The Breakfast Grille

Policy, Not Personality: MUDA Gears Up For GE15

04 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In a country teeming with long-serving politicians, the emergence of MUDA has galvanised political enthusiasm among Malaysian youth, especially in the...

German Unity In A Divided World?

03 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

German Unity Day, which falls on the 3rd of October, is celebrated in Germany to commemorate its reunification in 1990, when West and East Germany wer...

Uzma Makes Its Shift From O&G To New Energy

02 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Oil and gas service and equipment company, Uzma Group has faced volatile oil prices in the last two years leading to a sharp deceleration of earnings....

Graphjet's Goal To Jumpstart Graphene Demand

29 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysian-based company, Graphjet Technology will be converting palm kernel shells into graphite and graphene. The company aims to raise 115 million U...

Indonesia On The Cusp Of Transformation

28 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

President Joko Widodo has made it his mission to transform Indonesia's economy and shepherd the migration of the capital city to East Kalimantan. We d...

Is UMNO Ready For GE 15 And Why Now?

27 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As the momentum for GE15 heats up, is UMNO ready for elections? UMNO's youth chief, Dato’ Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki tells us the party's strategy to appea...

Maybank Islamic Targets For Top 3 Position

26 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Islamic Banking landscape is competitive in Malaysia with 16 players, so is growth for Malaysia's largest Islamic Bank overseas an acquisition?&nb...

VALE Malaysia, Here To Stay For The Long Term

25 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Vale is the world's largest producer of iron ore and nickel with operations in more than 30 countries, Malaysia included. Its Malaysian CEO, Rodrigo R...

The Case For Adding Technology To ESG

22 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

While there is widespread acceptance that environment, social and governance or ESG principles are crucial for business continuity, what this looks li...

The DNA Of Malaysian Genomics Resource Centre

21 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

They say prevention is better than cure and information is what helps us win battles. So knowing your genetic history can provide you a snapshot of wh...

Hexagon Transforming Digital Industrialization

20 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hexagon AB is a publicly listed global InfoTech company specializing in hardware and software digital reality that was founded in 1992 and headquarter...

Running Up That Hilton, Tapping The Demand For Revenge Travel

19 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With international borders reopening and Covid-19 quarantine requirements mostly lifted, the travel and hospitality industry is seeing a return to nor...

AME REIT, Malaysia's First Shariah Industrial REIT Makes Its Debut

18 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Industrial REITs have outperformed in the last few years on the back of the e-commerce and logistic boom. However in the era of rising interest rates,...

Crafting A Path To Socio-Economic Progress

14 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The inclusion of Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia under one national banner has created a rich tapestry of cultural heritage, including generati...

Tyson Foods Malaysia: From Freezer To Grille

13 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tyson Foods is a 90 year old US company that's one of the world's largest frozen food producers, listed on the NYSE. It's been in Malaysia since 1987 ...

Singapore, Small In Size But Not Its Tourism Goals

13 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Singapore is an island that is just 57km wide and 27km long with a population of just over 5.9 million people. However this has not held it back from ...

Samling Endeavours Greater Transparency

12 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Samling Group is a Malaysian conglomerate with diverse business interests from automobiles, to palm oil and most prominently, timber. It was once...

GE15 : The Battleground For The Young & The Restless

09 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How will the upcoming 15th General Election be fought? Will the same old faces be fielded again? Issues of racial and religious divisions in Malaysia ...

Dissecting The Development Conundrum

08 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Why do some countries remain poor, despite continuous policy efforts over decades to chart an economic path out of poverty? Development expert Stefan ...

POS Malaysia's Play To Outlast The Decline Of Mail

07 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The push towards digitalisation, declining mail volumes and the rise of more nimble delivery competitors have affected the core business of postal ser...

Roche's Push To Personalize Healthcare

06 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Roche is a global leader in cancer treatments and one of the world's largest biotech companies with more than a century of history. Having established...

Malaysia Vs. China, Who Will Win The Glove Race?

05 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia is the biggest producer of rubber gloves in the world but will China overtake us soon? Dr Supramaniam Shanmugam, President of MARGMA tells us...

Homegrown Healthcare Tech Solutions For Regional Applications

02 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Qmed Asia is a homegrown healthcare tech start-up founded in 2018 by doctors who simply hated the long unproductive queues at hospitals. So, they deve...

Nestcon Overcomes Labour Shortages

01 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Having survived through the pandemic, many construction players are now faced with a new set of challenges like rising material cost and labour shorta...

Malaysia, Its Time For Honest Conversations

30 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As we celebrate 65 years of independence from the British, what economic shape is Malaysia in? What are the structural reforms that are needed to ensu...

