The Breakfast Grille

After more than two years of helming the position as Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has recently released a book titled “Saving The Planet”, documenting his experiences as Minister. As Malaysia has a strong commitment to its net-zero goal, we speak with him to understand how our country can translate ambition into action as well as how we can reconcile climate policy with political expediency.

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GXBank was the first digital bank to launch in September 2023. Has their customer acquisition strategy paid off, how they intend to benefit from the Grab ecosystem and when can they be profitable? Questions we pose to Lai Pei Si, CEO of GXBank.

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Visa is upbeat about its future in Southeast Asia with various surveys pointing to an increasing number of people in the region adopting a cashless lifestyle. Serene Gay, the global payment network's group country manager for this region as well as the senior VP of global clients and acquirer for the Asia Pacific region also discusses efforts to combat fraud and enhance cybersecurity.

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

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The importance of cybersecurity cannot be understated enough as any compromises or breaches can threaten supply chains, financial stability - and even of course democracy. Sarene Lee, the Malaysia country manager for, Palo Alto Networks, talks about the cybersecurity service providers efforts to enhance Malaysia's readiness and the battle to stay ahead of cyber-criminals.

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Presenter Phillip See will be sitting down with Steven Xie, Head of South East Asia, Swisslog, a company with Swiss roots that specializes in warehouse automation. They’ll be discussing the company’s warehouse automation and management system, what sets Swisslog apart from its competitors, how it is adapting to operating in different regions globally, and more.

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The Madani Government launched the National Artificial Intelligence Office (NAIO) in December 2024 to mobilise the industry to leverage on the A.I. technology. We discuss the priorities of the new body with its CEO, Shamsul Izhan Abdul Majid.

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The regulatory landscape for Malaysian aviation is undergoing a revolution as the body tasked with overseeing the economic health of the industry, the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) is being merged with the technical safety body, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM). How prepared is CAAM to be the sole regulatory entity amid headwinds for the aviation players? We discuss this with CAAM CEO Dato’ Captain Norazman Mahmud.

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The stage is set for Malaysia in 2025, as it assumes the chairmanship of Asean as well as being admitted to the BRICS grouping as a partner country. This year also sees divisions being drawn between the US with a new president and its long-term rival China. Dr Prashanth Parameswaran, founder of the ASEAN Wonk newsletter and a fellow at the Wilson Centre in Washington DC shares his views on what we can look forward to this year.

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

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DKSH, the Swiss-based market expansion services provider is responsible for consumer brands such as Famous Amos and SCS Butter in Malaysia. What do its fortunes tell us about the state of the Malaysian consumer? We speak to Sandeep Tewari, Head of Country Leadership and Executive Director of DKSH Malaysia on the growth prospects of the company, especially in the healthcare segment.

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The solar industry has been been growing by leaps and bounds due to a raft of government policies and incentives. But it’s also extremely competitive and requires capital. We speak to Lew Shoong Kai from Northern Solar Holdings Berhad as to if going public will provide the funding it needs to grow, the competition and are their valuations fair.

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