The Breakfast Grille

2019 was a blockbuster year for movies, 2020 has been a far cry from it. The biggest grossing movie this year was Bad Boys For Life which made around $420 million , 2019’s biggest movie was Avengers: Endgame which raked in $2.8 billion worldwide, almost double 2020’s top 10 movies combined. However, this is not a surprise considering that economic shutdowns coincided with the peak time for movie releases in the calendar year, but given the uncertainty going forward, are cinemas ready and able to deal with the new normal?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Airlines around the world have been hit hard by Covid-19 and the subsequent evaporation of global travel demand. In the wake of bankruptcies like Flybe and Virgin Australia, we speak to Philip See, CEO of Firefly, to get a picture of domestic demand for air travel, and the gauge whether the lossmaking company can survive the global pandemic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With loan moratoriums set to expire at the end of September, Malaysia’s six-month debt holiday will soon be over. Which means both people and companies will have to address their financial obligations sooner, not later. KC Wong, CEO of Credit Bureau Malaysia and President of the Association of Credit Reporting Agencies (ACRA), explains.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As one of the two rating agencies in Malaysia, Malaysian Rating Corporation (MARC) has an even greater role to play as the risk of companies defaulting are higher in these challenging times. We speak to Datuk Jamaludin Nasir, Group CEO, to find out if capital markets and the economy is at risk while asking if there is an intrinsic flaw in their business model.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With a new CEO at the helm, Cradle Fund is undergoing big changes as it deals with the impacts of the pandemic on the start-up community, and the tragic passing of its founding CEO, Nazrin Hassan. With the two newly launched investment programmes and new leadership at the helm, we speak to Rafiza about what she brings to the table, the role of equity investing, and her vision for Cradle.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the UK's exit from the EU on the 31st of January, the race is on for the island nation renegotiate its trade relationships with countries around the world. With Covid-19 now throwing its shadow across the global economy, we discuss the implications of Brexit, regional trade ties, and potential avenues of bilateral cooperation, with Natalie Black, UK Trade Commissioner for the Asia Pacific region.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Malaysian steel industry has not been a particularly successful one, with Perwaja steel a reminder of this. However with a White Paper from the industry in the hands of the government, could the future be a brighter one?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Private education is big business, but can it continue to grow under the shadow of COVID-19? Established in 1975, Beaconhouse School System began as a small Montessori academy in Pakistan and has grown into an education network spanning eight countries. Roshan Kanesan speaks with its CEO Kasim Kasuri, to discuss the group’s international expansion, the viability of virtual education, and the future of private education post-Covid-19.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amidst the volatility in capital markets and the gloomy long-term outlook for the oil and gas industry, would a listing be the right decision? We speak to Thien Chiet Chai, the Executive Director of Reservoir Link which is making a bold move in listing on the ACE market this month and find out the reasons for this and what they expect in terms of contracts when every oil major is cutting capex.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Like other retailers, Harvey Norman took a hit from store closures during the height of the Covid-19 movement restrictions. Now that economies are reopening, how does the Australian lifestyle retailer plan to catch up on lost ground? We speak to Kenneth Aruldoss, Managing Director of Harvey Norman Asia on their expansion plans and how they plan to keep consumers coming back to their stores.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No business contingency plan could have prepared any company for the radical change to our lives from the impact of Covid 19. So we speak to Lee Sang Hui, CEO of Manulife Malaysia Berhad to find out how fast they were able to pivot in the new normal and what are the challenges to still grow with the inevitable recession knocking on Malaysia's door.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tun Zaki Tun Azmi served as the 6th Chief Justice of Malaysia from 2008 until his retirement in 2011. On today's Breakfast Grille, we discuss judicial reform, as well as Tun Zaki's second career in the corporate sector as chairman of Television Airtime Services, which stands poised as a new contender in the digital arena.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Women face many challenges when it comes to furthering careers in the sciences, and economics is no different. With only two women having ever won a Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (and both of those given in the last decade), we ask the question of why there is such a dearth of women in this field, and why is it important to have them? To discuss this, we spoke to Shelly Lundberg, Leonard Broom Professor of Demography, University of California Santa Barbara.