Morning Brief

As we approach the end of the implementation period for the Higher Education Blueprint 2015 - 2025, the government has signalled that it is beginning work on a successor blueprint to transform the tertiary education system for the next decade. What are the priorities that should be emphasised? We get recommendations from Prof. Zaharom Nain of GERAK.

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The recent case of a senior citizen sentenced to imprisonment for petty theft has raised questions about sentencing practices in Malaysia. We discuss what judges take into account when deciding a sentence and the state of access to justice in our legal system with lawyer Edmund Bon.

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The government is set to open applications for hauliers to obtain a fleet card that will allow them to continue enjoying diesel at subsidised prices the subsidy rationalisation plan is rolled out. But how will this impact retailers. Datuk Khairul Annuar Abdul Aziz, President of the Petrol Dealers' Association Malaysia, shares his insights.

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With the average Malaysian's life expectancy currently at 78 for men and 80 for women, there will be long-term implications for the country as it becomes an ageing nation. This now raises conversations about the nature and timeline for retirement. Chai Sen Tyng, the senior research officer at Universiti Putra Malaysia' Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing (myAgeing), shares his thoughts on how Malaysia can move towards encouraging a multi-generational workforce.

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Malaysia hoping to become the natural home for more unicorns, i.e. start-ups valued at more than $1 billion US dollars. As part of efforts to create the right ecosystem, the Ministry of Economy yesterday launched the KL20 Action Plan to attract capital, talent and start-ups to set-up shop on our shores. We discuss the highlights of the strategy with economist Dr. Carmelo Ferlito of the Center for Market Education.

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How will the court decide on the judicial review application regarding the royal addendum on former Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Razak’s pardon? We try to untangle the legal process with lawyer Dato’ Vignesh Kumar.

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Over the weekend, the US House of Representatives finally approved a $95 billion dollar aid package, which includes $61 billion for Ukraine, $26 billion for Israel and $8bn for the Indo-Pacific region.  In a rare show of bi-partisan support, House Speaker Mike Johnson put his position on the line by getting both support from mainstream Republicans and Democrats. What do these developments indicate about the law-making environment in US Congress? Dr. Adrian Ang of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies weighs in.

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Parti Keadilan Rakyat celebrated its silver jubilee as part of a coalition that is now the country's ruling government, following a substantial time in opposition. Dr Azmil Tayeb, Political Scientist at Universiti Sains Malaysia talks about the path PKR is charting for itself with the 16th General Election which has to happen at the latest by February 2028.

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EPF is reportedly going to restructure retirement savings accounts for members below the age of 55, with the formation of a new flexible Account. We speak to Pankaj C. Kumar, Financial Market Columnist as to whether such a move should be welcomed, will it affect dividends and what conditions should be attached to allow for withdrawals.

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President Joe Biden this week said that the White House would push to raise tariffs on Chinese steel to insulate American producers from cheap imports. The announcement came as the US Trade Representative announced a new investigation into unfair trade practices by China in maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors. What does this mean for US-China trade relations? We discuss the dynamics with Richard McGregor of the Lowy Institute.

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