The Breakfast Grille
Episodes
Shaping Fashion Buying Trends
26 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In Southeast Asia, e-commerce adoption is still relatively low. Gunjan Soni, the CEO of Zalora discusses plans to convert more customers, shape fashio...
Viu - Asia's Netflix?
25 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Video Streaming services saw a boost during the height of the pandemic in Southeast Asia, and streaming player Viu wants a bite of that pie. Backed b...
Bitcoin Makes No Sense As A Currency
24 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The rise of Bitcoin, and the talk around Libra - Facebook’s fiat-backed stablecoin - have woken up central bankers to the disruptive potential o...
US, Destructor In Chief
21 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Paola Subacchi, economist and author of her new book "The Cost Of Free Money: How Unfettered Capital Threatens Our Economic Future" discusses ...
US, Destructor In Chief
21 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Paola Subacchi, economist and author of her new book "The Cost Of Free Money: How Unfettered Capital Threatens Our Economic Future" discusses ...
In Race for FDI, Only The Fairest Wins
19 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Muhammad Azmi Zulkifli is the new CEO of InvestKL, ascending to the role in an unprecedented era of Covid distress and regional competition. How will ...
Is America Still A Global Player?
18 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As the US counts down to its November presidential elections, we take stock of President Trump’s foreign policy direction and his handling of th...
Resurgence Of BonusLink On The Cards
17 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Melvin Ooi left as Head of Alipay in Singapore to join BonusLink Card last year as CEO. We discuss how he's repositioning the company, a pioneer in lo...
As the Bells Peal Louder, Australia’s Toll Doubles Down on Turnaround
14 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thomas Knudsen, CEO of Toll Group, the Australian-based logistics firm owned by Japan Post, has been hired to turn around a business that was already ...
Bermaz - Driving Towards Growth
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Recent government stimulus packages have thrown a lifeline to a car industry hit hard by the implementation of the Movement Control Order in March. Wh...
Education Is Big Business
12 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Education Malaysia Global Services is a one stop shop created by the government to accelerate the goal of 250,000 foreign students by 2025. But with C...
From DBE Gurney to Lagenda, From Poultry To Property
11 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
DBE Gurney is now Lagenda Properties, and the firm has moved from poultry being its primary business to property. Roshan speaks to Dato’ Doh Jee...
Testing New Highs
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Global usage of semiconductors is set to increase with increased automation and the onset of the internet of things. But with Covid 19, global supply ...
Shafie Apdal, Malaysia's (and Sabah's) Man in the Limelight
07 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sabah is in the limelight in a big way. Its state assembly has been dissolved- a move disputed by opposition politicians- even while it remains among ...
In Search Of Value In China
06 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
From Star journalist to financial analyst to fund manager, Dato' Seri Cheah Cheng Hye’s career has led him all the way from the Asian Wall Stree...
For Malaysia's Young, A Hazy Future Beckons
05 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The young may be an important part of the country's future, but jobs, housing and social mobility data shows that Malaysia is doing little for it...
Optimax Eyeing The Underserved
04 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With 25 years of experience in specialist eye care services, Optimax Holdings is now planning to list on the ACE Market, in a bid to raise RM21 millio...
One In Three Used Lazada Wallet
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
E-commerce transactions for essentials picked up significantly during the MCO. Leo Chow, CEO of Lazada Malaysia and former executive from Taobao discu...
Democratic Freedoms - A Luxury?
30 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The New York Review of Books is one of the foremost intellectual publications in the US. This morning on the Breakfast Grille, we speak to its former ...
How Do We Raise The Game For Malaysian Esports?
29 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Esports has become a billion dollar industry. It reportedly generated US$1 billion in revenue for the first time last year, and although COVID-19 pres...
Ocean Vantage IPO - Justified Optimism?
28 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Despite a gloomy long-term outlook for the oil and gas industry, Ocean Vantage Holdings saw a strong debut on the ACE market. It was oversubscribed al...
Is LKL's Q4 Earnings Boom Sustainable?
27 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Medical and healthcare stocks have gotten a lot of attention recently, and few can boast the stock returns that medical bed manufacturer LKL Internati...
Where Is The FBMKLCI Heading?
24 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Malaysian equity market has recovered from March low's while the broader economy has weakened with rising unemployment and weaker consumption. So ...
Where is the FBMKLCI Heading?
24 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Malaysian equity market has recovered from March low's while the broader economy has weakened with rising unemployment and weaker consumption. So ...
With Geely and Self-Driving, Swedes See Sweet Future for Volvo
23 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Malaysian car sales have plunged, possibly to 15-year lows, but recent govt stimulus measures and the end of lockdown may have reversed the course, in...
