Deloitte revealed that the initial public offering or IPO market in Southeast Asia has been rather lacklustre in 2024, with only 122 listings raising USD 3 billion, a value that is the lowest in nine years. Malaysia however was the stand out with the most number and highest value of IPOs this year. We ask Wong Kar Choon, Audit Partner, Deloitte Malaysia reasons for Malaysia's strong capital market performance and also the outlook for SEA's IPOs in 2025. Image Credit: shutterstock.com See...

This year's G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was not without its share of drama, with contentions over the joint communique, jostling for Chinese President Xi Jinping's attention while US President Joe Biden delivers his swan song. What do the changing geopolitical dynamics mean for the effectiveness of the group? We discuss this with Chong Ja Ian of the National University of Singapore.Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following the announcement by the Health Minister that the government will no longer award pharmaceutical procurement contracts to just one company, we speak to Azrul Mohd Khalib, CEO, Galen Centre for Health & Social Policy whether this will be the much needed panacea to our sustained supply of affordable drugs?Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore’s private home prices fell for the first time in five quarters in the July to September period as the private home price index fell 1.1%. Meanwhile, the latest URA data has shown that the office rental index (Central Region) registered a 0.5% quarter-on-quarter decline as vacancy spiked by almost 8%. So is it all doom and gloom for Singapore property and what is the outlook for 2025? Alan Cheong, Executive Director, of Savills Singapore tell us his perspective. Image Credit:...

The issue of abolishing subsidies for packet cooking oil has been discussed numerous times at the cabinet level with no firm decision on this matter despite it costing the government more than RM800mn. We ask Prof. Dr. Mohd Nazari bin Ismail, Honorary Professor, Department of Management & Marketing, Faculty of Business and Economics at Universiti Malaya for his views on this. Image Credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the final weeks of his term, US President Joe Biden has given the greenlight for Ukraine to use American-made long-range missiles on Russian targets. How will this impact the trajectory of the war in Ukraine and will a Trump presidency change the dynamics? We discuss the latest developments with Dr. Alexey Muraviev of Curtin University.Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Incoming President Donald Trump has been vocal with his intentions to impose 60% tarrifs on Chinese imports and duties of 20% on all other imports. What impact will this have on Malaysia's Semiconductor industry? We discuss this with Dato’ Seri Wong Siew Hai, President of the Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association, and Dr. Tay Kheng Chiong, Group Managing Director of D&O Green Technologies Berhad whilst asking if we have the right policies in place to take the sector to the next...

The government is mulling a proposal to introduce a code of conduct for athletes, especially regarding social media use to enforce better discipline and balance between training and personal lives. Would this be an effective solution? We discuss the challenges of implementation and broader issues on Malaysian sports' performance with Haresh Deol, Editor with the news portal Twentytwo13.Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Assembly of Vietnam approved the government’s 2025 economic plan with total central budget revenue being set at over US$39.4 billion, with the goal of of helping one of Asia’s fastest growing economies to hit 7-7.5% growth. However, is incoming President Donald Trump with his tariff plans an obstacle to this goal and how should the Vietnamese government navigate this new world order? Dr Nguyen Khac Giang, Visiting Fellow, Vietnam Studies Programme, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute...

This year’s Singles’ Day was said to be the biggest yet, as financial data from China’s e-commerce giants showed strong sales growth. Independent tracker Syntun estimated that transactions across all platforms in the weeks leading up to November 11th rose by nearly 27%. So, has consumer sentiment improved, or are people just waiting for this once-a-year discount? We review the data with Catherine Lim, Senior Industry Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. Image Credit: shutterstock.com See...

