Morning Brief

Amid complaints of rising service fees, Transport Minister Dato' Sri Wee Ka Siong has warned e-hailing platforms to obey the 200% surcharge limit or risk further regulation. We discuss to what extent the government should intervene in the e-hailing market and policy priorities to alleviate last-mile connectivity woes with transport policy analyst Chung Yi Fan.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A significant portion of Malaysian social media discourse on the war in Ukraine promotes the Russian position, contrary to the dominant global narrative in favour of Ukraine. We discuss the reasons for the prevalence of pro-Russian sentiment in Malaysia with researcher Dr. Benjamin Loh of Taylor's University.Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Turkey is playing an obstructionist role in Finland and Sweden's NATO applications, prompting the question of what President Erdogan's larger objectives comprise.Dr. James Dorsey, Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute, explains.Image Credit: Gints Ivuskans/Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to the Climate Bonds Initiative, in 2021 sustainable and green bonds have recorded a cumulative volume of USD2.8 trillion since 2007.However, this still pales in comparison to the USD119 trillion size of the conventional bond market globally. Is the current interest in ESG investing creating momentum for sustainable and green bonds to be seen as a worthy alternative to conventional debt? We discuss the trends with Nneka Chike-Obi of Sustainable Fitch.Brought to you by Sun Life Malaysia. Your lifetime insurance and takaful partner.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Saktiandi Supaat, Head of FX Research, Global Markets, Maybank Singapore, discusses whether Malaysia should once again peg the ringgit, following the currency's decline to 4.40-levels to the US dollar.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Khoon Goh, Head of Research at ANZ Bank, looks at Singapore's economy, following forecasts that the trade-focused city-state will feel the pain from runaway inflation and the fallout from the Ukraine conflict.Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

25 May is Africa Day and marks the founding date of the Organisation of African Unity, now known as the African Union. How can Malaysia better leverage on long-standing ties with African countries? We speak to H.E. Dr. Hajara Ibrahim Salim, Nigerian High Commissioner to Malaysia on the opportunities to expand economic ties.Image credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Joe Biden held his debut East Asian tour this week, and sparked a furious response from China when he appeared to suggest that the US would intervene militarily if Taiwan were attacked. This marked a departure from the previous White House position of strategic ambiguity on Taiwan. We discuss the implications of Biden's comments and broader takeaways from his visit to South Korea and Japan, including the launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework with Tokyo-based journalist William Pesek.Image credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government is mulling a rescue of the beleaguered Sapura Energy and it is not the first time that our government has bailed out GLCs. It’s worth taking stock of lessons from the previous cases before jumping in to rescue Sapura Energy. P. Gunasegaram, Independent Business Writer shares his thoughts with us.Image credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shortages of chicken supplies in the country have dominated headlines this past week, raising the question of whether price ceilings have a counterproductive effect. Food policy expert Dr. Shaufique Sidique of UPM, analyses.Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Malaysian government is expected to spend RM28 billion on fuel subsidies this year due to rising crude oil prices, compared to RM11 billion the previous year. In light of this, the government is mulling a proposal to impose targeted fuel subsidies for lower-income groups. Can an effective targeted subsidy mechanism be implemented, and what would this look like? We discuss with economist Dr. Geoffrey Williams.Image Credit: shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia’s performance at the SEA Games this year has come under scrutiny, given the poor ranking in the medal tally. Malaysia garnered 39 gold medals, three more than the target of 36, but this showing put Malaysia at 6th place out of the 11 countries competing in the Games. What does this achievement signal about sports development in the country? We discuss the issues at hand with Haresh Deol of online portal twentytwo13.my.Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the world’s second largest economy continues to be isolated from the rest of the world with its harsh containment measures, we ask Cathy Chao from Fitch Ratings helps us understand how will consumer demand play out for the rest of the year.Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lai Gene Lih, Analyst, Maybank Investment Banking Group surveys the landscape for Southeast Asian tech, in the wake of Grab and Sea Ltd’s recent quarterly earnings reports.Image credit: Horth Rasur / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anthony Albanese, head of the Labour Party has emerged victorious in the race to become the next Prime Minister of Australia. What will be his government's policy priorities, and what happens next to Scott Morrison and the Liberal Party? We discuss the election outcome with political scientist Dr. Jill Sheppard of ANU.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Ismail Sabri announced that the government has, in principle, agreed to enact a political funding bill. Civil society groups have long called attention to this issue given that Malaysian politics is infamously opaque on its sources of financing. We discuss what effective legislation on political funding would look like with Dr. Muhammad Mohan of Transparency International-Malaysia.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia will head to the polls on Saturday, 21 May to elect the next Prime Minister, with the race being between incumbent Scott Morrison and Labour challenger Anthony Albaneze. We discuss the issues at play as voters make their choice with Dr. Zareh Ghazarian of Monash University.Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the three Cs - Covid-19, climate change and conflict in Ukraine - wreak havoc on global food supply chains, countries are grappling with the consequences of higher food costs. How should Malaysia be responding to the threat of food security amid rising food prices? Policy expert Prof. Datin Paduka Dr. Fatimah Arshad, Research Fellow at UPM's Laboratory of Agricultural and Food Policy Studies argues for a Food First Policy to secure sustainable and resilient food sources.