There have been more revelations over the alleged corruption dealings involving Sabahan politicians and business interests this week. With the state elections due within the next year, how will these developments affect the political landscape in Sabah? We discuss this with Dr Oh Ei Sun, Principal Adviser, Pacific Research Centre.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 development.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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