Morning Brief

The price of gold has hit a record high of US$2,354 an ounce and in today's uncertain economic landscape, it is being viewed as an increasingly stable investment option. Christopher Wong, an FX strategist at OCBC Bank shares some nuggets of wisdom on how we can harness this precious metal's potential returns.

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A massive container ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore and brought the structure down, two weeks ago. We discuss the economic consequences with Peter Tirschwell, Vice President of shipping intelligence at S&P Global Market Intelligence with a focus on supply chain disruption and a potential rise in costs.

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The Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit has been tasked with overseeing the socioeconomic development of the community since 2008. It is now under the Prime Minister's Department's purview. Former MP, Kasthuri Patto, DAP's Deputy Secretary for International Affairs, talks about MITRA's effectiveness in achieving its goals after a series of allegations of financial mismanagement.

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30 year Chinese government bond yields hit a record low of below 2.4% in March, almost close to dropping below 10 year yields which also hit a 22 year low. This narrowing yield differential has sparked discussions over whether the curve will flatten further or even invert. We ask Stephen Chiu, Chief Asia FX and Rates Strategist, Bloomberg Intelligence if the PBOC will change their monetary policy as a result and also his outlook for Asian currencies.

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In recent weeks there have been questions over the qualification process to be a medical specialist in this country after the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) refused to recognize certain parallel pathway programs. Boo Su-Lyn, Editor-in-Chief, CodeBlue helps us unpack this complicated issue and if there should be reform at MMC as well.

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Tesla reported abysmal sales delivery numbers for the first quarter of the year, posting a 20% drop in deliveries from the previous quarter. This was also the first sales contraction in four years. What might this indicate about the prospects of the EV sector? We discuss Tesla’s fall in fortunes and what a recovery would take with Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities.

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ASEAN is the proverbial deer caught between two elephants, with countries being careful to balance relations between the two global superpowers. The historical leaning has been towards the US, however the latest edition of the State of Southeast Asia survey showed for the first time that ASEAN respondents are leaning more towards Beijing. What accounts for this sentiment shift and how is the region navigating fluid geopolitical dynamics? Sharon Seah of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute discusses findings from the report.

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The Trans-Borneo Railways project, proposed by Brunergy Utama, a Bruneian infrastructure company, aims to significantly enhance connectivity throughout the island. With an estimated investment of 70 billion dollars, the project promises to revolutionise transportation in the region. Dr. Mohamad Raduan Kabit, Senior Lecturer in Transportation Engineering at the Department of Civil Engineering UNIMAS shares his analysis on the economic advantages and obstacles of this transformative initiative.

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This week the Registrar of Societies (ROS) approved proposed amendments to Bersatu’s party constitution that would establish stringent protocols governing the resignation and expulsion of party members. Will this have any effect on the 6 Bersatu MPs that had pledged allegiance to Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim? We discuss the implications with Dr. Azmi Hassan of the Nusantara Academy of Strategic Research. 

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The Small and Medium Enterprises Association (SAMENTA), renewed calls for the government to consider an Economic Sabotage Act in response to recent threats to Malaysian businesses. But how should we define economic sabotage? We speak to Datuk William Ng, President of SAMENTA on why he believes the act is necessary.

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