Morning Brief

The government plans to review proposals to amend digital-related laws to address online scams, including making telcos one of the entities responsible for combating such crimes, along with financial institutions. CF Fong, Executive Chairman of Malaysian cybersecurity firm LGMS Berhad share his views on how these law might look going forward.

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The US Supreme Court will soon considers the constitutionality of a law that would ban TikTok in the country if its China-based owner, ByteDance, doesn't sell off its American operation by January 19. Bradley Freeman, Professor of Creative Arts & Media, School of Arts, Sunway University helps us understand the issues at stake.

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ASEAN has benefited from the US-China trade tensions as countries opt for a China-plus-one strategy to diversify their supply chains, but will this continue under a second Trump administration? We discuss the global trade landscape with economist Jayant Menon of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

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Penang’s transportation future depends on the successful integration of the LRT system, Mutiara Line and the Pan Island Link 1 (PIL 1) highway. With the increasing traffic congestion, it’s crucial that both projects are developed to improve connectivity and create a more efficient, sustainable transport network. We discuss the impact of these developments with Transport Consultant Dr Rosli Azad.

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Incoming US President Donald Trump has made headlines recently for reiterating his desire for the US to acquire Greenland and the Panama Canal, calling both critical to American national security. How serious is this rhetoric and what are the implications of this for partner countries? We discuss this with Dr. Kathryn Robison from the University of Sydney.

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Licensed childcare centres nationwide have been facing rising costs especially when the new RM1,700 minimum wage policy starts on Feb 1st, adding on to already escalating financial commitments. These will of course be passed down to parents. Norsheila Abdullah, President of the Malaysia Association of Registered Early Child Care and Development shares her thoughts on the challenges to the industry.

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Yesterday, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto visited Malaysia for the first time since taking office, aiming to enhance trade ties. His leadership is focused on major projects, including Indonesia joining BRICS and relocating the capital to Nusantara. We discuss how these initiatives will shape Indonesia's future and its role on the global stage with Julia Lau, Senior Fellow and Co-coordinator, Indonesia Studies Programme, ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute.

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The semiconductor industry has become a driving force behind Malaysia’s economic growth, contributing an estimated 25% to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). However, 2025 is expected to be a volatile year, especially for the semiconductor sector, due to escalating US-China trade tensions and the incoming deregulation policies under American President Donald Trump. So, what is the outlook for local semiconductor players, and how should they navigate the expected turbulent times? Andrew Chan, Director of the Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA), tells us.

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Farmers’ organisations and civil society groups are urging the government to not table the Plant/Crop Seed Quality Bill in Parliament, citing the lack of consultations with stakeholders and the detrimental impact on small scale farmers. Nurfitri Amir Muhammad, the head coordinator of Forum Kedaulatan Makanan Malaysia, explain the issues.

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The 11th Malaysia-Singapore Leaders' Retreat witnessed the official agreement to establish the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (SEZ), which is expected to catalyse economic returns on both sides of the Causeway. We speak to Dr. Walter Theseira of the Singapore University of Social Sciences on the potential growth levers and challenges to overcome in making the SEZ a success.

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