The Breakfast Grille

Alliance Bank, Malaysia’s smallest by asset size, launched Accelr8 2027 in January last year, a 5-year business plan to expand beyond its SME stronghold. How far have they progressed in this transformation and will prevailing economic conditions complicate the process? We get updates from Kellee Kam, CEO of Alliance Bank.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coursera is arguably the best known platform for massive open online courses (MOOCs) with over 142 million registered users worldwide and a catalogue of close to 7000 courses. The company went public in 2021 in the wake of the Covid-19 boom in the education technology sector, but has since seen its share price more than halve below its IPO. With generative A.I. at the cusp of transforming business and higher education, how is Coursera positioning itself to capitalise on this trend? We discuss these themes with Jeff Maggioncalda, Global CEO of Coursera.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

H.E. Ailsa Terry, the UK High Commissioner to Malaysia, engages in a discussion including the nuanced impact of globalisation on British politics and foreign affairs. Additionally, she delves into the intricacies of economic ties and the evolving dynamics of post-Brexit trade relations with Malaysia. She also sheds light on collaborative efforts in education and climate change initiatives facilitated through the UK Pact.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eastspring Investments, the asset management arm of Prudential PLC has around USD216 billion of funds under management. We ask what their strategy of growth is in a very crowded market, all targeting the growing wealthy households in Asia.  CEO, Bill Maldonado tells us whilst weighing in on the investment outlook for the firm.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysian pharmaceutical Duopharma Biotech achieved their best financial performance to date in 2022, reaching record highs for revenue and profit. However 2023 was not as kind, with profit after tax falling by 25% despite top line growth. How are they looking to reverse course in 2024? We discuss strategy with Group Managing Director Leonard Ariff Abdul Shatar.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia spent RM80 billion on subsidies in 2023 which has led to increasing calls for rationalisation as there are unintended economic consequences . We ask Alex Clark, Head of International, APAC at The Behavioural Insights Team and Dr Amjad Rabi, Visiting Expert, Social Wellbeing Research Centre (SWRC), Universiti Malaya the intricacies in the implementation of targeted subsidies, what are the factors at play here and the best method to help those in need.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fertiliser manufacturing and distributing powerhouse Agromate has recorded over 3 billion ringgit in revenue, with around 20% of Malaysia’s market share. Philip See sits with CEO and owner Edward Tang to discuss the company’s growth, trends and possible plans for an IPOSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United Nations tagline for International Women’s Day 2024 is “Invest in Women, Accelerate Progress.” However with Malaysia’s female labour force participation among the lowest in the region and a widening gender wage gap, how much is the Madani government investing towards gender parity and equity policies? We discuss this with Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, Minister of Women, Family and Community Development.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There have been warning signs for several months that Malaysia may face a severe shortage of local white rice by at least April this year because of unpredictable weather and the escalating price of paddy seeds. Professor Dr Fatimah Arshad, Research Fellow, at the Institute of Agricultural and Food Policy Studies of Universiti Putra Malaysia helps us analyse the country's overall food security situation and what often appears to be reactionary response policies by Malaysian authorities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Milan-listed Leonardo SpA is the 12th largest defence contractor in the world. It has been in Malaysia since the early 2000s and in the past ten years, has also set up a helicopter training academy headquartered in Malaysia, the only one not located in one of its own domestic markets. Salvatore Ritrosi, Leonardo Malaysia's GM, shares the company's plans to be more involved in Malaysia's aerospace industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Children under the age of 18 make up 27% of Malaysia’s total population, accounting for over 9 million individuals, and every single one of them is protected under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Malaysia acceded to in 1995. Do our national policies live up to the obligations we subscribe to under the treaty? We assess this with the Chief Children's Commissioner, Dr. Farah Nini Dusuki and find out the priorities of her mandate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recent results, saw Paramount Corporation Bhd's revenue surpass RM1 Billion. What then is their target for 2024 and will property still remain the main focus of the company? Questions we pose to Jeffrey Chew, their Group CEO, whilst asking him why the share is relatively unloved when the valuations are undemanding.