Morning Brief

Will the rollback of economic stimulus packages lead to a prolonged economic fallout in the ASEAN region? The Morning Run gets into this with Chua Hak Bin, Senior Economist at Maybank Kim Eng, as well as his forecast for ASEAN-6 real GDP growth, the sustainability of record-low policy rates, whether external or domestic factors will be more influential in driving regional growth, and which country has adopted the best economic practices.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has introduced a special cabinet committee that will study recommendations put forward by the Electoral Reform Committee back in August. We speak to Sunway University political scientist, Dr Wong Chin Huat, about whether or not this means reforms may be implemented before GE15. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal and Parti Warisan looking to expand into Peninsular Malaysia? The Morning Run asks Jahabar Sadiq, Editor of The Malaysian Insight, for his views here, as well what the future of Pakatan Harapan could look like, whether new leadership is needed, and the general state of Malaysian politics. Image Credit: Dolly MJ / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2020 has been a rollercoaster year for many countries, particularly the United States. In the wake of a fraught presidential election, and with the country still struggling to rein in the Covid-19 pandemic, what lies ahead for the US economy and markets? We speak to Ed Clissold, Chief US Strategist at Ned Davis Research, for more insight.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Auditor-General's Report 2019 was tabled in Parliament last week, covering the performance at 12 ministries. 62 recommendations were submitted by the National Audit Department. But the question is, will these government departments be brought to task for the leakages that have been discovered? We speak to Sri Muniarti Yusuf, Research Manager at the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs, about her takeaways from the report, and what needs to be done about it. Image Credit (Dewan Rakyat): Shutterstock.com Image Credit (AG Report): National Audit Department, MalaysiaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, Fitch Ratings downgraded Malaysia's sovereign rating from A- to BBB+ with a stable outlook, a move which shocked many who expected the rating agency to take a more lenient stance in light of the global pandemic. The result? It may be more costly now for Malaysia to borrow funds. Having spoken to both Fitch Ratings and the Finance Ministry, we now reach out for a third view, speaking with Dr Ong Kian Ming, Bangi MP and former Deputy Minister of International Trade, for his take on the matter. Image Credit: 4kclips / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the announcement of a Covid-19 vaccine now in emergency use in several countries, and just approved in the US, many believe that this is the beginning of the end for the pandemic. But the rollout of these vaccines may not be so simple. We speak to Benjamin Cowling, Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the University of Hong Kong, about vaccine regulations, storage, and how much it will take to achieve herd immunity. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Felda announced this week that it is planning to make a mandatory takeover offer to FGV's minority shareholders, at an offer price of RM1.30 per share. The move has raised questions over Felda's intentions, as well as whether FGV's listing status will be maintained. We ask P. Gunasegaram, Editorial Consultant at The Vibes, to give us his take on the issue, as well as some background on the relationship between Felda and FGV. Image Credit: Amy Rosie / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three artificial islands, a RM43 billion price tag and announced by now-disgraced former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in 2014, the Melaka Gateway could not have had a more auspicious start. But all has unravelled. Dr Francis Hutchinson, Senior Fellow at the ISEAS-Yusuf Ishak Institute, unpacks Malaysia's latest white elephant. Image Credit: Prehistorik / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Soon about to debut in the public markets, Airbnb might be valued as much as $42b in a year in which tourism and travel were decimated. Why come out now? And is it worth the money? Howard Yu, Professor of Management and Innovation at IMD, analyses. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Human Rights Day is celebrated every 10th December but in this post-Covid-19 era, has this issue being ignored? Dato' Mah Weng Kwai, Commissioner of SUHAKAM, tells us the importance of debating the Suhakam report in Parliament and whether the Perikatan Nasional government has engaged with them. