The Breakfast Grille

From the early days of independence to the present, Malaysia has missed key opportunities to build a truly united nation. Phillip See speaks with Datuk Mohamad Hussein, author of “How Malaysia Missed Seven Chances in Nation Building”, about the lessons from these moments and their impact on the country's future. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As climate change wreaks havoc on weather patterns around the world, how equipped is MetMalaysia to forecast inclement weather in order to prepare for increasingly severe natural disasters? We go behind the scenes of MetMalaysia operations with the Director-General Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia has ambitions to be a digital economy and cashless society. How are we progressing on that front and what role does TNG Digital play? Questions we pose to Alan Ni, their CEO whilst asking if they are keeping their market share with the arrival of digital banks in Malaysia, and how its business has evolved the path to profitability. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listene...

Malaysia's retail landscape continues to evolve with shifting consumer behaviour, uneven government policy implementations and rising cost of living. Datuk Wira Ameer Ali Mydin, the MD of Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd and advisor to the Bumiputera Retailers' Organisation, talks to us about his business as well as what he would like to see the government do to make life easier for both retailers and c...

Legacy media companies have struggled to compete with a plethora of platforms that offer varied content. What is the solution to this structural decline? Rafiq Razali, Group Managing Director, Media Prima Berhad tells us his answer whilst we discuss their most recent financial results. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UCSI University is today one of Malaysia's top ranked higher educational institutions of learning, ranked 265 on the latest QS World University Rankings. It now has a campus in Bangladesh, along with four in Malaysia and hopes to share its Trans-national Education initiative with the world. Vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir shares her views and observations from when she once...

In 1909, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) became the first professional accountancy body to admit a woman as a member. 120 years on, the body boasts a gender diverse leadership line-up and women make-up almost half of ACCA membership. But how much is this reflected in the broader accounting industry? To mark International Women’s Day on March 8th, we speak to corporate vet...

Outside of the UK, Vimto, the 107-year-old Manchester-born beverage, has been most popular in the Middle East, particularly during Ramadan. It is now venturing into Malaysia where nearly two-thirds of the population are Muslim. Matt Nichols, the International Commercial Director of Vimto (and also the founder's great-grandson) discusses the company's plans here and beyond. Image Credits: Shutterst...

The post-Covid-19 years have been wrought with challenges for Malaysia's glove makers as demand normalises from the unexpected surge at the height of the pandemic. Oon Kim Hung, the Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers' Association (MARGMA) president, talks about his expectations for the industry with the demand and supply situation reaches an equilibrium, amidst the rise in China's own glove make...

Founded in 1997, Universiti Teknologi Petronas has been steadily climbing the Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings and for the first time is amongst the top 250 in the world. Professor Dato' Dr Mohamed Ibrahim Abdul Mutalib, the Vice-Chancellor of UTP takes us through the history of the university and its future plans. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia’s achieve a trade surplus of RM137 billion in 2024, the highest ever recorded in the nation’s history. However with a tariff storm brewing and increasing geopolitical tensions, will Malaysia continue to see strong performance and reap the benefits of the Madani government policies. Questions we pose to Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry of Malaysia....

Property sales are the highest in a decade for the whole industry but is listed LBS Bina also showing a similar trend in 2024 and of course what is the outlook this year? Questions we pose to executive chairman Tan Sri Lim Hock San whilst asking him about succession planning and their diversification plans. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia and Malaysia celebrate 70 years of diplomatic relations this year, having developed strong cooperation in sectors like trade, defence, education and tourism. Danielle Heinecke, Australia's High Commissioner to Malaysia, shares how both nations can enhance these ties to benefit both nations and the Southeast Asian region, amid global uncertainties and opportunities. See omnystudio.com/lis...

Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology is strengthening its focus on industry collaboration, research excellence, and student development to stay competitive. President Prof. Ir. Dr Lee Sze Wei highlights challenges including financial sustainability and workforce demands while emphasizing the university’s commitment to innovation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

Malaysia has been rolling out a series of renewable energy policies that have benefited the solar industry. One beneficiary is listed Solarvest Holdings. We ask their CEO and co-founder as to their financial performance, the competition and their transformation plans from being an EPCC player to also an asset owner. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Boost Bank is one of the 5 digital banks in Malaysia which was launched in June 2024. We check in with Sheyantha Abeykoon, Group CEO of Boost to find out their strategies for growth and the path to profitability in a competitive environment whilst looking at how soon this regional fintech can monetise their business. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia's trade hit a record RM2.88 trillion in 2024, with exports rising 5.7% and imports up 13.2%. We speak to Liew Chin Tong about the outlook for this year and strategies to position the country as a key investment hub. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With AI, demographic shifts, and geopolitical tensions, is research still the key to understanding this new world order. We speak to Ben Page, Global CEO of IPSOS, to find out whilst asking if AI makes a difference to the accuracy of polls and also the financials of this French-listed company. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2025, third-party enterprise software services provider Rimini Street marks 20 years since its entry into the IT landscape disrupted conventional business models of major Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) players. How is it navigating the challenging economic landscape ahead, including the overhang of a long-running litigation case? We discuss the outlook of the business with CEO Seth Ravin. S...

US President Donald Trump baffled many around the world when he made known his intentions to retake the Panama Canal on his very first day in office. Why does Washington DC want a canal in another sovereign country? Today we explore the historical significance of the canal and the origins of the present political dynamics with Julie Greene, Professor of History at the University of Maryland and au...

Oriental Kopi’s impressive listing on the ACE Market saw its shares nearly double on debut, marking a strong start for the brand. But beyond the hype, how will it sustain its momentum and stand out in Malaysia’s fast-moving F&B scene? Managing Director Dato’ Calvin Chan shares the company’s strategy for growth and long-term success.. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index for 2024 has ranked Malaysia 57 out of 180 countries and territories, with a score of 50 - a score of 100 is considered the least corrupt. These results are essentially unchanged from 2023's index. Dr Muhammad Mohan, the outgoing president of Transparency International Malaysia shares his thoughts on Malaysia's fight against corrupti...

Scam Inc is the latest podcast series produced by the news magazine The Economist, and it uncovers the sprawling global network behind online financial scams. In the spirit of World Radio Day, we go behind the scenes of making the podcast and its many revelations with Sue Lin Wong, Southeast Asia correspondent with the Economist and host of Scam Inc. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.c...

The earnings of Karex for FY2024 were exceptional but will this new world order disrupt this trend in 2025? We ask Goh Miah Kiat their CEO if Trump 2.0 gives him sleepless nights, what are his strategies for growth and why the stock remains unloved by analysts despite the positive outlook. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, 2024 saw 1.4 billion international tourists, signaling the return to health of an industry that was decimated by the Covid-19 pandemic. What will be the trends shaping the tourism industry in 2025, and more importantly is Malaysia positioning itself to leverage the Asia-Pacific tailwinds? We discuss these themes with our expert panel. Ima...