The Breakfast Grille

Klang Valley residents are no strangers to unscheduled water disruptions, with as many as 10 occurring in just the last three months, affecting millions of households. But what exactly is the cause of these supply cuts? Why have they been happening so frequently? And perhaps most importantly, who is responsible to ensure they don't keep happening? We ask Suhaimi Kamaralzaman, CEO of Air Selangor,...

Singapore-based Advend Group was acquired by Etika Holdings last year, in a deal reportedly valued at around S$67 million. However, with the rise of working from home, falling foot traffic, and an increasingly competitive market for beverages, how will the vending machine services provider navigate the challenging business environment ahead? To find out, Lyn Mak speaks to CEO Santharuban Thurai Su...

Does Fundaztic plan to apply for a digital banking licence, sell out to a financial institution, list on the ACE Market, or issue Islamic investment notes? Calvin Foo, acting CEO, discusses these questions, as well as whether SMEs are borrowing to merely survive or to grow, how Fundaztic manages risks of its issuer portfolio in a pandemic, and what is in its business plan for the next 5-10 years....

As telecommunication services become increasingly commoditised, the big players have been looking at ways to diversify their businesses. For Axiata Group, this led to Axiata Digital Services - their venture spanning services such as e-wallets, microfinancing, microinsurance and anything else outside the traditional telco domain, with names like Boost, ADA, apigate and Aspirasi in their portfolio o...

Can SOCAR ride out the pandemic? In December 2019, SOCAR was optimistic about the future, looking to spend just under RM100 million to grow the fleet, while also venturing into different services, and expand beyond borders. However, that was before the pandemic. So is SOCAR still optimistic? Roshan Kanesan speaks to Leon Foong, CEO of SOCAR Mobility Malaysia, to find out, as well as whether the fu...

The Malaysian Industrial Development Finance Berhad (MIDF) looked to be on track to procure a banking license in a potential merger with Al Rajhi Bank, but that looks to have fallen apart. Will MIDF continue its search for a banking license following the collapse of this deal? Roshan Kanesan speaks with Dato' Charon Wardini Mokhzani, MIDF's Group Managing Director, about this as well as their rela...

What lies ahead for the glove industry? With a vaccine on the horizon but average selling prices climbing ever higher, coupled with persistent labour issues, we reached out to Dr Supramaniam Shanmugam, President of the Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (MARGMA), to find out what we can expect for this sector going forward. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Five years since its IPO, we check in with Bioalpha, which has seen its business disrupted as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Khoo Hsu Chuang speaks to William Hon, CEO of Bioalpha, to discuss the health supplement company’s path to recovery, its plans for overseas expansion and the overall outlook for 2021. Image Credit: bioa.com.my See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The retail sector has been through a rollercoaster ride this year with Covid-19. So, what does a retailer need to do to stay afloat or even thrive? Shafie Shamsuddin, Managing Director of AEON Co. (Malaysia) Bhd, tell us what they'll be doing to grow the business and what strategy they have to meet the fickle and demanding tastes of consumers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The victor of any election is not just determined at the ballot box, but also by the information war that happens at lighting speed and is often ubiquitous. So, shaping the narrative has become essential for any political party. Fahmi Fadzil, PKR Communications Director, and Shahril Hamdan, UMNO Information Chief, join us on a panel to discuss this, youth issues and whether their political parties...

It's International Anti-Corruption Day and Dr Muhammad Mohan, President of Transparency International Malaysia, and YB Wong Kah Woh, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, discuss the progress (or not) of Malaysia's journey to a cleaner country. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While many businesses were decimated by the pandemic, one particular industry thrived globally, despite border closures and lockdowns. The global logistics industry has seen exponential growth, as e-commerce exploded and more companies started digitizing. We speak to John Pearson, global CEO of DHL Express, about how the company has navigated the pandemic, its strategy for expanding market share a...