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this week, former Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor was given a discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) over charges of receiving RM1 million from businessman Datuk Tan Eng Boon. This would be the third high-profile withdrawal of charges, following those of Riza Aziz, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s stepson, as well as 46 charges filed against former Sabah Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman. Is the latest DNAA a sign that we will see other charges dropped? The Morning Run speaks to Professor James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania, for his thoughts on this and the political situation in Perak. Image Credit: Masuti / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Bevington, Public Policy and Foreign Affairs Analyst at UK in a Changing Europe, analyses the latest in the Brexit saga, with the deadline on a decision looming ever closer. Image Credit: donfiore / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wirecard, 1MDB, Luckin Coffee - what were the lapses that lead to financial scandals like these? The Morning Run speaks to Dr Veerinderjeet Singh, President of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants, about this and the role auditing and accounting firms play. Image Credit: Faiz Zaki / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, Fitch Ratings downgraded Malaysia’s sovereign rating from A- to BBB+ with a stable outlook. This has a real fiscal impact on the country because a downgrade typically denotes a higher risk of default, which in turn means it will be more costly for Malaysia to borrow funds. So what does the Ministry of Finance think about this downgrade? We speak to Puan Zakiah Jaafar, Deputy Secretary-General of Policy at the Ministry of Finance, to find out. Image Credit: Willy Barton / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To what extent will the relaxation of interstate travel restrictions and passenger car limits help the Malaysian hotel industry? Yap Lip Seng, CEO of the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH), tells us if this industry can overcome the rising virus cases and the still-closed international borders. He also gives us an outlook for 2021 and what more the government should do. Image Credit: jamesteohart / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore has awarded licences for its first digital banks - what can we expect from this and what will this mean for the traditional players? The Morning Run speaks to Varun Mittal, Global Emerging Markets FinTech Leader at EY, to find out. Image Credit: PopTika / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the end of last week, Fitch Ratings downgraded Malaysia’s sovereign rating from ‘A-’ to ‘BBB+’, with an improved outlook from negative to stable. Thomas Rookmaaker, Director of Sovereign Ratings at Fitch Ratings, gives us the details on the reasons for the downgrade and what would be required for the country to regain its A- rating. Image Credit: Willy Barton / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President-elect Joe Biden has already made overtures with regard to the Iran nuclear deal to restart negotiations, but has this ship sailed? Will the Iranian government be more amenable to deal after facing economic hardship since the imposition of the sanctions, made worse by Covid-19? Professor James Dorsey, Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, gives us his views. Image Credit: saeediex / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UMNO's engineering of a shakeup in the Perak state government has triggered a political crisis and raised questions over the ability of Perikatan Nasional to remain a coalition and whether there are wider repercussions for the upcoming national polls. Image Credit: Khoe / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government's decision to extend the CMCO in most states until December 20th, and not till the end of this month as widely expected, has businesses and people cheering. But questions remain about the health of the economy, and its path to recovery. Firdaos Rosli, Head of Economic Research at the Malaysian Rating Corporation Berhad (MARC), discusses. Image Credit: Phoebe Teng / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has allocated RM31.9 billion for the healthcare sector under Budget 2021. We speak to Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, former Minister of Health and MP for Kuala Selangor, for his views on whether this is sufficient, the effectiveness of the CMCO in Selangor, and how the federal and state governments are cooperating on this front. Image Credit (Dr Dzulkefly): S.O / Shutterstock.com Image Credit (Background): Mohammad Amirul Asraf / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, President-elect Joe Biden introduced his top economic advisers, including former Fed chair Janet Yellen, as his team prepares for a tough confirmation battle ahead in the Republican-majority Senate. We speak to Kathryn Dunn Tenpas about this, as well as what Biden's picks mean for the economy and foreign policy, and how he might navigate a divided Democratic party. Image Credit: Ron Adar / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite the uncertainties presented by the Covid-19 pandemic and the geopolitical tensions between the US and China, Southeast Asian capital markets have managed to remain resilient. According to a Deloitte review, the IPO market in the region has so far bucked the overall economic downtrend, and may even be inching up to pre-Covid levels. We speak to Wong Kar Choon, Disruptive Events and Advisory Leader at Deloitte Malaysia, for more insight.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) has expressed disappointment over the decision not to table their 2019 Annual Report in this sitting of the Dewan Rakyat. We speak to SUHAKAM Commissioner, Jerald Joseph, about the importance of the report, what it contains, as well as the engagement SUHAKAM has had with the government so far.