The Breakfast Grille

Apple Inc. is 50 years old, a milestone once thought impossible when the company sat 6 weeks from bankruptcy in 1996. Today, as a $3.6 trillion "Empire," the Tim Cook era faces scrutiny for prioritising operational scale over the blockbuster hits of the Steve Jobs era.

David Pogue, CBS correspondent and author of Apple: The First 50 Years, joins the Breakfast Grille to dissect Apple’s near-death experience and debunk persistent myths surrounding Steve Jobs. He explores the stark transition from a "rebel" cult to a “Empire” status, the critical innovations that could define the Tim Cook era, and why he believes Apple, at its core, remains a "Steve Jobs company".

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Uzbekistan, a doubly-landlocked country in Central Asia, is stepping onto the global stage, balancing ties with major powers while pursuing economic reform and regional influence.  Ambassador Karomidin Gadoev discusses Tashkent’s multi-vector foreign policy, its engagement with the US, China and Russia, and how Malaysia fits into this evolving partnership.

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ISF Group is a family-run piping systems specialist that listed on the ACE Market in January, raising RM61 million ringgit. They have been beneficiaries of the data centre boom in recent years, but can this trend sustain future growth? We discuss ISF Group’s business strategy and prospects with second-generation Managing Director Jeff Ai Boon Chen.

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Xiao En operates in a sector many overlook, yet one that is essential. It is also a business that demands land, capital, long-term vision and deep empathy. Dato’ Frank Choo, Managing Director of Xiao En Group, discusses the realities of building a bereavement care group, and why it is far from a “dying” industry.

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Analysts Ryan Bohl and Jared Mondschein join Philip See to discuss the Middle East's volatility, questioning U.S. strategic regional influence versus reactive crisis management and its economic impact on Asian markets.

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Kazakhstan is a land-locked central Asian country situated along the ancient Silk Road and it aims for bilateral trade with Malaysia to grow from US$220 million currently to US$1 billion in the next few years. Ambassador Bulat Sugurbayev shares thoughts on how to make this happen, as well as his country's role in geopolitics and how Borat helped put Kazakhstan on the map.

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With over 500 companies currently under investigation for bid-rigging in government tenders worth RM2 billion, MyCC is sharpening its enforcement teeth. Datuk Iskandar Ismail, CEO of MyCC, discusses the critical upcoming amendments to the Competition Act, why the commission is targeting digital platforms, and the hard lessons learned from high-profile courtroom battles with Grab and Malaysia Airlines.

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How does a mid-sized European nation navigate an increasingly turbulent world? Juraj Koudelka, the Czech Republic’s Ambassador to Malaysia, shares his thoughts on the state of Malaysia-Czech relations, opportunities for trade and investment, and how a Central European country, and member of NATO, approaches today’s shifting geopolitical landscape.

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• MUDA completed its inaugural election last Saturday, ushering in a new leadership team. On today’s Breakfast Grille, Sharaad Kuttan sits down with new president Amira Aisya Abd Aziz and founder Syed Saddiq, MP for Muar, to discuss the party’s future plans, leadership approach, and strategies ahead of GE-16.

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Solarvest Holdings is the largest pure-play solar energy player listed on Bursa Malaysia and can be seen as a bellwether of the national industry. While it's a darling of analysts, its share price has taken a hit trending 32% lower on a year to date basis. What is Solarvest doing to change investor sentiment? We discuss the prospects and growth strategy of the company with CEO Davis Chong.

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