The Breakfast Grille

This morning former Prime Minister Najib Razak was brought to court to be charged. Three charges of criminal breach of trust were laid against him. Today we explore the ways supporters and detractors, as well as the government, deal with the optics of story that has gone global.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the weekend, UMNO decided on continuity for party by electing Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as President. The competitive three-horse race saw Zahid up against Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Khairy Jamaluddin. Disappointment in the results saw one MP and former Puteri Wing chief leave the party and declare herself an independent. Today we explore the options before one the country’s oldest party, UMNO.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia H.E. Andrew Goledzinowski discusses the way forward for Malaysia-Australia trade and business links in a new era of a Pakatan Harapan government. H.E. Goledzinowski also discusses a much-speculated criminal extradition of convicted murderer Sirul Azhar in a possible re-opening of the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case. He also talks about the ever-evolving rapprochement with its (and Malaysia’s) biggest trading partner, China, as well as much-needed closure to the tragic disappearance of MAS flight MH370.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On July 1, US trade tariffs targeting rivals begin, some observers fear the kick-off to a much feared “trade war”. Coming after the failed G7 meet in Canada earlier this month when the US refused to sign of on a joint statement of a rules-based trading system, question are being asked about the future of globalisation. Today we explore some of the main issues in global trade and well as the regional outlook.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alpha REIT is Malaysia's first and only real estate investment trust dedicated to education-related properties. Can such a niche product thrive in a Malaysian-sized market? Having made the REIT's first acquisitions last year, Dato Labrooy shares the yet-to-be-listed REIT's strategy for portfolio expansion while outlining the growth prospects for the domestic private education industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UMNO veteran Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, or better known as Ku Li, has thrown his hat into the ring in the race for the UMNO presidency. Ahead of the party’s polls to elect its Supreme Council on 30 June 2018, Ku Li shares his vision for Umno and his plans for reform, should he take the helm.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we speak to the newly minted Minister on the many challenges facing both his Ministry as well as the government as a whole. We explore the balance of forensic analysis of the previous Administration - rife with allegations of corruption and sweetheart deals - and developing plans for the future. From the promise (and cost) of Peduli Sihat, to the building new hospitals in rural Malaysia (nine are pending) to conservatism in the health service.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tim Harford is an economist, Financial Times columnist, and best-selling author of 'The Undercover Economist' and 'Fifty Things That Made the Modern Economy'. He joins us on the Breakfast Grille to discuss the growing "crisis of confidence" in statistical data, and why he thinks IKEA’s Billy bookcase helped make the modern economy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 A self-described economic libertarian, Bryan Caplan's latest book, The Case Against Education argues that public education is a waste of time and money and that we should stop investing in it. Caplan believes that the primary function of education (especially higher education) is not to enhance students' skill but to certify their intelligence, work ethic, and conformity—in other words, to signal the qualities of a good employee. We speak to him about why, after decades of growing access to education, we are not experiencing better jobs for the average worker .See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On World Refugee Day, Richard Towle, Representative for UNHCR Malaysia, discusses his work safeguarding the rights and well-being of refugees and asylum-seekers worldwide, and specifically in Malaysia, where some 180 thousand registered and unregistered refugees, mainly Myanmar Rohingyas, are struggling to find work, habitable living conditions, healthcare and a modicum of self-respect.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BNP Paribas was one of the five foreign banks awarded the full commercial banking licence to operate in Malaysia 7 years ago in 2011. Philippe Aroyo shares the group's Malaysian journey thus far and business plans here. The overall banking landscape has changed, especially so in the past couple of years and many traditional banks have been impacted, including  BNP Paribas. We discuss the evolving business model for banks with non-banks entering the scene and the new operating environment in the New Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Malaysia undergoes its first ever government transition in history, many uncertainties still remain, such as the fate of projects undertaken and policies driven by the previous regime. Renowned economist Prof. Danny Quah attempts to shed some light on Malaysia Baharu and reviews the new government's fiscal and economic policies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Kamdar brand has been part of the retail landscape for the past 46 years and has been the go-to garment and textile store for many Malaysians, especially during festive occasions. We speak to the Managing Director of Kamdar Group, Kamal Kumar Kamdar about the longevity of the brand, and its future prospects in an increasingly competitive retail landscape.