The Breakfast Grille

What is technology's role in wage stagnation? Are market power and the skewed distribution of wealth cyclical in nature? Does Antitrust need to change? Roshan Kanesan explores all this and more with economist Jan Eeeckhout - Author of "The Profit Paradox: How Thriving Firms Threaten the Future of Work" Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pekat Group Bhd's managing director, Chin Soo Mau discusses the state of play of the solar power industry, the obstacles in growing the business in Malaysia, and the company's plans going forward post-listing on the ACE market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pekat Group Bhd's managing director, Chin Soo Mau discusses the state of play of the solar power industry, the obstacles in growing the business in Malaysia, and the company's plans going forward post-listing on the ACE market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In conjunction with World Environment Day tomorrow, we tackle the subject of plastic- its manufacturing, recycling, and the importation of plastic waste- on the Breakfast Grille, with C.C. Cheah, Vice-President from the Malaysian Plastic Manufacturers Association & Wong Pui Yi, Researcher from the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Center). Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founded in 2013, Sustenir was armed with $15 million in Series A funding from Grok ventures and Temasek Holding to tap into the growing vertical farming industry. That said, while Sustenir is now in 3 markets, how far can this business grow considering that it seems like a nice to have, instead of a growing necessity? Roshan Kanesan speaks to Benjamin Swan, CEO, and Co-Founder of Sustenir Agriculture, to find out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Jon Danielsson from LSE's Systemic Risk Centre helps us understand how financial markets have been resilient during the pandemic and highlights the challenges of applying old remedies from previous financial crisis to the current situation we are in at the moment. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With a presence across 9 markets in the region, Axiata Digital Advertising, or ADA, has seen tremendous growth since its establishment in 2018. And in May, the digital analytics and AI company made the announcement that Japan’s Softbank Corp would be investing 60 million USD into the company for a 23% stake. What will this mean for the growth of ADA going forward? CEO Srinivas Gattamneni comes on the hot seat to discuss ADA's future with Lyn Mak. Image Credit: ADASee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following a successful IPO in March 2021, we ask Ben Sin, General Manager of Flexidynamics on how this glove chlorination specialist has used its proceeds to date. We also dissect their performance to date in this pandemic and dig deeper to understand what their diversification strategy will be across markets, technologies, and customer segments.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark O'Dell, CEO of the Life Insurance Association of Malaysia (LIAM) and Antony Lee, Chairman of the General Insurance Association of Malaysia (PIAM), discuss the whys and wherefores behind the lack of Covid coverage here and abroad and the road map to eventual protection. Image credit: Shutterstock, Life Insurance Association of Malaysia (LIAM) and General Insurance Association of Malaysia (PIAM)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From vehicles to electrical products and pharmaceuticals, Malaysia continues to be Germany’s largest trading partner in the ASEAN region, with total bilateral trade of about RM70 billion in 2019. But what more can be done to enhance our bilateral relationship especially in a time of Covid-19? We speak to the German ambassador to Malaysia, Dr Peter Blomeyer to discuss.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once part of the Soviet Union, Georgia has since transformed itself into a modern state, ranked by the Heritage Foundation as the 12th freest in terms of economic freedom. H.E. Nikoloz Apkhazava, Ambassador of Georgia to Malaysia discusses growing opportunities for Malaysians to do business there as it is strategically located at the intersection of Europe and Asia. Georgia however continues to be in conflict with Russia over the latter's occupation of two territories. How will their long-standing dispute affect Georgia's entry into the European Union and NATO? Image credit: aquatarkus / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once part of the Soviet Union, Georgia has since transformed itself into a modern state, ranked by the Heritage Foundation as the 12th freest in terms of economic freedom. H.E. Nikoloz Apkhazava, Ambassador of Georgia to Malaysia discusses growing opportunities for Malaysians to do business there as it is strategically located at the intersection of Europe and Asia. Georgia however continues to be in conflict with Russia over the latter's occupation of two territories. How will their long-standing dispute affect Georgia's entry into the European Union and NATO? Image credit: aquatarkus / ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The oil and gas services and equipment (OGSE) sector contributed RM65 billion to the Malaysian economy in 2019. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated structural flaws in the industry, which the government aims to address via the National OGSE Blueprint launched in April. Is this enough to revitalise Malaysian OGSE? We sit down with Mohamed Yazid Ja'far, the CEO of the MPRC, the coordinating agency for the oil and gas industry, to find out. