Bfm :: The Breakfast Grille

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 Malaysia? We discuss these themes and more with Minister of Youth and Sports Hannah Yeoh at the start of the Summer Olympics.

Engie Services Malaysia is the local arm of a European and world leader in low-carbon electricity production that also provides B2B solutions to achieve carbon-neutral targets. We speak to their managing director, Wong Yin Kee who will tell us their strategy for growth and how they stack up against the competition.

With the surprising withdrawal of Joe Biden from the race and the recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump, the landscape for the US November presidential elections has shifted dramatically. As the Republican nominee is now confirmed, what strategies might the Democratic Party employ to counter a resurgent Trump campaign? We explore these developments with Mark J. Rozell of George Mason University.

Farm Price has significantly transformed its business model to focus on the wholesale and distribution of fresh vegetables. This strategic shift led to a successful listing on the ACE Market. We speak with Lawrence Tiong Lee Chian their Managing Director to discuss whether this price appreciation is justified and how the company plans to utilise the proceeds from the listing to drive future growth.

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, their CEO as to how they intend to monetise this opportunity whilst overcoming the challenges of competition whilst examining their transformation plans.

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 growth for the Silicon Island of the East? Dato’ Loo Lee Lian, CEO of InvestPenang tells us their plans, how they overcome the challenges of talent shortage and manage the competition even from other states.

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 is the landscape that Synergy House operates in, a pure-play e-commerce furniture design, development and distribution company that listed on the ACE Market in June last year. How have they put their RM34 million IPO proceeds to use? We get updates from Executive Director Tan Eu Tah.

July 18th every year is celebrated as Nelson Mandela International Day honouring the first post-apartheid president of South Africa. Its High Commissioner to Malaysia, Dave Malcomson, discusses how the past 30 years of post-apartheid has led to the country accusing Israel of genocide for its actions in Gaza, balancing it out with its continued engagement with Russia and how the BRICS intergovernmental organisation might bring some balance to an inequitable world.

French ambassador to Malaysia His Excellency Axel Cruau joins us in the studio for a wide-ranging conversation on the recently concluded French legislative elections, bilateral ties in Malaysia, geo-politics and how the upcoming Olympics will be more economically and environmentally sustainable.

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 making profits once again. But the positive numbers belie the many headwinds that could still weigh down on future growth. How are airlines navigating these challenges? We discuss these themes with Marie Owens Thomsen, Senior Vice President for Economics & Sustainability at the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The shifting political landscape since 2018 has meant that the dynamics in Parliament have changed - to what extent are the present rules and conventions in keeping with this new reality? Do the current electoral laws allow for the maximum public participation? We discuss priority reforms for parliament and elections to strengthen Malaysian democracy with our expert panel.

George Town, Penang, has celebrated its 16th anniversary of being jointly inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List with Malacca. Think City, a Khazanah Nasional subsidiary, was instrumental in helping to develop George Town since 2009, helping to maintain its status as a living heritage city. Hamdan Abdul Majeed, shares his experience as Think City's managing director as well as a Penangite.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were conceived in 2015 as a pathway to galvanise the whole international community towards the common aims of economic development, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability. With 6 years to go until the 2030 deadline, how far have we progressed in achieving the 17 distinct targets - and why has investment in education consistently been overlooked? We discuss these themes with Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

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 for this oil and gas exploration and production company with a price tag of nearly USD200mn. We speak to their managing director, Kenneth Gerard Pereira to find out whilst asking why this company appears to be overlooked by the investment community.

Optimax, which specializes in a wide range of ophthalmology medical services has now expanded to the aesthetic care industry and set up shop in Cambodia. We ask Sandy Tan, their CEO, about the synergies of their expansion and the challenges of running a business that is capex and human resource intensive.

HE Group Berhad a electrical engineering services company, listed on the Ace Market earlier this year. Since then the share price has tripled. We speak to Managing Director Amos Haw Chee Seng to explore what strategies will fuel the company's future growth and assess the potential for further appreciation in their share price.

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 Ratnam, the Managing Director of Warner Music Malaysia sits down to talk about how this company now operates in an increasingly digital world where the consumption and promotion of music and creativity are at levels never dreamed of before. Is this a boon or bane for record labels?

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 back in 2002 and has chalked up production credits from the Cartoon Network's Johnny Bravo to the BAFTA-nominated BBC series, Pet Squad. Its co-founder and executive director iCJ See talks about how this IPO might be the next step in this company's ambition to become the Dreamworks of Asia.

This year, Malaysia-China celebrates 50 years of relations. We speak to Peter T. C. Chang, Deputy Director of the Institute of China Studies, University of Malaya on the evolution of this relationship and what the future may hold in this era of increased geopolitical tensions amidst integrated economic ties.Image Credit: shutterstock.com

Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), a government agency under the Ministry of Digital has been tasked since 1996 to ensure that Malaysia becomes a digital economy. Mahadhir Aziz, CEO of MDEC tells us if they are on path to achieve their goals despite the plethora of government agencies involved and what are the challenges ahead considering the digital divide and talent shortage.