Morning Brief
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Morning Brief
Opinion and analysis of today’s international and local news that matter to Malaysians. Everything you need to know to start and plan your work.
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Perikatan’s Choice: Muhyiddin or Hamzah?
The coalition is once again dealing with internal tension, this time over how the Opposition Leader should be chosen. A plan to let MPs decide the rol...
Australia-Malaysia: Keeping Ties and Supplies Secure
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was in Malaysia this week, although the visit has been cut short by a day after an emergency back home lin...
Rethinking Media Literacy in a Connected Malaysia
As social media becomes the primary source of information for many Malaysians, concerns over misinformation, online harms, and digital trust are growi...
Can Malaysia Afford to Delay the Carbon Tax?
Malaysia's carbon tax was due to be introduced this year for carbon intensive sectors like iron, steel and energy. However the timing of the rollout i...
Can Cheaper Fares Fix Public Transport?
Malaysia is introducing fare discounts and subsidised rail passes to ease the impact of higher fuel prices and support commuters. Nabil Ersyad from Tr...
Indonesia’s Growth Ambitions Face a Tough Reality
Indonesia is navigating rising oil prices and global uncertainty while holding firm to an ambitious 5.4% growth target. With fuel subsidies straining...
Fixing Fuel Subsidies Remains a Work in Progress
Malaysia is tightening its fuel subsidy system through targeted schemes, digital tracking, and stronger enforcement, but gaps in implementation and ri...
China’s Taiwan Play Signals a Strategic Shift
China is recalibrating its approach to Taiwan, engaging directly with the opposition while rolling out targeted economic incentives, even as military...
Hungary After Orbán Enters a New Political Era
Hungary’s election has brought an end to Viktor Orbán’s long rule, with Péter Magyar securing a decisive parliamentary majority. Driven by concerns ov...
Opposition Reset as PN Faces Leadership Vacuum
Perikatan Nasional is navigating a leadership gap following Hamzah Zainuddin’s resignation as Opposition Leader, raising questions about internal unit...
Are Malaysia’s Banks Ready for a Geopolitical Shock?
Rising geopolitical tensions in West Asia have pushed oil prices higher, stoking inflation concerns and raising questions about the broader economic o...
Is Malaysia Prepared for Medicine Supply Shocks?
Global disruptions are putting pressure on pharmaceutical supply chains, raising concerns over access to essential medicines in Malaysia. As the MMA c...
Can RM5 Billion Transform Malaysia’s SMEs?
The government has rolled out RM5 billion in low-cost financing to help SMEs upgrade, digitalise, and grow, but questions remain over how far funding...
No Deal In US-Iran Peace Talks: What’s Next?
After more than 20 hours of negotiations in Islamabad, talks between the US and Iran have ended without an agreement. Washington is now striking a tou...
Rubber Glove Manufacturers Brace For Uncertainty
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East is sending shockwaves through global supply chains, sharply raising the cost of energy and petrochemical-deriv...
Malaysia’s Economy in a Shifting World
The World Bank Group is projecting economic growth for Malaysia this year coming in at 4.4%, slower than the robust 2025, where real GDP outperformed...
Is Thailand’s Inflation Turning A Corner?
After nearly a year of deflation, Thailand’s headline inflation is edging back toward positive territory. Sathit Talaengsatya, an economist at UOB Tha...
Ceasefire Now, Conflict Later? US–Iran’s Fragile Pause
The US and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire, but key issues like sanctions, nuclear enrichment, and control of the Strait of Hormuz remain unr...
Ceasefire Announced, Markets Recover: But For How Long?
Equities rallied across the world immediately after a two-week US-Iran ceasefire was announced, while crude oil prices tumbled 16%, its largest one-da...
Two Presidents, Two Paths
Vietnam and Myanmar have both installed new presidents, but under vastly different circumstances. As Vietnam consolidates power under To Lam while pur...
Markets Volatility, Opportunities In Asia
Asian equity markets are entering the second quarter on uncertain footing, as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East reshape investor sentiment and...
Leaf It To The Courts: Forest Rights On Trial
For over 30 years, Malaysia has committed to maintaining 50% forest cover. A recent lawsuit by six youths under the 'Mana Hutan Kami' campaign now cha...
Can Madani Mart Coexist With Small Businesses?
The government’s Madani Mart initiative aims to lower the cost of living while empowering local entrepreneurs through a licensed, privately run retail...
Can Malaysia’s Orange Economy Deliver Real Growth?
Malaysia is launching an Orange Economic Council to boost its creative industries, from live events to digital content, as part of a broader push for...
Sabah: Balancing the Books
The territory’s economic outlook is now being shaped in part by a key Court of Appeal ruling that has put on hold a compulsory review of its long-cont...
China’s Economy Enters a More Complex Phase
China’s economy is showing signs of resilience in manufacturing and exports, but softer domestic demand, property sector pressures, and rising externa...
Malaysia’s EV Strategy Faces a Critical Test
Malaysia’s EV push is facing growing tension between industrial policy and market reality, as stricter MITI rules and pricing floors raise questions a...
Can Singapore Banks Hold the Line in 2026?
Singapore’s banking giants - DBS, OCBC, and UOB - entered 2026 from a position of strength, but rising geopolitical tensions and sector-specific risks...
Malaysia's Approach to Tackling the Energy Crisis
Malaysia is rolling out measures to safeguard households and the economy, including setting up specialised crisis committees. Dr Cassey Lee, Principal...
War, Oil and Approval: Trump’s Polling Test
As the Iran war drags into its second month, rising fuel prices and economic uncertainty are beginning to weigh on American sentiment. With polls show...
Malaysian Shipping Keeping on an Even Keel
The ongoing conflicts in the Middle East have sent shockwaves through the global shipping industry. There has been a dramatic spike in war-risk insura...
How Far Will Europe Go?
Tensions between the US and Europe are intensifying across security, trade, and diplomacy, with disagreements over the Iran conflict raising fresh dou...
Slowdown in Singapore's Property Market Amidst Volatility?
Flash estimates released by Singapore’s Housing and Development Board last week reveal the first dip in HDB resale prices in nearly seven years. Separ...
Madani Government and the “Corporate Mafia” Fallout
Allegations of a so-called “corporate mafia” have cast a spotlight on Malaysia’s anti-graft framework, raising questions about institutional integrity...
Higher Electricity Tariffs to Affect Malaysian Consumers
Electricity costs are shifting, even without a headline tariff hike, as rebates narrow and global fuel prices move. That raises a bigger question abou...
WFH Mandate: Energy Saver or Economic Strain?
The government’s work-from-home directive aims to ease an energy crunch, but it may come with hidden economic costs. As fuel savings are weighed again...
Battersea Exposed: Prestige or Public Liability?
Malaysia’s flagship Battersea Power Station investment is back under scrutiny as a whistleblower lawsuit raises allegations of financial misreporting...
Ukraine at Five: War, Fatigue and a Fight for Relevance
Five years into the war, Ukraine faces a shifting global landscape as attention turns to the Middle East and Western support becomes less certain. Wit...
CPO in the Face of Energy Shocks
As the Iran conflict pushes Brent crude past US$100 a barrel, crude palm oil prices have also surged, reigniting the energy premium for the global veg...
Does the Boao Forum Still Matter?
Marking its 25th anniversary, the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) continues to draw regional leaders including Singapore’s prime minister, though this year’...