KUALA LUMPUR: In the latest episode of Beyond the Headlines, the spotlight is on the ringgit as it dropped to a new low over the week raising questions about its implications.
The discussion explored further on the influence of Malaysia's lower inflation rate in 2023 on the ringgit against major currencies, alongside the potential effects of monetary policies from the Bank of Japan and the European Central Bank.
Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist and social finance head Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid shared his expert insights namely on the potential projection for the year, pinpointing industries most affected and assessing the impact on Malaysia's GDP growth target.
He also touched on what it means for Malaysia and Singapore due to the cross-border movement of individuals seeking higher net savings or engaging in tourism and shopping activities.
Separately, the topic of the ailing education sector was brought up after proposed reforms were called by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Monday.
He cited Malaysia's performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) 2022 as an example of how the failure to acknowledge faults of the education system in the past had affected its position in the global ranking.
Discussions centred on the alignment between preschool and higher education, resource makeup, collaborative efforts between the government and educational institutions, and the ideal timeline for implementing reforms.
The team also dived into the top stories in sports, particularly with doubts surrounding the capabilities of our national shuttlers as well as the national teams' performance in the ongoing Asian Cup and Olympic Qualifiers (Paris 2024).
Sports expert Datuk Dr Ramlan Abd Aziz joined the panel to address the key aspects of preparation, including training intensity and exposure to varied playing styles.
He addressed the need for strategic improvements in major competitions and the role of the society at large in providing support after multiple let downs
This episode of 'Beyond the Headlines' was recorded on Jan 24.