RE Player Samaiden Going Regional

29 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia plans to increase the share of renewable energy (RE) in its installed capacity to 31% in 2025 and 40% in 2035. But is there still money to be...

Framing The Conversation On The International Business Of Home Décor

26 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Classic Scenic Berhad makes wooden picture frames and is listed on Bursa Malaysia's Main Board. It is one of the biggest frame makers in the world and...

People-Centred Cities Requires Strong Leadership

25 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Over four billion people around the world live in cities and the number is growing by 1.5 million each week. As urban growth rockets through the regio...

Don't Pass Go, Straight To Jail For Najib

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Yesterday, the five-person apex court bench chaired by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun unanimously dismissed former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak'...

Reviving Interest In Bursa Malaysia, No Easy Task

23 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Bursa Malaysia wears the dual hat of market regulator and listed exchange company. However, average daily values have been on a declining trend. We as...

Selling Premium High-End Gym Equipment In Malaysia

22 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Technogym is a maker of premium high-end gym equipment that has been supplying the hospitality, corporate, business and home segments since it was fou...

World Vision Malaysia Fueled By Malaysian's Generosity

19 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

World Vision Malaysia is a child-focused organization set up in 1997 to support community development and humanitarian programs. We ask CEO, Terry Leo...

Are Books Still A Lucrative Business

18 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

More people turned to books during the pandemic but was this reflected in revenues. Not likely if operations was just focused on fairs and bookshops. ...

JPDC Turning Johor Into A Regional Oil And Gas Hub

17 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The most intensive oil and gas activity in Malaysia is presently carried out in Johor, where major oil storage, trading, bunkering, warehousing and ma...

OutSystems : App-reciating Malaysians' Talents For Developing Apps

16 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Developing apps is becoming increasingly a necessity in an increasingly connected world. This is how businesses today reach their customers and this t...

Board Leadership Required For Climate Governance

15 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Climate Governance Initiative works with boards around the world to accelerate the net zero transition and has established a global network of nationa...

Is Ford Built For Tough In Asia Pacific?

12 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For over a century, Ford Motors has been one of America's top car companies delivering its trucks and SUVs to the hands of consumers globally. Bu...

UNDP And The Importance Of Its 17 SDGs

11 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

United Nations Development Programme works in around 170 countries and territories and aims to achieve 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030...

Yeo Bee Yin's Unfinished Business

09 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia briefly saw a federal government that included DAP for the first time ever after the Pakatan Harapan coalition won the 14th General Election ...

TVB : Delivering 55 Years Of Cantonese Entertainment - Where Next?

09 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

TVB is a name synonymous with the golden age of Hong Kong entertainment, cult classic TV series and Cantopop at its best. After 55 years, where is it ...

Sim Leisure Group's Retro Nature Parks Are Serious Business

08 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Listed on the Singapore Exchange, Sim Leisure Group designs and builds theme parks all over the world. The group currently owns ESCAPE parks and ...

A New Economic Manifesto Required?

05 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Philip See asks Professor Steve Keen, an Australian economist and Author of The New Economics: A Manifesto about creating alternative and realistic ec...

Pathology Asia Group: Behind the Scenes With The Doctor's Doctor

04 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Covid-19 pandemic boosted demand for quick diagnostic testing to unprecedented levels, bringing into focus the crucial role of pathology players i...

Is The End In Sight For Supply Chain Disruptions For Geodis?

03 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Logistic companies are facing the perfect storm of challenges of global supply chain shortages, soaring commodity prices, and border closures. We spea...

SNS Network, Is DaaS The Future ?

02 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After hitting a revenue of RM1 billion, SNS Network Technology Bhd, is heading for a listing on the ACE market but what is the next catalyst for growt...

Snowflake Confident Of ASEAN Expansion Despite Global Headwinds

01 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cloud storage and analytics services provider Snowflake had one of the most impressive debuts on NYSE in 2020, with its share price reaching a high of...

Some Haven't Learnt The Lessons Of The Asian Financial Crisis

29 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's been a month since the 25th anniversary of the 1997 Asian financial crisis which wreaked havoc in much of East Asia and Southeast Asia. &nbs...

Dutch Lady's Delicate Balance Of Purpose, Profit And Price

28 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As the cost of goods continue to rise on the back of supply chain issues and inflation, how does a multinational fast moving consumer goods company li...

Balancing The Country's Books Is A Challenge

27 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With a national debt of above RM 1 trillion and ever ballooning subsidy bill, Malaysia is in a tight fiscal position. We speak to Datuk Johan Mahmood ...

Is The British Egg Industry Close To Breaking Point?

26 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Rising feedstock and energy cost has impacted the UK egg industry with many farmers on the verge of shutting down. What are the solutions to ensure th...

