The Breakfast Grille

In this Pre-Budget 2015 Grille, Tricia Yeoh of IDEAS & Azlan Awang of Blindspot discuss fiscal consolidation, key issues like GST, subsidies, wages, disposable income, risk of capital flight, bloated civil service, the idea of Small Govt, worker competitiveness, stagnating salaries, Supplementary Budgets and meeting deficit targets. He also discusses BR1M, affordable housing, cost of living, safety nets, targeted fuel subsidy mechanisms, and household debt issues.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datuk Sri Dr Richard Ong, Vice Chairman for the Malaysian Franchise Association comes to talk about franchising as a form of entrepreneurship. The Malaysian Franchise Association or MFA, is tasked with being a bridge between the franchise industry and the government. The MFA not only works as a resource center, but also plays a role in helping the malaysian government's aim to encourage entrepreneurship. We ask him about the landscape of the industry, the challenges and new trends going forward.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cheryl Yeoh, CEO, Malaysian Global Innovation and Creative Centre (MaGIC), talks about her journey from PJ to San Francisco and then into the Malaysian government. She then discusses how the collaboration -- a clash of cultures -- between the government and entrepreneurs -- might work in an ASEAN context. Yeoh also talks about the expectations of her and MaGIC's KPIs - both company and personal.She also discusses the issue of an overcrowded govt, a possible growth of a culture of entitlement, the challenge of working with 'rival' agencies and the irony of working for a govt that also attempts to shutter innovation (eg Uber).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datuk Dr Mohd Daud Bakar is a globally renowned Shariah scholar, and currently the chairman of FIVE Shariah advisory councils, including at Bank Negara, the Securities Commission, and the ISRA Council of Scholars.In 2005, he left the academic world set up Amanie Advisors -- the first global boutique Shariah advisory house for Islamic Finance.Melisa Idris asks him about the standardization of the different interpretations of Shariah in finance and whether that hampers product innovation. Dr Daud also discusses the Sukuk market and shares his thoughts on the proposed mega Islamic bank by CIMB Group, RHB Capital and Malaysia Building SocietySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Srirangam Srirangarajan, Managing Director Asean, ALTAIR, discusses its KL operations, involvement in the Malaysian and ASEAN auto sector and group plans to triple headline sales by 2020, vis-a-vis ASEAN's contribution. He talks about doing business in Malaysia, human capital issues, transparency in procurement and tenders. He also discusses the company's business model of computer aided engineering and its contribution to costs and production timetables for its clients.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has been at the forefront of research, and providing its course materials online for free. Professor Martin Schmidt, MIT's new Provost, talks about the future of research, academia and online education, and gives his views if the for-profit Minerva Project will succeed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paul Slavin, managing director of Estee Lauder Malaysia comes on the Breakfast to give an update on the environment of the cosmetics business. Founded in 1974, Estee Lauder is one of the most recognisable brands in the beauty business, and is the fourth largest in the world in terms of revenue. Its listed parent just reported its FY14 earnings pulling in USD10.97 billion in sales backed by its portfolio comprising 28 brands with name such Estee Lauder, La Mer and Clinique. The company is also well known campaigner for breast cancer research. We ask him about how Estee Lauder navigates the tough retail market, new competition, and whether its CSR is simply good PR.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With a world population set to exceed 9 billion people by 2050, the construction industry faces a major challenge in meeting the housing and infrastructure needs of the world's population, while ensuring that construction is ever more efficient and sustainable. Carlos Espina shares the latest developments of the Lafarge Group in balancing research funds to create affordable housing for the masses and its R & D strategy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ray Bauer, the managing director of franchise operations Asia for Darden International comes on the Breakfast Grill to talk about the expansion of its portfolio of brands into Asia as the company sets to open its first restaurant in KL. Best known in the US for its three main brands, Red Lobster, Olive Garden and Long Horn Steakhouse, the company is not as well known outside the States. We ask him whether Darden is late to the party compared to the other well known restaurants such as Friday's and Tony Romas, how it intends to be different and what does the sale of Red Lobster by its US parent affects its international expansion plans.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Breakfast Grille, Melisa Idris speaks to Nipun Mehta, founder of Service Space, an incubator for gift-economy projects. Ideologically, the Gift Economy is a way of doing business that allows the client to determine the value of the item or service. Ethically, it challenges the receiver to give back. Philosophically, it offers a worldview centered on relationship, instead of money. We ask Nipun to explain Service Space's guiding principles and how "giftivism" can shift the economic relationship between consumption and contribution.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fong Wai Leong, CEO of main market-listed PanPages Bhd comes on the Breakfast Grille to address its current loss-making state and what is next for the company. PanPages is in the business of search and advertising and IT and it is the re-seller for third party online advertisement products for famous names Google, Alibaba and Facebook. We ask Wai Leong about what is next for the company, the recently aborted buy-out of its business and what happens if the relationship with its partners collapses.