The Breakfast Grille

Bank Simpanan Nasional, set up by an Act of Parliament in 1974, continues with the social objective of raising savings rates and savings awareness among schoolchildren and the young. A system of registered banking agents has also been launched for a few years to bring banking services to rural areas. These created a win-win situation which allowed BSN to raise deposits cheaply, fulfil social objectives and bring customer traffic to these agents. But in a very competitive banking landscape, is this enough?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datuk Abdul Hak Amin, managing director of EA Technique (M) Bhd comes on the Breakfast Grille to discuss the future of his company post-listing. EA, which went, public just over a month ago, is mainly an owner and operator of marine vessels. The group has an orderbook of around RM1.2 billion, but the share price has been sluggish since its debut on concerns of oil. So we ask about EA saying that it is unfazed by the oil situation and what else it has in the pipeline to grow the business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datuk Dr Chin Yew Sin, in his capacity as Secretary General of ASEAN-China Economic and Trade Promotion Association comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the relationship between the two parties and how it could develop. Established in 2010, the main aim of the Association is to extend the economic and trade cooperation between ASEAN and China and build a platform for interaction between the two parties. We ask about the relationship between the two amid the changing global economic landscape.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Melisa Idris speaks to Dato’ Charon Mokhzani, Managing Director of Khazanah Research Institute, as they dissect the institute’s State of Households report, which sets out some of the most pressing issues regarding household income, wages, housing, and debt.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster, Dr David Suzuki, breaks down in tears, as he talks about his fears over the future of the planet for his grandchildren. Suzuki also voices his long-time frustration at the obsession for economic growth at the sacrifice of nature, while urging us all to strive for better quality of life.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Masers finds itself in the almost utopic situation of being in the business of renewable energy and ultra high broadband speeds. All this being done at reasonable pricing which for all intents and purposes is disruptive. We look into the viability of these businesses especially since the oil price crash makes renewables less competitive as an energy source. Also, will the availability of cheap and fast broadband face retaliatory actions by current playersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Chin, the group executive director for Minetech Resources Bhd comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the company's prospects as it attempts to streamline its business. Minetech is in the business of mining and civil engineering, but has been loss-making for the past two financial years. We ask Matt about the the return path to profitability and query him about the active trading surrounding the company's counter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WordPress which powers 22 percent of the world’s top 10 million websites is one of the world market leader in the web-publishing industry. Matt Mullenweg shares how the group is making the web a better place and his idea for an independent web making each site unique and originalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reckless bank activity leading up to the global financial crisis of 2008 resulted in great hardships that affected lives of ordinary people. Too-big-to-fail banks, by now cliches, that held the economy at ransom put the spotlight on the adequacy of the regulatory framework and indeed capitalism itself. In Lord Turner's words, "the financial crisis had challenged the intellectual assumptions on which previous regulatory approaches were largely built", It remains to be seen whether tighter regulation that framed things like Basel III and the Volcker rule will do the job of preventing another crisis and its related human fallouts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Headquartered in Singapore, Milaap is changing how social enterprise works through crowd-funding with its online fund-raising platform that enables people around the world to fund and impact communities that they care about. Sourabh Sharma shares the missions of the organisation and how its contributions is channelled directly to those in need whilst keeping its operations self-sustaining. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the final episode of our Breakfast Grille round-up for 2014, we look into tech-related and new economy grilles that we have done for the year. Most memorably, we have seen tech players like Uber riling up the industry and even drawing the eye of our local transport regulators SPAD. We also dissect concepts like crowd funding which is no longer the domain of Silicon Valley.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the second episode of our Breakfast Grille round-up for 2014, we look into oil & gas related grilles that we have done for the year. Current oil prices is pushing the industry to the brink and corporations are feeling the pain. Liaw Thong Jung shares his insights how long the nation can sustain the rout.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the first episode of our Breakfast Grille round-up for 2014, we look into property-related grilles that we have done for the year. The property industry was laden with government measures and policies as issues like affordable housing and curbing speculation come to the fore. Siva Shanker shares his insights of how the industry has performed for the year and its outlook. