The Breakfast Grille

Malaysia's exports and foreign investment are growing strongly, but escalating US-China trade tensions, rising protectionism and the AI investment boom are reshaping the global economy. On The Breakfast Grille, we speak to Professor Dr Evelyn Devadason of Universiti Malaya and Dr Carmelo Ferlito, Economist and CEO of the Center for Market Education, about Malaysia's dependence on foreign markets,...

HSS Engineers is positioning itself for Malaysia's next infrastructure cycle, expanding beyond traditional engineering consultancy into project management, data centres, water infrastructure and overseas markets. Executive Director Sharifah Azlina discusses the group's growth strategy as well as what it will take to deliver greater value for shareholders. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

With the government targeting up to 5.2% GDP growth and narrowing the fiscal deficit to 3.3% of GDP, questions remain over how long-term fiscal consolidation can be sustained as government revenue isn’t keeping pace with the size of the economy and debt-servicing costs stay elevated. UOB Malaysia Senior Economist Julia Goh joins The Breakfast Grille to go beneath the headline numbers. She evaluate...

Budget 2027 delivers record spending, yet the MADANI government says that the fiscal deficit will fall to 3.3% of GDP next year, even though petroleum subsidies have ballooned to RM40 billion. As the government balances pre-election expectations against fiscal discipline, Tan Sri Johan Mahmood Merican, Secretary General of Treasury at the Ministry of Finance, joins The Breakfast Grille to unpack t...

As the MADANI government prepares to table Budget 2027, what are the key fiscal numbers and political signals you should be paying attention to? Former Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Dr. Ong Kian Ming and Dr. Tricia Yeoh of the Asian Institute for Policy and Engagement at the University of Nottingham Malaysia, join The Breakfast Grille to discuss. They explore whether this will a...

RT Pastry raised RM16.5 million from its ACE Market IPO to fuel expansion into new markets like Kuantan, but why did this profitable, formerly dividend-paying, cash-generative business tap the public capital market instead of using its own cash? Mike Tia, COO of RT Pastry, joins The Breakfast Grille to discuss. We dive into why RT Pastry chose Kuantan over Johor or Penang, declining same-store sal...

After 20 years of selling bus tickets online, Easybook is making a major move into government business, installing its own AI-powered cameras at terminals to catch off-the-books passengers and stop revenue leakages. William Lee, Founder and CEO of Easybook, joins The Breakfast Grille to unpack why the company is betting big on managing physical terminals and public infrastructure instead of just s...

The Bursa-listed Censof Holdings has spent decades building a strong government financial-management software business. Now, it is looking to broaden that franchise through cloud, AI, automation and a new partnership with Microsoft. Ameer Shaik Mydin, Censof's Group MD discusses the firm's evolution and what investors can expect from its next phase of growth. See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

Malaysia’s film industry is enjoying renewed momentum, with local productions attracting larger audiences and government incentives helping to bring international shoots to the country. But box-office success and foreign productions do not necessarily create a sustainable domestic industry. We speak to FINAS CEO Dato’ Azmir Saifuddin Mutalib about the effectiveness of public funding, developing lo...

Two days ago the US completed its withdrawal from Iraq, two decades after its invasion, in a move the American historian Paul W. Schoeder then called, “the fatal leap”. What will analysts be making of this American adventure in Iraq beyond the body count? And just as US President Donald Trump’s “war of choice” has put the Straits of Hormuz and the Bab El Mandeb on our lips, the Russian enclave of...

Nine years after Formula 1 last roared through Sepang, the pinnacle of motorsports makes a surprise return to Malaysia, not as the Malaysian Grand Prix, but as the Bahrain Grand Prix. Azhan Shafriman Hanif, CEO of the Sepang International Circuit, joins The Breakfast Grille to discuss what it could take to justify a RM300 million bill for a permanent slot on the F1 calendar. With ticket demand sur...

As Chinese automakers aggressively expand and compete abroad, legacy automotive distributors face unprecedented market disruption. Dato' Seri Francis Lee, Group CEO of Bermaz Auto Berhad, joins The Breakfast Grille to discuss why they prioritise niche, sustainable sales volumes over aggressive price wars. This comes as revenue has fallen from RM3.9 billion in FY2024 to RM2.3 billion in FY2026, whi...

