The Omicron variant has thrown a monkey wrench into what had been looking like a slow but steady economic recovery for the $100 billion MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) industry. Just as business executives had finally begun reaching for their conference lanyards again, the fast-spreading Covid-19 strain has prompted another round of postponements. And while it’s starting to feel like 2020 all over again, those in the exhibition and trade show segment feel 2022 is the start of a recovery for the entire industry. Fong Lai-Lyn, exhibition specialist from MESSE Worldwide, explains.



Image Credit: Shutterstock | r.classen

The Omicron variant has thrown a monkey wrench into what had been looking like a slow but steady economic recovery for the $100 billion MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) industry. Just as business executives had finally begun reaching for their conference lanyards again, the fast-spreading Covid-19 strain has prompted another round of postponements. And while it’s starting to feel like 2020 all over again, those in the exhibition and trade show segment feel 2022 is the start of a recovery for the entire industry. Fong Lai-Lyn, exhibition specialist from MESSE Worldwide, explains.Image Credit: Shutterstock | r.classen

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

Return of the MICE

Malaysia just recorded its highest-ever Q1 trade figure at RM789.85 billion, yet the ground-level reality is far more complex. While the E&E boom and AI demand supercharge exports, a public standoff with EV giant BYD over investment conditions is testing the limits of our National Automotive Policy (NAP).

Professor Dr Ong Kian Ming, Adjunct Professor at Taylor's University and former Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, joins Enterprise Explores to unpack the state of trade beyond the headline numbers.

We explore the controversy surrounding BYD’s investment conditions, why the 2020 National Automotive Policy (NAP) is behind the times in the age of Chinese EV dominance, the "Taiwan Plus One" trend and political stability as a key selling point.

Tune In To Find Out:


The Taiwan Surprise: Why we trade four times more with Taiwan than India does, and how "Taiwan Plus One" is supercharging our semiconductor sector.


The BYD Standoff: Unpacking the tension between MITI and the EV giant. Is Malaysia being protectionist, or are we rightfully guarding our local supply chain?.


The NAP: Why the 2020 National Automotive Policy needs an urgent update to address the Chinese EV revolution and aggressive adoption targets.


The JS-SEZ Hype: Why the delay in the Johor-Singapore master plan is making investors nervous.


The "Manifesto Battle": Why industry associations must submit their "wish lists" to political coalitions now, ahead of a potential 2026 general election.

Malaysia just recorded its highest-ever Q1 trade figure at RM789.85 billion, yet the ground-level reality is far more complex. While the E&amp;E boom and AI demand supercharge exports, a public standoff with EV giant BYD over investment conditions is testing the limits of our National Automotive Policy (NAP).Professor Dr Ong Kian Ming, Adjunct Professor at Taylor's University and former Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, joins Enterprise Explores to unpack the state of trade beyond the headline numbers.We explore the controversy surrounding BYD’s investment conditions, why the 2020 National Automotive Policy (NAP) is behind the times in the age of Chinese EV dominance, the "Taiwan Plus One" trend and political stability as a key selling point.Tune In To Find Out:<ul><li>The Taiwan Surprise: Why we trade four times more with Taiwan than India does, and how "Taiwan Plus One" is supercharging our semiconductor sector.</li><li>The BYD Standoff: Unpacking the tension between MITI and the EV giant. Is Malaysia being protectionist, or are we rightfully guarding our local supply chain?.</li><li>The NAP: Why the 2020 National Automotive Policy needs an urgent update to address the Chinese EV revolution and aggressive adoption targets.</li><li>The JS-SEZ Hype: Why the delay in the Johor-Singapore master plan is making investors nervous.</li><li>The "Manifesto Battle": Why industry associations must submit their "wish lists" to political coalitions now, ahead of a potential 2026 general election.</li></ul>

Record Trade, BYD Complications, & Taiwan Plus One

Is Malaysia one bad harvest away from a food crisis it can't import its way out of? It's sowing season, but the conditions couldn't be worse, diesel costs are climbing, fertiliser prices have shot up, and a third of Kedah's crops were left unharvested.

Dr Sarena Omar, CEO at PNB Research Institute and a subject matter expert on agriculture and food security, joins Enterprise Explores to map exactly how the West Asia conflict is quietly impacting Malaysia's food supply chain, from the paddy fields of the north to your chicken prices in June. We unpack the double price squeeze that's slowly strangling the industry from both ends.

Tune In To Find Out:


The 52% Stagnation: Why Malaysia’s rice production has only grown as fast as our appetite, leaving us decades behind neighbours like the Philippines and Indonesia.


The RM2.7 Billion Subsidy Question: Is aiming for 80% self-sufficiency worth the massive trade-off in government spending and farmer competitiveness?