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tan Yew Sing, first vice president of the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the ups and downs of the Malaysia-China relationship. The MCCC aims to promote interaction, cooperation and investment, among others, between Malaysia and China. Currently MCCC's membership stands at 1,400 corporate members. Given that China is Malaysia's largest trading partner, we ask about the relationship between the two countries, how the current corruption crackdown impacts business and what more can be done to strengthen ties.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today CEOs are are increasingly likened to national leaders as their organisations command a sizeable part of the global economy with a GDP contribution of tiny nations. Linda shares the leadership challenges in the Asian context and also contrast it against local Malaysia power structures with your titles and honorifics.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ian Angell CEO for Tamarind Energy comes on the Breakfast Grille to answer the question as to who Tamarind is. Tamarind Energy came into the spotlight when it formed a US800 million partnership Blackstone Energy partners to focus on oil and gas exploration in South East Asia. Private equity firm Blackstone needs no introduction so we ask Tamarind about the partnership, what are the conditions attached and given the current weakness in the oil and gas sector, the sheer challenges looming ahead.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With pharmaceuticals playing such a big role in healthcare, innovation is a key focus for Novartis. But how are the high R&D costs paid for given that a lot of these disease-curing drugs are too expensive for the poor? We also discuss the controversial pharma clauses in the TPPA as well as the ethics of drug marketing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ecuador lies almost half way around the world, and is the 11th largest trading partner that Malaysia has in Latin America. Its turn towards Southeast Asia is part of it re-orientation away from its traditional markets and political partners of the United States of America and Europe. The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People’s Trade Treaty or ALBA-TCP by its Spanish acronym is an opportunity for Malaysian businesses. We exploreSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In his blog, former New Straits Times chief recently called on the Prime Minister to speak plainly about the country’s economy. It was the latest in a series of trenchant criticisms of the PM Najib Razak’s performance and style. Claiming that Najib’s “presidential” style has put him at odds with traditionalists in the party who value a consultative approach. For Kadir, Najib is likely to be unchallenged going into the 14th General Election but not necessarily with positive results for the ruling coalition. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The international NGO known for its infamous sting operations to expose corruption and human rights abuses kept Malaysians engrossed with its revealing footage of the state of corruption in Sarawak. Established in 1993, the NGO has since grown in size from its early environmental causes and is now tackling wider issues within the global financial system to end corporate anonymity and use of shell companies to channel illicit funds. Patrick Alley shares how the organisation has evolved and if Malaysia is still on its watch list. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tan Sir Megat Najmuddin, joins us on the Breakfast Grille in his capacity as President of the Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance. Established in March 1998, MICG is a neutral non-profit body with a mandate to raise the awareness and practice of good corporate governance in Malaysia. Today is World Anti-Corruption Day so we ask Tan Sri about the state of corporate governance in Malaysia as well as his first role in the MACC. We ask about war on corruption and what battles we have won and the battles where we still need to soldier on. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The crowdfunding platform democratises funding access for good business ideas that may not fulfil IPO size or profitability requirements. Malaysia's Security Commission is taking the lead in this area. The wisdom of the crowds also turns the concept of a good business idea on its head as lines between profitability and desirability are blurred as seen in the tens of thousands of dollars that were raised for the whacky potato salad idea. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since taking the mantel of the country’s oldest public university, this ENT specialist has had the unenviable task to managing negative perceptions resulting from several controversies: the removal of UM’s Center of Democracy and Elections, the prosecution of student activists called the UM8, the sedition charge against law professor Azmi Sharom and its refusal to participate in the Times Higher Education university rankings. We also engage him on the question of the government’s plan to be the sixth largest higher education exporter by 2020. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tan Kay Yen, CEO of Green Packet Bhd comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about life after the divestment of its telecommunications arm P1 to Telekom Malaysia. He talks about what is next for the company, its working relationship with P1 and what is their growth strategy going forward.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Raj Lorenz, group CEO of GHL Systems Bhd comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the future direction of the company in the transaction payment acquisition segment. He talks about moving away from the the traditional hardware payment business and into the realm of services, as well as the challenges that the company may face. He also gives a snapshot of GHL's operations in Philippines and Thailand as well as what is in the company's M&A pipeline.