The Breakfast Grille

Hexagon AB is a publicly listed global InfoTech company specializing in hardware and software digital reality that was founded in 1992 and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. With an annual revenue of 4.3 billion euros, it is a global leader in digital reality solutions, combining sensor, software and autonomous technologies. We speak to the Asian head of its leading metrology and manufacturing solution specialist arm Lim Boon Choon to discuss its presence in the region and how the industry has been shaping up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With international borders reopening and Covid-19 quarantine requirements mostly lifted, the travel and hospitality industry is seeing a return to normalcy after more than two years of near-zero revenue. Hilton International is now positioning itself to tap the increasing demand for hotel rooms across the Asia Pacific. Its Vice President & Regional Head for Southeast Asia, Alexandra Murray, talks about the challenges that lie ahead along with the rewards that are ripe for the taking.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Industrial REITs have outperformed in the last few years on the back of the e-commerce and logistic boom. However in the era of rising interest rates, what does this mean for REITs? Chan Wai Leo, CEO of AME REIT tells us whilst telling us about their asset injection pipeline and their plans for asset enhancement.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The inclusion of Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia under one national banner has created a rich tapestry of cultural heritage, including generational knowledge in producing crafts and handiworks. Can more be done to promote the economic potential of craftwork and cottage industries to elevate the livelihoods of indigenous and rural communities in the country? For reflections on this issue from an East Malaysian perspective, we speak to Jaqueline Fong, Founder of Tanoti Crafts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tyson Foods is a 90 year old US company that's one of the world's largest frozen food producers, listed on the NYSE. It's been in Malaysia since 1987 but only in the last 4 years it seems to be making its presence known here with acquisitions to expand its operations.Keith takes them out of the freezer, and put them on the grille to find out why it has taken them 3 decades to make their mark here. Also, what does it look like for them going forward .. you know with the higher chicken prices, will it ruffle their feathers?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore is an island that is just 57km wide and 27km long with a population of just over 5.9 million people. However this has not held it back from having ambitions to attract up to 6 million tourists this year and become the destination of choice in ASEAN. Keith Tan, CEO of Singapore Tourism Board tells us what their plans for growth are and how they are overcoming the headwinds of manpower shortages and intense competition.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Samling Group is a Malaysian conglomerate with diverse business interests from automobiles, to palm oil and most prominently, timber. It was once listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2007 and then taken private in 2012. As one of the largest end-to-end timber companies in Malaysia, Samling is often embroiled in allegations of illegal logging and deforestation. We ask CEO, Lawrence Chia, the contentious issues the group is involved in, and can the company do better for the environment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How will the upcoming 15th General Election be fought? Will the same old faces be fielded again? Issues of racial and religious divisions in Malaysia are slowly morphing into one that is split along class lines - between the haves and the have-nots. And this time, the younger generation will be included in the decision making process, adding another dimension to the battlefield. Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Vice-president of KEADILAN and author of Malaysian Son, his latest book, shares his insights as a young 40 year-old, having contested in three elections to date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why do some countries remain poor, despite continuous policy efforts over decades to chart an economic path out of poverty? Development expert Stefan Dercon argues that it comes down to an implicit or explicit bargain among the elites to prioritize national progress. We speak to him about this theory put forth in his book, "Gambling on Development: Why Some Countries Win and Others Lose."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The push towards digitalisation, declining mail volumes and the rise of more nimble delivery competitors have affected the core business of postal service organisations. The more resilient postal services adapt to the changing times before becoming obsolete - can POS Malaysia join the ranks of the survivors? We catch up with CEO Charles Brewer to discuss his report card after one year of taking the helm of Malaysia's iconic company.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roche is a global leader in cancer treatments and one of the world's largest biotech companies with more than a century of history. Having established a presence in Malaysia since the 70s, the company has been expanding its footprint here in pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and other related products. Its Malaysian general manager Deepti Saraf comes on the Breakfast Grille to share some thoughts on Roche Malaysia's expansion plans, the healthcare industry in Malaysia and her outlook.