With Geely and Self-Driving, Swedes See Sweet Future for Volvo
23 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Malaysian car sales have plunged, possibly to 15-year lows, but recent govt stimulus measures and the end of lockdown may have reversed the course, in...
New Poverty Line - Big Step Forward, But Is It Enough?
22 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After decades of maintaining a National Poverty Line that many criticised was misrepresentative of the true scale of poverty in the country, Malaysia ...
Surviving A Future With Machines
21 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Daniel Susskind, Fellow in Economics at Balliol College, Oxford University and author of A World Without Work paints a picture of Big State and les...
Adyen - The Unicorn to Unify The Fragmented Payments System?
20 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Digital payments have picked up steam over the last few years and look to be the way forward, but for most countries it’s a very fragmented mark...
Can GSC Survive The New Normal?
17 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
2019 was a blockbuster year for movies, 2020 has been a far cry from it. The biggest grossing movie this year was Bad Boys For Life which made around ...
Firefly - Leisure Segment Fuelling The Future
16 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Airlines around the world have been hit hard by Covid-19 and the subsequent evaporation of global travel demand. In the wake of bankruptcies like Flyb...
Malaysia’s Money Worries Loom With Loan Moratorium Set to Expire
15 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With loan moratoriums set to expire at the end of September, Malaysia’s six-month debt holiday will soon be over. Which means both people and co...
Keeping Score in the Covid - 19 Era
14 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As one of the two rating agencies in Malaysia, Malaysian Rating Corporation (MARC) has an even greater role to play as the risk of companies defaultin...
Cradle - New CEO, New Funds, New Direction?
13 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With a new CEO at the helm, Cradle Fund is undergoing big changes as it deals with the impacts of the pandemic on the start-up community, and the trag...
Trade in a Post - Brexit World
10 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After the UK's exit from the EU on the 31st of January, the race is on for the island nation renegotiate its trade relationships with countries around...
Can Malaysian Steel Forge Ahead In A Globally Subsidised Environment?
09 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Malaysian steel industry has not been a particularly successful one, with Perwaja steel a reminder of this. However with a White Paper from the in...
Can Beaconhouse Find Its Way Through The Pandemic?
08 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Private education is big business, but can it continue to grow under the shadow of COVID-19? Established in 1975, Beaconhouse School System began as a...
Making a debut in volatile times
07 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Amidst the volatility in capital markets and the gloomy long-term outlook for the oil and gas industry, would a listing be the right decision? We spea...
Harvey Norman Focusing On The Physical
06 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Like other retailers, Harvey Norman took a hit from store closures during the height of the Covid-19 movement restrictions. Now that economies ar...
Peace of Mind in the Covid 19 Era
03 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
No business contingency plan could have prepared any company for the radical change to our lives from the impact of Covid 19. So we speak to Lee Sang ...
Justice Hurried, Justice Buried?
02 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tun Zaki Tun Azmi served as the 6th Chief Justice of Malaysia from 2008 until his retirement in 2011. On today's Breakfast Grille, we discuss judicial...
Gender and Diversity in Economics
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Women face many challenges when it comes to furthering careers in the sciences, and economics is no different. With only two women having ever won a N...
Gender and Diversity in Economics
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Women face many challenges when it comes to furthering careers in the sciences, and economics is no different. With only two women having ever won a N...
Ninja's Completing The Last Mile
30 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The logistics industry is a highly competitive field. Alongside 116 companies in Malaysia with some regional names, Ninja Van have deep pockets and th...
Job-hunting During A Global Pandemic
29 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As unemployment levels rise across the world, the number of open job postings are also dropping across online employment marketplaces - leading to a d...
Riot Games: Southeast Asia Is A Global Top Priority
26 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How has the pandemic impacted video gaming & e-sports? Roshan gets into this, as well as Riot Games’ plans for Southeast Asia, the opportun...
When Viruses Hit, Play Stops. So What's Next?
25 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Covid-19 has ravaged travel and leisure activity on a global basis. So what does this spell for theme park operators and builders? Sim Choo Kheng, CEO...
When Viruses Hit, Play Stops. So What's Next?
25 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Covid-19 has ravaged travel and leisure activity on a global basis. So what does this spell for theme park operators and builders? Sim Choo Kheng, CEO...
Pandemic Politics - Lessons from the 1918 Spanish Flu
24 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Spanish Flu of 1918 was one of the first global pandemics in modern recorded history. Government reactions to it may seem familiar - quarantines, ...
Video Learning - Here To Stay?
