The Breakfast Grille

In 1909, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) became the first professional accountancy body to admit a woman as a member. 120 years on, the body boasts a gender diverse leadership line-up and women make-up almost half of ACCA membership. But how much is this reflected in the broader accounting industry? To mark International Women’s Day on March 8th, we speak to corporate veteran Datuk Zaiton Mohd Hassan, Vice President of the ACCA Council for her observations and reflections.

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• Outside of the UK, Vimto, the 107-year-old Manchester-born beverage, has been most popular in the Middle East, particularly during Ramadan. It is now venturing into Malaysia where nearly two-thirds of the population are Muslim. Matt Nichols, the International Commercial Director of Vimto (and also the founder's great-grandson) discusses the company's plans here and beyond.

Image Credits: Shutterstock.com

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The post-Covid-19 years have been wrought with challenges for Malaysia's glove makers as demand normalises from the unexpected surge at the height of the pandemic. Oon Kim Hung, the Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers' Association (MARGMA) president, talks about his expectations for the industry with the demand and supply situation reaches an equilibrium, amidst the rise in China's own glove makers and the threat of tariffs from a new Trump administration in the US.

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Founded in 1997, Universiti Teknologi Petronas has been steadily climbing the Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings and for the first time is amongst the top 250 in the world. Professor Dato' Dr Mohamed Ibrahim Abdul Mutalib, the Vice-Chancellor of UTP takes us through the history of the university and its future plans.

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Malaysia’s achieve a trade surplus of RM137 billion in 2024, the highest ever recorded in the nation’s history. However with a tariff storm brewing and increasing geopolitical tensions, will Malaysia continue to see strong performance and reap the benefits of the Madani government policies. Questions we pose to Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry of Malaysia.

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Property sales are the highest in a decade for the whole industry but is listed LBS Bina also showing a similar trend in 2024 and of course what is the outlook this year? Questions we pose to executive chairman Tan Sri Lim Hock San whilst asking him about succession planning and their diversification plans.

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Australia and Malaysia celebrate 70 years of diplomatic relations this year, having developed strong cooperation in sectors like trade, defence, education and tourism. Danielle Heinecke, Australia's High Commissioner to Malaysia, shares how both nations can enhance these ties to benefit both nations and the Southeast Asian region, amid global uncertainties and opportunities.

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Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology is strengthening its focus on industry collaboration, research excellence, and student development to stay competitive. President Prof. Ir. Dr Lee Sze Wei highlights challenges including financial sustainability and workforce demands while emphasizing the university’s commitment to innovation.

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Malaysia has been rolling out a series of renewable energy policies that have benefited the solar industry. One beneficiary is listed Solarvest Holdings. We ask their CEO and co-founder as to their financial performance, the competition and their transformation plans from being an EPCC player to also an asset owner.

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Boost Bank is one of the 5 digital banks in Malaysia which was launched in June 2024. We check in with Sheyantha Abeykoon, Group CEO of Boost to find out their strategies for growth and the path to profitability in a competitive environment whilst looking at how soon this regional fintech can monetise their business.

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