Morning Brief

Last week, the government gave childcare centres the green light to resume operations which comes after the tabling of comprehensive SOPs for these centres by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry. While this should help reduce the burden on parents who have had to skip work to stay home and care for their young children, it was received with mixed reactions. Is it too soon to open up childcare centres?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s been rumours of MPs crossing over to support Pakatan Harapan which might trigger another government change. Dr Hamidin Abd Hamid, Research Fellow, Ilham Centre, discusses the likelihood of a government leadership change and his reservations about both coalitions—Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laurence Todd, Head of Research & Development, IDEAS unpacks the government’s recent economic recovery plan “Penjana” worth RM35 billion. Is this enough? Is it too late? And how does Todd rate Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s performance so far?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With tech stocks hitting record highs, we speak to Dan about his thoughts on the rally and whether it still has legs. We also get into the potential impact of a delay to the iPhone launch to Apple's bottomline.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Global equity markets have recovered from the lows although Singapore has lagged. We ask Thilan Wickramasinghe Aloysius, Singapore Head of Research at Maybank Kim Eng whether the catch up that the STI has been showing is sustainable. We also ask him for his views on 2nd quarter result season and what is the best investment strategy for the island state.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Investing has been a growing trend with assets under management having grown to US 30 trillion. However what is the trend here in Asia and where does Malaysia stand when it comes to ESG investing? Benjamin McCarron, Managing Director, at Asia Research and Engagement gives us the answers while telling us whether ESG investing means less returns?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The impact of Covid-19 on jobless numbers is starting to come to light. SOCSO has reported job losses increased 42% year-on-year in the first quarter, with the trend set to accelerate from April onwards. To get more insight, we reached out to SOCSO's Chief of Employment Insurance Dato' Mohd Sahar Darusman, for his expectations going into the rest of the year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah revealed this week, that one Covid-19 case has been detected within the Sungai Buloh prison population. While the Health Ministry has now commenced screenings of the more than 800 inmates and 700 employees, the case has raised important questions over whether our prison system could potentially withstand a Covid-19 outbreak. For more insight, we speak to Dr. Tharani Loganathan, of the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, at Universiti Malaya.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Covid-19, are capital markets quiet? Are there any deals in the pipeline? We speak to Alessandro Cannarsi, Partner in the Private Equity Practice at Bain & Company on what to look out for. He also chimes in on why its important for companies to have a long term growth plan before coming to public markets or run the risk of share price under performance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation has published a series of health recommendations for airlines, including obligatory donning of face masks, but stopping short of leaving every other seat open on planes. To get a sense of whether these recommendations will be enough to restore confidence in the aviation industry amid global pandemic fears, we speak to aviation expert Ron Bishop.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Protests have rocked the US over the past few days, sparked by the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer last week. As a result, at least 12 major cities including New York, Washington DC and Los Angeles, have imposed curfews, with President Donald Trump also threatening to deploy the military if state and city officials failed to control the violence. So for a view on what is happening on the ground, we speak to Bloomberg Opinion columnist Adam Minter, who is currently located in Minneapolis, where the protests first began.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Calls have surfaced for university tuition fees to come down, especially since physical classes have largely come to a halt due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The argument is that since most students have returned to their hometowns, university facilities are not being fully utilised during the MCO, and many B40 and M40 families are now suffering from severe economic uncertainty. Both students and academic staff have been severely affected, so to give us more insight, we reached out to Dr Noraishah Mydin Abdul Aziz, Secretary of the UM Academic Staff Union.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The KL-Singapore High Speed Rail project has been deferred until the end of the year, the second time the project has been put on the back burner after it was shelved in 2018 under the Pakatan Harapan administration. Senior Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali has said that discussions between the two countries will resume in the near future. The question is now, however, does the HSR project still make sense? We speak to Francis Hutchinson, Senior Fellow with the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, to help us find an answer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amidst the unrest in the US, President Donald Trump appears to have escalated his row with social media, signing an executive order which would allow for new regulations on social media content. To help us understand the implications of this order, as well as what it would mean for social media companies, we speak to Alexander Howard, Director of the Digital Democracy Project at Demand Progress, a think tank focused on internet freedom and open government.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8 former Malaysian Bar Presidents issued a joint statement asking for a proper explanation from AG Tan Sri Idris Harun as to why a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) was granted to Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz, Najib Razak’s stepson. Ragunath Kesavan, one of the signatories tells us the rationale behind this statement and why this is important.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With political uncertainty continuing, the role that Sarawak plays in determining who runs the country cannot be underestimated. Professor James Chin, Professor of the Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania gives us an update on the local political scene and whether GPS will switch sides.