Morning Brief

The escalation of Middle East tensions earlier this week pushed prices above $90 US dollars per barrel - how might geopolitics influence the price trajectory in the coming months? We discuss factors influencing the demand and supply of oil with analyst Vandana Hari of Vanda Insights.

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Starting from December 1st, Singapore employees will be able to seek four-day work weeks, more remote work days, and staggered schedules. We speak to Deepa George, Managing Consultant, MYHRC Services on how this can be best implemented from an employer and employee perspective since this is also provided for under Malaysian labour laws.

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Malaysians have one of the highest rates of diabetes in Asia with our love of sugar. We speak to Dr Rafidah Abdullah, Consultant Nephrologist, Hospital Putrajaya on the consequences of unchecked sugar intake to our own wellbeing and the nation's healthcare system which is already stretched.

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The government aims to woo more investors to Malaysia with a proposed Semiconductor Strategic Plan, which the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) has been tasked with drawing up. We speak to Dato Seri Wong Siew Hai, president of the Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA) on industry expectations for the plan and how Malaysia can remain competitive in the sector. 

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The surge in US Dollar strength is wreaking havoc on emerging market currencies and complicating central bank monetary policy decisions in Asia. We discuss the implications of King Dollar for emerging markets with Saktiandi Supaat of Maybank Group.

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Aligned with our country’s energy transition objectives, the government has established the Energy Exchange Malaysia (ENEGEM) to facilitate cross-border green electricity sales to neighbouring countries. Ganesha Pillai, Senior Research Associate, Center for Technology, Strategy and Sustainability, Asia School of Business shares his insights into the impact of this initiative on regional energy dynamics.

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Around 40 thousand voters will head to the polls on the 11th of May for the by-election of Kuala Kubu Baru. How will each political coalition strategize their campaign and candidate choice ? Dr Oh Ei Sun, Principal Adviser, Pacific Research Centre  helps us answer that question and if the outcome is status quo.

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May 15 marks a new political era for Singapore as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will step down and hand over the reins to his successor, Lawrence Wong. We discuss what this means for Singapore’s future with Dr. Gillian Koh, Senior Research Fellow at the NUS Institute of Public Policy.

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Crude palm oil futures closed weaker earlier this week amid concerns over demand and the rising output of the commodity. Now, with the escalating geopolitical tensions and uncertain economic conditions thrown into the mix, how will this affect the sector moving forward? Alvin Tai, analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence gives us his take.

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Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad has said that the proposed amendments to the Medical Act 1971 or Act 50, which aim to address the gap between the parallel pathway programme and the local master’s medicine programme is almost ready. However will this resolve the imbroglio? Dr. Kelvin Yii, MP, Bandar Kuching gives us his perspective whilst weighing in on the state of public hospitals and how it can be improved.

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