Morning Brief

A truly “liveable and loveable” city isn’t built on technology alone. It is shaped by people empowered by good technology. Hj. Ihsan Zainal Mokhtar, Registered Town Planner at IZM Consult, outlines the critical success factors that must accompany Kuala Lumpur’s AI push to ensure the city’s digital transformation serves its people, not just its systems.

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Israel’s prolonged war on Gaza and expanding strikes in Syria are reshaping the region’s geopolitical fault lines, deepening humanitarian crises and igniting fresh instability. Dr James Dorsey, Adjunct Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, weighs in on the deepening turmoil in the Middle East.

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Donald Trump has been US president for six months, and his second term is already marked by sweeping, radical change. Samuel Garrett, Senior Research Associate, United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney assesses Trump's performance so far, measured up against his stated goals and campaign promises.

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Parliament reconvened yesterday for the second meeting of the fourth session of the 15th Parliament, which runs until August 28 putting the spotlight back on its role in a functioning democracy. We ask Maha Balakrishnan, Parliamentary Researcher, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Sunway University  as to what to expect and how parliament's role can be made even more robust in Malaysia.

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Malaysia’s property sector continues to show strength in the first half of 2025, with resilient demand across residential, industrial, and hospitality segments. Yulia Nikulicheva, Head of Research & Consultancy at JLL Malaysia, joins us to break down the key drivers, emerging risks, and what investors should watch for when navigating Malaysia’s real estate market.

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Shares of Malaysian listed glove makers, including Top Glove, Hartalega, and Kossan Rubber, have each shed around 50% since the start of the year. Oong Chun Sung, Equity Research Analyst, RHB Investment Bank tell us if it's time to bottom fish or should we remain underweight the sector ahead of the existing headwinds.

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Things are looking increasingly challenging for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba following the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s loss of control in the Upper House elections. William Pesek, columnist for Nikkei Asia, weighs in on the mounting pressures facing Japan, especially with the August 1 deadline for US tariff negotiations approaching.

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Advance estimates by the Statistics Department show that Malaysia’s economy grew by 4.5% in the second quarter compared to a year earlier. Helping us unpack how the economy performed and what lies ahead with a potential tariff storm is Woon Khai Jhek, Head of Economic Research and Senior Economist at RAM Ratings.

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A new Chief Justice of Malaya, Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, has finally been appointed after weeks of speculation, but vacancies remain within the country’s judicial system. Dato’ Sri M. Ramachelvam, lawyer and President of the National Human Rights Society, discusses the importance of maintaining judicial integrity and avoiding leadership vacuums in moments of transition like this.

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Datuk Ir. Ahmad Fauzi Hassan, Advisory Board Member of the Malaysian Energy Professionals Association, discusses the growing problem of electricity theft linked to illegal cryptocurrency mining, as well as Tenaga Nasional Berhad’s (TNB) newly introduced electricity tariff system.

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