Morning Brief

MCA will be looking to redeem the party in this Johor elections and they are contesting in 15 seats. One of their agenda is to lessen the economic burden of people in Johor but how will MCA carry this out and has it accurately judged the mood of the people? Dr. Pamela Yong, Deputy Secretary General of MCA, shares their strategies with us. Image Credit: Gwoeii/Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahmad Nawfal Mahfodz, PAS candidate for Parit Yaani, shares with us PAS's strategy to wrest more seats from its current one seat as the Johor state election looms. Image credit: Harris Hamdan/Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we celebrate International Woman's day, we examine the effectiveness of policies In Malaysia to empower and elevate the role of women in society. Anis Farid, Research and Advocacy Officer at the Women's Aid Organisation, gives us a channel check on this. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the National People’s Congress (NPC) convening in Beijing, we ask Peiqian Liu, China Economist from NatWest Markets, whether China's GDP growth target of 5.5% for 2022 is too optimistic? Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anne Abraham, the Chairperson and Founder of LeadWomen, tells us about women representation in leadership roles and also about what needs to be done to encourage more women participation in top positions in the corporate world. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The game changer for Johor elections will be UNDI18 and automatic voter registration which was gazetted last year. 700,000 new voters aged 18 will add to the electoral role but how will they vote and will they turn up? Ben Suffian, Programme Director at Merdeka Center, gives us his views. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Johor, the birthplace of UMNO, will see a very crowded field of candidates and political parties in the state elections. But is it to UMNO's advantage? Dato’ Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, Youth Chief of UMNO, tells us whilst giving us a clue of their campaign strategy. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There stakes are high for Perikatan Nasional and its anchor party Bersatu in the Johor state elections. With erstwhile allies Umno in competition for dominance of the state, can Bersatu put up a good showing? We speak to the Bersatu candidate for Larkin, Zulkifli Bujang, on his foray into politics and what Bersatu stands to offer to the constituents of Johor. Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The proposed amendments to the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act, also known as Act 342, ignited public backlash when it was first tabled in December over the disproportionate penalties for healthcare violations, among other changes. We speak to CodeBlue's Boo Su-Lyn on why penalizing the public for healthcare violations is ineffective, as well as the significance of the proposed Tobacco and Smoking Control bill which will introduce a generational smoking ban for those born after 2005. Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian economy rebounded strongly in the last quarter of 2021 with an expansion of 3.4% of GDP, but will the coming months turn cloudy for this lucky country with geopolitical risks from the Russia Ukraine crisis and severe floods affecting parts of Australia? Catherine Birch, Senior Economist of ANZ Research tells us more. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All eyes will be on political newcomer MUDA as they make their debut in the Johor state elections. MUDA is contesting 7 seats in the Johor state elections, including going head-to-head with PKR in Larkin. We check in with VP Zaidel Baharuddin on the progress of their campaign and expectations for the polls. Image Credit: Twitter.com/Syed SaddiqSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A survey conducted by business consultancy Forrester revealed that Malaysian businesses were losing momentum in digital transformation, despite the pandemic accelerating the shift to digitalization. How might this impact ambitions to become a high-income nation by 2030 built on the digital economy? We speak to principal analyst Achim Granzen on the findings of the survey and what policy areas should be emphasized to help businesses back on track. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asian rivals India and China often find themselves on opposing ends of the geopolitical table, but they both abstained from voting at the United Nations on the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Political expert Dr. Pradeep Taneja contrasts the positions of the two countries. Image Credit: YashSD/Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EPF CEO, Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah has recommended that Malaysia implement a living wage as that would raise the EPF savings rate. But what would be the challenges of implementing this? Firdaos Rosli, Chief Economist at MARC Ratings tells us while weighing in on the decision by Bank Negara Malaysia to keep the OPR at 1.75%. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) declared a 6.1% dividend for conventional savings and 5.65% dividend for shariah savings for 2021 which was even better than pre-pandemic times. Pankaj C Kumar, Business Commentator tells us whether this figure was better expectations and what are the challenges to replicate this performance in the years ahead. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has set in motion seismic shifts in EU and German foreign policy, including the direct arming of weapons to countries in conflict. We discuss the reasons and implications of increasing militarization in Europe with Dr. Frederick Kliem of RSIS. Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 6th assessment report issued this week by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) gave a grim prognosis on the impact of global warming, warning that temperatures were rising faster than our capacity to adapt. We speak to Ahmad Afandi of ISIS Malaysia on the state of Malaysia's preparedness to mitigate and adapt to climate change risks. Image Credit: Frederick Hornung/Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the Federal Government set to table a landmark amendment bill to make gig workers formal employees, we speak to Edwin Goh, policy researcher at The Centre on how the amendments of the Employment Act 1955 will impact stakeholders and if it can safeguard the welfare of all workers. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Western countries have unleashed a series of heavy sanctions aimed at crippling Russia's financial sector in response to its assault on Ukraine. We discuss the impact this has had on Russia's overall economy and whether its linkages with China can provide a buffer with Swedish economist Anders Aslund. Aslund is a Senior Fellow at the Stockholm World Forum and an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University. Image Credit: Pixabay.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With over 25,000 people displaced from their homes in the east coast due to one of the worst floods in Kelantan and Terengganu, Dato’ Dr Ahmad Faizal Mohd Perdaus, President, MERCY Malaysia provides an assessment of the situation. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Global and local volatility begs for more policy clarity, further adding impetus for Malaysian Parliamentary reform, not to mention much-needed legislation on anti-party hopping and gender equality. Aira Azhari, Manager, Democracy and Governance Unit at the think-tank IDEAS, discusses. Image Credit: Calvin Chan/Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With oil prices potentially hitting 120 dollars per barrel, Julia Goh from UOB articulates the net benefit (or cost) to the Malaysian Economy and how it would put pressure on the cost of living for Malaysians. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is fast escalating into a globally significant event with many more world players getting increasingly involved, including the US, Germany, and China.Dr. Malcolm Davis, the Senior Analyst in Defence Strategy and Capability, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, expands on the implications.Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Malaysian government's latest statement on the situation in Ukraine has been criticized by some observers as not going far enough; the same applies for the recent statement issued by ASEAN Foreign Ministers. We discuss the significance of language in international diplomacy and the considerations at play in Malaysia's stance with Thomas Daniel of ISIS. Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Johor's polls are seeing an unprecedented number of candidates, laying a potential template for soon-to-ensue GE15. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bernard Aw, Economist for Asia Pacific, Coface, spells out the trade and economic ramifications from the escalating Russia-Ukraine conflict. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beginning 1 March, people categorized as close contacts of positive Covid-19 cases will not have to undergo quarantine if they are asymptomatic and have received a third booster vaccine dose. We speak to epidemiologist Dr. Sanjay Rampal on the rationale for the policy as well as the challenge of balancing different interests as we head towards an endemic phase of Covid-19. Image Credit: Alen Thien / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A plethora of economic sanctions have been thrust upon Russia following its invasion of the Ukraine, but there remain serious concerns over an escalation, not to mention Europe's frail recovery. His Excellency Michalis Rokas, Ambassador the European Union to Malaysia, discusses. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Russian troops invaded Ukraine after months of troops on the border. H.E. Naiyl Latypov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Malaysia gives their position on why the incursion was necessary and can there be a diplomatic resolution. Image credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Descriptor: The Election Commission has loosened campaigning rules for the Johor state elections compared to previous polls, but some argue that the flexibilities provided do not give adequate room for parties to engage with the public. We discuss whether the SOPs provide a level playing field and what needs to be done to ensure that campaigning can be conducted safely with Thomas Fann, Chairman of Bersih 2.0. Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recent revelations from the Roger Ng trial in New York has shone a spotlight on some of the details of the 1MDB corruption trial. Tom Wright, author of Billion Dollar Whale tells us what we should pay attention to and whether this has any bearings on the ongoing trials in Malaysia. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Russia's invasion of the Ukraine, aviation's frail recovery is once again under serious derailment. Shantanu Gangakhedkar, Aviation Consultant, Frost & Sullivan, discusses. Image credit: Pexels.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week marks two years since the events of Langkah Sheraton, which saw a change in government and triggered the breakdown in established coalitions. We discuss the impact of political machinations on the electoral psyche, as well as expectations for the Johor state elections with Dr. Bridget Welsh of the University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute-Malaysia. Image credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ministry of Health recently issued a call to the Medical Device Authority to ensure the quality of Covid-19 self-test kits, following consumer complaints over the accuracy of testing results. We discuss the latest guidelines for self-testing with Datuk Dr. Kuljit Singh of the APHM, as well as find out his observations on the paediatric impact of Covid-19 and why it's important to vaccinate children. