The Breakfast Grille

Self-described "ex-nepo baby" Vuitton Pang, CEO of emart24 Malaysia, joins The Breakfast Grille to discuss stepping out of the Mamee family business, entering the capital-intensive convenience sector, and whether the venture fits a broader family investment thesis.

When he left Mamee-Double Decker in 2021 to launch emart24 in Malaysia, the target was 300 stores in five years. Five years on, the chain has only reached 111 outlets, discovering an unexpected growth engine not in central urban hubs like the Klang Valley, but deep in the East Coast, powering revenue to more than double year-on-year to RM114 million in FY2024.

Vuitton reflects on walking away from traditional eldest-son expectations at Mamee, candidly sharing why his brother Pierre was the better fit to lead the family business. He also charts the road to group-level profitability after the most recent financials show RM20 million in losses in 2024.

He breaks down strategies to help expand margins, his thoughts on an eventual IPO to fund growth, and why he stepped into the world of being a KOL CEO to drive foot traffic.

Tune in to learn more about what is standing between emart24 and the scale it needs, and how Vuitton is trying to close that gap with capital, location strategy, and a newly built central kitchen.

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The global space economy could reach US$1.8 trillion by 2035, as private companies transform an industry once dominated by governments and national space agencies. But where is the money actually being made, and can commercial space ventures become profitable without relying heavily on public funding? On The Breakfast Grille, we explore the economics of satellite services, private spaceflight and emerging technologies, the growing influence of commercial operators, and whether countries such as Malaysia can capture meaningful opportunities in the global space industry without investing billions in their own space programmes.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

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Bloomberg Economics estimates that the cost of a war between NATO and the Russian Federation resulting from direct destruction in the warzone, higher energy prices as oil supplies reduced, and expected selloff in financial markets could cut global output by 1.3% or USD$1.5 trillion in the first year of the conflict. This is just one incentive to avoid war quite apart from the massive loss of life. However the signs of an escalation are everywhere; what will the belligerents choose?

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EGH International is an interior fit-out company that recently made its debut on Bursa Malaysia's ACE Market and is looking to expand its business after having secured prestigious jobs like the Merdeka 118 Park Hyatt Hotel. Its Managing director Datuk Weslie Lim joins us to discuss the company's financial performance, growth ambitions and what it will take to turn its expanding portfolio into sustainable earnings.

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RedPlanet Berhad straddles two unusual businesses: mapping electrical grids for utility companies, and holding the patent on Malaysia's Platform Intrusion Emergency Stop System, which halts LRT trains when something falls onto the tracks. The company recently moved from the LEAP market to ACE, raising RM13.3 million at RM0.19 a share, an offer oversubscribed 85 times. Its order book stands at roughly RM52 million, while managing director Lian Wah Seng estimates the addressable market at over RM10 billion.

Yet a government directive to install platform screen doors across LRT stations could eventually make Red Planet's safety system redundant, and a profit guarantee on its AZTI subsidiary runs out this December. How the company plans to defend its margins, deploy its fresh capital, and push into new markets once that cushion disappears is the question at the heart of this conversation.

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A Shadow Budget With No Seats in Parliament, But Plenty of Numbers

While the federal opposition opted against tabling a shadow budget for Budget 2027, Parti Bersama Malaysia, a party with no current parliamentary representation, introduced its own comprehensive alternative fiscal plan. Their shadow budget proposes replacing blanket fuel subsidies with consolidated monthly cash allowances, reintroducing a 5% GST, and addressing long-term structural fiscal constraints.

Sum Dek Joe, Economist and Policy Spokesperson for Parti Bersama Malaysia, joins The Breakfast Grille to examine the modeling and feasibility behind their proposal. He discusses why the party chose to table an alternative budget, explains how their proposed monthly fuel, cost-of-living, and child allowances aim to leave 80% of households better off, and outlines the economic rationale for replacing SST with a streamlined GST.

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The South China Sea is at the centre of growing strategic competition between the United States and China. But does a stronger American military presence make the region safer, or risk escalating tensions? Brent Sadler, Senior Research Fellow for Naval Warfare at the Heritage Foundation, discusses China's maritime ambitions, America's role in the region, the Trump administration's foreign policy and what the rivalry means for Malaysia and ASEAN.

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We have had a week of discussion since the Budget 2027 was tabled last Friday. Criticisms of MPs from across the Parliamentary aisle have been well telegraphed. Did it tell as much about the Madani government’s thinking as it did about its critics? Was criticism of Perikatan Nasional’s failure to produce an alternative budget, when fledgling Bersama offered the public its tome, a valid one? And is there a danger that the Budget will be passed? We put these questions to the Leader of the Opposition.

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Malaysia's exports and foreign investment are growing strongly, but escalating US-China trade tensions, rising protectionism and the AI investment boom are reshaping the global economy. On The Breakfast Grille, we speak to Professor Dr Evelyn Devadason of Universiti Malaya and Dr Carmelo Ferlito, CEO of the Center for Market Education, about Malaysia's dependence on foreign markets, whether investment is building genuine domestic capabilities, and the competing arguments for government intervention versus market-led growth. Can Malaysia remain competitive while preserving its economic independence, and does ASEAN offer a credible way forward?

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HSS Engineers is positioning itself for Malaysia's next infrastructure cycle, expanding beyond traditional engineering consultancy into project management, data centres, water infrastructure and overseas markets. Executive Director Sharifah Azlina discusses the group's growth strategy as well as what it will take to deliver greater value for shareholders.

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