The Breakfast Grille

Economic Populism: It's Both Politics and Genuine Discontent

21 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Economist Peter Blair Henry, the author of “Turnaround” published in 2013, posited that first-world countries stand to learn from advanced...

Will Coursera Disrupt Formal Education?

20 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Coursera has become synonymous with online continuous learning, offering over 3,000 courses in partnership with prominent higher education institutes....

Hino Motors: 40 Years and Beyond

19 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hino Motors has been in Malaysia for 40 years and is Japan’s oldest motor vehicle manufacturer, with its trucks and buses marketed in over 70 co...

TNB Renewables, Generating Clean And Green Energy For All

18 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

With the Malaysian Government pushing for 20% renewable energy capacity by 2025, we speak to Yusrizal Yusof, Managing Director of TNB Renewables to un...

MDEC - Making Data Driven Decisions

17 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

With Malaysia on the cusp of Industry 4.0, building a mature digital economy has become a national priority. On the Breakfast Grille we ask Surina Sh...

Affordable Homes: Can’t Have Your Cake and Eat it Too

14 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) released the 2019 Policy Ideas on Affordable Homes. The Malaysian property sector has been making...

ACE IPO Poll Verdict Positive for Mestron

13 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Mestron Holdings manufactures steel poles such as street light poles, decorative light poles, and specialty poles. The are listing on the ACE Market o...

Airbus Malaysia - All Things Aviation From Planes, Military Jets To Helicopters

12 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We speak to Raymond Lim, Country Head of Airbus Malaysia about its investments in the country, the relationship it has with local airlines and governm...

EU Biofuel Policy Politically Driven And Nothing To Do With Deforestation

11 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jean-Marc Roda gives a scientific approach to looking at whether palm oil is causing alarming deforestation. It boils down to the question of economic...

BMW - Electrification and Changing Demographics

10 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

BMW is one of two major carmakers who are synonymous with luxury here in Malaysia. But how will they adapt themselves to the changing world of mobilit...

Europe's Tragedic Trajectory

07 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The European Union, despite its troubles, is often held up as an example of a successful monetary union. For his thoughts on the subject, we speak to ...

PLUS and Pakatan's Promise

04 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Shou Ning Wong speaks to Datuk Azman Ismail, Managing Director of Plus Malaysia Berhad, to find out if the Government will nationalise tolls and if th...

Placing Faith in Accountability

03 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Islamic Relief is a worldwide Islamic faith-based charity with a presence in over 45 countries. Islamic Relief Malaysia or IRM aims to alleviate pover...

Direct Insurance Purchases Raise Affordability Implications For Agency Model

31 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Direct online insurance purchases which strip away expensive agency commissions not only make insurance coverage a lot cheaper but can also help in fu...

Labuan’s Hope For A Sea Change

30 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Labuan was declared as an international offshore financial centre in the 1990s and since Pakatan Harapan took over as government, the Labuan Blueprint...

Getting Reall with Affordable Housing

29 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We speak to Ian Shapiro, CEO of REALL, a UK charity using a unique model to solve the problem of affordable housing in Africa and Asia and whether thi...

PTPTN’s Social vs Commercial Struggle

28 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

PTPTN is RM40 billion in debt and counting. On June 13, it will be closing the public consultation and  begins the process of compiling the ...

Hilton-Malaysia Spirit of ‘Conrad’ery

27 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A landmark in Petaling Jaya, the Hilton Hotel was once the five star hotel for travellers in Malaysia. Today, they have 11 hotels throughout Malaysia,...

Trains Are The Way To Go In Malaysia

24 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

With much focus on trains in Malaysia, we speak to  Milko Papazoff, ASEAN Representative of International Union of Railways, to know more about t...

EquitiesTracker - Into the Future

23 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

EquitiesTracker Holdings, an equity investment research platform and training provider, made its debut on the LEAP Market in March, after nearly 20 ye...

The Circular Economy: Going Round In Circles But Going Nowhere?

21 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We speak to Maria Antikainen, Principal Scientist at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland,  to find out if the circular economy mode...

Kick Off Time for La Liga’s Global Network Program

17 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Though it houses some of the best football teams in the world, as a business, La Liga trails behind the English Premier League and Germany’s Bun...

France - Not a Palm Oil Ban

14 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Palm oil is an issue increasingly politicised, with talk of possible trade wars with the EU and retaliatory bans dominating headlines. But how is palm...

Foreign Policy Starts At Home

13 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dato' Saifuddin Abdullah, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, has codified the foreign policy framework in the hopes that this helps with dealing wi...

Pakatan Year #1: An Assessment

09 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ali Salman, CEO of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), and Ahmad Yazid Othman, CEO of Majlis Tindakan Ekonomi Melayu (MTEM), dis...

