The Breakfast Grille

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) is one of the largest accounting professional bodies in the UK, with over 300,000 members worldwide. But with the rapid advancement of technology and automation impacting the future of work, how well is the body preparing for radical changes in the profession? We discuss the evolution of the profession with ICAEW Chief Executive M...

Signify, the lighting division of Dutch multinational Philips, is very optimistic about the future of its business in Malaysia as well as the region and is looking to expand its manufacturing footprint. Its CEO for Malaysia, Sukanto Aich, talks to us. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you enjoy eating peanut butter crackers? If you do, there is a high chance that it would have been a Julie’s Biscuit. This Melaka based local brand has become one of the largest biscuit manufacturers in the country and exports to over 80 countries. We speak with Martin Ang, Director of Julie's Manufacturing to find out their plans for growth, the changing retail landscape, challenges expor...

Today marks World Mental Health Day, and it was estimated that mental health conditions in the workplace cost the Malaysian economy 14.46 billion ringgit. Deepa George, Managing Consultant of MYHRC Services and Azran Osman-Rani, CEO of Naluri shares with us if Corporate Malaysia is taking the mental health of their employees seriously enough, how impactful bosses could be on the wellbeing of emplo...

Porto Digital Tech Park, Brazil’s largest technology park was born in 2020 with an aim to turn the port city of Recife to be a centre of technological development and innovation. Prof. Silvio Meira, it's founder and chairmen tells us the roots of their success and how this can be replicated in Malaysia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

KNM group, a PN17 company has recently been thrust into the spotlight with a boardroom tussle with German businessman Andreas Heeschen, submitting a notice to remove all existing KNM directors. Chairman Tunku Datuk Yaacob Khyra, who holds an indirect 9.44% stake in the company shares with us the developments behind this, whether he has the confidence of majority shareholders, and how he intends to...

Climate change is an existential threat for low-lying states like Singapore, which is vulnerable to rising sea levels and flooding, in addition to the ongoing food and water security challenges. How does the Singapore Green Plan 2030 address the myriad complexities of climate change impact involving multiple stakeholders? We discuss Singapore's sustainable agenda with Grace Fu, the Minister for Su...

Hong Kong saw its biggest net ouflow of residents since the beginning of the Covid pandemic and money continues to shift away to other financial hubs. Dr. Brian Wong, Assistant Professor in Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong shares why he remains optimistic about Hong Kong and how the city could bridge relationships between ASEAN and China. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

On German Unity Day, we take stock of what this means for a country that was divided since the end of the Second World War and only reunified 33 years ago. Dr Peter Blomeyer, Germany's Ambassador to Malaysia discusses what unites and still divides his country, geopolitical issues from Ukraine to China, and getting on with business with Malaysia and ASEAN. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

After a series of mergers and acquisitions, WS Audiology has become the world’s leading hearing aids manufacturer in the world, WS Audiology produces a third of the global supply and generates annual revenues of more than 2.3 billion euros. We speak with Olivier Chupin, the Regional President of APAC, to share this Danish multinational company growth strategy and product development, and whet...

Shamsul Bahar Mohd Nor, Group Chief Executive Officer, Malaysian Green Technology & Climate Change Corporation (MGTC) joins us to have a conversation about upcoming COP 28 preparations and discuss MGTC’s role in the Government’s NETR (National Energy Transition Roadmap). We also deep dive on how we as a country can accelerate green mobility in view of the recent developments. See omnystudio.co...

GTR a joint venture between SATS and Capital A, is a ground-handling service provider. In this competitive landscape with 30 licensed providers, we ask CEO, Musdalifa bin Abdullah about their expansion plans into the ASEAN region, how profitable is this business and is inclusivity just talk. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Research consultancy Crescent Rating projects that global Muslim tourist numbers will swell to 230 million by 2028, accounting for USD$225 billion tourist spend.  How much of a headstart does Malaysia have in courting this lucrative segment and are we doing enough to stay ahead of the regional competition? We find out from the newly minted Director General of the Islamic Tourism Centre, Nizra...