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CTOS Digital Berhad's FY2023 saw its revenue rise 34% y-o-y to 261 Million whilst net income rose 65% to 118 million ringgit. CEO Erick Hamburger Barraza, shares with us how much growth can investors expect, justification for its share price, and their recent acquisitions in Philippines and Indonesia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year marks 50 years since Australia became ASEAN's first dialogue partner and it will be celebrated with a special summit in Melbourne to expand that cooperation. Danielle Heinecke is Australia's new High Commissioner to Malaysia, beginning her tour of duty in December 2023. She sits down to share what she plans to do while in office from facilitating business linkages to easing people-to-people movement and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Phison Electronics is a global leader in chip designing and manufacturing, and 1 out of every 4 Solid-state drives in the world is Phison’s.Malaysian-born CEO Dato’ Pua Khein Seng joins us to share their diversification efforts, the impact of US-China tensions and plans to re-establish an integrated circuit (IC) design hub in Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Global outstanding sukuk is approximately 850 billion US dollars at end-2023 and is expected to reach tremendous growth as shariah compliant financial instruments become increasingly mainstream. Bashar Al Natoor, Global Head of Islamic Finance at Fitch Ratings shares with us what the sukuk pricing trend will be as we enter rate cut cycle, and how Malaysia can retain its edge in this market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 7th Bumiputera Economic Congress or BEC 2024 will begin on Thursday, the latest government attempt to revamp the long-running, and contentious, bumiputera economic empowerment agenda. Will the congress critically examine the discrepancy between aspiration and reality in the bumi agenda, and how might it chart new ground? We discuss with our panel of experts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The present war in Gaza is only the latest in a long history of violence in the occupied Palestinian Territories. What lessons does the past shed about the path forward towards resolving the long-standing crisis in the Middle East? We speak to Prof. Dr. Ian Lustick of the University of Pennsylvania on the geopolitical dynamics driving stakeholders in the region and the viability of the two-state solution. He is the author of Paradigm Lost: From Two-State Solution to One-State Reality that was published in 2019.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia's Hernan Corporation is in the durian business, marketing and distributing its products to Australia, the US, the EU, Hong Kong and of course China. Its founder and CEO is Datuk Anna Teo and she checks in with us on how the company has been balancing high demand for the king of fruits with the challenges coming from climate change and rising input costs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In FY2023, Bursa Malaysia reported a 2% rise in revenue to 616.49 million ringgit while net profit rose by 11% to 252.38 million ringgit. Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift, CEO, Bursa Malaysia shares with us the outlook for this year, its target of 42 IPOs for 2024 and recent volatility we observed in the market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 20 is designated Social Justice Equality Day by the United Nations. Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj, chairman of Parti Sosialis Malaysia assesses social justice in the world and in Malaysia. He also discusses the current political climate as well as PSM's ambitions to champion its ideologies going forward in an increasingly religiously and racially polarised country.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Indonesians have voted in a new president and the latest exit polls indicate a high chance that former defence minister Prabowo Subianto will lead the country for the next 5 years. The election was also the world’s largest single-day vote in the world’s third largest democracy with more than 200 million eligible voters. Datuk Hermono, Indonesia's ambassador to Malaysia talks to us about what Prabowo may bring to the table as well as outstanding bilateral issues with Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prof. Serena Nik-Zainal has won international acclaim for her work in genomic cancer research, winning several accolades including the Josef Steiner award in 2019 and the Francis Crick Medal and Lecture 2022. To mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science this month, we sit down with Prof. Serena to discuss her journey in genetic research and the progress in pursuit of gender equality in science academia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PwC global revenues rose to a record US$53.1 billion but are their Malaysian operations showing similar growth? We ask Soo Hoo Khoon Yean, their Managing Partner that question, as well as where are the key areas of expansion and challenges in talent recruitment and retention?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The global condom market is anticipating a strong growth trend in the coming years, projected to nearly double from US$8-9 billion in 2022 to US$19-23 billion by 2032. Goh Miah Kiat, CEO, Karex Bhd speaks to us on how the company will capture this rising demand, contribution of its other products and their R&D efforts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

