Morning Brief

The Malaysian government is facing intense backlash over recent measures to address the nurse shortage, particularly the lowering of entry requirements for nursing diplomas and the proposed 45-hour work week. Critics argue that these changes would only exacerbate burnout and brain drain, while compromising the quality of patient care. We speak with Chairman of the Malaysian Medical Association, MMA SCHOMOS Dr Timothy Cheng, for insight into how Malaysia can best tackle this growing issue.

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The Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan had suggested the formation of a Asean stock exchange to bolster the 10-nation group’s economic growth. We speak to P Gunasegaram, Independent Writer and Founding Editor of Kinibiz for the feasibility of such a proposal and what would be the benefits of it.

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China's top economic planning agency said on Sunday it was taking steps to scale back subsidies for renewable energy (RE) projects after a boom in solar and wind power installations. This announcement came after China broke its own records for new solar installations in 2024, and meeting targets that were meant for 2030. Pieter E. Stek, Senior Lecturer at the Asia School of Business explains what this pullback in subsidies for the Chinese RE sector means for industry players and global supply chains.

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Malaysia’s Department of Environment, or DoE, estimates that 24.5 million units of electronic waste will be discarded this year alone, driven by rapid digitalisation. With mounting economic, legal, and health concerns, what steps should Malaysia take to address the growing e-waste issue and improve its recycling and disposal systems? Mohamed Tarek El-Fatatry of ERTH weighs in with his recommendations.

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To enhance financial transparency, Malaysia has rolled out four new auditing guidelines following amendments to the Audit Act 1957. These changes give the Auditor General expanded authority to audit over 1,800 entities that receive public funds, including government-linked companies and investment firms. Dr Veerinderjeet Singh, Senior Advisor on Tax Policy at KPMG shares his insights on how these changes could impact financial accountability and governance.

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Despite an uptick in China's consumer inflation for this CNY, signs are emerging that this might not be sustainable amid persistent deflationary pressures. Angela Han Lee, Senior Industry Analyst, Gaming & Hospitality, Bloomberg Intelligence, shares her insights into how these may impact China's F&B, gaming and travel segments.

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According to a new joint report between the World Bank and the Ministry of Economy, income inequality in Malaysia remains a major challenge, despite economic growth. Hawati Abdul Hamid, Head, Social Policy Research Section, EPF helps us distill the report and what policy measures are needed to improve economic mobility and in turn income inequality.

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The proposal for Malaysia's Senior Citizens Bill has been under consideration since March 2023 and has yet to be tabled. Meanwhile, there has been a steady rise in cases of children abandoning their parents at hospitals in recent years peaking during festive seasons. Chai Sen Tyng, a senior research officer at Universiti Putra Malaysia shares his perspective.

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US President Donald Trumps' proposal to 'take over' the Gaza Strip and turn it into the 'Riviera of the Middle East' has drawn backlash from Palestinian officials, several world leaders and human rights organizations. Israel has unsurprisingly thrown support for this plan. Dr Eyal Mayroz, Senior Lecturer of Peace and Conflict Studies from The University of Sydney, shares his insights.

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US Tariffs against China were implemented this week which was swiftly followed by retaliatory action by Beijing. We examine in detail why China appears to have taken a muted response and what implications tariffs have on global trade. We would be talking to Tommy Xie, Head of Asia Macro Research, OCBC Bank.

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