The Breakfast Grille

Datuk Ismail Ibrahim, Chief Executive of Iskandar Regional Development Authority, discusses progress report on “developing Iskandar Malaysia into a strong and sustainable metropolis of international standing”, re Investments and Population targets, secured projects, high-speed rapid-transit link between Singapore and Johor, clean/sustainability ambitions, projects oversight & corruption/leakage issues, social fallout such as income and costs inequality, foreign / regional competition, skilled labor deficit/concerns, source of investment (local/foreign, MidEast/Singaporean), outlook for MY-SG ties, outlook for further govt funding, price bubble concerns and future landmark projects.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is a lot contractors and the government can do to make the nation a better place, some of which include removing bottlenecks and addressing governance of big projects. We talk to Matthew Tee, President of Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) as well as Group Executive Director of Bina Puri about this.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datuk Mohd Nor Idrus, CEO, Kidex Sdn Bhd, discusses the 14.9km Kinrara Damansara Skyway in terms of: the need for another highway, highway vs public transportation (MRT/LRT Line), benefits and business case, the homes, offices and buildings that will be displaced, Health, Safety and Environment issues, public feedback / consensus sought and the social impact and controversy of the project. He also discusses the toll rate, and legislated increases and government compensation issues, the mode of project award and the co-tenderors, the track record of Kidexowners Zabima Engineering and Construction Sdn Bhd and Emrail Sdn Bhd, the funding structure and the reported RTO. He also discusses governance concerns such as the presence of Umno legal adviser Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun and the wife of former Federal Court judge Tun Zaki Azmi as major owners in Zabimah and Emrail.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Petronas is pumping billions of dollars into the Canadian economy through its wholly owned Canadian subsidiary, Progress Energy Canada Ltd, and Canadian global oil and gas exploration and production company Talisman is here in Malaysia. Is that the extent of the relationship between the two nations? We speak on the recently inked MOU on security as well as plans for Canada to capture a bigger share of the Malaysian overseas tertiary education market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Girish Ramachandran, director of strategy and transformation for built assets consultancy EC Harris. The company helps its clients to make the most from their investment and expenditure in assets in their four main sectors namely buildings, infrastructure, water and environment. He talks about the challenges of playing a middle man when implementation is an issue and his take on the current water situation, among others. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dato' Chevy Beh comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about his family company, one of Malaysia's leading healthcare providers, BP Healthcare Group. He discusses his progression from Ivy League universities to his time on Wall Street, along with BP Healthcare's growth and regional expansion plans to Indonesia and Thailand. What are the implications of an aging Malaysian population on the healthcare industry?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AEON Co Malaysian Bhd's Executive Director Pooh Ying Loo comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the company's growth path and what to expect in the coming months. AEON is already a household name and is gradually strengthening its niche in suburban areas. However, as budgets get tighter, how will the retailer cope?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Juan Valdez was a brand set up to give fair pricing and recognition to Colombian coffee growers. It is now also the name of a coffee shop with an international franchise. We look into how Juan Valdez balances the profit motive with its original social mission.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Harith Iskander, the dubbed godfather of Malaysian comedy comes on the Breakfast Comedy Grille to tell us about his transition from burger advertising to becoming one of Malaysia's biggest names in stand-up comedy. He encourages Malaysians to embrace our multi-cultured diversity and to seize the day, one pound at a time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Looi Kong Meng the CEO of Lonpac Insurance Bhd comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the landscape of the insurance industry in Malaysia, and in particular the company's plans going forward. He talks about how Lonpac wants to be different from its peers by focusing away from motor and towards fire insurance, the challenges he sees both local and abroad, and what the tragic case of MH370 will impact the insurers connected to it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What has Malaysia’s economic and political trajectory been since its formation? Was the May 13th incident and the suspension of Parliament a derailment of the positive trajectory that we were on? Professor Woo, President of the newly established Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia, talks about the watershed moment in the country’s recent economic history and argues for a bi-partisan consensus around “an inclusive national development” plan as the only way forward.