The Breakfast Grille
Episodes
The Challenges of Promoting Bintan
14 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Landmarks Berhad sold Sungei Wang Plaza some years back to channel resources into the Treasure Bay Bintan resort. As a relatively quiet island off Sin...
Airport Lounges vs Airports
13 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Plaza Premium is a home grown business which specialises in airport lounges. The business model on the surface looks solid because it is too costly fo...
Advertising & The Ethics of It
10 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Advertising isn't what it was decades ago. How is the advertising world changing to meet new demands?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...
Malaysia's Satellite Company Takes Signals from the Nation's Biggest Companies
09 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
BFM talks to TS Global Network, Malaysia's premier satellite company on what they do for a living, and how they inadvertently support the entire natio...
Pestech: Charging Malaysia, Cambodia and Beyond
07 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Pestech International is one of the local EPC (engineering, procurement and commissioning) in power transmission lines. The hunger of Asean and the gr...
Pfizer Defends Its Prices
06 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
John McKendry, the country manager of Pfizer Malaysia, discusses the cost of product development, the so-called 'patent cliff', and how to repair the ...
Raising Financial Planning Awareness and Standards
03 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Ordinary Malaysians are in dire need of financial advice and planning. But just as dire is awareness on who the right people are to advise and plan. I...
Parliamentary Reforms and Law: How to Get the Job Done
02 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The Law Minister of Malaysia explains the reasons for the amended Sedition Act. She also talks about the need to have a review on laws regarding marit...
Emerging From a Perfect Storm
01 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Arica Walters, Executive Director and COO of the SGX Catalist-listed, Malaysia-based maker of mid-to high-end office furniture Versalink Holdings Limi...
Levi's: The 162 Year Old Startup
30 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Founded in 1853, Levi Strauss & Co is now 162 years old -- the oldest of the five Fortune 1,000 apparel companies that have been around since 19th...
Fixing A Broken Gym System
29 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Joel Neoh of Kfit wants to pack in the gyms with people through technology and clever pricing. He also wants Kfit to be a major contributor of revenue...
Sabah, Lahad Datu, South China Sea - Pinoy Perpectives
26 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In May this year President Aquino made remarks to the effect that his Administration was not dropping long-standing claims to Sabah. While the Malaysi...
Volkswagen : Revving Up Expectations
25 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The Asean region is steadily becoming one of Volkswagen most important market since its entry into Malaysia in 2006. Armin Keller discusses the group'...
Repairing Torn Reputations
24 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
FGV's Group President and CEO Dato' Mohd Emir Mavani Abdullah discusses FGV's poor performance since their 2012 IPO, the group's much-criticized M&...
Patience Needed Before Blossoming
23 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Kenneth Pereira, Managing Director of Hibiscus Petroleum Bhd., Malaysia's first Special Purpose Acquisition Vehicle (SPAC), discusses his company's...
Is iflix the Begining of the End for TV?
22 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Never mind 'cutting-the-cord', a phenomenon where people end their contracts with cable companies, there is now a new generation of 'never-the-cord' a...
The Rise of Robo Advisors
19 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The world of investing is often viewed as closed & exclusive, with many not having the capital or expertise to start investing. 8 Securities is le...
iPrice: Planting the Amazon of S.E Asia
18 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The e-commerce realm is a jungle, and it can be hard to keep up with all the options. iPrice, an eight-month old startup based in Kuala Lumpur, aggreg...
Getting Personal With a Former Hitman
17 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In his 2004 memoir, John Perkins reflects on his life working in the upper echelons of corporate & political circles and how as a so-called 'econo...
Final Lap for Malaysia - It's Now or Never
16 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The 11th Malaysia Plan was launched with much fanfare, but most Malaysians are asking what the hype is all about. As consumer sentiment and the ringgi...
Innovating With Old Concepts
15 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Sakae's conveyor belt system of delivering sushi, called Kaiten isn't new. Much of the innovation is made through its business processes. Sakae talks ...
Tapping into Halal Tourism
12 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Crescent Rating is a ratings company for Halal friendly travel services, and complementing that, is the HalalTrip.com site that helps Muslim traveller...
Keeping a Pulse on Health and Profits
11 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Established in 1992, IJN or the National Heart Institute occupies a peculiar spot in the local healthcare space to target the affluent whilst remainin...
Crest Builder's 'Unconventional' Land-Banking Strategy
10 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Yong, the executive director of Crest Builder, is back on the Breakfast Grille. He talks about Crest's tie-ups with Prasarana and gives an update...
