The Breakfast Grille

Lagenda Properties is a relatively newcomer in the property business, but it has morphed into a developer with a niche in affordable landed housing, catering to the B40 and M40 income households. Its flagship project is in Setiawan, Perak but it has ventured into other states in an attempt to replicate this success by launching products below RM250,000. Will lady luck still shine when it spreads i...

As the era of ultra low interest rates comes to an end and a global recession looms overhead, how are regional private equity players adapting to the challenging macroeconomic conditions? Dato’ Sri Nicholas Bloy, co-founder and Managing Partner of Navis Capital Partners discusses the outlook for private equity in the APAC region as well as their latest foray into private credit markets. See omnyst...

Listed in 2015, Sedania Innovator Berhad focuses on project-managing and investing in sustainable energy projects as well as sustainable healthcare. Sedania’s CEO, Daniel Ruppert shares with us their latest quarterly earnings and their shift from telco during their IPO. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many organisations have realised the importance and benefits of sustainability which ultimately gives it a higher survival rate. Despite many positive trends, surveys point to a low percentage of firms changing their business models to take advantage of trends in sustainability. We speak to Peter McAteer, managing director of SustainLearning on how a company can ensure a smooth transition to becom...

Despite multiple shocks to the global economy and supply chains in 2022, the world’s largest logistics player, DHL Group has thrived, with its express international shipping division, DHL Express, playing a key role in the Group’s overall resilience. But are the good times set to end in the coming year with a global recession looming amid continued geopolitical tensions? We discuss long and short...

Kopi Kenangan is rebranding itself as Kenangan Coffee as it ventures outside its Indonesian home where it already has more than 800 outlets employing some 5,000 staff. It is also Southeast Asia’s first new F&B retail unicorn - all within a short space of 5 years. Its co-founder and CEO Edward Tirtanata sits down for a bit of coffee shop talk to explain what this grab & go coffee chain's pl...

While Perikatan Nasional lost the bid to form the government of the day, its influence to shape the political future of Malaysia is not to be underestimated. Wan Ahmad Fayshal, MP for Machang, and youth chief for Bersatu, one of the core parties of the coalition, tells us whether PN is a coalition for all Malaysians and what kind of opposition they intend to be. See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

Ekuinas, the Government's private equity fund management company has a focus to promote Bumiputera economic participation. With total committed investment exceeding RM4.4 billion to date, we ask CEO, Syed Yasir Arafat on how the possibility of a global recession will affect the PE landscape and their performance in turn. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia has continued to slide down the rankings of Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index CPI), despite pledges to combat corruption by successive governments. On International Anti-Corruption Day, we discuss the institutional reforms that need to be prioritised to make commitments to clean government more than just aspirational rhetoric. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

YTL Communications was the first major telco to launch 5G services in Malaysia. But the rollout of 5G in Malaysia hasn't been smooth sailing. We ask CEO, Wing K. Lee, whether their stake in Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) will be worth the money, and when will we see a profit? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PGF Capital Berhad has been listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia since 1990 but has not seen the entry of any institutional investors. However, its share price has rallied by more than 130% YTD. Its core business is in design, manufacture and distribution of glass mineral wool insulation which provides indoor comfort through thermal and acoustic insulation. We speak to Fong Wern Sheng, Exec...

From their retail stores at TTDI and Chow Kit in 1987, Bake With Yen now has over 90 outlets throughout Malaysia. And in 2017, private equity firm Creador acquired a stake in the group for US$13 million. We ask CEO, Alexandre Rosso whether the baking hobby during the pandemic was just a flash in the pan, and was its rapid expansion a piece of cake. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

In the end, 28 ministers were announced with some surprises, in particular Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also double hatting as Finance Minister. We evaluate the hits and misses whilst diving into the priorities of this cabinet with Pankaj Kumar, Business Commentator and Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani, Deputy Managing Director, BowerGroupAsia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Immigration is most commonly discussed through the lens of the emigre seeking a way into a new land and the rules put in place to secure borders from those deemed undesirable to enter the country. But another, less explored approach of looking at immigration control is to consider the impact on the receiving society and whether the costs of exchanging freedom for secure borders is ultimately what...

The higher education business has always had a reputation of being lucrative and recession proof. With competition for education dollars on the rise and students opting for the gig or creator economy, does this still hold true? Additionally, there have been instances where Malaysian public universities have been subject to political interference. Are foreign based universities with a localised pre...

Asset management has been going through structural changes with intense competition, the shift to passive funds and lower fees. So why did CVC, one of the largest PE funds, buy a stake in Malaysia's 3rd largest fund managers? We ask Dato' Teng Chee Wai, Managing Director of AHAM Capital that question and also where markets are headed in 2023. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

25 November marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. How effective is the legal framework in Malaysia to address violations against women and girls? We take stock of the progress made and action urgently needed in order for genuine societal shifts in attitudes towards gender equality and women’s rights. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

After a long protracted battle for Putrajaya, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has finally become Malaysia's 10th Prime Minister. We explore his decades-long ambition to run the country with Jahabar Sadiq, Founder and Editor, The Malaysian Insight and  James Chai, Visiting Fellow, ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute. We also ask if the hard work actually begins now with the different factions within this Uni...

Islamic bonds or sukuks continued to record resilience compared to conventional bonds despite volatile crude oil prices, a high interest rate environment and general geopolitical uncertainty. How will it fare with increasing awareness of ESG investing? Bashar Al Natoor, Global Head of Islamic Finance at Fitch Ratings talks to us about the challenges Islamic finance is set to face with a global sta...

The negotiations to form the next government of Malaysia following the 15th general elections have yet to yield results, but there have been surprises and U-turns over the past two days. Meanwhile the political polarisation at the elite level is also reflected in public and social media discourse, raising concerns about the unity of Malaysian society. What challenges will the next government need...

The Russia-Ukraine war and conflicts in Myanmar have highlighted the division between nations in ASEAN. Philip See speaks to Manu Bhaskaran, Founding Partner and President of Centennial Asia Advisors, for an in-depth analysis of ASEAN as a force of global diplomacy, which economies have the right fundamentals, and which governments have put the right policies to drive long-term economic developmen...

As predicted, the 15th general elections culminated in a hung Parliament, but few foresaw the rise of the green wave in peninsular Malaysia as PAS secured the highest seats in the august house. Ibrahim Suffian of the Merdeka Center helps us contextualise the GE15 results and discusses where politics in the country is heading. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

History will be made tomorrow as more than 21 million Malaysians will be able to head to the polls to chart the future of the country in GE15. This will be a critical election as it is seen as the make it or break it moment for many key figures of the Malaysian political scene. Will Datuk Seri Anwar finally become prime minister? Or will we see things go back to the way they were with Barisan Nasi...

Holland Circular Hotspot (HCH) is a private-public platform in which the local government authorities, experts and companies collaborate internationally to stimulate entrepreneurship in the field of a circular economy. CEO, Freek van Eijk shares with us their collaboration with Malaysian companies and the government, and how Malaysia can improve to have a better circular economy. See omnystudio.co...

World Cup season is upon us and in the years and months leading up to the kick-off in Qatar this November 20th, we can't escape knowing about it. Go to the supermarkets and you see products from potato crisps to beers and fizzy drinks all emblazoned with the FIFA logo. It is for sure a big billion dollar global business which Simon Chadwick, a professor of sport & geopolitical economy, at the...