The Breakfast Grille

We speak to Florence Tan, SSCG Small Spacecraft Coordination Group Chair and Deputy Chief Technologist at NASA on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's science mission directorate on space exploration and how her early years at Muar keep her feet firmly planted on the ground. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Covid-19 pandemic, the conflict in Ukraine, and climate change impact are all contributing to the rising cost of food, which in turn has rocketed food security to the top of national concerns. How is the ASEAN region impacted by disruptions to the global food supply chain, and is there a way to future-proof ourselves against similar shocks moving forward? We discuss this with Dr. Paul Teng, Professor & Adjunct Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After two long years, international borders have finally reopened. But what is the pace of recovery for travel companies and has the nature of travel changed forever in a post covid world. We speak to Dato' Sri Koh Yock Heng. Co-Founder & Group Managing Director of Apple Vacations on their future plans after two years of almost zero revenue.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After two years of losses due the pandemic, has listed auto parts company, MCE Holdings, turned the corner? Or will the near headwinds of rising material costs, supply chain disruptions and the end of the Sales and Service Tax chip away at margins. Questions we pose to Dr Goh Kar Chun, Group Managing Director, MCE Holdings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Plus Solar Systems, the renewable energy company recently rebranded itself to be known as Plus Xnergy Holding as part of its pivot to restructure and optimize its business. Group CEO Ko Chuan Zhen takes the hot seat to talk about their restructuring, the recent JV with Yinson Holdings as well as future expansion plans.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Half a year after the economy's reopening after a lost two-year period due to Covid-19, Datuk William Ng, Chairman of Small and Medium Enterprises Association SAMENTA and Jeremy Lim, Vice President of Persatuan Pemilik Restoran dan Bistro, discuss the economic state of their respective members and what more needs to be done to repair the scar tissue.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite moves since 2020 to diversify its market- and client reach that's led to a return to profit amidst globally buoyant energy prices, oil services firm Icon Offshore Bhd continues to see little interest in its stock. Managing Director Datuk Seri Hadian Hashim addresses these company specific issues among other larger macro-economic and geopolitical reasons behind his company's and industry's performance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A whirlwind tour of Asia and the Pacific Islands is indicative of the shift in Australia's foreign policy after the election of the new labour government. But what is the key agenda and is the priority to counter China's growing dominance in the region. We speak to Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs to find out whilst delving into the role of strategic partnerships like the Quad.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Malcolm Davis, Senior Analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, offers an update on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and a wider reading of its implications on the Asia-Pacific region.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many Malaysians have a nostalgic attachment to A&W, which first set up a presence here in the 1960s. But with rapidly changing consumer tastes and global supply chain shocks affecting the F&B industry, how does A&W plan to stay relevant to the next generation and beyond? Philip See will be speaking to its global CEO Kevin Bazner about his growth strategy for the franchise in Malaysia and the region.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With inflation upon Malaysia and wallets still tight, the govt is spending on aid packages and other election-friendly goodies, all of which come at a cost -- explaining a growing drumbeat advocating a return of GST.Dr. Veerinderjeet Singh, the Immediate Past President of Malaysian Institute of Accountants & YB Ong Kian Ming, Former MITI Deputy Minister, discuss the pros, cons, permutations and possibilities, while also offering insights into Budget 2023 and the coming Fiscal Responsibility Act.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this month, the government decided to abolish the PT3 examinations in favour of school based assessments to determine students’ performance in their studies. But how will this sudden abolishment in the middle of the school year impact school operations? Are teachers ready to rejig their syllabus to accommodate school based assessments? In a special Breakfast Grille panel, we discuss this with former deputy education minister YB Teo Nie Ching and Conrad Fernandez of the education service provider, LeapEd.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Indonesian online travel start-up Traveloka has grown over the past decade into a USD$3 billion unicorn with presences across Southeast Asia and Australia. With the regional travel and tourism industry slow to pick up in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Traveloka has been biding its time by strengthening its evolution into a travel superapp. How does the Malaysian outfit fit into the broader growth picture for Traveloka? We sit down with Country Manager Angelica Chan to find out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before sustainability became the mainstay for cosmetic and toiletry brands, the Body Shop was already ahead of the pack with their focus on fair trade, women's issues and animal rights. However with the plethora of competition, can this edge be maintained. We speak to Qas Qayyum, Body Shop's Managing Director and Global head of franchise to discuss global trends and the importance of staying relevant.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With crypto bellwethers like Bitcoin and Ethereum falling below critical price levels amidst the entire industry facing a maelstrom of regulatory, reputational and sentiment-driven headwinds, there has never been a more existential reckoning for the fledgling cryptocurrency landscape. Hong Qi Yu, Founder and CEO of Tokenize Xchange, addresses key industry and company issues.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sandy Tan, CEO, Optimax Holdings walks us through how the vision care business has evolved over the past 20 years and how it has been able to leverage the pandemic to drive its expansion in Malaysia and beyond. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cathay Pacific Airways has been one of the worst impacted airlines during the Covid-19 pandemic due to China’s zero Covid policy. It started the year USD5.5 billion in the red and its fleet remained grounded for most of the first half amid the Omicron wave. With Hong Kong finally easing international travel restrictions in April, can Cathay’s recovery plan take off? We discuss the business prospects of the beleaguered airline as well as the outlook of Hong Kong as a regional hub with Roger Li, Country Manager for Malaysia and Brunei of Cathay Pacific.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the Look East Policy turns 40 years old, what should the new areas of focus be as the relationship between Malaysia and Japan matures especially in an era of heightened geopolitical tensions. H.E. Takahashi Katsuhiko, Japan Ambassador to Malaysia gives us his views and how we can also improve trade relations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a cost conscious environment, Rimini Street which has been listed on Nasdaq since 2017, has seen double digit growth due to its unique business model. However, is this sustainable and aren't software vendors aggressively finding ways to lock them out? We ask Seth Ravin, their CEO and Chairman those questions and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AirCarbon AirCarbon Exchange ("ACX") is a global exchange involving the voluntary carbon market by tokenizing carbon offsets into 3 fungible carbon asset classes. Managing Director and Co-Founder, William Pazos explains the mechanisms of carbon trading and it's leveraging on the green aspirations of countries and businesses for future growth.Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pre-pandemic, supply chains were invisible - but the disruptions over the past two years have put these mysterious networks into the spotlight. We discuss how supply chains have been impacted by the three Cs - Covid-19, conflict and climate change - as well as how businesses need to adapt to the challenges with Associate Professor Dr. Shardul Phadnis of the Asia School of Business. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Global logistics giant DHL is injecting some €690 million worth of investments into its Asia Pacific operations over a two year period, with Malaysia being one of the key beneficiaries in Southeast Asia. Why is DHL investing so much into the country and how does it feature in the company’s broader plans? We discuss logistics trends and strategic growth plans with Julian Neo, Managing Director for DHL Express Malaysia and Brunei.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anna Teo, Founder and Group CEO of Hernan Corporation shares how Malaysia's largest durian exporter has grown from strength to strength as it expands across the value chain and solidifies its presence in China. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cloud computing is a popular strategy these days amongst corporations as we see more adoption of public and private cloud services in favour of efficiency, security and innovation. Sandeep Bhargava, Managing Director of Asia Pacific and Japan at Nasdaq listed Rackspace Technology shares with us his vision, as the company embraces growing demand in multi cloud services, positive impact from the pandemic and increasingly competitive landscape.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beno Technologies in a Malaysian start up that manufactures the world’s first commercially available hubless e-bike and has sold it to over 70 countries. The bikes are built and manufactured in Bayan Lepas, Penang, but the company’s main market isn’t in Malaysia, they mainly sell to the US and Europe.In conjunction with World Bicycle Day, Philip See will ask Alec Lim the behind-the-scenes in the manufacturing of an e-bike, why isn’t Malaysia their main market, and also dissect the company’s financials.Image credit: reevobikes.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With supply chains unhinging all over the world thanks to a perfect storm of geopolitical, financial and climate-related factors, will industry-specific EP software offer a plausible solution? Vincent Tang, Asia Regional Vice President of supply chain software firm Epicor, discusses.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Penang-based electronic manufacturing solutions provider CNergenz raised RM58 million in its IPO on the ACE market this month. What is its growth strategy following this cash injection? We discuss CNergenz's smart factory ambitions and views on the prospects for the Malaysian semiconductor industry with CEO Lye Yhin Choy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Funding Societies as one of the leading peer to peer lender (P2P) in this region tries to solve the funding requirements of businesses by connecting them with investors who would lend capital through their online platforms, but, how did they fare during the pandemic and what is next since they did not advance further in the digital banking license application? Funding Societies Malaysia’s Co-Founder and CEO, Wong Kah Meng tells us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GSK will split into two new companies in 2022, they are GSK and Haleon. So what does this spin-off mean for Malaysia and the healthcare industry? Philip See speaks to Dr. Jonathan Pan, Vice President and GM of Malaysia and Brunei at GSK about their top-selling drugs, their role in the Covid-19 pandemic, and can Malaysia be a vaccine manufacturing hub? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Santharuban Thurai Sundaram, the CEO of halal beverage company Etika Group, discusses the choice of Malaysia as its ASEAN springboard and its premiumization strategy as global inflation rages.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Almost every industry uses industrial brushes for a variety of purposes and it is an often overlooked but crucial element in all businesses. Ang Poh Yee, Executive Director of Yew Lee Pacific Group, who is one of the key players in the manufacturing of industrial brushes in Malaysia and is also seeking a listing on the ACE Market of Bursa Securities, talks to us about their intention with IPO proceeds and expansion plans.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The pandemic sparked a surge in sales of kitchen appliances, coffee, garment and home care categories. We speak to Nicholas Lee, the Vice President & Market Leader of Asia Pacific for Philips Domestic Appliances on the impact of the sale of its business to Asian private equity group Hillhouse Capital, what is its e-commerce strategy and the change of consumer trends in Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Naysan Munusamy, the co-founder of transfers and remittances fintech MoneyMatch, discusses being in a winning consortium for one of Malaysia's five digital bank licence winners along with RinggitPlus, CarSome and KAF.