The Breakfast Grille

Ride hailing in Malaysia is a competitive space with 29 licensed players. We speak to Bolt Malaysia General Manager Afzan Lutfi as to the challenges of operating after a year and does their lean cost model apply in this country. We also ask about their niche and if there is validity to their claims that they put drivers and riders first. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener f...

Visit Malaysia Year 2026 puts the tourism sector in the spotlight. Philip See sits down with Hannah Pearson, Director of Pear Anderson, and Nigel Wong, President of MATTA, to discuss gaps in infrastructure and coordination, while exploring the campaign’s theme, “Surreal Experiences". See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EFS Group has been in the solar business since 2013, as the industry in Malaysia graduates from being just about rooftop installations and incentives. Darren Tan, CEO of EFS, talks about how rising costs, contract-based models and large-scale projects are reshaping how his company does business. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nearly half of Malaysia’s healthcare is delivered by the private sector, even as public hospital fees remain below ten ringgit and medical inflation runs in double digits. In this Best of the Breakfast Grille 2025 episode, we revisit key conversations on what it takes to keep quality care within reach. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia was the best market in Asean for IPOs in 2025 with 60 listings. We spoke to almost half of them who chose to go public asking why they took this route whilst diving deep into their business model. In the mix, we have the winners which include THMY and Oriental Kopi whilst we also include a mix of old and new economy like Foodie Media and Orkim. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudi...

Today on the Breakfast Grille, we are revisiting conversations on the show this year revolving around foreign policy discussions and of course, notable mentions from Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship. This includes US President Donald Trump’s flurry of executive orders, the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war and the recent 47th ASEAN Summit. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today’s Breakfast Grille, we look back at our discussions on the media and entertainment scene. It’s been a tough few years for traditional media, with streaming, online platforms, and AI reshaping the industry. We also explore the role of the Malaysia Media Council in navigating these changes. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Universities may face different challenges, but they’re all aiming for the same result. This episode reflects on conversations throughout the year about the challenges facing higher education from costs to ensuring graduate employability. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2025 has seen major shifts in Malaysia’s political landscape, from government reforms and cabinet reshuffles to key events like Budget 2026 and the Sabah state election. On today’s Breakfast Grille, we reflect on our conversations about these developments and their implications for the country. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2025 was the year global trade was thrown into turmoil, thanks largely to US tariffs and geopolitical tensions. How are countries and economic blocs around the world navigating the currents? We revisit conversations on trade and tariff issues that dominated the year. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As 2025 draws to a close, the world faces unresolved wars, intensifying great-power competition and growing economic uncertainty. Dr Prashanth Parameswaran, fellow at the Institute for Indo-Pacific Security and founder of the ASEAN Wonk newsletter talks about what 2025 revealed, and what 2026 could bring for the US, ASEAN, and the global order. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The University of Nottinghan Malaysia just celebrated their silver jubilee. We speak to  their Provost & CEO,  Prof. David FitzPatrick, about how the university has impacted Malaysia economically, whether our government’s policies support its aims, and if there is any disparity between its UK and Malaysian student outcomes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On International Migrants’ Day we look at how migration has shaped the economy of Malaysia which relies heavily on foreign labour, while laying bare the gaps between policy, law and lived reality.  Sahain Puthucheary of the law firm, Xavier & Koh Partnership and Adrian Pereira, Executive Director of the North South Initiative, a non-profit NGO that works with and empowers migrant workers,...

On the Breakfast Grille this morning, Philip See is joined by Tindaro Danze, President & CEO of Siemens Malaysia to talk about the company’s involvement in the country’s data center industry, automation in manufacturing plants, the adoption of Industry 4.0, and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In conjunction with International Universal Health Coverage Day, Philip See speaks to  Dr Khor Swee Kheng, CEO, Angsana Health & Specialist in Public Policies about the most pressing healthcare issues in Malaysia right now - affordability, overworking and inconsistent contracts of public healthcare staff, whether the government is relying too much on private healthcare and more. Image Cre...

Futurise, a wholly-owned company under the Ministry of Finance, is a key driver of the National Regulatory Sandbox. We ask Shafinaz Salim, Acting CEO what the company does, how it works with other Ministries and agencies, how it is funded, and have they achieved commercialisation with any of their companies. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week was International Anti-Corruption Day, a good reminder of Malaysia’s ongoing struggle with high-level corruption as we aspire to be amongst the top 25 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index by 2033. How will that be achieved when we currently rank 57th? A question we pose to Pushpan Murugiah, CEO of C4 Center, and Raymon Ram, President of Transparency International Malaysia, as we...

Austria is a land known for its pristine moutains but there is more in common with Malaysia than expected. His Excellency Gerhard Eisl, Austrian Ambassador to Malaysia, discusses how our countries are fostering closer ties in trade, education, and tourism against a backdrop of increasing geopolitical tensions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daryl Foong, Group CEO and Executive Director of Aquawalk talks about the company’s listing on Bursa Malaysia’s ACE Market recently, its expansion plans in the region, how to get people to return after their first visit, how resilient the business is in the event of a slowdown in foreign tourism, and more. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, I’m joined by Liew Yoon Poh, Group CEO of LAC Med Bhd. They are a company specializing in supplying, integrating, and servicing medical devices and healthcare IT solutions - think MRI machines. In light of LAC Med’s listing tomorrow on Bursa Malaysia’s Main Market, I’ll be asking him about the company’s purpose for the exercise, whether he is worried about renewing contracts with partners,...

Orkim Bhd, Malaysia’s largest clean petroleum product (CPP) tanker operator, is heading for a Main Market listing on December 9th. CEO Capt Cheah Sin Bi discusses the company’s evolution from a one-vessel operator to a major player transporting refined petroleum across the region as well as its plans for the RM92 million it hopes to raise from this listing. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnys...

Kelington Group is expanding its presence across Asia and now Europe, while diversifying from ultra-high purity gases into industrial gases. Raymond Gan, its founder and CEO talks about this engineering firm's financial outlook, its role in the semiconductor supply chain, and the competitive landscape it operates in. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

GDEX is navigating one of its toughest years yet amid rising competition and a rapidly evolving logistics sector. On today’s Breakfast Grille, Philip See talks with CEO Teong Teck Lean about how the company is adapting, leveraging technology, and reshaping its services to stay profitable and drive future growth. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MiRXES is a Singaporean biotech company that’s listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange. Today Elaine Boey will be sitting down with co-founder and CEO, Dr. Zhou Lihan to talk about the technology that the company employs, challenges as Southeast Asia’s biotech unicorn, when it might turn profitable, and whether you should be a shareholder. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener...

Russia remains at the centre of some of the world’s most consequential geopolitical tensions, while for Malaysia, navigating its relationships with major powers, understanding Moscow’s position has never been more relevant. Naiyl Latypov, Russia's ambassador to Malaysia, discusses bilateral relations as well as what the prospects for peace with Ukraine is like. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See o...