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tami Overby, the Vice President of the US Chamber of Commerce for Asia comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the future of USA-Malaysia relations and how it can grow further. She talks about the controversy surrounding the TPP and how it will help, rather than hinder, trade.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mr. Sip Mun Yee, Chief Operating Officer & Director for DA Land speaks to us about his property developments to the Northern Klang valley, specifically Rawang and the stigma behind leasehold perceptions. How will Rawang develop as a property hub?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thevendran Sivanantham, General Manager, Strategy Planning & Marketing of Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific Pte Ltd comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the future strategies of the company as both technologies and needs change. Fuji Xerox is best known for its copying machines and printers, but some see it as a sunset industry. Thevendran comes on to discuss the evolution of the company and how it intends to grow. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mukhtar Hussain, Group General Manager and CEO HSBC Bank Malaysia, discusses housing sector, defaults / NPLs, household debt, bad-loan impairments, exposure to manufacturing and household-retail sectors, deposits, cost of funds, personnel costs, Shariah finance, the Islamic Financial Services Act (IFSA) 2013, KL as an Islamic finance hub, subsidy rationalisation, GST, Consumer, business confidence and China corporate defaults and the risk of a market collapse.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Patrick Blethon, President of South Asia Pacific , United Technologies Corp, Building & Industrial Systemsisn't worried about China's slowdown affecting business. Asian countries continue to see urbanisation at a rapid rate. This will drive demand for UTC's lifts, air-conditioners and security systems. The company's results have been good and no pick-up in bad debts, a reflection of economic health, has been seen. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adventa Bhd's Chief Executive Low Chin Guan comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the company's future direction following the upliftment of its PN17 status. The company, which was formerly known as a manufacturer of medical examination gloves, is now shifting its focus to offering medical related services instead. We ask about the company's strategies going forward as well as the outlook of the industry in Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tech Mahindra ASEAN region Vice President and Enterprise Business Head Ram Ramachandran, comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the business of BPO. Tech Mahindra is in the business of the providing of solutions and services in the Information, Communications and Technology industry with a base of over 605 global customers. However, in Malaysia BPO is still relatively new, so what does the future hold?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eva Au, Managing Director of International Data Corporation (IDC) Asia Pacific, discusses its core businesses of market intelligence, advisory services, and events, how they are doing in her purview (15 countries in Asia-Pacific ex-Japan) versus its biggest rivals (Forrester and Gartner), addressable market and opportunities.  She also discusses trends and themes in its core proprietary research division and the challenges therein, such as uncovering new themes, hiring qualified people and culture, among the big four tech themes: Cloud, Mobile, Social Analytics and Big Data.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Glove manufacturing is one of the few industries in which Malaysia is a global leader, occupying significant market shares. Dato' Seri Stanley Thai, Executive Chairman / Group Managing Directorn of Supermax highlights the advantages of nitrile over latex gloves as well as how the government's intervention of natural rubber prices have shifted demand and research into nitrile usage.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this 2014 interview, Peter Miller, CEO, Tune Insurance Bhd, discusses his financial results, provides a business update on his airline and general insurance divisions, investment income, rate deregulation, AirAsia and AAX tieup, M&A plans in Indonesia and Thailand, collapse of purchase of PT Batavia Mitrama, E-Commerce platform, marketing strategy, fallout from nurse ad, tie-up with Cebu Pacific, KLIA 2's delay, dividend policySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Wong, ED of JCY, explains how increased mobility through smart devices does not necessarily equal lower growth for hard disk drives (HDD). He also refers to specific industry factors like the dearth of competitors and the Thailand factor that might help the fortunes of the company.