The Breakfast Grille

When iFlix was launched in 2015, it was hailed as the Netflix of Asia. Now, with Netflix rolling out globally, we speak to iFlix Group COO on how they intend to stay ahead in the ever challenging, video-on-demand space in Asia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Amin Saikal, Professor of Political Science at the Australian National University, discusses Iran's transition from a pro-Western democracy to Islamic Republic, its spat with Saudi Arabia, the return to global oil markets and its potential contribution to the global economy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the weekend a new political formation was launched with a slew of initiatives to overcome the weakness of it precursor, Pakatan Rakyat. The launch outlines seven areas which would be address including an much needed “dispute resolution” mechanism as well as a commitment to joint decisions, fostering political union and common policies. We speak about what went wrong with Pakatan Rakyat, Anwar Ibrahim’s departure from active involvement, PAS’s president Hadi Awang, the absence of Sabah and Sarawak parties, Parti Sosialis Malaysia and how the new alliance will deal with voter disenchantment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Flex Malaysia, previously known as Flextronics, rose to prominence in the 1990s building personal computers, mobile phones and routers for companies like Hewlett-Packard and Cisco. However, after losing market share to rivals over the years, Flextronics expanded into product design and distribution of finished goods. James Chuen,  VP of Global Account Management tells us more about how the company has evolved into a manufacturer for companies involved in the Internet of Things.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the cusp of being Malaysia’s first Resident Ambassador to The Vatican, we speak to the veteran Sabahan politician on the country’s international reputation on religious freedom, the shift in power dynamics to the benefit of East Malaysians, and Sabah and Sarawak’s development needs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leo Zanolini, Chief Executive Officer, QBE Insurance Malaysia, talks about his plan to grow this small(-ish) insurer in the country by focusing on niche areas like aviation and marine insurance, as well as the thinking behind its stake sale plans from a 100% ownership currently.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CEO of KWAP, Wan Kamaruzaman Wan Ahmad explains the sale of their London asset, the relationship KWAP has with the 1MDB linked company -SRC International, and more in this interview.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Affordability in public transportation has its genesis in creating fair contracts. If public transportation becomes too expensive, should the government act on behalf of providers or passengers. Is pleading the defence of sticking to contractual terms the only solution?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1MDB has dramatically highlighted the extent of the long arm of the government in business and the economy. We continue with the second part of our series on the State of the Economy focusing on whether the government should be an active participant in business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We take a look into how the government did in the past year after the ugly crash in the ringgit and the oil price. To what extent is the government to blame for our economic woes or to take credit from any positive factors?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Was this the worst year for media freedoms? Did the short-lived suspension of The Edge send a chilling effect over the still nascent practice of investigative journalism? And were all our possible heroes eclipsed by the negative stories that dominated the headlines. We speak to two veteran journalists for their insights into the media’s 2015.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason Brooke, the grandson of the last White Rajah, explains his family's continued work in the hornbill state of Sarawak.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eric Cheng, Co-founder and CEO of the Malaysian car buying Carsome site, discusses being a first-time entrepreneur, raising money, expansion plans, valuations, the business model, his 'moat', his investors, his metrics and the competition.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economic growth in most of the world may be stagnant but companies like EG Industries is getting a lot of business from increasing circuitry in household products. EG is also making strides in its transformation to an original design manufacturer (ODM) which allows for stepping into higher value added chains.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kannal Outsourcing is among the biggest outsourcing companies in Malaysia. Listen to CEO Raymond Dass, as he explains how this sector intends to stay competitive in the midst of an intense operating environment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Iskandar concept has been upon us for a decade now. Can it hold up to the test of going beyond property to solid long term economic development?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CMC Engineering is at the heart of the rail industry in Malaysia. Listen to their CEO, Dato' Rahman Yusof how they plan to optimize their role in the MRT2, LRT3 projects, plus the High Speed Rail enterprise that will soon take place in MalaysiaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2015 has been a tough year for plantation companies, with higher-than-expected global palm oil stocks, softening demand, and lacklustre CPO prices. Peter Benjamin, CEO of plantation firm United Malacca shares how the group plans to weather the volatility in the plantation sector, and what's in store for the company in 2016.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NYSE-listed engineering firm AECOM has had a hand in designing & implementing some of the world's most complex infrastructure projects across the globe. Scott Dunn sheds light on the group's presence in the region, as well as some of the projects it is involved in here in Malaysia, including the massive River of Life rejuvenation project, which is estimated to cost over RM1 billion. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

