The Breakfast Grille

Two matters most plague Malaysia’s plastics manufacturers. First, an enmity towards their trade by politicians and public alike that they say can only be solved by more responsible disposal because the technology to replace plastics in food packaging hasn’t yet arrived. And second, a crushing labour shortage that has crippled production and limited business — but which it says ca...

Hup Seng Cream Crackers is a product that many of us grew up on. For such a well-loved brand, it might surprise you to know that Hup Seng is vastly undervalued compared to peers in the sector. Kerk Chian Tung, shares their reasons on why the priority remains in ensuring that their product remains accessible and on product quality over rebranding as well as what motivates Hup Seng to become more th...

Technology and the shared economy are changing the way we interact with each other. But is it for better or for worse? We speak to Philipp Diekhöner, Fortune 500 Innovation and Digital Strategy Leader on the implicit currency of the gig-economy: trust. Listen in. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ian Ho, Regional Managing Director of the Asia-focused e-commerce marketplace Shopee, expounds on the firm’s necessarily aggressive push for more market share as more web- and mobile-ready Asian consumers go online to meet their retail needs. In doing so, he addresses issues related to marketing & acquisition cost, product breadth, safety, buyer confidence and the need for expansion capi...

Jirnexu is a fintech company which provides technology and online solutions such as RinggitPlus.com, Kreditgogo.com and Xpressapply, providing consumers with financial comparison tools to help save money and make better financial decisions. Liew Ooi Hann spoke to us about the Jirnexu’s plans going forward and the role it plays in the financial industry, particularly after receiving approval...

In 2018, 9.2 million tourists visited Australia with 63% of them being return visitors. We speak to Tourism Australia's Managing Director John O'Sullivan to discuss what's fuelling this uptrend and what strategies they have put in place to compete for the tourist dollar. We also discuss the evolving tourism landscape where tourists today are all about experiences compared to just visiting mon...

Cagamas was created in the 80s during a time of runaway interest rates and a liquidy crunch. Fast forward to today, will Cagamas be able to step up address housing affordability which are at critical levels. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak to Airbnb General Manager for Southeast Asia, Mike Orgill as he updates listeners on its ongoing tussles with city authorities. He also discusses why Malaysia is it's fastest-growing market in ASEAN and Airbnb's plans for an IPO in 2019 - despite founder Brian Cheskey's too-public disenchantment with the capital markets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GoCar Malaysia, a techbase on-demand car sharing platform, provides car rental services and stands alongside the many other transport service providers in Malaysia. Alan speaks of how they manage the pace of change in technology and competition while vying for dominance in the local car-sharing industry. Listen in. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While P2P lenders such as Funding Societies Malaysia are seen as a disruption to traditional lenders like banks, large multinational technology firms like Apple, Google, AliBaba and Ant Financial might in turn disrupt both parties. We discuss this with Kah Meng. We also talk about the differences between the markets when it comes to the funding landscape and borrowers. Listen in. See omnystudio.co...

Dr Christopher Lingle has expertise in International Economics and public policy reform in Asia and we discuss public policy reforms, the US-China Trade War and what he thinks are misguided wealth redistribution policies (e.g. in Malaysia) in a period when he sees ‘potentialities’ for distress due to the huge build-up of debt in the system. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

Last June, the GIACC was set up to craft the policies for anti-corruption in Malaysia. Previously helming the MACC, Tan Sri Abu Kassim now leads the GIACC. We speak to him about the GIACC's difference from MACC, the penalties that are considered for corrupt officials and what the National Anti-Corruption Plan will hold for the public and private sector. Listen in. See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

The Minister of Communication of Multimedia had called for broadband connections to be “double the speed, half the price” for Malaysians. Managed service provider, MyKris has to find ways to manage revenues while maintaining its level of service. Recently listed in the LEAP Market, MyKris boasts ambitious plans for regional growth in the second half of the year. We ask Chew Choo Soon,...

Julian gets the lowdown on why a global construction specialist like Eversendai is trading at cheap prices on Bursa. We also speak about the tendering system, construction projects and Eversendai's projection for their future. Listen in. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our non-revenue water (NRW) average is at 35%, exceeding the 25% national target. Our average consumption is 100 litres per capita usage above the WHO recommendation. The National Water Services Commission or SPAN is a technical and economic regulatory body responsible for the regulation and performance of the water services industry. We ask Dato' Mohd Ridhuan Ismail, the CEO of SPAN about the sta...

People Lender Sdn Bhd - a company that fully owns and manages Fundaztic - was one of the 6 companies out of over 50 applicants to receive the license to operate P2P Financing in the country registered with the Securities Commission of Malaysia.  Fundaztic eventually went live in July 2017 with the SME market being their main target.  We talk to Kristine about their journey thus far...

Malayan Flour Mills (MFM) is the oldest flour mill in the country, and over the years also established itself as a player in the poultry industry. KC Cheang, the Chief Financial Officer talks about the company’s cash call to fund an expansion that will help it recover from a torrid 2018.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the introduction of new taxes like the sugar and digital tax as well as increased efforts to clamp down on tax avoiders, the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia is set for a challenging 2019. We speak to its Deputy CEO of Tax Operation, Datuk Mohd Nizom Sairi on how IRB plans to monitor individuals with unexplained extraordinary wealth and how the agency will be working with other entities movin...

Equity Crowdfunding (ECF) was meant to transform fundraising and provide entrepreneurs with an alternative funding option. We speak to pitchIN about the state of Equity Crowdfunding (ECF) in Malaysia and the strides the startup has made since the last time they were on the show 2 years ago. We follow up with pitchIN after 2 years on the company's growth and Malaysia’s fintech landscape. See...

GHL has big plans for 2019. Among them is to go deeper into Indonesia, venturing into a new segment there- the offline payment system. But big plans comes with big investments- would that impact GHL’s earnings for FY2019? We ask Danny this and he shares with us the earnings momentum moving forward. We also discuss the company’s business strategies in the midst of a chall...

Since the introduction of e-hailing services, taxis have been struggling to stay relevant amidst a changing landscape. We speak to Dato' Shamsubharin Ismail. CEO and founder of Big Blue Taxi on his thoughts of e-hailing services and how he plans to take on the challenges 2019 poses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UEM Edgenta is Malaysia’s largest integrated facilities management (IFM) provider. Dato' Azmir shares his outlook for the domestic infrastructure sector, and the company's strategy of maintaining its dividend policy of paying out 50-80% of its net profit. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DPI Holdings believes that the ongoing DIY (do-it-yourself) culture that is picking up steam here in the region is a catalyst for growth for its aerosol can products. DPI is en-route to a listing on the ACE market next month and is looking to raise some RM31.6 million from the listing. The 35-year old company has also set its sights on a larger international customer base. How do they plan to go a...

Standing committees are part and parcel of developed democracies. YB Wong Chen’s office authored a paper entitled “Standing Committees for a New Malaysia”. As 6 new committees have already been established to add to the 5 old ones, we explore the importance of such committees in the Malaysian political landscape. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SOCAR is a South Korean car-sharing start-up that launched in 2011, and kicked off its operations in Malaysia in January this year. Is car-sharing a viable solution to Malaysia’s mobility problem? Why the need for it since we already have ride-hailing? Leon weighs in. We also discuss the notion of whether car-sharing is mostly limited to the tourist market and simply an updated car-rental se...