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Among the five most valuable tech companies in the world, Microsoft has seen a big shift under CEO Satya Nadella in the past four years. Microsoft is now embarking on another big reorganisation, which analysts say indicate a push away from the Windows operating system. But having lost in the search engine game to Google, the mobile hardware game to Apple, and social networks to Facebook - what's left for Microsoft? K Raman, the Managing Director of Microsoft Malaysia joins us on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the future of the tech giant and the pace of digital transformation in Malaysia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Both SIS and ABIM have been leading the conversation on the question of the role of Islam in life of the nation, a conversation that affects those within the faith community as well as those outside. Today, a few days before the end of the month of Ramadhan, we talk about the results of the 14th General Elections, the future of Malay ethno-nationalism and the dialogue between Muslims on different points on the political spectrum.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our panelist weigh in on the implications of reintroducing the local government elections and whether Malaysians are ready for "third vote".See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The newest player in Singapore's insurance sector - Singapore Life - is the first local insurer with no foreign partners to be licensed by the city-state since 1970. Having just commenced operations last year, they have since acquired a S$6 billion business portfolio from Zurich Life Singapore. We talk to Singapore Life's CEO Walter de Oude on the company's business model and M&A plans. The company utilises tech instead of agents to do business; is this the way forward for insurance companies? Are the days of insurance agents numbered?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After ruling the country for more than 60 years, UMNO's failure to capture Putrajaya in the recent elections came as a shock to those from within and outside the party alike. Melisa Idris explores if, and how, UMNO and Barisan Nasional can reinvent itself. She speaks to Zaidel Baharuddin, Executive Secretary of Barisan Nasional Youth and Dato’ Dr Vaseehar Hassan, author of ‘The Malay Leadership Mystique’, which explores Malay leadership qualities in politics and business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Heavily criticised on social media for his open criticism of the current administration for a lack of consensual decision-making process, his corrective on the impact of the Dr Mahathir factor in GE14, the man who once could do no wrong by the urban chattering classes, speaks about his approach to the new ground realities of Malaysian politics.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Mobius, previously the Executive Chairman of Templeton Emerging Markets Group and current founder of Mobius Capital Partners, says there could be an imminent 30% correction in US share markets and discusses the reasons underlying this opinion. He also discusses the prospects for ASEAN as an emerging market bloc and the role of China and India before expanding on Malaysia, where the 61-year-long rule of Barisan Nasional has been deposed, to be possibly replaced by a fresh era of reform and change. He ends by discussing his new fund, which is founded on Environment, Social and Governance principles.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In one of the first media interviews from a Finance Ministry representative, YB Ong Kian Ming attempts to clarify the country's current financial position and shares how they plan to tackle the RM1 trillion debt mountain. Kian Ming also sheds light on the transition from the Goods and Services Tax to the Sales and Services Tax. We also discuss the 1MDB story, in particular if the MoF is looking to re-structure the 1MDB debt. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The results of GE14 vindicated a 50-year struggle for one of Malaysia's longest-serving members of Parliament, YB Lim Kit Siang. He provides his analysis of the shock victory for Pakatan Harapan, which required tough decisions to drop DAP's rocket logo and to work with his former nemesis, Tun Dr. Mahathir.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pakatan Harapan administration has recently announced that GST will be zero-rated starting June 1, followed by the Sales and Services Tax (SST) making a comeback later on. With rising national debt, can Malaysia afford this? We speak to a panel of experts on the implications of abolishing GST, the way forward in implementing SST and the expected impact on Malaysians' cost of living.