Enterprise Explores

Is Malaysia one bad harvest away from a food crisis it can't import its way out of? It's sowing season, but the conditions couldn't be worse, diesel costs are climbing, fertiliser prices have shot up, and a third of Kedah's crops were left unharvested. Dr Sarena Omar, CEO at PNB Research Institute and a subject matter expert on agriculture and food security, joins Enterprise Explores to map exactl...

Is your organisation actually ready for WFH or just reacting and hoping for the best? Hundreds of thousands of civil servants started working from home last week, and the cracks showed up on day one. Hourly check-ins. Broken tracking apps. Officers driving back to the office just to protect their attendance records. So, in 2026, with a new energy-driven WFH mandate reshaping Malaysian workplaces,...

Is Malaysia’s tourism push being quietly derailed by rising fuel costs? Nigel Wong of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents joins us as diesel prices surge, ferry trips are cut, and operators absorb mounting losses. As Visit Malaysia Year 2026 unfolds, we examine whether the industry can hold together and what this reveals about deeper structural cracks, from illegal operators to a l...

The Southeast Asian market is often pitched to investors as a unified market of 650 million people, but for those actually building across these borders, that narrative is a "potentially dangerous oversimplification." Airwallex’s Andrew Chim joins the show to explore the hidden frictions of regional growth, from the "innovator’s dilemma" in local regulation to why a successful Singaporean clinic m...

Recent allegations of "corporate mafias" using enforcement agencies to pressure business owners into forced takeovers have sent a chill through the Malaysian business landscape. But has this fear bled into the startup and SME scene? Bikesh Lakhmichand of 1337 Ventures isn't hitting the panic button just yet, but he argues that the real danger is complacency, specifically, the lack of basic governa...

Oil won’t go below $90, higher fuel prices are here to stay, and your electricity bill is about to go up.  While Malaysia is an oil-producing nation, we now buy more oil than we consume, a reality brought into sharp focus as 40% of our fuel supply depends on the now-paralyzed Strait of Hormuz. So, what does that mean for us on the ground? UOB Senior Economist Julia Goh joins the show to unpac...

When fuel prices rise, where does the impact really show up in F&B businesses? Nazri Adam, Co-Founder of Sausage Sizzle, joins us to unpack how cost shocks actually move through the F&B system, and why the real impact may not have fully hit yet.  We discuss: The Delayed Shock: Why fuel price increases don’t hit immediately, and how “old inventory” is masking the real cost wave still t...

Are we designing buildings ready for tomorrow’s climate problems? As heat rises and rainfall intensifies, a hidden risk is emerging in construction, where short-term cost decisions can lead to long-term structural failures. Damian Lusty of Sika Malaysia joins us to unpack why durability is often sacrificed, how climate stress is already showing up in defects, and what “credible sustainability” rea...

Money laundering has evolved into a sophisticated "service" that hides behind legitimate corporate structures and public markets. Following the Ops Viking investigation, which saw over RM300 million in CDS accounts frozen due to alleged illicit funds, the risk for boardroom directors is no longer theoretical.  Khurram Pirzada joins Enterprise Explores to explain why traditional "Know Your Cus...

In case you needed confirmation, yes, corporate confinement is making you unhappy.  A new employee well-being index from Monash University Malaysia suggests that micromanagement is killing employee morale and wellbeing. On top of that, despite the physical risks and lack of corporate safety nets, Malaysian delivery riders are outscoring office-bound professionals in psychological and social h...

Your next laptop or smartphone is going to cost you more than expected, thanks to the AI boom. AI is hijacking the world’s chip factories. While the AI market accounts for only 2% of total chip volume, it now commands a staggering 50% of global semiconductor revenue, forcing manufacturers to prioritize high-margin AI orders over the electronics in your pocket.  MSIA President Datuk Seri Wong...

Is your boss prepared for a RM500,000 penalty for ignoring the weather’s impact on you? As Malaysia swelters under a relentless heatwave, this rising temperature could become a massive legal liability for employers.   Sara Lau and Tatvaruban Subramaniam, lawyers from Skrine, join Enterprise Explores to break down where an employer’s liability begins and ends when it comes to employee hea...

Are Malaysia’s top students being trained for a world that no longer exists? As AI is changing how we learn and work, the value of exams like SPM is increasingly under scrutiny.  Inbaraj Suppiah, Founder of JomHack and Chan Soon Seng, CEO at Teach For Malaysia, join us to explore the growing disconnect between grades and real-world capability as well as why employers may need to rethink how t...

