Morning Brief

In a highly contested DAP election, the results have reshaped its Central Executive Committee (CEC). Among the notable changes, two Malay leaders - Bangi MP Syahredzan was appointed as one of the party’s four vice-chairmen, while Bentong MP Young Syefura was named assistant publicity secretary. Their election signals a shift in the party’s leadership, alongside the departure of Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng from the party’s chairmanship.

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On Sunday, Beijing launched a “Special Action Plan” to boost domestic consumption in a bid to reverse weak confidence and deflationary pressures. How impactful is the latest stimulus plan in light of the growing risks of the global trade war? We get analysis from Heron Lim, Economist with Moody’s Analytics.

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Electoral reform group Bersih is calling for a two-term limit on the Prime Minister’s tenure, requiring a constitutional amendment and two-thirds parliamentary support. A similar 2019 proposal failed. Now, with PM Anwar Ibrahim’s cautious backing, the debate resurfaces—raising questions on bipartisan support, and the prospects for institutional reform. Will this drive reform or hit familiar roadblocks? Bersih Chairman Faisal Aziz shares his insights.

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Over the last 25 years, the price of bullion has risen tenfold, outperforming the US S&P 500 benchmark, which only quadrupled over the same period. With gold hitting a new all time high above USD3000 does this rally still have legs?

Christopher Wong, FX Strategist at OCBC tells us.

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The Government is ramping up STEM education, setting an ambitious target of 70% enrolment in boarding schools to build a tech-savvy workforce. While participation has risen to 50%, it remains below the 60:40 STEM-to-arts ratio set decades ago. Dr Mas Sahidayana Mokhtar examines key challenges, from teacher training and curriculum quality to industry alignment, that must be addressed for lasting impact.

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Earlier this month, a video posted by the Seremban City Council went viral, showing officers removing the doors of several homes in Public Housing Projects. The tenants had reportedly failed to pay the monthly rent, resulting in arrears of tens of thousands of ringgit. We speak with Dr. Nur Fareza Mustapha, Research Associate at Khazanah Research Institute, to identify the flaws in Malaysia’s current social housing system, as well as the reforms needed.

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Last week, the US managed to get Ukraine to agree to a 30-day ceasefire after more than three years of war. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he is amenable to the idea, but he has drawn a hard line in the sand as to his own demands. Discussing the Ukraine-Russian peace talks is Dr Alexey Muraviev, Associate Professor, National Security & Strategic Studies, Curtin University.

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Yesterday, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) wrapped up its latest party election, with some new faces in the CEC. We speak to Ibrahim Suffian, Programme Director, Merdeka Centre on the new leadership of DAP, the legacy of the Lim family and what direction the party will take as we head into GE16.

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1MDB mastermind Jho Low has eluded the dragnet of authorities for over a decade. Could a crowdsourcing initiative harnessing the hype of cryptocurrency succeed in tracking down the fugitive financier? We speak to investigative journalist Bradley Hope on the $JHOLOW memecoin and why it's been so hard to arrest Jho Low.

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A recent study by Universiti Malaya’s Social Wellbeing Research Centre has revealed that a minimum-wage worker in Malaysia must work four times longer than their Australian counterpart to afford 1kg of chicken. Dr Amjad Rabi, a visiting expert at the Social Wellbeing Research Centre of Universiti Malaya, shares his insights into how this research highlights issues with food affordability as well as access to nutritious food.

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