February 13th every year is designated World Radio Day by UNESCO to mark the importance of the medium as a free, portable and vital way to communicate with the population in remote places. Datuk Suhaimi Sulaiman is the Director-General of Broadcasting Department, overseeing Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) and has been with TV3, Astro Awani and Bernama before that. He discusses the relevance of public radio in today's digital world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The business of consulting is extremely competitive with the Big 4 and investment banks in this space too. So how challenging is it for a relatively unknown name, Alvarez & Marsal which opened its new office in Malaysia in July 2022. Its head of Malaysia and Managing Director, Tan Tze Yann shares with us the services they provide here, and how they intend to differentiate themselves.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listed back in 1994, Bonia has grown its footprint to more than 555 outlets but is the challenge staying relevant to fickle consumers who have a plethora of choice. Dato' Sri Daniel Chiang, their Executive Director tells us what their growth strategy is and why investors should consider this overlooked stock.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn Bhd has launched 8 satellites since 1996. COO Yau Chyong Lim clues us in on Malaysia's satellite industry, and tells us how competitive is the industry as well as what their future launch plans are.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oloiya has been serving up bak kwa or grilled meat jerky since the 1970s. This family business is now being run by the third generation of the Khue family, brothers Raymond and Peter. Raymond Khue is the executive director handling the developmental aspects of the business and he shares with us the challenges in ensuring tradition stays up to date with the times.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After an information vacuum of a close to a week, Malaysians finally knew the decision of the Pardon's Board to reduce Datuk Seri Najib Razak's fine and jail sentence. We review the legal, global and economic ramifications of this with P. Gunasegaram, Author, “1MDB The Scandal That Brought Down A Government” and Goh Cia Yee, criminal lawyer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Digital media company Catcha Digital Bhd has been in rapid growth through various acquisitions. We ask CEO, Eric Tan how these will contribute positively to the group’s earnings and overall business in the future as well as their recently completed regularisation plan from exiting GN2 status.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre is well on its way to a convincing post-pandemic recovery, having already hosted more events that it did in 2019. Its general manager John Burke shares his experience in navigating the challenges from the past years as the Centre went from hosting musicals, concerts and events to becoming a Covid-19 mass vaccination venue, and what is expected moving forward.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Melbourne-based Swinburne University of Technology set up its first overseas branch in Sarawak back in 2000; but what makes this campus interesting is the fact that it is jointly owned by Swinburne University and the Sarawak state government. How do institutions like Swinburne Sarawak feature in the state’s long-term plans to provide free tertiary education to resident Sarawakians? We speak to Pro-Vice Chancellor and CEO of Swinburne Sarawak Prof. Lau Hieng Ho for more on the institution and the role of education in building a prosperous Sarawak.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As advertising turns increasingly digital, how are out-of-home (OOH) media players adapting to the changing landscape? Publicly listed Seni Jaya is in the midst of a three-year transformation plan that involves expanding its digital offerings and geographical reach. We speak to CEO Jeff Cheah about his turnaround strategy for the OOH media firm.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia launched its National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) to much fanfare in 2023, setting the goal of reaching 70% renewable energy  installed capacity by 2050. On the inaugural International Day of Clean Energy, we take stock of the implementation pathway and some of the pain points that need to be addressed in the process with our expert panel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Yayasan Peneraju Pendidikan Bumiputera is an agency under the Ministry of Economy, and plays a crucial role in continuously evaluating its education financing programs. This enables beneficiaries to swiftly secure well-paying jobs and double their income. Ibrahim Sani, the CEO of the association will discuss these strategic initiatives geared towards fostering the development of the nation's youth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Property players are pointing to a better property market this year on the back of stronger sales in 2023, but is this more hype than reality, especially in Johor? Amy Wong Siew Fong, Executive Director of Research & Consultancy, Knight Frank Malaysia and Sulaiman Akhmady Saheh, Director of Research & Strategic Planning, Rahim & Co join us on a panel to share their thoughts and tell us if there is still money to be made.