The Breakfast Grille

Last June, the GIACC was set up to craft the policies for anti-corruption in Malaysia. Previously helming the MACC, Tan Sri Abu Kassim now leads the GIACC. We speak to him about the GIACC's difference from MACC, the penalties that are considered for corrupt officials and what the National Anti-Corruption Plan will hold for the public and private sector. Listen in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Minister of Communication of Multimedia had called for broadband connections to be “double the speed, half the price” for Malaysians. Managed service provider, MyKris has to find ways to manage revenues while maintaining its level of service. Recently listed in the LEAP Market, MyKris boasts ambitious plans for regional growth in the second half of the year. We ask Chew Choo Soon, the Managing Director of MyKris, about the service expectation under the new government and the competitive business environment they operate in. Listen inSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julian gets the lowdown on why a global construction specialist like Eversendai is trading at cheap prices on Bursa. We also speak about the tendering system, construction projects and Eversendai's projection for their future. Listen in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our non-revenue water (NRW) average is at 35%, exceeding the 25% national target. Our average consumption is 100 litres per capita usage above the WHO recommendation. The National Water Services Commission or SPAN is a technical and economic regulatory body responsible for the regulation and performance of the water services industry. We ask Dato' Mohd Ridhuan Ismail, the CEO of SPAN about the state of affairs of our water services in Malaysia. Dato' Mohd Ridhuan speaks to us about SPAN's efforts to consolidate the water industry in all states under their purview, the underlying issues that are causing the water disruptions and initiatives to conserve water for the future. Listen in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People Lender Sdn Bhd - a company that fully owns and manages Fundaztic - was one of the 6 companies out of over 50 applicants to receive the license to operate P2P Financing in the country registered with the Securities Commission of Malaysia. Fundaztic eventually went live in July 2017 with the SME market being their main target. We talk to Kristine about their journey thus far and the state of play for P2P here today. Listen in. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malayan Flour Mills (MFM) is the oldest flour mill in the country, and over the years also established itself as a player in the poultry industry. KC Cheang, the Chief Financial Officer talks about the company’s cash call to fund an expansion that will help it recover from a torrid 2018.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the introduction of new taxes like the sugar and digital tax as well as increased efforts to clamp down on tax avoiders, the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia is set for a challenging 2019. We speak to its Deputy CEO of Tax Operation, Datuk Mohd Nizom Sairi on how IRB plans to monitor individuals with unexplained extraordinary wealth and how the agency will be working with other entities moving forward.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Equity Crowdfunding (ECF) was meant to transform fundraising and provide entrepreneurs with an alternative funding option. We speak to pitchIN about the state of Equity Crowdfunding (ECF) in Malaysia and the strides the startup has made since the last time they were on the show 2 years ago. We follow up with pitchIN after 2 years on the company's growth and Malaysia’s fintech landscape.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GHL has big plans for 2019. Among them is to go deeper into Indonesia, venturing into a new segment there- the offline payment system. But big plans comes with big investments- would that impact GHL’s earnings for FY2019? We ask Danny this and he shares with us the earnings momentum moving forward. We also discuss the company’s business strategies in the midst of a challenging operating landscape. Listen in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since the introduction of e-hailing services, taxis have been struggling to stay relevant amidst a changing landscape. We speak to Dato' Shamsubharin Ismail. CEO and founder of Big Blue Taxi on his thoughts of e-hailing services and how he plans to take on the challenges 2019 poses.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UEM Edgenta is Malaysia’s largest integrated facilities management (IFM) provider. Dato' Azmir shares his outlook for the domestic infrastructure sector, and the company's strategy of maintaining its dividend policy of paying out 50-80% of its net profit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DPI Holdings believes that the ongoing DIY (do-it-yourself) culture that is picking up steam here in the region is a catalyst for growth for its aerosol can products. DPI is en-route to a listing on the ACE market next month and is looking to raise some RM31.6 million from the listing. The 35-year old company has also set its sights on a larger international customer base. How do they plan to go about enlarging their geographical footprint? How much CAPEX do they plan on pumping into their foreign ventures? We discuss these matters. We also talk about the company's business strategies to manage forex risk given its transactional currency exposure. What is it doing to minimise this risk? Listen in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Standing committees are part and parcel of developed democracies. YB Wong Chen’s office authored a paper entitled “Standing Committees for a New Malaysia”. As 6 new committees have already been established to add to the 5 old ones, we explore the importance of such committees in the Malaysian political landscape.