The Breakfast Grille

Will The Madani Government Do The Right Thing In Budget 2025

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The theme of this year’s national budget is MADANI Economy: Prosperous Nation, Well-being of the People. It is the third budget by the government le...

Volatile Markets Ahead But Stay Invested In Equities

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Markets have been volatile due to uncertainty over the pace of the Fed Fund rate cut and US elections. Yet, equity markets have been resilient with th...

Pearson VUE Eyes SEA Market For Future Growth

13 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Pearson VUE, a subsidiary of the British education conglomerate Pearson plc, is responsible for administering high-stakes examinations in a range of d...

Navigating Geopolitics: The View from Manila and Hanoi

10 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Both Vietnam and the Philippines are claimant states in South China, but they have different relationships and approaches towards China. We discuss ho...

Gerakan, Finding A New Purpose

09 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Founded in 1968, Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia advocates for a non-racial, secular, and socially just Malaysia. Once a dominant force, particularly in...

InvestSarawak: From Fossil Fuels To Renewables

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sarawak is Malaysia's largest state by land area yet it contributed only 9.1% to the country's GDP last year. That is now expected to change with the ...

Scania: A Heavy Commercial Vehicle Maker's Evolution

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Scania has been in Malaysia manufacturing heavy commercial vehicles like lorries and buses from its sole assembly plant in Port Klang since the 1970s....

For SDCG, Going Green Pays Off

06 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Solar District Cooling Group Bhd specialises in supplying building management systems, solar thermal systems, and energy-saving services. Listed on Bu...

Apple Vacations: Towards A Sustainable Tourism Business

03 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Apple Vacations is one of Malaysia's largest outbound travel agencies with a history dating back to the mid-1990s when travelling on group tours was t...

Strong Foundations To Grow Malaysian German Ties

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Germany celebrates Unity Day today but 34 years after the creation of a United East and West Germany, what challenges does the EU's most powerful memb...

Decoding Madani Foreign Policy

01 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has earned both flowers and brickbats in his interactions with foreign leaders, most recently with President V...

Can Monash Malaysia Maintain Momentum?

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Monash University Malaysia has the distinction of being the first foreign university in the country and celebrated its 25th anniversary last year...

Datacenters: Boon Or Bane For Malaysia?

29 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Microsoft, Alphabet and Amazon Web Services are just some of the biggest names that have invested in the development of data centers in Malaysia, but ...

KPKT On Madani Government Support For Home Ownership

26 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Ministry of Housing and Local Government is responsible for addressing a wide range of issues important to Malaysians, including affordable housin...

Can ASEAN Navigate The Geopolitics Of A Multipolar Era?

25 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are living in the Asian century, with the meteoric rise of China, India and ASEAN economies heralding the era of multi-polar geopolitics. Is this a...

ICAEW Leading The Way For Accountants

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales has appointed Alan Vallance as its new Chief Executive. He joins us to discuss his vision ...

Otis Leans On Digital Tech To Lift Business

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Otis Elevator Company is responsible for installing elevators in some of the most iconic buildings in the world, including the Petronas Twin Tower...

HSS Engineers: Low Profile Firm, High Profile Portfolio

22 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Bursa Malaysia-listed HSS Engineers has had an illustrious 40 year journey transforming Malaysia one infrastructure project at a time - it was involve...

Bersatu's Narrative For Malaysia

19 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Parti Pribumi Bersatu was born from the internal strife of UMNO in 2016 and over the course of 5 years  rose to the pinnacle of Malaysian politic...

Centurion: Tapping Demand For Specialised Accommodations

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Singapore Exchange-listed Centurion Corporation is in the business of owning, developing and managing purpose-built workers' accommodation as well...

Can Ukraine Widen Its Circle Of Allies In ASEAN?

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As the war in Ukraine drags on over multiple years, how has the conflict with Russia shaped Kyiv's foreign policy direction? We speak to Hennadiy Maks...

INCEIF: In Pursuit Of Islamic Finance Innovations And Beyond

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia has the distinction of being at the forefront of Islamic finance, with the third largest market for Islamic financial assets, behind only Ira...

LH Plus Prepares For Next Phase Of Growth

12 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

LH Plus Sdn Bhd is a local plastic manufacturing company that produces products like OEM parts, and home & kitchen products, among others. Its cha...

Selangor: Ambitions To Be A Regional Gateway

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Invest Selangor is the one-stop agency for international investors keen to put their money into the state. Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year,...

Steel Hawk Soaring On Debut

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Steel Hawk Bhd is the first company to undergo a listing transfer from Bursa Malaysia’s LEAP to the ACE Market under the new market transfer framewo...

