The Breakfast Grille

His Excellency Frank Van de Craen, the Belgium ambassador, gave insights on the political stalemate in Belgium and why Belgium is not likely to need a bailout from EU. The Dutch Flemish party is advocating for a break-up of Belgium while the French Walloons want to preserve the status quo as they are economically dependent on the state. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dato Neoh Soo Keat, founder and Managing Director of Trinity Group, a boutique property developer, tells us his entrepreneur journey since he was nine years old, where he is buying land, how he manages the risk to avoid abandoned projects, and how Trinity is differentiating itself in the market. A future project is to build a floating condominium. Their projects include The Heron Residency, 19 Res...

Datuk Abdul Rahim Mohd Zin, Managing Director of San Francisco Coffee Sdn Bhd and San Francisco Coffee (S) Pte Ltd, talks about the beginnings of this non-American, non-franchise brand, how he went from Bank Pembangunan CEO to San Fran coffee chief, and discusses the investment capital to obtain San Fran coffee from the owners. He discusses the business model, the challenges, the value of the mark...

Clearwater Group Founder Dian Lee Cheng Ling talks about the challenges of building boutique-style residences and incorporating green strategies such as energy efficiency, rainwater harvesting, waste management and green architecture into the structures. She discusses its property divisions, takeup rate, appeal of living so near the commercial centre, project pipeline, how the company is funded an...

Lee Check Poh, Group Managing Director of Tasco Berhad, one of the largest logistics operator in Malaysia, tells how the company stay on top of the game in this cut-throat business. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben Elliot, co-founder and Group Marketing Director of Quinessentially, a global, private members' club gives us insights on the bizarre requests of the ultra-rich, and the club's expansion plans. Elliot is the nephew of the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker Bowles. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greenpeace International Campaign Director Shailendra Yashwant talks about what Green Peace stands for today and how it has changed through the years, discusses the biggest issues in which it is most actively involved and its methods. He also talks about the legal suits that have been taken against Greenpeace activists, its direct actions, motives and methods. He also talks about how it is funded,...

Tricorona Southeast Asia managing Director Moe Moe Oo, discusses the carbon credit market and its role as a project developer, its biggest project to date, its business in Asia and Malaysia, and his thoughts, in terms of registrability under the United Nations' Clean Development Mechanism, the problems inherent in the carbon credit industry, most notably in the delays in registering clean energy p...

Pieter Schats, CEO of Toys Li Fung Asia, the owner of Toys R Us, tells us about where the new stores will be in Malaysia, and reveals numbers on market share, and how the China and Indonesia market will be the main growth catalyst for the company. But there are challenges expanding in China, which he explains in the interview. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chua Guan Hock, Director at Khor Joo Saik Sdn Bhd, the owner and developer of Menara Binjai, Kuala Lumpur, a green building certified gold status by the Building and Construction Authority Singapore and also by Malaysia. Chua tells the positioning of Menara Binjai given that the office building market is increasingly overcrowded. He also talks about plans for Coliseum cafe and cinema, propert...

Burson-Marsteller Bob Pickard President & CEO Asia Pacific talks about re-establishing itself in Malaysia, and its target industries. He also talks about the PR industry and its challenges, efforts to legislate the industry and his views on how the industry should develop. He then discusses the dark side of PR in the context of its work for governments and corporations that are in trouble with...

Haw Par Corp CEO A K Han talks about how Tiger Balm came to be, how big it is globally today, its Kwan Loong brand and how it is different from Tiger Balm, and discusses the size of the analgesics market. Issues such as global market share, target market, barriers to entry, pproduct extensions, and its biggest markets are also addressed. Han also talks about Haw par's otjer businesses in leisure,...

Lynas Corp Executive Chairman Nicholas Curtis, discusses what rare earths are and why they are important today, how big a player Lynas is on the global stage and which kinds of rare earth elements they mine. He also discusses whether interest in rare earth producers is akin to the dotcom frenzy and argues that rare earths are not the next bubble to burst. He also discusses the industry, and how im...

Chan Poh Kim, Managing Director, Harrisons Holdings Bhd, talks about how Harrisons' income is currently derived mainly from the marketing, sales, warehousing and distribution of consumer, building materials and engineering products, fine wines, agricultural and industrial chemicals, and the operation of shipping/logistics and travel agencies. He also discusses how its different from the Diethelm G...

CK Chew, Group Managing Director, Freight Management Bhd, explains how his business works, addresses issues like revenue, geography, product mix, customers and market dynamics. He also discusses profit growth, margins, dividend policy, and shares his growth plans, which are ASEAN in nature. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Reno, Managing Director of Envergent Technologies, part of Honeywell US, compares pyrolisis oil to fossil fuel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Lankester, CEO of Tune Hotels, tells us his expansion plans, the funding strategy and how franchising would be the way forward. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tunku Naquiyuddin ibni Tuanku Ja'afar, Chairman of Family Trust Firm, The H N Trust, discusses his business interests in Philantrocapitalism and sustainable development via his investees such as; – Sino Hua-An International Bhd (http://www.sinohuaan.com/) - a producer of metallurgical coke, used in steel production - Jimah Energy Ventures Sdn Bhd (http://www.jimahev.com.my) - a coal-fired po...

Simon Featherstone, British High Commissioner to Malaysia, talks about British University fees, which will almost certainly treble due to grant cuts of up to 80 per cent, and the impact on Malaysian students, course programmes, the quality of British education and whether the British will now send their children outside of the UK to study. He then discusses UK - Malaysia ties, trade issues, Malays...

Tan Sri Professor Emeritus Dr Khoo Kay Kim talks about the principles of the Rukun Negara, which he helped formulate and which were commonly known as the Malaysian declaration of national philosophy, after the May 13 race riots. The Rukun Negara: * Achieving a greater unity of all her people; * Maintaining a democratic way of life; * Creating a just society in which the wealth of the nation shall...

Dr. S.Aravind, Director-New Projects, Aravind Eye Hospital talks about his concept of nearly-free eye healthcare, how it works, why it was started, the founding principles, challenges, funding, revenue, the methodology, plans to expand and the similarity Aravind shares with with McDonalds. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Resintech Berhad Founder MD Dato' Dr Teh Kim Poo talks about the founding of his plastic pipes, water tanks and fittings business, financials, operations and its painfully thin margins, which has led to its current expansion into the fast-food and herbal supplements business. He also provides some insights into the political scene. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zainah Anwar, Founding Executive Director, Sisters in Islam, talks about the founding principles of Sisters In Islam and what it hopes to accomplish. In turn, she also discusses issues such as women's rights in Islam, child marriage, apostacy, polygamy, divorce and domestic violence, all against the backdrop of the legislative, judicial and executive framework of the country. See omnystudio.com/li...

Stuart Pack, CEO of Prince Court Medical Centre, explains the strategic positioning of this Petronas-funded hospital, and says it takes a few years to break even. It was reported that Prince Court incurred losses of RM200 million in 2009. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dato' Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa, Group CEO and MD of TM Bhd, talks about HSBB, whichis the growth part of the business, along with Internet services as regards takeup rate, installations, premises passed, meaningful contributions, capital expenditure and broadband penetration. He also discusses whether TM might go into mobile one day, HSBB competition, entry price of 149rgt/mth and whether this is to...