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SOCAR is a South Korean car-sharing start-up that launched in 2011, and kicked off its operations in Malaysia in January this year. Is car-sharing a viable solution to Malaysia’s mobility problem? Why the need for it since we already have ride-hailing? Leon weighs in. We also discuss the notion of whether car-sharing is mostly limited to the tourist market and simply an updated car-rental service. Is there a pathway to profitability or is the goal for SOCAR simply growth and market share? We ask Leon this. Listen in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since early October, oil prices have dropped from over USD $80 per barrel to less than USD $60.As the fortunes of Hibiscus Petroleum is closely tied to the price of oil, how big a concern is this for the company? We discuss this with Kenneth and look into what the company is doing to buffer itself from the volatility in oil prices. We also talk the business strategies and oil production targets. Sitting in a debt free position today, would the company ever consider taking on debt for expansion? Listen in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Habib Jewel’s journey began in 1958, starting out as a small shop at Pitt Street Penang. From a small family business in Penang, Habib has now expanded to sell its products in Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, the United States, and Europe. But given fast-changing consumer taste and trends today, what is Habib doing to stay relevant? We talk to Meer about their business and diversification strategies. We also discuss rising competition as well as the tough balancing act to juggle volatile gold prices and margins. Listen in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lazada says that the 11.11 Singles' Day event was a success and they saw record sales, but just how big a sale was it for them? We ask Christophe this and he revealed that their 1 single day of sales surpassed their 1 year of sales in 2014. We also question Lazada's pathway to profitability. While Singles' Day did help boost up Lazada to record sales, the event also brought about a major flaw in its ecosystem and that is the payments system -- which crashed during the sale. We discuss this and the other challenges the company is facing in the fast moving e-commerce game. Listen in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been a decade since the last global financial crisis. Now, faced with heightened debt levels fulled by global central banks, as well as the US-China trade war that's threatening the world economy, are we due for another major market crash? Dr. Xie, named among Bloomberg's "50 Most Influential Persons in Finance”, issues a grim warning for the year ahead.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ken explains the growth strategy for Malaysia's first robo-advisor, and addresses criticisms of such passive investment platforms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Holstein Milk Company produces dairy products under the Farm Fresh and Yarra brands, which are sold across Malaysia and Singapore. Managing Director Loi Tuan Ee shares how The Holstein Milk Company plans to increase milk yield from its breed of tropical dairy cows, and the social impact of the company's unique marketing approach.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The International Compliance Association (ICA) is a global, not-for-profit professional body that awards certifications and qualifications in anti-money laundering, governance, risk and compliance as well as financial crime prevention. We speak to its Regional Director Andrew Glover on the evolving standards of compliance, as well as lessons Malaysia can derive from major financial scandals.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thought leader Chandran Nair is a known speaker on the international circuit but curiously commands little recognition in his home country Malaysia. We get acquainted with Chandran on the Breakfast Grille and tap into his insights on good governance, sustainable development and environmental conservation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With over 250 stores nationwide, Subway has managed to build a following in the local fast food scene in the decade since its arrival to Malaysia. Master Franchisor Dato’ Vincent Choo shares Subway Malaysia's recipe for survival.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even with a new name, geographical expansion, and business diversification, share prices for Federal International (formerly known as Federal Furniture) have lost about 70 percent of its value since the company's previous Breakfast Grille appearance in 2016. Datuk Choy shares the company's growth outlook, which will be more reliant on the construction sector despite the property oversupply in Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year's F1 campaign saw Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes winning their 5th consecutive double world titles, clinching every Drivers' and Constructors' Championship since 2014. With results getting more predictable, coupled with declining TV viewership, how can the sport's current owners, Liberty Media, attract new audiences? Mark shares his current assessment of the sport and discusses the economics of hosting a race, with the Netherlands and Miami potentially joining Vietnam as new additions to the 2020 race calendar.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia Smelting Corporation (MSC) has been in the tin industry for well over a century. We take a deep dive into the company's earnings and balance sheet trends with its CEO, Datuk Dr. Patrick Yong. We also ask what MSC is doing to re-energise the business. Datuk Patrick Yong says that while the company is currently sweating through a "healing period", he predicts a tin revival will soon bring improvements. We also discuss what the tin company is hoping to achieve by making a rather unexpected move into the property industry. Listen in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Goh Kar Chun of local auto parts maker MCE Holdings talks about the history of his company and the roadmap of the Malaysian automotive industry. In the 90s, MCE was only manufacturing and supplying car alarms systems and power window regulators. Today, it supplies automotive electronic and mechatronic parts to Proton, Perodua, Honda and Toyota. What is MCE's role post the Geely acquisition? And what will this mean for the upcoming Proton lineup, beyond the X70?