A conflict far from Southeast Asia is already reshaping how, where, and even whether people travel. Flight disruptions, rising costs, and shifting demand are forcing the region’s tourism industry to adapt in real time. Hannah Pearson, Director at Pear Anderson, joins us to unpack findings from a new report on how the Middle East conflict is affecting Southeast Asia’s travel industry, from cancella...

Is your company losing talent faster than you can replace it, and you don’t know why? As Malaysia’s workforce shifts toward flexibility, side hustles, and selective career moves, a structural reset is currently underway. Fahad Naeem of Randstad Malaysia joins the show to explore the widening employer–employee disconnect, what it now takes to retain top performers, and the rise of “career portfolio...

Do we still need women-focused business events in 2026? Our guests today 100% believe so. Lily Sim and Grace Tan, 2 of the 6 organisers behind the upcoming BeingOne event, join Enterprise Explores to discuss why business tips alone are worthless if entrepreneurs and business operators are running on an empty tank.  They also unpack the event’s three non-negotiable pillars of optimism, nu...

With 80% of oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz bound for Asia, the region faces an existential threat to its energy supply. Brent Crude’s $100 price tag isn't just a "fear premium"; it reflects a structural risk driven by infrastructure damage and a complex production restart process that can take months.  Rystad Energy’s Head of APAC Oil & Gas Research Prateek Pandey breaks down wh...

Apple just turned 50, but for a $3.6 trillion giant, the bigger question is what comes next? In this special Enterprise Explores episode, we break down Apple’s legacy, from category-defining hits to notable missteps, and ask whether the company is starting to lose its edge in a fast-moving tech landscape shaped by AI. Amin Ashaari of Soya Cincau joins us as we debate Apple’s biggest wins, question...

Is your business growing, or are you just trapped on a social media content treadmill? While TikTok celebrates a RM20 billion contribution to Malaysia’s economy, what is the reality for sellers on the platform? Teng Ian Wong from Momentum Works joins Enterprise Explores to discuss lessons from China about live streaming on TikTok, why sellers shouldn’t depend on a single platform, whether these ar...

Is your city losing investment without realising it, and is connectivity the hidden reason? Professor Siqi Zheng of MIT and SMART M3S joins us to unpack why air routes still shape global business decisions, even in a digital-first world. From the surprising cost of a single layover to the concept of “network centrality,” we explore why not all connections are created equal and what cities are gett...

Is Asia prepared for a fuel crisis that morphs into a food catastrophe? Following missile strikes on Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG facility, the region is facing a structural gas shortage that mere "diplomacy" cannot fix. Darren Tay, Head of APAC Country Risk at BMI, joins Enterprise Explores to map the fallout: from immediate gas rationing in South Asia to the looming fertiliser cliff that could slash c...

Is your cybersecurity stack a shield or weakness? Robert Huber, CSO of Tenable, explains why managing “300+ tools” creates a "grey space" for attackers, the explosive rise of "Shadow AI," and why true resilience takes 18 months of hygiene, not a knee-jerk tech purchase. Tune In To Find Out: The Tool Sprawl Trap: Why some leaders are juggling 300+ security tools and how this fragmentation allows at...

Think your "standard” employment contract protects you? From illegal salary deductions to non-compete clauses that won't hold water, many Malaysian employers are sitting on an HR time bomb. Former Industrial Court Panellist Ku Sim Ling (Aunty HR) and Victor Gan, CEO of E2 Workforce Consulting, join Enterprise Explores to reveal why businesses are losing over half of industrial court cases and how...

Are your international checkouts bleeding revenue because you rely on Western credit cards? Emerging markets are no longer adopting financial technology, they are building the global blueprint. From India's UPI to the rise of stablecoins replacing slow SWIFT transfers for B2B trade, the Global South is forcing a structural shift in commerce. Eduardo de Abreu, Chief Product Officer at EBANX, joins...

Is AI efficiency killing your future leaders? As entry-level roles vanish, a leadership crisis looms. Deepa George of MyHRC joins Enterprise Explores to reveal why the "Junior Hire" is becoming extinct and the risks to your succession planning. We unpack the rise of the "Neo-Apprenticeship" and the 4 essential new rules every professional needs to survive the bot-takeover. Tune in to find out: The...