Morning Brief

• Precious metals are stealing the spotlight in 2026, with gold up 60% year-to-date and silver rallying strongly, while palm oil and Brent crude face a softer ride. What factors are driving these moves, and how does the outlook look for the year ahead? Christopher Wong, FX Strategist at OCBC, shares his analysis.

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Felda is promoting a carbon-credit system for oil-palm plantations but is this workable in a Malaysian context? Khor Yu Leng, Economist, Segi Enam Advisers gives us her perspective whilst explaining the impact of the EU delaying its review of the deforestation regulation.

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Felda is promoting a carbon-credit system for oil-palm plantations but is this workable in a Malaysian context? Khor Yu Leng, Economist, Segi Enam Advisers gives us her perspective whilst explaining the impact of the EU delaying its review of the deforestation regulation.

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Singapore’s property market saw continued momentum in the third quarter, with the Urban Redevelopment Authority reporting an uptick in both private and public home prices, although HDB prices saw moderated growth for the fourth straight quarter. What do these indicators mean for the city-state’s property market in 2026. Alan Cheong, Executive Director, Savills Singapore shares his perspective.

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Australia’s economy posted a softer-than-expected expansion in the third quarter, with GDP rising 0.4%, yet the annual pace accelerated to 2.1% — the fastest in three years. What explains these mixed signals, and what does this mean for the Lucky Country’s economy in 2026? Sophia Angala, Economist, ANZ Research shares her insights

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Airbus has hit turbulence as its A320 jets face a software glitch in the ELAC flight-control system and fuselage panels that don’t meet specifications. How will these issues impact its operations and deliveries? Shantanu Gangakhedkar, Senior Aviation Consultant at Frost & Sullivan, explains how this has impacted passenger safety and Airbus’s reputation.

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Under the 13th Malaysia Plan, the government is reviewing Malaysia’s household income classifications. Calvin Cheng, Director of the Economics, Trade, and Regional Integration Division, Institute of Strategic and International Studies tells us if and how this system should be changed.

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DOSM has revealed that skill-related underemployment, where graduates work in positions below the level of their qualification, has increased by 3.9% to 1.6 million. Wan Amirah Wan Usamah, Research Associate, Khazanah Research Institute tells us the reasons for this and some of the policy solutions.

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

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The recent raid on a health club in Chow Kit, which resulted in 208 arrests, has raised concerns over privacy and law enforcement protocols in Malaysia, with the Home Ministry insisting that all procedures had been followed. Criminal lawyer Goh Cia Yee, who had also aided those who were detained, speaks to us about the legality of PDRM's actions.

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Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia are facing one of its deadliest waves of floods and landslides in recent memory. Nusrat Hassan, Operation Coordinator at the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), shares what's happening on the ground, the challenges of providing aid, and urgent lessons for disaster preparedness and prevention.

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