A Niche Hospital with Plans to Grow

07 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this saturated private health care market, we speak to Wan Nadiah, CEO of Thomson Hospital, to see how they differentiate themselves from the compe...

Malaysiakini Banks on Media Council for Media Freedom

06 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Following the change in government, Malaysia scored higher on media freedom — but there’s still a long way to go. We speak to Steven about...

Connecting the Nation

03 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In conjunction with World Press Freedom Day, we speak to Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Comission (MCMC) Chairman Al-Ishsal Ishak, about his ...

Japan Out to Prove the Sun Hasn't Set on Its Economy

02 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

His Excellency Makio Miyagawa, the Ambassador of Japan, discusses his country's role in a region where China's ascendance has reached new heights. He ...

Fine Cuisine Is About Technology

29 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As the food delivery scene becomes more competitive, we speak to Jakob Angele, APAC CEO, about Foodpanda's growth in the industry, response to stiff c...

The Need to Field More Orient-Talent

26 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body of Asian football and one of the six confederations that make up FIFA. It runs the AFC As...

Built for Pleasure

25 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We speak to David Hashim about what architecture means in this stage of Malaysia's development and where the narratives are formed by projects such as...

IR 4.0: Does Mass Adoption Equal What Customers Want?

24 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We check in with a global company like Tata Consultancy Services where the customer satisfaction buck stops in the whole digitisation and automation b...

InvestKL: Beauty in An Age of Beauty Contests

23 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Datuk Zainal Amanshah, CEO of InvestKL, talks about the challenge of attracting quality investments in the face of stiff regional competition, and the...

5G: Force for Good or Force for Nought?

22 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bjørn Taale Sandberg, Head of Telenor Research, addresses the opportunities and concerns surrounding new technologies like 5G and artificial in...

Designing Tomorrow's Thinking Today

19 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Design Thinking, is it just an empty buzzword or the next step in innovation and education? We ask Professor Weinberg about the state of the movement,...

AmMetLife: Midsize Insurance Company With Big Plans

17 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

AmMetLife CEO, Ramzi Toubassy tells us his plans to join the ranks of Malaysia's insurance big league. We discuss the challenges of achieving the inve...

HWGG's Token Hopes an Indicator of Crypto-Blockchain Adoption

16 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

HWGG has big ambitions for seamless exchanges into and out of fiat currency, tokens and cryptocurrency. In short, they are attempting the seemingly im...

ISEC: Keeping an Eye on Talents

15 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

ISEC is a medical eye care services provider based and listed in Singapore with presence here in Malaysia. We speak to CEO Dr. Wong Jun Shyan on their...

Ekuinas - Still Scouting for Deals

11 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ekuinas, the government's Private Equity Fund, turns 10. We talk to the CEO, Syed Yasir Arafat, about the performance and its relevance in the age of ...

Ambitious Plans to Disrupt the Insurance Industry

10 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We speak to Rosaline Chow Koo, the CEO, about their ambitious plans to become the next unicorn as well as their impact on the insurance industry as a ...

IBM, On the Path to Reinvention.

09 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On the Grille today, we chart IBM's reinvention whilst finding out how the internet of things is the 4th industrial revolution. See omnystudio.co...

4G Rollout is Just Half the Battle

08 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

U Mobile is one of the four major mobile telco service providers in Malaysia. We speak to CEO Wong Heang Tuck about U Mobile’s network...

PSM - Continuing the Struggle

02 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Following a lacklustre performance in GE14 and more recently, the Semenyih by-elections, Parti Sosialis Malaysia is doubling down in the run to the ne...

IJN: Cross Subsidisation As a Healthcare Model

27 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We check up with Dato Seri Dr Mohd Azhari Yakub ,CEO of National Heart Institute of Malaysia on IJN’s story of a sustainable business model and ...

Grab-bing A Share Of The Pie

26 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

With new rivals cropping up in the ride-hailing sector, we catch up with Sean Goh, Country Head of Grab Malaysia, to talk about their expansion plans,...

Shamsul: Palm Oil Revenue and Saving The World Both Possible

22 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss how the Ministry of Primary Industries aims to balance environmental concerns and supporting export revenues.See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

On the Campaign Trail

18 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When the US sneezes, other countries get a cold. With eyes already turning forward to the 2020 Presidential elections, we speak to Roger Fisk, campaig...

Righting Past Wrongs In a More Moderate Malaysia

15 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dato Noor Farida talks about the roadmap for retribution, reparation and rebuke for past transgressions at the Human Resources Development Fund and it...

Investing in Penang's future

14 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

With the effects of the US-China trade war being felt across the region, we turn the focus onto Penang, with its heavy reliance on the manufacturing s...

