The Breakfast Grille

Corruption never really goes away; while ethics and morals are important, it is too simplistic to argue that their mere presence can counteract institutional rot. The International Anti-corruption Academy (IACA) aims to substantially contribute to the fight against corruption through rigorous academic study and culturally diverse training programmes. We speak with Martin Kreutner, an influential v...

Mark Smalley, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Neuroware, demystifies the world of distributive ledgers, commonly known as blockchains. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a weakened market environment, going back to basics in investing may prove to be a safer move to take. But those who can capitalize on market inefficiencies may see some gains to be mined in such a lean market environment. We speak with Munirah Khairuddin, CEO of CIMB Principal Asset Management (CPAM) to find out more on this, and to better understand the main principle of asset management. See...

Xbit Asia's success as the country's first bitcoin exchange depends on ambitious plans to get consumers and merchants to buy into the cryptocurrency idea. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recent months has seen leadership changes in IPG Mediabrands. Newly appointed CEO Bala Pomaleh joins us on the Breakfast Grille to share his insights into the advertising industry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Courier service provider Nationwide Courier Services Berhad is embarking on a turnaround strategy which includes a proposed bid to acquire Airpak Express as part of efforts to capture growth in the e-commerce segment. Managing Director Rozilawati Basir outlines the group's strategy to compete against the new players in the industry.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Water Services Industries Act (WSIA) 2006 was meant to give states greater control over managing their respective water supply. But after nearly 8 years in power, Pakatan Harapan, wrangling over the issue continues. Today the ex MB explains his side of the story, and why he thinks the responsibility should still lie with the current state administration. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Any asset can be collateralised to raise funding. Pos ArRahnu takes it one step further by pawnbroking smaller denominations of gold as a versatile facilitator of microcredit. We look into the pros and cons of this business including whether expensive effective interest rates are Islamic, funding options, and the digital impact. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NanoMalaysia, the business entity under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, is mandated to be the lead driver for the nanotechnology industry in Malaysia. We ask CEO Dr Rezal Khairi Ahmad just how successful NanoMalaysia has been with the commercialization for nanotechnology. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this year, the world was stunned by the brazen cyber-heist carried out on Bangladesh’s central bank from which $81 million was stolen. The then-governor Dr Atiur Rahman resigned from his post after the theft, just four and a half months before his planned retirement. For a man who was awarded ‘Central Bank Governor of the Year for Asia 2015', what did the abrupt departure mean...

We speak to Adam Brimo, founder & CEO of OpenLearning on the future of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) in Malaysia. OpenLearning is an online learning platform that helps digitise education in the country, by working closely with local universities. Do MOOCs help with the democratisation of education, or does it turn universities into businesses? Even if this is so, is it an entirely bad th...

Lim Kok Hing, Founder & Executive Director of the online payments provider iPay88, says the smartphone will be the wallet of the future, as money goes digital and cash diminishes in usage. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holstein Milk Company is the appointed anchor company for Khazanah Nasional's NKEA Project in the Agrifood sector. We speak to their CEO, Loi Tuan Ee on how they plan to provide fresh farm dairy products to the people of Malaysia, and beyond See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Smartly, a robo-advisor set up in Singapore, allows customers to invest cheaply and speedily. The disruptive forces of fintechs will pose a great challenge to the traditionally high-cost fund managers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ThinCats is Australia's first online market for secured business loans linking retail lenders and investors with SME borrowers. We speak with their CEO, Sunil Aranha on how this business might work here in Malaysia See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MKH Berhad, formerly known as Metro Kajang Holdings, started out as a property developer of townships in Kajang and Semenyih but have now diversified into the plantation business with 16,000 hectares in Indonesia. Tan Sri Eddy Chen, the managing director of MKH, discusses how the group plans to weather the current property down cycle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today as polls closed across the USA we cross over to three Malaysians in the thick of the battle for political control of the world’s only Superpower. We examine issues of ground sentiment, White identity politics, control of the Senate and the implication of either a Donald Trump or Hilary Clinton win for global dynamics.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stockspot is an Australian-based robo adviser disrupting the investment scene. By charging low fees for investing in Exchange-Traded Funds, they are championing the fintech revolution. We speak to Stockspot's Founder & CEO, Chris Bryki to learn more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The author of the best-selling book titled “When China Rules the World: the End of the Western World and the Birth of a New Global Order,” joins us to catch up on developments since 2012 when his books was published. The book has been translated into fifteen languages and has sold several hundred thousand copies.  The book has been shortlisted for two major literary awards and his...

PM Najib Razak’s week-long visit has international observers taking note of the Administration’s agenda on trade and defense in terms of the balance of power in the region. One analyst suggests that Malaysia has become a “wobbly domino” while another suggests that we are pursuing a “balanced approach” towards China and the new realities in the region. Yet others...

Jeremy Lee, CEO, Ombudsman for Financial Services comes under the radar for his dispute-mediation role in Bank Negara's newly formed division that was formerly known as the Financial Meditation Bureau. The Ombudsman's independence, the financial industry's burden of responsibility, and consumer knowledge and rights are among the topics discussed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

In the wake of the recent Legislative Council elections and the even more recent refusal by elected members to 'play by the rule book' at the swearing in, we take a brief survey of a complex conversation the people of Special Administrative Region are having with themselves. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rita Benoy Bushon has been an illustrious, vocal advocator for the rights of minority shareholders during her 8-year tenure as CEO for the Minority Shareholders Watchdog Group. Given lingering governance issues and the dominance of GLCs in corporate Malaysia, the question of whether an appropriate successor can be found to fill the shoes of the outgoing CEO comes to the fore. See omnystudio.com/li...

In 2014, Khazanah introduced the 12-Point Malaysia Airlines Restructuring Plan. In it, Malaysia Airlines planned to shed over 6,000 jobs. The Corporate Development Centre (CDC) was created to help reskill and retrain those who exited MAS and help them better prepare for the job market. Listen to CDC's CEO, Shahryn Azmi explain the progress of the programme, and help us better understand the curren...

Known as the de facto capital of the European Union, the biggest political & economic decisions are decided in Brussels, Belgium. H.E. Daniel Dargent discusses the relevance of the EU post-Brexit, as well as how the country is tackling new challenges in immigration & terrorism. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.