The Breakfast Grille

With 6 states heading to the state polls, will the outcome be status quo. What is the psyche of the voter especially the Kelantanese who have been loyal to Pas since 1990. We speak to Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim, Political Commentator & Former Law Minister for his thoughts and also why he has shifted political allegiances multiple times in his political career. See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

Six states in Peninsular Malaysia are heading to state elections by August, in what is widely viewed as a referendum on the fledgling unity government of Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Anwar Ibrahim. What are the current dynamics at play in Malaysia’s ever-shifting political landscape, and how will this determine what happens at state level polls? We discuss themes and trends ahead of state elections wi...

Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned from his parliamentary seat this month, sending shockwaves throughout British politics and posing yet another headache for current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. What are the implications of his exit for the Conservative party and the stability of the UK government? We discuss these developments with political scientist Prof. Chandran Kukathas. Image Cr...

With the proliferation of devices, cybersecurity attacks have been on the rise. Victims are not only enterprises but consumers as well. We speak to GU Renukanand, Regional Vice President of F-Secure, a Finnish listed company on their strategy for growth in Asia and why they choose Malaysia as their regional hub. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) sector has been intensively competitive over the years, and only a few companies remain in the space. We speak with Farid Yunus, CEO of redONE Network on what it takes to survive, his plans to be a Superapp, market expansion around ASEAN and when will the long awaited IPO take place See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 26 year relationship between Brahim's Food Services and Malaysia Aviation Group will come to an end this month, and the airlines will only have 24 days to find alternative suppliers to fulfil the 20,000 meals per day required for its in-flight services starting 1 July. We speak with Shukor Yusof, Founder and Primary Analyst of Endau Analytics to find out what’s the backstory to this and also M...

The world is dividing itself into various blocs - based on ideology, economics and religion. What does this say about the role that a small country like Malaysia can play in the greater scheme of things? Dr Prashanth Parameswaran, is a senior columnist at The Diplomat and a fellow at the Wilson Centre’s Asia Programme, he is also a founder of the ASEAN Wonk newsletter. He gives us an assessment of...

EA Tech, an oil and gas company was declared a PN17 company in 2022 have submitted their regularisation plans to the regulators. We sit down with Nasrul Asni Muhammad Dain their CEO, to unpack the details of it whilst keeping an eye on their growth plans and what profit they can achieve in 2023 after registering RM20mn in 2022. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Public transport woes have been increasingly common with infrequent bus and train services, overcrowding and breakdowns. We speak to Minister of Transport, Anthony Loke about this being resolved and can KLIA return to it's former glory despite infrastructure issues. As state elections are around the corner, we also discuss seat allocations and has DAP sacrificed too much for this Unity Government....

From Putin, Trump, and Bolsonaro to Erdoğan, and Xi, the world has been seeing the rise of authoritarian leaders. Gideon Rachman, author of The Age of the Strongman and chief foreign affairs columnist for the Financial Times shares with us if this is a recent phenomenon, and what are the ingredients or environments that are ripe for these kinds of leadership. See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

The General Insurance industry enjoyed positive growth for 2022, but competition remains fierce amongst the existing players. And with 2 recent mergers taking place, industry market rankings have changed. We speak with Chua Seck Guan, CEO of MSIG Malaysia for a 2023 outlook, BNM liberalisation, and will MSIG rely on organic growth or look to buy to regain back its no 2 market ranking spot. See omn...

BNM has issued 5 digital bank licenses in an already competitive landscape. We speak to Rafiza Ghazali, Designate CEO, KAF Islamic Digital Bank on whether they are ready to launch, how they intend to disrupt the market and their competitive advantages in a crowded landscape. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recent statistics reveal that up to 40% of graduates are underemployed. Is this structural issue that Sunway University is facing? Professor Sibrandes Poppema, President Of Sunway University tells us whilst we discuss their financial performance, international student enrollment and is AI a boon or bane to education. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In renewable energy, Solarvest Holdings can boast of a first mover advantage, having operated in this space since 2012. But as the solar PV landscape becomes increasingly saturated, can Solarvest stay ahead of the competition? We catch-up with CEO Davis Chong about the company's plans to expand beyond solar and Malaysian borders, as well as views on regulatory direction on renewable energy. See om...

Sweden is at the forefront of green technology, being one of the best recycling countries in Europe. And they just signed an MOU with Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change to promote Green Transition efforts in our country. We speak with Emma Broms to talk about all things Green and Trade, and whether the colour of money is still green. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founded more than 150 years ago in Canada, Sun Life provides life insurance, health insurance, investments, and financial planning services. Global president and CEO, Kevin Strain shares with us their financial performance and expansion plans in the region. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taiwan's largest institutional logistics player, ALP is on track to complete its first overseas OMega warehouse in Klang this year, with ambitious plans to build more facilities across the region. We discuss the company's business philosophy, the progress of their logistics hub in Malaysia and their Southeast Asian pipeline with CEO Charlie Chang. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

In a very competitive life insurance landscape with 14 players, what niche is Generali Life Insurance intending to carve for itself? We speak to Rebecca Tan, CEO of Generali Life Insurance Malaysia Berhad to find out about their integration, are volatile capital markets a challenge and their financial KPIs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to the United Nations, global smoking rates are on a decline; however smoking prevalence in developing economies like Malaysia remains elevated. How much progress have we made to reduce preventable illness caused by smoking and are we equipped to deal with the risks stemming from the fast-rising use of alternative nicotine products? We compare anti-smoking policy initiatives between Mala...

Synergy House Berhad is an e-commerce retailer for ready-to-assemble furniture whose products are in many homes in the UK, US and UAE. It will be listed on Bursa Malaysia's ACE Market on June1st. Tan Eu Tah, its executive director, talks to us about the company's plans to grow the business post-listing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In light of global economic headwinds resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions, what does this mean for developing countries' growth prospects? Prof. Robert Wade of LSE weighs in on how countries could use industrial policy to spur economic development amid the challenging environment, and why free markets are not an automatic recipe for prosperity for the Global South. Prof....

Mitsui & Co Japan has raised its LGMS stake to 25% in ACE listed IT and cybersecurity firm LGMS Berhad, opening new markets across 60 countries. We speak with CEO Fong Choong Fook on how plans to take full advantage of this new partnership against the backdrop of increasing data breaches and scams reported. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The business model of accounting firms have evolved from mere compliance auditing to advisory. Revenues have jumped as a result but does arise potential issues of conflict? Deloitte CEO, Yee Wing Peng tells us how they navigate this and the operating landscape considering the threat of a global recession. We also discuss if human capital is their most important asset but also challenge. See omnyst...

Is the heyday of IBM behind them, with the likes of Microsoft, Google and Amazon grabbing more headlines these days in the fields of cloud service, machine learning and artificial intelligence ? Or is the giant finally awakening? We speak with Catherine Lian, Managing Director, IBM Malaysia to find out how IBM plans to respond to the competition, talent management, and accelerating growth. See omn...

Charles Santiago, Chairman of National Water Services Commission (SPAN) and former Klang MP shares his plans to avoid a water crisis, including checking on dam water levels and raw water availability, and proposals on an inter state water connection See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.