Morning Brief

Lim Guan Eng, Secretary-General of DAP discusses his proposed bipartisan National Economic Turnaround Plan to assist distressed Malaysians and businesses, and under what circumstances would he withdraw support for Budget 2022. Image credit: msyaraafiq / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ministry of Education estimates some 1,500 students have been orphaned as a result of their parents succumbing to Covid-19, but this is likely to be the tip of the iceberg. What help is available for orphaned children, or those who have been left alone while parents or caregivers are hospitalized? Datin P.H. Wong, Director, Childline Foundation and Project Lead for the Covid-19 Child Crisis Support Team (CCST) discusses the steps that NGOs are taking in cooperation with government welfare services to support children in need. Image credit: Adi Haririe / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andy Davison, Founder and CEO of The Expat Group Media, and approved agent of the MM2H programme ran a survey and found that less than 5% of respondents qualify to stay on in Malaysia under the new requirements that applicants must have a minimum monthly income of RM40,000 compared to RM10,000. He discusses the implications and how he is engaging with the new government on this matter. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US Vice President Kamala Harris is the latest Biden administration official to visit Southeast Asia this week, signalling the US’ renewed focus on the Asia-Pacific. She signed a raft of agreements to strengthen collaboration with Singapore, and promised one million Covid-19 vaccine doses to Vietnam. How much weight does US engagement carry in a region shadowed by Beijing? We discuss the geopolitical dynamics with Chong Ja Ian of the National University of Singapore. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opposition leaders have met Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob on ways to work together, and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has indicated that Pakatan would not complicate the upcoming vote of confidence for Ismail as long as people’s interests are prioritized. Wong Chen, Member of Parliament for Subang helps us understand if a bipartisan approach is realistic and fruitful, and whether in reality, it’s just a show. Image credit: Prime Minister OfficeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opposition leaders have met Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob on ways to work together, and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has indicated that Pakatan would not complicate the upcoming vote of confidence for Ismail as long as people’s interests are prioritized. Wong Chen, Member of Parliament for Subang helps us understand if a bipartisan approach is realistic and fruitful, and whether in reality, it’s just a show. Image credit: Prime Minister OfficeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Khor Yu Leng, Political Economist at Segi Enam Advisors speculates how the new cabinet would look like and its size under Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri as Prime Minister. Would it be sizeable to appease all parties? And who might become Deputy Prime Minister(s)? Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Khor Yu Leng, Political Economist at Segi Enam Advisors speculates how the new cabinet would look like and its size under Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri as Prime Minister. Would it be sizeable to appease all parties? And who might become Deputy Prime Minister(s)? Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Savage regional competition and policy clarity elsewhere are just two of the many reasons why Malaysia's EV charge is losing steam at a crucial stage of the race for high-value investment. Eddy Do, Analyst at RHB Research weighs in. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, the country's economy has been in freefall - banks and money exchanges have remained shut, prices for basic commodities have surged while economic activity has ground to a halt. What kind of economic landscape could take shape under the Taliban? We discuss the scenarios and whether the international community has any leverage with ANU researcher Dr Charles Miller. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Critical support for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as Prime Minister comes from Parti Warisan Sabah. Now that Anwar has once again failed to secure enough numbers, how does Warisan view their working relationship with Pakatan Harapan, and what might happen during the vote of confidence for Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri? Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, Warisan founder weighs in. Image credit: Dolly MJ / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite prolonged lockdowns in several cities, Covid-19 cases continue to rise, raising questions about the sustainability of Australia's "zero-Covid strategy". Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has signaled a shift to an endemic strategy once vaccinations reach the 80% threshold. However, the plan is hampered by a slow vaccination roll-out and lack of consensus with state governments on Covid-19 management. We discuss the state of play Down Under with Alyssa Leng of the Lowy Institute. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has ended walk-in vaccinations for foreigners at the Bukit Jalil Stadium, citing crowd-control reasons. This however will make it impossible for undocumented workers to be vaccinated as they are ineligible to register themselves for an appointment in MySejathera. New Su Shern, founder of Project Liber8 discusses possible solutions. Image Credit: YuriAbas / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While restaurants can now open for dine-in for fully vaccinated individuals, many restaurants have opted to remain close. Jennifer Ong, founder and CEO of HAPA Group discusses the reasons and initiatives to further protect workers and patrons. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Raising the govt debt ceiling beyond 60% of GDP to help economic recovery is a certainty, especially as elections loom, says Firdaos Rosli, Chief Economist at the Malaysian Rating Corporation Bhd or MARC. