Morning Brief

By BFM Media

What's Morning Brief about?

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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Morning Brief episodes:

05.30.2024
Trump, The Convicted Felon And What It Means For US Elections
After two days of deliberation by a jury of 12 New Yorkers, Donald Trump has been found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records to pay hush money ahead of the 2016 election. John Zogby, pollster and...
05.30.2024
Relooking At Taxes For State Development
The Penang government has proposed for a comprehensive review of tax revenue distribution, advocating for a 20% return of collected taxes to enhance local development. Dr. Tricia Yeoh, CEO, Institute of Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) tells us if...
05.30.2024
South African Polls Does Not Bode Well For ANC
As South Africans voted in the most hotly contested elections in 30 years with the ruling party, the African National Congress expected to lose their majority. Dr. Dirk Kotze, Professor of Political Science, University of South Africa tells us who...
05.29.2024
Transparency Imperative In Government Procurement
The uproar over the awarding of a demand responsive transit (DRT) pilot project in Selangor to Asia Mobiliti, whose co-founder is the husband of Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has put the spotlight on gaps in the government procurement...
05.29.2024
Taiwan's Controversial Bill Stirs Protest In Streets And Parliament
Protests have been taking place outside Taiwan's parliament drawing up to tens of thousands of demonstrators to voice their opposition to contested reforms backed by the opposition Kuomintang and the Taiwan People’s Party. Brian Hioe, Co-Founding Editor of New Bloom...
05.28.2024
Full Transparency For MAHB Deal Would Assuage Concerns
The proposed deal to take Malaysia Airport Holdings (MAHB) private has sparked debate from both proponents and detractors. M. Shanmugam, Contributing Editor with the Edge helps us discern whether this is a good deal for shareholders and national stakeholders. Image Credit:...
05.28.2024
Contradictions In Madani Govt Media Freedom Commitment
National-level celebrations for HAWANA 2024 (National Journalists Day) were held in Kuching, Sarawak over the weekend. During the event, comments by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on the relevance of World Press Freedom Index rankings raised questions about the...
05.27.2024
Can Trees Happily Coexist In Urban Klang Valley?
On Saturday, some parts of Kuala Lumpur and PJ were also hit by a storm which caused many trees to fall causing damage although this time, no loss of life. We speak to Lim Yi Wei, Assemblywoman of Kampung Tunku...
05.27.2024
The Unexpected Japan, Korea and China Summit
Leaders from China, Japan, and South Korea convened for their first trilateral meeting in over four years with a focus on trade and security. William Pesek, Columnist, Nikkei Asia tells us what implications this summit has against the backdrop of...
05.26.2024
What's In Store For Modi's Third-Term?
The general elections in India are winding towards the end, and surprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s target of more than 400 seats for his coalition appears to be a harder goal to achieve than expected. We speak to Dr Rahul...
05.26.2024
Bersih Demands Reforms - Is The Government Listening?
Last Saturday, the Coalition for Clean and Free Elections otherwise known as Bersih held their annual Congress. 19 motions were approved in line with the causes they champion. We discuss their assessment of the government's progress in institutional reforms with...
05.23.2024
Deepening Japan-Malaysia Ties Further
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has visited Japan for the second time within six months. This trip saw him meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Zarina Zainuddin, an analyst in Foreign Policy and Security Studies at ISIS Malaysia...
05.23.2024
What's Driving The Rally In The Metals' Markets
Following a slow start at the beginning of 2024, industrial metals like copper have recently been hitting new highs. The rally is also seen in precious metals like gold and silver. Michelle Leung, Head of Asia Metals & Mining at...
05.22.2024
Palestinian Humanitarian Crisis Persists
The situation in Gaza has deteriorated into a humanitarian catastrophe over the course of 7 months. The recent advancement of the Israeli Defence Forces into Rafah and the closure of the border crossing to Egypt has meant that civilians and...
05.22.2024
Diesel Rationalization Plugs Leakages And Corruption
In a Special Address, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim reminded the nation that the government fiscal reforms are on track, starting with the targeted subsidy plan. We get Dr. Geoffrey Williams views on the messaging, level of ambition and...
05.20.2024
Power Vacuum In Iran
Yesterday, it was confirmed that Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi had died in a helicopter crash. Maryam Ismail, analyst at ISIS Malaysia goes through his legacy and possible successors. We also ask her that with the death of both the President...
05.20.2024
Singapore Big Three Banks: A First Quarter Reflection
