The Breakfast Grille

Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz, who won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2001, shares his reflections on the state of the global economy in 2018 — from inequality to political polarisation, from 1MDB to the rise of China.Professor Joseph Stiglitz was a speaker at the Khazanah Megatrends Forum 2018.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Edge was one of the early trailblazers into the 1MDB investigation in terms of media coverage.Ho Kay Tat revealed how The Edge team first caught wind of this big story and what triggered the media group to pursue it relentlessly - despite having been shut down by the BN government for close to 3 months in 2015 due to its 1MDB reporting.Was there a time when they had wanted to throw in the towel?We asked him this.We also discussed the media landscape in the New Malaysia that we are in. The government wants to limit political parties from holding stakes in media groups to free the media from political interference.Does Kay Tat agree?Listen in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vizione has been historically dependant on government jobs in the property sector. Even after having grown its FY18 net income by 43 times compared to the prior financial year, share prices have remained stubbornly low.Given the expected pullback in public spending, will Vizione be able to find new avenues of growth, ones that shareholders can latch on to? Dato’ Ng weighs in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the RM80.77 million tax bill, to reducing property prices at the behest of the Minister of Finance, K. Mohanachandran speaks about MK Land's bid to overcome challenges in the property sector.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Melisa Idris speaks to Ng Chet Chiang, CEO of Logistics Worldwide Express and one of the founders of Malaysia's pioneer courier company, City-Link Express, about the potential of e-commerce and lessons we can learn from China.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this day in age where the customer can go direct to the source for practically anything thanks to technology, just how relevant are tour agents today? We discuss this with Datuk Tan.We also ask him how tour agents are strategising to fend their turf from the likes of AirBnB who are encroaching into their territory. He further shares how regulation and policies have affected the Malaysian tourism industry. We also talk about the current travel trends and discuss the reasons why Malaysia is starting to lose its shine as a favourite tourist destination in this region. Listen in. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Umno Member of Parliament for Rembau, Khairy Jamaluddin, now holds the Finance Ministry portfolio in Barisan Nasional’s Shadow Cabinet. Melisa Idris speaks to him about Umno's role as the opposition, ahead of the party's General Assembly this weekend.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tun Mahathir's push for a third national car has ignited heated debate among Malaysians. Dato' Madani weighs in on the merits of such ambitions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tan Sri Dr. Munir Majid, Chairman of CIMB ASEAN Research Institute or CARI, and Dr. Donald Hanna, Chief Economist of the CIMB Group, discuss the whys and wherefores of the escalating trade spat between China and the US, what it means for the global economy and perhaps most importantly, the repercussions for Malaysia, which counts both protagonists as important trading partners. The duo also discuss the possibility of ASEAN, and the ASEAN Economic Community, playing a role, in future, in mitigating any fallout from poor-case outcome from the impasse.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Afif Bahardin addresses the public’s fatigue in the politicking and infighting that appears to be taking place within PKR. He also analyses why there was such a mixed response to the Port Dickson move, and if the PKR party polls is really about camps, between those aligned with Rafizi Ramli or Azmin Ali. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak to Datuk Liew Vui Keong, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department for Legal Affairs, about the role and responsibilities of a de facto law minister and how he views the plural legal system practiced here in Malaysia. We also discuss the progress of the Pakatan-Harapan government in granting more autonomy to Sabah and Sarawak.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Melisa speaks to the minister about his appointment and agenda, party politics between PAS and Amanah as well as the rice monopoly and BERNAS' role in the industry.They also talk about the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC), the recent trip to China and the development and modernization of the agriculture sector.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Malaysia Day, celebrate through a journey back in time with Malaysia's longest serving Member of Parliament Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. Tengku shares what it was like to work alongside leaders who led the country through independence, and tells the story of his own involvement with the Malayan-UN delegation that eventually led to the formation of the Federation of Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Having offered Islamic financial services in the country since 1994, HSBC Amanah Malaysia is now the country's 6th largest Islamic bank by branch network.Oz speaks about the Islamic finance's growth potential domestically vis a vis the global context.