Changing Courses for Paramount Corporation

13 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paramount Group has expanded from a property player to an education provider, owning brands like KDU and REAL. They are again diversifying into new bu...

Would Medical Aesthetics Get a Bigger Share of Your Wallet?

12 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Terence Loh, CEO and Co-Founder, Novena Global Lifecare Group,  tells the interesting story of Novena Global Lifecare Group growth trajector...

American Express - Aiming for the Mass Affluent

11 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The financial services sector faces an increasing threat of disruption, with the rise of mobile wallets, e-payment services and even changing spending...

Hannah Yeoh - Finding the Right Balance

08 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In conjunction with International Women's Day 2019, Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Hannah Yeoh speaks with us on a raft of is...

Pharmaniaga: Concession Will Be Renewed

07 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pharamaniaga is confident of getting its concession to supply medicine to the government renewed. We delve deeper into whether such concessions work i...

Honeywell in ASEAN for the Long Run

06 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Honeywell is a multinational company that support businesses to deliver solutions in industries such as aerospace, oil and gas, automation and process...

Green Packet: Temporary Pain for Future Gain

05 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Green Packet has been loss-making in all but one year in the last decade, with the net loss widening further in financial year ending 2018. However CE...

How Effective is MyCC?

04 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Malaysian Competition Commission (MyCC) was created to ensure free and fair competition in commercial markets for the benefit of consumer welfare...

Kula, Shaker and Mover of Malaysia's Jobs, People Space

01 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Human Resources Minister M. Kula Segaran discusses a plethora of local human capital issues including minimum wage, foreign and illegal workers, youth...

The Chow Kon Yeow Way For Penang

28 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

"When the call for duty comes, you have to rise up to the occasion," says Chow Kon Yeow, the fifth Chief Minister for Penang. Admitting that he tends...

Manipal Hospital: Building an ASEAN Base in Klang

27 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A well-established medical brand in India, Manipal Hospital Klang is the brand's only hospital in Asia outside of India. We speak to Dr Gaurav Rekhi, ...

Uni Wall - Behind the Facade

26 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Uni Wall APS Holding listed successfully on the LEAP Market in January, after nearly thirty years in the architecture and building facade business. Am...

Nando's CEO Get Frank On Lessons Learnt

25 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In 1998, Nando’s opened its first restaurant here in Bangsar and has since then grown to have a network of 76 outlets nationwide. It also has 8 ...

Malaysian Re-Aiming to Return to its Glory Days

20 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Zainudin Ishak, President & CEO of Malaysian Reinsurance Bhd, discusses the flagging fortunes of the largest national reinsurer (by assets) in ASE...

Berjaya Sompo Digital Transformation comes with a premium

19 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Tan Sek Kee claims that the liberalisation of the Motor and Fire Tariff has not affected the insurance industry negatively. He also shared his thought...

Celcom-Axiata: Is It Nimble Enough To Adapt?

15 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Over five months into the top CEO position, Idham has ambitious plans to transform the 31-year-old company into a startup. But how will the oldes...

Sun Rising On Royal Caribbean's Asian Dream

14 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Angie Stephen, Asia-Pacific MD for US-listed Royal Caribbean, fields questions on the cruise line operator's environment-protection strategy, market o...

Will Big Tree's Big Foreign Ambitions Take Off?

12 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Shukor shares Big Tree's expansion plans in the midst of a challenging landscape and how the company has to evolve in the fast changing game. He revea...

Plastic Not-So-Fantastic

08 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Two matters most plague Malaysia’s plastics manufacturers. First, an enmity towards their trade by politicians and public alike that they say ca...

Hup Seng: A Tough Cookie to Crack

07 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hup Seng Cream Crackers is a product that many of us grew up on. For such a well-loved brand, it might surprise you to know that Hup Seng is vastly un...

In The Business Of Trust

04 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Technology and the shared economy are changing the way we interact with each other. But is it for better or for worse? We speak to Philipp Diekh&...

In Crowded Marketplace, War for Online Shoppers Heats Up

31 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ian Ho, Regional Managing Director of the Asia-focused e-commerce marketplace Shopee, expounds on the firm’s necessarily aggressive push for mor...

Jirnexu: Moving Beyond The Sandbox

30 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jirnexu is a fintech company which provides technology and online solutions such as RinggitPlus.com, Kreditgogo.com and Xpressapply, providing consume...

Are Tourists To Australia Like Boomerangs - Likely To Return?

29 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In 2018, 9.2 million tourists visited Australia with 63% of them being return visitors. We speak to Tourism Australia's Managing Director John O'...

Housing the Nation

28 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cagamas was created in the 80s during a time of runaway interest rates and a liquidy crunch. Fast forward to today, will Cagamas be able to step up ad...

