How Will Malaysia Pay For Its Gargantuan Budget?

Wellian Wiranto, Economist, OCBC Bank

09-Nov-20 08:47

How Will Malaysia Pay For Its Gargantuan Budget?

Pause
Embed

At a gargantuan RM322.5 billion, Budget 2021 is Malaysia’s biggest spending plan on record, aimed at staving off the Covid-19 crisis and supporting economic recovery.

However, its affordability, optimistic assumptions on government revenue and a widening fiscal deficit that is estimated at -5.4% of GDP for 2021, remain material impediments to an effective implementation.

Wellian Wiranto, Economist at OCBC Bank, discusses.

Brought to you by Mah Sing.

Image Credit: amadeustx / Shutterstock

Produced by: Dayana Mustak

Presented by: Khoo Hsu Chuang, Wong Shou Ning

This and more than 60,000 other podcasts in your hand. Download the all new BFM mobile app.

Categories: Politics, Law and Legal Matters, Business Analysis, Trends and Forecasts, Markets, Social Issues, Investments

Tags: budget 2021, belanjawan 2021, budget-2021-mahsing, malaysia, economy, gdp, covid-19,

Today’s Shows

6:00 AM

The 6AM Stretch

Thought-provoking discussions on ideas, people and events shaping our lives.

7:00 AM

World Market Watch

Vishnu Varathan, Head of Economics & Strategy, Mizuho Bank tells us where international markets are heading.

7:15 AM

Morning Brief

We recap global and local headlines from today's papers and portals.

7:30 AM

Morning Brief

Christopher Wong, FX Strategist, OCBC Bank gives us an outlook for Asia FX.

7:45 AM

Morning Brief

Dr. Deborah Elms, Head of Trade Policy at the Hinrich Foundation explains the impact of the Supreme Court delaying its ruling on Trump’s tariffs and the resulting US-EU trade tensions.

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

Edison Kong, Managing Director of Solar District Cooling Group Berhad, reflects on the company’s first year as a listed entity and its shift toward long-term recurring energy solutions.

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

Professor Dr Joanne Lim, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Nottingham Malaysia, examines why a Freedom of Information Act matters and what meaningful transparency could look like at the federal level.

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

Dr. Renard Siew, Climate Change and Sustainability expert, discusses implications of the proposed national climate change bill.

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Vishnu Varathan, Head of Economics & Strategy, Mizuho Bank tells us where international markets are heading.

9:15 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Christopher Wong, FX Strategist, OCBC Bank gives us an outlook for Asia FX.

9:35 AM

Ringgit & Sense

Rajen Devadason, licensed financial planner talks about EPF's Retirement Income Adequacy framework.

10:05 AM

Open For Business

11:00 AM

Tech Talk

Quantum risk is no longer theoretical. As quantum computing threatens today’s encryption, banks and governments face urgent decisions. Wo Swee Teck, Managing Director of Securemetric Technology, discusses why PQC matters now, what NACSA’s directive means for Malaysia, and how organisations can move from legacy encryption to quantum-safe security.

12:00 PM

Enterprise Explores

Divided ASEAN Falls? Dr. Stewart Nixon, Director of Research at IDEAS, unpacks “ASEAN's Response to Trump's Illiberal Trade Agenda” and its implications.

1:00 PM

The Breakfast Grille Repeat

Edison Kong, Managing Director of Solar District Cooling Group Berhad, reflects on the company’s first year as a listed entity and its shift toward long-term recurring energy solutions.

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

An eclectic selection of BBC shows, curated with variety in mind.

3:05 PM

Beyond the Ballot Box

Jason Wee, who’s the founder of Architects of Diversity, joins us in conversation about navigating an increasingly polarised Malaysia.

4:05 PM

Health & Living

A U.S.-Malaysia trade deal signed last year dictates that medical devices and pharmaceuticals from the U.S. no longer need local approval in Malaysia. We speak to an expert about what this means for us.

5:00 PM

Top 5 at 5

A countdown of the 5 biggest stories of the day, to catch you up on all you need to know!

6:00 PM

Talkback Thursday

PROGRAMMES