The Breakfast Grille

Internal Audit, Underappreciated and Wrongly So

24 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Philip Rao, President, Malaysian Institute of Internal Auditors and a Partner in the global accounting firm Ernst & Young, discusses the under-app...

Australia-Malaysia: Fair Dinkum?

23 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Australia has been and continues to be the land of milk and honey for thousands of Malaysians for decades, accepting many as citizens. Is Malaysia's s...

Bridging the Chasm Between the Private Sector and the Government

19 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Tan Sri Dr. Ali Hamsa, Chairman, Special Task Force to Facilitate Business, PEMUDAH and Chief Secretary to the Government, discusses public-private se...

Battersea, Eco World and Beyond

18 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin comes on the Breakfast Grille in his capacity as chairman of Battersea Project Holding Company Ltd to talk about what it will tak...

At The Gate of Liberalisation

17 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

With trade blocs like TPPA and the Asean Common Market being much talked about, competitiveness and trade issues will come to the fore. Where does MIC...

Defining the Nation Beyond Vision 2020

15 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The year has seen one of the most impressive economic figures for Malaysia where we have seen the economy grew  beating market expectations. But ...

Knowledge Is Everything

12 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Established in 1957, INSEAD has been widely considered as one of the top business schools. Apart from its main campuses in France, it has also establi...

No Child's Play

11 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Combining children's education into theme park elements is a unique and challenging proposition. We look into Kidzania's business model to gather insi...

Asia Still Suffers From Power Distance Inertia

10 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

In this 2014 interview, Rajeev Peshawaria, CEO, Iclif Leadership and Governance Centre, discusses leadership in the context of the ongoing RHB-CIMB-MB...

Betting the House on Tocotrienol

09 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

In this 2014 interview, David Ho, Chairman and Managing Director of the pharmaceuticals firm Hovid Berhad, discusses global M&A fever in Big Pharm...

Every Little Bit Helps for Tesco

08 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Georg Fischer, the CEO of Tesco Malaysia, comes on the Breakfast Grille to give his insight on the highly competitive hypermarket space and how the co...

A Cog In the Massive Oil & Gas Space

05 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Petronas's major capital expenditure running into the hundreds of billions is expected to bring joy to oil and gas players like Icon. We assess the is...

Charity & Innovation?

03 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

NESTA which stands for the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts in the UK occupies a unique space within the ecosystem as a charity ...

Managing the Nation's Talent Stock

29 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

TalentCorp is tasked to manage the country's talent base which is needed to achieve economic transformation. However, the poor perception coming from ...

ABN Strives to Expand its Footprint

28 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Sreedhar Subramaniam, director of the ABN Media Group and CEO of Asian Broadcasting Network, comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about how the group...

New York, London, Geneva and .. Kuala Lumpur

27 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

In this August 2014 interview Zainal Amanshah, the CEO of InvestKL updates listeners on his investee targets in Kuala Lumpur, time taken to convert, i...

Multifaceted growth

22 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The entry into a integrated logistical solutions will bode well for GDEX. E-commerce features prominently as the shift from offline to online purchase...

Towards Unconflicted Fee-Based Advisory

21 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The field of financial advisory is a contentious one. How do you take investment advice from somebody whose income comes from selling investment produ...

A Tale of Two Blocs

19 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

After having come through a decisive election victory, India is now being watched even more closely than before by investors, business people and gove...

Malaysia Is Not Yet Asia's Weakest Link

15 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

We ask Shields to defend her economic report stating that Malaysia is a more risky prospect than Indonesia. This also led Bloomberg's William Pasek to...

A Long Ride

14 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Theme parks have emerged as a policy tool to energise tourism and the local economy, which is music to the ears of a solutions provider like Sanderson...

BFood Builds Starbucks Momentum

13 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Datuk Francis Lee Kok Chuan, CEO of Berjaya Foods Bhd comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about its recent move to wholly-own Berjaya Starbucks and ...

Water Under the Bridge, Working For a Better Future

12 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Tan Sri Muhammad Ali Hashim, President of the Malaysian Islamic Chamber of Commerce and former CEO of Johor Corp, discusses his clashes with Johor sta...

Sweet Dreams

11 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Hershey's has seen strong growth in China over the years and the investment into Malaysia will be a launchpad into the greater Asia Pacific region. &n...

Having Ads Real Good

08 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The business of matching free content with ads shouldn't be underestimated. It is a win-win situation that sells traffic to advertisers while allowing...