Covid-19 has rent all manner of businesses asunder, and healthcare is no exception. But what does Malaysia's largest private healthcare group do to come back from a year when patients, treatments and healthcare tourism ground to a standstill? Ahmad Shahizam bin Mohd Shariff, President and Managing Director of KPJ Healthcare Bhd, discusses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is OneConnect here to support or replace banks? Roshan Kanesan dives into this and what this 'technology-as-a-service' firm does with their Southeast CEO. They also get into OneConnect's Asian expansion, Malaysia's importance to the digital bank builder, their dependence on Ping An Group and Ping An owned-Lufax for revenue, as well as thoughts on China tech concerns and new fintech regulations. Im...

Governments around the world constantly strive to reduce - if not completely eliminate - poverty within their respective countries. But the question has arisen of whether these programmes are enough, seeing as the unseen impacts of the scarcity mentality may make it even more difficult to escape poverty. We speak to Eldar Shafir, a behavioural economist at Princeton University, about scarcity, the...

Selangor reduced its investment target from RM12 billion to RM8.5 billion, due to the weaker global sentiment brought by the Covid-19 pandemic. Is it on track to achieve the lowered target? Roshan Kanesan speaks to Dato' Hasan Azhari Idris, CEO of Invest Selangor Berhad, about this as well as their relationship with other bodies like InvestKL and the federal government. They also get into Selangor...

International trade has functioned as the lifeblood of our globalised society for decades. However, in recent years, it has been on the decline, with governments increasingly adopting more protectionist policies and the Covid-19 pandemic also contriving to rock global supply chains. What will the future of international trade look like and where does the World Trade Organisation fit into this new...

GHL Systems' stock price has double year-to-date on the back of optimism around cashless payments and its other financial services. Should you add this to your portfolio or has the market gotten ahead of itself? Find out as Roshan Kanesan speaks with CEO Danny Leong about how business has been this year, the move into money lending, their digital banking aspirations, expansion in the region, as we...

The advent of Covid-19 has thrown our education system into disarray. As schools have been once again forced to close on the reimplementation of movement restrictions, concerns have started to come to the fore over the long-term effect this will have on students and teachers. But with a lack of resources and an unclear syllabus, will we be able to avoid having a lost generation? See omnystudio.com...

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister, Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi, talks to us about whether implementing price controls at the height of the pandemic earlier this year worked in addressing concerns such as shortages on essentials and food security. He also explains why the increase in his ministry’s operating budget to boost various subsidies and programmes is justified. He elab...

Bitcoin has almost quadrupled since its March low, now hovering at around $19,000. The cryptocurrency has seen a boost from the pandemic and expansionary monetary policy, as some investors look for inflationary hedges. That said, how well-received is Bitcoin and cryptocurrency in Malaysia and Southeast Asia? Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does Econframe’s future hinge on Malaysia's ability to manage the Covid-19 pandemic? Roshan Kanesan discusses this with Lim Chin Horng, as well as the metal door frame manufacturer's margins going forward, order book, customer base (which includes the likes of Gamuda, SP Setia, and IJM Land), and impact from the CMCO. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The telecommunications sector has seen increased commoditization of its services, with price wars and a sharp deceleration of revenue. To survive, diversification is key, but what new business is synergistic? Tan Sri Jamaludin Ibrahim, President and Group CEO of Axiata Group, answers that question whilst giving us a glimpse of the future with the onset of 5G. He also reflects on his career as he r...

Aquaria KLCC was once a great venue for kids, but now with Covid-19 uncertainties, is that still the case? In conjunction with Universal Children's Day, we speak with Daryl Foong, Executive Director of Aquaria's parent company Aquawalk Group, to check in on how the pandemic has impacted them, the expansion plans they've had to put on hold, and where Covid-19 will lead them in future. See omnystudi...

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)  strives for freer trade, smoother flow of people, and digital and gender-based inclusiveness among its 21 member economies that includes the US, China, Russia and Japan. But unlike its policy-based peer ASEAN, APEC is a cooperative, discussive and non-binding platform. So how does it achieve its goals when its biggest members are increasingly anti...