The Breakfast Grille

Jing Tan, the Regional General Manager of International SOS talks to us about how this health and security firm is evolving throughout the pandemic, including how they are harnessing technology to develop dynamic advisory services to clients amid rapid environmental and geopolitical shifts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Social Security Organization (SOCSO), also known as PERKESO, has seen its role expand as the government rolled out various initiatives to help workers and companies impacted by Covid 19. How has this government agency adapted and should we consider widening the social safety net especially since the nature of work has changed. Its CEO, Dato' Sri Dr. Mohammed Azman tells us whilst also divulging how SOCSO manages its finances and investments. Image credit: SOCSOSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transboundary waters fuel agriculture and support thousands of local communities, but can also be a point of conflict between the countries that share them. But what are the factors influencing these conflicts? It's important to understand this, seeing as we have a transboundary water conflict in our own backyard: the Mekong River Basin. We speak to Dr Naho Mirumachi, Associate Professor in Environmental Politics at King's College London, and co-author of 'Water Conflicts: Analysis for Transformation', to find out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Having survived the onslaught of smaller, faster startups and the ravages of Covid-19, Malaysian logistics and delivery company GDEX Bhd has announced a series of expansion plans in hopes of at least repeating the 21.6% in CAGR it achieved since the turn of the millennium. Chief Executive Officer of GDex Bhd, Teong Teck Lean discusses. Image credit: Shutterstock.com and GDEXSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to the Mckinsey Global Energy Perspective 2021 report, it's estimated that more than 50% of global power generation will come from renewable sources by 2035. We speak to Ko Chuan Zhen, CEO of Plus Solar, about the path to tapping into more solar power in Malaysia, charging up the local Renewable Energy industry, and making money along the way. Image credit: Plus SolarSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As oil majors around the world attempt to plan for the future and diversify away from oil, PETRONAS says that the establishment of their New Energy division "places them in prime position to pursue domestic and international renewables market share to power the world with cleaner energy." What are New Energy's mandate and timeline, and how will they get there? We speak to Dr Jay Mariyappan to find out. Image credit: PETRONASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the threat of the 4th wave of Covid-19 looming over a slow vaccine roll-out, can the Japanese economy stay in its recovery trajectory? How have Malaysia-Japan bilateral relations been impacted by the pandemic? We discuss these questions and more with H.E. Oka Hiroshi, Ambassador of Japan to Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the multiple stimulus packages rolled out to create jobs and revive the economy, questions arise as to how it should be paid for. Is the solution perhaps not new taxes but a reform of the taxation system? Dr. Veerinderjeet Singh, Chairman of Tricor Malaysia and Carmelo Ferlito, CEO of Center for Market Education (CME) weigh in with their suggestions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia is no stranger to the complexities and the perils of “dirty money”, but we are far from the only country implicated in what investigations reporter and author Tom Burgis calls a "global kleptocracy." In his latest book, Burgis highlights the interconnectivity of global corruption and what it means for economies and democracies around the world. Image credit: graja / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman has gone from obscure royalty to the crown Prince of this oil rich nation. Bradley Hope tells us why he chose to write the book Blood and Oil to trace the journey of this mysterious Saudi Arabian Prince and what changes he will bring to this kingdom.. Bradley also gives us his views on the recent 1MDB news and what is the real travesty of this scandal. Image Credit: Bradley Hope & Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The relationship between Vietnam and Malaysia dates back to at least the 15th century. But how has the relationship grown into the modern world and what does the future bring for both nations? We speak to H.E Dr. Tran Viet Thai, the Ambassador of Vietnam to Malaysia, about our bilateral relationship, ASEAN’s future, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Servier is the second largest pharmaceutical group in France and the 31st largest in the world treating over 100 million patients worldwide. But where does Malaysia fit in and what prospects do we offer the company? Roshan Kanesan speaks to Servier Malaysia's General Manager, Kshitij Panse, about their Malaysian presence, their growth in oncology, rationale for not having Asian production facilities, and doing business in Malaysia. Image credit: Shutterstock & Servier MalaysiaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACE-listed DPI Holdings, an aerosol and spray paints manufacturer is expected to report historical record sales this year. It has been a beneficiary of the US-China trade tensions. Adam Chai, Deputy MD of DPI