Morning Brief

2022 was a record year for agriculture prices, no thanks to a perfect storm of climate change, the war in Ukraine and high energy prices but will this trend continue in 2023? Alvin Tai, Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence tells us whilst explaining why the correlation between high agriculture prices is not translated to stock prices.

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With 4 MPs from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) leaving Sabah Bersatu, lawyer Kee Hui Yee gives her perspective as the landmark anti-hopping law that came into force on 5th October is put to the test.

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With 4 MPs from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) leaving Sabah Bersatu, lawyer Kee Hui Yee gives her perspective as the landmark anti-hopping law that came into force on 5th October is put to the test.

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Dr Zaliha Mustafa, the MP for Sekijang has the distinction of being the country’s first woman health minister in the new government. The portfolio is a demanding one, especially with the Covid-19 pandemic magnifying the inadequacies of our health system. What issues should be prioritised by the Ministry of Health? Azrul Mohd Khalib of the Galen Centre gives us his recommendations.

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With China showing signs of reopening, will 2023 be a smoother, less turbulent year for global aviation in particular in Asia? We speak to Shantanu Gangakhedkar at Frost & Sullivan on what he’s watching in the coming year.

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The new Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi will have his hands full. One of his top priorities include ensuring the completion of Pan Borneo Highway in Sarawak and Sabah. Additionally, the condition of federal roads in the country remains in focus where in September, the works ministry announced that an allocation of 3.4 billion ringgit is needed to repair damaged federal roads throughout peninsular Malaysia. What role does the Works Ministry play in the development of infrastructure in the country? For insights we speak to Dr Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah, Professor of Transport Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia.

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The new Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi will have his hands full. One of his top priorities include ensuring the completion of Pan Borneo Highway in Sarawak and Sabah. Additionally, the condition of federal roads in the country remains in focus where in September, the works ministry announced that an allocation of 3.4 billion ringgit is needed to repair damaged federal roads throughout peninsular Malaysia. What role does the Works Ministry play in the development of infrastructure in the country? For insights we speak to Dr Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah, Professor of Transport Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia.

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The line up of twenty seven Deputy Ministers was finally revealed with a mix of old and new faces from the various parties. Ibrahim Suffian, Program Director at Merdeka Centre helps us to unpack the nuances of this whilst diving into the recent news headlines on Perikatan Nasional including the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) split from Bersatu.

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Japan has revised its third quarter GDP figures, under the expectation that it will shrink to 0.8% on an annualised basis instead of 1.2%. But this doesn’t eliminate concerns over the economy’s resilience heading into 2023, even with the 210 billion US dollars. Moreover, the yen's persistent weakness against the US dollar has impacted prices of imports; Japan recorded a current account deficit of 4.5 billion US dollars in October. How long can The Bank of Japan keep the policy of low-interest rates? For answers, we speak to William Pesek, Tokyo-based journalist and columnist, Nikkei Asia.

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Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is in the midst of calling for an investigation on Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), the government entity tasked for the 5G rollout in Malaysia. Part of the review will be on the tender process which was perceived to not be done in a transparent manner. New Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil also assured that the current 5G rollout will still continue. How will Malaysia's 5G initiative pan out with all these delays and especially when the country is already behind regionally? For answers, we speak to Alexander Wong, Managing Editor and Co-Founder of SoyaCincau.

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