Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has urged tourism players to comply with the ASEAN Tourism Standards. Nigel Wong, President, Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents shares with us what are the guidelines in these set of standards as well as his review on the recently unveiled strategic direction towards Visit Malaysia Year 2026. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In light of World Press Freedom Day, we discuss the current media landscape in Malaysia as well as assess the Madani government’s commitment to press freedom. Is their rhetoric backed by action? Dr. Benjamin Loh of Taylor’s University weighs in. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paramount Global’s earnings report this week has been overshadowed by major drama in the boardroom, with its CEO and long-time executive Bob Bakish being fired and replaced by a trio of heads. What precipitated this sudden ouster and what does this mean for Paramount’s future prospects? We discuss these developments and other trends in the streaming sector with Geetha Ranganathan of Bloomberg Intelligence. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Anwar Ibrahim-administration launched the country's inaugural National Human Resource Policy Framework on Labour Day. It aims to address pressing issues like fair wages, job welfare, labour union movements, job mismatches and foreign labour. Adrian Pereira, Executive Director of the North South Initiative breaks down what was unveiled. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An MOU was signed between Malaysia and Singapore to create a Johor- Singapore Special economic zone (SEZ). Details are still pending but both economies and multiple sectors will likely benefit. Thilan Wickramasinghe , Head of Research, Singapore, Maybank Investment Bank tells us what are the ingredients for a success SEZ and which companies stand to do well from this. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Saudi Arabia hosted the World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth, and Energy for Development this week, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in attendance. We discuss Malaysia's bilateral ties with Saudi Arabia and the opportunities that could be explored in the aftermath of the event with Bunn Nagara of the Perak Academy.  Image Credit: EPA-EFE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this week the government announced a cabinet reshuffle, the first under Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s watch, which saw six new faces added to the line-up and four ministers dropped. Dr Greg Raymond, Senior Lecturer, Australian National University tells us why these changes were made whilst giving us a review of Thavisin's deliverables or lack thereof. Image Credit: teera.noisakran / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China's retail numbers appear to be healthy so far this year with physical sales up 5.5% for the first two months of this year, while online figures registered a 14% jump, indicating resilience in the e-commerce sector. Catherine Lim, a senior analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence breaks down the numbers and where consumer sentiment in the world's second largest economy is headed for the rest of 2024. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The amendments to the Companies 2016 have come into force on 1 April with all Malaysian businesses that are registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia having to disclose the names of their beneficial owners. Pushpan Murugiah, Chief Executive Officer, Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism tells us the implication of this and what more needs to be done to stamp out corruption. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Women, Family & Community Development Ministry is investigating how welfare centres and elder care facilities operate, after video clips where a resident in a welfare home was beaten up. The centre in question was found to not have a proper licence. Delren Douglas, President of the Association for Residential Aged Care Operators of Malaysia (AGECOPE) give us a view of how these centres are regulated ... or not. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

The upcoming Kuala Kubu Baru state by-election will see a competitive four-cornered race with the incumbent Pakatan Harapan DAP candidate facing off with Bersatu for Perikatan Nasional, Parti Rakyat Malaysian and an independent candidate. Dr Lau Zhe Wei, Assistant Professor with the Department of Political Science at the International Islamic University Malaysia lays out the different scenarios how this election might pan out when voters cast their ballots on May 11th. Image Credit:...

EPF yesterday unveiled details of Account 3, also known as Flexible Account. The restructuring will be applicable for members under the age of 55 and provide flexibility for savings in this third account to be withdrawn at any time. Ng Zhu Hann, CEO & Founder, Tradeview Capital tells us how this restructuring could impact EPF’s portfolio, and who should consider transferring part of the savings from account 2 to this new flexible account. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See...

Malaysia is looking to restart negotiations with the European Union on a free trade agreement, 12 years after talks stalled. Is the environment more ripe for an agreement to be reached this time around? We discuss the opportunities and challenges posed by FTAs with former deputy minister of international trade Ong Kian Ming. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India is currently in the second of seven phases for its parliamentary elections, with the outcome slated for early June. Sanjay Mathur, Chief Economist for Southeast Asia and India, ANZ Bank tells us what set of challenges await for the incoming government, and the economic outlook for the world’s most populous country. Image Credit: Sumit Saraswat / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US Federal Trade Commission is imposing a ban on non-compete clauses in employment contracts, a seismic shift in the US labour environment. Why has the regulator deemed this clause problematic and do the same issues apply in a Malaysian context? We discuss the law with labour lawyer Sunitha Ruthram. Image Credit:  DCStockPhotography/ Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China’s property slump sees no signs of turnaround yet as sales from top real estate companies in March fell by 46%, as did the prices of homes. We speak to Patrick Wong of Bloomberg Intelligence Hong Kong for his outlook on China real estate, as well as what the property data tells us about who's winning the financial hub war between Hong Kong and Singapore. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Credit Counseling & Management Agency (AKPK) reported that 53,000 youths aged 30 and below have debt worth nearly 1.9 billion ringgit in total. The bulk of this is a result of credit card debts and personal loans. Rajen Devadason, a licensed financial planner, highlights the growing concern about how the young are not as financially savvy as they need to be while new products provide them with more ways to incur more debt. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See...

The rising number of children, especially those under 13 years old, using social media platforms is alarming, given the risks they encounter, including cyberbullying and exposure to inappropriate content. We'll delve into methods to shield children from these potential harms while ensuring they benefit from valuable digital education, with insights from Nur Arfah Zaini, Licensed & Registered Counsellor and Clinical Psychologist. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener...

As we approach the end of the implementation period for the Higher Education Blueprint 2015 - 2025, the government has signalled that it is beginning work on a successor blueprint to transform the tertiary education system for the next decade. What are the priorities that should be emphasised? We get recommendations from Prof. Zaharom Nain of GERAK. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The recent case of a senior citizen sentenced to imprisonment for petty theft has raised questions about sentencing practices in Malaysia. We discuss what judges take into account when deciding a sentence and the state of access to justice in our legal system with lawyer Edmund Bon. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government is set to open applications for hauliers to obtain a fleet card that will allow them to continue enjoying diesel at subsidised prices the subsidy rationalisation plan is rolled out. But how will this impact retailers. Datuk Khairul Annuar Abdul Aziz, President of the Petrol Dealers' Association Malaysia, shares his insights. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the average Malaysian's life expectancy currently at 78 for men and 80 for women, there will be long-term implications for the country as it becomes an ageing nation. This now raises conversations about the nature and timeline for retirement. Chai Sen Tyng, the senior research officer at Universiti Putra Malaysia' Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing (myAgeing), shares his thoughts on how Malaysia can move towards encouraging a multi-generational workforce. Image Credit:...

Malaysia hoping to become the natural home for more unicorns, i.e. start-ups valued at more than $1 billion US dollars. As part of efforts to create the right ecosystem, the Ministry of Economy yesterday launched the KL20 Action Plan to attract capital, talent and start-ups to set-up shop on our shores. We discuss the highlights of the strategy with economist Dr. Carmelo Ferlito of the Center for Market Education. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...