Striving for Financial Planning Excellence

07 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

It can safely be said that despite the crucial importance of it, awareness of financial planning is still low in Malaysia. We explore FPAM's value pro...

One Tiny Step for Malaysia

06 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The wonders of nanotechnology have been much touted. Apart from the commercial aspects, there could also be positive effects on the county's knowledge...

Efficiently Mobilising ASEAN Trade Flows

05 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Christopher Ong, Managing Director of Malaysia and Brunei at DHL Express (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd., discusses operating metrics, business drivers, challenge...

To Your Health

01 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Private healthcare has come a long way. The government in partnership with the private sector has managed to reduce the ratio of doctors to patients i...

Reaching for the Bottom

31 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Reach Energy would be the fourth SPAC or Special-Purpose Acquisition Company to be listed and the biggest in terms of funds raised. They aim to quickl...

New Money for the Under-Banked

30 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The 80% of the world's population that don't have access to banking services effectively cuts them off the economic system in a big way. Performing si...

The Coming of TREC

25 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Cher Ng, founder and managing director of TREC comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the development of what he hopes to be the new lifestyle hu...

L'Oreal Explains Why It's Worth It

24 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Ashwin Rajgopal, managing director of L'Oreal Malaysia comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the business of beauty. L'Oreal is one of the most...

Bata Tries a New Fit

23 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Paolo Grassi, managing director of Bata Malaysia comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the changing the strategy of the well-known shoe maker. P...

Powering Into Oil and Gas

22 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

In this 2014 interview, Eversendai Corporation Berhad Executive Chairman Tan Sri AK Nathan discusses the company's current order book and bids, revenu...

IHH's Healthy Growth

21 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Apart from Malaysia, IHH is also doing well in Turkey despite the political turmoil of the past year. IHH's focus on the greater emerging markets area...

Oohs and Aahs of Wah Seong

18 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

While the oil & gas related pipe-coating business is still the mainstay of Wah Seong, substantial resources are also being deployed to and vested ...

Gold for Brass?

17 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Chief Executive Officer, Mohd Farid Nawawi joins us on the Breakfast Grille to explain if there is still space in the property market for a mid-tier p...

Going from Big to Boutique

16 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew Sill, Country Executive, Royal Bank of Scotland Malaysia, offers a business update since the sale of its regional investment banking businesses...

Sasbadi Future Proofs its Business

14 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Law King Hui, managing director of Sasbadi Holdings Bhd comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the company's upcoming listing on the Main Board a...

Low-Cost with Benefits

11 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Through AirAsia BIG, AirAsia is effectively giving budget travellers a redemption programme that doubles up as a prepayment mechanism. The C$17m acqui...

Making a Business of Crossing Borders

10 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

James Yap, director of Rayford Migration comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the business of migration, Rayford Migration, as its name suggest...

Sailing Into Serene Waters

09 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Leong Seng Keat, Chief Executive Officer of Nam Cheong Ltd, talks about its business model in offshore support vessels (OSV), the outlook for orders, ...

From Tiles and Plastics to Property and Construction: A Company in Transition

08 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Zulkarnin Bin Ariffin, Group Managing Director of Seacera Group Berhad, discusses its tile industry market share, its competition, cheap Chinese impor...

Monetising the Moment's Conversation

07 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Behind every major news and every personal update is the ubiquity of Twitter. At 2% market share of social media views since its inception, we explore...

Thailand, Who’s Smiling Now?

04 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

A trained lawyer and career diplomat, the Thai Ambassador explains, as he has done many times with representatives of other governments, the “ne...

MKH Banks on Kajang and CPO

03 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Today we have with us on the Breakfast Grille, Tan Sri Datuk Eddy Chen Lok Loi, the managing director of MKH Bhd. MKH, formerly known as Metro Kajang,...

Khind Controls itself Amid Challenging Climate

02 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Boh Boon Chiang, the COO of Khind Holdings Bhd comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the current business environment ahead of the GST hike next...

Wraith, Ghost, Phantom : Building a 110 Year Legacy

01 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

A brand synonymous with luxury and the pinnacle of opulence, Regional Director Asia Pacific , Paul Harris explains why the 110 year-old brand is still...

A Stab at the Online Retail Space

30 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Despite the existence of giants like Amazon, eBay and Alibaba, there are enough nuances within the Asean market which iBuy wants to assail. See o...

Perdana University's Push Into Healthcare Education

27 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Collaborations with prestigious medical educational institutions like Johns Hopkins University and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland is one sma...