Fandbee : Three Generations Of Frozen (Foods) Assets

25 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Fandbee began life as Lee's Frozen Foods in 1972 at a small retail shop in Kampung Attap, KL. Today, 60 years and 3 generations later, it continues th...

Kaer's Cooling-As-A-Service Mission For Asia Pacific

22 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Singapore-based company Kaer is pioneering Cooling as a Service (CaaS) to the ASEAN market and recently announced a 15-year contract with The Exchange...

UMediC's Dual Track Growth Of Distribution And Manufacturing

21 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

UMediC Group Berhad is involved in the distribution of various branded medical devices and medical consumables and also in developing, manufacturing, ...

Iris Capital And The Role Of Venture Debt In Start Ups

20 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Venture Capital is common as a source of funding for start up's but its usually equity rather than debt. We speak to Dato' Wan Kamaruzaman Wan Ahmad, ...

Unique Fire Holdings Gets Heated Up For Its ACE Market Listing

19 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Unique Fire Holdings, a family-run business, has been in the fire protection system business since 1975. It is now set to list on Bursa Malaysia's ACE...

Silverlake Axis's Expansion Beyond ASEAN

18 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange, Silverlake Axis provides software solutions and services to the Banking, Insurance, Retail, and government.And...

Equipping The New Generation For The Skills Of Tomorrow

15 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The latest unemployment figure for Malaysian youth aged 15 - 24 years old stood at 12.5%, far higher than the national unemployment rate of 3.9%. Are ...

Can The Malaysia Digital Rebrand Attract Investors?

14 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After 25 years of the MSC Malaysia programme to attract digital and technology investment, the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) is revampin...

Purpose Before Profit For Dilmah Tea

13 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Founded in 1988, Dilmah Tea has grown from a household name in Sri Lanka to an international icon of Ceylonese tea available in over 100 countries. Bu...

Where Are Markets Heading In 2H22?

12 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As part of our bi-annual series on where equity markets are heading, we speak to Anand Pathmakanthan, Head of Regional Equity Research, Maybank Invest...

NASA Trailblazer From Muar To Mars

08 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We speak to Florence Tan, SSCG Small Spacecraft Coordination Group Chair and Deputy Chief Technologist at NASA on the National Aeronautics and Space A...

Climate Change Biggest Threat To Food Security

07 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Covid-19 pandemic, the conflict in Ukraine, and climate change impact are all contributing to the rising cost of food, which in turn has rocketed ...

Taking The First Bite Of The Apple For Recovery

06 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After two long years, international borders have finally reopened. But what is the pace of recovery for travel companies and has the nature of travel ...

Engines On For MCE

05 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After two years of losses due the pandemic, has listed auto parts company, MCE Holdings, turned the corner? Or will the near headwinds of rising mater...

Diversifying, Beyond Just Solar Panels

04 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Plus Solar Systems, the renewable energy company recently rebranded itself to be known as Plus Xnergy Holding as part of its pivot to restructure and ...

Six Months In, An SME And F&B Industry Sit Rep

01 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Half a year after the economy's reopening after a lost two-year period due to Covid-19, Datuk William Ng, Chairman of Small and Medium Enterprises Ass...

Diversified And Profitable But Below-Radar And Unloved

30 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Despite moves since 2020 to diversify its market- and client reach that's led to a return to profit amidst globally buoyant energy prices, oil service...

Asean The Centre Of Australia's Foreign Policy

29 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A whirlwind tour of Asia and the Pacific Islands is indicative of the shift in Australia's foreign policy after the election of the new labour governm...

Russia's Ukraine Invasion: An Update

28 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Malcolm Davis, Senior Analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, offers an update on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and a wider reading o...

A&W Rooted On Cravibility

27 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Many Malaysians have a nostalgic attachment to A&W, which first set up a presence here in the 1960s. But with rapidly changing consumer taste...

In Malaysia GST Looms, But Oh, The Pros And Cons

24 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With inflation upon Malaysia and wallets still tight, the govt is spending on aid packages and other election-friendly goodies, all of which come at a...

Are We Ready For School-based Assessments And DLP?

23 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this month, the government decided to abolish the PT3 examinations in favour of school based assessments to determine students’ performance ...

Traveloka: Can Superapp Status Drive Growth?

22 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Indonesian online travel start-up Traveloka has grown over the past decade into a USD$3 billion unicorn with presences across Southeast Asia and Austr...

Body Shop Staying Ahead By Keeping Relevant

21 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Before sustainability became the mainstay for cosmetic and toiletry brands, the Body Shop was already ahead of the pack with their focus on fair trade...

Is Crypto's Time In The Sun Over?

20 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With crypto bellwethers like Bitcoin and Ethereum falling below critical price levels amidst the entire industry facing a maelstrom of regulatory, rep...