23 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Covid-19 has accelerated the adoption of digital solutions, particularly in the realm of higher education. As more lectures and meetings move online, ...
Need FTA for Malaysia
22 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Free Trade Agreement talks between the European Union and Malaysia have been stalled since 2010 due to requirements for Malaysia to undertake refo...
Fighting for Pole Position
19 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As Malaysia's oldest telco, Celcom has seen their market share decline over the years while average revenue per user has also been falling as people s...
UWC - A Beneficiary of COVID-19
18 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
UWC Berhad looks to be one of the beneficiaries of COVID-19 with its stock price more than doubling since a low 3 months back. The company has come a ...
UWC - A Beneficiary of COVID-19
18 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
UWC Berhad looks to be one of the beneficiaries of COVID-19 with its stock price more than doubling since a low 3 months back. The company has come a ...
Redesigning Malaysian Film and Art Post-Pandemic
17 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Like all industries in the country, film production and the arts had come to a screeching halt over the last few months, with many out of work as they...
Can MDEC Help Mak Cik Kiah While Growing Unicorns?
16 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, necessity became the mother of digitisation, with Microsoft saying it saw “two years’ worth of digit...
Ports, On the Frontline, Report: 'It's Life, Jim, But Not As We Know It'
15 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Lockdown may have ended but the pandemic has devastated the economy and set it back by 2-3 years and growth may only recover though not to stellar 201...
Diplomacy Must Be Based On Rules
12 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
China is discouraging its citizens from visiting Australia due to reports of racist attacks. It has also slapped tariffs and restrictions on certain A...
Who Do You Call in Times of Crisis?
11 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Economic Action Council (EAC) in its many guises have been called each time the country faces a crisis since 1997. The Covid-19 pandemic and the e...
At PNB, Expect More Foreign Returns, More Controls
10 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jalil Rasheed President & Group Chief Executive of Permodalan Nasional Berhad, discusses his plan to internationalise the RM300 billion fund'...
Carousell - Can It Compete with Lazada, Shopee & Facebook?
09 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Should online marketplace Carousell be concerned over Facebook's growing presence in the scene? Carousell is an online marketplace that’s been ...
Taking Advantage Of Covid To Fight Climate Change
05 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Global CO2 emissions have decreased dramatically as countries around the world have gone into forced movement restrictions, amid fears of the global p...
Lalamove - The Next DHL?
04 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Should Grab and GoJek be worried about Lalamove’s growing presence in the region? Hong Kong Unicorn Lalamove has been described as the Uber for...
Cloud, the Future of Software Applications
03 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In a global environment where many organisations have had to rapidly adapt to remote working due to Covid-19 and digitise their processes, does this a...
Pent Up Demand for Travel
02 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tourism and travel have been badly hit across the world. Many tour agencies and hotels have closed completely. Mario Hardy, CEO of PATA or Pacific As...
Retailers Big and Small, Are Suffering, Plead for More Govt Help
01 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
While some recovery in footfall has been noted in recent weeks, the pandemic has ravaged the country's retail sector, potentially leaving hundreds of ...
The Delicate Balance between Profit and Development
29 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
George Taitim Tulas, CEO of Sabah Credit Corporation tells us the objectives of this non-financial institution while giving us their strategy for grow...
Can Stashaway Cope with Covid-19, Market Volatility and Increased Competition?
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Malaysia's first digital wealth management platform comes back on The Breakfast Grille to get into the new and old competition and whether it can mana...
Imagining The Future
26 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Stephanie Sitt, CEO of Inmagine group founded the company with her husband Andy and grew their business to become the fourth largest stock image repos...
Italy Feeling the Full Brunt of COVID-19
22 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With one of the highest death and infection rates from Covid-19, Italy will be significantly impacted. We speak to Dr Ugo Panizza, Professor of Econom...
Kelington - Increasing Contribution From Industrial Gas
21 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Covid-19 has thrown many industries into confusion, as companies try to adapt to a new normal. One such player is Kelington Group Berhad, which is a U...
Globalised Ideals Amid Covid-19
20 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Monocle is a recognisable name for business communities around the world. But with Covid-19 affecting travel and media ad-spend, is their niche positi...
One Championship Fights Back From the Brink
19 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hua Fung Teh, the Group President of ONE Championship, a Singapore-based global sports media platform and known as Asia’s answer to the UFC, tal...
Humble in Fighting Covid-19
18 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We examine the government's strategy to combat Covid-19 with Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood, Public Health Special Advisor to the Prime Minister. She also...
Education in the New Normal
15 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With schools and universities shut, and physical distancing now more of a priority than ever before, BAC Education, like many other universities faces...