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Philip Rao, President, Malaysian Institute of Internal Auditors and a Partner in the global accounting firm Ernst & Young, discusses the under-appreciation of the IA function, implications on costs, fees and depth of audit and the possibility of corporate fraud. He discusses the outsourced function and the pros and cons thereof. He also discusses Silver Bird Bhd, the movement to impose auditor and corporate liability as well as its underlying pros and cons. He also talks about private sector and civil service internal audit, and the challenges therein.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia has been and continues to be the land of milk and honey for thousands of Malaysians for decades, accepting many as citizens. Is Malaysia's shame, Australia's pride? It is a relationship that has had its rough patches and continues to have to negotiate challenging bilateral concerns, from Lynas to the alleged spying by the Australian Signals Directorate to Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement. Currently the two countries also share some common security concerns over to its citizens involved in conflict in Syria and Iraq. We look at these and other issues of bilateral concern.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tan Sri Dr. Ali Hamsa, Chairman, Special Task Force to Facilitate Business, PEMUDAH and Chief Secretary to the Government, discusses public-private sector parterships, the National Blue Ocean Strategy, corruption, education standards, corruption, ease of doing business, crime, taxi services and the sale of Penang Port to Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin comes on the Breakfast Grille in his capacity as chairman of Battersea Project Holding Company Ltd to talk about what it will take for the project to be globally iconic. He gives a progress report on how he expects it to be different from other shopping districts. Tan Sri also talks about his involvement in Eco World, answers whether his previous second-in-command Datuk Voon Tin Yeow will join him, and speaks about his role in the company. We also ask about whether his leaving SP Setia has left any bitter feelings between him and PNB.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With trade blocs like TPPA and the Asean Common Market being much talked about, competitiveness and trade issues will come to the fore. Where does MICCI stand on globalisation and how do they balance domestic interests with that of multinationals which comprise the bulk of their general committee members?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The year has seen one of the most impressive economic figures for Malaysia where we have seen the economy grew  beating market expectations. But do these figures mean anything to the man on the street? In conjunction with Malaysia Day, we speak with Dr. Shankaran Nambiar to shed light on how far the company has come since independence and where it is headed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Established in 1957, INSEAD has been widely considered as one of the top business schools. Apart from its main campuses in France, it has also established presence in Asia, including Singapore and Abu Dhabi. Professor Mihov shares how education is evolving with other online education providers in the sphere as well as the relevance of an MBA in the current job market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Combining children's education into theme park elements is a unique and challenging proposition. We look into Kidzania's business model to gather insight into their strong revenue growth. Whether they are over-representing consumerism and capitalism in the educational process at the expense of other realities like environmental and societal costs is also explored.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this 2014 interview, Rajeev Peshawaria, CEO, Iclif Leadership and Governance Centre, discusses leadership in the context of the ongoing RHB-CIMB-MBSB merger and MAS' MH370 tragedy. He also discusses the twin notions of Big Not Necessarily Being Better, the Trust Deficit and what he calls Asia's cancer where Asian countries top the Hofstede Power Distance Index. He ends with an update on ICLIF's expanded role outside of financial services and in the region.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this 2014 interview, David Ho, Chairman and Managing Director of the pharmaceuticals firm Hovid Berhad, discusses global M&A fever in Big Pharma, offers an update on its latest quarterly earnings, its product mix, ongoing industry drivers and challenges and the importance of its ongoing R&D efforts such as its Tocotrienol drug.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georg Fischer, the CEO of Tesco Malaysia, comes on the Breakfast Grille to give his insight on the highly competitive hypermarket space and how the company intends to reinvigorate itself. To recap, the company first came into the country in 2001 as a result of a strategic alliance with Sime Darby Bhd. We ask him about his strategies, Tesco's move into home deliveries, and how it is making the best use of its space.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Petronas's major capital expenditure running into the hundreds of billions is expected to bring joy to oil and gas players like Icon. We assess the issue of whether the country's perceived protectionist cabotage policy is anti-competitive and gets in the way of local companies' regional ambitions. Ekuinas's major stake also throws up interesting possibilities for Icon's future direction.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NESTA which stands for the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts in the UK occupies a unique space within the ecosystem as a charity organisation that invests in new start-ups; pioneering new products and forms of technology. Dr. Benjamin Reid, who is Principal Researcher of NESTA, joins us to share how an innovation charity functions, especially when commercial returns are not its primary aims.