Morning Brief

Nydia Ngiow from Bower Group Asia gives up an update on recent developments in Singapore as they grapple with a surge in new COVID-19 cases, the recent debate over inequality, as well as proposals of a potential wealth tax. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Under the 12th Malaysia Plan, the government allocated RM400 billion for development expenditure. This is a 61% increase from the 11th plan yet keeping a fiscal deficit target of 3% to 3.5% of GDP by 2025. Firdaos Rosli, Chief Economist at Malaysian Rating Corporation Berhad tells us if this ambitious targets are achievable. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 12th Malaysia Plan sets out the roadmap for the country to achieve a prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable Malaysia. But how does it fare when it come to healthcare? Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad, Chair of the Selangor Task Force on Covid-19 tells us whether there are more hits or misses. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tricia Yeoh from IDEAS shares her assessment of the 11th and 12th Malaysia Plan, as well as helping us dissect the highlights and gaps that exist in the plan. Image credit: Abdul Razak Latif / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Frederick Kliem from S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies helps us unpack the recent election results in Germany, where the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) have narrowly won, triggering horse-trading to build the next government. Image credit: Michael Schwarzenberger / Pixabay.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The vaccination program for teenagers has started in Malaysia but there still remains uncertainty over the roll-out program. Assistant Professor Dr. Farhan Rusli, Public Health Medicine Specialist & Director of the Selangor Task Force (COVID-19) Operation gives us the mechanics of the plan and also the benefits of vaccines for them. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We ask Lavanya Rama Iyer, Head of Policy & Climate Change at WWF Malaysia the progress and track record of the government in focusing on environmental sustainability in the lead up to COP26 and the much anticipated 12th Malaysia Plan. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world most indebted property company turned conglomerate, Evergrande is facing a debt pile of over US$300 billion with a serious cash crunch. Alfredo Montufar-Helu, Beijing Director, The Economist Intelligence Corporate Network tells us the backstory of how this happened and is the Chinese government going to save the day. Image credit: hxdbzxy / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Joe Biden has been beset with foreign policy missteps in his first year of office, with both partners and rivals. The Afghanistan withdrawal was criticized for lack of coordination and consultation with NATO allies, while the recent AUKUS defence pact created consternation with France as well as China. We discuss the highlights of President Biden's address at the 76th UN General Assembly and whether he's signalled a strategy to restore American credibility on the global stage. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was reported that about 90% of Members of Parliament (MPs) did not attend the afternoon parliamentary sessions, causing a delay to proceedings as the quorum was not met. Aira Azhari, Manager of the Democracy and Governance Unit, IDEAS & Member of The Seed Community for a Professional Parliament discusses their lackadaisical behavior. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The upcoming 12th Malaysia Plan is in sharp focus following previous iterations that while well-formed in structure and planning, has missed the target on a broad range of issues due to poor implementation. Dr. Shankaran Nambiar, Head of Research, Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER), discusses. Image credit: Abdul Razak Latif / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Launched in 2013, the Malaysia Education Blueprint (MEB) ends in 2025. With four more years remaining, what problems continue to besiege our education system? Idris Jala, CEO of PEMANDU Associates discusses. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The lifting of the voting age to 18 and automatic voter registration will see 8 million new voters enter the electorate, including a million under the age of 21. What are political parties doing to court the youth vote, and what do the younger generation desire from political leadership? We speak to Ibrahim Suffian of the Merdeka Centre on the trends in youth and politics. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Securities Commission announced that it is revamping the framework for Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPAC) listing. Pankaj C. Kumar, financial market columnist discusses the necessary changes. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk to Azrul Mohd Khalib from the Galen Centre about how the 12th Malaysia Plan should address and anticipate the current challenges in Malaysia's healthcare industry. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the last decade, Malaysia’s domestic capital market tripled to RM3.4 trillion. But it pales in comparison to the size of Singapore’s markets. What does this tell us about Malaysia’s underlying economy? Dr. Liew Chee Yoong, Research Fellow, Center for Market Education unpacks the Securities Commission’s Capital Market Masterplan 3 and what more could be done to broaden the market and deepen liquidity. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grant Wyeth helps us unpack Canada's recent election called by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as he tries to secure a majority following the last election in 2019 which resulted in a minority government. Image credit: Katstudio / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the early stages of the pandemic, the government implemented a freeze on hiring foreign workers, in part to curb the spread of Covid-19 but also to provide more job opportunities for locals. Recently, the Human Resources Ministry said that the freeze would be extended until the end of 2021 - but this has been met with dismay by employers groups, who say that the labour shortage will affect economic recovery. We discuss the impact of foreign worker shortages across different economic sectors with political economist Khor Yu Leng. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, China formally submitted a request to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership - also known as the CP-TPP, what is China's motivation and is China ready to undergo the structural changes necessary in order to comply with the requirements? We speak to Dr Juita Mohamad, Indo-Pacific Fellow, Perth USAsia Centre on this matter. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In an interview with Reuters, Datuk Seri Najib Razak does not rule out seeking re-election despite the 1MDB scandal. Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow, Singapore Institute of International Affairs discusses the former Prime Minister’s popularity and its impact on Barisan Nasional’s chances in GE15. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The pandemic has revealed gaps in protecting the most vulnerable. Associate Professor Dr Saidatulakmal Mohd, Associate Professor of Economics, at Universiti Sains Malaysia discusses social protection measures that are much needed and how best we can fund a more comprehensive program. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hotels have been badly hit during the pandemic but will the re-opening of Langkawi herald a new beginning for the industry? James Buckley, Executive Director for Capital Markets, Knight Frank Malaysia discusses the challenges faced by hotel owners, their options and his Budget 2022 wishlist. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week the US, UK and Australia announced a new defence pact, dubbed AUKUS, which would see Australia equipped with nuclear-powered submarines. The deal comes at the cost of a USD30 billion agreement between Australia and France, which has blindsided the French government and created a diplomatic furor. Meanwhile China has also criticized the "Cold War mentality" of the AUKUS members, warning of a potential arms race. We discuss the implications of the agreement with Susannah Patton, Research Fellow at the University of Sydney. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Firdausi Suffian, Senior Lecturer in Public Policy at UiTM Sabah discusses the reasons why rural infrastructure lag and how we could be more effective in spending. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Talk of a windfall tax has resurfaced in Malaysia but is it a good idea for the economy and is it actually regressive? Dr. Veerinderjeet Singh, President of the Malaysian Institute of Accountant tells us. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia has long championed for 30% representation of women in leadership positions, but the actual results in our political and legislative spheres remain lacking. Barely 15% of MPs in the Dewan Rakyat are women, while only 9 women occupy ministerial positions in the current government, out of 69 posts. Tengku Nur Qistina, Researcher from the Socio-Policy Department at ISIS Malaysia gives us some policy suggestions to correct this. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Ben Cowling helps us unpack the latest developments and research taking the global stage about the need for Booster jabs, as debates continue to rage about the importance of prioritizing vaccine equity with billions still unvaccinated worldwide. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We ask Dr. Arnold Puyok on whether this new government will be able to move the MA63 agreement forward as the same issues around MA63 keep resurfacing every year during Malaysia Day. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Poverty levels in East Malaysia are the highest in the country which has been made worse by the economic scarring caused by Covid-19. We ask Dr. Dayang Affizzah Awang Marikan, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business in Universiti Malaysia Sarawak what the government priorities should be in terms of economic policy when it comes to Budget 2020 and the 12th Malaysia Plan. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hunter Marston from ANU shares his perspective on the tussle taking place between Myanmar's military junta and the country's shadow government for the upcoming United Nations General Assembly and its potential implications on the ground as ASEAN's envoy tries to bridge the divide between both groups. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datin Noor Azimah, Chairperson of the Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) shares her perspective on the recent phased reopening of schools, as the government plans to reopen schools with tighter SOPs and allowing parents to have the final say. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak to Brendan Sobie to get his insights into global travel outlook and which airlines are likely to survive post pandemic, as travel restrictions continue especially in the Asia Pacific. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday, Malaysia hit a significant political milestone with an MOU signed between PH and the Government. 6 key areas were agreed upon with specific timelines for delivery. Wong Chen, MP for Subang and PKR member tells us the rationale behind this MOU and does it affect their ability to be a formidable opposition. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday, Malaysia hit a significant political milestone with an MOU signed between PH and the Government. 6 key areas were agreed upon with specific timelines for delivery. Wong Chen, MP for Subang and PKR member tells us the rationale behind this MOU and does it affect their ability to be a formidable opposition. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Siti Aiysyah Tumin from Khazanah Research Institute (KRI) unpacks for us the recent SOCSO scheme for informal care workers and discusses what improvements can be made to broaden social protection coverage for those in the informal care economy. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak to Gary Ng from Natixis about the recent China's private debt implosion with Huarong and Evergrande and will the Chinese Government bail out these corporates that are potentially too big to fail. Image credit: Pixabay.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is scheduled to officiate the opening of the 14th Parliament session later today. This will be the first session under the government led by new Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. Dr Hamidin Abdul Hamid, Research Fellow at Ilham Centre tells us what to expect from this session and will this MOU that is being signed by the government and PH hold? Image credit: zmpixes / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Global War on Terror was launched in response to the September 11 terror attacks in New York, activating multi-lateral international action and cooperation to counter-terrorism. But have these initiatives had the intended effect? We discuss the lessons that can be drawn from the Global War on Terror two decades post 9/11. Image credit: Lars Mudler / Pexels.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The MySejahtera app has been improved in terms of user experience with a check-out feature. How else can the app be used and upgraded to improve our pandemic response? Dr. Kelvin Yii, the Member of Parliament of Bandar Kuching weighs in on the conversation including why cases have been rising rapidly in Sarawak despite high vaccination rate. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the recent Global Education Conference and Postgraduate Colloquium hosted by UNIRAZAK, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz the finance minister said that the government has to consider unorthodox economic solutions to respond to extraordinary situations like the pandemic. We deep dive with Professor Geoffrey Williams at Malaysia University of Science and Technology on possible unorthodox prescriptions for Malaysia in the longer-term. Image credit: Abdul Razak Latif / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We ask Loong Kok Wen, Head of Regional Property Sector at RHB Investment Bank to dissect how property counters performed this 2Q and get her take on outlook, as well as whether she expects to see the sector consolidate in these challenging times. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance Minister Tengku Dato’ Sri Zafrul Aziz recently commented on the important role that development financial institutions (DFIs) play in Malaysia’s post-pandemic economic recovery. But how much development progress has been made by the 18 DFIs in the country so far? We discuss how to make DFIs more effective with Dato’ Sri Nazir Razak, Chair of Bank Pembangunan. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dato' Thavalingam Thavarajah, Managing Partner at T Thavalingam & Co discusses legal and non-legal options available to employers to create a safe and comfortable working environment. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

El Salvador recently became the first country to adopt bitcoin as its national currency, replacing the dollar. Professor Antonio Fatas, Professor of Economics, INSEAD discusses the readiness of bitcoin as legal tender, and the case for digital currencies going forward. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz proposes to raise the debt ceiling from 60% to 65% of GDP to have more buffer to fight the pandemic. Carmelo Ferlito, CEO, Center for Market Education discusses why borrowing more is a bad idea and the alternative including fiscal measures. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How much control does PKR leadership exert over state governments, and how does this affect policy-making and governance? We discuss the ramifications of PKR infighting in Negeri Sembilan, as well as the uproar over the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve degazettement with political scientist Dr. Wong Chin Huat. We also ask him for his prescription for the opposition to show that they're a viable alternative to the present ruling government. Image credit: Ismiza Binti Ishak / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As approval ratings tank in the aftermath of the Tokyo Olympics and poor pandemic management, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has announced that he will not stand for re-election. This has opened up a race within the Liberal Democratic Party for the top post. We discuss the potential candidates with Jonathan Berkshire Miller, Senior Fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following dissatisfaction amongst grassroots in Negeri Sembilan, and the Selangor state’s decision to degazette the KL North Forest Reserve land, Fahmi Fadzil, Communications Director, PKR discusses internal factionalism within the party and the bigger question on succession. Image credit: msyaraafiq / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Langkawi is expected to open for interstate tourists starting from Malaysia Day. Nasaruddin Abdul Muttalib, CEO of the Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) discusses the island’s readiness and projected number of visitors. Image credit: Safiamycentrio / Pixabay.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All eyes will be on whether Prime Minister Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri opts to hold a confidence vote when Parliament reconvenes next week, as recommended by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. The initial indications aren't reassuring, especially as the Attorney-General has come out to say that a confidence vote is not necessary. What would be the potential implications for Ismail Sabri's government if they forego the vote? We discuss this with political analyst Dr. Azmi Hassan. Image credit: Adam Yusof / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.