Morning Brief

The Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur Planning Rules 2025 came into force from June 16, granting the Datuk Bandar broad powers to approve developments. It was also passed without public consultation. Alliff Benjamin Suhaimi, a partner at Thomas Philip explains the implications.

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As the date for Sabah’s state election, which must be held before Nov 11, approaches, news has emerged that UMNO is considering running on its own. This is after Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) formed an electoral pact. Ariff Adi Putera Anwar, Research Associate at the Institute for Development Studies Sabah, shares his insights into how the political sands are shifting in the land below the wind.

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Could peace emerge from Trump’s upcoming meeting with Putin and Zelensky? Dr. Sonia Mycak, Research Fellow at the ANU Centre for European Studies, explains why a peaceful resolution remains unlikely and unpacks the underlying motives driving Putin’s continued aggression toward Ukraine, despite mounting U.S. sanctions.

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The Galen Centre for Health & Social Policy believes the recently tabled 13th Malaysia Plan falls short in several key areas of Putrajaya's plans to reform Malaysia's health sector. Azrul Mohd Khalib, the think tank's CEO, breaks down what the missed opportunities are.

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Malaysia has agreed to buy and invest over US$240 billion with the US which has resulted in the lower 19% tariff rate, down from the threatened 25%. Dr Carmelo Ferlito from the Centre for Market Education talks about the resulting strategic and economic implications there may arise from this deal.

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As Malaysia becomes an aged nation faster than expected, the government is mulling a major reform : monthly pension payouts on top of lump-sum withdrawals. Chai Sen Tyng, Senior Research Officer, Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing (myAgeing), Universiti Putra Malaysia discusses this proposal and what more needs to be done.

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Collins Chong, foreign affairs and security analyst at Universiti Malaya, unpacks the Kremlin’s orchestrated posturing and how provocative tweets by Russian military leader and former president Dmitry Medvedev rattled U.S. President Donald Trump into threatening the use of nuclear submarines.

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Despite lofty valuations, the Magnificent 7 still have room to run. Dan Ives, Managing Director at Wedbush Securities, breaks down the key growth drivers and reveals his top five tech stock picks following the Q2 2025 earnings season.

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After a shaky start, the peace truce between Thailand and Cambodia appears to be holding, following two rounds of talks in Kuala Lumpur under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, current chair of the ASEAN bloc. Dato’ Dr Ilango Karuppannan, former Malaysian ambassador and Adjunct Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, says personal relationships remain a critical ingredient in brokering lasting peace.

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The 13th Malaysia Plan sets bold targets for public transport reform. With major rail projects, structural changes, and increased investment in the pipeline, will these efforts be enough to drive real improvement? We get insights from Dr Law Teik Hua, Associate Professor, Universiti Putra Malaysia.

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