The Breakfast Grille

Retail spending is back with a vengeance, at least for now. This is evident in the traffic jam in the mall car parks, packed eateries and the long queues at even the Louis Vuitton outlet. However, is this sustainable especially in the face of slowing GDP growth this year and higher inflationary pressures. Competition is also heating up with new malls such as 118 Mall and TRX Mall. We speak to Dato' Philip Ho, CEO of Pavilion REIT on the return of China tourists, competition, its future injection pipeline and are REITs still relevant as an asset class.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kimlun Corporation Berhad is a contractor which has a niche in private sector projects but has been winning sizeable jobs in Sarawak. The differentiating factor with other contractors is its precast division where it had close to 60% market share for MRT 2. Earnings delivery has been improving but the share performance over the past year has been flat. Will it be a big beneficiary of MRT 3 when it is rolled out? We speak to Sim Tian Liang, CEO of Kimlun for insights.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tragedy struck Türkiye early last week as a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southern and central Türkiye which has seen over 35,000 deaths so far. It is one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded in the Levant and the deadliest earthquake worldwide since the 2010 Haiti earthquake and was felt as far as Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Cyprus, and the Black Sea. Estimated to have caused over US$ 84 billion worth of damage, we speak to His Excellency Emir Salim Yüksel, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Malaysia to discuss the tragedy, how Malaysians can help and the future of Malaysia-Türkiye bilateral ties.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feeling sick but don't want to visit a Doctor physically or want to schedule an appointment but can't get through the busy lines? Doctor Anywhere is a tech-enabled, omni-channel healthcare service provider in Asia, on a mission to make healthcare simple, accessible, and efficient for everyone. Since its launch in 2017, it has grown exponentially to serve more than 1.5 million users across Southeast Asia. It was ranked #3 of 100 in the fastest-growing companies in Singapore. We speak to Lim Wai Mun, founder and CEO of Doctor Anywhere.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Switzerland-based Barry Callebaut is the world's biggest chocolate producer making supplying 1,000 tonnes of chocolate a day to companies like Nestlé, Hershey's, Leonidas and Neuhaus. But chocolate's raw material is cocoa which is mainly sourced from countries like Côte d'Ivoire and Mali - places not well-known for their human rights record. Robert Kotuszewski, Managing Director of Barry Callebaut in Malaysia talks to us about walking that balance between ensuring the confection they produce is ethical, sustainable and profitable.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Karex Bhd, the world's largest condom maker suffered 2 years of consecutive losses but the worst appears to be over. We speak to Goh Miah Kiat, CEO of Karex as to what will be driving growth, was diversifying into gloves a mistake and whether is it too late to buy the shares after the recent rally?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In conjunction with World Radio Day, the founder of this station, BFM 89.9, Malek Ali shares with us how radio will survive the age of disruption for traditional media, Malaysia’s media landscape with the changing of governments and the editorial independence of the station. And how does a station like this make money? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Noraishah Mydin Abdul Aziz gained public prominence when she was fielded as the Pakatan Harapan candidate for Putrajaya in GE15, representing the disabled community. But the neurobiologist has been long known in scientific and medical circles through her work with the Malaysian Neural Tube Defects support group. To mark International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February, we speak to Dr. Aishah on the challenges she's had to overcome sitting at the intersection of gender and disability in science, as well as her future prospects in politics.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Schaeffler Group started more than seven decades ago in Germany and is now a leading global automotive and industrial supplier. But the success of the industry hinges a great deal on the automotive market and the semiconductor industry. Both are expected to face more headwinds this year. Its presence in Malaysia dates back to 1995 where it caters more to the industrial division which supplies rolling bearing to many industries and it also has an office in Penang which caters to the semiconductor industry. We speak to Kelvin Chong, Country Manager of Malaysia for Schaeffler for insights.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As inflation pressure rises and economic activity slows, Malaysian banks will likely see weaker loans growth in 2023. Newly appointed CEO of Alliance Bank, Kellee Kam comes on the Breakfast Grille to share his strategies on how the bank plans to contend with the headwinds in the coming quarters.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

