The Breakfast Grille
Episodes
Australia: Deepening Ties With Southeast Asia
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Australia has released a new blueprint entitled "Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040” that envisions nearly trebling bi...
Pakistan Hopes To Expand Ties With Malaysia
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Among South Asian countries, Pakistan is Malaysia's third largest trading partner, export destination and import source, with the total trade register...
ICT Zone Asia Bhd, Making Work Computing Affordable
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
ICT Zone Asia Berhad is a LEAP market-listed company that rents, leases, and trades ICT solutions to private corporations. They make it affordable for...
BERSIH At Crossroads To Effect Systems Change
17 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Bersih has been an instrumental platform in galvanising the civil society and the public to rally for electoral reform. We reflect on the past 5 years...
NIUM, Making Payments Fast And Secure
14 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
International commerce is growing rapidly and many businesses require fast, simple and secure payment services. Singapore based remittance company NIU...
Can Malaysian-Led WIEF Gain Global Traction?
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF), headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, was set up in 2005 to build bridges through business between Muslim and non-Mu...
Is Crypto Golden Boy The Trial Of The Century?
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We are now quite familiar with Sam Bankman-Fried being convicted last month on federal criminal charges for wire fraud and money laundering. What is m...
Pahang Regent On Climate Survival And Net Zero Goals
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Crown Prince and Regent of Pahang, Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah has made environmental conservation and climate change the focus of his advoc...
Malaysia: Where Refugees' Rights Remain In Limbo
10 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Malaysia is still not a signatory to the UN’s 1951 refugee convention or the 1967 protocol. This means the 183,000 refugees and asylum seekers in th...
More Needed To Stamp Out Corruption
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In conjunction with International Anti-Corruption Day on December 9th, it is timely to have a review of the Madani government agenda in combating corr...
UEM Edgenta Leveraging On Growth Beyond Malaysia
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
UEM Edgenta achieved record revenues in 2022, surpassing pre-pandemic levels; but the performance for the first 9 months of 2023 has been less encoura...
BPAM, Tasked With Bond Pricing Discovery
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
BPAM is Malaysia's sole bond pricing agency and is tasked with price discovery of what is often an opaque market as fixed income is not traded on an e...
Fibromat Set To Ride The ESG Wave
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Bioengineering solutions company Fibromat Berhad hopped onto the LEAP Market in 2019, raising RM6.2 million ringgit in its IPO. With green infrastruct...
How Levi's, Founded In 1853, Navigates Today's Realities
03 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This year commemorates 150 years since Levi Strauss & Co introduced the world to the iconic 501 jeans. But what is this apparels company's staying...
Egypt Is Critical Mediator In Palestine-Israel Conflict
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Humanitarian aid for Palestinians under "Ops Ihsan" was transported via a special cargo plane through El-Arish Airport in Egypt on November 10th. The ...
Self-Service LaundryBar Minting Profit For City Coin
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Self-service laundry outlets have mushroomed in urban areas, providing users a convenient option to wash clothes regardless of the weather. City Coin ...
All Hands On Deck For Westports 2
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Negotiations over the concession agreement for Westport 2 should be finalised soon. We ask Datuk Ruben Gnanalingam, Executive Chairman and Group Manag...
Audi And Volkswagen Resilient In This Challenging Market
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Volkswagen AG have their work cut out for them marketing VWs, Audis and Porsches as affordable premium, premium and luxury cars respectively in Malays...
Atlas Copco Gears Up For AI And ESG Demands
26 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Atlas Copco, a Swedish provider of industrial tools and assembly solutions has been in Malaysia for more than 4 decades. Khalid Shaikh shares wit...
One Year Of PMX: On Politics, Principles And The Reform Agenda
23 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The 10th Prime Minister Dato' Sri Anwar Ibrahim, also known as PMX, cobbled a motley coalition under the Madani banner and against the odds survived t...
In Defense Of Global Capitalism, Take Two
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is capitalism failing humanity? On the contrary, Johan Norberg, author of The Capitalist Manifesto argues that it is the recipe to a more sustainable ...
A One Year Review Of The Madani Economy
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week marks 1 year since Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim became Prime Minister. Have the economic policies passed muster and is it easier ...
Animonsta Studios: From Animation To Merchandising
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Animonsta Studios is the birthplace of BoBoiBoy and Mechamato, a series of movies that has netted the company more than RM86 million at the box office...
Care Economy: Bringing Invisible Labour Out Of The Shadows
19 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Discussions on the care economy have risen in prominence over the past year, amid a realisation that demographic shifts in society mean the traditiona...
Growing Demand For RSPO Certification
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil is a multi-stakeholder non-profit organization that unites members from across the palm oil value chain to develop ...
