The Breakfast Grille

Women Driving The Digital Economy

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Women make up 35% of the workforce in the Malaysian tech space, but are they equally empowered as their male counterparts to take on leadership roles?...

What's Driving TT Vision's Meteoric Share Price Increase?

05 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

400%! That is how much the share price of TT Vision rallied by post its IPO on 18 January 2023. The stock has since given up some gains but is still u...

Bata: Stepping Up Its Sole Purpose Of Making Shoes

02 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At any given point in time, more than 210 million people in over 60 countries are wearing a Bata shoe. How did a Czech brand founded in 1894 end up in...

What's Driving Paramount's Share Price Gains?

01 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Paramount Corporation Berhad is a property developer with established townships in Klang Valley, Kedah and Penang. It also ventured into co-working sp...

Budget 2023: Will The Madani Philosophy Yield Policy Results?

28 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Prime Minister Dato' Sri Anwar Ibrahim returned to the role he held two decades ago and tabled the largest budget in history this month with a RM388 b...

British Council, The UK's Soft Power Institution

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The United Kingdom is ranked 8th in the 2022 Monocle soft power survey no thanks to its strong currency of language and culture. Helped by the British...

Budget 2023 Is Right Direction But Lacks Boldness

26 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Finance Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim tabled his maiden budget last week, three months after taking office. How well are the principles of Malaysi...

The Rise Of Middleman Economy Comes At A Price

23 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For past few decades, we have been seeing the rise of the role of middlemen and as they hold tremendously strong market power, economists have attribu...

Fresh Perspectives From First-Time MPs

22 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the lead up to the 100 days mark of the unity government, we sit down with Syerleena Abdul Rashid, MP for Bukit Bendera and Lee Chean Chung, MP for...

LH Plus, The Future Is Still In Plastics

21 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

LH Plus, one of the oldest plastics companies faced rising costs and supply chain constraints during the pandemic. We check in with Callum Chen, CEO o...

Is Pavilion REIT On A Growth Trajectory?

20 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Retail spending is back with a vengeance, at least for now. This is evident in the traffic jam in the mall car parks, packed eateries and the long que...

Is Kimlun A Big Beneficiary Of MRT 3?

19 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kimlun Corporation Berhad is a contractor which has a niche in private sector projects but has been winning sizeable jobs in Sarawak. The differentiat...

Global Solidarity To Türkiye Over Earthquake

16 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tragedy struck Türkiye early last week as a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southern and central Türkiye which has seen over 35,000 deaths so far.&n...

Can Doctor Anywhere Spread Its Wings Beyond Asia?

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Feeling sick but don't want to visit a Doctor physically or want to schedule an appointment but can't get through the busy lines? Doctor Anywhere is a...

Barry Callebaut: Cocoa-tiously Optimistic Growth

14 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Switzerland-based Barry Callebaut is the world's biggest chocolate producer making supplying 1,000 tonnes of chocolate a day to companies like Nestlé...

Karex: Has More Room To Grow

13 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Karex Bhd, the world's largest condom maker suffered 2 years of consecutive losses but the worst appears to be over. We speak to Goh Miah Kiat, CEO of...

Building A First World Radio Business

12 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In conjunction with World Radio Day, the founder of this station, BFM 89.9, Malek Ali shares with us how radio will survive the age of disruption for ...

For Spina Bifida Champion, Passion For Science Underpins Political Ambitions

09 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Noraishah Mydin Abdul Aziz gained public prominence when she was fielded as the Pakatan Harapan candidate for Putrajaya in GE15, representing...

Can Schaeffler Malaysia Remain Resilient In Face Of A Downturn?

08 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Schaeffler Group started more than seven decades ago in Germany and is now a leading global automotive and industrial supplier. But the success of...

Will Alliance Bank Be Able To Outperform Its Peers With Its Acceler8 2027 Strategy?

07 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As inflation pressure rises and economic activity slows, Malaysian banks will likely see weaker loans growth in 2023. Newly appointed CEO of Alliance ...

Despite The Issues, The Outlook Can Still Be Positive For Malaysia

06 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

World Bank has forecast economic growth of 4% for Malaysia in 2023. Decent projections at first glance but what can be gleamed from their Economic Mon...

Building A F&B Multibrand Empire, One Cup At A Time

02 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Boba craze might have died but Loob Holding, parent of Tea Live and Bask Bear Coffee has grown exponentially despite the pandemic. We ask their CE...

Trinidad Group Riding The Recovery Wave In The Hospitality Sector

01 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Trinidad Group began as a cigar distributor and retailer in 2002. Over the past two decades, the company expanded into hotel and F&B management as...

Can Volvo Go Fully Electric By 2030?

30 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Analysts have described the Volvo Geely merger as one of the most successful in a decade. Volvo’s IPO in 2021 was seen as instrumental to help it re...