E-commerce service provider Dagang NeXchange (DNeX) is diversifying into the oil & gas sector despite the sector's challenging operating environment. Zainal Abidin shares his outlook for the oil market as well as updates of its acquisition of Ping Petroleum LtdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Euronext-listed game developer, Gameloft has come a long way since the early days of PC gaming to internet & mobile gaming. Country Manger Nathanael Noiraud shares his insights on staying relevant in the industry and its development pipeline.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

HeiTech Padu is the country's IT solutions provider for the government. Harris Ismail explains the pains in making governments their clients, but also the real rewards of doing business with them. He also looks into defense projects, especially the servicing of fighter jets for Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Funding projects that have the potential to uplift lives may not yield profits in the short term if at all. But there is a set of investors who don't mind that. IIX taps into a market that is timid about full-blown charity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dato' Azman Mahmud, CEO of Malaysia Investment Development Authority (MIDA), describes the current investment landscape in Malaysia, He however defends the monopolies in sectors like sugar and steel. Listen to the podcast for his explanation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How will the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement impact Malaysia? As negotiations come to a close, we find out from a panel of government representatives of the potential impact of the agreement and how it affects the nations competitiveness, labour, and sovereignty issues. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Malaysia races towards the convergence of accounting standards by 2018, we look at transparency in reporting standards with Tony Manwaring  Executive Director, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, CIMA  &  John Matheson, President of The Chartered Institute of Finance and Accountancy CIPFA. Join us on the Breakfast Grille as they unpack the state of Malaysian accountancy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cruise liner tour companies are pinning their growth hopes on Asia, despite low consumer awareness about cruise holidays. Farriek Tawfik, Director of Southeast Asia for Princess Cruises shares how the target demographic for this region is vastly different from that in the US, which is the No.1 cruise tour market in the world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scicom MSC Berhad started as a business process outsourcing firm. In nearly two decades, they grew into a multimillion ringgit business with a deep focus in operational consulting. They have also advised and worked with many governments in the Asia Pacific region. Listen as their CEO, Leo Ariyanayakam outlines Scicom's future aspirations on the Breakfast Grille.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For a company that is well over a hundred years old, Eu Yan Sang's new challenge is to tap into the youth demographic and into a very well-informed market that increasingly demands evidence. Eu Yan Sang also addresses environmental aspects in the sourcing of raw materials.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leading medical and travel security risk services company, International SOS is facing new competition from other healthcare & insurance players in the industry. Country Manager, David Ng also discusses how the group is coping with the current slowdown in the oil & gas sector, as clients in the upstream business scale back their operations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EUMCCI's mission is to support and develop the interest of EU businesses in Malaysia, as well as facilitate trade. Daniel Pans discusses if the current sentiment in Europe could impact trade.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Penang’s Transport Master Plan (TMP) is expected to contribute greatly to the development of the state, with over RM27 billion in transportation projects to be executed. Kon Yeow discusses the Council's plans to improve connectivity and challenges it faces. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SAP offers comprehensive end-to-end solutions for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). How would they face the kind of challenges from highly specialised apps that allow for picking and choosing and at a lower cost?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dexter Lau, Executive Director of the Sabah-based consumer packaging good company, Kim Teck Cheong, talks up his upcoming IPO and fields queries on its family owned structure, East Malaysian demand for consumer goods, competition, while offering some earnings visibility. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1971, Zev Siegl and two friends started a little coffee store in Seattle. They named that little coffee shop, the Starbucks Coffee Company. Listen to the podcast to learn more about the man known as Starbucks' first employee, and his commitment in helping young businesses traverse the rocky path of entrepreneurship. BFM spoke to Zev Siegl at the Global Transformation Forum, where he was a featured speaker.