Helping you navigate the ever-changing universe of business, from headlines to the bottom line
Latest episodes
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27 min
Malaysian Hotels Squeezed by Haze, Costs and Conflict
Malaysia’s hotels started 2026 with a record quarter, but the haze, rising costs and the conflict in the Middle East have since weighed on demand, while short-term rentals like Air…
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28 min
Beyond IPOs: Raising Capital Through UPCs
For businesses looking to grow, raising capital can be a challenge. Bank loans, private investors, and possibly an IPO are the usual options. But there's another route that may not…
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22 min
Is HYROX Good Business for Malaysia’s Gyms?
Malaysia will see its first HYROX race in December 2026. Tickets sold so quickly that organisers added an extra race day. For a fitness format that barely existed in Malaysia a few…
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33 min
E-Commerce: Can the New Bill Level the Playing Field?
E-commerce has become an important part of Malaysia’s economy, helping businesses reach more customers and giving consumers greater choice. But as the sector grows, so do concerns…
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38 min
Can AI Keep Carrying ASEAN’s Growth?
AMRO expects ASEAN+3 to grow 4.1% this year, with AI-related goods driving more than two-thirds of the region’s export jump in the first half, even as the war in Iran drags on and…
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35 min
Internal Audit: Small Teams Taking On Big Mandates
A new report, The Inside Story of Internal Audit Malaysia 2026, jointly prepared by IIA Malaysia and Hays Malaysia, highlights several challenges facing the profession.We discuss:…
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48 min
How to Build a Global Fashion Brand
Building a brand is one thing. Building one that people want beyond their home market is another. What does it take for a homegrown fashion brand to earn a place on the global stag…
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40 min
Using AI as a Thinking Partner, Not Just a Prompt
Sylvia Avila, AI Adoption Partner and Corporate Trainer tells us why AI adoption is so hard to get right, even for people who work with it every day. She walks through a framework…
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35 min
Running a Franchise in Malaysia: The Real Challenges
Malaysia's franchise industry is worth RM46 billion today, with the government targeting RM100 billion in franchise sales by 2030. But the industry faces real problems limiting tha…
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35 min
Running a Franchise in Malaysia: The Real Challenges
Malaysia's franchise industry is worth RM46 billion today, with the government targeting RM100 billion in franchise sales by 2030. But the industry faces real problems limiting tha…
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30 min
Budget 2027: Digital and Tech Initiatives for MSMEs and SMEs
Budget 2027 sets out to make Malaysia an AI Nation by 2030. But is there enough focus on SMEs and MSMES ? We discuss:The strategy: What she sees as the core intent of Budget 2027.…
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41 min
Budget 2027: What’s in It for Tech and Digital?
Malaysia’s Budget 2027 comes with a familiar challenge: how to invest in the technologies that will shape the economy while making sure businesses and the rakyat benefit. The gover…
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35 min
Budget 2027: What It Means for Business
Budget 2027gives some money back to SMEs and the rakyat through tax cuts and targeted sector incentives. Government revenue is projected at RM380.8 billion in 2027, the deficit tar…
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29 min
Budget 2027: Can It Pull SMEs Out of Survival Mode?
SMEs have long struggled with rising operating costs, regulatory requirements and access to financing. Now they also face growing competition from suppliers in China. Beyond the us…
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30 min
Budget 2027: Malaysia's Tech Industry Wish List
Malaysia's tech sector is heading into Budget 2027 with strong investment and export numbers. But how much of that growth is reaching Malaysian businesses, and what has actually be…
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35 min
Budget 2027 and Malaysia's Fiscal Tightrope
Higher fuel subsidies and a growing debt-servicing bill are eating into the country’s finances, while the possibility of an early general election makes fiscal consolidation harder…
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33 min
Budget 2027: Can It Back Malaysia's Mid-Tier Firms?
SMEs get most of the attention when we talk about Malaysia's economy, but sitting above them is a group of companies that often gets overlooked: mid-tier firms. These companies con…
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46 min
Budget 2027's Startup and SME Wish List
Budget 2027 will be tabled in Parliament on October 9, with the government has already highlighted the need to build more competitive home-grown businesses, with a focus on financi…
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37 min
The Uphill Battle of Taking On Mental Health at Work
Malaysia's Parliament has put a number on the country's mental health crisis: RM25.3 billion in projected economic burden by 2030 without interventions. Yet unlike physical safety…
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43 min
Building the Boards Malaysia's Companies Need
Across corporate Malaysia, board effectiveness is increasingly being linked to company valuation. Investors are paying attention to the capabilities and competencies of board membe…