Optimax Eyeing Both Younger and Older Generations

17 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sandy Tan, CEO, Optimax Holdings walks us through how the vision care business has evolved over the past 20 years and how it has been able to leverage...

Cathay Pacific Waiting in the Wings for Recovery

16 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cathay Pacific Airways has been one of the worst impacted airlines during the Covid-19 pandemic due to China’s zero Covid policy. It started the yea...

The Look East Policy for the Next 40 Years

15 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As the Look East Policy turns 40 years old, what should the new areas of focus be as the relationship between Malaysia and Japan matures especially in...

Rimini Street: Niche Business Model Propelling Growth

14 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In a cost conscious environment, Rimini Street which has been listed on Nasdaq since 2017, has seen double digit growth due to its unique business mod...

The Future is Carbon Trading

13 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AirCarbon AirCarbon Exchange ("ACX") is a global exchange involving the voluntary carbon market by tokenizing carbon offsets into 3 fungible carbon as...

Supply Chains Take Centre Stage Amid Global Shocks

10 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Pre-pandemic, supply chains were invisible - but the disruptions over the past two years have put these mysterious networks into the spotlight. We dis...

DHL Express All In on Malaysia

09 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Global logistics giant DHL is injecting some €690 million worth of investments into its Asia Pacific operations over a two year period, with Malaysi...

Planning for the Next Durian Tsunami

08 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Anna Teo, Founder and Group CEO of Hernan Corporation shares how Malaysia's largest durian exporter has grown from strength to strength as it expands ...

Rackspace Technology Poised To Expand in Asia

07 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cloud computing is a popular strategy these days amongst corporations as we see more adoption of public and private cloud services in favour of effici...

Beno Technologies: Are We Ready For E-Bikes?

03 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Beno Technologies in a Malaysian start up that manufactures the world’s first commercially available hubless e-bike and has sold it to over 70 count...

Epicor: Can ERP Software Relink Broken Supply Chains?

02 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With supply chains unhinging all over the world thanks to a perfect storm of geopolitical, financial and climate-related factors, will industry-specif...

CNergenz Capitalizing On Smart Factory Tech

01 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Penang-based electronic manufacturing solutions provider CNergenz raised RM58 million in its IPO on the ACE market this month. What is its growth stra...

Funding Societies Strives to Solve SME Funding Gaps

31 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Funding Societies as one of the leading peer to peer lender (P2P) in this region tries to solve the funding requirements of businesses by connecting t...

GSK Committed To Patient Outcomes

30 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

GSK will split into two new companies in 2022, they are GSK and Haleon. So what does this spin-off mean for Malaysia and the healthcare industry? Phil...

Etika Has Big ASEAN Plans

27 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Santharuban Thurai Sundaram, the CEO of halal beverage company Etika Group, discusses the choice of Malaysia as its ASEAN springboard and its premiumi...

Yew Lee Pacific Group Poised To Expand

26 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Almost every industry uses industrial brushes for a variety of purposes and it is an often overlooked but crucial element in all businesses. Ang Poh Y...

Philips Domestic Appliances Focusing On Innovation

25 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The pandemic sparked a surge in sales of kitchen appliances, coffee, garment and home care categories. We speak to Nicholas Lee, the Vice Preside...

MoneyMatch: Banks Beware, The Digital Upstarts Are Here

24 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Naysan Munusamy, the co-founder of transfers and remittances fintech MoneyMatch, discusses being in a winning consortium for one of Malaysia's five di...

Business And Performing Arts Enabling Seagrass Preservation

23 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Chosen as one of six researchers from around the world to receive this year’s Pew Marine Fellowship, Dr. Jillian Ooi, Seagrass Ecologist and Senior ...

CUCKOO: More Than Just Water Purifier

20 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

CUCKOO has made itself a household name when it comes to water purifier but they aspire for the brand to represent more than that. However, with CUCKO...

APU, The Only KPI Is Employability

19 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The pandemic has changed higher education permanently but have institutions been able to pivot? How does it manage to remain profitable yet offer worl...

Can StashAway Outpace Competition?

18 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Michele Ferrario, CEO and Co-Founder of StashAway shares with us his strategies to navigate market volatility, how investors should react during this ...

Health White Paper: Can It Right The Wrongs?

17 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia’s health white paper is due soon. Will it however be able to address the plethora of issues that existed even before the pandemic in a sust...

Malaysia: Wisely Conservative On Crypto

13 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Unlike Singapore, Malaysia has taken a conservative approach to the cryptocurrency industry, in retrospect a wise approach given the past week's turmo...

Finding Value In Abandoned Property

12 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In a sluggish property market, how challenging is it for a niche property company to grow fourfold? Datuk Seri Yap Ngan Choy, Executive Chairman and G...