The Breakfast Grille

Just a short distance from luxe KLCC and the financial/diplomatic enclave of Ampang lies Kg Bharu where much needs to be done to usher it into the 21st century. Listen to Datuk Affendi Zahari, Chairman of Kg Bharu Development Corp, or Perbadanan Kg Bharu (PKB) as he explains how PKB intends to achieve their targets.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crowdsourced translation platform Flitto’s entire business proposition is premised on the argument that machine translation will never as accurate as translation done by humans. Listen to the interview with founder and CEO Simon Lee, to see if you agree. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Viewers are not necessarily switching off TV3, NTV7, 8TV and TV9 for now. Media Prima is dealing with the competitive landscape by focusing on for instance vernacular content. Their online platform Tonton, which is among the most visited websites in Malaysia, buys them some time to think about an online model.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore Precious Metals Exchange (SGPMX) claims to be the world's first physical precious metals exchange that gives investors an online platform to buy and sell gold. Founder and CEO of SGMPX, Victor Foo, explains how the company aims to address all the problems that comes with owning physical precious metal: Where do you buy it? How do you move it? Where do you store it? And how do you trade it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In his third appearance on the Grille, Datuk Darrel Webber, CEO, Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil, discusses the RSPO's ongoing relevance, 'greenwashing' and competing certifications.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday a Memorandum for Understanding was signed in Dhaka, between the Bangladesh’s Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam and Malaysia's Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem. This agreement was called a G-2-G Plus deal. Today we ask what the Plus means, if the new recruitment system will bring an end to the problem of undocumented workers, the lack of government responsiveness to protests and also, who is going to benefit from this move.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The RM6.3b Penang Undersea Tunnel project has courted much controversy with their high price tag, RM305m feasibility study and service bartered for land. We look more closely at the respective roles of the consortium partners, Zenith Construction Bhd and Beijing Urban Construction Group or BUCG. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sujatha Sekhar Naik, Chief Executive Officer of the Securities Industry Dispute Resolution Center (SIDREC), discusses her role in providing a free service for the settlement of disputes between investors and capital market intermediaries like brokers, unit trust management companies and fund managers.  She discusses the operational challenges of running SIDREC, her KPIs and the role it plays in further developing the country's capital markets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Victor Goon, General Manager of BonusKad Loyalty, discusses the business model and strategic plans for one of Malaysia's most-established loyalty cards.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SAAB intends to sell their Gripen fighter jets to Malaysia as replacements to the aging Russian MiG and Sukhoi jets. Listen to Thomas Lindén as he explains how they intend to do this while making procurement processes more transparent.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is commission-based advisory conflicted because it opens the door to product pushing rather than aligning adviser-client interests? We discuss whether it's time to explore other models remunerating financial advisers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Atlas Copco is a Swedish industrial giant whose products are found everywhere but whose name is not well known to the public. Listen to their General Manager, Francis Liekens as he tells us more about this enigmatic company.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the once politically and socially significant community deals with changes brought about by a dwindling population, migration, shifting political allegiances, changing social priorities, we ask what the future holds for economically dynamic Chinese community. In recognising the diversity of the community itself - in terms of class, language, regional distribution - our panellists pose the question, what form will solutions to the problem take. And finally, the question of leadership emerges and who are ordinary Chinese looking to for future direction.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 155-year old Swiss watch brand, Tag Heuer, has seen a year of change. The company saw a leadership change; they readjusted their price positioning; and they joined the smartwatch game - partnering with Google and Intel - to combat the threat of the Apple Watch. Amelia Sillard, vice president of Tag Heuer Southeast Asia tells us more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tan Sri Lin feels that Bank Negara's role in handling of the 1MDB saga is very well defined and limited to exchange controls. He also feels that Malaysia needs reform and the separation of the roles of the finance minister and prime minister. Other views; the ringgit is undervalued and small banks have as much of a role to play as big banks. Tan Sri Lin also has some advice on how to pick a governor after Tan Sri Zeti ends her term. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dato' CM Vignaesvaran, CEO of Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF) explains the role they play in the upskilling of the workforce in Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Think City is a subsidiary of Khazanah tasked to spearhead urban regeneration in Malaysia. Executive Director, Hamdan Majeed, discusses ThinkCity's experiences from its work in Georgetown and their plans for urban renewal in Kuala Lumpur.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahmed Tahoun, Vice President of the Arab-Malaysian Chamber of Commerce discusses AMCC's role in fostering business opportunities between Malaysia and the Middle East. Listen to the podcast to learn more about tapping into the business potential of the Arab world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the motion to sign and ratify the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement passed by the Dewan Rakyat, Malaysia's entry into the bloc is closer to becoming a reality. We look into TPP's machinations including whether it is a tool for American hegemony as well as how the agreement would potentially sit with other trade pacts like the RCEP (Regional Comphrehensive Economic Partnership) pushed by China and Asean's AEC.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Gurdial Singh Nijar from the Law Faculty of Universiti Malaya and Fifa Rahman, Policy Manager at the Malaysian AIDS Council discuss their areas of concern in the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement.    Prof Gurdial argues the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism will make it hard for governments to protect their citizens’ best interests, while Fifa explores the impact of the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) provisions on pharmaceuticals. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wan Saiful Wan Jan, CEO of the think-tank IDEAS and YB Wong Chen, Member of Parliament, Kelana Jaya, discuss the controversial TPP bill in terms of its economic and trade aspects but also geopolitics and the extent of America's and China's ongoing tussle on multiple fronts and geographies. The duo also discuss the practical and execution aspects of the Bill, once the discussions are wrapped.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Medical tourism is big business. And Malaysia, while already a name in the market, wants to secure a bigger piece of the pie. And so the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) was established to promote Malaysia as a top medical travel destination. Sherene Azli, CEO of MHTC, tells BFM what it takes to build a name as a destination for world-class healthcare. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Five months and 21 days into his new Ministerial role following the July 2015 Cabinet reshuffle, Wan Junaidi has had to parry several tough environmental problems. Before the reshuffle the Minister was Deputy Home Minister and has also held the position of Deputy Speaker of Parliament. And as one of the more senior members of cabinet from Sarawak, we also tap him on the "devolution" agenda and the up coming state elections.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Projections from the United Nations Global Policy Model released recently showed that the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement will likely only bring minimal GDP growth to Malaysia’s economy, and lead to job losses and higher inequality. Economist Professor Jomo Kwame Sundaram discusses this, on the Breakfast Grille.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Yunus last year retired as a Court of Appeal judge, after 23 years on the bench. Presiding over landmark cases such as the Negri Sembilan transgender case, Datuk Hishamudin is a passionate advocate of judicial integrity and independence. Listen to the Breakfast Grille for an insider's look at what works in the Malaysian judiciary, and what doesn't.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Kuan Chung-Ming, former minister of Taiwan's National Development Council discusses Taiwan's stalling economy and the potential shift in cross-straits relations with Beijing. Professor Kuan Chung-Ming was a featured speaker in a forum organised by the Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia (JCI), Sunway University.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.