Morning Brief

Elon Musk made an official offer of $54.20 per share to take Twitter private, valuing the company at $43 billion. However, the board of Twitter adopted a poison pill provision to ward off his offer. Musk's extreme wealth is undeniable, but does he have the funding required to complete the transaction? And what other obstacles will he face in order to succeed? Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities shares his views with us. Image credit: Unsplash.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Moody’s Investors Service has kept its outlook on Malaysian banking system at stable owing to improvements in profitability and operating environment. But as Malaysia sees the end of the lowest OPR rate of 1.75% by year end and more moratoriums coming to an end, is there a threat to asset quality and profitability? Alka Anbarasu, Senior Vice President at Moody’s Investors Service tells us more. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat or PKR has commenced polling season for the leadership of the party from 2022 to 2025 and to little surprise, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has retained the PKR presidency for another term, winning the seat uncontested. The other key seat to watch will be the number 2 post, namely the deputy president position. Dr Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs breaks down for us on the direction of the party moving forward and if this election will heal fissures in the party. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The war in Ukraine is entering its 50th day, with no sign of a ceasefire or resolution in sight. Russian forces are regrouping for a renewed offensive in the south-eastern Donbas region, after withdrawing from Kyiv and north-western areas. The prospects of a breakthrough in peace negotiations have also appeared to dissipate, after President Vladimir Putin declared that peace talks were dead in a local press conference this week. We discuss the latest developments on the battlefront with Prof. Rouben Azizian of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies. Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With an ambitious target for Malaysia to be carbon neutral by 2050, the shift to renewable energy is urgent. But what about the energy trilemma? Dr. Mohd Fadzil Mohd Siam, Head of Strategy & Sustainability at Tenaga Nasional and Alizan Mahadi, Senior Director of Research at ISIS Malaysia answers this challenging question.Energising the Future is powered by Tenaga Nasional.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The revived MRT3 project, which is expected to be completed in 2030, is touted as a catalyst for urban redevelopment in Kuala Lumpur. One of the initiatives under the MRT3 project is the building of affordable homes above the carpark facilities of at least 8 stations. How feasible is this proposal in practice? We get reactions from Aziff Azuddin, independent urban mobility researcher. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Research by Oxford Economics has found that since October last year, food inflation in Asia outside of China has risen 2.7 percentage points to 4.5%, mainly driven by the conflict in Ukraine. So how long will we be feeling the pinch from the increase in food prices and will there be any food security concerns? Priyanka Kishore, Head of India and Southeast Asia Economics at Oxford Economics shares her insights with us. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysian companies are struggling with the paucity of the supply of foreign labour on which it so greatly depends, making the local labour ecosystem ripe for a massive rethink and restructuring. Carmelo Ferlito, CEO, Center for Market Education, analyses. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ALR made a conditional offer to acquire the 4 Klang Valley highway concessionaires, based on total enterprise value of RM5.5 billion. But is the conditional offer fair and sound? And who does it really benefit? Pankaj C Kumar, business commentator breaks down the details for us. Image credit: Unsplash.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Civil service remains the constant cog in the wheels of government bureaucracy, tasked with keeping services running regardless of political turmoil. But is the political upheaval of the past 4 years taking a toll on relations between political leaders and the civil service? Tricia Yeoh, CEO of IDEAS shares her thoughts with us. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Jill Sheppard from the School of Politics and International Relations at the Australian National University helps us understand what Prime Minister Scott Morrison's chances are of securing a second victory and what is motivating Australian voters this time round. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite estimates of internet penetration in the country reaching 89% of the population, there are many pockets that still lack access to stable internet connection. In light of the various government initiatives to improve connectivity, from JENDELA to the MyDigital Blueprint, how much progress has been made on this front and what policy gaps need to be addressed to close the digital divide? Image credit: kalilipatvideoart/Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Peter McPhee, Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Melbourne unpacks the first round of the French presidential election and how tight the run-off will be in the re-match between Macron and Le Pen. Image credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Constitutional lawyer, New Sin Yew gives his perspective on whether the proposed amendment to Article 10 of the constitution relating to freedom of association will remedy the problem over politicians switching parties. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are two remedies practised by governments to kill political frogs. There is the well known anti hopping bill, which would disqualify any MPs who switched parties or were sacked from their party. The second one would be to have recall elections, which gives the right to fire politicians back to the voters. Danesh Prakash Chacko, Director of Tindak Malaysia tells us which works best for parliamentary democracy and political stability in Malaysia. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Friday, former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng was convicted for his role in the 1MDB financial scandal by a US federal jury. He is the second figure held guilty over 1MDB, following former Prime Minister Dato' Sri Najib Razak's conviction by Malaysian courts in the SRC international trial. We get reactions to the verdict and updates on the multiple ongoing trials in Malaysia from criminal lawyer Goh Cia Yee. Image credit: KYTan/Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin last week announced the government’s plans to table a Drinking Water Quality Act to safeguard against health hazards due to unsafe drinking water. For reactions to the proposal and recommendations on what the law should cover, we speak to water quality specialist Dr. Zaki Zainuddin. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meta has been exploring alternative revenue streams and the most recent venture is in the form of in-app tokens that draw similarity to Roblox's Robux or Fortnite's V-Bucks. But how would this be able to be monetized in the Meta ecosystem? Varun Mittal, Chief Growth Officer of Singlife with Aviva and Author of Singapore: The Fintech Nation tells us more. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its final instalment of its 6th assessment report, focusing on mitigation efforts and warned the world that carbon emissions must peak by 2025 and decrease to net-zero by 2050. Darshan Joshi, Analyst at ISIS Malaysia breaks down the report for us and also gives his thoughts on areas where Malaysia need to focus on in order to do our part in reducing carbon emissions. Image credit: Unsplash.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With international borders now open and the path to endemicity in progress, the state of business confidence is in focus. Woon Khai Jhek, Co-head of Economic Research & Senior Economist, RAM Ratings, discusses the findings of their latest Business Confidence Index survey. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this month, Carrie Lam announced that she would not be running for a second term as Chief Executive of Hong Kong. Who are the potential successors to replace her? We discuss Lam's legacy in office and the challenges for the next leader of Hong Kong with political analyst Sonny Lo. Image credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today marks one week since the reopening of the Causeway between Johor and Singapore after 2 years of pandemic closure. What's been the impact on businesses in Johor Bahru? We find out the situation on the ground from Teh Kee Sin of the SME Association of South Johor. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Covid-19 pandemic has laid bare the stark inequities that exist in our healthcare systems, and the growing climate change impact also presents serious risks to human health. The WHO estimates that more than 13 million deaths around the world each year are due to avoidable environmental causes. On World Health Day, we discuss the nexus between planetary and human health with epidemiologist Ben Cowling of Hong Kong University. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is gaining traction thanks to the efforts of China's government as well as the need for alternative remedies to treat the symptoms and side effects of Covid-19. Shirley Lee, a practitioner at Thomson TCM, discusses the issues. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has agreed to a proposal by Amanat Lebuhraya Rakyat (ALR), a private and “not-for-profit” company to restructure four Klang Valley highway concessionaires, which will ensure that toll rates will not rise until their concessions expire. But is the price tag of RM5.5billion fair and who actually stands to benefit? P. Gunasegaram, independent writer and consultant gives us the answers. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our healthcare system struggled during the pandemic with the surge of patients and there have since been calls for reforms, even from within the industry. Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin admitted in Parliament that the nation’s public healthcare system was chronically underfunded and announced that a white paper health care reform paper will be tabled in November. So, what is needed in order to reform our healthcare system to become more resilient? Professor Dato’ Dr. Adeeba Kamarulzaman, Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases at the University of Malaya shares her thoughts with us. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From outer space with SpaceX to his recent stake in Twitter, we ask Daniel Ives, Managing Director at Wedbush Securities what Elon Musk will conquer next and what his motivations were in acquiring a company famous for its 280 character limit. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With only 18 MPs having a perfect attendance record in parliament, we ask political scientist Dr. Wong Chin Huat about the consequences of missing parliament and why it's important for an MP to attend parliament sessions frequently. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pakistan has been thrown into political turmoil, after members of the ruling party led by Prime Minister Imran Khan blocked a no-confidence vote called by opposition MPs on Sunday, and subsequently moved to dissolve Parliament to pave the way for elections in 90 days. The prime minister was widely expected to lose the confidence vote, after a number of government coalition partners defected to the opposition. As the case goes to the Pakistani Supreme Court, we discuss the reasons behind the political upheaval with Dr. Zahid Ahmed of Deakin University. Image credit: Jahanzaib Naiyyer/Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tensions are heating up in Sri Lanka as it faces its worst economic and political crisis in decades. Protesters are calling for the resignation of President Gotobaya Rajapaksa, who came to power in 2019 with an overwhelming majority in elections, but has since seen a massive turnaround in popularity. We discuss the economic pressures driving public discontent and how the situation could unfold moving forward. Image credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Khor Yu Leng, political economist from Segi Enam Advisers helps us unpack what the signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the recruitment and protection of Indonesian domestic workers between Malaysia and Indonesia mean and whether the planned One Channel System will be effective in facilitating the flow of workers cost effectively. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Friday, April 1st the land border between Malaysia and Singapore was fully reopened for the first time after two years of pandemic restrictions. We discuss the impact of the prolonged border closure and how soon traffic could return to pre-pandemic levels with economist Walter Theseira of the Singapore University of Social Sciences. Image credit: Roninjin/Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The oldguards of Malaysian politics, namely Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin have been meeting separately, setting tongues wagging on the likelihood of potential collaborations ahead of GE15. We decode the signals with political analyst Professor Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin of the Institute of Ethnic Studies (KITA). Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bank Negara’s Financial Stability Review for Second Half of 2021 report revealed that household debt grew at a slower pace of 4.1% year-on-year as at December 2021 and the household debt-to-GDP ratio declined to 89%, however our household debt remains on the higher end as compared to our peers in this region. But what can we do to lift ourselves out of this debt situation? Dr Juita Mohamad, Director of Economics and Business Unit and Acting Director of Research of IDEAS shares her thoughts with us. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While the US economy ended 2021 with its GDP expanding at a healthy 6.9% in the fourth quarter, the momentum has slowed significantly amid a surge in Covid-19 infections at the start of the year, disrupted supply chains and soaring inflation. All eyes are on the pace of Federal Reserve monetary tightening this year. We discuss the economic scenarios with Preston Caldwell of Morningstar. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