From Bed Share to Hilton-Killer: How Airbnb is Taking Over Asia

25 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We speak to Airbnb General Manager for Southeast Asia, Mike Orgill as he updates listeners on its ongoing tussles with city authorities. He also discu...

Can GoCar Go The Distance?

24 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

GoCar Malaysia, a techbase on-demand car sharing platform, provides car rental services and stands alongside the many other transport service provider...

Can The Big Boys In Tech Disrupt The Disruptor - Funding Societies?

23 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

While P2P lenders such as Funding Societies Malaysia are seen as a disruption to traditional lenders like banks, large multinational technology firms ...

Stormy Clouds Loom

22 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Christopher Lingle has expertise in International Economics and public policy reform in Asia and we discuss public policy reforms, the US-China Tra...

Deep Dive Into GIACC Policy Details

18 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Last June, the GIACC was set up to craft the policies for anti-corruption in Malaysia. Previously helming the MACC, Tan Sri Abu Kassim now leads the G...

MyKris - Doing More With Less?

16 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Minister of Communication of Multimedia had called for broadband connections to be “double the speed, half the price” for Malaysians. ...

AK Nathan: Eversendai Undervalued?

15 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Julian gets the lowdown on why a global construction specialist like Eversendai is trading at cheap prices on Bursa. We also speak about the tendering...

Can SPAN Withstand The Pressure?

14 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Our non-revenue water (NRW) average is at 35%, exceeding the 25% national target. Our average consumption is 100 litres per capita usage above the WHO...

Fundaztic's Lofty P2P Targets

10 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

People Lender Sdn Bhd - a company that fully owns and manages Fundaztic - was one of the 6 companies out of over 50 applicants to receive the lic...

Dough Request to Knead Profits

09 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Malayan Flour Mills (MFM) is the oldest flour mill in the country, and over the years also established itself as a player in the poultry industry.&nbs...

Casting A Wider Tax Net

08 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

With the introduction of new taxes like the sugar and digital tax as well as increased efforts to clamp down on tax avoiders, the Inland Revenue Board...

Equity Crowdfunding - Has It Changed Funding?

07 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Equity Crowdfunding (ECF) was meant to transform fundraising and provide entrepreneurs with an alternative funding option. We speak to pitchIN about t...

Can GHL Pull Off Its Ambitious 2019 Ambition?

04 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

GHL has big plans for 2019. Among them is to go deeper into Indonesia, venturing into a new segment there- the offline payment system. But big pl...

Taxi Blues Persist Even With Level-Playing Rules

03 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Since the introduction of e-hailing services, taxis have been struggling to stay relevant amidst a changing landscape. We speak to Dato' Shamsubharin ...

UEM Edgenta - Deep Dive Into Dividends

13 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

UEM Edgenta is Malaysia’s largest integrated facilities management (IFM) provider. Dato' Azmir shares his outlook for the domestic infrastructu...

DPI Eyes DIY

12 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

DPI Holdings believes that the ongoing DIY (do-it-yourself) culture that is picking up steam here in the region is a catalyst for growth for its aeros...

Talking Caucus with Wong Chen

11 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Standing committees are part and parcel of developed democracies. YB Wong Chen’s office authored a paper entitled “Standing Committees for...

Can SOCAR Go The Distance?

10 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

SOCAR is a South Korean car-sharing start-up that launched in 2011, and kicked off its operations in Malaysia in January this year. Is car-sharing a ...

What Will Fuel Hibiscus' Future Growth?

07 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Since early October, oil prices have dropped from over USD $80 per barrel to less than USD $60.As the fortunes of Hibiscus Petroleum is closely tied t...

Habib... Still Shining at 60?

06 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Habib Jewel’s journey began in 1958, starting out as a small shop at Pitt Street Penang. From a small family business in Penang, Habib has now e...

Lazada: A Year's Worth Of Sales In One Day

04 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Lazada says that the 11.11 Singles' Day event was a success and they saw record sales, but just how big a sale was it for them? We ask Christophe thi...

The Next Global Financial Crisis

30 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It's been a decade since the last global financial crisis. Now, faced with heightened debt levels fulled by global central banks, as well as the US-C...

Wealth Management - The Robots Are Here

29 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ken explains the growth strategy for Malaysia's first robo-advisor, and addresses criticisms of such passive investment platforms.See omnystudio.com/l...

Wholesome Holstein: Making Milk for Malaysia

28 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Holstein Milk Company produces dairy products under the Farm Fresh and Yarra brands, which are sold across Malaysia and Singapore. Managing D...

A New Era of Compliance?

28 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The International Compliance Association (ICA) is a global, not-for-profit professional body that awards certifications and qualifications in anti-mon...