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ibrahim Suffian, Programme Director at Merdeka Centre analyses the latest political maneuvers in Malaysia with a deep dive on the major political parties and their respective strategies. He also weighs in on politics of East Malaysia and how they remain the king makers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The weekend's political drama saw Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia announce that former Prime Minister and founder, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, has lost his party membership alongside four other lawmakers. The purported reason for the sacking was because they chose to sit among the Opposition during the May 18th parliamentary sitting. Tun Mahathir has since come out to challenge the move, and we speak to his legal counsel Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla, about whether he believes the termination has any legal standing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chinese lawmakers have approved new national security laws applying to Hong Kong, dealing what critics call a 'killer blow' to the city-state's autonomy. To get more insight into this, we speak to Kelvin Lam, Hong Kong southern district councillor and former HSBC Greater China Economist, about what this move will mean for Hong Kong's independence, and what Beijing may do next.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

J Solomon, Secretary-General, Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) blasts the government for postponing the implementation of the amendments to the Workers' Minimum Standards and Housing and Amenities Act 1990 from 1 June to 1 September. Migrant workers live in packed quarters and are at risk of catching diseases.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The local film industry is set to return to work with SOPs in place. Ahmad Ibrahim, President of Film Director's Association of Malaysia (FDAM) gives a sneak preview of what to expect and also discusses the challenges faced by local talent and the appointment of Zakaria Abd Hamid as the new Chairman of FINAS (National Film Development Corporation Malaysia).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tik Tok, launched in 2016, has been downloaded over 2 billion times and recently brought in Disney’s streaming guru, Mark Mayer, as their new CEO. The parent company, Bytedance, is the world’s most valuable startup and has a private valuation of between $105 billion and $110 billion, with talk that it could be worth up to $180 billion in an IPO. But with on-going privacy and censorship issues with the US rumbling in the background, is this their Facebook or Snapchat moment?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prof. Steve Tsang, Director of the China Institute at SOAS, University of London weighs in on what to expect of President Tsai Ing Wen’s government in handling relations with China and the US.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Dato Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya discusses the government’s response to treating detained undocumented immigrants.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Covid-19 ravages the economy, Malaysia's populace continues to have to deal with politics in the form of the continuing battle between former PM Tun Dr Mahathir and current PM Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, with the upcoming Bersatu party elections. Dr. Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow, Singapore Institute of International Affairs, discusses the permutations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s no firm date on when schools will re-open. How are students coping learning online? Should schools reopen soon? Datin Azimah, PAGE Chairman (Parent Action Group for Education) talks about her concerns.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK’s move to restart live Premiership football has the world divided. But beyond the theatre and health implications of restoring contact sports there's much more to the discussion, including broadcast rights and their payments. Football Financial Analyst Kieran Maguire discusses.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amidst the Aidilfitri celebrations, Indonesia has deployed hundreds of thousands of army and police personnel across the vast country to enforce social and physical distancing rules following a record surge in infections in the past week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With infection rates only second to the US, we examine the social and economic impact the virus has had on Russia. Anton Pravednikov, Researcher at Moscow State University attempts to gives us the answer whilst also sharing his insight into President Putin's political plans.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the new normal for the Malaysian auto industry in the Covid-19 era. How badly impacted will the sector be and how can car companies still sell their cars when physical distancing is part of the SOPs? Daniel Fernandez, founder of automotive news website dsf.my tell us his views and also weighs in on Malaysia's ability to be the automotive hub for Asean.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since the implementation of the Conditional Movement Control Order, some F&B businesses have been allowed to operate with SOPs in place. However, the impact has been harder on some parts of the sector than others. We speak to Jennifer Ong, Founder and CEO, HAPA Group, about whether F&B can survive new physical distancing rules, the future of banquets, and how businesses are having to pivot in these unusual times.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With unemployment set to rise as the country faces a recession, should the government focus on saving jobs or creating new jobs? We ask Achim Schmillen, Senior Economist for Social Protection & Labour at World Bank Group what the answer is. He also weighs in what other things the government should focus on to help job creation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even with this Conditional Movement Control Order in place, many Malaysians are still hesitant to resume spending in physical stores. With footfall at shopping centres still far from pre-Covid numbers, we reach out to Datuk Seri Garry Chua to get a current snapshot of the retail sector, and to discuss how things may change in a post-Covid world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Countries around the world are starting to look into ways to revive stagnant tourism industries in a way that would at the same time prevent a resurgence in Covid-19 infections. To that end, the concept of the 'travel bubble' has been introduced; allowing travel corridors between specific countries which can be slowly expanded as more countries become coronavirus green zones. To get more insight into this, we speak to Dr. Mario Hardy, about how viable this strategy would be in the Asia Pacific, and the challenge of putting together a standardised set of regulations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Countries around the world are starting to look into ways to revive stagnant tourism industries in a way that would at the same time prevent a resurgence in Covid-19 infections. To that end, the concept of the 'travel bubble' has been introduced; allowing travel corridors between specific countries which can be slowly expanded as more countries become coronavirus green zones. To get more insight into this, we speak to Dr. Mario Hardy, about how viable this strategy would be in the Asia Pacific, and the challenge of putting together a standardised set of regulations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia as a country is highly dependent on foreign labour, particularly in the area of jobs classifie as '3D', or dirty, dangerous, and difficult. Against the backdrop of Covid-19 health concerns, we examine this topic in conversation with Dr Niaz Asadullah, Professor of Economics, Universiti Malaya - who speaks about why Malaysians are so reluctant to take up these 3D jobs, and what needs to be done to incentivise employers to make the shift away from foreign labour.