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fragility of Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob's new government likely means a slew of generous cabinet appointments for the MPs who supported his push to the premiership, according to Ben Suffian, Programme Director at Merdeka Centre. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many blame Pakatan Harapan for the return of UMNO in the top seat. How should Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and PH re-engage with East Malaysian parties? Should Anwar start to make way for new leaders? Dr. James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies, University of Tasmania discusses. Image credit: AMRUL AZUAR MOKHTAR / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Several countries plan to administer booster shots to increase vaccination while the World Health Organisation is calling for a moratorium. Senior Consultant and Professor in Infectious Diseases at National University Hospital Singapore, Dr Dale Fisher discusses how policymakers could evaluate their needs. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Morning Run speaks to Daniel Bernbeck, CEO of the Malaysian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Malaysia's economy and how attractive is Malaysia in attracting foreign direct investments. We also ask him how the current political instability shape business sentiment. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Consultant Paediatrician, Dato' Dr Musa Mohd Nordin, weighs the benefits and risks of vaccinating teenagers and children, school reopening strategy, and whether unvaccinated children should be allowed to dine in with their vaccinated parents. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Tokyo Olympics just ended on a positive note but questions arise over the costs and was there an economic benefit. William Pesek, Columnist at Nikkei Asia gives some insight into how the economy will fare in the coming quarters. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We ask Ross Tapsell from Australian National University what does the world thinks about the latest political developments in Malaysia and whether there is a grave concern of political instability or acceptance that this is part and parcel of the messiness of a parliamentary democracy. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A total of 114 MPs will be meeting the Agung today, is this a sign that Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri will be PM9? And is this game over for Pakatan Harapan? We also ask Dr. Hamidin Hamid, Research Fellow, Ilham Center on the future of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on the Morning Run. Image credit: msyaraafiq / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Under phase 1 of the national recovery plan, 11 business activities were restarted which has been much welcomed by retailers. But is this enough and too late for mall operators? We ask Tan Sri Teo Chiang Kok, President of the Malaysia Shopping Malls Association for views and also what the industry would like to see from Budget 2022. Image credit: Kevin Khoo / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Indonesia celebrated its 76th anniversary of independence and President Jokowi announcing the 2022 budget, we ask Krystal Tan from ANZ Bank how the region’s biggest economy plans to navigate through the pandemic Image Credit: Bimo Pradityo / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amidst rising covid cases, parliamentary and public censure on the Prime Minister, and a weakening economy, we speak to Marcus Wong, Emerging Market Macro Strategist at Bloomberg on Thailand's grim outlook. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deputy Health director-general Datuk Dr Chong Chee Kheong says that despite the political developments, his ministry's mission of vaccine rollout and testing is on track. We also ask him about the vaccine progress in NRP Phase 2.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Facebook and Google have just unveiled a new undersea cable project, called Apricot. This will connect Singapore, Japan, Guam, the Philippines, Taiwan and Indonesia but Malaysia is absent. Is our cabotage policy the reason? Nabila Hussain, Policy Communications Lead at Social & Economic Research Initiative (SERI) gives us her view. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Azrul Khalib from the Galen Centre shares his thoughts on how the rapidly evolving political landscape might or might not impact how the country manages this pandemic and what would be in the in-tray for the new government. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, the outgoing Perikatan Nasional government announced the launching of ‘Perkukuh’, a three-year programme that targets to reform and future-proof six GLICs (PNB, Khazanah, EPF, LTAT, LTH and KWAP). We ask economist, Dr Nungsari Ahmad Radhi on the urgency and purpose of this programme, and what will happen now with the collapsed PN government. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We turn to James Dorsey to get his perspective on the recent United States withdrawal from Afghanistan resulting in the Taliban seizing Kabul paving the way for them to take control of the country after 20 years in exile. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Felicia Ling, Economist from Hong Leong Investment Bank shares her perspective as Malaysia's GDP for the second quarter came in at 16.1% year-on-year although BNM has revised their 2021 growth estimates of between 3 to 4 percent, compared to its previous forecast of between 6 to 7.5%. Image Credit: Ismail Sadiron Pictures / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Malaysia labors through yet another political quagmire with Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's Perikatan Nasional govt on the ropes, Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, discusses the political permutations and ramifications for Malaysia's long-suffering population. Image credit: Abdul Razak Latif / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With many media reports saying that Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is resigning, the question of who will be the 9th Prime Minister arises. Ong Kian Ming, MP for Bangi tells us what is DAP's position on the matter, and can they form the next government with their allies? Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With China's release of a five-year blueprint calling for greater regulation of vast parts of the economy, we speak to Gary Ng, Asia-Pacific Economist from Natixis to get their perspective follows the recent clampdown on industries ranging from internet platforms and bitcoin to ride-hailing giant DiDi Global and tutoring. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ministry of Home Affairs announced this week that the Malaysia My Second Home programme will resume in October, more than a year after it was suspended due to the pandemic. However there will be updated conditions that apply for all applicants, including higher financial thresholds. Will the new rules serve to attract the desired foreign demographic to make Malaysia their second home, or will it push prospective residents to other neighboring countries? We discuss this with Anthony Liew, president of the industry association. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If lockdowns continue on to Q3 and Q4, what is the likelihood of Malaysia falling into a technical recession? And as Malaysia recovers from the pandemic, what does it need to prioritise to tackle structural challenges like deindustrialisation? Ridzuan Mohamed, Senior Vice President of Research at Khazanah Nasional discusses. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few days ago, some hackers stole US$613 million worth of digital coins from Poly Network, and only returned US$260 million worth of tokens after less than 24 hours. So we ask Varun Mittal, Global Emerging Markets FinTech Leader of EY what are the impacts of this incident and will we be seeing more regulatory oversight on cryptocurrencies. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unsurprisingly, Malaysia's unemployment rate grew to 4.8% in June, reversing a downward trend in the first half of the year, due to the latest round of pandemic restrictions. Similarly, graduate unemployment is also increasing, resulting in graduates opting for jobs that are below their qualifications. What broader impact will this have on the Malaysian economy, and what policy measures are needed to mitigate the fallout? We discuss these issues with economist Dr. Melati Nungsari. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Xue Gong, Assistant Professor of the China Programme of S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies discusses China’s engagement with Southeast Asian countries through the BRI (Belt & Road Initiative) as Western countries consider funding a BRI equivalent. Image Credit: Gil Corzo - Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A sobering report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that human activity is unequivocally changing the climate in unprecedented and irreversible ways. But is this adequate to influence the goals of COP26 in November? And how well is Malaysia doing in tackling climate change? Alizan Mahadi, Senior Director of Research, Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) discusses. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A sobering report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that human activity is unequivocally changing the climate in unprecedented and irreversible ways. But is this adequate to influence the goals of COP26 in November? And how well is Malaysia doing in tackling climate change? Alizan Mahadi, Senior Director of Research, Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) discusses. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The current UMNO internal wrangling is reminiscent of the schism in the 1980s, which saw a splinter party form under the banner of Semangat 46. However, analysts say the present infighting is worse than previous occasions, with the party split between those who think UMNO should go at it alone and those who want to remain in government under Perikatan Nasional. How will these dynamics play out in the lead-up to the Parliamentary sitting in September and the long-awaited confidence vote in the Prime Minister? We discuss this with Adib Zalkapli of BowerGroupAsia. Image Credit: Aisyaqilumaranas / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Statistics confirmed that 2020 was the worst year on record for the airline industry, we speak to the regional director at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on the outlook of this industry. The Morning Run also asked him about IATA’s digital app pass and the challenges in implementing this. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datuk William Ng, Chairman, Small and Medium Enterprises Association (SAMENTA) discusses the situation on the ground for small and medium-sized businesses, and how best to re-open the economy in light of high Covid cases. Image credit: YuriAbas / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Muar MP Syed Saddiq speaks to The Morning Run about parti MUDA's stance on the September confidence vote and Tan Sri Muhyiddin's support in parliament, the need for political compromises, claims and concerns of party hopping, MUDA's political allies and partners, and thoughts on his charges. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8 August marks 54 years since the establishment of ASEAN. While the bloc has been a useful forum for cooperation and engagement among the 10 member states, there have been questions about the effectiveness of ASEAN in light of the pandemic experience. We reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of ASEAN with analyst Muhd Sinatra. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced some relaxation of restrictions for fully vaccinated people. For example, allowing long-distance couples to meet and for parents to cross districts and states to visit children under 18 years old. Dr. Khoo Yoong Khean, Managing Editor, Malaysian Medical Gazette discusses how we could continue to re-open while balancing public health needs and resources. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK has faced one challenge after another, from Brexit to escalating Covid-19 cases last year, and now the Delta variant. Thomas Moore, Senior Investment Director at Aberdeen Standard Investments discusses his outlook and stock picks. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin maintains that he has majority support in Parliament, and will be tabling a vote of confidence in his premiership when the Dewan Rakyat reconvenes in September. Pakatan Harapan stresses that the issue of legitimacy should be dealt with immediately. We speak to Subang MP Wong Chen on PH’s position on the political impasse. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.