The Breakfast Grille

The EPL: Billionaire Money And Rising Americanisation

11 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Billionaire owners, rising Americanisation, and the rise and fall of European Super League; Roshan Kanesan speaks to football financial analyst Kieran...

Freshworks Expansion Plans Into South East Asia

10 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We speak to Vinod Chandramouli, Head of ASEAN Business at Freshworks on their expansion plans and how this SAAS (Software as a Solution Provider) plan...

Is Tech The Villain Behind Wage Stagnation?

09 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is technology's role in wage stagnation? Are market power and the skewed distribution of wealth cyclical in nature? Does Antitrust need to change...

ACE-bound Pekat Shines On Despite Odds

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Pekat Group Bhd's managing director, Chin Soo Mau discusses the state of play of the solar power industry, the obstacles in growing the business in Ma...

ACE-bound Pekat Shines On Despite Odds

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Pekat Group Bhd's managing director, Chin Soo Mau discusses the state of play of the solar power industry, the obstacles in growing the business in Ma...

Should We Ban Plastic Waste Imports?

04 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In conjunction with World Environment Day tomorrow, we tackle the subject of plastic- its manufacturing, recycling, and the importation of plastic was...

Sustenir Agriculture: Growing More Food With Less Impact?

03 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Founded in 2013, Sustenir was armed with $15 million in Series A funding from Grok ventures and Temasek Holding to tap into the growing vertical farmi...

Systemic Risks In A Fast Changing World

02 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Jon Danielsson from LSE's Systemic Risk Centre helps us understand how financial markets have been resilient during the pandemic and highlights the...

ADA - Axiata’s Digital Advertising Arm Headed For IPO?

01 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With a presence across 9 markets in the region, Axiata Digital Advertising, or ADA, has seen tremendous growth since its establishment in 2018. And in...

Flexidynamic's Post-IPO Moves

31 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Following a successful IPO in March 2021, we ask Ben Sin, General Manager of Flexidynamics on how this glove chlorination specialist has used its proc...

Covid-19 Insurance Coverage: The Why-Nots And How-Tos

28 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mark O'Dell, CEO of the Life Insurance Association of Malaysia (LIAM) and Antony Lee, Chairman of the General Insurance Association of Malaysia (PIAM)...

Germany & Malaysia Building Better Ties For Trade And Education

27 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From vehicles to electrical products and pharmaceuticals, Malaysia continues to be Germany’s largest trading partner in the ASEAN region, with t...

Georgia Stepping Into Their Own

25 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Once part of the Soviet Union, Georgia has since transformed itself into a modern state, ranked by the Heritage Foundation as the 12th freest in terms...

Georgia Stepping Into Their Own

25 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Once part of the Soviet Union, Georgia has since transformed itself into a modern state, ranked by the Heritage Foundation as the 12th freest in terms...

Can Oil Continue To Drive Malaysia?

24 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The oil and gas services and equipment (OGSE) sector contributed RM65 billion to the Malaysian economy in 2019. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has exa...

Takaful Malaysia Cross-selling For Growth

21 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The penetration of Takaful insurance in Malaysia is only 16% but with 10 other competitors, the market is very competitive. So what plans does Syarika...

Out Of DNEX’s Shadow, Censof Focused On Growth

20 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How much more upside for Bursa listed Censof? The financial software solutions provider caught the attention of investors a month ago when Microsoft a...

MICG To Go Beyond GLCs

19 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Roshni Jayantilal, CEO of the Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance (MICG) speaks to us on the Breakfast Grille about the challenges in maintain...

MDEC Hits Silver But Can It Go For Gold

18 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As MDEC celebrates its 25th anniversary, does this government agency still have relevance in helping Malaysia achieve its lofty goal of being a digita...

Post-Pandemic, How Global Rules Could Be Rewritten: Charles Kenny, the author of "The Plague Cycle

17 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Charles Kenny, the author of "The Plague Cycle: The Unending War Between Humanity and Infectious Disease" discusses the downside of some measures to f...