Singapore's three major banks - DBS, UOB and OCBC - have all reported their first quarter earnings. Sarah Jane Mahmud, a senior financial services research analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, reflects on what was announced and the implications for Singapore's banking...
05.19.2024
Food Prices Conduit For Eurozone Supply Shocks
The Eurozone remains vulnerable to global supply shocks, including through rising food prices resulting from climate change and extreme weather patterns. How should the European Central Bank (ECB) navigate these headwinds? Economist Tomas Dvorak of Oxford Economics weighs in. Image Credit:...
05.19.2024
Questions Over Aborted E-Jamin Phaseout
The sudden notice by the Chief Registrar of the Federal Court last week that the e-Jamin online bail system would be phased out and replaced with the previously used manual process caused an uproar in the legal fraternity, who decried...
05.16.2024
Preserving Trees, Focusing On Safety
It has been a distressing week after violent storms uprooted trees in the middle of Kuala Lumpur, resulting in the death of one person whose car was crushed. As a result, DBKL have been directed to establish a task force...
05.16.2024
Small Caps Riskier But The Returns Can Be Good
Typically small cap investing is not without its risk as these companies tend to have less publicly available information with lower trading volumes. But Lee Meng Horng, Head of Small Cap Research at RHB Investment Bank helps us navigate this...
05.15.2024
Australia's Budget, From Surplus To Deficit
Australia tabled its Budget with a second consecutive surplus of A$9.3 billion, quickly followed by a projected deficit of A$28.3 billion in 2024-25. James McIntyre, Economist at Bloomberg Intelligence helps us makes sense of the numbers and also new policies...
05.15.2024
MAHB Privatization Benefits All?
With the planned privatization of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) by a consortium formed by EPF, Khazanah Nasional Berhad, state investment arm of Abu Dhabi, and New York-based investment fund Global Infrastructure Partners; Khair Mirza, Head of Airport Investor Resource...
05.14.2024
No Place For Violence On Or Off The Pitch
Recent weeks we have been seeing a series of attacks on Malaysian football players. One of which was the National right winger Faisal Halim that landed in the intensive care unit with fourth-degree burns after being splashed with acid. Dr...
05.14.2024
Holistic Policies Needed For Success Of Economic Zones
The state of Johor is seeing a range of economic opportunities and catalysts the proposed Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, as well as ongoing works on the Forest City Special Financial Zone. We discuss with Nordin Abdullah, Vice Chairman, Malaysia Australian...
05.14.2024
New Zealanders Voting With Their Feet
At a staggering pace of approximately 1000 departures per week, New Zealanders are leaving their country. Statistics indicate that a figure of 52,500 citizens migrated in the year, with Australia being a prominent destination. We discuss the factors driving this...
05.13.2024
Changes In Russia's Defence Leadership, Implications In Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed economist Andrey Belousov as the new defence minister to replace Sergei Shoigu who was at the post since 2012. Shoigu is now head of the country's security council. Dr Alexey Muraviev, Associate Professor at...
05.13.2024
Unpredictable Variables in Biden vs Trump Rematch
The 2024 Presidential elections are shaping up to be a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, but neither are facing a smooth runway to November. We discuss the headwinds for both camps with pollster John Zogby. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See...
05.12.2024
China's Economic Recovery Still Uneven
Over the May holidays in China, tourists made a total of 295 million trips within the country during that 5 day long holiday, 28% more than in 2019. Is this a harbinger of better economic times ahead for China? Gary...
05.12.2024
Remembering May 13th And The Lessons Learned
It has been 55 years since racial tensions boiled over marking one of the darkest moments in Malaysia's history. May 13th, 1969 saw hundreds of people killed, with exact figures still unknown to this day. Eddin Khoo, a historian and...
05.12.2024
The Stark Reality Of Urban Poverty In KL
A recent UNICEF report that studied the impact of the pandemic on women and children in low-income families in KL, has revealed that 80% of households are grappling with inadequate income levels to sustainably cover essential expenses. This is alarmingly...
05.09.2024
Companies Act 2024: Good for Malaysia
The Companies (amendment) Act 2024 came into force on 1st April this year. With that all entities have until 30th June to submit information on their beneficial owner to the Companies Commission of Malaysia. The Act also improves on previous...
05.09.2024
Permanent Gaza Ceasefire Challenging
We speak to Dr. James Dorsey, Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies to get some insights on the potential for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and how the recent attacks in Rafah complicate matters. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com...
05.08.2024
The Never-Ending Task Of Accounting For 1MDB