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia is the biggest producer of rubber gloves in the world but will China overtake us soon? Dr Supramaniam Shanmugam, President of MARGMA tells us if that is possible and what needs to be done to avoid us losing that crown whilst telling us if the boom and bust cycle for gloves means that the industry is ripe for consolidation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Qmed Asia is a homegrown healthcare tech start-up founded in 2018 by doctors who simply hated the long unproductive queues at hospitals. So, they developed an online appointment booking system for healthcare providers and they now have their sights set on going beyond Malaysia's shores. Its co-founder and CEO Dr Kev Lim talks about the journey, the challenges and the dream of Qmed Asia becoming a publicly listed company some time soon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Having survived through the pandemic, many construction players are now faced with a new set of challenges like rising material cost and labour shortages. Philip catches up with Datuk Dr Lim Jee Gin, group managing director of construction company Nestcon on the Breakfast Grille to discuss how the company plans to navigate rising material costs, labour shortages and returning profit to shareholders.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we celebrate 65 years of independence from the British, what economic shape is Malaysia in? What are the structural reforms that are needed to ensure the success of Malaysia Inc and also all Malaysians. Tan Sri Andrew Sheng, a former central banker and financial regulator in Asia, frequent commentator on global finance who is also a distinguished fellow at the Institute of Capital Market Research reflects on these questions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia plans to increase the share of renewable energy (RE) in its installed capacity to 31% in 2025 and 40% in 2035. But is there still money to be made in this very competitive field especially with rising solar panels and a plethora of players? Chow Pui Hee, Group Managing Director at Samaiden Group Bhd , a listed RE player tells us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Classic Scenic Berhad makes wooden picture frames and is listed on Bursa Malaysia's Main Board. It is one of the biggest frame makers in the world and has been steadily paying out dividends since its listing in 2004 - even through the pandemic. Its Executive Director, Eric Vo, paints us a picture of the business and what Classic Scenic can look forward to.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over four billion people around the world live in cities and the number is growing by 1.5 million each week. As urban growth rockets through the region, a holistic approach towards developing our cities is important to ensure inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable communities. We speak to a panel of experts to discuss this from a global perspective and what Malaysia can learn from. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday, the five-person apex court bench chaired by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun unanimously dismissed former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's appeal to quash his conviction over seven criminal charges as well as the sentencing. We speak to P. Gunasegaram, Author of 1MDB The Scandal That Brought Down A Government and Goh Cia Yee, Criminal Lawyer on this verdict and the court process.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bursa Malaysia wears the dual hat of market regulator and listed exchange company. However, average daily values have been on a declining trend. We ask its CEO Datuk Umar Swift how we can revive interest whilst discussing its latest initiatives in ESG including voluntary carbon trading.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Technogym is a maker of premium high-end gym equipment that has been supplying the hospitality, corporate, business and home segments since it was founded in Cesena, Italy, in 1983. Today it is worth over US$2.4 billion and is present in over a hundred countries. It wants to expand its footprint in Malaysia and the region. We talk to James Lyne, Executive Director at Technogym Malaysia, to find out what its strategies are here in these economically challenging times.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

World Vision Malaysia is a child-focused organization set up in 1997 to support community development and humanitarian programs. We ask CEO, Terry Leong how is World Vision Malaysia bringing the local communities out of poverty and into self-sustainability. And how is the organization utilizing its funds and the ease of collaborating with local stakeholders?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More people turned to books during the pandemic but was this reflected in revenues. Not likely if operations was just focused on fairs and bookshops. So we speak to Andrew Yap, Co-Founder & Managing Director of BookXcess as to how they made the switch to online sales and are they back in the black with all 19 stores opened.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The most intensive oil and gas activity in Malaysia is presently carried out in Johor, where major oil storage, trading, bunkering, warehousing and manufacturing projects are located. Acting CEO of Johor Petroleum Development Corp, Izhar Ismail tells us how they plan to turn Johor into a regional Oil and Gas hub.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Developing apps is becoming increasingly a necessity in an increasingly connected world. This is how businesses today reach their customers and this tool is even more crucial after various Covid-19 lockdowns forced us to stay home and go online. OutSystems is a US-based company that provides tools for businesses to develop apps. Its Asia Pacific Vice President Mark Weaser tells us about how much potential he sees in this space in the region and in Malaysia, in particular.