Morning Brief

Erin Cook, a journalist covering Southeast Asian affairs, explains the massive Manila protest that drew up to 650,000 people over alleged multibillion-dollar kickbacks in flood-control projects and whether this unrest could spark a leadership shake-up.

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1.8 million people will be voting in the Sabah elections, of which more than half a million will be under the age of 30. However, voter turnout for this segment is low at just 55%. We speak to grassroots movement HAI MANDAK, as to why this is the case and what are the issues facing young Sabahans.

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Asia is in the middle of a rapid data centre boom, driven by accelerating digitalisation, cloud demand and the spillover from Singapore’s capacity constraints.  Malaysia has been a beneficiary of this but what are the bottlenecks we face? 

Linda Zeng, Senior Power & Renewables Analyst, BMI gives us that answer and some solutions so we can stay ahead of the competition.

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• EPF has just posted one of its strongest performances in years for the first nine months of 2025. With two-tier pension reforms, rising voluntary contributions, and the growing influence of social media and finfluencers, the investment landscape is shifting. Ng Tzu Hann, CEO of Tradeview Capital, joins us to unpack it all.
  
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Dr Azmil Tayeb, Political Scientist at Universiti Sains Malaysia, discusses MIC’s potential exit from Barisan Nasional after nearly seven decades, where the party might head next, and whether it still holds relevance among Indian voters.

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China and Japan are locked in a new confrontation, sparked by Tokyo’s comments on Taiwan and escalated by Beijing’s tourism bans, market pressure, and military moves near the Senkaku Islands. Professor Alexis Dudden, a visiting professor at the Department of Japanese Studies, National University of Singapore, helps us understand what's at stake.

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Australian markets have been like a yoyo this year, dropping by 10% in April to 7,343 points to then recover and hit a year to date high of 9,094 points in late October. However recent selling of late has meant the ASX 200 year to date gains are currently just 5.3%. Matt Ingram, Senior Industry Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence gives us the 2026 outlook and also if banks are the sector that will outperform.

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Following the departure of Datuk Seri Dr Maimunah Sharif as Kuala Lumpur mayor, 9 months short of her 2-year term, questions abound as to why this has happened, especially as she has been one of the most qualified persons for this job. Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, MP for Setiawangsa, shares his thoughts on working with Maimunah and whether or not local council elections might be a feasible future solution.

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Vietnam’s property market is entering a new phase as sweeping land and housing reforms reshape investment flows and urban growth. Trang Le, Country Head & Head of Research and Consulting at JLL Vietnam talks about where demand is rising, and how foreign developers are positioning themselves, and what lies ahead for the next property cycle.

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Bank Negara Malaysia reported the country’s economy grew 5.2% in the third quarter, which suggest that  Malaysia is on course to hit the upper end of the 4% to 4.8% growth target for this year. Dr Afzanizam Abdul Rashid, Chief Economist, Bank Muamalat tells us the house view of GDP growth and Ringgit outlook for 2026.

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