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ONE Championship claims to be Asia's largest sports media property, with a global broadcast to over 1 billion homes across 75 countries. CEO Victor Cui shares his strategy to grow the mixed martial arts organisation into a lucrative global sporting enterprise.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cagamas, the national mortgage corporation of Malaysia plays a vital role in the value chain to promote the spread of house ownership in Malaysia, acting as a bridge between financial institutions and home buyers to access cheaper funding. Chee Leong discusses the systemic risks within Malaysia's housing market and provide us an updates of its bond issuance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia Marine Heavy Engineering (MMHE) Bhd is going through some turbulent times, as their earnings stay depressed going into the final stretch for 2015. Listen to this podcast as Tuan Haji Abu Fitri explains how MMHE intends to stay relevant in the face of a very lean environment in the oil & gas sector.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The licensing regime has been a huge burden on taxi drivers for decades. The emergence of the so-called ride-sharing apps like Uber and GrabTaxi has surfaced this problem more acutely.  We ask SPAD why the government doesn't rise up to the challenge of beating these apps at their game by reducing rent-seeking practices.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to this podcast as Michael O'Keeffe, CEO of globally renowned skincare brand, Aesop, defends it's premium pricing  brand and how he sees this as the 'Ferrari' of cosmetics in the 21st century.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We find out whether Sime Darby, the world's largest palm oil planter, has a truly sustainable business in the plantation sector. Also, they are asked about the haze issue, and what we, as consumers, can do to beat this annual pain. Listen to this podcast, as Rashid Anwaruddin, Head of Sustainability, Sime Darby, responds to our questions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite the rising phenomenon of online trading for everything, Cash Converters remains relevant because they offer customers the chance to touch and feel of a whole range of second-hand goods. Does Cash Converters have the special knowledge on the value of everything and do they exploit information unevenness for what is a highly profitable business?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahmad Hadri Haris, CEO of GreenTech Malaysia, discusses his mandate to 'green' the nation within the company's four pillars of green financing, green procurement, electric (vehicle) mobility and sustainable living -- and the challenges of succeeding in the context of the country's assorted challenges of vested interests and corrupt practices.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dato' Muzaffar Hisham, CEO of Maybank Islamic leads the country's largest Islamic bank by assets and by branch network. Listen to the podcast to find out what it takes to rise to the top, and how they intend to stay there.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Philip Smith, CEO of Zurich Insurance Group, discusses ambitious Malaysian market growth plans, company KPIs, takaful plans, operational statistics (like claims and combined ratios), Group HQ challenges, marketing strategy, investment performance and the Malaysian economic outlook.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Corporate Malaysia is seeing a downturn in earnings and accounting firms like PwC are also coming under pressure to undercut fees. Sridharan discusses the firm's pipeline and the client-screening controls it has to protect the firm, as auditors also come under higher expectations to fulfill a more public role in ensuring financial reports are credible and the information contained within can be relied upon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On a panel discussion, we grille Dato' Nur Jazlan Mohamed and Tan Sri Samad Alias on why they vacated their posts, as PAC Chairman, and 1MDB Advisor respectively. Questions are posed to these gentlemen, who are Chartered Accountants themselves, on the Home Ministry and 1MDB. In addition, we also garner their views on improving transparency.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 The SME sector will be the driving force that will help propel the nation's growth.  But with much of the sector still unable to access adequate finance, will SME Bank step up to the plate and bank on these entrepreneurs to reach their goals? Listen to the podcast as SME Bank MD Datuk Radzif Yunus explains more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you look at a city’s skyline, chances are the global construction giant Turner, has had a hand in shaping it. It’s built the Burj Khalifa in the UEA, the Taipei 101 tower in Taiwan, and is now involved in the Tun Razak Exchange and the Warisan Tower here in Malaysia. Nick Billotti, chairman of Turner International, however, insists the company wants to do more than just build the next skyscraper. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore further the fairness of the personal asset injections by Datuk Tee who is the major shareholder of Fututech. Fututech will be specialising in the construction of property with the almost RM3b orderbook that comes with the new new assets. We ask Datuk Tee whether this is better than construction of roads and bridges. Fututech also has high client concentration risks with only 3 main customers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.