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daniel Ives, the Managing Director of Wedbush Securities, may have reduced Tesla's price target but long-term, high-growth tech stocks like this and Apple are looking like bargains, following weeks of being routed.Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was reported that the National Registration Department has allegedly leaked records containing information of 22 million Malaysians such as their full name, IC, and mobile numbers. Similarly, it was also reported that the Election Commission has a potential data breach involving the personal data of 800,000 Malaysians of electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) images of people taking selfies while holding their IC. What are the implications of this alleged data breach and what does it say about the government’s cybersecurity preparedness? Alexander Wong, Managing Editor, SoyaCincau who was one of the first to report on the alleged data breach involving the Election Commission shares the details with us.Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The appointment of the MP for Pasir Salak, Dato' Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman as the next Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia has sparked controversy, with MPs, civil society, and the public expressing disbelief over the decision. We speak to former diplomat and G25 member Dato' Noor Farida Ariffin on reactions to the appointment.Image Credit: Shahjehan / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sweden and Finland have ended decades of neutrality after submitting their applications to join NATO, however, in a plot twist, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his disapproval to allow Sweden and Finland to join NATO because of their stances on Kurdish militants. Dr. Bernard Loo, Senior Fellow, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University breaks down the details for us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once again, the High-Speed Rail project is back on the cards, this time from Bangkok.Professor Dr. Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah, Professor of Transport Engineering at USM addresses its viability and highlighting the all-important demand aspects. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sri Lanka is in a precarious state as foreign reserves have dwindled down to near zero and power cuts have been extended to as long as 15 hours a day. On top of it all, their new prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe warned that the country is down to its last day of petrol supply. Dr. Chulanee Attanayake, Research Fellow Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS), National University of Singapore breaks down the impact of the latest developments in Sri Lanka. Image credit: ReutersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short-term lets of the AirBnB variety have been excellent at mopping up excess supply but have been met with concerns over security and possible impacts on property prices. Chan Ai Cheng, President of the Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents, analyses the issues. Image credit: Unsplash.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following the announcement to setup a Malaysia-US working committee on labour issues, we ask Khor Yu Leng, Political Economist, Segi Enam Advisers whether this committee will help clean up Malaysia’s questionable reputation on labour practices? Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, US President Joe Biden played host to ASEAN leaders in Washington D.C. as part of efforts to reaffirm America’s commitment to the Southeast Asian region. But for some observers, the discussions were less persuasive than anticipated. We discuss the outcome of the special summit and the state of play in Malaysia-US bilateral relations with policy analyst Elina Noor. Image credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There has been much hue and cry over the Serba Dinamik saga, which has taken many twists and turns. Last Friday, the Attorney General issued a statement to explain the decision to compound Serba Dinamik officials, instead of pursuing a criminal trial. We discuss reactions to the decision with lawyer Lim Wei Jiet, who argues that the Attorney General has raised more questions than answers in his statement. Image credit: Pavel Kapysh/Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia’s first quarter GDP recorded a higher than expected 5% growth, compared to the 3.9% projected by MARC. Firdaos Rosli, Chief Economist at MARC breaks down the data for us and also shares his thoughts on Bank Negara’s monetary policy tightening, as well as his expectations for further rate hikes in the remainder of 2022. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Fauzi Anshar, Respiratory Medicine Physician explains the long term-impacts of long Covid and what needs to be done to manage this concerning phenomenon. Image credit: Pixabay.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crypto investors have lost a fortune since TerraUSD's collapse this week exacerbated the post-Nov 2021 swoon for the ecosystem. Varun Mittal, author of The Fintech Nation, explains the collapse, including what's in store for the industry. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Presumptive president-elect of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will be inheriting an economy in recovery from the pandemic, with GDP growth coming in at 8.3% in the first quarter compared to a year ago. How is the new government expected to navigate the twin challenges of rising inflation and slowing global growth? We discuss the outlook for the Philippines economy with Dr. Zamros Dzulkafli of Maybank Investment Bank. Image credit: Pexels.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Khairy Jamaluddin announced that all nightlife businesses will be allowed to reopen starting from May 15th onwards. Government guidelines released yesterday state that RTK tests must be conducted on site for all visitors before entry, supervised by the club operators. But how business friendly are the new SOPs and what will be new challenges moving forward? Jeremy Lim, Vice President of Persatuan Pemilik Restoran dan Bistro, shares his thoughts with us. Image credit: Unsplash.