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the rolling out of the SST this week and the advent of smartphones as a key competitor, we speak to Andrew Koh, President and CEO of digital imaging solutions provider Canon Malaysia about their outlook under the new tax regime as well as how they're adapting to the new dynamic technology landscape.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malayan United Industries' (MUI) Andrew Khoo returned to the group end of last year as CEO after being absent for six years. Andrew is the son to the group's major shareholder Tan Sri Khoo Kay Peng. Andrew is back in the group at a time that is very different compared to when he left in 2012. The state of play today for MUI has changed drastically, coupled by fact that the group has been lossmaking for years now, with its latest 12-months results registering a net loss at RM130 million for FY2017. Andrew shares his plans to turn the group around.He reveals that the group is looking to be profitable in one to two years time as well. Andrew also shares that MUI is looking to launch new retail and hotel concepts. We discuss MUI's business transformation plans for its different business segments.Listen in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Group CEO, AirAsia, talks about the airline’s future, routes, expansion, fuel surcharges, aircraft and its long-standing feud with Malaysia Airports. He also discusses QPR, getting married and getting fit. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CIMB Group Holdings Bhd's Group CEO Tengku Dato' Seri Zafrul Aziz ponders on what it means for the banking group to do business in this New Malaysia.He also talks about the banking group's earnings outlook moving forward and the strategies CIMB will be undertaking in the midst of a tougher operating landscape.Zafrul reveals for the first time that CIMB will be kicking off T23 (Target 23) after T18 (Target 18) draws to a close this year. He says T23 will be built on different pillars and that includes customers, people and digital. He also shares that CIMB is in talks for more partnerships outside Malaysia. Zafrul does not discount another merger with a local bank in Malaysia but he stresses that CIMB wants to look to expand outside of Malaysia first. We also discuss the "purge" that has been happening in Corporate Malaysia. Does Zafrul feel safe?Listen in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dato’ Seri Dr Wan Azizah Dr Wan Ismail wears many hats in her personal and professional lives - medical doctor, devoted wife, steadfast party leader, and now the first woman Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia. We get up close and personal with her for reflections on her political journey and her priorities for the nation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amid the oversupply of retail space in Malaysia alongside the threat of e-commerce to brick and mortar stores, Sunway Malls aims to become the country's largest owner and operator of shopping malls.Kevin explains the growth strategies for specific assets within the company's portfolio, while sharing his outlook for the retail sector in the face of broader macroeconomic conditions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datuk Dr. Kuljit Singh is President of the Association of Private Hospitals Long waiting times and perceived disparity in service standards between public and private healthcare in Malaysia has been a long standing grouse. Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh of the Association of Private Hospital discusses the factors affecting healthcare services and proposals for reform to bridge the gap.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to the Statistics Department, Selangor’s urbanisation rate stands at 91%.  How does the state government balance the competing demands of development and conservation in improving the quality of urban living? We discuss the issues at hand with Selangor State Executive Councilor Haniza Talha. She also discusses gender diversity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite being one of the fastest growing banking sectors, Islamic finance is still relatively small compared to the global industry, and the sector has seen a decrease in its growth rate since 2014. What happened? We ask CIMB Islamic's CEO, Rafe Haneef this. Rafe also shares his insights on the evolution of Islamic banking and how VBI (Value-Based Intermediation) will change the state of play for the industry moving forward. VBI is a business strategy by Islamic financial institutions to create value and make an impact through their activities on the real economy, community and environment. What would this mean to the average consumer when VBI kicks in? We also discuss if Islamic banks are moving fast enough into the fintech world. The fast changing business landscape that has disrupted the finance world has impacted conventional banks and Islamic banking is not spared from the disruption. What is CIMB Islamic doing to stay relevant? Rafe shares his strategies with us. We also discuss CIMB Islamic’s performance in the midst of the fast changing landscape. Listen in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ng Zhu Hann, Director of Strategy for Country Garden Pacific View Sdn Bhd, updates listeners on its five projects in Malaysia that focus on Johor/Iskandar and the Klang Valley and the motivations that drive its operations here in terms of going beyond being a pure property developer to becoming more holistic in nature.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ARA Asset Management, which is partly owned by Li Ka Shing’s CK Asset, operates four malls in Malaysia. Chia shares the strategies adopted by one of Asia's largest REIT managers for its Malaysian assets, which has to contend with the current oversupply in retail space and fend off the e-commerce threat, while looking to grow its global portfolio size to SGD100 billion.