Morning Brief

Research firm Merdeka Center, in its latest mid-term survey, found that the approval rating for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has improved. We speak to Ibrahim Suffian, their Programme Director for an analysis of their findings which includes what most Malaysians are concerned about.

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Starting August 1, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) will take over both safety and economic oversight by absorbing the Malaysian Aviation Commission’s (MAVCOM) functions. What does this merger mean for the aviation sector? We speak with Khair Mirza, Head of Airport Investor Resource at Modalis Infrastructure Partners Inc.

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The NATO Summit is taking place this week amid changing dynamics within the bloc, especially with the return of US President Donald Trump to the White House. We discuss expectations for the summit with Dr. Reuben Wong, Deputy Head of the Political Science Department at the National University of Singapore.

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In April 2024, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) initiated a comprehensive review of Malaysia’s e-commerce laws, which should be completed by August. Ganesh Kumar Bangah, Current Advisor, National Tech Association of Malaysia (PIKOM) and Chairman of its think-tank Future Digital tells the challenges of balancing the needs to all stakeholders and what are the current challenges faced by the industry with impending US tarrifs and an expanded SST list.

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On a year-to-date basis the USD is down almost 8% but with recent attacks on Iran, investors have ploughed back into the greenback. We ask Stephen Chiu, Chief Asia FX and Rates Strategist, Bloomberg Intelligence if the US dollar still remains the dominant currency whilst taking a look at the Yen, Euro and the Ringgit.

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Malaysia continues to lag behind the region in education rights, scoring just 67.5% and ranking among the lowest in ASEAN in the 2025 Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI) report. What are the human rights gaps in the government's education policies? We discuss this with Keshia Mahmood, Southeast Asia Consultant with HRMI.

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US President Donald Trump made a gamble when he approved US strikes on Iran nuclear facilities in aid of Israel, despite a campaign pledge to avoid forever wars. Has his subsequent ceasefire declaration staved a broader political fallout? We discuss the implications for Trump's domestic base with pollster John Zogby. 

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Malaysia's total auto industry volume from January to May fell 5%. We ask Mohd Shamsor Mohd Zain, President, Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) for the reasons to this and if the outlook will remain as dim for the rest of the year against a backdrop of SST expansion, US tariffs and the RON95 petrol subsidy rationalisation.

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• ASEAN economies are contending with various external headwinds. As we head into the second half of the year, the 90-day pause on US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs is set to expire, amid escalating geopolitical tensions and a potential war in the Middle East. We’ll be speaking with Lavanya Venkateswaran, Senior ASEAN Economist at OCBC, about how these developments are shaping the outlook for Southeast Asian economies.

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Over the weekend the US launched airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in a bid to cripple Tehran's nuclear arms ambitions. What are the implications of this for dynamics in the Middle East and how might Iran retaliate? We discuss the scenarios with Middle East expert Dr. James Dorsey.

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