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greg Brown, Group CEO of Ramsay Sime Darby Healthcare, fields questions on the progress they have made since inking their JV in 2013 and the impact they have made on the Sime Darby Group’s profitability. He also discusses their still-small size and their plans to grow, as well as industry challenges. We delved into healthcare costs, low insurance penetration, the presence of value-sapping middlemen and his plans on serving the uninsured. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sunway Education will be expanding into the international school market for primary years . Elizabeth revealed in the interview that the group is in the midst of building a primary school in the Klang Valley.Currently, its international school in the city only caters from Year 7 onwards. We also discuss Sunway Education's strategies in the midst of rising competition. We talk about the evolution of the education industry over the years and the current state for the education landscape today. Sunway Education is owned and governed by Jeffrey Cheah Foundation that is not-for-profit and valued at over RM1 billion. Would they ever consider carving that out to list?Listen in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Davison is the Group CEO and Co-Founder of BigPay: AirAsia's fintech platform which the group reckons might one day be bigger than the budget airline. The cashless payment system wants to disrupt conventional banking and democratise financial solutions to the masses.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The F&B business - where KFC and Pizza Hut are parked under - is the jewel in the QSR Group. Hence why a bulk of the proceeds from the upcoming re-listing of QSR group would be used to further expand its F&B business. We talk to Merrill about the business division’s growth strategies with the impending IPO exercise in the pipeline for their parent company that could bring about RM2 billion of fresh funds.We also dive into the earnings trend of the businesses and look at whether the recent imposition of sugar tax would impact their margins. Merrill shares with us the restaurant division's digital strategy. Social media is becoming increasingly important for marketing, especially in the F&B sector. What challenges do traditional F&B players such as themselves face in the midst of a fast moving digital landscape? Are they fast enough or have they missed the boat? We ask Merill.Listen in. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance Minister YB Lim Guan Eng spends a full hour fielding live questions on Malaysia’s fiscal position, Budget 2019, oil revenues and the measures it is instilling to ensure the country’s financial future. He also discusses Malaysia’s debt position, the introduction of new taxes, the inclusion of the private sector in growing the economy and recent measures like the Airport REIT, P2P crowdfunding for affordable home ownership and the B40 healthcare insurance scheme. Also discussed were 1MDB and the latest restitutionary measures particularly from Goldman Sachs and the ongoing investigations into Jho Low, Tim Leissner and Roger Ng. He also fielded questions on Tun Daim’s role, the China-US trade war and his ministry’s (and his) communications strategy following their landmark election in GE14.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The renowned strategy and globalisation expert, Dr Anil Gupta who is the Michael D. Dingman Chair in Strategy, Globalisation and Entrepreneurship and Distinguished Scholar-Teacher at the Smith School of Business, The University of Maryland as well as a Visiting Professor of Strategy at INSEAD, discusses the growing influence of China in the region, the effects of globalisation and the rise of A.I. On business. Dr.Anil will be speaking at the 44th IFAWPCA Convention hosted by Master Builders Association Malaysia happening on 14th November 2018. http://www.ifawpca2018.my/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Four months into the role, Deputy International Trade Minister YB Dr. Ong Kian Ming outlines the key priorities for his ministry, key of which is the message that Malaysia remains ready to do business with the rest of the world. And central to this are the negotiations on the trade pacts Malaysia is currently involved in, including with the RCEP and the CPTTP. He also discusses Industry 4.0, the National Auto Policy and his work as Member of Parliament for Bangi, the country’s largest constituency, numbering some 180,000 voters, in which he scored a landslide victory.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deputy International Trade Minister YB Dr. Ong Kian Ming and Maybank Etiqa Chief Strategy Officer Chris Eng are on hand to talk about Budget 2019, focusing on the dominant role of oil revenue in funding the Budget, and the repercussions on Malaysia’s path to fiscal consolidation and the reaction among global ratings agencies to this development. The duo also discuss the Budget’s reaction to capital market and currency fund flows, the RM4b airport REIT, new taxes, private consumption as an economic driver, the National Auto Policy and the third national car and US-China trade disagreements.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak to Lavindran Sandragasu, Tax Partner at PwC and Dr. Richard Record, Lead Economist for Malaysia at the World Bank about what to expect from Budget 2019.