April 1st — April Fool's Day — sees Malaysia opening its international borders while loosening Covid-era restrictions, hopefully equating to more social activities, including at comedy clubs. Rizal van Geyzel, comedian & co-founder of Crackhouse Comedy Club, discusses. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bank Negara Malaysia, in the Economic & Monetary Review 2021 report released this week, said that the cost of living in Malaysia needs structural reforms on both income and cost aspects. It also stated that short term measures such as price controls may pose repercussions on a long term basis. But what structural reforms should we be considering? Dr. Geoffrey Williams, Economist at Malaysia University of Science and Technology shares his thoughts. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PWC has recently released the findings of their Act Now to Recover (“ANTR”) survey, that was conducted between June and July last year, which revealed how the pandemic has impacted business owners in Malaysia and how they have navigated through the challenges of recovery. So, what are the biggest issues that keep business leaders awake at night and are the concerns still primarily cash conservation? Surendran Seelan, Deals Director (Business Restructuring Services) at PwC Malaysia tells us more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Come April 1st, Malaysia begins its transition to the endemic phase of Covid-19, leading to much uncertainty over exactly what this entails. Associate Professor Dr Farhan Rusli, Public Health Medicine Specialist & Director, Selangor Task Force (COVID-19) Operation, shares his insights into the matter. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the first time this year, a big tech giant won the coveted Best Picture award at the Oscars with the film CODA distributed by Apple TV+. The pandemic and speed of digitalization has elevated streaming platforms and the balance of power in the movie industry seems to be shifting in favour of the disruptors. We discuss the trends in the media industry with Geetha Ranganathan of Bloomberg Intelligence. Image credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BNM has released 3 reports yesterday namely The 2021 Annual Report, The Economic and Monetary Review 2021, and the Financial Stability Review for Second Half 2021. Economists and analyst are reviewing these reports keenly. Firdaos Rosli, Chief Economist of Malaysian Rating Corporation Berhad (MARC) unpacks the data rich report for us. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The MySejahtera saga continues with uncertainty over the ownership of the app. Foong Cheng Leong, Intellectual property and information technology lawyer helps us untangle this complex web, reminding us of the importance of contracts. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gary Ng from Natixis helps us unpack the latest economic challenges that China is facing as Shanghai, its major financial and trading hub, faces a staggered two-phase eight day lockdown for its 25 million citizens. Image credit: Unsplash.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With PKR having set their elections for May, calls for reformation within the party have been louder especially as GE15 is just around the corner. Although former Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli has announced that he intends to run for the deputy president role, he'll be going head-on with several other candidates who are also eyeing for the same position. What should we expect out of the May polls? Dr. Hamidin Abdul Hamid, Senior Fellow at Ilham Centre shares his thoughts with us. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has been reviewing the government’s role in administering the MySejahtera app, putting forth a recommendation in December 2021 that the government should take over administering the app and should not pay additional costs. We discuss the governance issues that have arisen on the MySejahtera app since then with PAC Chairman YB Wong Kah Woh. Image credit: Alen thien/Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Israel played host to a historic meeting with four Arab countries as well as the US in the Negev desert. The UAE, Bahrain and Morocco normalised ties with Israel in 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords brokered under President Trump. Among the issues on the agenda include developments on reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, as well as the impact of plunging wheat prices on the Arab world. We discuss the significance of the meeting and broader geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine with expert Dr. James Dorsey. Image credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2021 Securities Commission Annual Report was filled with a myriad of details which included the growth of the Asset management industry, the value of private equity deals and even the governance of related party transactions. Dr. Liew Chee Yoong, Research Fellow, Center for Market Education highlights the noteworthy points of the report. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ownership of the MySejahtera app used by 38 million users has come under intense scrutiny over the past few days. Who is Entomo? Who is MySJ Sdn Bhd? Who is the true owner of the app? We ask Boo Su-Lyn, Editor-in-Chief of CodeBlue, the author of several articles that unveiled many details of this important issue to help us understand this debacle. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should the government compel developers to control prices to make homes more affordable? Are compliance costs a large part of the high costs of houses and what can we do about this? Michael Kong, President of Association of Valuers, Property Managers, Estate Agents and Property Consultants in the Private Sector of Malaysia (PEPS Malaysia) shares his thoughts. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Joe Biden amped up rhetoric over the weekend appearing to call for Russian President Vladimir Putin's ouster. Although US officials have tried to walk back on these comments, has this damaged diplomatic efforts for a resolution? We discuss the latest geopolitical dynamics on the Ukraine war, including China's positioning on the issue as well as Russia's military strategy with political and security expert Alexy Muraviev of Curtin University. Image credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.