Morning Brief

Australia has made history by introducing the world’s first ban on selected social media use for children under 16.

Dr. Joanne Orlando, Digital Wellbeing Expert and Author of Generation Connected: How to Parent in a Digital World - At Every Age and Stage tells us the mechanics of the law, if it will prevent harms and if there are alternative models to consider to protect children under 16.

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Malaysia’s rubber glove players saw strong earnings from the latest earnings quarter. Is this a sign that the sector is due for a positive re-rating? Maliana Shaharudin, Equity Analyst, BIMB Securities gives us her perspective whilst telling us her top buy idea for the sector.

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Even as Malaysia nears full eradication of hardcore poverty by early 2026, many low-income households remain at risk. To address this, the government has launched the People’s Welfare Insurance Scheme or SIKR 3.0. We’ll delve into the significance and effectiveness of this programme with Prof. Emeritus Datuk Dr. Norma Mansor, Director of the Social Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Malaya.

This episode of The First Look was brought to you by Emirates. Fly better, fly Emirates.

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Recent developments in the transportation space include delays to the LRT3, a potential reduction in parking spaces in new developments near public transport stations, and JPJ's attempts to get you to pay your summons. We speak with Associate Professor Dr Law Teik Hua, Head of the Road Safety Research Centre at Universiti Putra Malaysia for further insight.

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China has just posted a record-breaking trade surplus, more than one trillion US dollars, even as its economy at home shows signs of strain. What’s powering this export surge? We speak to Gary Ng of Natixis to understand what this means for China’s economy, its trading partners, and the outlook for 2026.

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Thailand and Cambodia have resumed fighting after Thailand launched airstrikes on the Cambodian military. Dr. Greg Raymond, Senior Lecturer at the Australian National University, explains the crisis, why the Malaysia- and US-brokered peace deal fell through and is there any resolution to this century-old crisis.

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Southeast Asia has been battered by a string of storms, cyclones and heavy rain, resulting in more than a thousand deaths and billions in damage. But what do these compound climate events signal for our region’s future?

Matt Sechovsky, Head of ESG Country Research at BMI, a FitchSolutions company, discusses the impact of compound climate disasters on the region now and in the future.

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• After years of slowdown, Hong Kong’s property market is showing signs of comeback. Rents rose 4% in 2025 and could climb another 5% next year, while home prices have gained 3.3% since March. What risks lie ahead? We’ll discuss with Patrick Wong, Head of Hong Kong & Senior Analyst, Asia Pacific Real Estate, Bloomberg Intelligence.

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Over the weekend, MCA held its annual general meeting where arguably one of the most notable resolutions that was passed - it will leave BN if any component party worked with DAP in GE16. Adib Zalkapli, Managing Director, Viewfinder Global Affairs gives us his thoughts on this development, as well as the imminent Cabinet reshuffling.

This episode of The First Look was brought to you by Emirates. Fly better, fly Emirates

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Malaysia continues to rely on migrant workers and uses quota applications  to recalibrate labour demand. Combined with tighter enforcement on accommodation and documentation standards, employers are struggling to employ the workers they need.  Dato’ Foo Yong Hooi, President, Association of Employment Agencies Malaysia tells us what changes are needed to ensure that businesses are not impacted negatively by this.

This episode of The First Look was brought to you by Emirates. Fly better, fly Emirates

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