The 1MDB chapter in the US court system came to a close this week, but Goldman Sachs still has unfinished business with the Malaysian government. We get a refresher with independent business writer P. Gunasegaram on where the 1MDB accountability...
05.08.2024
Broken Promises On Electoral Reform
Electoral reform advocacy group Bersih has called out the Madani government for appointing two members of the Electoral Commission without an open and transparent process as promised in previous election manifestos. We speak to Ooi Kok Hin, Executive Director of...
05.07.2024
US Tightening Counter-Terrorism Dragnet?
A delegation of US Department of Treasury officials are in town this week to discuss concerns that counter-terrorism funding is being channelled through Malaysia's financial system. We discuss the potential implications and ways to improve our counter-terrorism financing response with Raymon Ram...
05.07.2024
President Xi's European Charm Offensive
This week President Xi Jinping is embarking on his first European tour since 2019, under vastly different circumstances. His visit to France, Serbia and Hungary comes at a time when tensions with the EU are at a high over Beijing’s...
05.06.2024
Hong Kong Stocks In Focus
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index has been rallying and so far it has chalked up a tenth successive session, registering its longest winning streak since 2018, thanks to improving market sentiment. Peter Lewis, the founder and director of Peter Lewis...
05.06.2024
Press Freedom Index Decline Warrants Urgent Reform
Malaysia recorded a dismal performance, plummeting 34 spots to 107th place in the rankings with our overall score also falling by 10 points to 52, Gayathry Venkiteswaran, Assistant Professor, University of Nottingham Malaysia tells us the reasons for this decline...
05.05.2024
Legal Heat Turned Up On War In Gaza
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is reportedly planning to issue arrest warrants for Israeli political and military figures, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over allegations of war crimes in the state of Palestine. We discuss the legal proceedings at play...
05.05.2024
Japanese Yen Mayhem
Last week, the Japanese yen plunged to a 34-year low before strengthening to 157, sparking speculation about intervention by Japanese authorities. We discuss the implications of the yen's weakness and what this means for the Bank of Japan with William...
05.02.2024
Can The ASEAN Tourism Standards Level Up The Sector?
Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has urged tourism players to comply with the ASEAN Tourism Standards. Nigel Wong, President, Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents shares with us what are the guidelines in these...
05.02.2024
Underwhelming Press Reforms In Madani Era
In light of World Press Freedom Day, we discuss the current media landscape in Malaysia as well as assess the Madani government’s commitment to press freedom. Is their rhetoric backed by action? Dr. Benjamin Loh of Taylor’s University weighs in....
05.01.2024
Peak Drama At Paramount Global
Paramount Global’s earnings report this week has been overshadowed by major drama in the boardroom, with its CEO and long-time executive Bob Bakish being fired and replaced by a trio of heads. What precipitated this sudden ouster and what does...
05.01.2024
Malaysia's National Human Resource Policy Framework - Hits & Misses
The Anwar Ibrahim-administration launched the country's inaugural National Human Resource Policy Framework on Labour Day. It aims to address pressing issues like fair wages, job welfare, labour union movements, job mismatches and foreign labour. Adrian Pereira, Executive Director of the...
05.01.2024
Johor-SG Special Economic Zone: A Win-Win Opportunity
An MOU was signed between Malaysia and Singapore to create a Johor- Singapore Special economic zone (SEZ). Details are still pending but both economies and multiple sectors will likely benefit. Thilan Wickramasinghe , Head of Research, Singapore, Maybank Investment...
04.29.2024
WEF In The Middle East
Saudi Arabia hosted the World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth, and Energy for Development this week, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in attendance. We discuss Malaysia's bilateral ties with Saudi Arabia and the opportunities that could...
04.29.2024
Thai Cabinet Changes To Energise Government
Earlier this week the government announced a cabinet reshuffle, the first under Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s watch, which saw six new faces added to the line-up and four ministers dropped. Dr Greg Raymond, Senior Lecturer, Australian National University tells us...
04.29.2024
China: Where Is Consumer Sentiment Headed?
China's retail numbers appear to be healthy so far this year with physical sales up 5.5% for the first two months of this year, while online figures registered a 14% jump, indicating resilience in the e-commerce sector. Catherine Lim, a...
04.28.2024
Naming Company Beneficiaries Is Good For Governance
The amendments to the Companies 2016 have come into force on 1 April with all Malaysian businesses that are registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia having to disclose the names of their beneficial owners. Pushpan Murugiah, Chief Executive Officer,...