LBS Bina Remains Focused On Affordable Homes
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Property and housing developer LBS Bina Group has logged an impressive share price performance this year, up by more than 20% on a year to date basis....
Hextar Technology Pivoting To Fintech
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dato' Eddie Ong, a well known name in corporate circles has now directed his focus on Hextar Technologies. We ask him why the company is shifting from...
PLYTEC's IPO Play For Construction Market Share
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Construction engineering solutions provider PLYTEC Holdings will become the 28th IPO for Bursa Malaysia this year, with a listing price of 35 sen per ...
Ordinary Malaysians Save The Day
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As Malaysians despair over the state of economy, the weak Ringgit, underemployment, the polarization of society and even the lack of retirement saving...
Innovative Solutions For The Retirement Savings Gap
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As an ageing nation, Malaysia is becoming old before it becomes rich. How should we revamp the national retirement savings system to provide a better ...
Singapore Tourism Board Expansion Recipe
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Singapore is on target to hit their international tourist target of 12-14mn in 2023. We speak to Melissa Ow, Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board ...
Finding Common Ground & Meaning
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
George Yeo has served 23 years in the Singapore government and headed the Health, Trade & Industry, as well as the Foreign Affairs Ministries. His...
NRECC Pushing Malaysia's Green Agenda
05 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Madani government has instituted several green policy measures including the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), and the Energy Efficiency ...
Roche Personalising Healthcare Pathways
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The global pharmaceutical industry experienced extraordinary profits due to the circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic, but how are players coping now...
L'Oreal Deepens Roots In Malaysia Beauty Market
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
L’Oreal is a centennial beauty brand that has become synonymous with its iconic tagline, Because You’re Worth It. It also carries brands such as G...
Chan Brothers Prestige Going Bespoke In A Big Way
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Bespoke travel is increasingly common as travelers want a specially curated itinerary. Chan Brothers Prestige part of one the largest travel agencies ...
Samaiden's Plans To Stay Bright And Sunny
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The National Energy Transition Roadmap has a goal of achieving 70% renewable energy installed capacity mix for the power sector by 2050 which is good ...
Stay The Course Of Fiscal And Economic Reform
29 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The World Bank cut its target for Malaysia’s GDP from 4.3% to 3.9% for 2023. Dr Apurva Sanghi, the World Bank Lead Economist for Malaysia shares his...
Why The International Double Standards For Palestine?
26 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It has been 20 days since the current war in Gaza was launched, stemming from the assault by Hamas fighters in Israel on October 7th, which led to the...
MOSTI's Vision Of High-Tech Malaysia
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Madani Economy Framework sets the lofty ambition of catapulting Malaysia into the world’s top 30 economies with a consistent 5.5% annual GDP gro...
Resilience & Empathy, Dr. Noor Hisham's Pandemic Journey
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah, former Health Director-General, and the chairperson of UCSI Healthcare Group, offer a candid glimpse into his journe...
Aquawalk Group Looking To Float
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With the pandemic over and visitorship returning to 2019 levels, Aquawalk Group which owns aquariums in Phuket and Jakarta as well as Aquaria KLCC, is...
Pawnbroker EMCC Seizes Golden Opportunity In IPO
22 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Evergreen Max Cash Capital (EMCC) became only the second pawnbroker to list on Bursa Malaysia’s ACE Market, debuting in September at a 33% premium o...
Paying It Forward Via Education & Healthcare
19 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
UCSI Group is a conglomerate today but started life as Sedaya College with only 4 PCs for its computer science classes in 1986. Its founder and execut...
Delivery Firm Hopes To Deliver Profits Soon
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
GDEX Berhad is now confident of returning to the black after recording 6 consecutive quarters of losses. Its CEO Teong Teck Lean shares with us how th...
Brahim's On The Brink?
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Brahim’s is a household name especially for Malaysian travellers given its long association as the in-flight caterer for the national carrier. Howev...
NIMP And Budget 2024, Singing The Same Tune
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The New Industrial Plan has lofty targets by 2030 from value adding RM587bn to GDP, creating 3.3mn jobs and pushing the average salary to RM 4510. We ...
Unpacking Budget 2024 With MOF
15 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In Budget 2024, the government proposed a spending plan of 393.8 billion ringgit. Various strategic measures have been proposed, including the introdu...
Accountants Wanted To Change The World
12 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) is one of the largest accounting professional bodies in the UK, with over 300,000 ...
Signify's Bright Future For Malaysia
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Signify, the lighting division of Dutch multinational Philips, is very optimistic about the future of its business in Malaysia as well as the region a...
Julie's Manufacturing A Cracking Success For Exports
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do you enjoy eating peanut butter crackers? If you do, there is a high chance that it would have been a Julie’s Biscuit. This Melaka based loca...