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Iron Lady talks about the outcome of GE14 and her hopes for the future of Malaysia. She also delves into the Supermax and Stanley Thai dilemma, the controversy around Air Asia and Tony Fernandes and her views on the Pakatan Harapan government, the cabinet and politics in general.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He stood against Barisan Nasional’s Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin and the PAS’ Fauzi Abu Bakar and bested the majority of his Pakatan predecessor, Nurul Izzah Anwar. Despite a majority of close to 5600 votes with just over 33,000 votes, a simple calculation of his opponent’s combined votes were which close to 33,000, we ask if his position in this KL constituency is secure. The difference between him and his opponents narrows to just 321 votes. Today, we explore both the on-ground reality of a constituency split between its 1percent and B40 denizens, as well as the national reform agenda. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Sarawak Report was one of the news portals infamously banned under the previous administration over its whistle-blowing reports. We catch up with its editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown on developments post GE14 and the portal's place in the media landscape.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Having moved from civil society into the state both our guests have a unique insight into the transformation of Malaysia. Today we explore how the electoral reform process might look like as we move towards the first Parliamentary session and the challenges of institutional reform and finally the debate around the role of civil society in a post-Barisan Nasional era. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite the warm after-glow of the recently concluded General Elections, the break from decades of Barisan Nasional-led authoritarian rule has its paradoxes, starting with the leadership of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Today we speak to veterans of the much repressed dissenting tradition in Malaysian politics about the prospects of genuine democracy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former President of the Malaysian Bar and ex-chair of electoral reform movement Bersih gives her take on the serious challenges for the newly-minted government of Pakatan Harapan.We explore everything from contract sanctity of mega-infrastructure projects now under review, to Rafizi Ramli’s “outburst” over Cabinet positions and political will to address the corruption allegations surrounding Sarawak power-broker Taib Mahmud.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We continue news coverage and analysis post-GE14 with Karim Raslan of KRA Group.We take a look at the future of UMNO and the need to be critical of the new Pakatan Harapan government to hold them accountable to their election promises.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brigadier-General Dato' Arshad Raji, the President of the National Patriots Association, speaks of how he prays for a Malaysia free of hate, racial prejudice, lies and corruption.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datuk Seri Jamil shares insights into the global halal business, how the Halal Development Corporation has performed under his leadership over the last 12 years and how the Malaysian halal ecosystem has evolved.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Qatar Airways is set to add 16 new destinations for 2018 and 2019 combined, despite expectations that the Gulf carrier will announce a "substantial' loss for the 12 months ending March 2018. Yet, given geopolitical tensions between Qatar and its neighbours, will that limit the airline's ambitions? And what role does Malaysia play in its global strategy?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Competition has intensified for insurers with non-traditional insurers entering the space. With the rise of FinTech companies, how does Zurich General Insurance set itself apart from the rising competition? David sheds light on this. We also talk about industry consolidation, Bank Negara's latest deadline for foreign life insurers and the future of insurance, specifically its affordability and accessibility. Listen in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Polling Day just 10 days away, and with Nomination Day two days behind us, we take a measure of the political ground as it shifts and changes. We talk about fence-sitters, Federal versus state dynamics, surprises in Sabah and seats to watch because they are barometers of the Malay ground.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Berhad is the country's oldest Takaful operator and currently the only pure Takaful player listed on Bursa Malaysia. It commands 23% of the family Takaful market, making it the market leader in this segment. But how long can it maintain its lead? We ask Dato' Sri Hassan Kamil how Takaful Malaysia plans to step up its digital push.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Globetronics Technology Berhad is an investment holding company that engages manufacturing, assembly, testing and sales in the semiconductor and electronics industries. Dato Heng gives us insights into the global electrical and electronic industry and how they are competing globally.