KJ: Down But Not Out Of Malaysian Politics

29 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Prior to GE15, Khairy Jamaluddin boldly stated his ambitions to become the Prime Minister of Malaysia, before his unceremonious sacking from UMNO last...

NanoMalaysia's Ambitions Hardly Nano-Sized

26 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We speak to Dr. Rezal Khairi bin Ahmad CEO of NanoMalaysia Berhad on how this agency has been working towards energizing industries through the commer...

Return To Quality: Needed Investments In Public Education

25 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Despite the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 providing the roadmap for education transformation, the quality of public education has suffered a ...

What's Next For Tencent?

24 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The past two years have been cruel for the China Tech companies and while most of the spotlight was focused on Jack Ma and Ali Baba, there was another...

Can The KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall Stay Relevant?

19 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We take time to reflect on the position and role of the Chinese in Malaysian society, business and politics with Ngan Teng Ye, President of The KL &am...

Semiconductors, The New Cold War

18 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Semiconductor industry is worth USD 580 billion dollars and has become a key part of the trade war between China and the US. Can Malaysia benefit ...

Oriental Group Getting Their Act 兔-gether This CNY

17 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After nearly three years of pandemic-impacted operations, the Oriental Group of Restaurants has finally returned to the black with revenues almost bac...

MYAirline, The Newest Way To Fly

16 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 2022 Malaysia saw the launch of Malaysia’s new low-cost carrier, MYAirline. From 3 destinations in December last year, the carrier aims to expand...

What To Do With Your Money In 2023?

15 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

2022 was a disastrous year for many asset classes driven by an aggressive interest rate cycle by the Fed and also the Russia Ukraine war. Mark Mobius ...

Will China's Reopening Salvage Malaysia's Tourism Industry ?

12 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After three years, China eased its zero-Covid policy and reopened its borders on the 8th of January. We speak to Dr. Sri Ganesh Michiel, National Pres...

Herbalife Lessons On Managing MLM Earnings Expectations

11 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Herbalife Nutrition sees further growth potential for its meal replacement products thanks to the growing waistlines of Malaysians with the latest Nat...

Is The Delay For The Pengerang Energy Complex A Blessing?

10 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Pengerang Energy Complex or (PEC) is developing one of the largest and most competitive Aromatics complexes in the world, to be strategically located ...

Cloudflare Building Resilience In Cybersecurity Space

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On the Breakfast Grille, Phil speaks to Jonathon Dixon, Vice President and MD, APJC short for Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China, at Cloudflare, In...

History, Geopolitics, Chip War And The Semiconductor Industry.

08 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

History, geopolitics, chip war and the semiconductor industry. In the current world we live in, power be it military, economic and geopolitics is buil...

Recession Knocking On Our Doors But Better Markets In 2023

05 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

2022 started with such promise, the world was coming out of Covid hibernation and economies were reopening but that optimism proved short-lived. Most ...

DS Sigma On For Premium Margins But Also Premium Valuations

04 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

DS Sigma Holdings Berhad is a packaging products provider, with an in-house manufacturing of corrugated paper packaging products including cartons, pr...

Parliamentary And Judiciary Revival

03 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At the conclusion of the general election, several critical issues of constitutional law came to the forefront. Constitutional expert Prof Shad Saleem...

Comms Chief Fahmi Fadzil On Policy Priorities For The Digital Age

02 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The age of digitalisation and technology that we’re experiencing has enormous potential to drive Malaysia’s economic future, but it also comes wit...

Best Of The Breakfast Grille 2022 - Conversations Unusual

29 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On the final show of the year, we revisit the more unusual interviews we've conducted on the Breakfast Grille, reflecting the unexpected and curious n...

Best Of The Breakfast Grille 2022 - Politics

28 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The political uncertainty that dogged the country for the past 2 years has been put to rest for the time being following the 15th General Elections th...

Best Of The Breakfast Grille 2022 - Companies

27 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In spite of economies largely reopening in 2022, there were still many trials and tribulations for companies this year due to rising inflation, higher...

Best Of The Breakfast Grille 2022 - Economy

26 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Despite hopes that 2022 would see the global economy recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, the year threw a curveball with the outbreak of the Ukraine a...

Implementation Is Key To Avoid Future Flash Floods

22 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It has been more than 1 year since the floods that affected eight states across the peninsula, and left 55 dead. The Disaster Risk Reduction Team from...

AC Venture Looks To Strengthen Its Malaysia Footprint

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AC Ventures is a leading Southeast Asian venture capital firm investing in early-stage startups focused on Indonesia and ASEAN. We ask Ng Yi Chung, pa...

Can Lagenda Properties Continue Its Success Into Other States?

20 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Lagenda Properties is a relatively newcomer in the property business, but it has morphed into a developer with a niche in affordable landed housing, c...