Unraveling The Complexity Of Workplace Mental Health
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today marks World Mental Health Day, and it was estimated that mental health conditions in the workplace cost the Malaysian economy 14.46 billion ring...
People Are The Key To Success At Porto Digital Park
08 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Porto Digital Tech Park, Brazil’s largest technology park was born in 2020 with an aim to turn the port city of Recife to be a centre of technologic...
The Fight For Borsig, KNM's Crown Jewel
05 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
KNM group, a PN17 company has recently been thrust into the spotlight with a boardroom tussle with German businessman Andreas Heeschen, submitting a n...
Singapore's Pathway To Net Zero Emissions
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Climate change is an existential threat for low-lying states like Singapore, which is vulnerable to rising sea levels and flooding, in addition to the...
Time For Hong Kong To Regain Its Mojo
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hong Kong saw its biggest net ouflow of residents since the beginning of the Covid pandemic and money continues to shift away to other financial hubs....
Germany's Reunification 33 Years On
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On German Unity Day, we take stock of what this means for a country that was divided since the end of the Second World War and only reunified 33 years...
WS Audiology Making Hearing Aids Affordable And Accessible
01 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After a series of mergers and acquisitions, WS Audiology has become the world’s leading hearing aids manufacturer in the world, WS Audiology produce...
MGTC Out To Ensure Success Of NETR
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Shamsul Bahar Mohd Nor, Group Chief Executive Officer, Malaysian Green Technology & Climate Change Corporation (MGTC) joins us to have a conversat...
GTR Going From Red To Black
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
GTR a joint venture between SATS and Capital A, is a ground-handling service provider. In this competitive landscape with 30 licensed providers, we as...
ITC: Making Muslim-Friendly Tourism Mainstream
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Research consultancy Crescent Rating projects that global Muslim tourist numbers will swell to 230 million by 2028, accounting for USD$225 billion tou...
Gemilang Waiting To Turn Around Business?
24 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
GEMILANG is a Johor based manufacturer of bus bodies and bus assemblies, and with over 30 years of experience, the Group has become one of the leading...
CelcomDigi Focusing On Maximising Synergies
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After the merger of Celcom Axiata and Digi.com in December last year, CelcomDigi now forms the single largest telco in the country as well as the larg...
ABB Energy Industries: Accelerating Tech For Net Zero Ambitions
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
According to the International Energy Agency, energy accounts for more than three-quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions, with oil and gas operat...
HDC Propelling Malaysia Forward In The Global Halal Economy
19 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The global halal market is already worth 3 trillion US dollars and is expected to grow to 5 trillion by 2030. Malaysia should be in a position to capt...
FatHopes Energy's Quest For Growth
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What do you do with your used cooking oil? More often than not, it will probably end up going into the kitchen sink or drain, but should this be the w...
OUM: Championing Flexible Pathways To Education
17 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Open universities pioneered distance learning long before the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted higher education. However with more institutions delivering ...
Syed Saddiq: MUDA Aims To Be A Credible Third Force
14 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Over the weekend, Muar MP Syed Saddiq announced that he will be a third force opposition as a sign of protest against the dropping of 47 charges again...
Malaysian Football League Rebuilding Financial Resilience
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In conjunction with Malaysia Day, we discuss the business of a sport loved by many Malaysians, football. Stuart Ramalingam is the CEO of the Malaysian...
Rafizi Ramli On The New Themes Of 12MP Mid Term Review
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
At the Mid-Term 12 Malaysia Plan, 3 key themes: Sustainable, Prosperous and High-Income Nation were introduced. The Government also recognizes the nee...
Media Prima's Three Prong Strategy Still Works
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In an environment of shrinking adex, Media Prima has seen a challenging 1st half. However is the worse over for this media conglomerate. Rafiq Razali ...
Optimax Holdings, Taking An Eye For Aesthetic Services
10 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Eye specialist service provider, Optimax has obtained a licence from the Ministry of Health Malaysia to offer plastic surgery and aesthetic services. ...
Belgium Overseeing Complexities Of EU Expansion
07 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Belgium will take up the Presidency of the European Council in January 2024, where the topic of EU expansion will likely heat up. H.E. Peter Van Acker...
Malakoff Banking On Transformation 2.0
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Malaysia's largest independent power producer has seen losses for the last 2 quarters. We check in with Anwar Syahrin Abdul Ajib, their CEO as to why ...
Protecting Hup Seng Values For Future Generations
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hup Seng ping pong biscuits are no stranger to most Malaysian households as they are a classic snack that we grew up with, dipping the biscuits into o...