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Women face many challenges when it comes to furthering careers in the sciences, and economics is no different. With only two women having ever won a Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (and both of those given in the last decade), we ask the question of why there is such a dearth of women in this field, and why is it important to have them? To discuss this, we spoke to Shelly Lundberg, Leonard Broom Professor of Demography, University of California Santa Barbara.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The logistics industry is a highly competitive field. Alongside 116 companies in Malaysia with some regional names, Ninja Van have deep pockets and the technology know-how to fight for their market share. So who will survive and emerge the winner? We speak to Adzim Halim, Country Head of Ninjavan Malaysia, which focuses on last mile delivery on their growth plans to beat out the competition and was Covid 19 actually good for business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As unemployment levels rise across the world, the number of open job postings are also dropping across online employment marketplaces - leading to a deepening supply-demand mismatch. SEEK Asia is one of the providers of those employment marketplaces, best known here for their platform Jobstreet.com. We speak to its CEO, Suresh Thiru, about how the business is adapting to Covid-19, as well as some of the employment trends they've seen coming out of this pandemic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How has the pandemic impacted video gaming & e-sports? Roshan gets into this, as well as Riot Games’ plans for Southeast Asia, the opportunity of mobile gaming, synergies with Tencent, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Covid-19 has ravaged travel and leisure activity on a global basis. So what does this spell for theme park operators and builders? Sim Choo Kheng, CEO of Sim Leisure Group, who are also owner-operators of Escape Water Park in Penang, explains.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Covid-19 has ravaged travel and leisure activity on a global basis. So what does this spell for theme park operators and builders? Sim Choo Kheng, CEO of Sim Leisure Group, who are also owner-operators of Escape Water Park in Penang, explains.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Spanish Flu of 1918 was one of the first global pandemics in modern recorded history. Government reactions to it may seem familiar - quarantines, an emphasis on hygiene, and often mixed signals as political agendas struggled to reconcile themselves with public health policy. So, to unpack some of the lessons we can learn from the pandemic which occurred over a century ago, we speak to Laura Spinney, science journalist and author of the book, ‘Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World’See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Covid-19 has accelerated the adoption of digital solutions, particularly in the realm of higher education. As more lectures and meetings move online, video is becoming an increasingly important means of communication and Panopto appears poised to ride that wave of growth here in Asia. To talk to us more about their expansion plans, and the future of video, we speak to Elle Hosek, General Manager for Asia at Panopto.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Free Trade Agreement talks between the European Union and Malaysia have been stalled since 2010 due to requirements for Malaysia to undertake reforms and remove Bumiputera protection. Meanwhile countries like Vietnam and Singapore have ratified agreements with the EU. As a consequence European investors are likely to skip Malaysia in the long-term. We discuss these issues with Sven Schneider, CEO of EU Malaysia Chamber of Commerce & Industry or EUMCCI.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Malaysia's oldest telco, Celcom has seen their market share decline over the years while average revenue per user has also been falling as people switch from voice to data. Idham Nawawi, their Chief Executive Officer tells us their strategy for growth and their plans for 5G as well as which model may work best for the country.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UWC Berhad looks to be one of the beneficiaries of COVID-19 with its stock price more than doubling since a low 3 months back. The company has come a long way from simply supplying wire cut machines and is now worth around RM2 billion on the back of the boom in the semiconductor supply chain. More recently UWC has been tapping into the increased demand in medical equipment and life sciences on the back of COVID-19. With that in mind, how far can UWC go and is it all smooth sailing going forward?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UWC Berhad looks to be one of the beneficiaries of COVID-19 with its stock price more than doubling since a low 3 months back. The company has come a long way from simply supplying wire cut machines and is now worth around RM2 billion on the back of the boom in the semiconductor supply chain. More recently UWC has been tapping into the increased demand in medical equipment and life sciences on the back of COVID-19. With that in mind, wow far can UWC go and is it all smooth sailing going forward?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Like all industries in the country, film production and the arts had come to a screeching halt over the last few months, with many out of work as they’re unable to continue shooting or perform in public. As the economy starts up and movement restrictions are slowly eased, how can the local arts and film scene move forward?