Morning Brief

The Turun Anwar Rally, on July 26, drew thousands of protesters, though crowd estimates vary depending on the source. However, the biggest challenge facing the opposition coalition in rallying support for a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Anwar is the absence of a clear and credible alternative to lead the government. Dr. Azmi Hassan, Senior Fellow at the Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research, offers his take on Malaysia's evolving political landscape.

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Widespread starvation has reached alarming levels in Gaza. While Israel eased some restrictions on aid entry over the weekend, relief agencies say far more needs to be done. Joining us to unpack the hunger crisis is Dato' Dr Ahmad Faizal Mohd Perdaus, President of MERCY Malaysia.

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The proliferation of online scam centres, particularly in Southeast Asia, has been a major concern despite various multilateral efforts to combat these crimes. Consequently, hundreds of thousands of victims may still be trapped in situations deemed less than human. Dr Surachanee Sriyai, Visiting Fellow, Media, Technology & Society Programme at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute shares her insights.

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Ahead of the “Turun Anwar” rally tomorrow, both the chief secretary to the government and the Attorney-General’s Chambers have cautioned civil servants from attending. Faisal Aziz, Bersih Chairman joins us to discuss our civil liberties when it comes to peaceful assemblies.

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Malaysia Keeps BBB+ RatingDespite recent populist measures, Fitch Ratings has reaffirmed Malaysia’s sovereign credit rating at BBB+. Kathleen Chen, Associate Director of Asia-Pacific Sovereigns, explains the rationale.

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Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's to designate this coming Sep 15th an additional public holiday in celebration of Malaysia Day has sparked concern among business stakeholders. Datuk Shamsuddin Bardan, Advisor to the Malaysian Employers' Federation share his thoughts on this and the impact such last-minute public holidays can have on business operations.

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The Dewan Rakyat has passed amendments to the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010. Key changes include allowing protection even if disclosures breach written laws, and giving agencies more discretion to protect whistleblowers involved in wrongdoing. Raymon Ram, President of Transparency International Malaysia discusses this development.

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Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam have each announced new trade deals with the United States, signaling a significant shift in regional trade dynamics. But the agreements have also stirred concern, with several terms still vague or potentially contentious. Dr. Deborah K. Elms, Head of Trade Policy at the Hinrich Foundation, unpacks what’s really at stake.

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Taiwan’s political landscape is under pressure as 24 Kuomintang lawmakers face an unprecedented recall vote. Could this political upheaval jeopardise Taiwan’s security? Brian Hioe, Co-Founding Editor of New Bloom Magazine, discusses the potential outcomes for the island’s future.

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The 2nd 2025 Auditor General’s Report revealed a staggering 48.78 billion ringgit in mismanaged government projects, exposing deep-rooted failures across seven ministries. This raises urgent questions: Are laws and processes enough, or do we need a political and institutional overhaul?. Joining us to unpack this issues is Sri Murniati Yusuf, Senior Research Fellow, IDEAS Malaysia.

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