Habib Jewels Trying To Shine Bright In The Pandemic

12 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As Malaysia prepares to celebrate a second Hari Raya under a Movement Control Order, Dato' Sri Meer Habib, the Managing Director of Habib Jewels, talk...

Advancecon: Advancing Into New Territory

11 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Bursa Malaysia listed Advancecon Holdings has been awarded a total of five subcontracts worth around RM186 million for the ECRL project since the midd...

Modern Education - Producing Useful But Unhappy People?

10 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

While the Covid-19 pandemic is first and foremost a health crisis, the resulting effects have devastated the global economy and students' education fo...

Malaysian Education - Consolidation Incoming?

07 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How will listed education group SEG International adapt to a tougher operating environment, an oversaturated market, and the push to digital? Roshan K...

E-Commerce And Agriculture Opportunities With Australia

06 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Paul Sanda, the Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner of Austrade Malaysia & Brunei discusses how Covid-19 and the Regional Comprehensive Econo...

Invest Energy's RM2.2 Billion Renewable Energy Plan

05 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) company Invest Energy Group wants to invest RM2.2 billion in the region over the next 5-7years in renewable energy ...

A New Generation At DAP

04 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

DAP tasted power for a brief 22 months but is back in opposition. What are their next steps as Malaysia heads towards the next general elections? Is t...

A New Generation At DAP

04 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

DAP tasted power for a brief 22 months but is back in opposition. What are their next steps as Malaysia heads towards the next general elections? Is t...

Construction Firm Tuju Setia Braves Tide, Headwinds In Main Market IPO

03 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Wee Eng Kong, Managing Director of the construction services firm Tuju Setia, is Bursa Malaysia's first main market listing in 2021, set to go public ...

International SOS Focusing On Building A Resilient Workforce

30 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jing Tan, the Regional General Manager of International SOS talks to us about how this health and security firm is evolving throughout the pandemic, i...

Widening The Social Safety Net

28 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Social Security Organization (SOCSO), also known as PERKESO, has seen its role expand as the government rolled out various initiatives to help workers...

Who Owns It? Understanding Transboundary Water Conflicts

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Transboundary waters fuel agriculture and support thousands of local communities, but can also be a point of conflict between the countries that share...

GDEX Banks On REITs, Financial Services And Ecosystem Expansion For Fresh Growth

26 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Having survived the onslaught of smaller, faster startups and the ravages of Covid-19, Malaysian logistics and delivery company GDEX Bhd has announced...

Plus Solar Looking Beyond Solar Energy

23 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

According to the Mckinsey Global Energy Perspective 2021 report, it's estimated that more than 50% of global power generation will come from renewable...

Is New Energy Petronas' Future?

22 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As oil majors around the world attempt to plan for the future and diversify away from oil, PETRONAS says that the establishment of their New Energy di...

Is The Sun Setting On Japan?

21 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With the threat of the 4th wave of Covid-19 looming over a slow vaccine roll-out, can the Japanese economy stay in its recovery trajectory? How have M...

Tax Reform, A Necessity But Is There The Will?

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With the multiple stimulus packages rolled out to create jobs and revive the economy, questions arise as to how it should be paid for. Is the solution...

Can Honesty Halt The Flow Of Kleptocracy?

19 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia is no stranger to the complexities and the perils of “dirty money”, but we are far from the only country implicated in what inves...

Transforming The Nation The MBS Way

16 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Prince Mohammed bin Salman has gone from obscure royalty to the crown Prince of this oil rich nation. Bradley Hope tells us why he chose to write the ...

Malaysia And Vietnam - Forging Ahead In A New Normal

15 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The relationship between Vietnam and Malaysia dates back to at least the 15th century. But how has the relationship grown into the modern world and wh...

