High Global Sugar Prices and the Impact on Malaysia

Raw sugar futures are up more than 25% since July, as El Niño, export curbs and the oil shock from the US-Iran war push the market from glut to deficit. We discuss how secure Malaysia’s sugar supply is, what higher prices could mean for businesses, and the biggest risks to the country’s food securi…

2027 Outlook: Ringgit, Rates and Growth

RHB puts the ringgit’s fair value at around 3.80 to the US dollar by the end of 2027, helped by Budget 2027’s plan to cut the deficit to 3.3% of GDP, but a strong US dollar and the US bond sell-off remain real risks. We discuss where the ringgit is headed, what the bond sell-off means for Malaysia,…

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 Airbnb compete for the same guests. We talk about levelling the playing field between hotels and Airbnb, and the challenge…

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 be familiar to many business owners: the unlisted public company, a public company that isn't listed on the stock exch…

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 years ago, HYROX’s rise has been fast and global, and gym owners are racing to be part of it. So what does it take to …

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 about unfair competition, rising platform fees, consumer protection, and accountability. The government plans to table …

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 oil hovers around US$100 a barrel.  We discuss how long AI can carry the region, what happens if tech spending slows o…

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:  Keeping pace with growth: Whether internal audit and governance capabilities are keeping up as Malaysian businesse…

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 stage? We get into: Before you go global: What a brand must have in place before entering a new market, and what he had …

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 she uses with clients that, she says, shifts AI from a one-off prompt tool into an actual thinking partner. We also ge…