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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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There is news that the government plans to amend the MARA Act 1966 to improve governance and centralise oversight. The 59-year-old agency has faced scrutiny over transparency, overlapping functions, and underperformance. Ahmad Yazid Othman, Senior Fellow at the Majlis Tindakan Ekonomi Melayu (MTEM), shares his views on this.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Malaysia has had some recent wins from the strength of the Ringgit to strong economic growth despite the geopolitical tensions and trade war. So, has Malaysia found its glory days again. A question that was posed by Daniel Moss, a Bloomberg commentator in his op-ed piece entitled "Malaysia Got Its Mojo Back. But for How Long?" . We ask him why he wrote the article and if there are challenges ahead.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Associate Professor Dr Te Kian Keong, Principal Practitioner and Director of Traditional & Complementary Medicine Centre at UTAR Hospital tells us about the new law regulating traditional and complementary medicine facilities. Active dialog between the regulator and practitioners is key to ensuring this law effectively improves standards and safety for patients.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Asian equities have delivered one of the strongest rallies globally this year, but weeks of volatile trading across Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, seem to indicate some hesitation. Vis Nayar, Chief Investment Officer at Eastspring Investments, talks about the factors behind Asia’s market momentum, the outlook for 2026, and where investors should be positioning next.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sabah’s political scene is once again in motion with UPKO’s exit from Pakatan Harapan, following party president Datuk Ewon Benedick’s resignation from Cabinet. All this ahead of the state's election at the end of the month. Ariff Adi Putera Anwar, Research Associate at the Institute for Development Studies (Sabah), shares his views.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto marks one year in office and Thailand’s Anutin Charnvirakul wraps up his second month as prime minister, both leaders are confronting early tests of leadership. Journalist Erin Cook joins us with an analysis of some of the latest developments in these two ASEAN member nations.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Japan’s new government under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is signalling a significant shift in economic policy, preferring to take a longer lens. We ask Alvin Liew, Senior Economist & Senior Vice President, UOB what are the implications of this change and what are the next steps the BOJ will take.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The excise duty exemption for CKDs is due to be removed while the RM100,000 selling price floor for EVs will be scrapped. What does this mean for the auto sector in Malaysia. Iftaar Hakim, Equity Analyst at RHB Investment Bank gives us his perspective whilst we also ask about EV penetration rates.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The process to end the 41-day US government shutdown is ongoing as the Senate works towards a deal. Next the House of Representatives will need to weigh in before President Donald Trump puts his signature. Dr Kathryn Robison, a lecturer at the United States Studies Centre of University of Sydney, shares her views on this.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Malaysian Media Council has officially commenced its work with the election of 12 board members at its inaugural Annual General Meeting last Friday. With this establishment, what changes can be expected in the standards and direction of Malaysia’s media? We’ll get an insider’s look with Radzi Razak, Founding Board Member of the Malaysian Media Council.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Malaysia’s classrooms are set for a big change in 2027 with a new subject called Nature and Humanity, and a co-teaching model where two teachers share one class. What will that look like in practice? We speak with Chan Soon Seng, CEO of Teach for Malaysia to better understand the impact it will have on students, parents and educators when this kicks in 14 months. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Singapore’s three biggest banks have turned in mixed results for the latest quarter, with all of them flagging margin pressures ahead of 2026 as interest rates trend lower. Sarah Jane Mahmud, Senior Industry Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence tells what to expect from the sector in 2026 and which bank is most resilient.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's never a dull weekend in politics. Upko President Ewon Benedict resigned as Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development. We also saw some tense scenes at the Amanah party conference yesterday. Ibrahim Suffian, Co-Founder & Programme Director at the Merdeka Center, gives us his take on these events, what it means for Sabah state elections and who could be the new ministers.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
COP30 is taking place in Belem, Brazil this year with the notable absence of many world leaders. We ask Dr Renato Lima de Oliveira, Faculty Director of the Center for Technology, Strategy & Sustainability, Asia School of Business if this means that this UN Climate Change Conference is still relevant and do the commitments of 1.5-degree target still matter.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As expected, Bank Negara Malaysia kept the overnight policy rate at 2.75%. We ask Lavanya Venkateswaran, Senior ASEAN Economist, OCBC for her views on this decision and what could be gleaned from their statement as to the broader economy.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The US government shutdown now in its second month, forcing the Federal Aviation Administration to consider cutting flights at major airports by up to 10%. Could these disruptions ripple through Asia’s aviation sector? We discuss the implications with Shukor Yusof, Founder and Primary Analyst, Endau Analytics. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Cliff Lim, Director of Risk & Compliance for Southeast Asia at Dow Jones, explains how transnational scam networks and money laundering operations exploit gaps in cross-border regulations. His insights underscore the urgent need for stronger government-to-government (G2G) cooperation and greater regulatory harmonisation to keep pace with kingpins and scammers who increasingly take advantage of digital finance systems.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Polly Cunanan, Communications Manager for Asia Pacific at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), says that despite the ceasefire, the situation in Gaza remains dire, with almost no functioning medical facilities and far less humanitarian aid entering than what was agreed upon with Israel. She adds that conditions in Sudan are equally alarming, with large numbers of people still unaccounted for since the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized control of El Fasher on October 26.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hong Kong’s economy grew 3.8% in the third quarter, outpacing expectations and keeping the city on track to meet its annual growth target of 2–3%. What does this mean for equity markets and who are the winners? Peter Lewis, Director, Peter Lewis Consulting Limited tells us whilst telling us what could be some of the speedbumps ahead.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
States can help ease the burden of rising healthcare costs currently shouldered by the federal government, says Dr. Kelvin Yii, Member of Parliament for Bandar Kuching. In the near term, this support could come in the form of covering housing and allowances for healthcare professionals, while in the longer term, states could co-fund the development of hospitals and medical infrastructure.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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