Morning Brief

The Ringgit has been one of the best performing currencies in Asia this year although some of the earlier gains have been returned. We speak to Dr Cassey Lee, Senior Fellow and Coordinator, Regional Economic Studies Programme, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute to understand how the Ringgit can appreciate in a sustainable manner for the long term.

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Kemi Badenoch has been voted the new leader of the U.K.'s opposition Conservative Party with the hope that she can revive the party's fortunes after securing just 121 seats in the 650-seat Parliament in the last elections. Dr Benjamin Barton, Head of School of Politics and International Relations at University of Nottingham Malaysia gives us his perspective on what changes she will make and an overview of the recently tabled UK Budget.

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The US presidential race is going down to the wire, with Kamala Harris and Donald Trump neck-and-neck in opinion polls. We catch up with Dhanya Nair of BFM News on the eve of voting to gauge the mood and expectations of the elections.

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The U.S. is set to elect a new leader in just a couple of days but concerns are growing that additional tariffs under a second Donald Trump presidency would dampen global growth. What impact however will it has specifically on the Asean 6 countries? Lavanya Venkateswaran, Senior ASEAN Economist, OCBC gives us her perspective whilst telling us if emerging market currencies would also see weakness as a result.

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Bersatu held party elections over the weekend, but the process was far from smooth sailing. Some 10 divisions were suspended at the eleventh hour while 15 division committee members, announced they quit the party. Dr Azmil Mohd Tayeb, Political Scientist and Associate Professor, Universiti Sains Malaysia gives us a glimpse as to the reasons for this and what this means for their political future.

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The Madani Government is reviving the National Service Training Programme (PLKN) 3.0 beginning January 2025 at a cost of RM50 million ringgit. Can the implementation of the national service programme truly improve nation building and unity among Malaysian youth? We speak with Syafiq Ridzwan, Chief of Information, Malaysian Youth Council for more insights.

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Is the media acting responsibly when they chase stories involving children or are there cases where their rights are ignored? We speak with Dr Farah Nini Dusuki, Children's Commissioner at SUHAKAM about the implementation of regulations under the Child Act 2001 related to media reporting on cases involving children.

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There have been several developments in the Middle East this week, including the banning of UNWRA in Israel, as well as Israeli strikes on Iran, Gaza and Lebanon. We speak to Dr. Ghada Soliman of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies to discuss the implications of these events and whether the outcome of the US elections could impact what happens in the Middle East.

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International rice prices have dropped following India's decision to resume exports of non-basmati rice for the first time in 14 months. With adverse climate conditions and volatile rice prices becoming the norm, how can the industry adapt to ensure food security? We speak to Dr. Paul Teng, Professor & Adjunct Senior Fellow at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies for insights.

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The High Court will decide today whether or not there is a prima facie case against former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, for 25 counts of abuse of power and who has been charged with four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering. Giving his thoughts on the matter is P. Gunasegaram, Independent Business Writer. 

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