OCBC : Size Doesn't Matter
09 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Despite having had a long history in Malaysia, regulatory restrictions stop OCBC from unfettered expansion. Its branch network is for instance one-ten...
Prasarana Explains LRT Projects
08 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Prasarana Malaysia is the asset owner and operator of the two LRT networks, the KL Monorail, and the bus services of RapidKL, RapidPenang and RapidKua...
Priceworth: Touching Wood for Better Years
05 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The Sabah Forestry Department has implemented many stringent conditions to raise sustainable planting in Sabah's timber sector This has made the last ...
Crowdfunding in Real Estate
04 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Getty Goh, the co-founder and CEO of CoAssets, talks about how the crowdfunding platform will give the man in the street access to real-estate deals -...
Building a Nasi Kandar Kingdom
03 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
A cultural landmark, Kayu Nasi Kandar started from modest beginnings in SS2, PJ to become now what is Malaysia's most well-known food & mamak stor...
Helping Asia Compare and Save
02 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Launched in 2014, CompareAsiaGroup is a financial comparison platform to help consumers make more informed choices about the type of financial product...
Rubber Estate Boy Grows Up To Be Billionaire
29 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
From humble beginnings in an estate in Negeri Sembilan, self-made Malaysian-born billionaire Maha Sinnathamby is now ranked by Forbes as the 40th rich...
Signature: Property Sector Lagging Indicator
27 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Having an orderbook to supply kitchenware to property developers like UEM Sunrise makes earnings defensive in the short term. In the longer term howev...
Game-Changer for AppAsia
26 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Formerly known as Extol MSC Bhd,, AppAsia Bhd is pinning its hopes on its mobile content and app development strategy to turn-around the company. Wong...
The Next Crisis is Near. Can We Stop It?
25 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Tariq Alrifai has been involved in Islamic finance for over 18 years, and was previously the Global Director of Islamic Indices at S&P Dow Jones I...
Lampe Berger: Something in the Air
22 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Lampe Berger Paris products in Malaysia faced controversy after the multilevel-marketing company DCHL misrepresented the brand. Dato' Julie Lim, the M...
The Best Laid (Malaysia) Plans
21 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
"Too often well thought out decisions are made only to de diluted and ultimately forgotten as time passes and inaction prevails,” said the presi...
Data & Space : Catalysing Growth
19 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
BT is taking big steps to grow its business in Southeast Asia, with the group now serving more than 6,500 large corporate and public sector customers....
Dialing into the Travel Roaming Market
18 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The high growth in travel and high mobile roaming costs create the ripe conditions for a business which is exactly what Flexiroam is exploiting. Is su...
Land of the Midnight Sun Beckons
15 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Operating the world's largest sovereign wealth fund with a fund-size of over $900-billion is more than a matter of governance, but also sound investme...
Sarawak Energy Powers On
14 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Datuk Torstein Dale Sjotveit, the CEO of Sarawak Energy (SEB), addresses allegations of corruption by international NGOs and what SEB has done to impr...
Hello Malaysia, Meet Yelp
12 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Yelp is now in Malaysia! Miriam Warren, Vice President of New Markets at the crowd-sourced business directory talks about what it takes to enter a new...
Dissecting the Singapore Miracle
11 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Having overcome the no-resource challenge to become one of the world's most dynamic economies, Singapore is now facing the challenges of an ageing and...
Kiva and Microfinance 2.0
08 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Karen Little, the Director of Development for crowdfunding platform Kiva, shares how they've leveraged the internet and a worldwide network of microfi...
Profiting from Protection in a Ripe Market
06 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Kevin Jones, CEO, MCIS Insurance, discusses life after selling the general insurance business, dynamics of foreign-local partnerships, life insurance ...
Climb Every Mountain, Search High and Low
05 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Morten Frost Hansen, Technical Director, Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), discusses his new six-year stint to rejuvenate national badminton, h...
Suppressing Wages and Worker Rights in the Name of Profit
30 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
N Gopal Kishnam, Secretary General, Malaysian Trade Unions Congress (MTUC) discusses its desires for a higher minimum wage, the introduction of a Cost...
The Ecosystem Matters
27 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Internet giant Tencent is making waves in the world circuit to strengthen its network & monetize from its growing user base. SY Lau a Malaysian, w...
Zilzar: Halal Similar to Organic
24 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Zilzar, meaning “earthquake” in Arabic, is a global e-commerce trade and lifestyle platform, which aims to bring together products, servic...
Where’s Our Centre of Gravity?