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chosen as one of six researchers from around the world to receive this year’s Pew Marine Fellowship, Dr. Jillian Ooi, Seagrass Ecologist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Malaya is on the Breakfast Grille to share the key ecological roles of seagrass meadows. To mark International Day for Biological Diversity on the 22nd of May, we ask her about Malaysia's biodiversity, the education surrounding this issue and how difficult is it to secure funding for her research?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CUCKOO has made itself a household name when it comes to water purifier but they aspire for the brand to represent more than that. However, with CUCKOO Korea owning 86% stake in Cuckoo International (M) Sdn Bhd, how does the Malaysian operation plans to achieve that and is an IPO brewing under the radar? Hoe Kian Choon, CEO of Cuckoo International tells us all.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The pandemic has changed higher education permanently but have institutions been able to pivot? How does it manage to remain profitable yet offer world-class education? And are universities even relevant today? Questions we ask Datuk Parmjit Singh, CEO of Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michele Ferrario, CEO and Co-Founder of StashAway shares with us his strategies to navigate market volatility, how investors should react during this time and also on their plans for geographical expansion and AUM growth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia’s health white paper is due soon. Will it however be able to address the plethora of issues that existed even before the pandemic in a sustainable manner? Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh, President, Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) & Azrul Mohd Khalib, CEO, Galen Centre for Health & Social Policy give us their views on what the priorities should be. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unlike Singapore, Malaysia has taken a conservative approach to the cryptocurrency industry, in retrospect a wise approach given the past week's turmoil. David Low, Asia-Pacific General Manager of Luno, discusses Malaysia's regulatory approach as well as his own platform's future plans.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a sluggish property market, how challenging is it for a niche property company to grow fourfold? Datuk Seri Yap Ngan Choy, Executive Chairman and Group Managing Director of NCT Alliance Bhd which has that target, tells us whilst explaining the many related party transactions the company has done and why revitalizing abandoned projects can be very lucrative.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Concerns over independence of the judiciary have come to the forefront recently, with prominent lawyers calling for the Malaysian Bar to stage a march for justice. How serious is the threat against Malaysia’s judicial system? Karen Cheah, newly-minted President of the Malaysian Bar discusses these and other developments related to the legal profession.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The battle for FDI in Covid-ravaged Southeast Asia has never been fiercer, with Kuala Lumpur also grappling with additional political and policy headwinds. Muhammad Azmi Zulkifli, CEO of InvestKL, offers a situation report. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Europe Day is the the anniversary of the Schuman declaration that is the foundation of political cooperation that was supposed to make war between European countries unthinkable. But with the war in Ukraine, what is the EU's response? H.E. Michalis Rokas, Ambassador of the European Union to Malaysia answers that question and also a channel check on our bilateral trade relations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite comprising roughly half of Malaysia's labour population, women make up a small fraction of seats on corporate boards and as heads of publicly listed companies. Has progress in gender representation in the corporate world stalled or even regressed? We discuss the present scenario and efforts to increase women's participation at the highest levels with our panel of experts. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shamsul Bahar Mohd Nor, CEO of Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC) shares his perspective on its catalytic role for green economic growth by driving climate change mitigation actions and mainstreaming the green economy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After two years of pandemic restrictions, this year's Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations are highly anticipated by Malaysians nationwide. But are cost pressures and supply chain disruptions crimping retail spending during this festive season? Ahead of festivities next week, we catch up with Datuk Wira Dr Ameer Ali Mydin, Managing Director of Mydin on his outlook for the retail industry amid a turbulent economic environment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

South Africa is one of the leading economies on the African continent and seen as an influential middle-power in geopolitics. So its abstention on several UN General Assembly resolutions condemning the war in Ukraine is noteworthy. We ask H. E. Dave Malcomson, the South African High Commissioner to Malaysia on the country's position vis-a-vis Russia and Ukraine, as well as the opportunities to enhance bilateral relations with Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

RHL Ventures, the venture capitalist company that was founded by 3 young founders of illustrious families in 2016, have ambitious plans to triple its assets in 5 years. Its Managing Partner, Raja Hamzah Abidin, tells us how they plan to achieve this goal and also on how the pandemic has impacted deal flows. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we are aware, it has been almost two months since Russia invaded Ukraine and despite strong condemnation by a majority of countries around the world, President Vladimir Putin has shown no signs of relenting. While thousands of lives continue to be upended and the global economic situation drags on, we speak to Poland's ambassador to Malaysia, H.E. Krzysztof Dębnicki to get his thoughts on the war in Europe and Poland’s position regarding the conflict.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Local dairy producer Farm Fresh Berhad debuted on the Main Market in March 2022 to much investor enthusiasm. But will economic cost pressures deflate the high? We catch up with Managing Director Loi Tuan Ee on his ambitious regional expansion strategy, plans to fortify domestic production and distribution as well as how his company is dealing with the fallout of rising commodities prices. Image credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.