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gary Ng from Natixis highlights the key elements of Hong Kong’s budget and whether it will cushion the city from the worst of the Omicron economic impact. Image Credit: HUI YT/Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to 2020 data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), wages for graduate employees have seen declining trends. Young graduates under the age of 24 have been particularly impacted, with the median salary dropping 25% to RM1,550 a month. As the country debates the viability of raising minimum wages to RM1500, what implications does this have for graduate salaries? We discuss the issue with Zouhair Mohd Rosli of DM Analytics. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many countries in the world have embarked on carbon tax but how complicated is it to price it. Howie Lee, Economist, at OCBC Bank tells us whilst giving us a glimpse of how Malaysia should implement it. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The past year has seen the emergence of several new political parties as well as an independent movement, posing challenges to the dominant parties of yore. How much impact will this have on the dynamics of local politics? We discuss the changing landscape with political analyst Dr Hamidin Abdul Hamid. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2022 was supposed to the year of economic recovery but with rising covid cases due to Omicron, does this derail things? Is the solution government support or is it time for business to bite the bullet and pivot? Chin Chee Seong, National Secretary General of the SME Association of Malaysia tells us. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Member of Parliament for Batu Kawan, Kasthuri Patto, shares with us the gaps in accountability and lack of transparency over the circumstances of the nine custodial deaths that have taken place just this year alone. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alexey Muraviev from Curtin University, Perth, unpacks the latest developments taking place in the Russian-Ukraine border as President Vladimir Putin orders troops into the Eastern Ukraine. Image credit: Pixabay.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin has announced that borders will reopen in the 2nd quarter of this year. But are we ready, what are the gaps in the health care system. Asst. Prof Dr Farhan Rusli, Public Health Medicine Specialist & Director of the Selangor Task Force (COVID-19) Operation weighs in with his views. Image credit: Unsplash.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore has unveiled its budget for the year last Friday and it plans to boost income and property taxes, also GST to hike over 2 years, amongst other things being announced. But will the budget be able to address the rising inequality in Singapore as well as restore its coffers sustainably? Lee Ju Ye, Economist, Maybank Investment Bank shares her thoughts on this. Image credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government is expected to table an anti-hopping bill when Parliament reconvenes next week. However many elements remain to be ironed out, including how the bill defines “anti-hopping.” We discuss the stumbling blocks in the drafting process and the political stakes if the bill doesn't come through. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the debate rages on whether to adopt in-person versus online learning or even some hybrid version, Teo Nie Ching, former Deputy Education Minister, helps us identify the challenges and the resolutions needed to move forward. Image credit: NAUFAL ZAQUAN / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute published its annual State of Southeast Asia survey report, unpacking how the region views major foriegn policy and issues and the differences in priorities across countries. 70% of respondents expressed concern that ASEAN was slow and ineffective - does this indicate decreasing relevance of the regional bloc? We discuss the key findings of the report with the lead author, Sharon Seah Li-Lian. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cybersecurity threat is getting increasingly rampant and it has become a priority of our governments and corporations. Cybersecurity threats are borderless and increasingly more sophisticated, but how much do we understand about these threats and what can we do if we fall victim to cybersecurity attacks? Ho Siew Kei, Executive Director, Cyber Risk Advisory at Deloitte shares his advice with us. Image credit: Unsplash.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Uncertainties remain whether the government will greenlight the Single Wholesale Network (SWN) model for Malaysia's 5G deployment, amid objections by the main telco operators. Telecommunications and 5G expert Brett Haan makes a case why the SWN model is worth the investment. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hong Kong has imposed its toughest measures since the start of the pandemic, as daily case numbers climb exponentially. Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced that she has no plans to impose a complete lockdown, but President Xi Jinping has asked for Hong Kong to mobilize all available forces and resource and take all necessary measures to stabilize and control the pandemic as soon as possible. Professor Ben Cowling, Chair Professor of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong shares his observations with us. Image credit: Unsplash.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With a recovery on the horizon and the award of the 5 digital banking licenses, Edward Ling from The Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers (AICB) shares his perspective. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.