Scouting For Talent In The Social Media Age

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Music consumption today has long shifted from the age of physical music media like vinyl, CDs and cassettes, and so too has the discovery of new talen...

CelcomDigi Bullish On 5G Evolution

08 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia’s telecommunications sector was reshaped when Celcom and Digi merged in December 2022 with dominance over 47% of the market. Almost two yea...

AME ELITE, In A Sweet Spot For Industrial Parks

05 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Industrial parks are a sweet spot in the property space with the sudden deluge of data centres and logistic warehousing demand in Malaysia. But do we ...

MN Holdings Powering Their Next Stage Of Growth

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ace listed, MN Holdings Berhad, engaged in underground utilities and substation engineering services and solutions has seen their share prices soar by...

Agreeing To Disagree In Selangor State-Federal Relations

03 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia is constitutionally a federation where there is a strong central government but yet the individuality of states are also maintained. Is that ...

Infineon Banks On Kulim 3 For Future Growth

02 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kulim, Kedah is the site of what will eventually become the world’s largest 200mm silicon carbide wafer fabrication owned by Infineon Technologies, ...

Azalina Othman: Patriotism, Reforms & Umno

01 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said is the current minister in the PM's department in charge of law and institutional reform. On this Breakfast Grille, she...

Royal Selangor Keeping Tradition Alive

29 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As we gear up to celebrate the 67th National Day tomorrow, we’re featuring a Malaysian brand that’s even older than our country at 139 years old -...

Assessing Malaysia's Readiness To Become An Ageing Nation

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia is expected to transition to ageing nation status by 2030 where over 15% of its population will be above 60-years-old. Associate Professor Dr...

A United Malaysia Is Worth Fighting For

27 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof recently revealed that there have been differing legal views between the federal and state levels, as ...

Changing Of Political Guard In Thailand And Indonesia

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our neighbours, Thailand and Indonesia, are facing major political changes with a change in leadership. We discuss the dismissal of Thai Prime Ministe...

Malaysia, Time For Reforms Is Now

25 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This Saturday, as we celebrate Merdeka, we speak to Tricia Yeoh, CEO of think tank, IDEAS, about the realities of coalition politics in Malaysia. We a...

Ukraine Perseveres Amid Fatigue

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On August 24th, Ukraine marks its Independence Day while continuing to defend against Russian aggression since Crimea's annexation in 2014 and the inv...

Humanitarian Relief For Injured Palestinians

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The humanitarian catastrophe as a result of the war in Gaza is impacting millions of Palestinian lives. In a bid to alleviate the suffering, Malaysia ...

New Hope For Bangladesh

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this month, a mass protest movement led by the youth of Bangladesh ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her ruling party the Awami League a...

Human Behaviors Needed To Improve Road Safety

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Studies have found that Malaysia ranked fifth for countries with the most dangerous roads, and third for countries where you are most likely to die on...

Invest Sabah Refreshing State Investment Narrative

18 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sabah is renowned for its natural heritage but also faces the paradox of plenty: despite being resource-rich, it has consistently lagged in economic d...

Is Everyone A Winner In The Construction Boom?

15 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), established by the Construction Industry Development Act (Act 520), works to improve the construct...

Kyndryl, The World's Largest Startup And Their Plans For Malaysia

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kyndryl, the world's largest IT infrastructure player also had the title of world's largest start up after their separation from IBM in 2021. We speak...

Ambiga On Madani Govt: Slow Pace Of Reforms Indefensible

13 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Anwar Ibrahim took office on 24 November 2022 on a platform of sweeping reforms to strengthen Malaysia’s institutions. 20...

The Evolution Of KL's Public Transport

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It has been 26 years since the first LRT in Kuala Lumpur began its services, transforming how citizens of the city get around. Today there are nearly ...

ISIS Malaysia: Translating Madani Principles Into Foreign Policy Rhetoric

11 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Institute for Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia was set up in 1983 as an autonomous non-profit research organisation functioning...

Agrobank Helping Malaysia Achieve Its Agriculture Goals

08 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Established in 1969, Agrobank, a DFI is crucial to Malaysia's agricultural development, offering specialised financial services tailored to the sector...

Volatile Summer For Markets

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Records were broken for markets this week with a broad global selldown but an almost equally sharp rebound. Anand Pathmakanthan, Head of Regional Equi...

Airbus: Laser Focused On Its Strengths

06 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The world's largest aeroplane manufacturer, Airbus, has navigated the post-Covid-19 years with increased demand for its aircraft as travel returns wit...