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TalentCorp is tasked to manage the country's talent base which is needed to achieve economic transformation. However, the poor perception coming from the country's often right-wing political tack and the failure of top students to get university spots puts TalentCorp in an uneasy line of fire that appears to hamper their work. It is also a question of whether TalentCorp, which focuses on short to medium term objectives, is held hostage to longer term imperatives.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sreedhar Subramaniam, director of the ABN Media Group and CEO of Asian Broadcasting Network, comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about how the group's network has expanded since being established in 2011.ABN describes itself as Malaysia's first digital cable TV network provider, and current reports put its subscriber base at around 30,000. However, as competition gets more intense, he explains how ABN intends to find its niche.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this August 2014 interview Zainal Amanshah, the CEO of InvestKL updates listeners on his investee targets in Kuala Lumpur, time taken to convert, investee pushbacks, ecosystem and macroeconomic drivers, internal and external challenges. He also discusses issues like state water disruptions, MAS tragedies, corruption, liveability, inflationary pressures, tax rates, talent crunch, ease and costs of doing business, infrastructure and policy formulation.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The entry into a integrated logistical solutions will bode well for GDEX. E-commerce features prominently as the shift from offline to online purchases will continue to support demand for transportation solutions. The linkages with SingPos and Alibaba raise some possibility for catalysts in future.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The field of financial advisory is a contentious one. How do you take investment advice from somebody whose income comes from selling investment products based on commission? Taurus seeks to move away from the conflicted commission-based business models to one with a fixed fee-based advisory. This market is expected to be a big one given the strong growth of Asian wealth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After having come through a decisive election victory, India is now being watched even more closely than before by investors, business people and governments on how policies will pan out. ASEAN and India have a lot to offer each other but challenges abound, in particular India's bureaucracy which hampers investments. ASEAN itself also has a lot of self-searching to see how it will harness the potential of the ASEAN Economic Community if at all.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We ask Shields to defend her economic report stating that Malaysia is a more risky prospect than Indonesia. This also led Bloomberg's William Pasek to insinuate whether Malaysia is Asia's weakest link, which Shields responds to as well. On the whole, Shield asserts that Malaysia is doing relatively OK although there are dangers in the horizon if things continue the way they are.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Theme parks have emerged as a policy tool to energise tourism and the local economy, which is music to the ears of a solutions provider like Sanderson. The relocation of Sanderson from Australia to Malaysia is also testament to the growth and strategic aspects of the Asia Pacific region. Can the Emerging Markets sustain a profitable business model? We talk about these issues as well as take a detailed look into the much anticipated Dreamworks-based Movie Animation Park Studio (MAPS).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datuk Francis Lee Kok Chuan, CEO of Berjaya Foods Bhd comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about its recent move to wholly-own Berjaya Starbucks and how it plans to build on that going forward.Berjaya Foods, which is part of the Berjaya Group, is best known for its three main brands namely Kenny Rogers Roasters, Jollibean and Starbucks. As at the end of its 2014 FY, the company recorded 23.6% increase in its bottom line to RM23 million. With its shares price jumping following the news of the full acquisition of Berjaya Starbucks, we ask what the group's plans are for growing its crown jewel and the other brands in its umbrella.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tan Sri Muhammad Ali Hashim, President of the Malaysian Islamic Chamber of Commerce and former CEO of Johor Corp, discusses his clashes with Johor state's Royal family, its politicians (and Chief Minister), issues of political and royal 'interference', New Britain Palm Oil and KPJ Healthcare. He also discusses his "Business Jihad" principles.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hershey's has seen strong growth in China over the years and the investment into Malaysia will be a launchpad into the greater Asia Pacific region.  However, Asia Pacific is still relatively small compared to revenues that are coming out of North America. What is the potential of Asia matching the Americas especially in the face of rising health awareness of the evils of sugar?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The business of matching free content with ads shouldn't be underestimated. It is a win-win situation that sells traffic to advertisers while allowing writers and bloggers to earn a respectable income. Nuffnang had a first-mover advantage when it carved a business model out of advertising on blogs, expanded to social media like Facebook and Twitter and now has a dominant market share. We talk about the future of the business especially how it is at the unpredictable intersection of device and social media. And also about mundane things like money being thrown at their feet and funding requirements.