Morning Brief

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has just concluded his maiden official visit to Germany since becoming prime minister, meeting with Chancellor Olaf Schulz as well as representatives from almost 40 companies across various industries. Dr Eva Langerbeck, the Malaysian-German Chamber of Commerce & Industry's interim executive director, gives us some insights from the visit and what to expect going forward.

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Nearly 1 billion people will go to the polls in India next month, in an exercise that runs over 6 weeks beginning April 19th. President Narendra Modi is vying for his third term in office after 10 years leading the BJP government. What are the issues that will influence voters at the ballot box? We discuss what to expect with Yanitha Meena of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia (ISIS Malaysia)

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Putrajaya has agreed to amend citizenship laws enshrined in the Federal Constitution which will grant automatic citizenship to children born overseas to Malaysian mothers and non-Malaysian fathers. However, a foundling will not be eligible for automatic citizenship and would have to go through a registration process. Maalini Ramalo, Director of Social Protection, Development of Human Resources for Rural Areas explains where these amendments have failed.

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It has been revealed that Putrajaya is in the final stages of drafting the country’s first Urban Redevelopment Act which will govern among others, how heritage buildings are preserved. This will also open up conversations on how developers might reap excessive profits at the expense of city dwellers. Datin Noraida Saludin, president of the Malaysian Institute of Planners, helps us understand what this proposed redevelopment legislation might look like. 

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The Deputy Health Minister recently revealed that vape and tobacco lobbyists were involved in the Generational End Game (GEG) component of the anti-smoking bill being dropped. When does policy lobbying cross the line to corruption? We discuss this with Dr Muhammad Mohan, President of Transparency International Malaysia as well as the larger implications that lobbying has on the policymaking process.

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Petronas, Malaysia's state-owned oil and gas reported a 20.6% Y-o-Y decline in revenue to 80.7 billion ringgit in 2023, from a record high of 101.6 billion ringgit in 2022. Reasons cited for this decline was the 20% drop in average oil prices and a shift in the energy industry towards cleaner solutions. Sean Lim Ooi Leong, Head of Regional Oil & Gas at RHB Investment Bank helps us unpack the results and what implications this has on the wider O&G sector in Malaysia.

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The US-China trade war has been a boon for the Malaysian semiconductor industry, with investors flocking to set up production here. What can we do to further leverage on the opportunities that arise from the resulting de-risking trend? We get industry insights from Dato' Seri Wong Siew Hai, President of the Malaysian Semiconductor Industry Association.

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The spillover of the Middle East conflict to the Red Sea is not just impacting the shipping industry; there has also been repercussions for the telecommunications sector that rely on undersea cables located in the area. Marvin Lo, Senior Equity Research Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence discusses the implications for Asian telcos and also the broader outlook for the industry. 

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The European Parliament approved pioneering regulations for AI which will be finalised in May and fully implemented by 2026. Dr Sia Chin Chin, Programme Director and Senior Lecturer of Business & Law, Taylor’s Law School shares her insights on the ramifications and operational framework of the AI Act whilst taking a look at what the Malaysian guidelines will look like.

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Recently, The Malaysian Aviation Commission unveiled a series of revisions to the Passenger Service Charge, also known as PSC. Will the resulting hike in airfares dampen the travel and tourism sector recovery? Khair Mirza, Head of Airport Investor Resource at Modalis Infrastructure Partners weighs in on the purpose and implications of the PSC.

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