The biggest event on the climate change agenda, COP29, is taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan over the next two weeks. What are the policy priorities that Malaysia is pushing for on this platform, and what international support is needed for us to achieve the national targets that we’ve set for ourselves? We hear from Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Education Ministry is looking to improve the Reproductive and Social Health Education (PEERS) module to be implemented in 2027, in response to the rise in teen pregnancy. What would an effective and meaningful syllabus look like? Sex educator June Low weighs in.Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President-elect Donald Trump has wasted no time appointing his Cabinet with people to execute his “America First” policies. With less than 70 days to build out his team before Inauguration Day on January 20th, we examine those appointments with Dr Kathryn Robison, Lecturer in American Studies, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney.Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government is looking to finalise a code of conduct for social media platforms that sets out the rules for the license regime that's due to kick in on 1 January 2025. Does the code provide sufficient clarity for platforms? We discuss the implications of the regulatory regime with Dr. Benjamin Loh of Taylor's University. Image Credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How much progress can Malaysia make on the long-stalled Code of Conduct on the South China Sea during its ASEAN Chairmanship? We discuss this and how a Trump presidency could affect regional security dynamics with Dr. Rahman Yaacob, Research Fellow with the Lowy Centre. Image Credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysiakini has been reporting on an anonymous whistleblower who has video evidence allegedly showing discussions between a businessman and various state assemblymen about bribes for a project licence. The whistleblower has also asked for a written guarantee from the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission for immunity from prosecution. Ramkarpal Singh, the former Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and the current MP for Bukit Gelugor, shares his thoughts on this...

Putrajaya is considering using nuclear energy as a power source for the country in the future, as part of the efforts towards achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Work is already ongoing to develop a legal and regulatory framework to govern the use of nuclear energy. Dr Nahrul Khair Alang Rashid, Professor of Nuclear Engineering Programme at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, gives us some context into what lies ahead for Malaysia's nuclear ambition. Image Credit: shutterstock.com See...

With President-elect Donald Trump set to take office for his second term in January, there is a lot of speculation on what his foreign policy might look like, particularly US-Asean relations. Dr Prashanth Parameswaran, a fellow at the Wilson Center and founder of the ASEAN Wonk newsletter, looks at the various possible scenarios when the Trump administration gets to work for the next four years. Image Credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 US presidential election brings with it potential shifts in how Asian fixed income markets will behave. For one, Trump's stance on fiscal expansion and trade protectionism could keep US interest rates higher for longer with a stronger dollar, creating pressure on regional debt. Jason Yu, Head of Multi Asset and Fixed Income Management, Asia at Schroders, shares his insights. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China has announced a five-year package totaling CNY10 trillion to tackle local government debt problems, while signalling that more economic support would come next year and the year after that. Ho Woei Chen, an economist & senior vice president at UOB, shares her views on how effective Beijing's stimuli might be in the wake of slowing China growth and an impending Trump administration until 2028. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Germany’s governing coalition has collapsed after Chancellor Olaf Scholz sacked his finance minister, following disagreements over the country’s weak economy. To address the crisis, Scholz has called for a confidence vote on Jan 15 and if he fails to secure support, Germany could face elections as early as March. Dr Frederick Kliem, Managing Director of Episteme Consultants, shares his views. Image Credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The award of the second 5G spectrum has taken many by surprise when U Mobile, the smallest of telco players won it. However, this has raised more questions as to the reasons, technical specifications and also the benefit to the country for this award that the regulator, MCMC has yet to answer. Professor Dr Ong Kian Ming, Pro Vice Chancellor for External Engagement, at Taylor's University gives us his perspective and the implications of this on Malaysia Inc. Image Credit: shutterstock.com See...

Following the death of an 18-year-old boy on a Penang express bus after being electrocuted while charging his phone, concerns have been raised over the safety of electrical components in public transport. What are the regulations that apply and could this be better enforced? We speak with Dr Law Teik Hua, Associate Professor at Road Safety Research Centre of Universiti Putra Malaysia for more insights.Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite the political uncertainty in Japan after a shocking LDP loss and a Trump Presidency, the Japanese equity markets continue to do well, up 18%. We speak to Max Godwin, Portfolio Manager, Japan Equities, Eastspring Investments Singapore as to what is the best investment strategy to adopt and what sectors to pay attention to. Image Credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.