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BASF Petronas Chemicals (BPC) has been in Malaysia for over 25 years. At its Integrated Verbund Site in Pahang, it produces products that are components in everyday goods used globally. Phillip See speaks with Marko Murtonen, Managing Director of BPC on the company’s experience in Malaysia and how it contributes to the country’s petrochemical value chain.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2024 will see the introduction of several new taxes like capital gains tax, luxury tax as well as the increase in the sales and service tax. We speak to Veerinderjeet Singh, a tax advisor, Vice Chair of the International Tax Commission, the International Chamber of Commerce and adjunct professor at University of Monash as to it's implementation and if its actually time for a holistic revenue of the entire taxation system.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To date, of the five licences for digital banks granted by Bank Negara, one has officially launched, while two others recently got the greenlight to start operating. That leaves two more, including the KAF Investment Bank-led consortium that comprises Carsome, Jirnexu and MoneyMatch. Thariq Ahmad is the Deputy CEO of KAF IB, breaks down where their digital bank is heading and if they can meet the BNM deadline to be up and running by the end of Q1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Human rights violations took on a new level in 2023 as the Russia-Ukraine war and the Sudan civil war spilling over from the previous year, while Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip following the Hamas attack on October 7th, made things worse. Tirana Hassan, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, talks about the challenges the New York-based NGO experienced in their work documenting human rights violations worldwide.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been close to 3 years since the restructuring of Malaysia Aviation Group. We ask Group Managing Director, Captain Izham Ismail on whether the group is on the road to sustainable profitability, what are the unresolved legacy issues and his succession plan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2023 was not the best year for Farm Fresh as margins took a hit, but is 2024 the year of recovery with lower input prices? Their Managing Director, Loi Tuan Ee shares with us whether the worst is over, why the RM100 million move into ice cream and if competition is going to be a challenge to their dominance as Malaysia's largest integrated dairy producer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ministry of Works (KKR) is commonly known as the overseer of roads and highways, but their mandate spans all public infrastructure development. We hear from Dato' Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi about the role that KKR plays in achieving Ekonomi Madani, and get status updates on the upgrading being carried out on the nation's major highways. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robert Walters is a prominent name in global recruitment that set up its Malaysian presence 17 years ago. What are the trends that could impact the Malaysian labour market in 2024? We speak to Ai Rene Tan, Country Manager for Malaysia at Robert Walters on the findings of their recent salary survey and how the company is navigating economic headwinds.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Veritas Technologies, a company involved in the enterprise data management business, may not be a familiar name but it has 91% of the Fortune 100 companies on its client roster. Country Director, Sandy Woo shares the importance of data security, how they support businesses in ensuring it is stored securely and how they differentiate themselves from big players like Amazon and Microsoft.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Organisational consulting firm, Korn Ferry has been in the business of talent for decades. Country Managing Director, Anthony Raja Devadoss shares with us his expectations of the job market, what sectors are hiring, why do companies engage their recruitment services despite the existence of digital platforms as well as what percentage increments employees should look out for.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our Bi-Annual Market Outlook, we see if it's time for Asean markets to rerate after a rather tepid performance in 2023. Christopher Leow, CEO and CIO of Principal Asset Management, Singapore and Anand Pathmakanthan, Head of Regional Equity Research, Maybank Investment Banking Group join our panel to answer that question whilst taking a deeper dive on the buys ideas for the region.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fahmi Fadzil now helms the Ministry of Communications, which has split from the Ministry of Communications & Digital. This means a new, more streamlined set of responsibilities while still being the official spokesperson for the Madani government, PKR's information chief as well as the communications director for Pakatan Harapan among others. He discusses issues ranging from Malaysia's 5G rollout to preparations for GE16.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.