Holdings discusses what is driving up sales, his broader strategy of growing through JVs and acquisitions and navigating obstacles, and lessons learnt from his father who founded DPI. Image Credit: DPI HoldingsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Demonstrations in Hong Kong. Protests in Bangkok. An insurgency in Washington, DC. What do they all have in common? Anger. While economists tell us that the human race has never had it better, on the ground it feels like people are only getting progressively more stressed, anxious, and angry. Why? Angrynomics proposes that the root cause of all this increased populism and polarization comes down to wealth and income inequality. Anger that has boiled over with nowhere else to go. So at what point does economics becomes angrynomics? And more importantly, how do we fix it? Roshan Kanesan speak to Angrynomics co-author Mark Blyth to find out. Mark Blyth is the co-author of Angrynomics. He's also a Professor of International Economics and Director of the Rhodes Center for International Economics and Finance, Brown University. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard Teo, Managing Director of Teladan Setia, a Melaka-based property developer discusses why Teladan opted to list on ACE instead of the Mainboard, economic prospects in Melaka and the rationale for expanding to Kuala Lumpur. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com & Teladan SetiaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The E-wallet space is extremely competitive and crowded with as many as 40 players in Malaysia despite the high penetration rate. But with the high acquisition cost, who will be left standing? We speak to Effendy Shahul Hamid, Group CEO of Touch 'n Go Group on how he intends to maintain their share of the market and is the company, Malaysia's first unicorn? Image Credit: Touch 'n Go GroupSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It goes without saying that Covid-19 is one of the biggest health disasters in recent memory. Malaysia alone has seen over 350,000 cases since January 2020. But who is leading the charge against this invisible enemy? For a World Health Day special, we speak to Dr Lo Ying-Ru, WHO Representative to Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore about the challenges of coordinating an international response to the pandemic. Image Credit: WHOSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak to Loi Tuan Ee, managing director and founder of Holstein Milk Company, Malaysia's largest dairy producer, about his future expansion plans, the current challenges operating a dairy farm in a tropical climate and how they embed sustainability in their day to day operations. Image credit: Holstein Milk CompanySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak to Loi Tuan Ee, managing director and founder of Holstein Milk Company, Malaysia's largest dairy producer, about his future expansion plans, the current challenges operating a dairy farm in a tropical climate and how they embed sustainability in their day to day operations. Image credit: Holstein Milk CompanySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak to Loi Tuan Ee, managing director and CEO of Holstein Milk Company, Malaysia's largest dairy producer, about his future expansion plans, the current challenges operating a dairy farm in a tropical climate and how they embed sustainability in their day to day operations. Image credit: Holstein Milk CompanySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zuellig Pharma is the largest vaccine distributor in Malaysia and Asia. With Malaysia ramping up the vaccine rollout, what role does Zuellig play, and are private-public partnerships the solution to achieving herd immunity? We speak to Louis-Georges Lassonnery, Chief Executive of Zuellig Pharma Malaysia and Brunei to find out whilst diving into the the business model. Image Credit: Zuellig PharmaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Investment products, digital banking, growth in Asia, and key partnerships. Roshan Kanesan speaks to Venkatesh Saha, Head of APAC Expansion at London based fintech Wise, about all this and more. Wise is one of Europe’s most valuable unicorns, worth around $5 billion dollars as at July 2020. Formerly known as TransferWise, the company started with 2 people swapping money to pay mortgages and moved on to helping move billions of dollars across the world. 10 years since starting, the company has changed its name to signal to the world its ambitions to be more than just a cross-border payments solution. Image credit: Shutterstock.com and WiseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is Snowflake worth 80 times annual sales? Data is the new oil, but can Saas player Snowflake compete with Microsoft, Amazon, and Google? Roshan Kanesan discusses this with Geoff Soon, South Asia Managing Director of Snowflake. They also get into Snowflake role and value proposition in the cloud ecosystem, their presence in the region, managing the relationships with the Trillion Dollar tech Club, as well as Snowflake's aspirations to be the Switzerland of data. Snowflake is currently worth around $60 billion and became the biggest software IPO when it went public last year, raising $ 3.4 billion. Shares opened at $245/share after pricing its IPO at $120/share. It’s investors included Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, which invested in its first IPO since Ford Motor Company in 1956. Photo Credit: SnowflakeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Emergence of Serba Dinamik's Dato Abdul Karim as controlling owner in the concrete producer has lit a spark in its earnings as its business takes on an international profile. MD & CEO of Sarawak Consolidated Industries Berhad Rosland Othman comments on the Breakfast Grille with Khoo Hsu Chuang.