A Six-Sided View To Hexagon Manufacturing’s Business
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence advanced manufacturing solutions and technologies are used to design and make 95% of the cars and 75% of the smartp...
Progressive Wage Policy Step In Right Direction
03 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With the announcement that the Progressive Wage Policy (PWP) will be voluntary, incentive-based and productivity-linked, we speak to Dr. Geoffrey Will...
POS Malaysia, The Cheque Is In The mail
31 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After almost 19 consecutive quarters of losses, there is urgency for Pos Malaysia to transform itself. We speak to their Group CEO, Charles Brewer on ...
The Secret To Secret Recipe Staying Relevant
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After 26 years, Secret Recipe has a global and local footprint of 500 stores. We speak to 2nd generation Managing Director, Patrick Sim on their strat...
Revenge Travel Fueling Apple Vacations Recovery
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Malaysian outbound travel agency Apple Vacations was making over RM270 million in sales pre-pandemic, but the Covid-19 pandemic torpedoed revenues ami...
Mamee: Building Brand Loyalty Across Generations
27 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
FMCG company Mamee-Double Decker, now helmed by the third generation of the Pang family, and boasts a range of food products sold in over 80 countries...
State-Federal Funding Need Greater Transparency And Accountability
24 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With the six-state election now behind us, what institutional reforms and policies must be the focus of state government moving forward, and should Pa...
Independence In A Time Of War
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, Ukraine celebrates 32 years of independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The country's chargé d'affaires, Denys Mykhail...
Teleport Beams Itself To The Pole Position
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 5 years, Capital A’s logistics venture has propelled itself to market dominance by disrupting this already competitive industry. We speak to its ...
JCI-Hitachi: Higher Investment To Cool Down ASEAN
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As the mercury rises to unprecedented levels due to global warming, air-conditioning is fast becoming a necessity rather than merely luxury. But given...
Mercy Malaysia Dedicated To Humanitarian Work
20 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
According to the United Nations, 1 in every 45 people on the planet will need humanitarian assistance, especially with the rise of natural disasters a...
Slovenia To Strengthen Trade Ties With Malaysia
17 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Slovenia has been a trading partner with Malaysia for a decade, with increasing imports and exports over the years. Marko Ham, the Ambassador of Slove...
Lessons In Grassroots Engagement From The BRI
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
China launched its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative or BRI some 20 years ago, with around 148 countries signing up to participate in the trans-regio...
Revamp Needed To Tackle CyberSecurity In Malaysia
15 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
CyberSecurity Malaysia is an agency under the Ministry of Communications and Digital, and provides a range of specialised technical services. With the...
CapBay’s 1 Billion Financing Feather In The Cap
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Capbay, a Malaysian home grown multi-bank supply chain finance and peer-to-peer financing (P2P) platform has surpassed the milestone of disbursing ove...
PRN 2023: 3-3 Stalemate But Not Status Quo
13 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The final tally of the six state elections on Saturday resulted in a 3-3 tie, with Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional retaining control of Selangor, Neg...
SNS Network, From A Reseller To Services
10 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
SNS Network which was listed in September 2022 is now trading below the IPO price. We speak to Ko Yun Hung, it's Co-Founder and Managing Director if t...
Templewater Sees Opportunities In Malaysia
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Bravo Transport is Hong Kong Island’s largest bus company and Templewater owns more than 90% of the group. Cliff Zhang, the chairman of Bravo and CE...
FWD Making Headway In The Pan Asian Insurance Market
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
FWD Group is a relative new life insurance player with a presence in 10 countries. What is their strategy for the next phase of growth after a rather ...
Betting On US Office Reits To Rebound
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Keppel Pacific Oak US REIT (KORE) is an office REIT listed on the Singapore Exchange, with a portfolio of 13 assets in major cities such as Austin, At...
Swift Aims For Green Premium In Logistics
06 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Integrated logistics provider Swift Haulage debuted on the Bursa Malaysia Main Market in December 2021 amid boom times in the logistics industry. Howe...
A Facelift For DC Healthcare Share Price
03 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Aesthetic medical services provider DC Healthcare Holdings Bhd debuted on the ACE market on 17 July and closed at an 80% premium against the IPO price...
Cape EMS: Tapping Unexplored Markets For Growth
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Electronic manufacturing services player Cape EMS debuted on the Main Market in March 2023, raising RM155 million in IPO proceeds. How will Cape utili...
HKEX Looks North For Growth
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Hong Kong Stock Exchange is one of the largest in the world and also in Asia. But it is seeing the lowest number of IPOs in 20 years in the first ...
Rafizi Ramli: NETR to Make Malaysia Better
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The NETR and Ekonomi Madani was launched to much fanfare but will it be the much needed solution to Malaysia's structural issues. Economy Minister, Ra...