In the Pink of Health?

26 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The Health Minister takes on questions ranging from the “bloated” Cabinet, the ability of his party to represent ethnic Indians, as well a...

7-11 and the Business of Convenience

25 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Gary Brown, the deputy CEO of 7-11 Malaysia Holdings Bhd comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the business of convenience. The company recently...

Making Money While Doing Good (Or is it the Other Way Round?)

24 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Simon Davies, VP for Asia, Salesforce.com, discusses its anti-Oracle-like business model as a Software as a Service (SAAS) model, cloud computing, its...

US-Malaysia Tech Crossover: A Marriage Years in the Making

23 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Winston Choe, Managing Partner, Tech Growth Ventures, the growth accelerator and funding firm, discusses its business model, target industries, areas ...

Jetstar Takes on the Turbulent Skies

19 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Barathan Pasupathi the CEO of JetStar Asia comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the current challenges facing the industry and how the company ...

Listing? No Thanks. Private (and Profitable) Will Do, Cheers

18 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Syamil Fahim Mohamed Fahim, Chief Operating Officer at Kumpulan Media Karangkraf, discusses the company ethos, its five business divisions (printing, ...

Filling the Piling Short Supply

17 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The construction sector benefits from the government's active infrastructural stance and demographic support for property. Econpile benefits from this...

Education – Is Reform Real?

16 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The National Unity Consultative Council notes that the majority of Malaysias are concerned about social mobility especially for their children and &ld...

Not All Samba

13 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Brazil won hosting rights to the World Cup in 2007 under the Presidency Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Current President Dilma Rousseff says that this wil...

Shhh... Here Comes Eupe

12 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Dato' Beh Huck Lee, Managing Director, Eupe Corporation Bhd, discusses its plan to move out of its Kedah market, his read of the local property market...

Deepwater the Place in the Future

11 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Ravi Kashyap, Country Manager and President of Engineering Business, Aker Solutions Malaysia  speaks to us on the Breakfast Grille as its Norwegi...

Pinewood's Business of Making Movies

10 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Lake the CEO of Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the business of making movies in Malaysia. Pinewood Isk...

I-Bhd: Means To An End

09 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

I-Bhd's theme parks in were a way to attract the crowds into i-City in Shah Alam. High-valued property projects soon followed. I-Bhd is now making big...

Shaklee - Sweat Equity in a Participating Economy

06 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The strong growth in the health supplement industry is driven by higher awareness of alternative and preventive care. Shaklee uses the direct selling ...

Keeping and Growing REAL Education

05 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Ee Ching Wah, Executive Director of the REAL Education Group comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the landscape of the education sector in Mala...

Not One, Not Two, But Many: A Crowd of Funds.

04 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Kim Wales, Founder and CEO, Wales Capital, discusses the business of crowdfunding, the JOBS Act, the various schemes available, the challenges inheren...

Scomi Aiming A 18-month Turnaround

03 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Scomi Engineering Bhd's CEO Kanesan Veluppillai comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the progress of the company's monorail projects in both In...

Italy and Malaysia, Both Sunny Nations, Seek to Warm Ties

02 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

His Excellency Mario Sammartino, the Italian Ambassador to Malaysia, speaks to us on the Breakfast Grille in conjunction with the nation's Nation...

Facing Headwinds in the Rubber Glove Industry

30 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Lim Kwee Shyan, President of the Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association or Margma, comes on the Breakfast Grille to discuss the current stat...

Romacorp goes Beyond Ribs and into International Markets

29 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Ken Myres, president of Romacorp Inc, best known for the Tony Romas line of casual restaurants comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the challen...

From Chips to Homes, Fruits and Education

28 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Datuk Tan Say Jim, Group Managing Director and Group CEO of IRIS Corporation Bhd, discusses his core e-passport business, high trade receivables, its ...

The GLC Phenomenon: Boon or Bane?

27 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Jayant Menon, Lead Economist at Asian Development Bank, discusses the ADB's role and efficacy in funding the development of poorer, developing nations...

GST Not a Full-Blown System Yet

26 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

As GST dawns upon us in about a years time, exempt list, zero-rated items and unscrupulous profiteering are on our list of concerns. Subromaniam Thola...

Casting a Wide Net for Insurance Growth

23 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The strong outlook for the Malaysian insurance landscape is supported by low penetration, bancassurance, takaful and regionalisation. Maybank is well-...