Revolutionizing Healthcare: Strategy For Affordable Precision Medicine

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Alps Global Holding Berhad aims to revolutionise healthcare through biotechnology research and wellness services, focusing on personalised and precisi...

PCM Urges Equality For Para Sports Development

04 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

While Malaysia has yet to win an Olympic gold medal, Malaysian Paralympic athletes have secured six golds since 2016. But these achievements have not ...

Penang : Stepping Up Its Tourism Game

01 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Penang has been hard at work wooing travelers back to the island ever since Covid-19 global travel restrictions were lifted, and these efforts are sho...

Co-opbank Pertama : Navigating A More Digital Landscape

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Co-opbank Pertama is Malaysia's first co-operative bank set up in 1950 but only having received its deposit-taking license from Bank Negara in 2014. I...

APEC Redefining Global Trade Narratives

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation or APEC was born at a time when globalisation and free trade were fully embraced, but the conventional wisdom ha...

Sarawak And Malaysia - Segulai, Sejalai?

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sarawak has come a long way since 1963 and is charting a seemingly independent economic future that hinges on greater autonomy from the federal govern...

Hannah Yeoh On Malaysia Game Plan For Olympic Gold

28 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Will Paris 2024 see Malaysia end its Olympic gold medal drought? What are the policies being considered to make the sports economy more vibrant in Mal...

Engie Malaysia, Helping Malaysia Go Green

25 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Engie Services Malaysia is the local arm of a European and world leader in low-carbon electricity production that also provides B2B solutions to achie...

Kamala Harris Transforms US Presidential Elections

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With the surprising withdrawal of Joe Biden from the race and the recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump, the landscape for the US November pres...

Farm Price Sprouting To Greener Heights

23 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Farm Price has significantly transformed its business model to focus on the wholesale and distribution of fresh vegetables. This strategic shift led t...

UEM Sunrise, Plans In Place For Growth

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Data centres and SEZ are the buzzwords for Johor which benefits UEM Sunrise which owns almost 7000 acres in that state. We speak to Sufian Abdullah, t...

Invest Penang, Strategizing For Sustainable Long Term Growth

21 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Penang, Malaysia's second smallest state punches above its weight when it comes to GDP contribution and FDI inflow but what is the next phase of growt...

Synergy House: Furniture E-Commerce Retailer Turned Enabler

18 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia is the 12th largest furniture exporter in the world based on 2021 data, with a total export value of some RM13 billion ringgit in 2022. This ...

South Africa : Remembering Mandela Amid Crisis

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

July 18th every year is celebrated as Nelson Mandela International Day honouring the first post-apartheid president of South Africa. Its High Commissi...

Can France Unite A Divided World?

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

French ambassador to Malaysia His Excellency Axel Cruau joins us in the studio for a wide-ranging conversation on the recently concluded French l...

IATA: Sustainable Aviation Part of Energy Transition

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

2024 is the year the global airline industry turned the page on the Covid-19 pandemic - traffic has returned to pre-pandemic levels and airlines are m...

Democracy Reforms Out Of Pace With Political Realities

14 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The shifting political landscape since 2018 has meant that the dynamics in Parliament have changed - to what extent are the present rules and conventi...

George Town : Balancing Tourism With Preservation

11 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

George Town, Penang, has celebrated its 16th anniversary of being jointly inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List with Malacca. Think City, a Khaz...

Jeffrey Sachs On UN SDGs: Herculean, Not Sisyphean

10 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were conceived in 2015 as a pathway to galvanise the whole international community towards the...

Hibiscus, Budding Into A E&P Powerhouse

09 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hibiscus Petroleum Berhad has just announced an ambitious plan to acquire a stake in a Brunei gas asset. Will this be a value accretive acquisition fo...

Optimax Eyeing Their Way To Bigger Things

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Optimax, which specializes in a wide range of ophthalmology medical services has now expanded to the aesthetic care industry and set up shop in Cambod...

HE Group, In A Sweet Spot With Semiconductors And Datacentres

04 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

HE Group Berhad a electrical engineering services company, listed on the Ace Market earlier this year. Since then the share price has tripled. We...

The Evolution Of Music Consumption

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The music industry has evolved from the days of cassettes, vinyl and CDs, to streaming and social media over the last four decades or so.  Dinesh...

Kucingko IPO : No More Pussyfooting In The Industry

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kucingko Berhad will become Malaysia's first animation company to list on Bursa Malaysia's ACE Market by the end of July. It started life as Inspidea ...