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is Funding Societies Malaysia's value proposition to retail investors? Roshan Kanesan explores this as well as Funding Societies' future plans, potential bank and fintech partnerships, the pathway to IPO, profitability, and more. Photo Credit: Funding Societies MalaysiaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Covid may have decimated global business but there's always demand for sophisticated software that weeds out digital crime. Dev Dhiman, Asia Pacific Managing Director of AIMS, UK-listed GBG Plc, discusses with Khoo Hsu Chuang on the Breakfast Grille. Photo courtesy of GBG.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bespoke luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd saw production slump in 2020 due to a disrupted global supply chain though sales and prices have stayed resilient, according to its Regional Director of APAC, Paul Harris.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lyn Mak speaks with Junior Cho, CEO of Zurich General Insurance Malaysia, on how Covid-19 has affected the insurance business, how Zurich has responded to the crisis, and how it is rethinking its business. Image Credit (background): Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stashaway hit an AUM of $1 billion much faster than US-based roboadvisor pioneers Wealthfront and Betterment. While impressive, this won't mean much if it can't turn a profit. Roshan Kanesan speaks to Stashaway CEO and Co-Founder Michele Ferrario to discuss the path to profitability, whether they can mirror Betterment and Wealthfront growth rates (which now have around $21 billion in AUM), IPO plans, possible partnerships, what competitors keep Michele up at night, and more. Background Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com Michele Photo Credit: StasahawaySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Software giant Adobe has seen its stock rise almost 5 fold over the last 5 years as it has successfully turned away from software as-a-product, to Software as a Service. That said, despite Asia's population size, revenue from the region only represented 16% of 2020 revenue of $12.8 billion. Is this because Adobe hasn’t focused enough on the region or is the Asian market unwilling to pay Adobe’s hefty margins? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The telco landscape globally has been become more competitive over the last few years with the service becoming a commodity. With average revenue per users facing pressure, is 5G the wireless application that will change the landscape and improve profitability? We sit down with Gökhan Öğüt, CEO of Maxis, to find out whilst taking a look at the financials and whether it can continue to be a yield play.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In conjunction with International Francophonie Day, His Excellency Roland Galharague, Ambassador of France to Malaysia, joins us on the Breakfast Grille for a discussion on how both countries can increase bilateral trade and cooperation in a time of economic uncertainty. We also speak about how both countries are dealing with the ongoing pandemic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From just half a store to nationwide presence, Sengheng Electric now has sales of RM1.4 billion. We speak to founder KH Lim about how the business was grown, the challenges they faced during the various phases of lockdown and what's next for them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aerodyne Group, a Malaysian drone solutions company, has over 400 drone professionals operating in the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAS) service sector and manages over 300,000 infrastructure assets with 110,000 flight operations across 35 countries globally. To build up the drone economy, it has pivoted to data intelligence, integrated solutions and Drone Tech, Data Tech and Digital Transformation. Roshan Kanesan speaks to its founder, Kamarul A Muhamed, about the group's partnerships globally, working with regulators in Southeast Asia, as well as the level of government support and funding adequacy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Having built a regional used-car selling platform before moving into direct-to-consumer sales, Eric Cheng and his team at Carsome are now contemplating a potential flotation on a foreign exchange.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Philip See speaks to CEO Sasha Omar Firdaus Amir Nordin to find out how the Malaysian Genomics Resource Centre (MGRC) is restructuring its business lines in a bid to drive greater personalization in the medical industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Khazanah, Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund, declared a profit of RM2.9 billion for 2020, despite the challenging operating environment and significant impairments due to its hospitality and aviation assets. Managing director Datuk Shahril Ridzuan takes the hot seat to tell us whether their new mandate works, the new strategic investments that will fuel the next phase of growth, and the future of Malaysia Airlines. He also contemplates his own future in the national sovereign fund.