Morning Brief

In Malaysia, digital investments have experienced robust growth with assets under management at RM1.6bn with more than 40 products on offer. Yet the industry is still at a nascent stage. So what policy changes should there be to encourage this as an option to promote financial inclusion, especially for those who have not prepared for retirement? We ask Munirah Khairuddin, CEO of Malaysia & Global Shariah of Principal Asset Management for her views.

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Lee Hsien Loong has confirmed that he will step down as PAP chief after 20 years helming the party, proposing Prime Minister Lawrence Wong as his successor. Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law at Singapore Management University, shares some insights into how Singapore's political landscape might change as the island nation goes to the polls next year in a high-stakes general election.

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US President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to impose tariffs or increase them on Canada, Mexico and China - its three largest trading partners. At the same time, during his presidential campaign, Trump also pledged to address domestic inflation. Professor Dr Calvin Cheong, Vice Dean & Deputy Dean of Education, Sunway Business School, shares his insights into who stands to benefit from this and who doesn't.

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Global airfares are projected to continue climbing in 2025, amid ongoing supply chain disruptions and cost pressures on airlines. Could this dampen demand for air travel in the coming year? We discuss the outlook for global aviation with Shantanu Gangakhedkar, Senior Aviation Consultant, Frost & Sullivan.

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Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid announced that new guidelines regulating short-term rental accommodation activities would be presented to the Cabinet. He acknowledged its significant contribution to the growth of Malaysia’s tourism industry and emphasised the need for proper compliance. For a better understanding of this sector and what legislation to expect, we speak to Chan Ai Cheng, the Immediate Past President of the Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents.

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The minority government in Japan led by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba signed off on a new stimulus package worth $140 billion US dollars last Friday in a bid to boost domestic consumption and bolster the economy. How might this affect the growth prospects of Japan at a time when the world is bracing for a return of Donald Trump to the White House? We get analysis from Stefan Angrick of Moody’s Analytics.

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With the government announcing a slew of reforms to cut bureaucratic red tape, we speak to Chin Chee Seong, the National President of the SME Association of Malaysia, about the progress of these efforts to date and what else is needed to make it much easier to do business in Malaysia.

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Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim created a stir when he stated that the private sector financed 70% to 80% of his recent overseas visits. Why was this comment controversial and can private sector financing of government travel be rationalised as a cost-cutting measure? We discuss ways to improve budget transparency with Aira Azhari of IDEAS.

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COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan ended in dramatic fashion - negotiations were held until the wee hours of Sunday morning before an agreement was reached on a new climate financing goal of $300 billion US dollars. How will the outcome of COP29 shape the climate agenda moving forward, especially in ASEAN? We discuss this with climate expert Dr. Renard Siew.

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The Public Accounts Committee's recent report has revealed that the government may have to pay Bestinet Sdn Bhd RM3.22 billion ringgit for the Foreign Worker Centralised Management System. This is likely due to the fact that the government has been operating the foreign worker recruitment platform without a finalised contract for six years. Alex Ong, Country Representative, Migrant CARE, shares his insights.

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