countries did consider an intra-ASEAN travel corridor but it never came into being. And while tourism has returned to the region, did ASEAN miss a valuable opportunity to kickstart tourism recovery earlier?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Department of Statistics Malaysia revealed that more than 70 percent of post-SPM students do not intend to continue with their studies after SPM and STPM. We ask YB Teo Nie Ching, Former Deputy Minister of Education and MP for Kulai what is deferring students from furthering their studies and what actions need to be taken to resolve this.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The summer of 2022 saw major, sustained drought over the globe, from Europe to China to the United States and Africa, with dire ramifications ranging from energy shortages to food insecurity. Dr. Mariam Zachariah, Research Associate working with the World Weather Attribution initiative, at the Grantham Institute for Climate change and the Environment of Imperial College London helps us understand what is driving these dry spells and what we can do about it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Human Ministry has delayed the implementation of certain amendments to the Employment Act. Why especially since these were already debated in parliament more than a year ago? Dr Niaz Asadullah, Southeast Asia Lead at the Global Labor Organisation, Professor of Economics at Monash University Malaysia gives us the answers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.