The Breakfast Grille

George Yeo has served 23 years in the Singapore government and headed the Health, Trade & Industry, as well as the Foreign Affairs Ministries. His last military rank is Brigadier General in the Singapore Armed Forces. He shares his insights into current geopolitical issues, regional challenges, Singapore's nation-building efforts as well as finding that spiritual balance that makes everything come together.

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The Madani government has instituted several green policy measures including the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Bill. Minister for the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change (NRECC) Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad joins us to explain the rationale for these decisions and other policy measures in the pipeline and how they are prioritized versus business interest.

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The global pharmaceutical industry experienced extraordinary profits due to the circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic, but how are players coping now that the Covid effect has receded? We speak to Deepti Saraf, General Manager of Roche Malaysia on the current pharmaceutical landscape, as well as efforts to improve affordability and accessibility of life-saving drugs.

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L’Oreal is a centennial beauty brand that has become synonymous with its iconic tagline, Because You’re Worth It. It also carries brands such as Garnier, Kiehl’s, La Roche Posay, and YSL Beauty under its umbrella. Can it continue to hold on to its leading position in the Malaysian beauty market amid increased competition from regional and local brands? We speak to Tomas Hruska, CEO of L’Oreal Malaysia about the brand presence in the region.

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Bespoke travel is increasingly common as travelers want a specially curated itinerary. Chan Brothers Prestige part of one the largest travel agencies in Singapore is monetising that trend. We speak to their Executive director, Chloe Chan if travel has recovered to pre-pandemic levels, their growth strategy and the challenges of working in a family business.

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The National Energy Transition Roadmap has a goal of achieving 70% renewable energy installed capacity mix for the power sector by 2050 which is good news for RE players. We check in with Chow Pui Hee, Group Managing Director of listed, Samaiden Group Bhd on how they intend to benefit, the growth expectations for FY24 and is there still upside to it's share price which has rallied by 300% since its listing.

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The World Bank cut its target for Malaysia’s GDP from 4.3% to 3.9% for 2023. Dr Apurva Sanghi, the World Bank Lead Economist for Malaysia shares his impressions of Budget 2024, the structural issues faced by Malaysia whilst providing some policy recommendations including what will reverse the weak Ringgit.

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It has been 20 days since the current war in Gaza was launched, stemming from the assault by Hamas fighters in Israel on October 7th, which led to the Israeli military bombardment of the enclave. But in reality, Gaza and the West Bank have been under war-like conditions with Israel since the illegal occupation of Palestinian Territories by Israel since 1967. We discuss the situation on the ground with H.E. Walid Abu Ali, the Ambassador of Palestine to Malaysia.

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The Madani Economy Framework sets the lofty ambition of catapulting Malaysia into the world’s top 30 economies with a consistent 5.5% annual GDP growth in 10 years. Additionally, the government aims to break into the top 30 countries in the Global Innovation Index by 2025, as well as achieve high-tech nation status by 2030. How integrated are science and technology policies in achieving these outcomes? We discuss this with Chang Lih Kang, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation.

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Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah, former Health Director-General, and the chairperson of UCSI Healthcare Group, offer a candid glimpse into his journey managing the pandemic, his personal aspirations, and his invaluable insights into Malaysia's healthcare system.

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