Morning Brief

Starting July 1, Malaysia’s expanded SST will impact construction firms earning over 1.5 million ringgit, adding strain to an industry already facing cost hikes and labour shortages. Industry players like MBAM stress the need for clearer direction and stronger government support; we’ll speak to Oliver Wee Hiang Chyn, President of the Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM).

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The delay as well as lack of transparency over decisions extending the tenure of the Chief Justice and other top judges is creating speculation that could affect public perception of judicial integrity. We speak to constitutional lawyer Dato' Malik Imtiaz Sarwar about the implications of this impasse for the Malaysian judicial system.

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Fitch Ratings has downgraded its 2025 outlook for the APAC tech sector from 'neutral' to ‘deteriorating’ as global demand weakens and consumer confidence slips.  Steve Durose, Managing Director at Fitch Ratings weighs in on which companies could be most impacted.

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Jetstar Asia’s has just announced a sudden exit from Singapore skies raising alarm bells across the region’s aviation industry. However, AirAsia is looking to come out of PN17 status and wants to buy at least 100 Airbus planes. Brendan Sobie, an independent analyst and consultant at Sobie Aviation shares his insights into this very competitive sector.

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There was a deadly military clash last month near the Preah Vihear temple, claimed by both Thailand and Cambodia, which has once again spotlighted the unresolved border dispute between the neighbours. Sebastian Strangio, Southeast Asia Editor at The Diplomat, helps us understand the long-running dispute and if there might be a resolution to it.

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In Malaysia, palm oil stockpiles climbed to their highest level in eight months this May, while exports hit a six-month high but what does this mean for CPO prices? Alvin Tai, Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence gives us his perspective and weighs in how tariffs impact supply-demand dynamics.

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The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has completed 10 key sub-strategies under the National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2024–2028. Still, concerns persist over the slow pace of wider institutional reforms. Raymon Ram, President of Transparency International Malaysia, shares his insights on the effectiveness of these efforts and the road ahead.

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This week US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee suggested that "Muslim countries" should give up some of their land to create a future Palestinian state. Do his remarks indicate that the US is backing away from being the peace broker in the Middle East conflict?  Mohd Amirul Asraf bin Othman of the Australian National University (ANU) weighs in.

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Malaysia's expanded Sales & Service Tax (SST) is set to take effect on July 1st and SMEs in the country are sounding alarm bells. Datuk William Ng, Chairman of the Small & Medium Enterprises Association (SAMENTA), joins us to discuss industry reactions, the push for a higher SST threshold and whether or not another GST regime might be a better option.

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What initially started as small protests over raids by US Immigration & Customs Enforcement officers to round up undocumented migrants, has now erupted into explosive clashes involving the National Guard and military, called in unilaterally by President Donald Trump. Dr Adrian Ang, a research fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, explains the implications of these developments.

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