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Climate Governance Initiative works with boards around the world to accelerate the net zero transition and has established a global network of national and regional Chapters in 53 countries worldwide. As the IPCC report released last year emphasized the need for global emissions to be halved by 2030 to ensure average temperature rise does not exceed 1.5 degrees by 2050, we ask Karina Litvack, Chairman of the Climate Governance Initiative how difficult is it to make climate a boardroom priority and the backlash against ESG.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For over a century, Ford Motors has been one of America's top car companies delivering its trucks and SUVs to the hands of consumers globally. But as the supply chain issue continues to worsen and inflation concerns rise, will the carmaker be able to remain profitable and grow in a region not so familiar with the brand name? Philip See speaks to Ford's ASEAN president to understand the challenges she faces in a post-Covid era for the auto industry as well as Ford's EV strategies for the region.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

United Nations Development Programme works in around 170 countries and territories and aims to achieve 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, some of the goals are to eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities and exclusion. Kanni Wignaraja, Assistant Secretary-General, and Director of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, at the UNDP tells us the challenges it faces and gives us the behind the scenes of how conversations take place with governments.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia briefly saw a federal government that included DAP for the first time ever after the Pakatan Harapan coalition won the 14th General Election in May 2018. Yeo Bee Yin was put in charge of the newly created Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, the Environment and Climate Change, which she oversaw using her engineering training for 20 months until, the Sheraton Move, led by Azmin Ali, upended all plans. The Bakri MP talks to us about her new book, The (Un)Finished Business, her future plans and hopes for Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TVB is a name synonymous with the golden age of Hong Kong entertainment, cult classic TV series and Cantopop at its best. After 55 years, where is it headed as demand for Cantonese language content appears to ebb? Desmond Chan, the General Manager of TVB International, tells about the challenges in finding talent, producing content while ensuring profits and maybe even discovering the next Chow Yun-fat in Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listed on the Singapore Exchange, Sim Leisure Group designs and builds theme parks all over the world. The group currently owns ESCAPE parks and recently acquired loss-making Kidzania KL from Khazanah and Boustead. Founder and executive chairman, Sim Choo Kheng shares with us how the leisure industry is doing now, the business of designing fun and why is he advocating against roller coastersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Philip See asks Professor Steve Keen, an Australian economist and Author of The New Economics: A Manifesto about creating alternative and realistic economics for a world that is trying to recover from the effects of the pandemic. He also asked him whether raising rates is still effective in tamping down inflation and why the study of economics need a major reformation to intertwine with energy, environment and social media.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Covid-19 pandemic boosted demand for quick diagnostic testing to unprecedented levels, bringing into focus the crucial role of pathology players in the healthcare ecosystem. What trends in healthcare and medicine are driving the regional growth potential of the pathology industry? We find out from Dr Christopher Ting, CEO of Pathology Asia Group, which runs a network of pathology labs across Southeast Asia, including Innoquest Pathology in Malaysia (formerly known as Gribbles Pathology).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Logistic companies are facing the perfect storm of challenges of global supply chain shortages, soaring commodity prices, and border closures. We speak to Venkateswaran Lakshmanan, Sub-Regional Managing Director of Southeast Asia at Geodis if the worst is over and what are their growth prospect in this region.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After hitting a revenue of RM1 billion, SNS Network Technology Bhd, is heading for a listing on the ACE market but what is the next catalyst for growth? Is the market saturated and with cost pressures, will we see margin compression? Co-founder and managing director, Ko Yun Hung comes on the Breakfast Grille to answers these questions and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cloud storage and analytics services provider Snowflake had one of the most impressive debuts on NYSE in 2020, with its share price reaching a high of USD401 in November last year. However the stock has tumbled sharply amid investor concerns over the prospects of tech players in a challenging global economy. What bearing do global market signals have for Snowflake’s expansion in the Asia-Pacific region, especially in ASEAN? We speak to Sanjay Deshmukh, Snowflake's Senior Regional Vice President for ASEAN and India to find out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been a month since the 25th anniversary of the 1997 Asian financial crisis which wreaked havoc in much of East Asia and Southeast Asia.  