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The penetration of Takaful insurance in Malaysia is only 16% but with 10 other competitors, the market is very competitive. So what plans does Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Keluarga Berhad have to be the number 1 player in both family and general takaful? Dato' Sri Mohamed Hassan Kamil, Group CEO tells us and if inorganic is the way to go. Image credit: Syarikat Takaful MalaysiaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How much more upside for Bursa listed Censof? The financial software solutions provider caught the attention of investors a month ago when Microsoft announced that Censof would be one of its partners in their $1 billion data centre investment in Malaysia. The stock jumped 26% when the initiative was announced, and jumped again following their Q4 earnings reports. Image credit: CensofSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roshni Jayantilal, CEO of the Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance (MICG) speaks to us on the Breakfast Grille about the challenges in maintaining good governance standards during a pandemic, and their efforts to encourage SMEs to hop on the governance bandwagon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As MDEC celebrates its 25th anniversary, does this government agency still have relevance in helping Malaysia achieve its lofty goal of being a digital economy? Surina Shukri, the CEO answers that question and also addresses a news report that she will be replaced.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charles Kenny, the author of "The Plague Cycle: The Unending War Between Humanity and Infectious Disease" discusses the downside of some measures to fight the pandemic, and how global rules like patents and aid-giving could be rewritten to foster more equitable development and a more even response in managing crisis across the world. Kenny is also a Senior Fellow and the Director of Technology and Development at the Center for Global Development, Washington DC. He was previously with the World Bank, and holds degrees from Cambridge; the School of Oriental and African Studies in London; and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Malaysia prepares to celebrate a second Hari Raya under a Movement Control Order, Dato' Sri Meer Habib, the Managing Director of Habib Jewels, talks about how one of the country's most established jewelry companies is coping with this once-in-a-lifetime event. Image credit: Habib JewelsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bursa Malaysia listed Advancecon Holdings has been awarded a total of five subcontracts worth around RM186 million for the ECRL project since the middle of last year. Beyond that it recently secured a quota of 26MW under the fourth cycle of the Large Scale Solar (LSS4) project. What else does this earthworks and civil engineering services provider have in store? We speak to Advancecon Executive Director Yeo An Thai to find out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While the Covid-19 pandemic is first and foremost a health crisis, the resulting effects have devastated the global economy and students' education for the years to come. But education was already due for a reckoning before the pandemic hit- was this just accelerating the inevitable? We speak to computer scientist and educational theorist Professor Sugata Mitra on the Breakfast Grille to discuss the short-term and long-term prospects of our global education system. Image Credit: Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How will listed education group SEG International adapt to a tougher operating environment, an oversaturated market, and the push to digital? Roshan Kanesan explores this and more with Hew Moi Lan, Group CEO and Executive Director of SEG International Berhad. SEG International is the only listed pure play education company on the main board, and runs the SEGi Group of Colleges.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paul Sanda, the Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner of Austrade Malaysia & Brunei discusses how Covid-19 and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) could increase investment and trade between Australia and Malaysia. He also comments on the tense relationship between Australia and China, and how it might force countries like Malaysia to take sides.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) company Invest Energy Group wants to invest RM2.2 billion in the region over the next 5-7years in renewable energy projects, aiming to reach a generating capacity of up to 750MW. What's the plan to achieve this and where is this funding coming from? Also, with data centres increasing looking to renewable energy, will Invest Energy be looking for opportunities with Microsoft as they plan to build a data centre region in Malaysia? Roshan Kanesan dives into this and more on The Breakfast Grille. Image Credit: Invest EnergySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DAP tasted power for a brief 22 months but is back in opposition. What are their next steps as Malaysia heads towards the next general elections? Is this party with the most seats in Parliament reconsidering their coalition partners and will they even join hands with UMNO? Questions answered by former Transport Minister and current National Organising Secretary Anthony Loke who perhaps might be the future Secretary-General of DAP. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DAP tasted power for a brief 22 months but is back in opposition. What are their next steps as Malaysia heads towards the next general elections? Is this party with the most seats in Parliament reconsidering their coalition partners and will they even join hands with UMNO? Questions answered by x perhaps the future Secretary-General of DAP and former Transport Minister, YB Anthony Loke.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wee Eng Kong, Managing Director of the construction services firm Tuju Setia, is Bursa Malaysia's first main market listing in 2021, set to go public on May 19. Amongst others, he discusses Tuju's business, outlook, tender book and customers while fielding questions on its IPO timing, corporate governance, valuations, safety measures and cost structure. Image Credit: Tuju SetiaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.