World Bank has forecast economic growth of 4% for Malaysia in 2023. Decent projections at first glance but what can be gleamed from their Economic Monitor Report? What are some of the policy recommendations that they have for this unity government to resolve our long standing economic issues? Dr Apurva Sanghi, World Bank’s lead economist for Malaysia answers those questions and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Boba craze might have died but Loob Holding, parent of Tea Live and Bask Bear Coffee has grown exponentially despite the pandemic. We ask their CEO and founder, Bryan Loo how was this achieved, maintaining brand relevance and is going public still on the cards?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trinidad Group began as a cigar distributor and retailer in 2002. Over the past two decades, the company expanded into hotel and F&B management as well as hospitality consulting. How are they positioning themselves amid the broad recovery in travel and tourism this year? We speak to Group President and CEO Dato’ Indera Naresh Mohan on their business strategy and expansion plans.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Analysts have described the Volvo Geely merger as one of the most successful in a decade. Volvo’s IPO in 2021 was seen as instrumental to help it realise its global goal of being fully electric by 2030. In Malaysia, Volvo Car Malaysia delivered a total of 3,194 vehicles last year, which represents a 43% increase from 2021. Two fully EVs have been launched which are the XC40 and C40 recharge and sales have been strong so far. We speak to Charles Frump, Managing Director of Volvo Car Malaysia for more insights.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prior to GE15, Khairy Jamaluddin boldly stated his ambitions to become the Prime Minister of Malaysia, before his unceremonious sacking from UMNO last week. Will he become a cautionary tale, akin to Icarus flying too close to the sun or is this merely a long opening gambit in the chess game of politics? We hear from Khairy Jamaluddin himself on what happened and his political prospects for the future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak to Dr. Rezal Khairi bin Ahmad CEO of NanoMalaysia Berhad on how this agency has been working towards energizing industries through the commercialization of nanotechnology as we reflect on the progress the past decade and understand their priorities particularly in the ESG space.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 providing the roadmap for education transformation, the quality of public education has suffered a decline due to various factors. What reforms are urgently needed to put public education back on track? We speak to Shahnaz Al-Sadat of LeapEd Services for reflections to mark International Day of Education.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The past two years have been cruel for the China Tech companies and while most of the spotlight was focused on Jack Ma and Ali Baba, there was another behemoth that for many epitomizes perhaps the best and worst of this industry. We speak to Lulu Yilun Chen, an editor at Bloomberg and author of Influence Empire which highlights the story of Tencent and China’s Tech ambitions.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We take time to reflect on the position and role of the Chinese in Malaysian society, business and politics with Ngan Teng Ye, President of The KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall which focuses on ensuring the voices within the Chinese community are heard while fighting for the benefits and rights of the community since 1923.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Semiconductor industry is worth USD 580 billion dollars and has become a key part of the trade war between China and the US. Can Malaysia benefit from this? Do we have the right policies in place? Questions we ask Dato' Seri Wong Siew Hai, President of Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association and John Neuffer, CEO & President of Semiconductor Industry Association.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After nearly three years of pandemic-impacted operations, the Oriental Group of Restaurants has finally returned to the black with revenues almost back to pre-MCO days. What fortunes will this Year of the Rabbit bring to this leader of Cantonese cuisine in the Klang Valley? Its founder and chairman Datuk Seri Philip Siew talks about the challenges the company had faced, the lessons learned and how to apply them going forward.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2022 Malaysia saw the launch of Malaysia’s new low-cost carrier, MYAirline. From 3 destinations in December last year, the carrier aims to expand its fleet size to 50 in five years. CEO, Rayner Teo shares with us their path to profitability and how they are differentiating themselves from the other low cost carriers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2022 was a disastrous year for many asset classes driven by an aggressive interest rate cycle by the Fed and also the Russia Ukraine war. Mark Mobius who is known as “the Godfather of Emerging Markets” will be looking into his crystal ball and giving his insights on many asset classes - stocks, bonds, cryptos, property and what is the right investment strategy to take. Prior to launching Mobius Capital Partners in 2018, Mark served as executive chairman of Franklin Templeton Investments’ emerging markets group.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After three years, China eased its zero-Covid policy and reopened its borders on the 8th of January. We speak to Dr. Sri Ganesh Michiel, National President, Malaysia Budget Hotels Association and Hannah Pearson, Founder of Pear Anderson on whether Malaysia could benefit from this and what can we do to differentiate ourselves from regional peers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Herbalife Nutrition sees further growth potential for its meal replacement products thanks to the growing waistlines of Malaysians with the latest National Health & Morbidity Survey showing that 50.1% are overweight and 19.7% facing obesity in 2019. Steven Chin, the Senior Director & General Manager for Herbalife Nutrition Malaysia & Singapore also talks about how the MLM company sees growth in the direct-selling business as many seek to supplement their income in the face of rising cost of livingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pengerang