23 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
From the big picture question on China and the Pacific Century, the “shifting economic centre of gravity” to the successes and failures of...
The Right of the Internet
22 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The FCC in the US passed the "net neutrality" rule which forbids tiered pricing for internet users. Big ISPs can no longer say this curbs innova...
Pantai on GST
21 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Pantai Holdings is wholly-owned by Parkway Pantai Limited, which in turn is a subsidiary of IHH Healthcare. Pantai Holdings has a network of twelve ho...
Prolexus: Banking On Nike
20 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Prolexus is a garments manufacturer, or Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for international brands like Nike, Under Armour and Asics. Ahmad Mustap...
Clinic-Pharmacy Stores the Way Forward
17 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Symbion International Sdn Bhd is the Malaysian unit of the Chicago-based global pharma giant, Symbion. SISB recently introduced a new store format: a ...
Business and Patriotism Should Mix
16 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Malaysia was estimated to have lost over US$48.93 billion (RM170.7 billion) in illicit outflows in 2012, making it a cumulative US$394.87 billion duri...
From One Bloc to Another
15 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Is the Asean Economic Community (AEC) something that excites businesses in the European Union or is it just same old, same old? Do participants even h...
TPPA... Ready Or Not?
14 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Datuk Dr Rebecca Sta Maria, Secretary General, Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) gives an update on the Trans Pacific Partnership Ag...
Supplementing Growth Amidst Volatility
13 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Among the first listings of 2015, health-supplement company Bioalpha Holdings Berhad, which listed on the ACE Market on 14 April 2015, has big plans t...
Silverlake's Philosophy on Scaling
09 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Goh Peng Ooi thinks there's nothing new in the new economy. That kind of philosophy or at least Silverlake's version of that philosophy has enabled th...
In Transformation, Connections and Linkages Matter
08 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Muhammad Rizhan bin Mohd Razif, Head of Corporate Finance & Strategy at Damansara Realty Bhd, discusses the entry of the well-connected Johor busi...
Rethinking The Role of Unions
03 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) represents 28,000 employees from the clerical and non-clerical sector of Malaysia's commercial banks. Trad...
Rafidah Aziz - Keeping It Real
02 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Once dubbed the "Iron Lady", the former Minister of International Trade and Industry, shares her thoughts on the Goods and Services tax (GST), Malaysi...
Rocking the World, One Company at a Time
01 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Rocket Internet has a mission to be the World's Largest Internet Platform outside of China and the US. Its portfolio of companies include the wildly p...
Between Amnesty and Coming Clean
31 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Legal scholar Professsor He Jiahong who currently teaches criminal law and anti-corruption investigation techniques to both students and government of...
Integrax VGO Awaits?
30 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Amin Halim Rasip doesn't believe that there's a "fight" between Integrax and Tenaga - this is just the normal course of business for him. We look into...
A Historian’s Map of a Changing World
27 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
We speak to an eminent historian and China expert on the story of Asia’s transformation. From his childhood in pre-World War Two Ipoh to the eff...
Seeing the Oil Forest for the Petronas Trees
26 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Petronas continues to be the dominant giver of Malaysian oil and gas awards based on policies of national interests. Would the oil price rout force mo...
Eduspec On Lessons Learnt
25 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
E.H. Lim, CEO of Eduspec Holdings Bhd comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the business of education.Eduspec, formerly known as Litespeed Educa...
Healthy Living and Efficient Lighting, a Global Business
24 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Ali Jaleel, Country Manager, Philips Group of Companies, Malaysia, discusses its move into consumer lifestyle healthcare and lighting; macro prospects...
Challenging the World Order
23 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The various quantitative easing policies (QEs) have pushed up prices of financial assets and widened inequality. The World Development Report 2015 on ...
Card-Carrying Ethical Companies
20 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
What is bad for humanity may not be bad for business. In fact, breaching ethical rules often results in a competitive advantage, until bad reputation ...
Realising Islamic E-Commerce
19 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Established in 2011, DagangHalal provides a single E-commerce platform for consumers worldwride to source and purchase Halal products and services. Mo...
The Implications of P3, 2M and O3
18 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The formation of alliances by the world's largest shipping companies is a reflection of the state of shipping capacity oversupply. While Westports los...
Riding the Coattails of the Brahmal Glow
17 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Brahmal Vasudevan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the private equity (PE) fund Creador, discusses his India PE experience, the pull of ASEAN, ...
G25: Let’s Talk About Islam
16 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
On the 8th of December last year, an open letter was sent by a group of 25 prominent Malay personalities, calling on “moderate Malays, Muslims a...