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia preemptively and unexpectedly hiked interest rates by 25bps with three more meetings scheduled for the rest of the year. Julia Goh, Senior Economist at UOB Malaysia, fields questions on the outlook for the local currency, additional rate hikes, inflation, growth and fund flows. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US-ASEAN Summit is taking place in Washington DC, the first in-person engagement between the US President and ASEAN leaders since 2017. We discuss expectations for the meeting amid competing geopolitical interests with Thomas Daniel of ISIS Malaysia. Image credit: ReutersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How has ESG investing grown in Malaysia and how hard has it been to get investors to go green with their money? And do investors realise that with ESG you can have returns without sacrificing your values? We speak to Andrew Chan, South East Asia Sustainability and Climate Change Leader at PwC to get his thoughts on the progress of ESG and its future. This conversation was brought to you by Sun Life Malaysia. Your lifetime insurance and takaful partner.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Regulators will be stepping in to investigate the flight scheduling disruption during last week's Hari Raya and Labour Day break, that caused flight delays of up to 9 hours and also much inconvenience to many travelers. As a consumer, what recourse can you take in the event of flight delays, cancellations or mishandling of baggage? Pushpalatha Subramaniam, Director of Consumer Affairs with the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) tells us more. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysians continue to make up the largest group of foreign workers in Singapore, particularly given the higher salary as the Singapore dollar continues to appreciate against the Ringgit. But is salary the main cause of talent migration to Singapore and what are the long term policy measures that need to be in place to reverse the brain drain? Thomas Mathew, Group CEO of TalentCorp Malaysia tells us more. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hong Kong has a new Chief Executive, John Lee. Who is he and what can we expect from his rule? Michael Frank, Senior Analyst of Public Policy, Economist Impact gives us some clues into this enigma. Image credit: GovHKSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The relationship between Umno and PAS has soured considerably over the past few months, with Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi most recently describing PAS as “two-faced” and indecisive. While he has dismissed any possibility of working with PAS in GE15, PAS leaders have tried to keep Muafakat Nasional alive. We discuss the future of the political alliance and how this impacts UMNO's fortunes with political expert Dr. Hamidin Abdul Hamid. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bongbong Marcos has won the Philippine presidential election which sets the stage for the return of the Marcos family into the Malacanang Palace 36 years after they were ousted following the People’s Power revolt. Andrea Chloe Wong, a Philippines’ political analyst tells us what to expect from his rule. Image credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mirza Iqmal Sariffudin from Transit Malaysia explains what has caused Malaysia, and especially Klang Valley, to be so car-centric as the number of motor vehicles in Malaysia stands equal to its population by the end of 2020. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We ask Hannah Pearson, Director, Pear Anderson, a research and tourism consultancy whether the worst is really over for the Southeast Asian tourism industry as markets begin to reopen post pandemic. Image credit: Pexels.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The charges against Serba Dinamik were withdrawn after the public prosecutor accepted the representation made to the Attorney-General’s Chambers. This resulted in the accused directors only receiving a fine of RM3 million each. P. Gunasegaram, independent writer and consultant tells us about the implications this has on capital markets and what reforms should be considered to avoid a repeat. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ministry of Health is forming an independent task force to investigate the tragic death of a junior doctor attached with the Penang Hospital, amid allegations of a pervasive culture of bullying towards trainee doctors. We discuss whether the issue of workplace bullying is systemic in the healthcare sector and policy measures to address toxic work environments with clinical psychologist Dr Chua Sook Ning. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ding Jo-Ann, advisor at the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), explains the myriad factors behind Malaysia's latest decline on the World Press Freedom Index. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Twitter’s board has accepted Elon Musk’s offer last week and just yesterday it was announced that the Tesla CEO has secured USD7.1 billion in funding. While the deal looks set to complete, U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will decide next month if an in depth antitrust probe is needed which could delay the closing of the transaction. Ashley Kim, Senior Associate Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence's Technology Team breakdown the details for us. Image credit: Unsplash.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bank Negara Malaysia finally announced the 5 successful applicants for the digital banking licences but many are questioning whether these new digital banks can actually co-exist with their conventional counterparts, or will they be seen as major threats to the current banking system? Chan Jit Hoong, Senior Analyst at Hong Leong Investment Bank tell us. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Malaysian ringgit has recorded its steepest monthly drop since November 2016. Although generally a weak currency is good for exports as it makes selling of goods more affordable, a weak currency could also be challenging for the economy as it makes imports more expensive. Saktiandi Supaat, Head of FX Research, Global Markets, Maybank Singapore breaks down the cause of this Ringgit weakness with us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We ask Steve Cochrane, Chief APAC Economist of Moody’s Analytics how realistic is China's GDP target of 5.5% for 2022 while maintaining a zero-covid strategy at all costs and what its repercussions on the overall economy in Asia Pacific.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.