Energy Complex or (PEC) is developing one of the largest and most competitive Aromatics complexes in the world, to be strategically located within the Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex in Johor, Malaysia. Completion is only slated for 2026 where it aims to cater to the growing fuel-related commodities across the Asian market. It is forecasting an export turnover of US$5bn. But is this a realistic target with more competition on the horizon and if a recession in 2023 lasts longer than expected. We speak to its CEO, Alywn Boden for answers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Breakfast Grille, Phil speaks to Jonathon Dixon, Vice President and MD, APJC short for Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China, at Cloudflare, Inc. With 2022 seeing an unprecedented year of cyberattacks from governments to corporates to small businesses, we have a conversation with Jonathan about how Cloudflare's solutions are helping build resilience, with the advent of Zero Trust, and whether their fremium packages it currently offers is a sustainable business model.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

History, geopolitics, chip war and the semiconductor industry. In the current world we live in, power be it military, economic and geopolitics is built on the essence of computer chips. The US has maintained its lead as a superpower due to its domination in advanced computer chips but this is in danger of slipping now. In early October, the US also announced a ban on the sale of high-end semiconductor chips to China. What does all this mean for the worldwide semiconductor industry? We speak to Chris Miller, economic historian and author of the book Chips War - The fight for the world's most critical technology. The book has won the Financial Times Business Book of the year.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2022 started with such promise, the world was coming out of Covid hibernation and economies were reopening but that optimism proved short-lived. Most markets ended in negative territory but will 2023 prove to be a better year? Anand Pathmakanthan, Head of Regional Equity Research, Maybank Investment Banking Group and Patrick Chang, Chief Investment Officer for ASEAN Equities, Principal Asset Management give us their equity market outlook and which stocks will make money this year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DS Sigma Holdings Berhad is a packaging products provider, with an in-house manufacturing of corrugated paper packaging products including cartons, protective packaging and paper pallets. It is en-route for a listing on the Ace Market on 6 January 2023. Although the company has an established track record of 20 years, it operates in a competitive environment. We discuss its prospects with Lucille Teoh, its Managing Director and how its share price will do when it debuts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the conclusion of the general election, several critical issues of constitutional law came to the forefront. Constitutional expert Prof Shad Saleem Faruqi comes on the Breakfast Grille to discuss these issues and what kind of reforms are critical for Malaysia to move forward into the 21st century as a nation that prioritises democracy and the rule of law.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The age of digitalisation and technology that we’re experiencing has enormous potential to drive Malaysia’s economic future, but it also comes with the perils of cybersecurity threats, online disinformation and the risks of a digital divide entrenching inequity. We speak to YB Fahmi Fadzil, Minister of Communications and Digital, for his thoughts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the final show of the year, we revisit the more unusual interviews we've conducted on the Breakfast Grille, reflecting the unexpected and curious nature of the world. Today's retrospective features a Malaysian-born scientist making strides in space exploration at NASA; the peculiarities of the British egg industry; as well as a trip down memory lane for the Hong Kong entertainment landscape.Featured interviews include:> NASA Trailblazer From Muar To Mars> Is The British Egg Industry Close To Breaking Point?> Delivering 55 Years Of Cantonese Entertainment - Where Next?> WWD 2022: Keep Forests Intact, Preserve BiodiversitySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The political uncertainty that dogged the country for the past 2 years has been put to rest for the time being following the 15th General Elections that saw an unprecedented unity government being formed under the leadership of Dato' Sri Anwar Ibrahim. We look back at conversations with politicians and analysts on the twists and turns of Malaysia's political saga that held our attention hostage this year.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In spite of economies largely reopening in 2022, there were still many trials and tribulations for companies this year due to rising inflation, higher cost of borrowing due to the central banks raising interest rates and consumers generally tightening their belts. This had contrasting impacts on two sectors where banks generally benefited and the F&B sector did not.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite hopes that 2022 would see the global economy recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, the year threw a curveball with the outbreak of the Ukraine as well as the prolonged closure of China's borders, among others. We revisit discussions on how these events have impacted the Malaysian and global economy at different stages of the year.