Morning Brief

As global technology trade intensifies, Malaysia is reinforcing its position as a critical, trusted hub in the semiconductor supply chain. Farlina Said, Senior Analyst at ISIS Malaysia, highlights essential factors namely robust enforcement and seamless industry transition in the implementation of the strategic trade permit on all US-origin high-performance AI chips.

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China’s economy beat expectations with 5.2% GDP growth in the second quarter, buoyed by strong exports and robust industrial output. However, domestic demand remains weak and retail sales have disappointed. Gary Ng, a senior economist at Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking helps us sift through the numbers to see if Beijing can hit its full-year growth target of 5%.

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Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Ghani has been tasked with temporarily overseeing the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability following the resignation of Nik Nazmi. With portflios seemingly at odds, how can conflict of interest and dilution of priorities be avoided? Meenakshi Raman, President, Sahabat Alam Malaysia tells us.

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Singapore’s economy grew by 4.3% year-on-year in Q2 2025, beating expectations and avoiding a technical recession. 

The rebound was driven by strong manufacturing and services performance but are there downside risks to growth for the rest of the year? Selena Ling, Chief Economist, OCBC Bank gives us her perspective whilst weighing in on whether Singapore economic model is at risk with the threat of tariffs.

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As the federal government allocates billions of ringgit to development projects in Sabah, alongside state efforts to reclaim 40% of its revenue rights; how might these moves reshape Sabah's economic landscape? For insights, we turn to Ariff Adi Putera Anwar, Research Associate at the Institute for Development Studies (Sabah)

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Amid ongoing economic pressures, Indonesia is launching ambitious plans to boost growth and resilience, such as mass housing projects and free school meals. Challenges like weak consumer spending and tight banking liquidity continue to weigh on its outlook. Lionel Priyadi, Head of Research, PT Mega Capital Sekuritas, shares his analysis.

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Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump sent letters threatening steep tariffs on several countries — including key ally Japan. So, what went wrong, given that Japan was one of the first countries to engage in trade negotiations with the Trump administration? For insights, we speak with William Pesek, Columnist at Nikkei Asia.

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EU member states are ramping up defence spending to meet ambitious new targets, even as they face mounting fiscal pressures and geopolitical uncertainty. Dr. Benjamin Barton, Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham Malaysia, examines the bloc’s internal cooperation and its capacity to respond to potential threats from Russia.

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Public service outsourcing has been a longstanding practice in Selangor, but questions remain about whether these arrangements truly deliver value for money. We speak with Dr. Afif Bahardin, Taman Medan Assemblyman, to explore where improvements are needed and how to make these partnerships more effective.

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Last week, US President Donald Trump nominated Australian-born conservative commentator Nick Adams 

as the next US ambassador to Malaysia which has raised eyebrows. We speak to Dato' Dr Ilango Karuppannan, retired Malaysian ambassador and geopolitics & ASEAN analyst for his views on what the roles, responsibilities and qualities are needed of any ambassador be it appointed or career.

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