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Subang MP Wong Chen offers a backbencher's unvarnished and personal take on how his party has performed in its first hundred days in office 25:08 - Dennis Kam, founder of The Harapan Tracker weighs in on this with some burning questions for Wong Chen.      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michelin, the second largest tire makers in the world, boasts capabilities of manufacturing high quality products. As a latecomer to the Malaysian market however, Michelin is up against other manufacturers who have been the top choice for Malaysians when purchasing tires for their vehicles. How do Malaysians make their choice when shopping for tires? Pascal Nouvellon, its Managing Director for Malaysia, gives us his insights.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since 1983, Grameen Bank has issued about US$25 billion in collateral-free loans to the poorest of the poor in Bangladesh, while boasting a loan repayment rate of 99%. 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, shares how his microcredit model has been successfully replicated in over 100 countries, while challenging existing norms in the mainstream financial sector.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The SST (Sales and Services Tax) is a hot topic in the country this year. With the targeted SST implementation date just weeks away are businesses ready?What can we expect when SST kicks in? The government says the SST would be a benefit to the consumers as it covers only 38% of CPI basket compared to 60% in the case of GST (Goods and Services Tax).But, would opportunists take advantage of the situation to justify upping prices again? What anti-profiteering measures can be put in place? We discuss this and more. Listen in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On May 9th, 32-year-old Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir trounced then-Felda chairman and UMNO veteran Tan Sri Shahrir Samad with a majority of about 20,000 votes for the Parliamentary seat of Johor Bahru. Akmal discusses the issues he plans to champion in Parliament as a first-term MP, and addresses the factionalism within PKR. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With a new leadership installed, the question is how different a course will this 20 year organisation, dedicated to providing financial aid to those wanting to pursue tertiary education, have to chart. Between the spirit of generosity (mesra) and commitment to instil financial prudence in the young, PTPTN attempts to collect from past borrowers to fund the future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rohit Nambiar is the Chief Executive Officer of AXA-Affin Life Insurance Company. We speak to Rohit on the impact of ownership limitations for foreign insurers in Malaysia, growth prospects in what seems to be a stagnating market and the benefit of introducing disruptive technology to AXA-Affin's medical insurance distribution network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Ian Goldin is the author of ‘The Pursuit of Development’ and ‘Age of Discovery’ and the Founding Director of the Oxford Martin School at Oxford University. The Oxford Martin School was established to pioneer research to address critical global challenges -- everything from climate change to inequality. We speak to Professor Goldin about what he thinks is the biggest challenge the world is facing this century.Ian Goldin also served as an advisor to President Nelson Mandela. Given that Malaysia is going through a transition of government for the first time in 60 years, Goldin also shares the lessons we can learn from South Africa’s period of transition.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Penang Transport Master Plan began with a push from civil society activists but has turned into a object of protest because of values that no longer fit its original purpose. With ballooning costs and criticism that its more of a “property play” rather than design to solve Penang’s transport woes in the most cost-efficient, environmentally-friendly and sustainable way. Today we speak to one of the sharpest critics on the current plan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Star Media Group’s OTT (over the top) business - dimsum - turns 2 this year and it was launched as the group wanted to evolve beyond the traditional media space. Star Media said it was going into OTT as the group needed to change to continue to be a sustainable business in the future. But to be sustainable, businesses need to be profitable. Is dimsum profitable? Kim reveals that it is still lossmaking. Granted dimsum has a strong backer - Star Media - with its deep pockets but even that tap can run dry if businesses bleed too long a time and cannot sustain themselves. On this, Kim shares their timeline and strategies to monetise this digital business. The OTT game is a competitive one, that is not just against local competitors, but with big global ones as well. What is dimsum doing to fight in this tough global game? Listen in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The East-West Center is a think tank based in Hawaii, set up by the US congress in 1960 to promote understanding between the US and the nations of Asia Pacific. We speak to Richard Vuylsteke, President of the East-West Center to discus US foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific, under the Trump administration.