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been more than 1 year since the floods that affected eight states across the peninsula, and left 55 dead. The Disaster Risk Reduction Team from the Netherlands shares expertise with governments in order to find the best possible solution to tackle urgent water issues. Marco Hartman and his team recently submitted the final flood mitigation report to the Ministry of Environment and Water and shares with us the urgent steps needed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AC Ventures is a leading Southeast Asian venture capital firm investing in early-stage startups focused on Indonesia and ASEAN. We ask Ng Yi Chung, partner at AC Ventures Malaysia on the landscape of venture capital in Malaysia, and is tech still the darling?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lagenda Properties is a relatively newcomer in the property business, but it has morphed into a developer with a niche in affordable landed housing, catering to the B40 and M40 income households. Its flagship project is in Setiawan, Perak but it has ventured into other states in an attempt to replicate this success by launching products below RM250,000. Will lady luck still shine when it spreads its wings beyond Perak? We discuss this with Dato Jimmy Doh, Managing Director at Lagenda Properties.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the era of ultra low interest rates comes to an end and a global recession looms overhead, how are regional private equity players adapting to the challenging macroeconomic conditions? Dato’ Sri Nicholas Bloy, co-founder and Managing Partner of Navis Capital Partners discusses the outlook for private equity in the APAC region as well as their latest foray into private credit markets.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listed in 2015, Sedania Innovator Berhad focuses on project-managing and investing in sustainable energy projects as well as sustainable healthcare. Sedania’s CEO, Daniel Ruppert shares with us their latest quarterly earnings and their shift from telco during their IPO.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many organisations have realised the importance and benefits of sustainability which ultimately gives it a higher survival rate. Despite many positive trends, surveys point to a low percentage of firms changing their business models to take advantage of trends in sustainability. We speak to Peter McAteer, managing director of SustainLearning on how a company can ensure a smooth transition to become a more sustainable company and how important is talent and change management.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite multiple shocks to the global economy and supply chains in 2022, the world’s largest logistics player, DHL Group has thrived, with its express international shipping division, DHL Express, playing a key role in the Group’s overall resilience. But are the good times set to end in the coming year with a global recession looming amid continued geopolitical tensions? We discuss long and short term trends impacting the logistics industry with Global CEO John Pearson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kopi Kenangan is rebranding itself as Kenangan Coffee as it ventures outside its Indonesian home where it already has more than 800 outlets employing some 5,000 staff. It is also Southeast Asia’s first new F&B retail unicorn - all within a short space of 5 years. Its co-founder and CEO Edward Tirtanata sits down for a bit of coffee shop talk to explain what this grab & go coffee chain's plans are as it sets up shop in Malaysia first before venturing beyond.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While Perikatan Nasional lost the bid to form the government of the day, its influence to shape the political future of Malaysia is not to be underestimated. Wan Ahmad Fayshal, MP for Machang, and youth chief for Bersatu, one of the core parties of the coalition, tells us whether PN is a coalition for all Malaysians and what kind of opposition they intend to be.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ekuinas, the Government's private equity fund management company has a focus to promote Bumiputera economic participation. With total committed investment exceeding RM4.4 billion to date, we ask CEO, Syed Yasir Arafat on how the possibility of a global recession will affect the PE landscape and their performance in turn.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia has continued to slide down the rankings of Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index CPI), despite pledges to combat corruption by successive governments. On International Anti-Corruption Day, we discuss the institutional reforms that need to be prioritised to make commitments to clean government more than just aspirational rhetoric.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

YTL Communications was the first major telco to launch 5G services in Malaysia. But the rollout of 5G in Malaysia hasn't been smooth sailing. We ask CEO, Wing K. Lee, whether their stake in Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) will be worth the money, and when will we see a profit?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PGF Capital Berhad has been listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia since 1990 but has not seen the entry of any institutional investors. However, its share price has rallied by more than 130% YTD. Its core business is in design, manufacture and distribution of glass mineral wool insulation which provides indoor comfort through thermal and acoustic insulation. We speak to Fong Wern Sheng, Executive Chairman on what is driving the share price and their outlook for 2023.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From their retail stores at TTDI and Chow Kit in 1987, Bake With Yen now has over 90 outlets throughout Malaysia. And in 2017, private equity firm Creador acquired a stake in the group for US$13 million. We ask CEO, Alexandre Rosso whether the baking hobby during the pandemic was just a flash in the pan, and was its rapid expansion a piece of cake.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.