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this 2014 interview, M.Prakash Chandran, CEO of Siemens Malaysia discusses its global CEO change, a reportedly deteriorating economic environment and offers an update on Siemens' local business (staff size, major projects, area of concentration, new investments). He also discusses the upcoming High-Speed Rail project and the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit among its infrastructure initiatives, involvement in power projects (Tanjung Bin, Manjung Prai and Tenaga), recent developments at Bakun Dam and the broader energy sector in Malaysia.He also discusses its decision to call off its JV to build the magnet plant with Lynas and offers points on its Siemens Healthcare division, as well as broader challenges like graft and corruption in Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anthony Tan, CEO of MyTeksi explains how taxi-booking app MyTeksi fills the gap in the notorious problems with taxis. Strong growth is accompanied by careful navigation of the regulatory environment and maintaining quality standards.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mohd Razlan Mohamed, CEO of Malaysian Rating Corp elucidates the role of rating agencies especially after the bad press suffered by foreign rating agencies in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ng Kok Heng, the CEO of mobile operator XOX Bhd comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the prospects of the company, which is in the telecommunication space as a mobile virtual network operator or MVNO. The company has however, come under fire for delaying submission of financial statements and showing variances between audited and unaudited results. He comes on to talk about how XOX intends to overcome that through a number of new products and a stronger financial footing following a private placement.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aaron Hung, Trip Advisor's Director of Partnerships for Asia Pacific comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the business of travel and how Trip Advisor's well-known website plays its part. He talks about whether websites such as Trip Advisor resulted in the death of travel books, its new system and how it deals with competition such as AirbnbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this 2014 interview, Dato' Redza Rafiq, Chief Executive of Northern Corridor Implementation Authority, discusses its twin mandates transforming the corridor into a “world class economic region” and its socio-economic objectives. He also discusses the initiatives and challenges in each of its four key areas: tourism, logistics, manufacturing and agriculture. He also addresses impediments such as (delays at the) Second Penang Bridge and the privatisation of Penang Port (to Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Keith Schafer, Managing Director, Volvo Car Malaysia Sdn Bhd, discusses opportunities and challenges in the Malaysian car market, the National Auto Policy, sales outlook, brand challenges like maintenance costs and residual values. He also discusses Volvo's Geely ownership in regards product development, (and developing a subcompact car to enter the European market), cultural clashes, a new global platform, the China market, and a target to double global sales by 2020.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 A sixth generation Falkland Islander, Mike Summers, is a member of its legislature as well as representative to the Commonwealth Games Federation. Despite the 1982 war over the disputed territory – the Argentine government calls the islands Isla Malvinas – which Britain won and which burnished Margaret Thatcher’s credentials as the Iron Lady, controversy remains, not least because of oil found off its coast in 2010. Summers, in town for deliberations of the Commonwealth Games Federation, also weighs in on the relevance of that grouping and disputed plans to shift the Federation's headquarters to Kuala Lumpur.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

M. Madani Bin Sahari, CEO of Malaysia Automotive Institute, discusses the country's third National Auto Policy, due for unveiling on Jan 20. In particular, he touches on issues such as protection of the national car projects, excise duties, the AP system and the vehicle end-of-life policy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ping Fu, chief strategy officer at 3D Systems and author of the book "Bend, Not Break" talks about surviving the Cultural Revolution in China, and starting afresh in the US with little money and speaking little English. Upon a friend's recommendation, the Chinese American entrepreneur studied computer science, and while working for the National Centre for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), she supervised Marc Andreessen on the Mosaic project before he founded Netscape. Ping started a 3D modelling software company named Geomagic with her then husband, and the company was subsequently sold to 3D Systems. Ping has received numerous awards for her accomplishments. Fast Company has named her Fast 50 winner in 2004.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tony Fernandes talks to us about the setting up of a British boarding school, Epsom College, in Malaysia. He also gives his views on the state of education in the country.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nadia Hassan and Julian Ng take a retrospective look at the IPOs for 2013 who came on the Breakfast Grille, whether their debuts sizzled or failed to excite, and whether their promises came through down the line.