Image Credit: Shutterstock

91:T494,

Malaysians aren't just online shoppers; they're among the world's most confident and frequent cross-border consumers. A new study by Airwallex and Statista found 94% of Malaysians are confident in buying from international merchants, and 72% do so at least once a month, far outpacing global averages.

Aren Yip, Malaysia Country Manager at Airwallex, joins us to unpack what's driving this borderless shopping culture. He discusses the outsized role of influencers, the critical importance of localised payments, and the ‘mental hurdles’ local SMEs must overcome to seize this massive international opportunity.

We discuss:

Why Malaysians are more confident and frequent cross-border shoppers than the global average.
The three drivers of this trend: global media, sales promotions, and trust.
The outsized role of influencers, with 76% of Malaysians swayed by them.
The critical importance of localised payments (like FPX and e-wallets) for conversion.
The opportunities and ‘mental hurdles’ for Malaysian SMEs looking to export.

93:{"program":"491","podcast_id":"62025","tags":"myanmar, military, junta, aung san suu kyi, emergency","hide_sponsor":"0","podcast_time":"1612309020","current_timestamp":1762418631438} 97:T51a,

In the 2024 Oxfam report, it was revealed that the richest 1% in the Global North extracted US$263 billion from the Global South in 2023 — a stark reminder that inequality and neocolonial exploitation remain hardwired into the global economy. Meanwhile, far-right movements are gaining ground across continents, progressive spaces are grappling with internal contradictions, and even causes like Palestine are being twisted to justify bigotry.

In this episode, we speak to Jacob Andrewartha, a member of the Socialist Alliance, Australia. He’s also a childcare worker with history of involvement in the Pro-Palest