Morning Brief

Indonesia has (again) temporarily stopped sending its citizens to work in Malaysia. Jakarta claims there had been a breach of the MoU signed between both countries back in April. Malaysia's Home Minister Dato' Seri Hamzah Zainuddin's reaction - there are 15 other countries to source from. Khor Yu Leng, Political Economist, Segi Enam Advisors talks to us about the implications of this latest freeze might be on Malaysia's already stretched workforce.

All eyes are on US President Joe Biden's trip to Saudi Arabia, which is taking place two years after the president declared the country a pariah state. 

Biden has justified his visit as an exercise in realism, but some may see it as the leader having to eat humble pie, amid record US gasoline prices and global tensions arising from the war in Ukraine. We ask Middle East expert Dr. James Dorsey on the expected outcomes of the visit.

Image Credit: EPA-EFE

Despite the gloomy horizon for the US economy, Finance Minister Tengku Dato’ Sri Zafrul Aziz is optimistic that Malaysia can weather through the storm and that GDP forecasts of growth between 5.3 to 6.3% remain on track.

How well-positioned is the Malaysian economy to manoeuvre the global headwinds and can we emerge unscathed? Business commentator Pankaj C. Kumar weighs in.

Two subsidiaries of Petronas in Azerbaijan have been seized following a French court order. This comes as heirs to the Sulu Sultanate seek a RM62 billion compensation over land in Sabah leased to their ancestors in 1878. Bunn Nagara, Convenor of the Sabah Malaysia Study Group, helps us put the issue in perspective.

Image credit: shutterstock

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China's foreign minister Wang Yi was Kuala Lumpur as part of a 5-nation tour around South East Asia after a hiatus of face to face visits due to the pandemic. Angeline Tan, Researcher in the Foreign Policy and Security Studies at ISIS Malaysia gives us her observations of this visit and what the focus was.

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The Public Services Department (JPA) is cancelling the scholarship bonds of contract doctors, dentists, and pharmacists who successfully apply for release. This means there night be fewer medical professionals in government service. Dr Vijay Ganasan, Chairperson of MMA's Section Concerning House Officers and Medical Officers (SCHOMOS), gives us the latest and what he believes a sustainable solution might be.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two subsidiaries of Petronas in Azerbaijan have been seized following a French court order. This comes as heirs to the Sulu Sultanate seek a RM62 billion compensation over land in Sabah leased to their ancestors in 1878. Bunn Nagara, Convenor of the Sabah Malaysia Study Group, helps us put the issue in perspective.

Image credit: shutterstock

China's foreign minister Wang Yi was Kuala Lumpur as part of a 5-nation tour around South East Asia after a hiatus of face to face visits due to the pandemic. Angeline Tan, Researcher in the Foreign Policy and Security Studies at ISIS Malaysia gives us her observations of this visit and what the focus was.

The Public Services Department (JPA) is cancelling the scholarship bonds of contract doctors, dentists, and pharmacists who successfully apply for release. This means there night be fewer medical professionals in government service. Dr Vijay Ganasan, Chairperson of MMA's Section Concerning House Officers and Medical Officers (SCHOMOS), gives us the latest and what he believes a sustainable solution might be.

With life expectancy at birth in 2021 increasing to 75.6 years we ask Dr. Juita Mohamad, Director of Economics and Business and Acting Research Director, IDEAS what does an ageing population means for Malaysia in terms of an economic, social protection and health perspective

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