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Swiss whistleblower and former PetroSaudi International executive Xavier Justo gives us his take on the 1MDB story, and speaks to us about his involvement in the scandal as well as the struggles he faced as a consequence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suria Capital’s stock has been on a downtrend recently falling to its 8-year low of RM1.56 just in Sept 14 this year. The share price has been on a downward trend since December last year. What is the group doing about its stock’s underperformance? We ask Ng Kiat Min this. She says Suria Capital wants to bank on the rising tourism industry in Sabah. But, will it be quick enough to capture the rising market? In the Breakfast Grille interview, Kiat Min shares a number of growth initiatives that the company has planned but adds that in terms of timing, the initiatives are "long term" in nature when it comes to value creation. She shares their plans to turn their port in Kota Kinabalu into an international cruise terminal and they are looking at a GDV of RM2 billion from tourism related projects. Listen in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The role of auditors is a crucial one - be it internal or external auditors. They are essentially the “gatekeepers” for the state of finance of a company. However, over the years, Malaysia is not lacking in terms of accounting scandals. The prominent fraud cases among listed companies in Malaysia in recent years include Transmile Group Bhd, Kenmark Industrial Co (M) Bhd, Linear Corp Bhd and Axis Inc Bhd. What is the root cause for the string of accounting scandals happening here? Should accountants/auditors be held more accountable for their actions or inactions during their course of work? We discuss this with Philip. We also talk about the digital disruption of the internal auditing profession. Listen in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SenseTime is the world’s most valuable Artificial Intelligence start-up, having raised more than $1.6 billion from the likes of Alibaba and Qualcomm. Currently valued at over $4.5 billion, SenseTime was recently tapped to be part of China’s national push to develop the next generation of AI. We speak to its co-founder, Xu Bing, about the company’s international expansion plans and the ethical implications of AI technology.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dato' Muzaffar Hisham talks about the business segment's tough balancing act between growth and risk management. He also shares the strategies undertaken by Maybank Global in the current challenging operating environment faced by banks today. We ask him about the earnings momentum moving forward for the business that is the second largest earnings contributor to the Maybank Group. Muzaffar also reveals that the M&A option is "on the table" for them. He believes that "scale is key" but points out that the debate in this case would be timing, opportunity and valuation. Is inorganic growth on the cards and would they consider acquiring non-banking assets? Listen in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Azhar Azizan Harun, popularly known by his pen name Art Harun, was appointed as the Election Commission’s new chairman. He officially assumed office the eve of Nomination Day for the Port Dickson by-election. He shares how he plans to reform the EC and address issues within the electoral system. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lu International is the Singapore-based subsidiary of the Chinese online wealth management giant, Lufax. Lufax itself is owned by Ping An Group, which is the largest financial services company in China. Following the recent launch of Lu Global, its online wealth management platform aimed at individual Asian investors, we speak to CEO Kit Wong on Lu’s growth strategy and its fintech advantage.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Puan Zakiah talks us through some of the key pillars of the revised 11MP, including the reform agenda. She also explains the rationale for the potential trade-offs as evidenced by the lowered macroeconomic targets for 2020.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GrabPay is the digital payments business of Grab and its game plan is to be the "Asean Wallet". But the battle for payment platform dominance is heating up in the region. Everyone wants a share of the e-payments pie -- from Chinese Giants such as Tencent and Alibaba to traditional banks as well as Grab’s biggest rival Go-Jek that is expanding beyond its home base of Indonesia. At home, there are 5 banks and 36 non banks in the e-money space. What are GrabPay's strategies in this competitive payments sector? We ask Huey Tyng this. Aside from competition rising in the mobile payment's space, cash continues to be a strong incumbent competitor with 80% of transactions undertaken in cash. Can Grab convert cash to cashless? It looks like a long and uphill ride ahead.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Teresa Kok, the Minister of Primary Industries, sheds light into how the ministry is managing issues within the palm oil industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Port Dickson by-election is widely seen as a barometer of sentiment towards the Pakatan Harapan government. We discuss the outcome of the weekend by-elections and what this means for the government moving forward with our panel of guests. We also speak with Dato' Dr Rais Hussin on the drafting and implementation of the Pakatan Harapan manifesto. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lim Peng Jin, Managing Director of Scientex Berhad, discusses the family company's journey to become one of the top three producers of packaging materials in the world and its plans to get even bigger, to quadruple revenue by 2028.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In his 2017 book 'Playing with Fire', Dr. Yilmaz Akyüz concluded that his home country of Turkey was the emerging economy most vulnerable to external financial shocks.What can Malaysia learn from Turkey's woes? Dr. Akyüz also identifies the vulnerabilities of the Malaysian economy, while outlining both its short-term and long-term challenges.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Renowned development economist and author of “23 Things They Don’t Tell you About Capitalism” Dr Ha-Joon Chang discusses Malaysia's deindustrialisation and industrial policy, and looks to the lessons of South Korea.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.