Navis Capital: SEA Prospects Undented By Looming Global Recession

19 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As the era of ultra low interest rates comes to an end and a global recession looms overhead, how are regional private equity players adapting to the ...

Sedania Innovator Prioritizes On Sustainability

18 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Listed in 2015, Sedania Innovator Berhad focuses on project-managing and investing in sustainable energy projects as well as sustainable healthcare. S...

Is Sustainability The Key To Long Term Survival?

15 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Many organisations have realised the importance and benefits of sustainability which ultimately gives it a higher survival rate. Despite many positive...

DHL Express Still Bullish On Trade Trends

14 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Despite multiple shocks to the global economy and supply chains in 2022, the world’s largest logistics player, DHL Group has thrived, with its expre...

Brewing Fabulous Memories : Kopi Kenangan Beyond Indonesia

13 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Kopi Kenangan is rebranding itself as Kenangan Coffee as it ventures outside its Indonesian home where it already has more than 800 outlets employing ...

Bersatu, Ready To Be A Strong And Formidable Opposition?

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

While Perikatan Nasional lost the bid to form the government of the day, its influence to shape the political future of Malaysia is not to be underest...

Ekuinas, Time For Consolidation And A Mandate Revamp?

11 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ekuinas, the Government's private equity fund management company has a focus to promote Bumiputera economic participation. With total committed invest...

Reverse Anti-Corruption Decline, Rev Up Institutional Reforms

08 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia has continued to slide down the rankings of Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index CPI), despite pledges to combat corrupti...

5G, A Game Changer For YTL Communications?

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

YTL Communications was the first major telco to launch 5G services in Malaysia. But the rollout of 5G in Malaysia hasn't been smooth sailing. We ask C...

What’s Driving PGF Capital’s Share Price Gains?

06 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

PGF Capital Berhad has been listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia since 1990 but has not seen the entry of any institutional investors. However,...

Will Bake With Yen Rise To The Occasion?

05 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

From their retail stores at TTDI and Chow Kit in 1987, Bake With Yen now has over 90 outlets throughout Malaysia. And in 2017, private equity firm Cre...

Anwar's Cabinet, A Dream Team Or Unwieldy Group?

04 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the end, 28 ministers were announced with some surprises, in particular Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also double hatting as Finance Minister. We evalua...

The Overlooked Costs Of Immigration Laws

01 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Immigration is most commonly discussed through the lens of the emigre seeking a way into a new land and the rules put in place to secure borders from ...

Heriot-Watt University Staying Ahead Of Industry Demand

30 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The higher education business has always had a reputation of being lucrative and recession proof. With competition for education dollars on the rise a...

AHAM's Ambitious Plans For Regional Expansion

29 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Asset management has been going through structural changes with intense competition, the shift to passive funds and lower fees. So why did CVC, one of...

Centre Survivors In Policy Action To Combat VAW

28 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

25 November marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. How effective is the legal framework in Malaysia to address vio...

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, A Lesson In Persistence

24 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After a long protracted battle for Putrajaya, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has finally become Malaysia's 10th Prime Minister. We explore his decades-long ...

Sukuk Issuances In The Age Of ESG

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Islamic bonds or sukuks continued to record resilience compared to conventional bonds despite volatile crude oil prices, a high interest rate environm...

Post-GE15: The King As Kingmaker And Reflections On Unity

22 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The negotiations to form the next government of Malaysia following the 15th general elections have yet to yield results, but there have been surprises...

ASEAN’s Economic And Geopolitical Resilience

21 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Russia-Ukraine war and conflicts in Myanmar have highlighted the division between nations in ASEAN. Philip See speaks to Manu Bhaskaran, Founding ...

GE15 Post-Mortem: The Unpredictability Of The Malay Swing Vote

20 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As predicted, the 15th general elections culminated in a hung Parliament, but few foresaw the rise of the green wave in peninsular Malaysia as PAS sec...

PM Candidate or Parliamentary Candidate?

17 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

History will be made tomorrow as more than 21 million Malaysians will be able to head to the polls to chart the future of the country in GE15. This wi...

The Journey Towards A Circular Economy

16 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Holland Circular Hotspot (HCH) is a private-public platform in which the local government authorities, experts and companies collaborate international...

FIFA : Football Is For All, But Is It Really?

15 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

World Cup season is upon us and in the years and months leading up to the kick-off in Qatar this November 20th, we can't escape knowing about it. Go t...

KJ In The Political Fight Of His Life

14 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Khairy Jamaluddin is in the political challenge of his life with a seven cornered fight in Sungai Buloh. He has made known of his ambitions to be Prim...

QTR Soaring On Tailwinds Despite Blockade, Pandemic Setback

13 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

While all airlines were badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, for Qatar Airways the global shutdown came on top of a blockade imposed by neighbo...