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Under the shadow of Covid-19, many startups are finding it hard to cope as movement restrictions curtail business and keep Malaysians at home. To that end, the Ministry of Finance has allocated a sum of RM100 million to fund the Technology Startup Funding Relief Facility (T.S.F.R.F.), formed to assist technology startups affected by the pandemic. Here to allay some concerns, including over vetting and loan recovery, is Khairy Jamaluddin, Minister of Science, Technology and Information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Covid-19 has affected every financial instrument, some negatively and others positively. However, cryptocurrencies have been a beneficiary of the pandemic, with Bitcoin appreciating on a year to date basis. We speak to T.M. Lee, co-Founder of CoinGecko to find out why. He also warns of the risks, as the track record to this new store of value is short.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday's historic one-day Parliamentary sitting opened with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong warning lawmakers against throwing the country into political turmoil once again, particularly as the people are still faced with the Covid-19 pandemic. In the wake of the sitting, we speak to Dr. Bridget Welsh, Honorary Research Associate at the University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute and longtime commentator on Malaysian politics, for her take on the sitting and what it says about the state of coalition politics in Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is more than 1 trade war happening with Australia joining in after Prime Minister Scott Morisson asked for an inquiry into the origins of Covid-19. This has led to China retaliating by raising tariffs on barley and blocking imports of beef. However, with China being a major export destination for Australian agriculture and commodities, what does this mean for their economy. Michael Shoebridge, Director of Defence, Strategy and National Security at the Australian Strategy Policy Institute weighs in on this.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Malaysia's infection and death rates from Covid-19 very low, Carmelo Ferlito, Senior Fellow at IDEAS argues that the Malaysian economy should open up with limited restrictions like Thailand. He also says that the policy communication has to be very clear because the fight to attract FDI will also be intense.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Malaysia's infection and death rates from Covid-19 very low, Carmelo Ferlito, Senior Fellow at IDEAS argues that the Malaysian economy should open up with limited restrictions like Thailand. He also says that the policy communication has to be very clear because the fight to attract FDI will also be intense.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first parliamentary sitting of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's administration takes place today - and only for today. With the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's speech the only item on the agenda, questions have arisen over why the decision has been made to forgo any kind of debate, especially in this time of crisis. So to give us more insight, we speak to Dr. Hamidin Hamid, Research Fellow at the Ilham Centre, about what we can expect, divisions within Perikatan Nasional, and whether the Prime Minister the support to survive a no-confidence vote put forward by Langkawi MP and former Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Japan and South Korea are two countries which have seen early success in flattening the coronavirus curve. However, all eyes are on them as they also become some of the first to restart their economies and relax movement restrictions. So for more insight into Japan and South Korea's strategies to fight the coronavirus, as well as preserve their economies from lasting damage, we speak to Jonathan Berkshire Miller, Senior Fellow at the Japan Institute for International Affairs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The deal offered to Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak’s stepson Riza Abdul Aziz surprised many quarters last week. In fact, many questions remained unanswered especially since ex-AG Tan Sri Tommy Thomas has denied that he approved the deal. P. Gunasegaram, Editor in Chief of Focus Malaysia helps us break down the chain of events and what does this mean for the other 1MDB and graft cases.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With US markets pricing in negative rates, the message to investors shifts from yields and returns to capital preservation, says Joe Kalish, chief global macro strategist at Venice, Florida-based Ned Davis Research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the deadline for the lifting of lockdown edges closer, PJ Old Town in Selangor became the eighth area in Klang Valley to be placed under enhanced Movement Control Order (MCO) following the detection of 26 positive cases. Rajiv Rishyakaran, Assemblyman for Bukit Gasing, discusses the social and political issues.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister is only permitting government media to cover Parliament proceedings on-site. Other media houses have to watch online. This decision has been criticised by several NGOS: the National Union of Journalists, Gerakan Media Merdeka, the Center for Independent Journalism, and the International Federation of Journalists. Gayathry Venkiteswaran, Assistant Professor of Media and Communications, University of Nottingham Malaysia discusses why it is important to have equal media access and what is really at play hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As businesses resume operations under the Conditional Movement Control Order or C.M.C.O., there’s been confusion regarding testing requirements for employees. We speak to Mohan to get his thoughts on the matter and who should pay for testing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK has the fourth highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world, not helped by Boris Johnson’s vague campaign tagline: “Stay Alert, Control The Virus". Pollster YouGov found that only 30% of voters understand the new slogan. As such, governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are pursuing their own policies. Patrick Diamond, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Queen Mary University of London helps us understand what is going on in the UK.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.