Morning Brief

The Yen against the US Dollar is at a two decade low. Economic theory tells us that it's good for exports and equity markets but are there downsides? Vishnu Varathan, Head of Economics & Strategy, Mizuho Bank tells us his outlook whilst giving us the house view of the Yen in the short term.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia is experiencing a shortage of common medicines across private clinics and pharmacies as a result of high demand and global supply chain issues. Dr. Koh Kar Chai, President, Malaysian Medical Association explains how the supply shortage could affect patient healthcare treatment if the situation is prolonged.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With rising interest rates and a choppy equity market, will the PE market still be buoyant in 2022 for Asia? Tom Kidd from Bain & Company tells us what to look out for.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With GE15 expected to be called within the next year, reports of political maneuvering across different parties continue to percolate. We discuss the potential scenarios affecting major politicians and factors influencing Prime Minister Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri's decision on when to dissolve Parliament with political analyst Dr. James Chin.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson survived a confidence vote on Monday, but with 40% of Conservative MPs voting against him, his leadership position is far from secure. We discuss the likelihood of Boris Johnson staying in power with political expert Dr. Ben Wellings of Monash University.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Corruption is a widely acknowledged problem in the country, but how genuine and effective are measures to combat this issue? Former banker Tan Sri Nazir Razak recently suggested that Malaysia model anti-corruption efforts in Hong Kong, including an amnesty for mild corruption followed by a zero-tolerance approach. We discuss the best initiatives to tackle endemic corruption, as well as the costs of tolerating corrupt practices at any level with Aira Azhari of IDEAS.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, the Senior Minister of Education Datuk Radzi Jidin announced that the Form Three Assessment examination or PT3, which was introduced in 2014, will be abolished effective this year. Nina Adlan Disney, Executive Director of LeapEd tells us the consequence of such a decision and what are the challenges from its implementation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sunday June 5th was World Environment Day, but how genuine are government efforts to conserve the country’s natural heritage? This question comes up as yet another urban green lung, the Shah Alam Community Forest is under threat. We speak to Alicia Teoh of the SACF Society on why it's imperative to preserve the forest area and its rich ecosystem. For more information visit shahalamforest.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The streaming industry was thrown into turmoil when Netflix reported its first quarterly drop in subscribers in its last earnings report and warned of further subscriber losses in the near future. How will this impact the content development and growth strategy of media companies moving forward? We discuss the state of play with Geetha Ranganathan of Bloomberg Intelligence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite renewing a bilateral labour agreement in December 2021, the hiring of workers from Bangladesh has not resumed following suspension in 2018. Labour agents in Bangladesh object to the restriction of recruitment to 25 agencies selected by the Malaysian government, calling for open market access. How does this reflect on Malaysia's broader foreign labour policy? We discuss the issues at hand with economist Dr. Niaz Asadullah.Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi said that the coalition is ready for GE15 but Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri who is also Umno’s vice president indicated that he is in no rush to call for a general election anytime soon. So will GE15 be held by this year and how does this split in priorities impact the internal relations of UMNO and BN moving forward? Dr. Hamidin Abdul Hamid, Senior Fellow of Ilham Centre shares his thoughts with us.Image credit: shutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The EU's ban on Russian oil ban is a rare show of unity among her 27 member states but economic constraints will test the limits of Western unity in future, says Dr Frederick Kliem, Research Fellow, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oil markets are under pressure as events this week heightened concerns over tighter supply, just as the summer travel season begins to kick-off. The EU announced further sanctions on Russian oil imports, while Shanghai came out of a two-month lockdown, raising expectations for higher demand. How will these developments impact oil markets in the short-to-medium term? Wayne Tan of Bloomberg NEF weighs in.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The international border of Malaysia reopened on April 1, but as travel demand rise, the hotel industry has been facing difficulties accommodating its guests due to manpower shortages. What’s driving this worker shortage issue and what are the solutions around it? Christina Toh, President of Malaysian Association of Hotels breaks it all down for us.Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few days ago, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that the government is keen to bring back the goods and services tax or GST. The GST was introduced in 2015 at a rate of 6% but was replaced by the sales and services tax or SST by the Pakatan Harapan government. So is this the right time to reintroduce GST, and how can it be implemented? Carmelo Ferlito, CEO of Center for Market Education tells us more.Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The High Court in Kota Bharu this week dismissed a lawsuit by a Muslim group of teachers to declare vernacular schools as unconstitutional, following a similar case filed in Kuala Lumpur last year. Why does the issue of vernacular schools remain controversial? We discuss viewpoints on vernacular education and national unity with Eddin Khoo, Founder of PUSAKA.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China's security focused charm offensive in the Pacific islands has given Australia further cause for alarm in the context of China's growing influence in the Asia-Pacific.James Batley, Distinguished Policy Fellow, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University, offers a perspective.Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Budget '23 looming, Malaysia's budgetary process -- rightfully -- is under scrutiny, given the country's too-average rank on the latest Open Budget Survey, coming in at 57th place out of 120 countries.Sri Murniati Yusuf, Deputy Research Director, Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), discusses.Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has announced proposed private sector plans to build three new highways in the Klang Valley to resolve congestion issues. We discuss whether the rationale for more highways holds water and policy measures to ease perennial urban traffic jams with transport consultant Rosli Azad.Image credit: shutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we celebrate World No Tobacco Day, we debate with Tengku Aslahuddin, President of Vape Consumer Association of Malaysia whether vaping is really a healthier alternative.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

North Korea recently launched its 17th missile test this year, hours after US President Joe Biden departed the region after a 5-day visit. With growing concern that North Korea is considering a seventh nuclear test, what options does the international community have to respond to the security threat? We discuss the situation in North Korea with Dr. Hoo Chiew Ping of UKM.Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economists surveyed by Reuters predict that India’s economy would grow on average by 4% in the January to March period this year, compared to a year ago. Amid higher energy, food and commodities prices, how are the government and central bank navigating headwinds? We discuss the outlook for the Indian economy with Sanjay Mathur of ANZ Bank.Image Credit: WESTOCK PRODUCTIONS / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Vinod Balasubramaniam, Senior Lecturer and Co-Lead, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine & Health SciencesDescriptor: The WHO has declared monkeypox to be a moderate risk to global public health, with around 257 cases confirmed to date. How prepared is Malaysia to deal with a potential outbreak? We discuss what we know about the virus and assess Malaysia's prevention and mitigation measures with infectious diseases expert Dr. Vinod Balasubramaniam.Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With unofficial results showing Rafizi Ramli leading the race for the PKR deputy president, Dr Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow, Singapore Institute of International Affairs shares his insights on how an Anwar - Rafizi led party would change the fortunes of PKR in the upcoming GE15.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.