Geographical Eggs in One Basket: The risk of relying on just three northern states for over 50% of our rice and the urgent need to pivot to Sabah, Sarawak, and Perak.


The Fertilizer Double Whammy: How the Iran-Israel conflict trickles down to a 80% year-on-year surge in Urea costs, hitting local production and imported food simultaneously.


The "Ulam" Solution: Why "foolproof" local crops like Pegaga and Ulam Raja are the most economically viable tools for household food resilience.

Is Malaysia one bad harvest away from a food crisis it can't import its way out of? It's sowing season, but the conditions couldn't be worse, diesel costs are climbing, fertiliser prices have shot up, and a third of Kedah's crops were left unharvested.Dr Sarena Omar, CEO at PNB Research Institute and a subject matter expert on agriculture and food security, joins Enterprise Explores to map exactly how the West Asia conflict is quietly impacting Malaysia's food supply chain, from the paddy fields of the north to your chicken prices in June. We unpack the double price squeeze that's slowly strangling the industry from both ends.Tune In To Find Out:<ul><li>The 52% Stagnation: Why Malaysia’s rice production has only grown as fast as our appetite, leaving us decades behind neighbours like the Philippines and Indonesia.</li></ul><ul><li>The RM2.7 Billion Subsidy Question: Is aiming for 80% self-sufficiency worth the massive trade-off in government spending and farmer competitiveness?</li><li>Geographical Eggs in One Basket: The risk of relying on just three northern states for over 50% of our rice and the urgent need to pivot to Sabah, Sarawak, and Perak.</li><li>The Fertilizer Double Whammy: How the Iran-Israel conflict trickles down to a 80% year-on-year surge in Urea costs, hitting local production and imported food simultaneously.</li><li>The "Ulam" Solution: Why "foolproof" local crops like Pegaga and Ulam Raja are the most economically viable tools for household food resilience.</li></ul>

Hormuz Shockwave: Malaysia's Food Security Under Threat?

Is your organisation actually ready for WFH or just reacting and hoping for the best?

Hundreds of thousands of civil servants started working from home last week, and the cracks showed up on day one.

Hourly check-ins. Broken tracking apps. Officers driving back to the office just to protect their attendance records.

So, in 2026, with a new energy-driven WFH mandate reshaping Malaysian workplaces, are we any better at this than we were in 2020?

Professor Jane Tong, Professor in the Department of Management, School of Business, at Monash University Malaysia, joins Enterprise Explores to diagnose exactly where organisations go wrong and the dangerous management traps practiced today.

We explore:

The 2x2 Flexibility Matrix: Understanding the crucial difference between flexi-time (when you work) and flexi-place (where you work), and how to mix them for different roles.

The 'Ideal Worker' Stigma: Why the psychological norm of being "first in, last out" in physical offices is the biggest hurdle to effective remote management.

Input vs. Output Control: Why tracking mouse movements or hourly check-ins is crisis management and not good management, and how to pivot to objective output monitoring.

The 'Great' Manager Standard: Why good managers hit targets, but great managers recognise invisible work, the small details and cultural glues that don't show up on a KPI sheet.

Digital Boundaries & Email Blackouts: How to manage work-life integration in a world of 24/7 WhatsApp pings and why the choice to switch off must be protected by the firm.

Is your organisation actually ready for WFH or just reacting and hoping for the best?Hundreds of thousands of civil servants started working from home last week, and the cracks showed up on day one.Hourly check-ins. Broken tracking apps. Officers driving back to the office just to protect their attendance records.So, in 2026, with a new energy-driven WFH mandate reshaping Malaysian workplaces, are we any better at this than we were in 2020?Professor Jane Tong, Professor in the Department of Management, School of Business, at Monash University Malaysia, joins Enterprise Explores to diagnose exactly where organisations go wrong and the dangerous management traps practiced today.We explore:The 2x2 Flexibility Matrix: Understanding the crucial difference between flexi-time (when you work) and flexi-place (where you work), and how to mix them for different roles.The 'Ideal Worker' Stigma: Why the psychological norm of being "first in, last out" in physical offices is the biggest hurdle to effective remote management.Input vs. Output Control: Why tracking mouse movements or hourly check-ins is crisis management and not good management, and how to pivot to objective output monitoring.The 'Great' Manager Standard: Why good managers hit targets, but great managers recognise invisible work, the small details and cultural glues that don't show up on a KPI sheet.Digital Boundaries &amp; Email Blackouts: How to manage work-life integration in a world of 24/7 WhatsApp pings and why the choice to switch off must be protected by the firm.

Return of the MICE

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