What were the fundamental impact of the crisis to the region's economic policies and what lessons can we take away from it as concerns of another economic crisis draws near? Russell Napier, author and cofounder of the think tank ERIC explains.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the cost of goods continue to rise on the back of supply chain issues and inflation, how does a multinational fast moving consumer goods company like Dutch Lady manage costs while ensuring profitability without pushing customers away?Ramjeet Kaur Virik, its newly minted managing director for Malaysia talks to us about her strategies moving forward and whether you'll have to pay extra for your favourite milk in the coming months. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With a national debt of above RM 1 trillion and ever ballooning subsidy bill, Malaysia is in a tight fiscal position. We speak to Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican, Deputy Secretary General for Policy of the Treasury at the Ministry of Finance to find out what the priorities of this government are that strikes the right balance between pro-growth policies whilst ensuring fiscal consolidation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rising feedstock and energy cost has impacted the UK egg industry with many farmers on the verge of shutting down. What are the solutions to ensure that one of the cheapest sources of protein is available for all? Mark Williams, CEO and Secretary from British Egg Industry Council, share his thoughts whilst reminding us that there are many similarities with the Malaysian egg industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fandbee began life as Lee's Frozen Foods in 1972 at a small retail shop in Kampung Attap, KL. Today, 60 years and 3 generations later, it continues the business in Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam. Fandbee's Managing Director, Gareth Tan, shares how the company managed to weather at least 4 global recessions, the Asian Financial Crisis and pandemics.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore-based company Kaer is pioneering Cooling as a Service (CaaS) to the ASEAN market and recently announced a 15-year contract with The Exchange TRX for RM150 million. We speak to Kaer CEO Justin Taylor on the business proposition of CaaS and how it plans to leverage on the global push towards decarbonisation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UMediC Group Berhad is involved in the distribution of various branded medical devices and medical consumables and also in developing, manufacturing, and marketing of its medical consumables. The group will be listed on the ACE Market on 26th July 2022 and targets to raise around 31 million ringgit. CEO of the group, Lim Taw Seong shares with us the outlook and demand for healthcare products and the group's expansion plans.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Venture Capital is common as a source of funding for start up's but its usually equity rather than debt. We speak to Dato' Wan Kamaruzaman Wan Ahmad, Chairman of Iris Capital Partners as to the advantages and disadvantages of using debt whilst delving into what sectors they are focusing in. We also ask about his views on the Malaysian economy and why our capital markets are so anemic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unique Fire Holdings, a family-run business, has been in the fire protection system business since 1975. It is now set to list on Bursa Malaysia's ACE Market on August 5th to raise RM21.8 million to set it on its next growth path. Its Executive Director, Ryan Liew, talks about UFH's journey navigating the challenges of the business amid rising costs and slowing demand, while remaining confident that this industry remains hot.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange, Silverlake Axis provides software solutions and services to the Banking, Insurance, Retail, and government.Andrew Tan, the group managing director of Silverlake Axis shares with us the financial performance and the impact of the 5 new digital banking license in Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest unemployment figure for Malaysian youth aged 15 - 24 years old stood at 12.5%, far higher than the national unemployment rate of 3.9%. Are we doing enough to ensure that youths are equipped with skills and opportunities to navigate a changing economic landscape? We discuss trends in youth employment with our panel on World Youth Skills Day.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After 25 years of the MSC Malaysia programme to attract digital and technology investment, the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) is revamping the flagship scheme into Malaysia Digital and introducing new catalytic initiatives to bring in new investors. We sit down with MDEC CEO Mahadhir Aziz to discuss these plans and whether Malaysia can rival regional peers in attracting foreign investment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founded in 1988, Dilmah Tea has grown from a household name in Sri Lanka to an international icon of Ceylonese tea available in over 100 countries. But now as Sri Lanka's economy crashes and global supply chains issues continue to plague the world, how will Dilmah continue its operations?And what role can it play in rebuilding Sri Lanka's economy moving forward? We speak to CEO Dilhan Fernando to get his thoughts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As part of our bi-annual series on where equity markets are heading, we speak to Anand Pathmakanthan, Head of Regional Equity Research, Maybank Investment Banking Group and Patrick Chang, Chief Investment Officer for ASEAN Equities, Principal Asset Management. We ask if China is ironically the safe haven markets and are there still gems to be found on Bursa Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.