Enterprise Explores

In markets like China and India, quick commerce completely upended traditional retail, turning ultra-fast delivery into a daily necessity. But in Southeast Asia, the script is a lot messier. Despite having the logistics infrastructure ready to go, regional platforms face a unique bottleneck: local consumers consistently value financial savings over sheer speed. Weihan Chen, Head of Insights at Mom...

Gen Z is entering the workforce in numbers, but are companies ready for them? Employers need to consider what this younger cohort wants and expects, from talent acquisition to retention. We discuss: The Workplace Gap: Why traditional structures and office-first cultures are clashing with Gen Z expectations Flexibility vs. Salary: Pay comes first, but Gen Z brings many other considerations to the t...

Can businesses really transform if the function responsible for their people hasn't evolved?  As Malaysian companies pursue productivity gains, AI adoption, and workforce transformation, many still view HR as an administrative function. Malini Vijaya Rajah, Managing Director of PROMERITUS and HRCI Malaysia, joins us to explain why HR may be one of the most overlooked drivers of business perfo...

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digitalisation continue to reshape industries, the need for a smarter and more resilient energy ecosystem has never been greater. In this episode, Dato’ Ir. Muhamad Nazri Pazil, Senior Chief Strategy, Regulatory & Sustainability Officer at Tenaga Nasional Berhad, shares insights on the growing synergy between Energy and AI, and how ETCon26 is driving regiona...

Private credit has quietly become one of the fastest-growing corners of global finance, but most Malaysian business owners and investors have never heard of it. So what is it, how does it work, and is it right for you? We discuss: What it is: How it differs from bank loans and private equity, and why it exists at all. The Must-Knows: What providers look at before and what borrowers are actually si...

Most business owners buy insurance and file it away — relieved it's done, hoping they never need it. But the moment something goes wrong, that's when the real work begins. And more often than not, businesses discover too late that their coverage had gaps, their documentation was incomplete, or their policy didn't quite cover what they thought it did. Weng Eu Gene, Chief Agency Officer at Berjaya S...

Between 2010 and 2020, Malaysia’s startup scene was vibrant, driven by strong leadership and proactive government grants. Today, the "top of funnel" early-stage pipeline is quietly drying up. So how does Malaysia get its startup mojo back? Dr Sivapalan Vivekarajah, Co-Founder & Senior Partner at ScaleUp Malaysia Accelerator and Kevin Brockland, Managing Partner, Indelible Ventures join us to s...

Malaysian SMEs are being hit hard from multiple angles, now made worse by the fuel crisis and supply shock. But not all of them are facing this crisis equally. Datuk William Ng, National President of the Small and Medium Enterprises Association (SAMENTA) discusses what SMEs are experiencing on the ground, whether current support measures go far enough, and what businesses may need to navigate a mo...

Palm oil is already up about 11% this year. But with a US-Iran conflict reshaping energy economics, Indonesia redirecting supply into biofuels, and an 82% chance of El Niño on the horizon, where do prices go from here?  Tune in to find out:  The worst-case price scenario : What is behind the RM5,300 per tonne forecast and the specific conditions that would trigger it. El Niño risk quanti...

The RAM Business Confidence Index fell by a sizable amount in the first quarter of 2026. What does that tell us about where the Malaysian economy is heading, and when will sentiment translate to real economic pain?  We discuss: Reading the Index : How is it measured, and what does a broad-based decline across all five indicators mean? The Buffer: Why government subsidies and business inventor...

For the first time, Brand China has overtaken Brand America in global perception. What does that mean for businesses and consumers? We discuss: The Research: How consumers across 30 countries are reassessing their trust in major world powers and what two major global studies reveal about the speed of that shift. The Fall of Brand America: Why positive perception of the US has hit one of its lowest...

Malaysia's tax collection hit a record RM204 billion in 2025, but what does that mean for businesses navigating an increasingly watchful compliance environment? TraTax's Thenesh Kannaa looks at what is driving the surge in tax revenue, from e-invoicing and digitalisation to the stamp duty voluntary disclosure programme. He also breaks down the tax areas that businesses and individuals need to pay...