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While the eyes of the world were fixed on the US presidential elections, Ethiopia has descended into armed conflict, centred around its northern province of Tigray. Nearly 1 million people are believed to have been displaced from their homes into neighbouring South Sudan and Eritrea, with no end in sight. To find out more about this burgeoning humanitarian crisis, in a region that is one of the major arteries of global trade, we speak to Samuel Makinda, Professor of International Relations and Security Studies at Murdoch University. Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to a recent report by the Department of Statistics, women on average earn 94 sen to every RM1 earned by a man. However, the wage differential needs to be seen beyond face value - there are a host of complexities underpinning the wage gap between men and women, and reconciling the differences requires a multi-faceted response. We speak to gender studies expert, Dr Shanthi Thambiah, on how to interpret the wage gap data, as well as measures to encourage women’s participation in the labour force. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim's leadership of the opposition has come into question following the last-minute strategy change to challenge Budget 2021. Is it time for new leadership, or maybe even for the coalition to break up? The Morning Run speaks to Dr Bridget Welsh of the University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute Malaysia about this, the divisions in the coalition, and Parti Warisan Sabah's frustrations. Image Credit: Jasni / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday delivered record sales online. We discuss with Poonam Goyal, Senior US Retail Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, on the outlook for the retail sector. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the last few decades, better healthcare systems have led to longer life expectancies, yet at the same time, it seems that Malaysians aren't getting any healthier. And why are our lifespans still lagging behind countries with income levels comparable to ours? Khazanah Research Institute's latest State of Households Report looks to answer these questions, so we speak to KRI Researcher and co-author of the report, Nazihah Muhamad Noor, to find out more. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has introduced an Undocumented Migrant Worker Recalibration Programme to get employers to register undocumented workers. Take-up, however, has been slow. Khor Yu Leng, an economist at Segi Enam Advisors, discusses the obstacles. Image Credit: Aisyaqilumaranas / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can Australia survive a trade war against China? A new kind of trade war may be brewing in the East as tensions between China and Australia increased drastically over the past few weeks. Last week, China imposed anti-dumping duties of up to 212% on Australian wine, the latest in a slew of measures curbing imports from coal and copper to barley. This led to the Australian government hinting over the weekend that it might bring a formal case against China at the World Trade Organisation. Tensions then escalated further after a Chinese Foreign Ministry official tweeted a fake photo of an Australian soldier holding a knife to the throat of an Afghan child, referring to alleged to war crimes. This led to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison reprimanding China and calling for the country to apologize. So what's the background of this conflict and where could it go? We speak to Dr Pradeep Taneja to find out. Image Credit: danielo / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister had announced a slew of additional reliefs under Budget 2021 after taking into account feedback from MPs. One of them is to allow qualified EPF members to withdraw from Account 1. Dr Juita Mohamad, Fellow at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS), discusses the merits of these measures and the impact on GDP and fiscal deficit. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the opposition opted out of bloc voting on Budget 2021, the pressure is on Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim to show that he truly commands majority support. We discuss with Dr Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, on the likelihood of Anwar stepping down and Pakatan Harapan’s chances if a general election is called soon. Image Credit: AMRUL AZUAR MOKHTAR / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last Wednesday, Carrie Lam delivered her longest policy address to bolster Hong Kong’s economy. Michael Frank, Senior Analyst of Public Policy at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), discusses key aspects of the speech, including the lack of engagement on the controversial national security law. Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Budget 2021 was passed with a voice vote after a bloc gambit failed to get the necessary support to proceed. Ben Suffian, Programme Director at Merdeka Center, gives us his views on what might have happened behind the scenes. He also weighs in on the future of Pakatan Harapan and whether this political misstep is repairable in the eyes of their supporters and even party members. Image Credit: Bonma Suriya / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Muar MP and former Youth and Sports Minister, Syed Saddiq, tells us why he disagrees with the decision to revive the National Service Training Programme. He also explains what happened in Parliament during the first vote for Budget 2021 and why the opposition failed to follow through on their planned bloc vote.