Mandarin Oriental: Building a Fan Base

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The Mandarin Oriental brand is well-known and respected. Richard Baker, Executive Vice President and Operations Director – Asia, talks abou...

From the Kitchen to the Mine

21 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Koh Pee Seng, Managing Director, Milux Corp, talks about his company's transition from low-margin electrical appliances into metals and mining.  ...

Ken Carves its Niche

20 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Sam Tan, group managing director of Ken Holdings Bhd comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about its status as a boutique developer and how it plans t...

Changes Abound for Maxis

19 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Morten Lundal the new CEO of Maxis Bhd comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about how the country's largest telco is undergoing a change. Once consid...

Wish List for Teachers

16 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Have teachers become the new whipping boy for all our frustrations with our education system? What responsibility does Government bare in declining st...

The Sustainability of Tourism

14 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

We look into whether tourism's growth motive may be at odds with the quest for sustainability. David Scowsill, President and CEO of the World Tra...

Asia – Who is Getting It Right?

12 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The rise of Asia is perhaps the singular developmental and political story of our era, attracting praise and criticism, wonder and skepticism,” ...

Allianz SE Looks East

09 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Prof. Michael Heise, Chief Economist, Allianz SE speaks to us on the Breakfast Grille on the group's decision to move its regional office to Singapore...

Ukraine – Is Russia to Blame?

07 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

According to the Budapest Memorandum of 1994, Russia, the US, and the UK confirmed, in recognition of Ukraine becoming party to the Treaty on the Non-...

Lazada and the online retail market

06 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Lazada is Southeast Asia's biggest online shopping mall, with operations in Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. We speak with Igor...

KR1M: Part Policy, Part Philanthropy

02 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Kedai Rakyat 1 Malaysia or KR1M is a project funded evenly by Mydin and the government but 100% owned and operated by Mydin. Datuk Wira Dr. Haji Ameer...

Biomass Plenty of Critical Mass

30 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Bas Melssen the National Biomass Strategy Team Leader and Executive Vice President of Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM) speaks to us on the Breakfast Gril...

Still an Investor's Best Friend

23 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Ng Yih Chen, Executive Director of Tomei Consolidated Berhad discusses the group's financial performance and aspirations reeling from a tough year in ...

LBS Builds on Existing Assets

22 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

LBS Bina Group Bhd's managing director Datuk Seri Lim Hock San comes on the Breakfast Grille to discuss the property developer's prospects as challeng...

A Peek Into What All the Fuss is About in Iskandar

21 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Datuk Ismail Ibrahim, Chief Executive of Iskandar Regional Development Authority, discusses progress report on “developing Iskandar Malaysia int...

Contractors' Quest For Nation Building

17 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

There is a lot contractors and the government can do to make the nation a better place, some of which include removing bottlenecks and addressing gove...

Elevated Concerns Surround RM2.42b Kidex Highway

16 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Datuk Mohd Nor Idrus, CEO, Kidex Sdn Bhd, discusses the 14.9km Kinrara Damansara Skyway in terms of: the need for another highway, highway vs public t...

Canada’s Not Too Far

11 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Petronas is pumping billions of dollars into the Canadian economy through its wholly owned Canadian subsidiary, Progress Energy Canada Ltd, and Canadi...

EC Harris Charts its Growth Path

10 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Girish Ramachandran, director of strategy and transformation for built assets consultancy EC Harris. The company helps its clients to make the most fr...

Healthy Money

09 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Dato' Chevy Beh comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about his family company, one of Malaysia's leading healthcare providers, BP Healthcare Group. H...

What's AEON's next Step?

08 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

AEON Co Malaysian Bhd's Executive Director Pooh Ying Loo comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the company's growth path and what to expect in t...

Colombian Coffee with a Conscience

03 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Juan Valdez was a brand set up to give fair pricing and recognition to Colombian coffee growers. It is now also the name of a coffee shop with an inte...

Carpe Diem! Malaysia's Godfather of Comedy

01 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Harith Iskander, the dubbed godfather of Malaysian comedy comes on the Breakfast Comedy Grille to tell us about his transition from burger advertising...

Building up Lonpac amid Challenging times

28 Mar 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Looi Kong Meng the CEO of Lonpac Insurance Bhd comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the landscape of the insurance industry in Malaysia, and in...

Is Inclusive Development Possible?

26 Mar 2014

Contributed by Lukas

What has Malaysia’s economic and political trajectory been since its formation? Was the May 13th incident and the suspension of Parliament a der...