The Breakfast Grille

Carousell, The Marketplace Unicorn Shares Big Plans For Malaysia

22 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Carousell is one of the leading classified marketplaces that has attained unicorn status with more than USD1 billion valuation. We speak to Tang Siew ...

Emirates Malaysia Is Ready To Spread Its Wings

21 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After two years of stringent borders control, Malaysia will soon be reopening its borders once again and many in the aviation sector welcome this with...

Prolonged Russia-Ukraine War Might Spell a Dilemma For ASEAN

18 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Malcolm Davis, Senior Analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, offers a state of play for the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the choices...

Finnish Secret to Happiness: Public Trust in Government

17 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Finland has been named the happiest country in the world for four years straight in the World Happiness Report. What accounts for the high levels of c...

No Quick Fixes for Floods

16 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With the country experiencing an unprecedented level of flooding, we ask Cha-Ly Koh from Urbanmetry and YB Charles Santiago, MP for Klang as to the so...

Media Prima Back in the Black

15 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia's largest integrated media company, Media Prima, reported stellar 2021 earnings, marking a return to profit since 2015. Under the helm of new...

Johor Elections Paving the Way for GE15

14 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Fresh off the Johor state elections, we unpack the results and drama that ensued to understand what it means for politics on a federal level. Is this ...

Malaysia's Employment Predicament: Unemployment or Underemployment?

11 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to wages, many of us can agree that it should be increased. But the question that provokes intense debate is when and how? Should market...

D&O Green Technologies In The Driver’s Seat

10 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The past few years have been booming for semiconductor players. Automotive LED supplier D&O Green Technologies Bhd’s managing director, Tay Khen...

Spreading Its Wings for Insurtech

09 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Two years into the pandemic and hardly any flights happening, how does a general insurance player tied to an airline like Tune Protect grow and mainta...

InNature, Can It Stay Ahead?

08 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On International Women’s Day 2022, we speak to a pioneer that championed the environment, social causes and women's issues: listed company InNature ...

Love, Bonito Hearts Global Growth

07 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Prudent, measured growth has been key to managing Covid's retail fallout but having raised Series C funding, it's now all systems go for regional and ...

Improving Margins for B2B Industry Supplier KVC

04 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Eddie Wong, Managing Director of KVC Industrial Supplies and Country MD of Sonepar Malaysia shares with us how this one stop shop for commercial and i...

WWD 2022: Keep Forests Intact, Preserve Biodiversity

03 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia is home to one of the most biodiverse ecological environments, widely recognized for the richness of flora and fauna species with whom we sha...

Wanted: A National EV Framework

02 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Thanks to the success of its Civic sedan and HR-V and BR-V SUVs, Honda is the top non-national make in Malaysia, but longer-term challenges centre on ...

Al Rajhi Bank Malaysia, Small But Big Ambitions

01 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In a crowded field of 16 Islamic Banks, how does one of the smallest standalone banks make waves? Arsalaan Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of Al Rajhi ...

Extra Shots of Caffeine Boosting Berjaya Food Growth

28 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

From the most recent earnings, it looks like the worst is over for Berjaya Food but what is their strategy for growth in a crowded field? And with the...

Ukraine Envoy: National Morale Is Strong

25 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have boiled over into a full-scale invasion after Russia sent military troops into the country on Thursday, 24 Feb...

CARRO: Buying A Car In A Few Clicks With A Disruptor

24 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The pandemic had resulted in a rise in online transactions for used cars, but the competition is also intense. We speak to CARRO, a Singapore-based au...

Can TalentCorp Stem The Brain Drain?

23 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It was first established in 2011, and is now under the Ministry of Human Resources. But TalentCorp did not have a CEO for more than 2 years in June 20...

The Right Time For SIAB's IPO?

22 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With the advent of the pandemic and a challenging time for the construction sector, we ask Ng Wai Hoe, Managing Director, SIAB Holdings the rationale ...

Can Nokia Stage Comeback in 5G Race?

21 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Nokia today has moved beyond the mobile phone business, focusing on telecommunications technology services and network equipment supply, where it’s ...

Big Plans For Rosti Group In Asia?

18 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Patrick Williams, Senior Vice President for Asia of Rosti Group, a global plastics injection moulding company and contract manufacturer, shares with u...

Mavenir's Asian Expansion and the Case for OpenRAN

17 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

US-based telecommunications software company Mavenir created its name as a disruptor in the industry, championing cloud-native software solutions and ...

Have Universities Stayed Current?

16 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Big business wants to hire technologists while students fear debt and increasingly, seek meaningful and rewarding careers not necessarily centered on ...

MyNews, Turning Things Around 24/7

15 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After the largest loss since the IPO, is 2022 the year of recovery for this 24 hour convenient store operator? Dang Tai Luk, Group CEO of MyNews Holdi...