In 2023, Pita Limjaroenrat, a Thai politician grabbed headlines when his party won the largest share of Parliamentary seats in the 2023 General Elections. With almost 4 million more votes than their nearest rivals, he and his party were seen as the face of a Thailand hungry for reform. Yet, he and his party were prevented from taking office in a series of legal manoeuvres that have come to define...

The haze pushed the air quality reading in Serian past 500, triggered an emergency and closed hundreds of schools, and Sarawak is still choking. So when do we get our blue skies back? With a Super El Niño set to peak between November and January, we ask what's coming next for our heat and water, and whether MetMalaysia's RM242 million upgrade will warn us in time. We speak to Ambun Dindang, Deputy...

Cocoa prices, changing consumer habits and increasingly complex supply chains are reshaping the business of snacking. Simon Crowther, Managing Director for Malaysia and Singapore at Mondelēz International, joins us to discuss the cost pressures facing chocolate makers, how the company is responding through its new RM90 million Crumb Tower in Shah Alam, and the challenges of sourcing commodities su...

As Jotun enters its second century, Malaysia is playing an increasingly important role in the Norwegian coatings maker’s Southeast Asian strategy. With local manufacturing and R&D capabilities already established, the company is looking to opportunities in data centres, infrastructure and more sustainable coatings while navigating volatile raw-material costs and intensifying competition. Can J...

With global mobile operators facing a $1.2 trillion capital expenditure cycle alongside flat revenue growth, GSMA Director General Vivek Badrinath joins The Breakfast Grille to examine the changing economics of mobile connectivity. Vivek addresses who actually captures economic value as telcos fund the digital infrastructure, why regulators should not maximise monetisation on spectrum pricing and...

Over 137 thousand personnel are part of the force, about 100 thousand less than teachers in our country. But one troubling feature of the force is what the study called the “persistent challenge of police misconduct within our criminal justice system”. In a new study titled “Restoring Public Trust: A Policy Analysis of Police Misconduct and Governance Frameworks in Penang and Selangor, Malaysia” r...

Cartrack tracks 2.8 million vehicles across 24 countries, listed on the Nasdaq through its parent Karooooo, and has been in Malaysia since 2014. But just over two million of those subscribers sit in South Africa — a business built on a crime rate and an insurance market that don't work the same way here. So what actually makes a Malaysian operator buy, and where does Malaysia rank in the region? W...

Maersk is transforming itself from a container shipping giant into an integrated logistics business, with Malaysia playing a growing role through new warehousing capacity and the Port of Tanjung Pelepas. But geopolitical conflict, disrupted shipping routes, volatile freight rates and pressure to decarbonise are challenging the assumptions that have shaped global trade for decades. How resilient is...

As we celebrate the country’s achievements since Independence but also reflect on its shortcomings. But how do we do so without resorting to the now threadbare vocabulary and conceptual frameworks that have guided us thus far. And where are new frameworks and ideas being generated to drive the next leg of development. What intellectual resources do we have to draw on and what kind of leaders do we...

A single English adventurer with an inherited ship and a handful of crew became sovereign ruler of Sarawak in 1841, launching a dynasty that governed the territory for over a century before handing it to Britain after World War II. Oil struck at Miri in 1909 became the empire's only find within British-controlled territory, while a Foochow rubber boom that same year turned a failed rice experiment...

Despite mattresses being an infrequent, high-durability purchase, how are heritage bedding brands navigating aggressive price competition and changing consumer habits across Southeast Asia? Justin Lim Tiong Kiong, Managing Director for Southeast Asia at Hilding Anders, joins The Breakfast Grille to discuss how the Swedish-headquartered group is driving growth behind legacy brands like Slumberland...

With record profits driven by strong CPO prices and surging industrial development returns, how is SD Guthrie balancing its legacy plantation core with the race for high-value land monetisation? Mohd Haris Mohd Arshad, President and Group Chief Executive Officer of SD Guthrie, joins The Breakfast Grille to discuss the strategic evolution of the 200-year-old palm oil giant. Haris outlines efforts t...

The demand for rules-based governance and the end of the arbitrary use of power is central to any functioning democracy. This has elevated the role of lawyers as a professional group in many democratic societies, as they emerged from feudal rule. The Malaysian Bar is no exception. Despite decades of authoritarian rule, our laws and legal institutions are being reformed to reflect democratic aspira...