As Malaysia digests the announcements from Budget 2026, how are entrepreneurs and startup founders viewing the road ahead? Beyond the headline numbers, what are the real-world implications for costs, growth, and strategy in the coming year?

Seasoned entrepreneur and investor Yeoh Chen Chow, of 1% Advisory & Coaching, joins us to provide a founder's perspective on the budget. He discusses the on-the-ground impact of rising costs, the critical need for continuous learning in a fast-changing world, and how businesses can strategically leverage key trends like AI to boost productivity.

We discuss:

• Chen Chow’s first impressions of Budget 2026 and what it signals.

• The business realities of rising costs, including the 8% SST on rentals.

• The growing importance of AI and the need to educate educators.

• Why continuous learning is a non-negotiable for modern entrepreneurs.

• The entrepreneurial mindset needed for 2026: resourceful, resilient, and responsible.

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