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Education is central to the Malaysian Dream; seen as the key to upward mobility. And despite allocations of RM61.6 billion in Budget 2018, questions remain about the thinking behind reforms in the education system. Today, we look at party political manifestos; what they say about education and how it can be strengthened.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the EIS (Employment Insurance Scheme) system was first announced, it raised a number of questions. One of it was -- is the EIS system necessary? We ask Deputy CEO Datin Azlaily Rahman this. Since the implementation of the Employment Insurance System in January this year many employers, as well as employees, are still in the dark about the scheme. SOCSO estimates a total collection of RM479 million annually. Azlaily talks about what this contribution is for and explains their investment mandateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reading is an act of civilization; it’s one of the greatest acts of civilization because it takes the free raw material of the mind and builds castles of possibilities, says author Ben Okri. Yet all over the world educationists and parents worry that children are turning away from reading, and reading books in particular, to skim, swipe and browse. Today, on UNESCO’s World Book Day, we ask what’s at stake. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Microsoft Founder Bill Gates' calls “Enlightment Now” his "favorite book of all time”. The Canadian-American cognitive psychologist, and the author of at least 9 books, including “The Better Angels of Our Nature: A History of Violence and Humanity”, speaks to the scepticism of our age with evidence and a faith in a common human predilection for personal progress, security and happiness. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even with recent job wins, Advanceon's share prices have erased most of its gains since its February 2017 IPO. Yeo unearths the potential in the earthworks and civil engineering business, while sharing the company's outlook.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Having relaunched its brand in Malaysia in 2015, Tata Motors is hoping to gain larger market share in the domestic market. Rudrarup outlines the growth potential and strategy for India's largest automobile manufacturer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In March, Vladimir Putin won Russia's Presidential election to become the longest serving Russian leader since Joseph Stalin. We speak to Chris Miller, author of "Putinomics: Power and Money in Resurgent Russia" for insights. Chris attempts to address the success of the Russian president, going into Putin's politics, economic strategies and fiscal policy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Serba Dinamik has made a number of acquisitions in recent months, with more in the works. What kind of synergies and risks could this present to the energy solutions provider? We catch up with Group CEO Dato’ Dr Mohd Abdul Karim Abdullah on the company’s outlook.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rajeev Peshawaria, CEO of Iclif, the not-for-profit Bank Negara-funded leadership and organisational development centre, discusses his organisation’s evolving focus in the wake of recent 1MDB-related omissions in the financial services sector, Iclif's widening mandate and how leadership is changing in this era of ‘Naked’ - read: transparent — capitalism.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are manifestos still relevant in this day and age? Together with our guests, Ali Salman and Ben Suffian, we look at the economic impact of party manifestos and how it will shape the narrative of the upcoming elections.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the 29th of March, The Malaysian Insight, published an article on titled, "Mid-week Polling Date for GE14?" almost two weeks before the Election Commission confirmed the article's speculation. Today we ask what lead the portal to publish that story as well as the subsequent fallout as ordinary voters and political parties count the intended and unintended consequence of this move.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Indonesian listed Cardig Aero Services (CAS Group) is in businesses that centre around the air transportation industry, with businesses in logistics, airport handling and cargo, as well as catering and facilities management. Indonesia's aviation industry is vital for many Indonesians to travel across the nation, with its approximate 17,500 islands, and government and industry observers predict double-digit passenger growth this year, forecasting a 30% jump to 140 million in 2018. Diono talks about the potential of the aviation business in Indonesia and what are they doing to tap into this, as well as their plans to expand beyond the aviation industry. Listen in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As an emerging economy, Malaysia is an important partner for the European Union. Malaysia is the EU's second largest trade partner in the Southeast Asian region, whilst the EU is Malaysia's third largest trading partner. How relations between the two go beyond trade. We speak to H.E. Maria Castillo Fernandez, the ambassador of Delegation of the European Union to Malaysia to explore how the EU has been working with Malaysia in areas such as higher education, human rights, environment and sustainable economic development. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.