Morning Brief

• Today marks China President Xi Jinping’s second day of his three-day official visit to Malaysia. What do both countries hope to achieve, especially considering the ongoing trade war and tariff storm? Professor Shandre Mugan Thangavelu, Head of the Jeffrey Cheah Institute for Southeast Asia, Sunway University shares his thoughts.

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As Sabah gears up for its 17th state election, political alliances are shifting. Sabah UMNO Chief Bung Moktar, announced BN’s alignment with PH. While PKR and DAP back the move, they want clarity on BN’s ties with GRS. Ariff Adi Putera Anwar, Research Associate from the Institute for Development Studies (Sabah) unpacks what’s driving this realignment.

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US Treasuries suffered a five-day selloff last week, with 10-year US bonds yields surging to their highest in over 20 years, as markets were whipsawed by President Donald Trump’s shifting trade policies. While treasuries have somewhat rebounded since, can these gains be sustained? We discuss the outlook for the US and Asian bond markets with Winson Phoon of Maybank Investment Bank.

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As the U.S. considers new tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals, Malaysia is preparing for potential supply disruptions. In response, the government is exploring alternative sources from China and India to lessen reliance on U.S. imports. We discuss the implications and next steps with Prof. Amrahi Buang of the Malaysia Pharmacists Society.

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Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry has downgraded its GDP growth forecast for 2025 to 0 to 2 percent, from its previous projection of 1 to 3 per cent. At the same time, MAS has eased its monetary policy. Khoon Goh, Head of Asia Research, ANZ tells us what this means for the island city economy and what can they do to mitigate the impact of tariffs.

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Malaysia’s 5G rollout has officially reached 82% coverage in populated areas, but the quality and consistency of internet service, especially in underserved and even urban fringe zones remains a core issue. In response, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil recently issued an ultimatum to telcos to propose concrete solutions to internet access gaps - what are the problems that need to be resolved? We discuss this with Amin Ashaari of SoyaCincau.

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Banking stocks in Malaysia and Singapore are under pressure as analysts issue downgrades amid concerns of weaker loan growth and higher credit costs, brought on by the global trade war that US President Donald Trump’s tariffs started. Sarah Jane Mahmud, a senior industry analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence shares her insights into how regional banks may be bracing for a potential slowdown.

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The Ministry of Human Resources is piloting a One-Stop Centre in Penang to simplify services for workers and employers. Anthony Raja Devadoss, the country managing director for Korn Ferry Malaysia shares his insights on this development and what more needs to be done to support Malaysia’s evolving workforce.

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The Malaysian Bar supports a constitutional challenge against the Judicial Appointments Committee over concerns of executive influence. Chief Justice Tengku Maimun calls for reform to restore trust. Bar Council VP Anand Raj discusses how the case could impact judicial independence and shape Malaysia’s broader institutional reform agenda.

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PKR has begun internal elections at the divisional level, ahead of central leadership polls on May 24. With party leaders holding top government roles, including Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, these elections may reflect shifts in Malaysia’s political landscape. Dr. Oh Ei Sun joins us to explore the broader implications.

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