Morning Brief

The government recently announced the formation of a Cabinet committee to resolve traffic congestion, as well as an upcoming public transportation framework to address long-standing issues faced by urban commuters. What solutions should the government consider to end the traffic jam nightmare of Klang Valley commuters and improve the effectiveness and experience of Malaysian public transport? Transport expert Wan Agyl Wan Hassan weighs in with his recommendations.

Image credit: 123rf.com

The government recently announced the formation of a Cabinet committee to resolve traffic congestion, as well as an upcoming public transportation framework to address long-standing issues faced by urban commuters. What solutions should the government consider to end the traffic jam nightmare of Klang Valley commuters and improve the effectiveness and experience of Malaysian public transport? Transport expert Wan Agyl Wan Hassan weighs in with his recommendations.

Image credit: 123rf.com

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How old will you be in 2056? According to the World Bank, 20% of the Malaysian population will be older than 65. What kind of policy measures should be put in place to address Malaysia’s ageing demographic? We discuss the proposal to enact a Senior Citizen Bill with PC Gan of Homage Malaysia.

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With GDP expanding by 2.6% for the full 2022 year, Thailand posted the slowest growth rate among the major ASEAN economies. As the tourist arrivals pick-up with the reopening of China's borders, how much of a boost will tourism give Thailand’s GDP this year?

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Budget 2023 last month highlighted the need for the government to strengthen its fiscal standing by improving tax collection revenue. However, the issue is how do you expand the tax base? There are suggestions for a luxury goods tax, as well as a capital gains tax. Dr Veerinderjeet Singh, Chairman of Tricor Malaysia breaks down the arguments for us and shares what he thinks about the much-debated GST.

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Budget 2023 last month highlighted the need for the government to strengthen its fiscal standing by improving tax collection revenue. However, the issue is how do you expand the tax base? There are suggestions for a luxury goods tax, as well as a capital gains tax. Dr Veerinderjeet Singh, Chairman of Tricor Malaysia breaks down the arguments for us and shares what he thinks about the much-debated GST.

Image credit: Shutterstock

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Malaysia risks losing out in hundreds of millions of ringgit in revenues from concerts and live events which are known to draw foreign tourists to the country. All this because of updated guidelines from PUSPAL, the central authority governing foreign filming and performances, that prohibit events from happening during religious holidays and even how performers are dressed. Rizal Kamal, President of the Arts, Live Festival and Events Association (ALIFE), explains the situation for us.

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Last year CPO prices at one point reached a record high of over RM6000 ringgit per metric tonne in April, as a result of heightened demand due to the Ukraine war and issues affecting production supply. It’s currently trading at a much more modest RM3970 ringgit, down 4% on a year to date basis. How will CPO prices trend in the months ahead? Alvin Tay of Bloomberg Intelligence discusses the outlook for the sector.

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Given the 10th Prime Minister’s reformist credentials, there are high hopes that his Cabinet will deliver many of the long-awaited changes in political and institutional governance that can strengthen Malaysian democracy. The CSO Platform for Reform, a coalition of 60 civil society organisations in Malaysia, released its 100-day report card this week, assessing Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s performance in the first three months. We speak to Jerald Joseph, Chair of the CSO Platform the highlights and lowlights in reforms.

Image credit: Abdul Razak Latif

Given the 10th Prime Minister’s reformist credentials, there are high hopes that his Cabinet will deliver many of the long-awaited changes in political and institutional governance that can strengthen Malaysian democracy. The CSO Platform for Reform, a coalition of 60 civil society organisations in Malaysia, released its 100-day report card this week, assessing Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s performance in the first three months. We speak to Jerald Joseph, Chair of the CSO Platform the highlights and lowlights in reforms.

Image credit: Abdul Razak Latif

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.