Adobe - Not Just Photoshop!

10 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Many have heard of Adobe because of their best-in-class photo-editing app, Photoshop. That's just one of many software suites of Adobe which has grown...

Tourism Selangor Pursues Tourists, Balancing Between Conservation And Economics

09 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Selangor has many attractions to draw tourists - both natural and manmade - and many locals are discovering them especially in the years before intern...

GHL, Diversifying To BNPL And Microlending

08 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The payment method for Malaysians has transformed dramatically in the last few years and payments remain the largest fintech segment in the industry. ...

OCBC Malaysia, Charting A New Growth After 90 Years

07 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As one of Malaysia's oldest and largest foreign banks, is OCBC ready for the structural shift in the banking landscape with intensifying competition? ...

The State of US-Malaysia's Relations

06 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia and the United States have had 65 years of relations ever since over independence in 1957. Despite the changing global geopolitical environme...

Is Wise Making All The Wise Moves In The Fintech Space?

03 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Since its founding over a decade ago, Wise has expanded to become a global transaction platform moving £9 billion monthly. Its CEO and cofounder Kris...

Principles Over Politics: PSM Stands Alone

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Parti Sosialis Malaysia is the sole party based on ideology, specifically socialism - but ideology doesn’t insulate one from cut-throat Malaysian po...

Kawan Engineering: In Search Of Environmentally Friendlier Businesses

01 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Kawan Engineering has been in the business of making and designing heat exchangers and boilers for more than 25 years. It counts companies like Petron...

CAAM Focused On Keeping Flying Safe

31 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After Malaysia was unceremoniously downgraded by FAA, questions were raised about our safety standard. We speak to Datuk Captain Chester Voo Chee Soon...

DKSH Holdings : A Century's Worth Of Staying Power In Malaysia

30 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It started out in 1923 in Penang as a trading business called Diethelm & Co from Switzerland, today it is a Bursa-listed market expansion services...

Scicom Looking Solid But Why The Underperformance?

27 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Scicom (MSC) Bhd has evolved from being just a call centre provider to now an end-to-end service provider in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). The m...

FM Global Logistics Aims For Global Expansion Amidst Volatility

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

FM Global Logistics Holdings Berhad is one of Malaysia’s largest freight and forwarding industry with a presence in the region. Most of its revenue ...

Betamek Aims To Be An Alpha Automotive Electronics Player

25 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Betamek Berhad is listing on Bursa Malaysia's ACE Market on Oct 26th 2022, after 33 years in the business, mostly supplying car audio systems to Perod...

CTOS, Gunning For Growth Both Organically And Inorganically

24 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

CTOS Digital Berhad had one of the best debuts on Bursa Malaysia in 2021. It has since been on an acquisition drive including a controversial majority...

DAP Youth : Why Good Governance Can Trump Identity Politics

20 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia’s 15th General Election will be held on Nov 19th, 2022, and political parties are ramping up their preparations. DAP Youth Chief and Pakata...

Aerodyne, Malaysia's "Soonicorn"?

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Aerodyne Group is a Malaysian drone-based enterprise solutions provider that has a presence in 35 countries and also plans to raise USD100-200 million...

SAP Bets Big On The Cloud

18 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

One of the largest software companies in the world has taken the strategic decision to bet heavily on the cloud. Will it pay off? We ask SAP's Southea...

How To Break The US Dollar Doom Loop?

17 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As the US Federal Reserve embarks on an unprecedented monetary policy tightening cycle, the US dollar has also strengthened in relation to most curren...

Speaker Art Harun: When Ideals Clash with Realities

16 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Prominent legal activist Art Harun created uproar when he took up the post of Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat under the Perikatan Nasional government, wit...

PKR Youth: Repairing Trust Deficits in the Party

13 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Former student activist Adam Adli was elected this year as the PKR Youth Chief, beating a more experienced rival for the top post. What does he bring ...

Sunview - New Kid In The Sought After Solar Space

12 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sunview Group Bhd is a renewable energy player slated to be listed on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia on Oct 17, with targets to raise 34 million rin...

Robots Won't Replace Your Accountants Anytime Soon!

11 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Accounting firms today have expanded their business to more than just auditing, with many of the major firms like the Big Four expanding into digital ...

GE15, A Game Changer?

10 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The dissolution of Parliament was finally announced, thus paving the way for the 15th General Elections. This was not a surprise, even though Budget 2...

Time To Mainstream Climate Bonds

06 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Climate Bonds Initiative is an international non-profit organization working to mobilize global capital for climate action. Philip See speaks to Sean ...

Fitch Ratings Sees Silver Linings Amidst Bleak Global Economic Outlook

05 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Nearly three years since Covid-19 ravaged the world's economy and nothing has been the same since. Throw in a war in Europe, and China that still want...