The Breakfast Grille

Minister of Federal Territories Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor explains the need for Federal Territories in Malaysia.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACE-market listed BioAlpha Holdings is Malaysia's first herbal supplements player to be in control of its full supply chain, from farming to manufacturing, retail to R&D. Managing Director William Hon discusses how it plans to grow its presence not just domestically, but also in the high-growth markets of Indonesia and China. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) has been the centre of a heated discussion in the lead up to the anticipated GE14 this year; one that has sometimes divided the political opposition. Is it a political bribe benefitting the ruling Barisan Nasional or a now common-place policy tool for social provisioning? Today we ask how does BR1M fit into the overall structure of policies and mechanism to deal wit...

Donald Trump is on the threshold of entering the most powerful office in the US, and all eyes are now on Washington DC. In anticipation of the swearing in of President Donald Trump, we take a look at the transition of leadership of what is arguably the world’s biggest economy and most influential military power. We reflect on the legacy of the Obama Administration, and the extent to which Pr...

Serba Dinamik benefits from the continued operation of oil rigs and therefore insulated from oil sector turbulence. But that doesn't stop them from venturing into power plants and water treatment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Launched just last February, Investment Account Platform (IAP) is a multi-bank Shariah-compliant “matchmaking” online platform that facilitates channeling of funds from investors to finance viable ventures. CEO Izam Yusoff discusses the mechanics of IAP and how it plans to be a catalyst of growth for the Islamic finance sector.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Sarawak begins an official week of mourning for the late Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem, observers ask what and who comes next in leading the Borneo state. We ask if there will be policy continuity, if the “full autonomy” agenda is in danger of a rollback, and political succession will be a messy affair. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allianz Life Insurance Malaysia is a subsidiary of the publicly-listed Allianz Malaysia, which in turn is a subsidiary of Allianz SE, Europe’s biggest insurer. CEO Joseph Gross shares his thoughts on the liberalisation of the insurance industry in Malaysia. The podcast is an extended version of the broadcasted interview. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What lessons can we learn from the British experience of designing and building major transport infrastructure? The Crossrail project has been controversial from the start, but is there more to the project than just numbers and profit? Will the benefits of the project outweigh the huge investment costs? Today, a day after strikes by London Tube workers crippled the city, we speak to Sir Terry Morg...

The challenges for higher education in the 21st century are legion, arising from structural problems that orginated 50 years ago - massification, commercialisation and globalisation, to name a few. But are all stakeholders getting the best out of the present system? And are there gamechangers out there?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Hayden gives his observations about the Asian job market, the startup scene and the competitive landscape in online jobs platforms. We also get an update of SEEK's RM1.7b buy of JobStreet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Voon Tze Khay the General Manager of REV Asia Berhad shares how the digital media group is expanding its market reach within the Malay- and Chinese-speaking audience segment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Business Integrity Alliance was set up in 2016 to identify and eliminate corruption through engagement with the business community in Malaysia. We ask if integrity and ethics in business can indeed be taught, what the resistance in the business community might be, the place of Government Linked Companies in the anti-corruption drive, and the effect of corruption on the bottom line. See omnystu...

Managepay's transition will be rough as witnessed by the sharp fall in reported profits and share price but the potential, if executed well, is great. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we look back on the year, we reflect on the coverage we did on the biggest story of the decade: the rise of China. With headlines like "$100 Billion Chinese-Made City Near Singapore 'Scares the Hell Out of Everybody’" (Bloomberg), it's a narrative that has developed with a significant Malaysian footnote. In this episode we have excerpts from the best Breakfast Grille conversations we have...

2016 saw Malaysia explore new frontiers in financial technology, or Fintech, which introduced new innovative ways to disrupt traditional finance business models. Ibrahim Sani recaps of the year that was, with some of our best Breakfast Grille interviews on Fintech.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeffrey S. Yablon is the Executive Vice President and General Manager for Asia Pacific of InClinica, a US-based clinical Contract Research Organisation (CRO). He joins us on the Breakfast Grille to discuss the CRO business model and why the company has chosen Malaysia as its regional hub. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since the late 70's, China's comprehensive transformation has witnessed policies that have changed institutional arrangements, societal frameworks, and governance structures of one of the most influential countries today. Though bringing prosperity and power to China, they have also resulted in demographic and environmental challenges that have in turn required counteracting policies.  Today,...

Equity Crowdfunding is seen as a new form of fundraising that allows startups and SMEs to obtain capital through small equity investments from a relatively large numbers of investors, using online portals to publicise and facilitate such offers. In November, the Securities Commission approved six registered equity crowdfunding platforms. One of the approved is pitchIN. Henry Loke, the CFO of pitch...

Is an AirAsia dependency necessarily a bad thing for Tune Protect? And does their digital ambition open opportunities for this? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listed property developer EcoFirst is selling of one of its crown jewels - the 1Segamat Mall in Johor - and is banking on its biggest project Ampang Ukay to anchor growth over the next decade. Dato' Tiong Kwing Hee, Group CEO and Executive Director of EcoFirst Consolidated Berhad joins us on the Breakfast Grille to share more insights into the company’s plans. See omnystudio.com/listener for...

We discuss what fintech means for an old insurance company like AIA. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over 45% of Malaysians who borrow from PTPTN, a student loan organisation, do not pay back their loans. We speak to Mastura Mohd Khalid, the Deputy CEO of Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional on why people don't honour their legal and moral obligations to settle their debts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Animal health solution provider Rhone Ma Holdings is set to list on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia on December 19th. Dr. Lim Ban Keong, Managing Director of Rhone Ma tells us more about the business and why they have chosen to list amidst weak market sentiment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia-based Farringdon Group, a private wealth and investment manager, is set to launch Asia's first Shariah-compliant robo-advisory platform. CEO Stuart Yeomans tells us more about this new frontier and how he deals with regulatory & compliance concerns. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.