The Breakfast Grille

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.

Having served in the United Nations holding the position of a Senior Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer, our guest today is well placed to clarify the often used but seldom interrogated notion itself. The editor of the journal "Perspectives on Terrorism”, his definition of text-book terrorism is well-known though not widely accepted with the notable exception of the Supreme Court of India which adopted it in a 2003 ruling as acts of peacetime equivalents of war crimes. Today we also ask about state violence, media complicity and the possibilities of de-radicalisation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Haida Shenny Hazri, Chief Executive Officer of Tok Bali Supply Base, talks about setting up an offshore oil & gas supply base in the depths of an energy industry slump, competition from its neighbors in Kemaman and the track record and expertise of its Kelantan royal family shareholders.She also talks about the fiscal wherewithal of the family and its foreign Le Mercier investors as well as its clients, revenue streams and business proposition.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite its controversy and detractors, the GST is going to turn out to be a viable major revenue generator. And since the government has raised the inconvenient question of consumers funding the nation's coffers, is it now time to seriously explore other elephants in the room like corruption?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The haemorrhage in the ringgit and oil price would put more of a spotlight on Budget 2016. This is coming at a time when the rakyat is becoming ever more vocal about rising living expenses. We look for ideas from our expert panel about what can be done to fund these diverse needs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fitch Ratings, one of the “Big Three" credit rating agencies has maintained an A- rating for Malaysian government bonds. Ahead of the Budget Day tomorrow, we flesh out Fitch's viewpoint of our nation's financial health and ask how we can spend on much needed development while keeping ratings intact.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard Fostier is the Group Deputy CEO of Colas Rail. They are involved in the MRT and LRT projects of the country. They are also bidding for the High Speed Rail Project connecting KL and Singapore. Listen to the podcast to find out if they play by the same rules as other rail companies. And what the future holds for a country that invests heavily in the rail projects.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Premier of China is now in the United Kingdom, having only recently visited the United States. He’s crafted his message to the global public in carefully managed public relations campaign - a generous rising world power. Back home he’s promoted his nationalist credentials with some success. But critics also point out that his self-defined image as a consensus builder is contradicted by his grab of institutional power. So is he a child of Mao Zedong or Deng Xiaoping? And can China’s economic aspirations be achieved without political and institutional reforms? The author of “Chinese Politics in the Era of Xi Jinping: Renaissance, Reform, or Retrogression?” takes off those rose-tinted glasses that many have view contemporary China. Interview conducted by Sharaad Kuttan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chew Chee Seng, the MD and CEO of Managepay Systems, discusses the need to create an aggressive cashless payment environment in Malaysia, and how it will benefit the nation in the long-run.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia's film industry is at a crossroads. While there are plenty of talent and creativity around, Malaysia is in dire need of entrepreneurial and business-minded filmakers. Listen to this podcast where Dato' Kamil Othman, the Director General of FINAS, explains his efforts in making this industry not only a commercially attractive one, but highly creative as well.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Logistics company Xin Hwa Holdings went for IPO recently -- at a time when not many companies would have been brave enough to do so. Chief Financial Officer, Kok Poh Fui, argues the strength of the company's business model gave them the confidence to list at such a volatile time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meor Amri Meor Ayob, CEO of Bond Pricing Agency Malaysia, explains the local bond market, the difficulty of pricing this asset class, the efforts and challenge of increasing retail participation, and the concept of implied market pricing, particularly in relation to Malaysian government bonds, which are currently being traded at significantly lower levels than its official rating .See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since Mayland's management control of Land & General back in 2007, things have been looking up for the property group. Revenues and profits have grown sharply and the strength of its balance sheet makes it timely to expand further. We ask the question of how conflicts with Mayland which engages in its own property projects are resolved and also whether they are worried about the current soft property sentiment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bitcoins have gold- and money-like characteristics. Proponents would in fact say that because bitcoin supply is limited and its mining difficult, it is better than the QE-fraught endless supply of money. However, the high computing power required to prevent bitcoins from being duplicated has pushed mining from the home to the realm of profit-seeking mining companies like Bitcoin Group. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leaders from over 190 nations will gather in Paris later in December to discuss a possible new global agreement on climate change, aimed at reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and avoiding the real threat of global warming. H.E. Christophe Penot discusses the political will necessary for action, as well as how France is dealing with its worst migrant crisis amidst rising right-wing rhetoric in Europe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fastacash works with mobile operators and financial institutions to let users transfer 'value', be it money, airtime, coupons, through social networks and messaging platforms like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Twitter, SMS, email, etc. Vince Tallent, the Chairman and CEO of Singapore-based company discusses how Fastacash is changing the way users transfer funds.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Xayaraj, Co-Founder & CEO of the SGX-listed Sabana REIT, discusses the implications of managing what it claims is the world's largest listed Shariah-compliant Industrial REIT, the challenges of negotiating a master lease renewal program in the middle of trying economic times and competition from cheaper, equally connected industrial assets in nearby Muslim Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia is an underinsured and undercovered nation. U For Life is a company that tries to address this by selling cheap life insurance policies online. Coverage comes at for as little as just under RM10 a month. A high level of affordability is made possible by the sale of term insurance online which contrasts vastly with the bells and whistles of agent-driven whole life policies. We ask whether term policies will rule the insurance world soon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GiveDirectly is trying to help poor people in the developing world in an unusual way: by sending them money with no strings attached. But what of the proverb 'Teach a man to fish'? Michael Faye, the co-founder and executive chairman of GiveDirectly, shares how unconditional cash transfers have been proven to alleviate poverty in the long run.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

iFast Corporation, through its branding, Fundsupermart.com, has been selling unit trusts online for over 15 years. While they are big in Singapore and Hong Kong, they are striving to make further inroads into Malaysia. Listen to the podcast to find out what their plans and thoughts are on breaking through the Malaysian market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

LHN Group is in the business of optimizing spaces in Singapore, the world's most densely populated country. With over 7,000 persons per square kilometer, is the market huge enough to support this extremely niche business? Listen to the podcast to find out more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steve Morley, VP Asia Pacific of the NYSE-listed health and fitness wearables company Fitbit, discusses Asia-Pacific growth strategy and cheap Chinese competition. He also addresses challenges like faddishness, usefulness of fitness data, intellectual property infringement, data privacy concerns and skin damage complaints.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senator Paul Low, Minister in the PM's Department is in charge of integrity and good governance. We ask him about the political funding committee and how he intends to pass this law in parliament, knowing very well that it may not serve in the best interest of some politicians. Download this podcast to find out more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 30% Club was founded in Britain, and as per its name, the group’s goal is to boost the proportion of women on boards of directors to 30 percent in coming years. Elizabeth Passey, Steering Committee member of the 30% Club, addresses that age-old question: Are quotas the best way of getting more women on boards, and keeping them there?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hartmut Mueller, Managing Director of MAN discusses if the heavy vehicle industry is an accurate gauge of Malaysia's manufacturing sector. He also weighs in on the scandal plaguing MAN's parent company, Volkswagen. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.