The Breakfast Grille

While the international system undergoes dramatic changes, Malaysian politics seems to be trapped in the same old political scripts and petty political rivalries. Even as many Malaysians yearn for a way out of stagnant politics, the question is will the next generation be part of the solution. We speak to two Kelantanese politicians about rebellion, Kelantan’s governance challenges and mobilising the young.

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Following the US-Iran War, Malaysia’s retail landscape is entering a state of "nervous calm" as fuel prices surge and costs ripple through supply chains. Datuk Wira Ameer Ali Mydin of Mydin Mohamed Holdings joins the Breakfast Grille to warn that increases in basic food and retail items is imminent as logistics, LPG, and other costs surge.

Ameer also breaks down the Madani Mart model, drawing on his own RM185 million loss with Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M), and his key concerns about the model, as well as why he views work-from-home policies as "burning money" for the economy and why Malaysia may be "too nice" to foreign retail competition.

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Golden Destinations Group is heading for a public listing after a sharp recovery in global travel demand. But as growth begins to normalise, can the company sustain its momentum? Mita Lim, its managing director, discusses its B2B model, expansion plans, and what investors should expect.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

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Boustead Holdings, the investment arm of the Malaysian Armed Forces Fund (LTAT) is undergoing a major restructuring exercise to rebuild its financial position and realign its strategic assets in support of the domestic defence sector. We speak to the newly appointed managing director, Datuk Dr. Ahmad Sabirin Arshad about his plans to repair Boustead's image, which has been tarnished by scandals like the littoral combat ship (LCS) procurement, and the pathway to create a long-discussed defence ecosystem in Malaysia.

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As AI automates the transactional tasks that once defined the profession, accounting faces a critical identity crisis. The hope is that this liberates practitioners to move from "bean counters" to strategic business advisors, but that is easier said than done.

CPA Australia President Dale Pinto joins the Breakfast Grille to discuss the 17th Small Business Survey, why trust remains the industry’s primary currency, and how human ethics remain the ultimate safeguard against future corporate scandals. He also warns of a mounting skills gap as graduates use AI to bypass the foundational work that historically forged professional skepticism.

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AMS Advanced Materials is seeking an ACE Market listing to raise approximately RM33 million, aimed at facilitating its transition further up the industrial value chain. The IPO arrives with a valuation of 20 times earnings and follows a financial year characterized by negative operating cash flow. For potential investors, the focus remains on whether the capital will effectively drive the company's shift from its traditional trading roots toward higher-value industrial processing.

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MTT Shipping and Logistics is the dominant player in the Malaysian shipping sector commanding 46% of the domestic market. Its upcoming IPO, priced at RM1.03 and potentially raising RM652 million, is the biggest in the logistics sector since 2013. But could uncertainty in the global industry deter investor sentiment? We discuss MTT’s growth strategy in the face of headwinds with Managing Director Ooi Lean Hin.

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Mechanical & electrical engineers Kee Ming Group’s share price surged on debut, riding optimism around data centres and renewable energy. But the question is - can this company deliver the growth needed to justify its valuation? Its Managing Director Nick Liew talks to us about Kee Ming's parnership with Solarvest, human resources and when it plans to pay a dividend.

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Is your digital bank built to last, or is it just a very expensive app? Despite massive hype, only 24 of the 55 digital banks tracked across Asia have reached profitability. The rest remain trapped by vanity metrics, offering unsustainably high deposit rates instead of building real margins.

As a massive wave of industry consolidation looms, Simon Loong, Founder and Group CEO of WeLab, joins The Breakfast Grille to reveal his Southeast Asian acquisition targets, why merging struggling banks is a trap, and what survival in the new financial landscape actually costs.

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Since 2017, Sarawakian corporate figure Dato' Sri Idris Jala has taken the PEMANDU transformation ethos beyond the corridors of Putrajaya through his consultancy, PEMANDU Associates. He outlines his latest pivot into capital investment through PEMANDU Capital and the growth targets for SME acquisitions.

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