Morning Brief

The government launched a National Artificial Intelligence Office (NAIO), which is a brand-new agency under the Digital Ministry. According to its website, the office is expected to serve as a centralised agency for AI, providing strategic planning, R&D, as well as regulatory oversight, among others. So, how will this agency fit into Malaysia’s agenda of accelerating AI adoption? Dr. Jun-E Tan, Senior Research Associate at Khazanah Research Institute shares her perspective.

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The healthcare sector has been making headlines recently, with many calling for regulatory and systemic reforms

as insurance premiums are expected to rise by up to 70% next year. As a result, the Health Ministry has proposed that diagnosis-related group pricing system, (DRG) be implemented. Oong Chun Sung, Equity Research Analyst, RHB Investment Bank tells us if DRG will be a boom or bane for earnings and which listed companies stand to benefit.

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It's expected that the Thai Economy will only expand by less than 3%, lower than that of its Asean neighbours.

Poon Panichpibool, Markets Strategist, Krung Thai Bank tells us whether the recent debt support measures and cash handouts will boost consumption and in turn growth for 2025. We also ask what we can expect from their equity markets which are one of the worst performing in Asia.

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Late last week, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the opposition, accusing it for repeatedly undermining the Constitution. This on the back of the Congress party attempting to impeach the Vice President. Dr Mishra, Associate Professor at the Centre for Indo-Pacific Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi helps us unpack the latest political developments and what we can expect from US-India relations with Trump 2.0.

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Rumors were swirling last week about how Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry and Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul might be joining PKR. How might his departure impact the party and the broader Madani coalition? Giving us his thoughts on the matter is Dr Azmi Hassan, Senior Fellow, Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research.

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The Chinese government concluded its Central Economic Work Conference last Thursday, promising a number of policy changes to meet major economic benchmarks next year. They include a higher fiscal deficit ceiling, more treasury bonds and cuts to interest rates. So are these pledges enough to restore investors’ confidence in Chinese stocks? Brock Silvers, Chief Investment Officer of Kaiyuan Capital joins us to discuss if 2025 will be a repeat of 2024.

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Coffee drinkers may soon see their morning beverage get more expensive, as the price of coffee on international commodity markets hit its highest level on record on Tuesday. The price for Arabica beans, which account for most of global production, jumped more than 80% this year, while Robusta beans hit a fresh high in September. Helping us unpack the rally behind coffee prices is Judith Ganes, Commodities Analyst & President of J.Ganes Consulting.

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As land is a state matter and there are 600 industrial parks in the country with very different standards, The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) and the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) are collaborating with Sirim Bhd to set up a star rating system for industrial parks. We speak to Liew Chin Tong, Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry as to how this will help improve Malaysia as an investment destination and fulfil our economic agenda.

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Private healthcare providers are under fire over the rising cost of medical services, but the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) argue that public data does not accurately reflect the cost pressures they face. What needs to be in place for diagnosis-related group pricing to be effective in the Malaysian context? We hear from Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh, President of the APHM for the industry perspective.

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In response to public outcry over rising medical costs, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim this week announced that the government will study options to standardise the cost of private healthcare, including through the diagnosis-related group or DRG system, which could enhance transparency of patient treatment charges. To what extent could the DRG-system moderate medical inflation? Prof. Emeritus Dato’ Dr Syed Mohamed Aljunid of the Malaysian Health Economic Association weighs in.

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