Mykris Plans Growth and Possibly Coming Home
13 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Mykris Ltd Group's executive chairman and CEO, Chew Choo Soon comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the future of the company's managed internet...
Cementing Future Strategy
11 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Dato' Richard Curtis says that Cahya Mata Sarawak is a follower of state and federal policy but we try to find clues of where CMS leads and influence ...
In Malaysia's E-Commerce Space, Patience Rules
10 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Richard Tan Ling Geck, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Interbase Resources, which owns Lelong.com.my & Superbuy amongst other Internet propert...
Business of the Final Journey
09 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Jeff Kong, executive director for Nirvana Asia Ltd comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the end of life business.Nirvana, which was known as NV...
Muscling in on Its Direct Competition
06 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Paul Gibbons, managing director of Sports Direct Malaysia comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the sporting retail business.Sports Direct Malay...
Victorinox Takes Time
05 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Francois Nunez, product director for Victorinox AG comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the company's foray into the watch business.Victorinox,...
The Voice of the People Must Be Heard
04 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam, the Director of The Asian Strategic and Leadership Institute (ASLI) and Chairman of the Centre for Public Policy Studies (CP...
Luminaries Spark Interest in Ace Bastion
03 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this 2015 interview, Dato? Wei Chuan Beng, Group Managing Director, REDtone International Bhd, discussed the surge in interest in his listed shares...
Batu Kawan Pushes the Affordable Housing Frontier
02 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Aspen Group is a young, ambitious company which will spearhead the Bandar Cassia development in Batu Kawan worth RM8b in GDV. The company wants to mak...
A Matter of Concern: Rumblings in Asia
27 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
On his second visit to strengthen relations between our two countries with a focus on education, trade and Islamic finance, Britain's Minister for Asi...
Making Links in the Chain
26 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Mahender Singh, CEO of Malaysia Institute for Supply Chain Innovation or MISI comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about its mission to develop an...
Inequality - Uncomfortable Facts and Frameworks
25 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
“Some of the statements in the book would also make uncomfortable reading both for those in power and in the political opposition,” says o...
Axis of Avoiding Evil
24 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Axis REIT believes that their status as a syariah compliant investment does not restrict their economic potential. Sukuk funding costs are comparable ...
Understanding the Business of Genetics
23 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
After the mapping of the human DNA by the Human Genome Project, MGRC saw the need to fill what they believed was going to be a huge market in analytic...
Biotech Gets A Little Bit of Government Help
18 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Malaysians usually have a jaded reaction when it comes to big policies from the government: think Proton, Vision 2020, NEP, 1Malaysia etc. The intenti...
Great Expectations for DiGi
17 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Joining us from Digi on the Breakfast Grille are its CEO Lars-Ake Norling and COO Albern Murty, who will take over the mantle of CEO from April 1. Dig...
Foodpanda Delivers Inorganic Growth
16 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Jakob Angele, head of business development for food delivery service, Foodpanda comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about its latest acquisition tra...
Competitiveness the Be-All and End-All?
13 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss whether things like social safety nets, minimum wages, affirmative action policies and even protectionism are at odds with the quest for co...
Kronologi Poised to Launch its First Wave in Malaysia
12 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Piti Pramotedham, Executive Chairman and CEO of Kronologi Asia comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the growth prospects for the company follow...
The Systemic Requirement for Credit Reports
11 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
CTOS provides data for assessing one's credit standing. On the one hand, this raises discomfort about privacy and freedoms. But on the other, informat...
Japan Moves into a New Era
10 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
His Excellency Dr Makio Miyagawa, ambassador of Japan to Malaysia comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about building on the already steady relations...
Construction With a Chance of Property
05 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Undeterred by the repercussions of the oil price crash, Prinsiptek is soldiering on further into construction and property development. Having survive...
Honeywell Grows its SEA Footprint
04 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Jim Bujold, President of Honeywell South East Asia comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about growing its presence in this part of the world.Honeywel...
Venezuela's Love-Hate Relationships
30 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The falling oil prices have had a huge impact on the already struggling Venezuela economy, as oil accounts for more than 95% of its exports and 50% of...
Health First, Then Profits
29 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Both lifestyle aspirations and concern for fitness have expressed themselves into to the growth of gym memberships. Fitness First taps into both nicel...
Palette Seeks Medical Intervention
28 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Eg Kah Yee, founder and chairman of Palette Multimedia Bhd comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the company's turnaround plan. Palette's busine...