Malaysia's Importance To Pharma Giant Servier

14 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Servier is the second largest pharmaceutical group in France and the 31st largest in the world treating over 100 million patients worldwide. But where...

DPI: Be Frugal & Don't Give Up

13 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

ACE-listed DPI Holdings, an aerosol and spray paints manufacturer is expected to report historical record sales this year. It has been a beneficiary o...

Angrynomics And The Plan To Save The World

12 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Demonstrations in Hong Kong. Protests in Bangkok. An insurgency in Washington, DC. What do they all have in common? Anger. While economists tell us th...

Prospects In Melaka

09 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Richard Teo, Managing Director of Teladan Setia, a Melaka-based property developer discusses why Teladan opted to list on ACE instead of the Mainboard...

Seamless Integration Is A Touch Away

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The E-wallet space is extremely competitive and crowded with as many as 40 players in Malaysia despite the high penetration rate. But with the high ac...

WHO - Coordinating the Fight Against Covid-19

07 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It goes without saying that Covid-19 is one of the biggest health disasters in recent memory. Malaysia alone has seen over 350,000 cases since Ja...

Moo-sic To Investors' Ears : Holstein Milk Company's Extraordina-diary Journey

06 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We speak to Loi Tuan Ee, managing director and founder of Holstein Milk Company, Malaysia's largest dairy producer, about his future expansion plans, ...

Moo-sic To Investors' Ears : Holstein Milk Company's Legen-dairy Journey To Become Malaysia's Leading Milk Company

06 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We speak to Loi Tuan Ee, managing director and founder of Holstein Milk Company, Malaysia's largest dairy producer, about his future expansion plans, ...

Moo-sic To Investors' Ears : Holstein's Milk Company's Extraordina-dairy Journey

06 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We speak to Loi Tuan Ee, managing director and CEO of Holstein Milk Company, Malaysia's largest dairy producer, about his future expansion plans, the ...

Partnerships To Achieve Herd Immunity

05 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Zuellig Pharma is the largest vaccine distributor in Malaysia and Asia. With Malaysia ramping up the vaccine rollout, what role does Zuellig play, and...

What's Next For Profitable Unicorn As It Wises Up?

02 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Investment products, digital banking, growth in Asia, and key partnerships. Roshan Kanesan speaks to Venkatesh Saha, Head of APAC Expansion at London ...

Snowflake - Helping You Turn Data Into Dollars?

01 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Is Snowflake worth 80 times annual sales? Data is the new oil, but can Saas player Snowflake compete with Microsoft, Amazon, and Google? Roshan Kanesa...

Sarawak Consolidated Lights Up On Serba Emergence

31 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Emergence of Serba Dinamik's Dato Abdul Karim as controlling owner in the concrete producer has lit a spark in its earnings as its business takes ...

Funding Societies Malaysia - Future Digital Banking?

30 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is Funding Societies Malaysia's value proposition to retail investors? Roshan Kanesan explores this as well as Funding Societies' future plans, p...

GBG - Cybercrime Hunter Seeks Post-Covid Bounce Back

29 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Covid may have decimated global business but there's always demand for sophisticated software that weeds out digital crime. Dev Dhiman, Asia Pacific ...

Rolls-Royce: Ghosting Through The Pandemic

26 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Bespoke luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd saw production slump in 2020 due to a disrupted global supply chain though sales and prices have st...

Zurich General - Does Good Service Trump New Insurance Products?

25 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Lyn Mak speaks with Junior Cho, CEO of Zurich General Insurance Malaysia, on how Covid-19 has affected the insurance business, how Zurich has responde...

Stashaway - Growing AUM Rapidly, But Will It Be Profitable?

24 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Stashaway hit an AUM of $1 billion much faster than US-based roboadvisor pioneers Wealthfront and Betterment. While impressive, this won't mean much i...

Adobe - Can The Cash Generating Machine Tap Into Southeast Asia?

23 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Software giant Adobe has seen its stock rise almost 5 fold over the last 5 years as it has successfully turned away from software as-a-product, to Sof...