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, necessity became the mother of digitisation, with Microsoft saying it saw “two years’ worth of digital transformation in two months”. With this in mind, how will MDEC balance the need to support the micro SMEs and Mak Cik Kiahs, while also growing and nurturing Malaysian tech startups and potential unicorns that will drive innovation? Surina also gets into unemployment, attracting FDI and competing with Singapore.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lockdown may have ended but the pandemic has devastated the economy and set it back by 2-3 years and growth may only recover though not to stellar 2019 levels beginning 2021. The big uncertainty remains the possibility of a second wave. Datuk Ruben Emir Gnanalingam Bin Abdullah, Managing Director of the Klang-based port operator, Westports Holdings Bhd, discusses these issues, plus other items like its expansion plan, concession agreement, dividend policy and bright spots, like its mainly intra-Asia and Asia-Europe trade.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China is discouraging its citizens from visiting Australia due to reports of racist attacks. It has also slapped tariffs and restrictions on certain Australian products after Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for independent investigation of the pandemic outbreak. In light of ongoing tensions, we speak with Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia, HE Andrew Golędzinowski on balancing Australia's engagement with the US, its long-time ally, and China, and post-Covid-19, the opportunities for deeper economic ties with Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Economic Action Council (EAC) in its many guises have been called each time the country faces a crisis since 1997. The Covid-19 pandemic and the economic scar tissue it leaves behind is no different. The EAC was revived in March comprising of leading corporate figures, successful entrepreneurs and of course key government officials. So we speak to it's Executive Director, Professor Tan Sri Dato Dr Noor Azlan Ghazali on the role the EAC plays and whether the initiatives rolled out also consider the structural reform that that the country needs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jalil Rasheed President & Group Chief Executive of Permodalan Nasional Berhad, discusses his plan to internationalise the RM300 billion fund's returns profile within the next two years while also upping governance controls within its investees.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should online marketplace Carousell be concerned over Facebook's growing presence in the scene? Carousell is an online marketplace that’s been primarily known for second-hand goods and has essentially app-ified the classifieds. Since its founding in 2012, it has since grown to become one of the largest and fastest online classifieds marketplaces in the world with over 250 million listings and operating in eight markets - Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Myanmar. Roshan speaks to co-founder Lucas Ngoo about the growth, impact of the pandemic, the potential threat from Facebook and the merger with Telenor's 701 Search.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Global CO2 emissions have decreased dramatically as countries around the world have gone into forced movement restrictions, amid fears of the global pandemic. Yet the change is not sustainable, since it has not been underpinned by structural reform. To get some insight into what infrastructure and attitude changes we need to see in order to really make a dent in the climate crisis, we speak to Corinne Le Quéré, Professor of Climate Change Science, at the University of East Anglia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should Grab and GoJek be worried about Lalamove’s growing presence in the region? Hong Kong Unicorn Lalamove has been described as the Uber for logistics. While primarily a B2B service, the platform’s awareness in Malaysia has grown as merchants & customers used Lalamove as an alternative to GrabFood during the Movement Control Order. Roshan gets into their potential IPO, expansion into India and Indonesia, profitability and Malaysian operations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a global environment where many organisations have had to rapidly adapt to remote working due to Covid-19 and digitise their processes, does this accelerate the use of cloud applications? To answer this question we speak to David Webster, Asia and Japan President of Workday, one of the world’s leading cloud-based enterprise technology solutions providers focusing on human capital and financial planning. We also ask about the challenges of cloud especially in Asia where there are infrastructure issues while privacy and security are valid concerns.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tourism and travel have been badly hit across the world. Many tour agencies and hotels have closed completely. Mario Hardy, CEO of PATA or Pacific Asia Travel Association has some insights on how the region could be recovering. It might be sooner than we think. Also how will Covid-19 reshape the industry?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While some recovery in footfall has been noted in recent weeks, the pandemic has ravaged the country's retail sector, potentially leaving hundreds of thousands unemployed and thousands of small business bankrupt and insolvent, with even the largest mall owners suffering. More needs to be done, including extending and widening loan moratoriums to all business loans, waiving interest and statutory payments, say Datuk Garry Chua, President of the Malaysian Retail Chain Association (MRCA) & Tan Sri Teo Chiang Kok, President of the Malaysia Shopping Malls Association.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

