The Breakfast Grille

The World Bank has estimated that the global illicit cigarette market is worth as much as US$40 - US$50 billion annually, with Malaysia reportedly taking top honours. Aside from the loss to government coffers to the tune of RM5bn, should this industry which contributes to undeniable health risks be more regulated? We speak to Cormac O'Rourke, CEO of JTI Malaysia to find out more and also is the co...

ACE-bound solar player Samaiden (pronounced as Sam-Aiden , names of her two sons) will be listed on 15th October. We discussed with Managing Director, Chow Pui Hee's ambitions and her plans to expand in Malaysia and Vietnam as the latter government plans to increase energy supply from solar to 12GW by 2030. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fleur Pellerin, former French Minister for SMEs, Innovation and Digital Economy, and Managing Partner of Korelya Capital discusses the French tech startup ecosystem, the obstacles faced by Europe in becoming a tech powerhouse, and her investment interests in Europe and Asia. Also as one of the early advocates of regulating tech giants about seven years ago, she weighs in on this contentious topic....

China is, today, by far and away the biggest foreign player in the Malaysian economy, a position that has been achieved in an alarmingly short span of time, spawning a raft of questions and soul-searching. Questions such as: How did China achieve this prominence so quickly? What factors contributed? On how many levels has this penetration been achieved? And, should Malaysia be worried by what...

UEM Edgenta is one of Malaysia's largest total asset solutions businesses involved in road maintenance and healthcare support amongst other services. Despite the company being seen as a defensive play by some, the company’s stock has been on a downward trend for the last year, down around 43% over the last 12 months and it swung into a loss for the first half of this year with revenue down 1...

Tengku Dato Sri Zafrul Aziz, Minister of Finance sticks to BNM's GDP forecast despite the rise in Covid-19 cases; aims to keep within the debt-to-GDP ratio of 60% in order to avoid doubling the fiscal deficit to 11%; does not rule out widening the Sales & Service Tax base next year; and denies any related party relationship with the Prime Minister nor interest in politics. Image Credit : Minis...

COVID-19 has changed the fundamentals of our global economy, and introduced us to a new version of normality. But is the coronavirus pandemic the Black Swan of our generation? We speak about this and more, with renowned author and originator of the term black swan, Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Prof. Nassim Nicholas Taleb will be speaking at the E-Nation Symposium Virtual Conference organised by the Mala...

Law King Hui, Managing Director and co-founder of Sasbadi Holdings discusses the impact of the pandemic on the school textbook business, the challenges of rolling out digital initiatives and what needs to be done to transform public education in Malaysia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Edmund Lee, the General Manager of Sales & Marketing at Red Bull Malaysia discusses how the brand from Thailand, popular among Muay Thai fighters, managed to grow market share during the MCO, how it plans to expand its product range to appeal to a wider audience, and health labelling of energy drinks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Xeraya Capital is the life sciences investment arm of Khazanah Nasional, invested in medical technology and biological sciences. Why did Khazanah choose to invest in this space? And what edge does Xeraya have? We speak to CEO Fares Zahir about this and more. Image Credit: Billion Photos / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MoneyGram International is an American money transfer company that allows you to set up a money transfer online, or in person by visiting an agent. On The Breakfast Grille, we explore the state of remittance flows in the region as well as how MoneyGram will manage the increased digital competition. Additionally we get into MoneyGram’s presence in the region, expansion plans, and consolidatio...

Dr Mandar Vaidya, the CEO of OYO Hotels & Homes in South East Asia, Middle East & Japan on how the company is responding to uncertainties due to the Covid-19 outbreak, and plans to shore up its reputation and become financially sustainable. Globally, it has downsized offices and cut jobs to preserve cash. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Borrowers nationwide are days away from recommencing loan payments. But how many are prepared? And what other relief measures exist? Arsalaan Ahmed, a council member of AIBIM and CEO HSBC Amanah Malaysia, discusses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even though property is a favoured asset in Malaysia, it was not spared by the pandemic. The property market declined in the first half of 2020, with the number of transactions falling 28% as value of those transactions fell 32% on-year to RM47 billion. In line with that, property player Paramount Corp’s saw earnings swing to a loss as revenue fell 70% on-year in the second quarter. Is the w...

Azrul Shah Bin Mohamad - General Manager of Tourism Selangor, discusses the state's plan to attract visitors to the country's wealthiest area. Image Credit: NOOR RADYA BINTI MD RADZI / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Analysts are skeptical of new glovemakers like Aspen Group, the property developer, entering the market. Dato Murly Manokharan, CEO of Aspen discusses numbers and the competitive advantage the group has through the network of its investor partner, CMY Capital, Tan Sri Chua Ma in securing Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR), the nitrile glove raw material in extreme short supply. Image Credit: Shutterst...

As the world's largest glove manufacture, Top Glove's star has rocketed upwards on the back of the pandemic-driven demand for gloves. But what does Top Glove have in store in 2021, and how will the management navigate an increasingly competitive landscape as well as uncertain global economic tensions? We speak with Dato Lee Kim Meow, Managing Director of Top Glove, to find out more. See omnystudio...

As polling day for the Sabah state election draws near, all eyes are on the fervent campaigning happening in the state. How will the Perikatan Nasional government do in its first official showing as a coalition? Who will claim the post of Chief Minister? With all the questions surrounding the outcome of the election, it becomes even more important to understand Sabah's history, and how it has info...

Construction firm Ikhmas Jaya Bhd may have badly mis-pivoted in its attempt to mitigate the impact of slowing government infrastructure projects. But a slew of new investors and an intriguing recovery plan is breathing some new life into the piling, foundation and bridge-making specialist. COO Steven Choi Ah Loy discusses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The former Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq has made his intentions clear on formalising his new youth based political party, MUDA. But will this aspirational youth based movement gain any real traction in Malaysia? Many have argued that decades of polarizing belief systems, corruption, and money politics have stalled Malaysia's potential for growth and success. So will the young succeed? Or...

Sabah is one of the most resource rich states in Malaysia, and frequently within the top 5 largest contributors towards the growth of the national economy. Yet at the same time, poverty and unemployment persist within the state's borders, indicating a deeper disconnect. Why have Sabahans not benefitted from the federal initiatives to uplift the state? In conjunction with Malaysia Day, we're discus...

Tourism has been one of the worst hit sectors in Singapore. In the first quarter of 2020, tourism receipts and number of international visitors fell by about 40% year-on-year to S$4 billion and 2.7 million people respectively. Keith Tan, Chief Executive of Singapore Tourism Board discusses his new strategies and priorities in what he expects to be a long winter. See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

The youth have been in the forefront of many recent political discussions, from lowering the voting age to the setting up of a youth party. To discuss this with us, as well as address some controversy over support letters that he recently faced, we speak to Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, who is also chief of Bersatu's youth wing, Armada. Image Credit: Azlan&nbs...

The pandemic has impacted all of us, but it has hit low-income families harder. And while the government has stepped in, there are still gaps in their efforts. So how do we close these gaps & address urban poverty going forward? Roshan Kanesan discusses on this edition of The Breakfast Grille with Tengku Aira from the UNFPA and Dr Muhammed Abdul Khalid of DM Analytics. DM Analytics was the lea...

In the age of rapid digitalisation, Nasdaq-listed CrowdStrike has seen significant stock price optimism as cybersecurity has become much more important. With only 9% of revenue derived from Asia, Roshan Kanesan explores Crowdstrike’s expansion in the region, its presence in Malaysia, and its role in the cybersecurity ecosystem. Image credit: : Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/l...