Morning Brief

Covid-19 enabled the government to declare a state of emergency -- and therefore a postponement -- of the Batu Sapi by-election in Sandakan. But critics question: was it a politically expedient tool that allowed Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and Perikatan Nasional to re-strategise their battle plan, or truly an act of compassion designed to halt the pandemic's spread? Dr Hamidin Abdul Hamid, Research Fellow at Ilham Centre, discusses. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even as its valuations skyrocket and mass Electric Vehicle (EV) uptake remains a distant proposition, Elon Musk's Tesla continues to defy gravity. Its latest boost? Inclusion in the S&P 500. Daniel Ives, Managing Director for Equities Research at Wedbush Securities, discusses its earnings and share prospects. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia hosted the first-ever virtual APEC Leaders Meeting last Friday with 21 economies participating, which was concluded with a Putrajaya Vision. However, how important is the APEC forum in the broader multilateral landscape, especially where trade is concerned? Aidonna Jan Ayub, Deputy Director at the Khazanah Research Institute, answers this question whilst also reminding us of the challenges ahead for this global trading community. Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The recent spike in new cases this week from a construction site cluster in Damansara has raised questions over Malaysia's treatment of its labour workforce, and whether SOPs can be properly carried out in dormitories. Considering Singapore faced an outbreak in its migrant worker dormitories back in April, it is vital that Malaysia also takes action to ensure the same does not happen here. We reached out to Dr Tharani Loganathan, Public Health Specialist at the University of Malaya, to shed some light on dormitory regulations, the challenge of implementing SOPs within migrant communities, and what the government and employers must do to diffuse the risk of more clusters. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does the Ant IPO suspension say about President Xi Jinping’s strategic direction for China and the Communist Party in the years to come? The Morning Run dives into this and whether this could lead to the stifling of innovation in China, as well as thoughts on President Xi's long-term vision for the CCP and China, whether he intends to remain in power beyond 2022, and US-China relations with a Biden administration in the White House. Image Credit: Gil Corzo / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in school closures around the world, with many students left in the lurch, uncertain of whether they will be able to continue their studies or get into university this year. Yet, the impact of the coronavirus on our children may be greater than we suspect. In conjunction with Universal Children's Day, we look into the growing consequences that the pandemic is having on our children with Dr Rashed Mustafa Sarwar, Representative for UNICEF in Malaysia. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

November marks the start of the northeast monsoon season, raising the risk of heavy rains and flooding in states like Kelantan and Terengganu. However, being displaced from their homes isn't the only threat to residents in these affected areas - in rural parts of Kelantan, and even Sabah and Sarawak, a dearth of infrastructure leaves local inhabitants without access to basic needs like proper sanitation and toilets. In conjunction with World Toilet Day, we speak to Said Alhudzari, General Manager of Program Operations at MERCY Malaysia, for a look at the situation on the ground. Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pfizer may be the first drugmaker to file for US regulatory authorization for its Covid-19 vaccine, which it says is 95% effective with no serious side effects. This comes right on the heels of news out of Moderna, which says its vaccine also stands at over 94%. With hopes rising that we may see a vaccine in distribution by the end of the year, we speak to Sam Fazeli, Senior Healthcare Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, about whether this is truly a cause for excitement. Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can UMNO reform from within? The Morning Run speaks to Dr Bridget Welsh on the push for reform in UMNO, how much traction there is for young leaders to rise within the party, and why reformists don't spin-off to form their own party. We also get her thoughts on the Emergency Declaration in Batu Sapi. Image Credit: Mohd Nasri Bin Mohd Zain / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EPF’s i-Sinar scheme of allowing members who lost their jobs to take an advance on their retirement savings has attracted mixed feedback. Dr Geoffrey Williams, Professor at HELP University, discusses alternatives to funding social protection for Malaysians at large. Image Credit: Ismail Sadiron / Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is President Trump out of line in refusing to concede and denying President-elect Joe Biden a smooth transition of power? Mark Rozell breaks down the process of the presidential transition, its importance, what it entails, and Joe Biden's options.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Federal Territories Ministry has declared Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan as free trade areas for five months. Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, MP for Setiawangsa, weighs in on the pros and cons of this measure. Image Credit: Nazri Yaakub / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EPF has announced a new scheme called i-Sinar, which will allow active members who have lost their jobs, or who have no source of income, to withdraw a certain amount from their EPF Account 1, depending on their existing account balances. The Morning Run team discusses the impact this will have on long-term retirement planning as well as Malaysia's capital markets, with comments from EPF CEO Tunku Alizakri Alias. Image Credit: Ismail Sadiron / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens if Budget 2021 doesn’t receive the votes it needs to be passed in Parliament? We explore this question with constitutional lawyer Lim Wei Jiet. The Morning Run also gets into the parliamentary process of passing a Budget bill, what happens if the budget doesn’t get the votes it needs at the third reading, the options thereafter, and whether a failure to pass the Budget means that government salaries get stalled. Image Credit: S.O / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, 15 countries signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) after nearly a decade of negotiations, creating the world's largest trading bloc. We investigate how much of an impact Malaysia and other countries will feel from RCEP, as well as whether this new bloc will pressure a new US administration into revisiting the CPTPP, with Dr Jayant Menon, Visiting Senior Fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Individuals, as well as businesses, have had to remake themselves in order to survive in this new normal. But are training and re-skilling services equally accessible to everyone? What are the obstacles that one might face in attempting to re-skill? We speak to Edwin Goh, Policy Researcher at think tank The Centre, who conducted a study which found that many in the informal sector still face several obstacles in getting re-skilled. Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, explains Budget 2021 incentives to create jobs for youth, and recommends that Bank Negara Malaysia should print money and give it directly to citizens. Image Credit: Azlan KamarazamanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Mario Hardy, CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), discusses his outlook for the tourism industry in light of travel bubble arrangements and the news that a vaccine might be released in the second half of 2021. Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia’s Q3 GDP rebounded significantly from the second quarter, but will the ongoing CMCO stall Malaysia's path to recovery? The improved performance in Q3 largely reflected the impact of the reopening of the economy after the MCO as well as better external demand conditions. Overall for 2020, Bank Negara projects that GDP will contract by between 3.5% and 5.5%, and forecasts clearer skies in 2021, with GDP expected to grow between 6.5 and 7.5%. Image Credit: Kamarulzamanganu / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Budget 2021 allocated RM4.5 million to the state of Sarawak, which was followed closely by the state government’s tabling of RM9.8 million in additional state spending. But is that going to be enough for Sarawak’s recovery and infrastructure development? To help us answer this question, we reached out to Dr Dayang Affizzah Awang Marikan, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Budget 2021 allocated RM4.5 million to the state of Sarawak, which was followed closely by the state government’s tabling of RM9.8 million in additional state spending. But is that going to be enough for Sarawak’s recovery and infrastructure development? To help us answer this question, we reached out to Dr Dayang Affizzah Awang Marikan, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Southeast Asia saw the addition of 40 million new internet service users in 2020, with 1 in 3 starting to use digital services as a result of Covid-19. According to the e-Conomy SEA Report put together by Bain, Temasek, and Google, the region’s internet economy is poised to triple by the year 2025. For more insight, we speak to Alessandro Cannarsi, Partner in Private Equity and Digital Practice at Bain Southeast Asia, about the growth of the tech scene, and the region’s potential for further development. Image Credit: Shalstock / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The retail sector has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic and successive economic lockdowns, with no end in sight as globally cases are on the rise. The Malaysia Retail Industry Report estimated that over 50,000 stores are expected to close over the next few months. So, following the release of Budget 2021 last Friday, we speak to Shirley Tay, President of the Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA), about what more needs to be done in order to rescue this beleaguered industry. Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year, Alibaba pulled in a whopping $74 billion from its Singles Day sales, doubling its previous record. Could this be an indication of how much Chinese consumer spending has recovered? We speak to Catherine Lim, Asia Senior Consumer Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. Image Credit: Christopher Penler / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Budget 2021 was tabled for its first reading in Parliament on Friday, amidst hopes the country will be able to return to growth by 2021. In order to do that, the task of attracting more foreign direct investments (FDI) will be more important than ever. We're asking InvestKL CEO, Muhammad Azmi Zulkifli, whether Budget 2021 has sweetened the deal enough to bring more investors into the country. Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The third wave of the Covid-19 outbreak in the country has seen Sabah rapidly become the worst affected state, with the total number of infections in mid-October overtaking both Selangor and Kuala Lumpur combined. Its frontliners and its people are in desperate need of aid, so on the back of Sabah's allocation of RM5.1 billion in development expenditure in Budget 2021, we speak to Dr Firdausi Suffian, Political Economist at UiTM Sabah, on whether Sabah is getting enough to spur economic recovery. Image Credit: Msbunny / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the newly announced Budget 2021, RM9 billion will be allocated to generating and retaining jobs. This includes hiring incentives, reskilling programs, short-term employment programs in the public sector and GLCs, and targeted wage subsidies. But was there enough to ensure long-term growth in the labour market? We discuss the potential effectiveness and scope of these measures, the concentration of jobs in more developed states in Malaysia, as well as thoughts on long-term job creation. Image Credit: Syariff Hidayatullah / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re one step closer to getting a Covid-19 vaccine, but on the back of this positive news, what concerns should we be paying attention to? The Pfizer and BioNTech team have announced that the vaccine they’re developing is 90% effective in protecting people from the transmission of the Covid-19 virus in global trials. Based on the interim analysis, which will continue till December, the vaccine has performed better than expected, with no safety concerns to report so far. Pfizer and BioNTech are looking at globally supplying up to 50 million vaccine doses in 2020, and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021. There’s no doubt that this is good news, but the public has been advised to be cautiously optimistic as full data is not available yet and that the trials are ongoing. Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government of the day is allocating RM50 billion to Budget 2021 for education, where a large chunk of it will go into improving, maintaining and repairing public schools. Is this allocation enough to address the impact that the pandemic has had on schools and students? We speak to Professor Nor Faridah Abdul Manaf for her thoughts here, as well as her view on the most pressing education issues, initiatives she would have liked to see in Budget 2021, and the impact of the closing of schools on students. Image Credit: Safwan Abd Rahman / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datuk Ahmad Asri Hamid, Chief Executive of the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), tells us how this sector and the broader economy will benefit from the RM15 billion allocated for infrastructure projects. He also reminds us of the importance of raising the bar for small to medium construction players to enable them to compete, whilst also encouraging them towards mechanization. Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Budget 2021 contained a slew of initiatives to address the social protection needs of vulnerable groups who are suffering from the economic fallout of Covid-19. Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, Chairman of Khazanah Research Institute, gives us his views on the initiatives announced and whether it goes far enough. He also reminds us of the role that government-linked companies (GLCs) can play in providing social protection. Image Credit: Izlan Somai / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take the helm, how might US foreign policy change? We speak to Dr Malcom Cook for his thoughts here, the international community's reaction to the election, how countries in Southeast Asia will view this, and what this means for China's influence in the region. Image Credit: Ron Adar / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Budget 2021 is the largest to date at RM322.5 billion with goodies for the rakyat and businesses. Sim Kwang Gek, Tax Leader of Deloitte Malaysia, breaks down the details of it, explaining the tax breaks available and also the initiatives that will spur investments. Brought to you by Mah Sing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At a gargantuan RM322.5 billion, Budget 2021 is Malaysia’s biggest spending plan on record, aimed at staving off the Covid-19 crisis and supporting economic recovery. However, its affordability, optimistic assumptions on government revenue and a widening fiscal deficit that is estimated at -5.4% of GDP for 2021, remain material impediments to an effective implementation. Wellian Wiranto, Economist at OCBC Bank, discusses. Brought to you by Mah Sing. Image Credit: amadeustx / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Budget 2021 is the largest to date at RM322.5 billion with goodies for the rakyat and businesses. Sim Kwang Gek, Tax Leader of Deloitte Malaysia, breaks down the details of it, explaining the tax breaks available and also the initiatives that will spur investments.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Biden is now US President-Elect, but he inherits a divided country, crippled economy and a society still in the throes of Covid-19. Robert Shapiro, Professor of Government at Columbia University, discusses Biden's immediate, medium, and long-term priorities for America. Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Biden is now US President-Elect, but he inherits a divided country, crippled economy and a society still in the throes of Covid-19. Robert Shapiro, Professor of Government at Columbia University, discusses Biden's immediate, medium, and long-term priorities for America. Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SMEs remain the backbone of the Malaysian economy, contributing close to 40% of the GDP and hiring more than 50% of the country's workforce. So, does Budget 2021 offer enough incentives to help this sector overcome the crisis? Datuk Michael Kang, President of the SME Association of Malaysia, gives us his views. Brought to you by Mah Sing. Image Credit: Uwe Aranas / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Covid-19 has kicked off many changes in the way we travel, shop, and work. There are also signs that the pandemic may have long-term effects on our urban populations, with flight from cities to suburban areas expected. In the UK, however, the housing market appears to be booming. For more insights, we speak to Iwona Hovenko, Real Estate Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. Image Credit: ZGPhotography / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neither candidate has won, and it looks like the race will come down to four states. Biden appears quietly optimistic and calls for patience, while President Trump has been threatening legal action against states he has lost. We get some insight here from Matt Dickinson about the differing approaches between both camps, as well as the potential legal mess and state of play in Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Nevada. Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suhaimi Ilias, Chief Economist at Maybank Kim Eng, discusses his predictions for Budget 2021, including the possibility of a windfall tax. Brought to you by Mah Sing. Image Credit: jamesteohart / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ng Sue Lynn, Executive Director and Head of Indirect Tax at KPMG Tax Services, weighs in on where she thinks the government needs to prioritise in Budget 2021 for productive gains, and the likelihood of additional taxes to pad up government revenue. Brought to you by Mah Sing. Image Credit: SHAH AIZAD / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lim Guan Eng, Former Finance Minister, explains Pakatan Harapan’s stand for Budget 2021 and where the lines of support will be drawn if the Budget does not include their recommendations. Image Credit: Holger Kleine / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the first two days surrounding the US elections, neither President Donald Trump nor former Vice President Joe Biden has managed to secure the majority of 270 votes in the electoral college. Trump has already claimed victory, however, alleging fraud and pledging to bring the issue to the courts. To help us understand what comes next, we speak to Andrew Cohen, Associate Professor at Carleton University, about Trump's grounds for legal action, the magnitude of a flood of mail-in ballots, as well as the odds of a split Congress. Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All eyes are on the US, where the results have yet to become clear as to who will lead the country into the next four years. With the S&P500 charting its best-ever day after an election, we speak to Ed Clissold, Chief US Strategist at Ned Davis Research, about how markets react to this highly volatile election. Image Credit: Marek Masik / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parliament has tabled amendments to the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (OSHA), which will now cover all workplaces and increase fines by 10 times for non-compliance. Kwan Will Sen, Partner at Lim Chee Wee Partnership, helps us understand the changes and what companies need to do next. Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite government assistance offered since the start of movement control orders in the country, the E&E sector - a major contributor to the country's GDP - is still seeing some disruptions, not helped by the recent reimposition of the CMCO. We speak to Siew Choon Thye, President of The Electrical and Electronics Association of Malaysia, for more insight into the industry, as well as what they hope to see announced in the upcoming Budget 2021. Brought to you by Mah Sing. Image Credit: DmitrySteshenko / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite government assistance offered since the start of movement control orders in the country, the E&E sector - a major contributor to the country's GDP - is still seeing some disruptions, not helped by the recent reimposition of the CMCO. We speak to Siew Choon Thye, President of The Electrical and Electronics Association of Malaysia, for more insight into the industry, as well as what they hope to see announced in the upcoming Budget 2021. Brought to you by Mah Sing. Image Credit: DmitrySteshenko / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does the life insurance sector want in Budget 2021? We speak to LIAM CEO, Mark O'Dell, to find out. Earlier this year, the Life Insurance Association of Malaysia (LIAM) and the Malaysian Takaful Association (MTA) announced the option to defer the payment of life insurance premiums/takaful contributions from April 1st to Dec 31st. With that, it was reported in early September that more than a million people affected by the pandemic opted to defer their life insurance premium payments for three months, with LIAM estimating that the total amount of premium payments deferred was more than RM1 billion. We ask Mark about the current situation, pressing concerns, and LIAM's Budget 2021 wishlist. Brought to you by Mah Sing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Myanmar is set to hold elections this week, only the second semi-democratic elections the country has seen. However, the leader of the National League of Democracy (NLD), Aung San Suu Kyi, has come under fire for failing to address the Rohingya crisis, dashing hopes for her leadership. We speak to Kyaw Win, Executive Director of the Burma Human Rights Network, for his perspective of the NLD Government since they came into power in 2015, especially in their treatment of minority groups. Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.