GEMILANG is a Johor based manufacturer of bus bodies and bus assemblies, and with over 30 years of experience, the Group has become one of the leading companies of its kind in Malaysia. We speak with Pang Jun Jie, Executive Director, Gemilang International Ltd on how the company has been transitioning from the domination of diesel-powered vehicles to electric vehicles. See omnystudio.com/listener...

After the merger of Celcom Axiata and Digi.com in December last year, CelcomDigi now forms the single largest telco in the country as well as the largest local-listed technology company on Bursa Malaysia. CEO, Datuk Idham Nawawi shares with us updates on the integration of two networks, whether we will see products being streamlined, and updates on the 5G rollout. See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

According to the International Energy Agency, energy accounts for more than three-quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions, with oil and gas operations alone making up 15% of that pie. Is there a pathway for the energy sector to achieve the ambitious target of Net Zero Emissions by 2050? We discuss these themes with Brandon Spencer, President of ABB Energy Industries. See omnystudio.com/listene...

The global halal market is already worth 3 trillion US dollars and is expected to grow to 5 trillion by 2030. Malaysia should be in a position to capture a large share of this market due to the already existing halal ecosystem but are we catalysing our natural strengths? Khairul Azwan Harun, Chairman of Halal Development Corporation tells us this and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

What do you do with your used cooking oil? More often than not, it will probably end up going into the kitchen sink or drain, but should this be the way we dispose of the waste? Or can we make some money from recycling it? Today, on the show is FatHopes Energy Sdn Bhd and we speak with Founder and CEO, Vinesh Sinha to talk about the business regulations, customers of recycled used cooking oil and...

Open universities pioneered distance learning long before the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted higher education. However with more institutions delivering flexible courses online and amid a sea-change in attitudes regarding the necessity of university qualifications, are open universities still relevant in the education landscape today? We discuss this and more with Prof. Dr. Ahmad Izanee Awang, Presid...

Over the weekend, Muar MP Syed Saddiq announced that he will be a third force opposition as a sign of protest against the dropping of 47 charges against Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in the corruption trial. This leaves the ruling coalition with 147 seats in Dewan Rakyat, one seat short of a two-thirds majority. We ask Syed Saddiq about the future of the party after suffering...

In conjunction with Malaysia Day, we discuss the business of a sport loved by many Malaysians, football. Stuart Ramalingam is the CEO of the Malaysian Football League as well as the road-to-gold programme coordinator. He speaks to us about the financial health of MFL and its clubs since the privatization exercise, income from broadcasting rights, and how realistic is our target of an Olympic gold....

At the Mid-Term 12 Malaysia Plan, 3 key themes: Sustainable, Prosperous and High-Income Nation were introduced. The Government also recognizes the need to regain trust by ensuring good governance. Lofty and worthy goals but are they achievable? Economy Minister, Rafizi Ramli joins us to make his case. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In an environment of shrinking adex, Media Prima has seen a challenging 1st half. However is the worse over for this media conglomerate. Rafiq Razali their Group Managing Director tells us while we discuss if AI is a threat or opportunity, the fight for eyeballs and the value of their digital media brands. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eye specialist service provider, Optimax has obtained a licence from the Ministry of Health Malaysia to offer plastic surgery and aesthetic services. We will discuss this decision to pivot to other services, their latest financial results, and share price performance with 2nd generation leader Sandy Tan, the CEO of Optimax Holdings. And whether this new vision of aesthetic services will help turn...

Belgium will take up the Presidency of the European Council in January 2024, where the topic of EU expansion will likely heat up. H.E. Peter Van Acker, Ambassador of Belgium to Malaysia discusses what's at stake in enlarging the membership, and weighs in on areas of opportunity in Malaysia-Belgium bilateral ties. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.