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, painted a dire picture for the UK economy as a result of the pandemic, in the government’s Spending Review, with an expected contraction of 11.3% this year. We speak to Patrick Diamond, public policy expert, on what the Spending Review says about the government’s priorities for the coming year. Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The revocation of cabotage exemptions for foreign ships to conduct undersea cable repairs has been lauded by the local shipping industry as an act of patriotism that will preserve domestic interests. We hear from industry leader, Dato’ Abdul Hak Md. Amin, on why he thinks the cabotage policy makes sense, and how it can promote the growth of the Malaysian shipping industry. Image Credit: hkhtt hj / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will Budget 2021 be passed? Will this be Malaysia's first Unity Budget that receives multi-partisan support? Wong Chen, Member of Parliament for Subang, gives us an update whilst reminding us that the day-to-day work of the government still continues even if the Budget is not passed. Image Credit: S.O / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bitcoin mania is back, but will it last? Bitcoin breached its record high in 2017, surpassing $19,500 this week, and is up more than 40% in November alone, while more than doubling in 2020. While bitcoin did crash following the 2017 rally, this time around the cryptocurrency is backed by broader mainstream adoption. So is this time different? Is there more upside to the Bitcoin boom? Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia is becoming an ageing society, and according to The World Bank, this could have repercussions for the economy and our social protection systems. But is raising the minimum retirement age the answer? We speak to Laurence Todd of IDEAS about this and more. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Although the Finance Minister Tengku Dato’ Sri Zafrul Aziz has said that no new taxes will be introduced until the economy recovers, it’s worth discussing the different options to fill government coffers that have been depleted by the pandemic. To this end, the Ministry of Finance has set up a committee to study various ways to enhance government revenues, including the proposal to reinstate the Goods and Services Tax (GST). We speak to Ng Sue Lynn, Head of Indirect Tax at KPMG Malaysia, on factors the government should consider if GST were to make a comeback. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Although the Finance Minister Dato’ Sri Tengku Zafrul Aziz has said that no new taxes will be introduced until the economy recovers, it’s worth discussing the different options to fill government coffers that have been depleted by the pandemic. To this end, the Ministry of Finance has set up a committee to study various ways to enhance government revenues, including the proposal to reinstate the Goods and Services Tax (GST). We speak to Ng Sue Lynn, Head of Indirect Tax at KPMG Malaysia, on factors the government should consider if GST were to make a comeback. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fifteen Asia Pacific countries have signed the largely China-backed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, otherwise known as RCEP. India, however, is not one of them. The country opted out after negotiations failed to address their concern on the elimination of tariffs, which would open India’s markets to imports and harm local producers. India’s reluctance to free trade agreements is nothing new; according to the Global Trade Alert database, the country comes second, among the larger economies within the G20 group, in imposing restriction on trade. Will India’s withdrawal from the RCEP and its rising protectionism hurt it in the long run? Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After noting that the number of Covid-19 cases in Sabah has dropped in the last few weeks, the Health Ministry has lifted the mandatory 14-day quarantine for Sabah returnees moving forward. However, this comes on the back of news that the country has hit a new record high of cases nationwide. Azrul Khalid of the Galen Centre for Health & Social Policy talks to us about this move and shares his thoughts on the progress of our CMCO. Image Credit: Alen thien / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Malaysia facing a third wave of Covid-19 case, we speak to Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Public Health, on what is the best approach towards flattening the pandemic curve. We also ask if the CMCO is the right balance between public health and the economy, as well as discuss whether the accusations that the government is withholding data are fair. Image Credit: Afif Abd. Halim / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Singaporean government projects the country's economy will grow between 4-6% next year, but amidst a pandemic that has not abated, how likely is this for a country so vulnerable to external shocks? We speak to Khoon Goh about Singapore's third-quarter economic data as well as its outlook. Image Credit: i359702 / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parliament is expected to vote on whether to pass Budget 2021 through to the third reading this week. It’s widely seen as a de facto no-confidence motion against Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s government. James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania, reminds us of the political negotiations behind the scenes whilst revealing what each political party is asking for. Image Credit: Naufal Zaquan / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.