Morning Brief

Malaysia has imposed a windfall tax levy of 3% on palm oil prices above RM3000 for Peninsular Malaysia and RM3500 for East Malaysia since 1998. Industry players have made calls to the government to do away with this levy - what justifications are they putting forth? We speak with economist Khor Yu Leng of Segi Enam Advisors to find out what needs to be done for Malaysia to remain relevant in the palm oil supply chain.

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Last week, the home of Beruas MP Dato' Ngeh Koo Ham was torched in the wee hours of the morning, destroying three of his vehicles but thankfully, there were no injuries. Remember also that in July last year, lawyer-activist Siti Kasim found pipe bombs underneath her car. We speak to the Perak DAP leader himself about his experience, as police work hard to uncover the motive behind such attacks.

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Last week, the world was confronted with two aviation incidents involving Japan and Alaska Airlines, evoking widespread concern. These occurrences have prompted a thorough examination of safety protocols and procedures within the aviation industry. Shantanu Gangakhedkar, Aviation Consultant from Frost & Sullivan shares his insights on airline safety.

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The US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) approved exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that invest directly in Bitcoin, after more than a decade of opposition from the regulator. This is considered a watershed moment for the digital-asset industry. Sam Reynolds, senior reporter at Coindesk explains why and if this means that cryptocurrencies have gone mainstream.

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Malaysia and Singapore on Thursday signed an MOU on a new Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone to enhance economic cooperation, while also boosting the cross-border flow of goods and people as well as developing a framework that will lead to a full-fledged agreement. We speak with Tan Sri Dr Sulaiman Mahbob, Chairman of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) on Malaysia’s trade initiatives and how we need to compete against rising ASEAN neighbours.

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Gabriel Attal has been appointed as France's new prime minister following the resignation of Élisabeth Borne after a 20-month stint. Peter McPhee, Emeritus Professor of French History at the University of Melbourne analyses what the future holds for the 34-year-old former Health and Education minister, who also once served as président Emmanuel Macron's spokesperson.

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Malaysia invests significantly on public transport but issues faced by commuters such as punctuality, poor last-mile connectivity and expensive fares do not help build user confidence. Also, big investments are made towards station construction, but maintenance has often been lacking. We speak with transport expert Wan Agyl Wan Hassan to understand what Malaysia needs to create a better public transport system that users will appreciate.

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There have been calls for Malaysia to work harder to be a green investment hub, even more so as we face strong competition from our ASEAN neighbours. One way is the reformation of the power sector to accommodate the potential export of renewable energy. We speak to Dr Renato Lima de Oliveira, Senior Fellow at Institute of Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) to understand what direction Malaysia needs to take as it pivots towards becoming a leader in sustainable development on a global scale.

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2023 was a tale of two halves for the world's biggest economies, with the US and China markets diverging in sentiment. Will we see similar trends this year and how should investors recalibrate their portfolio in response? Francis Tan of UOB weighs in on investment strategies for 2024.

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Indonesia has had strong relations with Malaysia throughout the years. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim even made his first foreign visit there upon assuming office. However, it has not always been smooth as there are long standing border issues that the two neighbours need to agree on. Thomas Daniel, Senior Fellow of ISIS Malaysia discusses the key issues, why has it taken so long and also the future of relations as Indonesia faces a presidential election.

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