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It can safely be said that despite the crucial importance of it, awareness of financial planning is still low in Malaysia. We explore FPAM's value proposition to the wider population. The widespread conflict that exists in commission-based financial products distribution is one of the many areas of concern. We also find out how FPAM incorporates financial planning goals within existing regulatory investment bodies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The wonders of nanotechnology have been much touted. Apart from the commercial aspects, there could also be positive effects on the county's knowledge base and intellectual property as well as advances in healthcare, education and talent. However, given its risky nature, the government's lead in triggering commercial startups will have to be compared to measurable benefits for the nation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Ong, Managing Director of Malaysia and Brunei at DHL Express (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd., discusses operating metrics, business drivers, challenges, growth outlook and financials.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Private healthcare has come a long way. The government in partnership with the private sector has managed to reduce the ratio of doctors to patients in Malaysia from 1:800 in the past to 1:600 now. However, it is still undeniable that healthcare needs are still crucial in Malaysia despite these improvements. We explore how the Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia maintains standards and reconciles profits with the healthcare social objective. In particular, how do phenomena such as technology, insurance, low-cost and GST influence the direction of profits and pricing for private hospitals?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reach Energy would be the fourth SPAC or Special-Purpose Acquisition Company to be listed and the biggest in terms of funds raised. They aim to quickly put their money to use by  buying mature oilfields or what they call "brownfields" which big oil firms may find no longer viable to hold on to. Expansion plans further out would see funds allocated to exploration and production assets. We explore how Reach would deliver growth with mature brownfields and how a relatively small player like them navigates the oil and gas space. We also discuss how SC-friendly management is in the light of the recent SPAC guidelines change. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 80% of the world's population that don't have access to banking services effectively cuts them off the economic system in a big way. Performing simple transactions like topping up pre-paid phones and making online purchases pose grave inconveniences. Numoni aims to serve this highly important social function and make money from it at the same time. However, the constantly changing online space presents opportunities as well as challenges.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cher Ng, founder and managing director of TREC comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the development of what he hopes to be the new lifestyle hub in town. TREC is a lifestyle and entertainment area that will sit directly opposite the future Tun Razak Exchange. Cher talks about how TREC aspires to be Malaysia's Clark Quay, the challenges he expects to face and how he plans to make it the talk of the town. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ashwin Rajgopal, managing director of L'Oreal Malaysia comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the business of beauty. L'Oreal is one of the most recognised brand names in the world with portfolio of products that covers every spectrum from consumer to high end, to professional salons. L'Oreal Malaysia has 18 brands under its umbrella and Ashwin talks about growing despite intense competition from the likes of Korean brands, distribution channels, acquisition strategies and whether or not, they are worth your dollar.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paolo Grassi, managing director of Bata Malaysia comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the changing the strategy of the well-known shoe maker. Probably best known as being the staple of every school-going child's wardrobe, Bata currently holds 12% of the market, and sells 9 million pairs of shoes annually worth more than US$100 million. He talks about changing people's view of Bata, of the perception that it is a local brand and whether it can be known for more than just school shoes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this 2014 interview, Eversendai Corporation Berhad Executive Chairman Tan Sri AK Nathan discusses the company's current order book and bids, revenue targets, transition into power plant construction and diversification into oil and gas. He also discusses his growth plans via th M&A route, Eversendai's share valuations and the options he is weighing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apart from Malaysia, IHH is also doing well in Turkey despite the political turmoil of the past year. IHH's focus on the greater emerging markets area like Brunei, Vietnam, UAE and Macedonia allows it to tap into high growth of these countries while maintaining a tried-and-tested template of running hospitals. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While the oil & gas related pipe-coating business is still the mainstay of Wah Seong, substantial resources are also being deployed to and vested in plantations and associate companies. The exposure of revenue to global sources is also a double-edged sword since this removes leverage to the robust local oil & gas sector. We discuss impact of these factors on long term share price performance and returns on equity (ROEs).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chief Executive Officer, Mohd Farid Nawawi joins us on the Breakfast Grille to explain if there is still space in the property market for a mid-tier player fresh from its delisting. He also sheds light on its plans in Penang as well as balancing its resources to unlock value for its landbank.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew Sill, Country Executive, Royal Bank of Scotland Malaysia, offers a business update since the sale of its regional investment banking businesses to CIMB in 2012, discusses its "back to basics" business model, debt capital market issues and pipeline, its exit from the Ringgit sukuk market, its size in Malaysia (two branches, 100 people), the impact on business of the Scottish referendum on independence, his vews on the proposed CIMB-RHB-MBSB merger and its implications on RBS' business. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.