Morning Brief

Recently, the Special Council on the MA63 endorsed the proposal to increase East Malaysia representation in parliament to 35%, giving Sabah and Sarawak 78 of the 222 parliamentary seats. Would this actually increase effective political representation for East Malaysia? Danesh Prakash Chacko of Tindak Malaysia weighs in.

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After 59 years, socio-economic development in Malaysia remains patchy and imbalanced, especially in East Malaysia. As post-pandemic economic recovery kicks in, what policy measures should be considered to even out development gaps? We speak to economist Dr. Dayang Affizzah Marikan for suggestions.

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A former chief editor of The Edge, Azam Aris, and contributing editor Shanmugam Muragasu have been slapped with two charges of criminal defamation this week. We ask Sreekant Pillai, Criminal Lawyer as to what is the difference between this and civil defamation and should we repeal defamation laws in Malaysia.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the country’s forces have recaptured  6,000 square kilometres of Russian-held territory in counter offensives this week. Moscow has described its troop withdrawal from the region in recent days as a "regrouping", although the explanation is seen as hollow by some observers. Do these developments mark a turning point in the war? Alexey Muraviev of Curtin University gives us his analysis.

Image Credit: EPA-EFE

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Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri, has said that discussions will be held soon between relevant ministries regarding special moratoriums for SMEs. Carmelo Ferlito, CEO for the Center for Market Education tells us if this is the best way to help struggling SMEs or are there other solutions may be more productive.

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The next general election will see over 1 million new voters aged between 18 to 21 eligible to cast their vote. As we head into GE15, politicians from both sides of the divide will no doubt intensify their efforts to attract the most eyeballs to their campaigns on social media, especially among first-time voters. But how effective is social media campaigning, and in a world of fake news and disinformation, could social media campaigning end up backfiring against a political party? Badrul Hisyam Ismail of Iman Research speaks to us about the evolution and future of political campaigning.

Image credit: REUTERS/Samsul Said

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Russia's closure of the Nordstream 1 gas pipeline has ramped up pressure on EU member states to respond to rising prices of gas and electricity. Can the EU come to a consensus on the package of measures to take before the onset of winter? We discuss what's at stake with Dr. Frederick Kliem of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. 

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With the monsoon season approaching, what should the government be doing to prevent or mitigate flooding? We discuss policy measures to address the social and economic costs of annual floods in the country with Cha-Ly Koh of Urbanmetry

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With the monsoon season approaching, what should the government be doing to prevent or mitigate flooding? We discuss policy measures to address the social and economic costs of annual floods in the country with Cha-Ly Koh of Urbanmetry

Russia's closure of the Nordstream 1 gas pipeline has ramped up pressure on EU member states to respond to rising prices of gas and electricity. Can the EU come to a consensus on the package of measures to take before the onset of winter? We discuss what's at stake with Dr. Frederick Kliem of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.