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gudjon Reynisson, the CEO of Hamleys comes on the Breakfast Grille to share about the launch of the toy retailer’s new shop in Malaysia, and the company’s plans for the rest of the emerging markets. Hamleys' has the distinction of being the world’s oldest toy retailer, but in the face of thinning margins and intense online competition, he talks about Hamleys' strategy going forward.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the acquisition of MAAKL, Manulife continues with a growth strategy. Group CEO Mark O'Dell also gives his views on the regulatory and competitive landscape.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Iman Bibars is the Vice President for Ashoka: Innovators for the Public and the co-founder of ADEW (the Association for the Development and Enhancement of Women), a nonprofit organization providing credit and legal aid for impoverished women. On the Breakfast Grille, she tell us how Ashoka is using the instruments of capitalism to orchestrate social change and the challenges in advancing the landscape of social entrepreneurship, especially in the Middle East.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite leading the Pakatan Rakyat coalition to a thumping victory in the recently concluded General Election, the leadership of Selangor by Khalid Ibrahim has been called into question. And the recent decision to raise salaries of members of the Selangor assembly is only the latest in storms he has had to weather. We ask him about his troubled relations with Selangor Pakatan Rakyat Backbenchers Club chief Azmin Ali, the Selangor Budget 2014, the ratio of operating to development expenditure, the state’s water assets, and whether government should be in the business of doing business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My Power Corp is a special purpose vehicle set up by the government to oversee the liberalization of the power sector. Datuk Razak talks about the recent tariff hikes, the criticism and what is left going forward.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Auditor-General’s Report is greeted with increasing public and media attention. Revelations of inefficiency and wastage has a rousing effect, signaling problems in the management of public funds. But the AG’s Report is not often read in full and blanket assumptions are made, that all wastage arises from corruption. Tan Sri Ambrin Buang, a career civil servant, has lead his office since 2006 and speaks to us about how his report can best be utilized by larger society.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Azlan Abdullah weighs up complaints about unfair trading in the steel sector with the fairness of protection for his products and from tariff hikes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hitachi-Sunway's Group CEO Cheah Kok Hoong takes us through the thinking behind the JV and whether the Malayisan IT landscape is prepared for the onslaught of the mobile age.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this 2013 interview, UMW Holdings Bhd President and Group CEO Datuk Syed Hisham Bin Syed Wazir discusses its dominant auto businesses and sales of its mainstay Toyota and Perodua vehicles. He also talks about prospects at its 55%-owned newly listed UWW Oil and Gas Bhd subsidiary and ends the discussion with its PNB parent, GLC status and stake selldown issues.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Bradley, President of Ford Asean talks to us about Ford's growth in the Asean region as well as the Asean auto competitive landscape.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alistair Elliott, Senior Partner and Group Chairman of Knight Frank discusses Malaysia's residential and commercial property markets, drivers of the London property market, the Battersea project, emerging property hotspots like Dubai, the 'Skyscraper Index', central banks, monetary easing, interest rates and the supply of money, market timing and Knight Frank's plans to double its turnover to £620 million by 2016.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Bettina Buechel of IMD talks about creating a high performance organisation in a globally competitive environment, and what we can learn from Indian managers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After bitcoins and freemium ecosystems, could peer-to-peer lending be another phenomenon that develops into something that may displace money and banks? We also suss out details of Zopa's fast-growing business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first policewoman in India and social activist, Kiran Bedi, talks about leadership, and how spirituality and detachment plays a part. She is most famous for transforming the notorious Tihar Jail of 10,000 inmates. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UMW Oil and Gas Bhd's President Rohaizad Darus comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the company's recent successful listing, which has long been in the offing. Along the way the company saw a change of management and the strengthening of its business, which has inspired investors to participate in its IPO. Rohaizad talks about what the future holds for UMW Oil and Gas, what he feels are the biggest challenges and what will drive its growth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this November 2013 interview, Mark Mobius, Ph.D., Executive Chairman of Templeton Emerging Markets Group discusses: his outlook for new and emerging markets, Malaysia's reform plans, his fund performance, the taper deadline and its effect on the EMs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.