The Breakfast Grille

How does a mid-sized European nation navigate an increasingly turbulent world? Juraj Koudelka, the Czech Republic’s Ambassador to Malaysia, shares his thoughts on the state of Malaysia-Czech relations, opportunities for trade and investment, and how a Central European country, and member of NATO, approaches today’s shifting geopolitical landscape. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

MUDA completed its inaugural election last Saturday, ushering in a new leadership team. On today’s Breakfast Grille, Sharaad Kuttan sits down with new president Amira Aisya Abd Aziz and founder Syed Saddiq, MP for Muar, to discuss the party’s future plans, leadership approach, and strategies ahead of GE-16. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Solarvest Holdings is the largest pure-play solar energy player listed on Bursa Malaysia and can be seen as a bellwether of the national industry. While it's a darling of analysts, its share price has taken a hit trending 32% lower on a year to date basis. What is Solarvest doing to change investor sentiment? We discuss the prospects and growth strategy of the company with CEO Davis Chong. See omn...

Building construction firm Tuju Setia debuted on the Main Market in 2021 to much fanfare, but investor optimism for the stock has plummeted since as construction costs skyrocketed post-pandemic. What is Tuju Setia doing to reverse its fortunes? We catch up with Managing Director Wee Eng Kong and discuss his strategy for revitalising the firm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Varia Berhad is a Bursa-listed mid-tier construction firm that has been involved in infrastructure projects ranging from flood mitigation to highway upgrades and sewerage treatment plants. It managing director, Datuk Benson Lau, is now setting his sights on transforming the firm into a property developer while aiming for a RM1 billion market capitalisation by early next year. See omnystudio.com/li...

The Madani Government came into power on the promise of institutional reform and anti-corruption, with Prime Minister Dato' Sri Anwar Ibrahim pledging no compromise in tackling misconduct in state-linked entities. Why then has progress on reforms been slow to emerge? We dig deep into the roots of Malaysia's Political-GLC Complex with Prof. Emeritus Edmund Terence Gomez of Universiti Malaya. He is...

On The Breakfast Grille this morning, we examine Venezuela’s political crisis following the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro and what it means for diplomacy, sovereignty, and bilateral ties with Malaysia. Philip See speaks with H.E Radames Gomez Azuaje, Ambassador of the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three years ago, Fabrice Benard stood at the helm of a complex corporate marriage: the acquisition and merger of AXA Affin and MPI Generali into what is now Generali Insurance Malaysia. At the time, the priority was clear, integration. Today, the company has secured its position as the country's fourth-largest general insurer. However, being a general insurance heavyweight isn't enough. Generali i...

Malaysia has ambitious climate goals, including a target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. But is the country’s institutional framework up to the task? We unpack the findings of the Malaysia Climate Change Institutional Assessment report with Carmen Loo of the World Bank Group. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On International Women's Day, Minister of Women, Family & Community Development, Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri assesses Malaysia’s progress on gender equality and women’s rights. She also discusses the implementation of the Anti-Sexual Harassment Tribunal, the challenges survivors face in reporting abuse, and persistent legal and cultural gaps around marital rape and underage marriages. See omnystud...

The latest war in the Middle East erupted when the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran following failed negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme. Was this conflict avoidable and how is Iran responding to the onslaught? We hear from H.E Valiollah Mohammadi Nasrabadi, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Malaysia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Middle East tinderbox was struck ablaze on Saturday when the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran. How might this conflict shape the power dynamics in Tehran as well as the broader region? We discuss the stakes at play with Middle East expert Dr. James Dorsey. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One year into his presidency, Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto faces a complex balancing act, from domestic issues to balancing relationships with China and the US. Julia Lau of the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute and Muhammad Haziq Jani of the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies share insights on the political and economic trajectory of Indonesia under Prabowo. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omn...

Free market proponents have commonly viewed state capitalism with suspicion. However, global trends indicate increasing state intervention in the world economy by both developed and developing economies alike. What are the implications of this for market players and is this development necessarily a net negative for the global economy? We discuss these themes with Adam Dixon, the Adam Smith Chair...

Telekom Malaysia is switching its 5G wholesale partner from Digital Nasional Berhad, to U Mobile, a move that comes as Malaysia advances its shift from a single to a dual network model. The announcement has unsettled the market and raised fresh questions about ownership, competition and the economics of 5G. We unpack the implications with Alex Wong, Managing Editor and Co-Founder of SoyaCincau. Im...

In an industry that has been significantly disrupted, telcos are struggling with declining ARPUs and high capex requirements. Does this change the MNO landscape in Malaysia. Gurtaj Singh Padda, co-founder and CEO of Tune Talk, discusses the company’s prospects amidst intense competition,  their monetisation plans and their 5G strategy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Philip See discusses Malaysia’s clean energy push with Siti Safinah Salleh, CEO of the Energy Commission, discovering how the regulator is balancing reliability, affordability and sustainability while scaling renewables and regional power trade, as rising demand and new climate laws put the power system to the test. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sri Lanka has suffered from a series of crises in recent years, culminating in its 2022 economic collapse and the political turmoil that ousted the Rajapaksa dynasty from government. How is the current left-leaning government charting the country's turnaround? We discuss the trajectory of Sri Lanka with the Acting High Commissioner to Malaysia M.I. Mohamed Rizvi. See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

Philip See discusses Malaysia’s clean energy push with Siti Safinah Salleh, CEO of the Energy Commission, discovering how the regulator is balancing reliability, affordability and sustainability while scaling renewables and regional power trade, as rising demand and new climate laws put the power system to the test. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

February 24 marks four years since the war in Ukraine began, the deadliest European conflict since World War II. To mark this grim milestone, we speak with H.E. Dr. Hennadii Nadolenko, the Ambassador of Ukraine to Malaysia for an update on the situation, his assessment of how peace talks are progressing and potential areas to strengthen Malaysia-Ukraine ties. See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

Louis Dreyfus Company is one of the world’s largest agribusiness firms, at the centre of global flows of grains, oilseeds, rice, coffee and other essential commodities. Rubens Marques, LDC's Head of South & Southeast Asia, talks about how the company manages price risk, coordinates supply chains across borders, and why Asia and Malaysia in particular, is becoming more central to its strategy....

Philip See sits down with Dato’ Dr Wong Ruen Yuan, CEO & Managing Director of Smile-Link Healthcare Global Berhad to talk about the company’s business operations, financial situation, audit issue with Bursa Malaysia, and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Japan’s University of Tsukuba took a historic step in 2024 by opening its first overseas campus in Kuala Lumpur, offering a unique program that combines science, design, and global perspectives. But can this ambitious initiative attract students and set a new standard in higher education? Philip See discusses this with its Dean of Faculty, Prof. Dr. Maki Tsujimura. See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Malaysia has emerged as a major data centre hub in Southeast Asia, attracting global hyperscalers and cloud giants such as Microsoft, Amazon and Alphabet. What makes Malaysia so attractive for these investments, and how meaningful are the economic benefits? We speak to Cheam Tat Inn, Managing Director of Equinix Malaysia, the global digital infrastructure company. See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

On World Radio Day, Datuk Suhaimi Sulaiman, Director-General of Radio Television Malaysia, talks about radio’s relevance in the age of streaming and AI, the challenges of talent and innovation within a public broadcaster. And as RTM turns 80 this April, he reflects on what the future is like for the media landscape. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.