George Taitim Tulas, CEO of Sabah Credit Corporation tells us the objectives of this non-financial institution while giving us their strategy for growth despite only having a presence in the state. We also ask about how Covid 19 has impacted the local economy and whether they do contribute to the high indebtedness of civil servants.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia's first digital wealth management platform comes back on The Breakfast Grille to get into the new and old competition and whether it can manage with the unprecedented uncertainty in the economic landscape. We also get into the impact of COVID-19 on their business and growth, potential partnerships with local unit trust products and FinTechs, as well as concerns over the aggressive quantitative easing from the US Federal Reserve. Photo taken last year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stephanie Sitt, CEO of Inmagine group founded the company with her husband Andy and grew their business to become the fourth largest stock image repository in the world (123RF). The group also owns Pixlr, the online photo editor that has been installed over 100 million times. Sitt discusses her plans for Inmagine and how she works effectively with her husband.Image by: 123RF.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With one of the highest death and infection rates from Covid-19, Italy will be significantly impacted. We speak to Dr Ugo Panizza, Professor of Economics and Pictet Chair in Finance and Development at The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies to find out what policy options the country has to reduce the economic scar tissue from the lockdown. We also discuss the European response to this crisis and does this crisis actually reveal the wide divide between the members.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Covid-19 has thrown many industries into confusion, as companies try to adapt to a new normal. One such player is Kelington Group Berhad, which is a Ultra High Purity gas and chemicals delivery company, looking to expand into the industrial gas production space. We speak to Raymond Gan, CEO of KGB, about the company's new factory, expansion plans, and mitigating coronavirus disruption.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monocle is a recognisable name for business communities around the world. But with Covid-19 affecting travel and media ad-spend, is their niche position enough to survive? Is there still appetite for the kind of lifestyle that Monocle embodies? We talk about all this and more, with Tyler Brûlé, Monocle's Founder and Editor-in-Chief. Photo credit: strangerpixel / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hua Fung Teh, the Group President of ONE Championship, a Singapore-based global sports media platform and known as Asia’s answer to the UFC, talks about his brand's appeal in the region and how it is adapting to the fallout from the pandemic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We examine the government's strategy to combat Covid-19 with Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood, Public Health Special Advisor to the Prime Minister. She also talks about what to expect next, Malaysia's involvement in drug trials, and how we could secure access to vaccines, if any is discovered. She is the founder of Mercy and has served several international bodies in leading responses to emergency and humanitarian crises.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With schools and universities shut, and physical distancing now more of a priority than ever before, BAC Education, like many other universities faces an unprecedented disruption. Today on the Breakfast Grille, we speak to Raja Singham, Founder and Managing Director of BAC Education, which manages several private institutions including Brickfields Asia College, about the future of education, preserving the university experience, and ensuring students are able to weather IR4.0.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Income inequality has been on the rise, and it is estimated about 70-80% of the Malaysian working population has savings to survive 1-2 months. Their plight has been most acute in this Covid-19 pandemic. Nurhisham Hussein, Chief Strategy Officer at EPF and Ahmad Yazid Othman, the CEO of MTEM or Majlis Tindakan Ekonomi Melayu discuss if the government is doing enough to help, and how it can be more effective.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since acquiring KiplePay in 2017, Green Packet has been out to transform itself from a traditional communications services company, into a digital services provider. Just a week out from its flagship foray into proptech, we speak to CC Puan, Group Managing Director and CEO of Green Packet, about the company's financial performance, plans to navigate the new normal, and when they will return to the black.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With oil prices hitting new lows, cutting capex and terminating projects is to be expected. So how will oil and gas companies weather this downturn? Tan Sri Shahril Shamsuddin, CEO of Sapura Energy, one of Malaysia's integrated oil and gas companies tell us what's up his sleeve to weather this crisis and can they renegotiate the refinancing of their RM10 billion debt.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Food aid for the B40 community has been a hot topic during this Movement Control Order, with the government catching criticism for its handling of food distribution. To speak more about this, as well as issues within the Petaling Jaya constituency and the wider country, we speak to Maria Chin Abdullah, former chairperson of Bersih 2.0 and Petaling Jaya MP.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.