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Loh Kok Chen, managing director of Tek Seng Holdings Bhd comes on to talk about the company's future direction as it branches into the new business of photovoltaic (PV) products. Tek Seng has been involved in the manufacturing and trading of polyvinyl chloride products for more than 30 years, so we ask Loh about why the company decided to foray into the PV, how the company hopes to grow the business and the what the entry of Taiwan's SolarTech means for its future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DIBS, RPGT, LTV... These are just some some of the alphabet soup of measures that have been unleashed on the property sector over the last two years. Property developers are feeling the pain of lower volumes and REHDA feels that some measures are too drastic. We look at how this view fits into the need to manage housing affordability and banking system prudence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The low-cost and no-frills revolution has permeated a great part of society. A revamp of the healthcare provision model not only reduces costs for patients but is ethically urgent. Columbia Asia's model however goes against conventional thinking in scale economies and we find out how they do this.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alexandra Boakes Tracy, Non-Executive Chairman of the Association for Sustainable & Responsible Investment in Asia (ASRIA), discusses her epiphany moment, the role of Asria and the definition of socially responsible investing. She also talks about ROIs and adoption, among other challenges such as policy (un)certainty, the potential for abuse, the relative lack of disclosure and universal reporting standards among other Emerging Markets challenges, which conspire to raise investment costs. She also discusses frontier market risks and the risk of carbon bubbles forming.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Wong Jun Shyan, CEO of International Specialist Eye Centre (ISEC), discusses his SGX listing, use of listing proceeds and growth plans, pipeline of qualified specialist ophthalmologists, industry drivers, medicine and equipment costs, regional growth and regulatory hurdles, the Singapore market and its single-client dependency. He also talks about CAGR and margin expectations, amongst others.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tan Sri Mohd Munir Majid, joins us on the Breakfast Grille in his capacity as chairman of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council Malaysia. The ASEAN Business advisory council Malaysia, or Asean BAC, was set up with the purpose of providing private sector feedback and guidance to boost ASEAN's aims of economic integration. Next year is a pivotal year for Malaysia as it becomes the chair for ASEAN, but challenges remain so we ask him to shed some light on what it really means to be a member of the ASEAN economic community and whether soft diplomacy really works.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coursera occupies a unique space in the education sector with its online education platform enabling students worldwide to sign up for its online courses all for free. With its partnerships with top-universities, Coursera is breaking new ground of how we learn and earn a degree. Richard C. Levin shares his plans to expand its user base and if the days of attending local varsities are numbered. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The coup which gripped Thailand earlier this year has had a limited impact on Minor International. Occupancy in their very high end hotels suffered but Minor is optimistic in Thailand bouncing back. Mass market staples offered by their quick service restaurants like Burger King and Swenson's were not affected by the coup. Over the longer term Minor hopes to be a conduit for Thailand's rising affluence and capture the spectrum of income points.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The digital economy is said to be the great equaliser. Companies like iMoney serve as a go-between that raises awareness for the public looking for the best deals offered by financial institutions. We look at how the expected critical analysis in financial literacy sits well with the profit-maximising motives of banks. We also talk about iMoney's regionalisation plans and the related look into funding practices in the tech world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Calling a spade, a spade,” says Nur Jazlan Mohamed when we asked him how he deals with criticism from his fellow party members on issues such as the Causeway toll hike and the Eastern Dispersal Link. As chairperson of the bi-partisan parliamentary body that is tasked with scrutinizing the Auditor-General’s report, he’s had to manage rising public expectations for thoroughness in dealing with wastage and corruption. We touch on Johor’s reliance on Singapore to make the Iskandar project become a growth engine, the role of the Johor royal house in business, 1MDB, the Felcra controversy and reform in UMNO.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Breakfast Grille is Yaw Chun Soon, executive director of Talam Transform Bhd. Formerly a prominent property developer, backed by well-known businessman Tan Sri Chan Ah Chye, Talam found itself laden with debt and dogged with a reputation for poor quality housing in the years following the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.  The company has spent the better part of the past decade paring down its sandbank to pay for its loans, settling out of court with its various joint venture partners and finally changed its name to reflect its progress. We ask him what his plans are for the future, how the company intends to shake the public's negative perception of Talam and whether Tan Sri Chan still holds the reins. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Arun Kumar, director of Manipal Group Malaysia, comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the group's plans to expand into the private healthcare sector. The group has already acquired a 70 bed hospital in Klang with an eye on more. India-based Manipal is already a well known name, with global alumni that includes the current Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. However, both the education and private healthcare are extremely crowded arenas, so we ask how Manipal intends to stand out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amit Sevak, CEO, INTI Education Group and also CEO of Laureate Malaysia, discusses Inti's performance, the country's education sector and answers brickbats about Laureate. He also discusses in detail the private-public conundrum and the role of business in education.