Competition Is Tough But Will 5G Help?

22 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The telco landscape globally has been become more competitive over the last few years with the service becoming a commodity. With average revenue per ...

Malaysia-France - Bridging The Cultural Gap

19 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In conjunction with International Francophonie Day, His Excellency Roland Galharague, Ambassador of France to Malaysia, joins us on the Breakfast Gril...

Building A Retail Empire One Store At A Time

18 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From just half a store to nationwide presence, Sengheng Electric now has sales of RM1.4 billion. We speak to founder KH Lim about how the business was...

Aerodyne En Route To IPO, ETA 3-5 Years

17 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Aerodyne Group, a Malaysian drone solutions company, has over 400 drone professionals operating in the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAS) service sector an...

Carsome: From Car Trading Site To Budding Unicorn

16 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Having built a regional used-car selling platform before moving into direct-to-consumer sales, Eric Cheng and his team at Carsome are now contemplatin...

Can MGRC Personalize Medicine?

15 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Philip See speaks to CEO Sasha Omar Firdaus Amir Nordin to find out how the Malaysian Genomics Resource Centre (MGRC) is restructuring its business li...

New Mandate, New Direction

12 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Khazanah, Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund, declared a profit of RM2.9 billion for 2020, despite the challenging operating environment and significant...

Future Of Hotels Post-Pandemic

11 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Allen Law, CEO of Park Hotel Group based in Singapore with properties located across the region, updates us on the progress of constructing Park Hotel...

As China Recovers, Steel Circles Back Under The Sun

10 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dato' Sri Tai Hean Leng, the MD and CEO of Malaysia Steel Works Bhd, talks about a China-led industry recovery that began in the second half of 2020.S...

Staying Big Whilst Doubling The Returns

09 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

IHH Healthcare is one of Asia’s largest private healthcare groups with 80 hospitals in 10 countries. CEO Dr Kelvin Loh talks about the group&rsq...

An All-Of-Society Approach For Equality

08 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today is International Women's Day, which is timely to discuss the challenges but also the solutions to bring about greater gender equality and better...

DBKL - Serving The People Of KL?

05 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Urban centres like Kuala Lumpur have been among the areas hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. As the economy grinds to a standstill and people stay ...

CAAM: Regulating Planes, Encouraging Drones, And Upgrading Safety

04 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Two years ago, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) was downgraded by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for failing to meet inte...

Covering The Bases: Karex's Post-COVID Expansion Plans

03 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Karex, the world’s largest condom manufacturer, saw its net profit grow 27 times on-year to RM2.8 million, but that was 38% down on-quarter. Wha...

It's All In The Numbers

02 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Reliable and trustworthy information is crucial for any decision-making, whether that’s governments drafting policies or civil society casting b...

Helping Clients Leverage Opportunities

01 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Lennard Yong, CEO of Tricor Group, one of the leading corporate services providers in the region, discusses how some of his clients have adapted to re...

InNature Turns Profit, But Can It Overcome Retail Headwinds?

26 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

InNature Berhad is the exclusive franchisee of The Body Shop in Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam, and have also recently added social-selling brand Natu...

From Paper To Consumer And Food Ware

25 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With increasing digitalization and storage in the clouds, is the use of papers and files close to extinction? We speak to Dato' Lim Soon Huat, Executi...

AmBank Islamic - Navigating Pandemic And Evolving Market

24 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Eqhwan Mokhzanee Muhammad, CEO of AmBank Islamic, shares with us the progress and performance of the bank as well as how the Islamic finance industry ...

Langkah Sheraton - One Year On

23 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The events of Langkah Sheraton upended the political landscape and threw Malaysia's democracy into a tailspin. One year later, the country remains on ...

Mastering The ASEAN Proptech Market

22 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hari V. Krishnan, CEO and MD at PropertyGuru Group, shares with us how the largest regional property technology (Proptech) player in Southeast Asia is...