What's Morning Brief about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Morning Brief episodes:

Trump, The Convicted Felon And What It Means For US Elections

Relooking At Taxes For State Development

South African Polls Does Not Bode Well For ANC

Transparency Imperative In Government Procurement

Taiwan's Controversial Bill Stirs Protest In Streets And Parliament

Full Transparency For MAHB Deal Would Assuage Concerns

Contradictions In Madani Govt Media Freedom Commitment

Can Trees Happily Coexist In Urban Klang Valley?

The Unexpected Japan, Korea and China Summit

What's In Store For Modi's Third-Term?

Bersih Demands Reforms - Is The Government Listening?

Deepening Japan-Malaysia Ties Further

What's Driving The Rally In The Metals' Markets

Palestinian Humanitarian Crisis Persists

Diesel Rationalization Plugs Leakages And Corruption

Power Vacuum In Iran

Singapore Big Three Banks: A First Quarter Reflection

Food Prices Conduit For Eurozone Supply Shocks

Questions Over Aborted E-Jamin Phaseout

Preserving Trees, Focusing On Safety

Small Caps Riskier But The Returns Can Be Good

Australia's Budget, From Surplus To Deficit

MAHB Privatization Benefits All?

No Place For Violence On Or Off The Pitch

Holistic Policies Needed For Success Of Economic Zones

New Zealanders Voting With Their Feet

Changes In Russia's Defence Leadership, Implications In Ukraine

Unpredictable Variables in Biden vs Trump Rematch

China's Economic Recovery Still Uneven

Remembering May 13th And The Lessons Learned

The Stark Reality Of Urban Poverty In KL

Companies Act 2024: Good for Malaysia

Permanent Gaza Ceasefire Challenging

The Never-Ending Task Of Accounting For 1MDB

Broken Promises On Electoral Reform

US Tightening Counter-Terrorism Dragnet?

President Xi's European Charm Offensive

Hong Kong Stocks In Focus

Press Freedom Index Decline Warrants Urgent Reform

Legal Heat Turned Up On War In Gaza

Japanese Yen Mayhem

Can The ASEAN Tourism Standards Level Up The Sector?

Underwhelming Press Reforms In Madani Era

Peak Drama At Paramount Global

Malaysia's National Human Resource Policy Framework - Hits & Misses

Johor-SG Special Economic Zone: A Win-Win Opportunity

WEF In The Middle East

Thai Cabinet Changes To Energise Government

China: Where Is Consumer Sentiment Headed?

Naming Company Beneficiaries Is Good For Governance

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