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allen Law, CEO of Park Hotel Group based in Singapore with properties located across the region, updates us on the progress of constructing Park Hotel in Malacca. He also discusses the type of hotels and opportunities his family's venture capital fund would be keen on in the near-term as more hotels close down.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dato' Sri Tai Hean Leng, the MD and CEO of Malaysia Steel Works Bhd, talks about a China-led industry recovery that began in the second half of 2020.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IHH Healthcare is one of Asia’s largest private healthcare groups with 80 hospitals in 10 countries. CEO Dr Kelvin Loh talks about the group’s financial performance, its ambitious target of doubling the returns on equity and the need for private-public partnerships in fighting Covid-19.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today is International Women's Day, which is timely to discuss the challenges but also the solutions to bring about greater gender equality and better social protection for women. We speak to YB Hannah Yeoh, MP for Segambut, and Datin Paduka Che Asmah, Former CEO of Yayasan Kebajikan Negara, for their suggestions and whether legislative reform is the key to this.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Urban centres like Kuala Lumpur have been among the areas hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. As the economy grinds to a standstill and people stay at home for fear of contracting the virus, we sit down with KL Mayor Datuk Hj Mahadi Che Ngah to discuss the issues facing our capital city, and DBKL's efforts to steer it towards a sustainable, inclusive future. Image Credit: SL Chen / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two years ago, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) was downgraded by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for failing to meet international safety standards - what implications has that had? Captain Chester Voo Chee Soon joins us on the hot seat to give us an update on CAAM's situation, plans to take the civil aviation regulator forward, and the growing drone industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Karex, the world’s largest condom manufacturer, saw its net profit grow 27 times on-year to RM2.8 million, but that was 38% down on-quarter. What's driving these choppy numbers? Can Karex achieve more consistent profitability? Philip See speaks to CEO Goh Miah Kiat for some insight into this, as well as its foray into glove making.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reliable and trustworthy information is crucial for any decision-making, whether that’s governments drafting policies or civil society casting ballots, and in Malaysia, the Department of Statistics is the keeper of data related to national economic performance and social development. So we speak to Chief Statistician Dato’ Sri Dr. Mohd Uzir Mahidin about the integrity of this information, the take-up of the National Census 2020, as well as the department’s role in national development. Image Credit (background): Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lennard Yong, CEO of Tricor Group, one of the leading corporate services providers in the region, discusses how some of his clients have adapted to respond to Covid-19; Hong Kong's prospects as China opens up its financial markets; and his thoughts on Malaysia's Digital Economy Blueprint. More pertinently, he thinks the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) will be the real game-changer for Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

InNature Berhad is the exclusive franchisee of The Body Shop in Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam, and have also recently added social-selling brand Natura to their stable. They went public last year, just before the pandemic - the share price has been rather rocky as a result. We speak to Managing Director Datin Mina Cheah-Foong to discuss the extent of the pandemic’s impact and break down their first full-year earnings as a public listed company.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With increasing digitalization and storage in the clouds, is the use of papers and files close to extinction? We speak to Dato' Lim Soon Huat, Executive Chairman of Asia File Corp, a listed Penang-based producer of stationery and files, on how it intends to overcome this structural decline of its core business, which has been accelerated by Covid-19.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eqhwan Mokhzanee Muhammad, CEO of AmBank Islamic, shares with us the progress and performance of the bank as well as how the Islamic finance industry is evolving in these changing and challenging times. Image Credit (background): Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The events of Langkah Sheraton upended the political landscape and threw Malaysia's democracy into a tailspin. One year later, the country remains on political tenterhooks amid a raging pandemic and a state of emergency. We speak to Dr James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania, and Ibrahim Suffian, Programme Director at the Merdeka Center, about the lasting impact of the move, and what will come next. Image Credit: EPA-EFESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.