Karex, Globe's Largest Condom Maker, Seeks Rebound

14 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It may be Valentine's Day but condom usage is down 30-40% globally while the fortunes of the world's largest maker of the prophylactic, Karex Bhd, has...

Malaysian Don Pioneering Bioethics Research

11 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

According to United Nations data, less than 30% of researchers are women, indicating a significant diversity gap in knowledge generation in academia. ...

UCrest Berhad: Hospital In The Cloud

10 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ucrest Berhad's Founder, Chairman and Managing Director, Mr Eg Kah Yee, shed light on how their i-Medic platform penetrate the digital health business...

Are Malaysian Companies Behind the Sustainability Curve?

09 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) is the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative, first set up in 2000 to galvanize private sector ...

B. Braun's Next 50 Years

08 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We speak to one of the world's leaders of medical devices, global multinational B Braun. With a rich 200 plus history in Germany, we ask Mr. Christoph...

TCM Reaching A Brand New Audience

07 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Traditional Chinese Medicine has gone mainstream in the last few years, seen as complementary to western medicine. Is the challenge now attracting the...

QS On A Mission To Transform Higher Education

04 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) is known for their QS World University Rankings. Dr. Edward Harcourt, Senior Vice President joins Philip to talk about how t...

Caely Reveals Plans to Expand Beyond Undergarments

03 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysian undergarment manufacturer Caely Holdings has evolved from a small-direct selling company to the largest exporter of lingerie and matern...

Ascott: Business is Booming In Serviced Residences

31 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ascott International Management is wholly owned by Capitaland Investment, and in Malaysia is the largest international serviced residence operator wit...

Liquid Dreams. Can Spritzer Improve Its Margins?

28 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

During Chinese New Year, carbonated water for some is a must. Philip See speaks to Spritzer, a leader in manufacturing bottled water products. Kenny L...

MEASAT's Broadband Ambition

27 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia’s satellite operator MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn Bhd’s Chief Operating Officer, Yau Chyong Lim talks about Malaysia’s satellite indust...

Brighter Outlook For ERS Energy?

26 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

ERS Energy installs and designs solar power systems from all sectors like residential and industrial. On The Breakfast Grille, Jonathan Kan, Managing ...

Covid Cools Huawei Pact Mania For JF Tech

25 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A pact with China tech giant Huawei has sent shares of local circuit testing firm JF Technology Bhd through the roof, but production delays, China's Z...

Transforming Malaysian TVET

24 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How can technical and vocational education and training (TVET) be made more relevant and attractive to Malaysians? To mark the International Day of Ed...

TK Elevator Malaysia - These Malls Were Made For Walking

21 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The pandemic has upended travel, retail and meetings, prompting the question of the implications for property and construction - including lifts, elev...

Ninja Van Malaysia Targets Same-Day Delivery Across Peninsular by June

20 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Logistics players have made banks during the pandemic as movement restrictions drove up demand for delivery services. Ninja Van Malaysia is one o...

Is US Digital Bank MoneyLion Looking to Prowl Asia?

19 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

MoneyLion has the distinction of being a US digital bank with a Malaysian workforce, courtesy of its co-founder and CTO Foong Chee Mun who set up an o...

Tackling Climate Change Requires Imagination

17 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Are there any lessons that can be drawn from the pandemic to tackle the climate crisis? Alice Hill, the author of The Fight for Climate After COVID-19...

Disrupting Broking With Technology And Low Commissions

14 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Volumes on Bursa Malaysia had been on a declining trend except for 2020 when many turned to online trading as working from home became the norm. But a...

Coraza Banking on MNC Ties for Future Growth

13 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Engineering support services provider Coraza Integrated Technology is set to be one of the first companies to debut on the ACE market this year with t...

Going Beyond Auditing To Advisory, Tax And Legal

12 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Accounting firms have evolved over the years and now offer a range of services but does this business model have inherent conflicts of interest? Soo H...

Country Heights Is Back, This Time With Lofty Ambitions

11 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Country Heights Holdings, a property juggernaut in the 90s that has fallen to losses in four of the last five years, is aiming for a turnaround, this ...

MI Technovation On Track To Deliver Its 10 Year Roadmap

10 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With the semiconductor industry growing more than 25% in 2021, we speak to Kuang Eng Oh, Group Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director, Mi Te...

MHTC Aims To Revive Medical Tourism

07 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Mohd Daud Mohd Arif, CEO, Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) is in the hot seat as he explains about the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Industry Bl...

Senheng's IPO Plans To Dominate The Market

06 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As Senheng seeks to raise around RM270 million from its IPO at the price of RM1.07 per share, we ask Lim Kim Heng, Executive Chairman of Senheng New R...

Time For FBMKLCI To Shine In 2022?

