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 security in 2027.

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 security in 2027.

High Global Sugar Prices and the Impact on Malaysia

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, and where the OPR, loan costs and growth could go next year.

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, and where the OPR, loan costs and growth could go next year.

2027 Outlook: Ringgit, Rates and Growth

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 challenges of growing a hotel business as Ascott plans to expand from 35 to 50 properties in Malaysia.

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 challenges of growing a hotel business as Ascott plans to expand from 35 to 50 properties in Malaysia.

Malaysian Hotels Squeezed by Haze, Costs and Conflict

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 exchange.

We get into:


What a UPC is: How it differs from a private limited company or a listed one


The rules:  What the Securities Commission's March 2025 guidelines for UPC share offerings changed for sophisticated and retail investors


Investor risk: The warning signs investors should watch for, and illiquidity and valuation of UPC shares.

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 exchange.We get into:<ul><li>What a UPC is: How it differs from a private limited company or a listed one</li><li>The rules:&nbsp; What the Securities Commission's March 2025 guidelines for UPC share offerings changed for sophisticated and retail investors</li><li>Investor risk: The warning signs investors should watch for, and illiquidity and valuation of UPC shares.</li></ul>

Beyond IPOs: Raising Capital Through UPCs

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 build a business around a trend moving this quickly, and does becoming a HYROX affiliate pay off?

Herny Suraya, Co-owner of Fitologist Hub, and Matt Chong, Co-Founder of District 13, join us to talk about it. Both gyms have been around longer than HYROX itself, and both have kept their focus as functional training gyms.

We get into:


The investment: What it costs to become a HYROX affiliate, from fees to equipment.


Keeping members: What makes people stay once they’ve completed a goal like a HYROX race.


Standards and regulation: How gyms keep coaching, safety, and programming standards up when a hot trend draws crowds, and whether anyone can open a gym or call themselves a coach.


The bigger gap: Why 84% of Malaysian adults don’t take part in any sport or fitness activity, and what would help the industry reach more people.

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 build a business around a trend moving this quickly, and does becoming a HYROX affiliate pay off?Herny Suraya, Co-owner of Fitologist Hub, and Matt Chong, Co-Founder of District 13, join us to talk about it. Both gyms have been around longer than HYROX itself, and both have kept their focus as functional training gyms.We get into:<ul><li>The investment: What it costs to become a HYROX affiliate, from fees to equipment.</li><li>Keeping members: What makes people stay once they’ve completed a goal like a HYROX race.</li><li>Standards and regulation: How gyms keep coaching, safety, and programming standards up when a hot trend draws crowds, and whether anyone can open a gym or call themselves a coach.</li><li>The bigger gap: Why 84% of Malaysian adults don’t take part in any sport or fitness activity, and what would help the industry reach more people.</li></ul>

Is HYROX Good Business for Malaysia’s Gyms?

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 an E-Commerce Bill to replace the Electronic Commerce Act 2006. How can this bill level the playing field? 

We discuss:


Why a new law: What the Bill is meant to fix, from predatory practices against SMEs to platform accountability, and whether licensing platforms, including foreign operators, would achieve it.


The cost of selling online: How rising commissions and advertising costs are squeezing sellers, whether the government should step in on fees, and whether merchants are at the mercy of platforms.


What it takes to give the law teeth

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 an E-Commerce Bill to replace the Electronic Commerce Act 2006. How can this bill level the playing field?&nbsp;We discuss:<ul><li>Why a new law: What the Bill is meant to fix, from predatory practices against SMEs to platform accountability, and whether licensing platforms, including foreign operators, would achieve it.</li><li>The cost of selling online: How rising commissions and advertising costs are squeezing sellers, whether the government should step in on fees, and whether merchants are at the mercy of platforms.</li><li>What it takes to give the law teeth</li></ul>

E-Commerce: Can the New Bill Level the Playing Field?

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 or oil prices stay elevated, where ASEAN fits in AI supply chains, and what’s behind Malaysia’s upgraded 5.1% growth forecast.

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.&nbsp;We discuss how long AI can carry the region, what happens if tech spending slows or oil prices stay elevated, where ASEAN fits in AI supply chains, and what’s behind Malaysia’s upgraded 5.1% growth forecast.

Can AI Keep Carrying ASEAN’s Growth?

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 businesses move up the value chain and adopt new technology.


Small teams, big mandates: The appropriate size of an internal audit team.


Pay and retention: Whether pay is a reason auditors leave, and what else actually keeps experienced auditors in place.


Building the next generation: What businesses and policymakers should prioritise to meet Malaysia's growing demand for internal audit talent.

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:&nbsp;<ul><li>Keeping pace with growth: Whether internal audit and governance capabilities are keeping up as Malaysian businesses move up the value chain and adopt new technology.</li><li>Small teams, big mandates: The appropriate size of an internal audit team.</li><li>Pay and retention: Whether pay is a reason auditors leave, and what else actually keeps experienced auditors in place.</li><li>Building the next generation: What businesses and policymakers should prioritise to meet Malaysia's growing demand for internal audit talent.</li></ul>

 Internal Audit: Small Teams Taking On Big Mandates

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 to adapt for Asia, from pricing to which items got priority.


Understanding the global fashion industry: The barriers holding local designers back, from funding and mentorship to vocational training gaps and fast fashion competition, and which is the hardest to overcome.


What to do differently: His advice for a Malaysian designer who wants to be known globally, the biggest mistakes local brands make when they try. 

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:<ul><li>Before you go global: What a brand must have in place before entering a new market, and what he had to adapt for Asia, from pricing to which items got priority.</li><li>Understanding the global fashion industry: The barriers holding local designers back, from funding and mentorship to vocational training gaps and fast fashion competition, and which is the hardest to overcome.</li><li>What to do differently: His advice for a Malaysian designer who wants to be known globally, the biggest mistakes local brands make when they try.&nbsp;</li></ul>

How to Build a Global Fashion Brand

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 get into a practical use case: AI for language translation, a natural fit for a market as multilingual as Malaysia, and the specific pitfalls when AI translates content without proper oversight.

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 get into a practical use case: AI for language translation, a natural fit for a market as multilingual as Malaysia, and the specific pitfalls when AI translates content without proper oversight.

Using AI as a Thinking Partner, Not Just a Prompt

Helping you navigate the ever-changing universe of business, from headlines to the bottom line

Helping you navigate the ever-changing universe of business, from headlines to the bottom line

Enterprise Explores

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