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yoong Hau Chun, Group Managing Director of the particleboard and furniture maker, HeveaBoard Bhd, shares his strategy on navigating tough times for the company, like high raw material costs, poor forex prices and tight labor conditions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UMNO finds itself on the opposition bench for the first time following GE14. Can the party reinvent itself in Malaysia Baharu? Melisa Idris speaks to Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, UMNO Youth's newly elected chief, on the future of the party and his stand on contentious issues like child marriage, RUU355 and the UEC. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In March 2018, Singapore tycoon Peter Lim injected the privately-held Thomson Medical Group and TMC Life Sciences into the Singapore-listed real estate firm Rowsley. It was then renamed Thomson Medical Group -- to reflect its change in focus from real estate to healthcare. We speak to Roy Quek, Executive Director of TMC Life Sciences, on aligning the group’s plans with its parent company, as well as the healthcare issues driving private healthcare business in Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently, thrust into a more public role, our guest this morning helps us understand the thinking among members of one the country’s oldest political parties. We ask him about the model Islamic government he’d like to see us emulate, the influence of Brunei in the Hudud agenda here, the place of non-Muslims, and the party’s relationship to Malay ethno-nationalism and “ketuanan Melayu”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new minister of land, water and natural resources is confident of wrapping up the Selangor water restructuring deal by August 10, as he gets a grip on other "major issues" such as environmental pollution, illegal logging and illegal wildlife trade. The PKR VP also shares his expectations ahead of the party's presidential elections, due in the coming months.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Understanding the Peoples’ Republic of China economical and geo-political meteoric rise is a growth-industry that remains unabated. China has also become a model for countries, not just in the developing, for managing large-scale social change. Today we explore one interpretation of the secret of China’s success.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Her Royal Highness Princess Dina Mired provides an update on the global fight against cancer, and highlights the importance of political will in keeping non-communicable diseases at bay.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Carlsberg Foundation claims to be one of the oldest industrial foundations, built on the success as a brewery in the late 19th century, which went on to invest part of its profits in fundamental scientific research. J.C. Jacobsen and his son, together have bequeath the world a fascinating model for ‘giving back to society’. Today, the Foundation continues the tradition.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Melisa Idris spoke to Gary Vaynerchuk, or better known as GaryVee, digital media mogul, best-selling author, serial entrepreneur and early investor in Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Birchbox. Find out what lessons he learnt from his biggest failures, his thoughts on the current state of social media and where he thinks the future lies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Raja Azmi Raja Nazuddin, the acting group CEO of Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad discusses GLC reform, its airport operating business, the relationship with stakeholders, new business directions and the proposed sale of its wholly owned airport in Turkey.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Established in 1918, Harrisons Malaysia celebrates its 100th year anniversary this year. Over the many years in business, Harrisons had a consistent stream of profits. However, a few years ago, the company's net profit earnings have been trending down and profit margins hit. Additionally, a closer look at their books show that the group’s trade and other receivables increased nearly 10% in just 3 months to RM336 million as at 31 March 2018 - hitting an all time high. What is Harrisons doing about these worrying trends? Chan shares with us their business strategies moving forward to build its earnings. We also discuss the group's strategy moving into retail as it looks to develop another stage of growth. Chan also reveals that Harrisons is looking into a dividend policy. The company doesn't have a policy today but it has been paying dividends -- this is even during the time when they fell into the red in FY2014.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

News portal Malaysiakini started back in 1999, born out of the flames of the Reformasi movement. In its two decades of operations, Malaysiakini has been raided by police and dragged to court numerous times. Now with the Opposition in power for the first time since Independence, Premesh Chandran, speaks about what comes next for Malaysiakini.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Packaging is the single biggest application of plastic, accounting for more than a quarter of plastic demand worldwide. In the war against plastic pollution, there has been a growing global crackdown on the use of plastic straws. We ask Brian May, Managing Director of Tetra Pak for Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines what packaging companies are doing to address this movement. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Having been in Malaysia since 1973, DHL Express is now leveraging on e-commerce to drive its growth. Chris talks about the prospects for his company and the industry, fuelled by changing consumer habits and projects such as the DFTZ.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.