Morning Brief

Sabah’s political scene is once again in motion with UPKO’s exit from Pakatan Harapan, following party president Datuk Ewon Benedick’s resignation from Cabinet. All this ahead of the state's election at the end of the month. Ariff Adi Putera Anwar, Research Associate at the Institute for Development Studies (Sabah), shares his views.

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As Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto marks one year in office and Thailand’s Anutin Charnvirakul wraps up his second month as prime minister, both leaders are confronting early tests of leadership. Journalist Erin Cook joins us with an analysis of some of the latest developments in these two ASEAN member nations.

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Japan’s new government under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is signalling a significant shift in economic policy, preferring to take a longer lens. We ask Alvin Liew, Senior Economist & Senior Vice President, UOB what are the implications of this change and what are the next steps the BOJ will take.

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The excise duty exemption for CKDs is due to be removed while the RM100,000 selling price floor for EVs will be scrapped. What does this mean for the auto sector in Malaysia. Iftaar Hakim, Equity Analyst at RHB Investment Bank gives us his perspective whilst we also ask about EV penetration rates.

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The process to end the 41-day US government shutdown is ongoing as the Senate works towards a deal. Next the House of Representatives will need to weigh in before President Donald Trump puts his signature. Dr Kathryn Robison, a lecturer at the United States Studies Centre of University of Sydney, shares her views on this.

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The Malaysian Media Council has officially commenced its work with the election of 12 board members at its inaugural Annual General Meeting last Friday. With this establishment, what changes can be expected in the standards and direction of Malaysia’s media? We’ll get an insider’s look with Radzi Razak, Founding Board Member of the Malaysian Media Council.

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Malaysia’s classrooms are set for a big change in 2027 with a new subject called Nature and Humanity, and a co-teaching model where two teachers share one class. What will that look like in practice? We speak with Chan Soon Seng, CEO of Teach for Malaysia to better understand the impact it will have on students, parents and educators when this kicks in 14 months. 

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Singapore’s three biggest banks have turned in mixed results for the latest quarter, with all of them flagging margin pressures ahead of 2026 as interest rates trend lower. Sarah Jane Mahmud, Senior Industry Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence tells what to expect from the sector in 2026 and which bank is most resilient.

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With a record 596 candidates fighting for just 73 seats, the outcome of Sabah’s 2025 state election is anyone’s guess, says Prof. Dr. Lee Kuok Tiung of Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

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It's never a dull weekend in politics. Upko President Ewon Benedict resigned as Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development. We also saw some tense scenes at the Amanah party conference yesterday. Ibrahim Suffian, Co-Founder & Programme Director at the Merdeka Center, gives us his take on these events, what it means for Sabah state elections and who could be the new ministers.

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