China-Malaysia's Asymmetric But Symbiotic Relationship

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This year, Malaysia-China celebrates 50 years of relations. We speak to Peter T. C. Chang, Deputy Director of the Institute of China Studies, Universi...

MDEC, Still Plays A Prominent Role In Malaysia's Digital Economy

30 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), a government agency under the Ministry of Digital has been tasked since 1996 to ensure that Malaysia beco...

FINAS Recalibration Work In Progress

27 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

2023 was a banner year for Malaysian cinema in terms of international recognition, however the local industry was bogged down by low box office sales ...

MSMEs Want More Simplicity, Less Red Tape

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Twelfth Malaysia Plan targets to grow the economic contribution of MSMEs to 45% of GDP by 2025 from just under 40% currently. But do the policies ...

Islamic Finance, Opportunities Aplenty

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Islamic Finance market is small in comparison to its conventional counterpart but that also means that there are plenty of opportunities for innov...

MyDigital ID Hoping To Accelerate Adoption

24 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

MyDigital ID is a national identity and transaction signing platform that hopes to address current vulnerabilities like insecure communication channel...

Go Hub Capital Going Places

23 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Go Hub Capital specialises in enterprise IT services, with a particular focus on the transportation sector. Tan Cherng Thong, their CEO tells us why t...

The Challenges Of Ramping Up Malaysia-Poland Trade

20 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Poland and Malaysia have had diplomatic relations since 1971 and since the last half-century, trade between the two nations have been chugging along a...

T7 Global Transformation Plans Working Out

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Oil prices have been volatile in the last two decades affecting all oil and gas players. We speak to T7 Global as to what their outlook is for the ind...

IMU University : The Business Of Educational Healthcare

18 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For over 32 years, International Medical University Malaysia has provided private tertiary education for those keen to pursue a career in healthcare. ...

British Council: Bridging People-To-People Ties In Education

17 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This year marks 76 years since the British Council was established in 1948 as an education and cultural centre. But as the geopolitical dynamics have ...

EUPE In Growth Mode

13 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

EUPE Corporation Berhad has been a property developer since 1986 by combining innovative and affordable homes through a unique shared value approach. ...

MPOB: Safeguarding Smallholder Interests

12 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia is the second largest producer of palm oil after Indonesia, making up 24% of global production. With the sector facing headwinds including ch...

Johor Plantations Group : A More Focused Approach

11 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Johor Plantations Group is set to be the latest oil palm company to list on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia. It is part of the 5-year transformation...

Will India's Social Stock Exchange Revolutionise Development Funding?

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Both developed and developing countries have experimented with social stock exchanges over the past two decades with little success. Can India's model...

Enhancing New Zealand-Malaysia Relations And Beyond

09 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, was recently on an official visit to Malaysia, after having taken over the r...

IKEA's Quest To Realise Affordability For The Many

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

IKEA is arguably Sweden’s most prominent export, with a presence spanning 30 years and four outlets in Malaysia. How is the world’s largest furnit...

Big Regional Plans For Etiqa

05 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Insurance is a notorious competitive business made doubly so with the entry of the global players. Kamaludin Ahmad, Group CEO of Etiqa tells us about ...

HSBC Malaysia Capitalising On Nation's Potential

04 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The banking sector is seen an a barometer of the economy and what does a bank with a 140 year legacy have to share about the state of Malaysian consum...

Local Opportunities Abound For Keyfield International

03 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Keyfield International Bhd made its debut on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia in April and is in the business of providing Offshore accommodation ser...

All Eyes On Rafah As US Defends Gaza Policy

30 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The US is Malaysia’s third largest trading partner and also largest contributor of foreign direct investment. However will international unease over...

KL's Urban Poor Need Urgent Policy Changes

29 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

UNICEF recently released a report titled "Living on the Edge," which focuses on  low-income families in Kuala Lumpur. living in low cost flats. T...

The Growing Influence Of The Chinese Communist Party

28 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In just 4 decades the People's Republic of China under the Chinese Communist Party, has transformed itself from an impoverished agrarian economy into ...

Amid Controversy, UiTM Steadfast In Its Bumiputera Mandate

27 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) was set up in accordance with section 153 of the Federal Constitution to educate and empower the Bumiputera Community...

KTI Landmark, Sabah Developers With Plans To Move West

26 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

KTI Landmark, a Sabah developer is gearing for an ACE market listing in mid-June, raising RM48 million. We ask Managing Director, Gordon Loke what are...

People, Not Algorithms, Shape inDrive Business Model

23 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

InDrive, a top-tier provider of mobility and ride-hailing services, is set to redefine the urban mobility scene with its groundbreaking fare negotiati...