Morning Brief

The US-China chip war has been ongoing for over a year now. Recently, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo has raised concerns over China's breakthrough in advanced chipmaking. Meanwhile, Nvidia's dealings with China have also come under heavy scrutiny. Alex Holmes, senior economist at Oxford Economics shares his updates on how the semiconductor industry is coping amid the ongoing tensions.

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Dato’ Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir took control of the Ministry of Higher Education. His appointment comes amidst the higher education system coming under fire as to whether it prepares Malaysians for the fast changing nature of work and required technical skills. Prof. Zaharom Nain, Professor of Media and Communication Studies, University of Nottingham Malaysia shares his views on the required initiatives to overhaul the higher education system.

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Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has announced a revamp of his administration. The Madani government now has 31 ministries with the addition of the Federal Territories portfolio and the splitting up of responsibilities at the Communications & Digital as well as the Natural Resources, Environment & Climate Change Ministries. Ibrahim Suffian, Programme Director at the Merdeka Centre shares his analysis on this development.

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Dato’ Sri Amir Hamzah Azizan, the former CEO of EPF has been tapped to become Finance Minister II. What might he bring to the table and what is expected of the fortified MOF leadership? We get reactions from economist Dr. Afzanizam Abdul Rashid of Bank Muamalat.

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Malaysia is currently strategising two major projects, the tram system in Melaka and the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail. One for vanity, another for necessity. Will these two projects create a catalyst for more people to use public transport for their travels? Will it ease congestion? We discuss their practicalities with Transit Malaysia Member, Bernard Chong.

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Over the weekend, several skirmishes were reported between Chinese and Philippines’ vessels in the South China Sea, highlighting continued tensions over maritime territory in the region. We discuss what transpired with security analyst Chong Ja Ian of the National University of Singapore.

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The Environmental Impact Assessments were introduced back in 1974 under the Environmental Quality Act to evaluate the sustainability and long-term viability of a proposed project or development. However, amid accusations that these EIAs have not fulfilled their purpose, the Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Ministry might want to make it more robust. Kwong Chiew Ee, a member of the Bar Council Environment and Climate Change Committee, explains what this means.

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TERAJU was established in 2011 under the Prime Minister's Department to increase Bumiputera participation in the economy, but how successful has this agency been in delivering its mandate? As the government relooks at its strategy to uplift the Bumiputera economy, more focus needs to be done on its proper implementation and ensure support is given to those who need it. Ahmad Yazid Othman, Secretary General at The Malay Chamber of Commerce gives an assessment of TERAJU and what is needed to make it effective.

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Investors begin a cautious week as the final Federal Reserve meeting of 2023 looms, hoping for any signals on when central bankers will begin to cut interest rates. Stephen Chiu, Chief Asia FX and Rates Strategist with Bloomberg Intelligence shares with us how recent market movements and impending Fed decision will impact Asian rates as well as currencies.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin recently made a whirlwind visit to the UAE and Saudi Arabia last week, covering issues such as the war in Gaza and OPEC+ ties. We speak to Muhammad Faizal Abdul Rahman, Research Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies to find out the meetings’ wider implications for geopolitics and oil.

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