05 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Once again the FBMKLCI disappoints. Why and will 2022 be a better year or are there other markets that will provide better returns. Anand Pathmakantha...

ProtectHealth Driving Public-Private Partnership In PICK

04 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

ProtectHealth Corporation, a subsidiary company under the Ministry of Health, is playing a key role in accelerating the distribution of vaccines ...

Pejuang, A Breakaway Or A Brand New Party?

03 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Pejuang is the latest Malay political party with 4MPs. But what does the party stand for and will it make any headway in the next elections? Datuk Ser...

Best Of The Breakfast Grille 2021: Pandemic Winners

31 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Although the Covid-19 pandemic took a toll on the global economy, there were undoubtedly some players that managed to come out on top. We revisit conv...

Best Of The Breakfast Grille 2021: Travel and Tourism

30 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The travel and tourism sectors were the hardest hit by the pandemic as global and domestic borders shuttered. How have different industry players navi...

Best Of The Breakfast Grille 2021: The Economy

29 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

2021 was touted as the year of pandemic recovery - but as the Covid-19 virus mutated and new variants emerged, uncertainty dominated the economy and m...

Best Of The Breakfast Grille 2021: Politics

28 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The tumultuous politics of 2020 which witnessed the Sheraton Move continued into 2021, with a national state of emergency declared in January followed...

Best Of The Breakfast Grille 2021: Covid-19 And Healthcare

27 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Covid-19 pandemic took a twist this year with the emergence of the Delta and Omicron variants throwing obstacles into recovery, despite the robust...

AFG Mining For Potential Regional Fintech Riches

24 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

According to recent surveys, fintech investments in the Southeast Asian region tripled this year to a record USD3.5 billion amid pandemic-driven digit...

Sunway University: Local With World Class Ambitions

23 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The pandemic has changed higher education permanently but is that better for students and universities? Professor Sibrandes Poppema from Sunway Univer...

Awesome Awaits For LEGOLAND Malaysia

22 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Legoland Malaysia Resort in Johor had reopened in October after months of closure. Philip See speaks to CS Lim, the Divisional Director of LEGOLA...

No Sunset For Niro, Instead Going Public

21 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tiles manufacturer Niro Ceramic Group was first established in 1979 now has plans to go public in 2023. We speak to Managing Director, Ian Kok about o...

Jade Marvel's Big Transformation Plans

20 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Property and construction firm Jade Marvel Group Bhd wants to transform into a mini private equity firm with initial interests in seafood process...

The Malaysian Nanotech REVOLUTIoNT

17 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

NanoMalaysia Berhad, a not-for-profit government venture builder has spent the last 10 years building a nanotechnology ecosystem in Malaysia from the ...

ALP Making Their Mark In Malaysia

15 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Founded in 2014, Ally Logistic Property is Taiwan’s first and largest institutional logistic property developer and is setting up their first SEA lo...

UWC's Next Growth Trajectory

15 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matin Ng, Deputy CEO of UWC Berhad helps us understand how they grew from a wire cutting machine manufacturer into an integrated engineering services ...

Hauling Their Way To A Win

14 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Swift Haulage Berhad is slated for listing on Bursa Malaysia on 21 December. Will this much anticipated IPO be a success despite its rather lofty valu...

Race, Religion, MA63 Betrayals Drive Decolonisation Discussions

13 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sick of damaging racial and religious political ideologues, negative sentiment towards Peninsula Malaysians are at peak levels, with decolonisation ga...

Commit To Rights-Based Approach Back Home, Not Just On International Stage

10 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The theme for Human Rights Day 2021 is Equality: Reducing inequalities, advancing human rights. What human rights issues have risen to the surface in ...

PAC Oversight Sustained Amid Challenges

09 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee plays a crucial oversight role in monitoring government spending. To mark International Anti-Corruption Da...

Airbnb, Winner Of Re-Opening

08 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Home-sharing app Airbnb’s revenue grew by 67% y-o-y to $2.2 billion in the third quarter of this year. But how will the Omicron variant impact t...

At LH Plus, People And Automation Are Its Future

07 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the midst of the pandemic, Callum Chen, CEO of the family-owned plastics manufacturer LH Plus Sdn Bhd, achieved greater efficiency with fewer human...

Can Australia Withstand China's Economic Onslaught?

06 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia and Australia elevated long-standing bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) earlier this year. How do the fortunes of ...

COP26 Impact On The Financial Sector

02 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

At the back of COP26, we’re extending the discussion with Cedric Rimaud, ASEAN Program Manager, Climate Bonds Initiative and Raymond Tang, Chief...

BTM's Ambition In Renewable Energy, Realistic?

01 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With over two decades of experience in logging, sawmill operator BTM Resources Berhad is looking to venture into renewable energy to diversify its inc...

