Morning Brief
Awọn alaye ikanni
Morning Brief
Opinion and analysis of today’s international and local news that matter to Malaysians. Everything you need to know to start and plan your work.
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5668 awọn episode
Ex-Bersatu Members Mull New Home
The mass expulsion of former Bersatu Deputy President Dato' Sri Hamzah Zainuddin and 16 other members has triggered uproar and mass resignations among...
Malaysia's Retail Sector Remains Robust
Malaysia’s retail sector ended 2025 on a stronger note, with growth picking up in December. However, what is the outlook for 2026? Damien Yeo, Senior...
Bersatu In Disarray
The survival of Bersatu is in question after the expulsion of prominent leaders last week, including heir apparent Dato' Sri Hamzah Zainudin. Who then...
Exorcising the AI Ghost
This month’s earnings reports from Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Apple revealed a combined staggering USD700 billion capital expenditure for 20...
Trump Deregulation Hits Climate Emissions
Last week, President Donald Trump declared that the build-up of greenhouse gas emissions would no longer be considered a public health issue. This eff...
No Double Happiness for SMEs
SMEs in Malaysia are facing challenges on multiple fronts this year, with increased cost pressures and compliance requirements - Datuk William Ng, Ch...
How Far Can Government Influence Affordability?
Despite the ringgit rising 14% against the US dollar and GDP growing 5.2% this year, many Malaysians are still feeling the pinch of high prices. Will...
SC Moves to Rein In Cash Trusts
The Securities Commission Malaysia is finalising a new framework to clarify when cash trust schemes investing in capital market products must be licen...
Azam Baki : Can The MACC Still Be Trusted?
Malaysia’s anti-corruption chief Tan Sri Azam Baki is once again under scrutiny following fresh allegations reported by Bloomberg linking MACC officer...
F&B Sector Poised for Festive Season
2026 sees Chinese New Year falling on the heels of Ramadan. How is Malaysia’s F&B sector gearing up for these back-to-back peak periods? We discuss wh...
Bersatu Purge Raises Questions of Survival
The infighting within Bersatu reached a head last Friday, when party President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin expelled his deputy, Dato’ Sri Hamzah Zainuddi...
The Investment Strategy to Adopt in a Fragmented World
US markets have begun to lag parts of Asia, after outperforming on the back of mega cap tech and the AI trade in 2025.
We ask Rika Naito, Senior...
Making Our Roads Safer This Festive Season
Up to 2.8 million vehicles are expected to hit the roads for CNY and the start of Ramadan. What regulations is the government going to enforce to ensu...
Landmark Ruling on JMBs for Mixed Developments
A recent Court of Appeal ruling held that a single Joint Management Body must oversee the entire developments, even mixed ones, which is a departure f...
Corruption, Walk the Talk, Not Just Talk
Malaysia has inched up three spots in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index, from 57th to 54th. It’s a modest gain against a bold pledge to crack th...
Bangladesh Goes to the Polls : An Analysis
Bangladeshis head to the polls today in what is widely seen as its most consequential election in nearly two decades, coming two years after Sheikh Ha...
Malaysia on TB Watch
Malaysia has reported 10 new tuberculosis clusters across seven states within the first month of 2026, with Selangor and Johor in focus. Prof Dr Rafdz...
Singapore’s Growth Outlook Brightens for 2026
After a stronger-than-expected finish to 2025, the Ministry of Trade and Industry has raised Singapore’s economic growth forecast for 2026 to between...
Analysing Khazanah's 2025 Performance
Khazanah Nasional recorded a 5.2% return in 2025 and paid out RM2 billion to the government, despite global volatility. Ng Tzu Hann, CEO of Tradeview...
Raising the Bar for Lawyers in Malaysia
In Malaysia, there is more than one pathway to becoming a lawyer. Anishaa Sundramoorthy, Co-Chairperson of the National Young Lawyers and Pupils Commi...
PN View on the Future of KL’s Leadership
The debate over whether Kuala Lumpur should have a directly elected mayor is gaining momentum, with Perikatan Nasional cautioning that elections alone...
Sanaenomics Extra Fuel for Nikkei 225
The Nikkei 225 hit a new high on the back of Prime Minister's Sanae Takaichi big election win. Ivailo Dikov, Head of Japan Equities, Eastspring Singap...
Accountability in Boardrooms : Lesson to Learn
Recent developments involving a senior figure at a listed company have brought renewed attention to the roles, responsibilities, and liabilities of ex...
Keir Starmer Under Pressure : An Analysis
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing mounting political pressure following the sudden resignations of key senior aides, renewed scrutiny over Pete...
LDP Landslide Victory in Snap Election
Japan’s political landscape has shifted as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party secured a two-thirds majority. What does this mean...
New Phase in Malaysia-India Relations
Over the weekend, India and Malaysia signed 11 MOUs in an expansion of the India–Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Covering areas such as...
Bhumjaithai Party Secures a Strong Mandate in Thailand
The preliminary results for Thailand’s general election point to caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s Bhumjaithai Party emerging with a comm...
Will Malaysia’s e-waste Import Ban Work?
Recently, Malaysia has just fully banned all electronic waste imports to tackle rising e-waste dumping. But will this policy significantly reduce the...
Japan’s Snap Election: What’s at Stake?
Japan heads to the polls this Sunday in a high-stakes snap election for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the country’s first female leader. With rising...
Who Will Win Thailand’s Election?
Japan’s not the only country having elections this Sunday - our neighbors up north, Thailand, are as well. Against the backdrop of geopolitical tensio...
Critical Minerals, The New Weapon in Global Trade
President Trump has just unveiled a major shift in how the US approaches critical mineral with the launch of Project Vault and a trade zone with part...
Malaysia’s Migrant Labour System Needs Immediate Reforms
Malaysia is again attempting to reform how migrant workers are recruited, amid longstanding concerns over debt bondage, misleading job promises and we...
An Outlook for the Hong Kong Property Market
Hong Kong’s housing market is emerging from a deep multi-year correction, with prices bottoming out in 2025 and rents at record highs. Patrick Wong, H...
What Are The Prospects For Peace In Ukraine?
Peace talks appear increasingly difficult as Russia ramps up its attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, and comes at a time when temperatures fal...
PM Term Limits, Just the Bare Minimum
PM Term Limits, Just the Bare Minimum
There are plans to limit the Prime Minister’s tenure to 10 years aimed at reducing the concentration of po...
Donald Trump and the Road to 2026
The US government has avoided another shutdown after President Donald Trump signed a US$1.2 trillion funding bill, but political tensions remain high....
Malaysia's Digital Banks and the Profitability Test
Malaysia’s digital banks were given five years by Bank Negara to reach profitability and one year has already gone by. Ravi Kittane, Partner at Ernst...
Timely for a New Incentive Framework
The New Incentive Framework will replace a system that’s been around since the 1980 with incentives are now time bound, tiered, and tied to national o...
Assessing Malaysia's Food Security
Malaysia has launched the National Food Security Policy 2030, alongside plans for a National Food Security Act to address global food systems affected...
Peace or War in the Middle East
As tensions between the United States and Iran surge over Tehran’s nuclear programme and the brutal crackdown on domestic protests, both sides are loc...