Energy policies have shifted worldwide. Reliability and security are now the primary drivers of investment decisions, replacing long-term climate goals as the defining factors for what gets built and funded. We discuss:  The Policy Pivot: How the global focus has shifted from climate goals to securing reliable, scalable energy sources.  Malaysia's Energy Advantage: How Malaysia is levera...

Is modern corporate law rigged to reward the “bad guy” in business? While we often blame greed, the real culprit might be a 150 year old legal straightjacket that forces leaders to prioritise short term returns over long term stability. According to Jason Piper of ACCA, these  19th century rules created a legal ceiling that rewards firms for externalising costs while penalising those that bui...

Middle managers are often called the "heart" of the organisation, but in reality, they have become the ultimate corporate shock absorbers. As executives demand hyper-efficiency and employees demand empathy, mid-level leaders are being pushed to the breaking point.  With AI threatening to flatten corporate hierarchies and younger workers flat out refusing promotions, Michelle Ann Iking of Clar...

Malaysia is facing a growing water crisis that extends far beyond dry taps and household rationing. For businesses, water insecurity is emerging as a serious operational, financial and economic risk. According to the World Bank, climate change could shave up to 8.3% off Malaysia’s GDP by 2050 in a worst-case scenario, highlighting how water security is evolving into a significant operational, busi...

The effects of the US-Iran conflict are felt around the world. Businesses are absorbing higher input costs while consumers face a higher cost of living. But even if a permanent peace agreement is secured, we may be looking at a higher-for-longer oil price situation.  Cedric Chehab, Chief Economist at BMI, a Fitch Solutions company, breaks down the macroeconomics of the current oil shock, from...

After 25 years in Malaysia, the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Malaysia programme is no longer just a prestigious award. It's a strategic advantage and defining opportunity for every nominee, not just the winners. We discuss: EY's globally standardised framework, which measures what actually matters, gives founders a rare, rigorous outside view of where their business truly stands. The "Short MBA" E...

Southeast Asia’s regional E-commerce GMV has hit USD$157 billion, but the market has reached a point where three platforms control most of it. Weihan Chen of Momentum Works joins the show to reveal why the record numbers hide a "growth without equilibrium". Tune In To Find Out: The AI Myth: Why artificial intelligence is reinforcing platform monopolies rather than democratising the marketplac...

Hiring your first, or even your 50th, employee isn't just about growth; it comes with legal obligations that many businesses underestimate. When those obligations are ignored, the consequences are both punitive and costly. Sara Lau of law firm Skrine joins the show to discuss where employers go wrong, accidentally or maliciously, including why a simple notice clause cannot protect you from an unfa...

With global shocks and competitive pricing squeezing profit margins, many SMEs are under immense pressure. Azfar Asa'ad of CPA Australia joins the show to share insights from their latest survey of over 4,000 small businesses, as well as why cutting costs alone is a trap and the critical danger of remaining in "pilot purgatory" with AI. Tune in to find out:  The Cost-Cutting Trap: Why slashin...

77% of Malaysians rely on private cars, significantly higher than the 54% global average, and our appetite for future car-related tech is massive. Thomas Tan of Ipsos Malaysia joins the show to unpack why 61% of Malaysians would feel safer in a self-driving car and how "first-mile/last-mile" friction is keeping public transport usage at a stagnant 14%. We also explore the shift from "nationality b...

Is your app growth real or is it just a vanity metric? As user journeys stretch across devices and platforms, businesses are struggling to track what actually drives value. Mathew Raju, Senior Customer Success Manager at Adjust, joins us to break down why installs no longer tell the full story, and what it takes to build a single source of truth in a fragmented, AI-driven landscape. We discuss: Th...

Since January 2025, the "voluntary" era of ESG has ended for Malaysia's largest firms. Under the new IFRS mandatory standards, sustainability is no longer a PR exercise, it’s a financial reporting requirement. PwC Malaysia’s Director of Sustainability and Climate Change Farhana Jabir joins the show to break down the current readiness of Malaysia’s top 50 firms.  We explore why a massive 96% g...

Malaysia just recorded its highest-ever Q1 trade figure at RM789.85 billion, yet the ground-level reality is far more complex. While the E&E boom and AI demand supercharge exports, a public standoff with EV giant BYD over investment conditions is testing the limits of our National Automotive Policy (NAP). Professor Dr Ong Kian Ming, Adjunct Professor at Taylor's University and former Deputy Mi...