The Poor Are Not Getting Enough
14 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Income inequality has been on the rise, and it is estimated about 70-80% of the Malaysian working population has savings to survive 1-2 months. Their ...
Fintech and Proptech To Drive Profitability
13 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Since acquiring KiplePay in 2017, Green Packet has been out to transform itself from a traditional communications services company, into a digital ser...
Days of Exuberance are Over
12 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With oil prices hitting new lows, cutting capex and terminating projects is to be expected. So how will oil and gas companies weather this downturn? T...
Consolidate Food Aid Distribution
08 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Food aid for the B40 community has been a hot topic during this Movement Control Order, with the government catching criticism for its handling of foo...
The New Normal Is Even More Unequal
06 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the post pandemic world, the inequality that already exist will likely exacerbate but what can be done to reduce this? And what will happen to the ...
The Financial System, a Victim Not a Cause This Time
05 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In 2008, the financial crisis was caused by reckless and over leveraged banks but this time, world economies are brought to their knees by a health cr...
Did Covid-19 End Bernie Sanders' Presidential Run?
04 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What is the impact of anxiety on an election choice? We explore this with James Bisbee as he explains his thoughts behind the fall of Bernie Sanders i...
All Hands on Deck for Cuscapi as Covid Smashes its F&B, Auto Clients
30 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Anthony Gerald, the Group CEO of business solutions firm Cuscapi Bhd, discusses how the business is dealing with the fallout from Covid-19, given that...
When Will Anwar Let Go?
29 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Leader of Pakatan Harapan and President of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim discusses Pakatan Harapan's priorities now, whether h...
When Will Anwar Let Go?
29 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Leader of Pakatan Harapan and President of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim discusses Pakatan Harapan's priorities now, whether h...
National Development and Profits: Bank Pembangunan's Big Goals
28 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Bank Pembangunan Malaysia is the country’s oldest development financial institution with a twin mandate of national development and profitabilit...
A Quintuple Whammy for Private Universities
27 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With travel restrictions now in place across most of the globe, higher education institutions are facing an uncertain future. Here in Malaysia, the po...
Munching Our Way Through a Tough Time
24 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With the movement control order, availability of food has become a priority for Malaysians and this also includes our favourite snacks. So we speak to...
Continue Education at All Costs
23 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With the Movement Control Order in place, children around the country have been told to stay at home. E-learning and TV broadcasts are how they contin...
Is there a future for Travel in the Covid-19 era?
22 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With hardly any planes flying, borders closed and most countries in some form of a lockdown, we speak to Yap Lip Seng, CEO of the Malaysian Associatio...
Is the Solution a Pandemic Production Act?
21 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Covid-19 took the world by surprise as infection rates soared while countries took turns to go into lock-downs. With that, came the inevitable shortag...
Covid-19 - Choosing Lives or Livelihoods?
20 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Covid-19 pandemic has placed uncertainty at the forefront. When will cases peak? What kind of a recovery will we see? Will shuttered economies be ...
ZICO - Growing Together
17 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
ZICO Holdings started life as a law firm, and now has grown to provide advisory services to companies around the ASEAN Region. Amid the turmoil caused...
EU Solidarity, Much Needed Now
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Covid-19 took Europe by a complete surprise with infections rates rising sharply especially in Spain and Italy. A complete lockdown followed as the ra...
Maybe a Financial Crisis After COVID
15 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Teong Teck Lean, CEO of GD Express, one of the biggest names in express delivery, outlines his concerns for the business and the new opportunities tha...
Doing What It Takes, Bank Negara-Style
14 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks to the Covid-19 virus adding to global economic frailties, Bank Negara Malaysia estimates a worst-case scenario of a 2% contraction in 2020, ma...
Doing What It Takes, Bank Negara-Style
14 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks to the Covid-19 virus adding to global economic frailties, Bank Negara Malaysia estimates a worst-case scenario of a 2% contraction in 2020, ma...
On Food, Education, and Safety for Children
13 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Now that the Movement Control Order has been extended until the end of April, concerns over the state of vulnerable groups in Malaysia have become eve...
Money Always Costs Something, Even During Covid-19
10 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Funding is essential for small businesses reeling from Covid-19. But many challenges exist. Aria Putera Ismail, the CEO of SME Bank and Chairman of th...
These Guys Ain’t Dumb: Money Always Costs Something, Even During COVID-19
10 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Funding is essential for small businesses reeling from Covid-19. But many challenges exist. Aria Putera Ismail, the CEO of SME Bank (and Chairman of A...