Islamic Banking Has Gone Mainstream

19 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With 16 Islamic banks in Malaysia, competition has become intense. Muazzam Mohamed, CEO of Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad, which is the largest, tells us ...

Forging A New Relationship

18 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The European Union, a political and economic bloc of 27 countries, is undoubtedly a global superpower. As the 3rd largest trading partner in Malaysia,...

Can Malaysia Compete For Quality FDI In A Competitive ASEAN?

17 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Malaysian FDI proposition in an increasingly competitive ASEAN? Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) CEO Dato' Azman Mahmud ...

EAIC - Integrity, Independence, Down To The Individual

16 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A trust deficit between the public and the civil service has been highlighted as one of the key challenges in fighting corruption in the country. Seve...

Malaysia-Poland Trade: More Room To Grow?

15 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to Malaysia-EU trade relations, attention is often focused on countries like Germany and France, but what you may not know is that Polan...

Ni Hsin Cooking Up Plans To Go Into F&B

11 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to plague the world and dampen the economic outlook, how will cookware manufacturer Ni Hsin Resources Bhd maintain ...

Saving SMEs & Retailers

10 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Close to a third of small retail businesses have “collapsed” in the three weeks since the start of MCO 2.0. More are likely to fold even i...

From Coke To EV Solutions

09 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Datuk Jared Lim, Executive Director of Techna-X, unveils his ambitious plans to pivot from the loss-making metallurgical coke business to energy stora...

Joko Widodo - The Start Of A New Indonesian Dynasty?

08 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

'Man of Contradictions: Joko Widodo and the Struggle to Remake Indonesia' is a book by Ben Bland, detailing the remarkable story of Joko Widodo’...

Retuning For Growth

05 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tune Protect, a general insurance player, has enjoyed success due to its exclusive partnership with AirAsia - but with hardly any flights, travel insu...

Luxury In A Time Of Covid-19: B.I.G. & Village Grocer Owners Speak

04 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Geoff King, CEO of the Navis Capital-controlled luxury grocery chain The Food Purveyor, spills the caviar on how premium chains like theirs are coping...

Iconic Worldwide's Foray Into Glove Production

03 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Penang property player Iconic Worldwide looks to diversify beyond its core property and tourism business into mask and glove production. With a 5.5 ac...

Immunising The Bottomline

02 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Melaka-based property developer Yong Tai plans to distribute Covid-19 vaccines manufactured by Shenzhen Kangtai. Datuk Wira Boo Kuang Loon, the CEO, d...

Crunch Time For Texas Chicken?

29 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Texas Chicken is one of the largest quick-service restaurant chains in the world specialising in one of the world’s most popular food items, fri...

Year 2021 Would Be As Bad As 2020 For Real Estate

27 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Datuk Seri FD Iskandar, Group Managing Director at Glomac, shares his outlook, plans to revive its largest asset Glo Damansara Mall, and the possibili...

DNeX - Does Silterra Acquisition Make Sense?

26 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As Dagang NeXchange's (DNeX) stock price rises, The Morning Run speaks to the IT and energy firm's Group Managing Director Dato’ Sri Syed Zainal...

Rethinking The Value Of Work And Education

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Why are jobs that require high academic qualifications prized over technical vocations, despite the latter being no less meaningful or important? Will...

No Free Lunch Even With Low Rates

22 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The global sum of government debt was around $78 trillion at end-2020 and is expected to reach $84 trillion by end-2021, approaching 100% of global GD...

Will Pandemic And US Customs Ban Derail Sime Darby Oils' Ambitions?

21 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sime Darby Oils is the downstream arm of Sime Darby Plantations, the world's largest palm oil plantation company by planted area. Last year on The Br...

Can The US Reclaim A Leadership Role In Asia?

20 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As we look ahead to Inauguration Day in the US, many now question what a Biden administration will look like, across the next four years. Will the US ...