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emmanuel Nivet, CEO of AXA Affin General Insurance, discusses the JV's performance, challenges on agency workforce and upskilling (among sales distribution system and workforce issues) and rankings. He also talks about the challenges of competing for the under-insured SME sector as well as the deregulating motor and fire sectors, which form the majority of Malaysia's insurance industry. In turn, he discusses risk management and his desire for specificity in premiums for differing classes of user. He also talks about M&A in local insurance sector and whether they are buyers or sellers. He adds insights on the firm's investment performance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Raza Amin, managing director of DNV-GL oil and gas Malaysia comes on the Breakfast Grille. Although not a familiar name to those outside oil and gas, DNV -GL's business is technical assurance and advisory services, in particular related to the maritime, oil and gas, business assurance and energy industries. With national oil company Petronas spending RM300 billion in capital expansion over the next few years, we get his insight into its business and what the future holds in an environment of low oil prices.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pierre Cheyron, President, Malaysian French Chamber of Commerce and Industry, discusses Malaysia-France trade. investment, bilateral ties and relations. He also discusses France's economy as well as Malaysia's 'soft' appeal.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Jacques, author of When China Rules the World, and senior fellow at Cambridge University, speaks to Melisa Idris about the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. He argues the upheaval sweeping Hong Kong is more complicated than it might appear on the surface. Listen to the podcast to find out what he thinks are the underlying reasons for the protests.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Khailee Ng at 30 years old has become a very successful techpreneur. Looking into the modus operandi of 500 Startups offers insights into how high risks and returns are assessed. We also ask the question of whether Malaysian business ideas can stand out in a world dominated by Silicon Valley and other ecosystems in China, Japan and South Korea.Funding mobility has jumped by leaps and bounds with ideas like crowdfunding and venture capital. The startup and crowdfunding space is also opening up a promising option for a new investible asset class.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tom Gearing, CEO of Cult Wines, comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the business of investing in wines. While investing in wine is not new, a few wine funds globally have run into trouble. As such some of questioned it as a form of investment, but Gearing says it can still be a part of an investor's portfolio. We ask him about the risks, whether it has gained traction globally and the outlook in general of investing in wine.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Movenbank a US start-up, boasts itself as the world's first real-time mobile money tool allowing users to make payment from your mobile devices as well as providing instantaneous feedback to track expenditure and spending patterns. Technology futurist, Brett King shares why this model is disrupting the industry and consumer visits to physical bank outlets are numbered.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Breakfast Grille this morning is John Goodwin, the Executive Vice President and CFO of the toymaker Lego Group. Founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, and still owned by the third and fourth generation of the family, Lego as at September had surpassed Mattel as the world's most valuable toymaker. Following the breakout success of the Lego Movie, the company seems to be riding high, but we question as to whether it is sustainable, what's next and the Shell and Greenpeace controversy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The existence of a consultancy like ETFGI is interesting as it is testament to how far ETFs (exchange-traded funds) have come. The investing world in the west have lead in the conceptual development of these low-cost market-tracking instruments. We look into where Asia and in particular Malaysia stand in this area which has proven to be highly beneficial to investors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prof Gareth Evans, Co-Chairman of the Global Center for the Responsibility to Protect and former Foreign Minister of Australia, discusses R2P's principles and motives, responds to criticisms over its ideals, his position in the institution and the ongoing Syrian crisis (and the US' latest military incursion into the Middle East). He also answers detractors like Anthony Loewenstein and Noam Chomsky and offers a perspective on human rights abuses in Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wong Heang Tuck, CEO of U-Mobile, discusses CEOs appointments and the recent high turnover rate, aggressive branding and budget for A&P. He also discusses metrics like revenue share, prepaid - postpaid ratios, subscribers, coverage, penetration and market share.He also talks about its financials, listing plans, subscriber growth targets, capex, network spend, Berjaya network synergies and network quality.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government seems to have achieved the unthinkable of implementing the GST and at the same time insulating the lower income group from it. The future of milking the GST potential has to come with addressing longer term structural issues like income-earning ability, education as well as reducing leakages. We look into whether this was achieved in the budget.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.