OYO On Track To Be The World's Largest Hotel Chain?

30 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As a platform that provides full-stack technology for businesses with hotels and homes. Country head for OYO Malaysia and Singapore, Tan Ming Luk shar...

Coursera Stays On Growth Mode

25 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We speak to one of the world's largest MOOCs, Massive Open Online Course providers Coursera on their expansion plans and their road to profitability a...

Phison Unfazed By Headwinds With Deep R&D Roots

24 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Taiwanese semiconductor company Phison Electronics is small but mighty in the industry, with a significant market share in NAND flash controller IC de...

Next Chapter For Malaysia-Cuba Relations?

23 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia-Cuban relations have been established since 1975, but why has bilateral economic activity remained minimal? Ambassador Batista Gonzalez expla...

Is Melaka A Precursor To GE15?

22 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

BN had a resounding win in Melaka with 21 seats. What was the reason for this? Is this a wake-up call for Pakatan Harapan? Will the existing coalition...

Is It Still Brick And Mortar For Kids?

19 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Kim Hin Joo (Malaysia) Berhad made its debut on the Ace market more than 2 years ago just a few months before the pandemic. But how has this franchise...

Liberty Leads By Consolidating

18 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia has just a population of 32 million people but 21 general insurance companies. To grow market share, is consolidation the way forward? We ask...

Oracle's Cloud Bet In Asia Pacific

17 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Chin Ying Loong, Regional Managing Director for ASEAN and SAGE (South Asian Growing Economies) from Oracle Cooperation shares with us Oracle's strateg...

Boost Aims Beyond Payment Solutions

16 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We ask Sheyantha Abeykoon, CEO of Boost about the pathway to profitability for its e-wallet business and the status of a joint application with RHB fo...

Bata Malaysia Courting Gen Z Sneakerheads

15 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Bata has cultivated the brand "shoes for everyone" to great success, but does this everyman approach put it at a disadvantage compared to other more n...

How Will Arcc Spaces Transform Flexible Working Spaces Post Pandemic?

12 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We speak to Justin Chen, CEO of Arcc Spaces, one of Asia’s leading flexible work spaces operators about how the pandemic has changed the future ...

ASB Strives To Build Smart And Sharp Leaders

11 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Established in 2015 from a partnership between MIT Sloan School of Management and Bank Negara Malaysia, Asia School of Business has been specializing ...

Malaysia’s Sky-high Aerospace Ambition - Are We Ready?

10 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia wants to be a formidable player in the aerospace industry and has set in motion plans and blueprints to make this a reality. The 12th Malaysi...

Concerted Climate Change Action Urgently Needed

09 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Environmental groups like the WWF have long sounded the alarm over the impact of human development on the natural world, and these calls are becoming ...

Concerted Climate Change Action Urgently Needed

09 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Environmental groups like the WWF have long sounded the alarm over the impact of human development on the natural world, and these calls are becoming ...

T7 Expands Beyond Petronas And Oil & Gas

08 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Previously called Tanjung Offshore, Datuk Seri Dr. Nik Norzrul Thani Bin N. Hassan Thani, Chairman of T7 Global comes on the Breakfast Grille to share...

Faber-Castell's Pencils And Erasers Digital Face-Off

05 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew Woon, Managing Director of Faber-Castell Malaysia, talks about how the the 260-year-old German stationery company is navigating the digital era...

Is Zoom, Zooming In Or Zooming Out?

03 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A clear poster child of the winners of the pandemic is Zoom as we all turned to video conferencing for work, education and even socializing. But with ...

Budget 2022: Paying The Price In The Future

02 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We get an external perspective from Tricia Yeoh, CEO of IDEAS and Tai Lai Kok, Executive Director and Head of Tax KPMG Malaysia on Budget 2022 and its...

Budget 2022: A Budget For The Whole Family?

01 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The largest budget in Malaysian history at RM332billion but does it achieve the 3R's - recovery, rebuild and reform? And will the Budget initiatives b...

How To Pay For A Populist Budget In 2022?

29 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Expectations are sky-high for Budget 2022 to set the tone for Malaysia's post-pandemic recovery. It will also signal the policy direction of Prime Min...

Maszlee: Where Is The Post-Pandemic Education Masterplan?

28 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Maszlee Malik has been described as the most unpopular minister during his short stint in Cabinet as the Minister of Education. He’s recentl...

China Rewriting Economic Narrative - But At What Cost?

27 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The 2021 narrative has been one of global economic recovery - but it’s not without its twists and turns, as the Delta variant emerged and disrup...

Clearer Skies Ahead For GE Engine Services

25 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The pandemic may have ravaged the global aviation industry but there are clear signs of recovery, giving impetus to the KL, Malaysia-based maintenance...