In this episode of Open For Business, we sit down with Dr Shian Lee, the aerospace engineer behind Alphaswift Industries.

This is not a shiny drones conversation. It’s about what happens when machines start carrying real responsibility. We talk about why the sky might actually be easier for autonomy than the ground, why “fake it till you make it” has no place in aerospace, and how oil palm plantations became an unlikely training ground for future passenger flight.

It’s a conversation about ambition, caution, physics, regulation, and what it really means to build technology that can’t afford to fail.

In this episode of Open For Business, we sit down with Dr Shian Lee, the aerospace engineer behind Alphaswift Industries.This is not a shiny drones conversation. It’s about what happens when machines start carrying real responsibility. We talk about why the sky might actually be easier for autonomy than the ground, why “fake it till you make it” has no place in aerospace, and how oil palm plantations became an unlikely training ground for future passenger flight.It’s a conversation about ambition, caution, physics, regulation, and what it really means to build technology that can’t afford to fail.

The flagship entrepreneurship show on BFM, featuring personal business stories from early stage start-ups, all the way to billionaire octogenarians in Malaysia and abroad. Notable guests include Martin Cooper (father of the mobile phone), Julian Assange (founder of WikiLeaks), Ralph Henry Baer (father of video games), Tony Buzan (Mindmap Guru), Isaac Tigrett (Hard Rock Cafe founder), Robert Kiyosaki (Financial Guru), Nick Vujicic (motivational speaker) and more. Tap into this valuable resource of shared experiences for the SME industry, which also touches on news, issues and trends affecting the business community and beyond.

Open For Business

Discover fresh concepts, tackle obstacles, and unleash growth - Open For Business is the dynamic show where BFM engages with entrepreneurs, business leaders, and industry trailblazers, igniting inspiration, sparking success, and exploring new business models.

From Cargo Drones To Passenger In The Sky

The F&B industry is often romanticised, but for Shareen Ramli, the reality is far grittier. Yet, for 23 years, she has stayed in the game, evolving from making curry puffs at 2 a.m. to running the 105-seater Siti Li Dining & Foodhall.



BFM Open For Business sits down with Shareen to discuss why she compares the trade to being a "stuntwoman", full of invisible bruises, and her mission to preserve the cosmopolitan heritage of Malay cuisine.



We discuss:




The "Stuntwoman" Reality: Shareen opens up about the resilience needed to survive 23 years, comparing the industry to an action movie where the audience doesn't see the "invisible bruises" of evictions and financial crises.


The "Lost" Heritage: Why Siti Li focuses on "Cosmopolitan Malay" cuisine, a nod to the 15th-century port cities influenced by Portuguese, Dutch, and Chinese flavors.


Begging for Sugar: The desperate lengths taken during the pandemic, including pleading with police to allow couriers to source artisan Gula Melaka from Malacca.


Vertical vs. Horizontal: Instead of opening more outlets, Siti Li is focusing on the supply chain and a "Malay Kitchen Pantry" line (bottled sauces, artisan Keropok, cookies).


The "Third Space" Vision: Why Shareen wants Siti Li to be more than a restaurant, a community hub where customers bring their parents to share the intimacy of a meal.


“Comel Cekodok” and Nasi Lemak: The story behind their signature Cekodok dish and Shareen’s criteria for what makes a "good" Nasi Lemak.

The F&amp;B industry is often romanticised, but for Shareen Ramli, the reality is far grittier. Yet, for 23 years, she has stayed in the game, evolving from making curry puffs at 2 a.m. to running the 105-seater Siti Li Dining &amp; Foodhall.BFM Open For Business sits down with Shareen to discuss why she compares the trade to being a "stuntwoman", full of invisible bruises, and her mission to preserve the cosmopolitan heritage of Malay cuisine.We discuss:<ul><li>The "Stuntwoman" Reality: Shareen opens up about the resilience needed to survive 23 years, comparing the industry to an action movie where the audience doesn't see the "invisible bruises" of evictions and financial crises.</li><li>The "Lost" Heritage: Why Siti Li focuses on "Cosmopolitan Malay" cuisine, a nod to the 15th-century port cities influenced by Portuguese, Dutch, and Chinese flavors.</li><li>Begging for Sugar: The desperate lengths taken during the pandemic, including pleading with police to allow couriers to source artisan Gula Melaka from Malacca.</li><li>Vertical vs. Horizontal: Instead of opening more outlets, Siti Li is focusing on the supply chain and a "Malay Kitchen Pantry" line (bottled sauces, artisan Keropok, cookies).</li><li>The "Third Space" Vision: Why Shareen wants Siti Li to be more than a restaurant, a community hub where customers bring their parents to share the intimacy of a meal.</li><li>“Comel Cekodok” and Nasi Lemak: The story behind their signature Cekodok dish and Shareen’s criteria for what makes a "good" Nasi Lemak.</li></ul>

From 2 AM Curry Puffs to Siti Li: 23 Years of F&B Survival

Founded in 2017 as a simple telemedicine app, Doctor Anywhere (DA) became a pandemic darling, raising nearly $176 million from heavyweights like IHH Healthcare and Temasek-linked Pavilion Capital. But in a surprising twist, the digital disruptor spent ~$80 million USD in late 2022 to acquire Asian Healthcare Specialists, shifting from an asset-light tech model to owning traditional brick-and-mortar clinics.



Lim Wai Mun, the "accidental founder" turned CEO, joins BFM to discuss:




The "Accidental Founder": How a private equity financier with zero medical background ended up building a regional healthcare giant across 6 countries.


The $80M Pivot: Why DA acquired a traditional specialist group (Orthopedics, Urology, etc.) to bridge the trust gap that pure tech couldn't solve.


The "Decentralised Hospital": Wai Mun explains his vision of deconstructing the hospital, moving care out of expensive central hubs into smaller, accessible modules to lower costs for everyone.


The "Connector of Care": How DA manages the conflicting agendas of the three key healthcare stakeholders: the Payer (wants to save money), the Provider (wants to earn money), and the Patient (wants to get well).


Financial Discipline: Why DA has never operated at a negative gross margin, and Wai Mun’s take on why the "growth at all costs" era is dead.


The Future: The launch of "Soda by DA" and the 5-year ambition to become Southeast Asia’s leading "Insure-Health-Tech" company.

Founded in 2017 as a simple telemedicine app, Doctor Anywhere (DA) became a pandemic darling, raising nearly $176 million from heavyweights like IHH Healthcare and Temasek-linked Pavilion Capital. But in a surprising twist, the digital disruptor spent ~$80 million USD in late 2022 to acquire Asian Healthcare Specialists, shifting from an asset-light tech model to owning traditional brick-and-mortar clinics.Lim Wai Mun, the "accidental founder" turned CEO, joins BFM to discuss:<ul><li>The "Accidental Founder": How a private equity financier with zero medical background ended up building a regional healthcare giant across 6 countries.</li><li>The $80M Pivot: Why DA acquired a traditional specialist group (Orthopedics, Urology, etc.) to bridge the trust gap that pure tech couldn't solve.</li><li>The "Decentralised Hospital": Wai Mun explains his vision of deconstructing the hospital, moving care out of expensive central hubs into smaller, accessible modules to lower costs for everyone.</li><li>The "Connector of Care": How DA manages the conflicting agendas of the three key healthcare stakeholders: the Payer (wants to save money), the Provider (wants to earn money), and the Patient (wants to get well).</li><li>Financial Discipline: Why DA has never operated at a negative gross margin, and Wai Mun’s take on why the "growth at all costs" era is dead.</li><li>The Future: The launch of "Soda by DA" and the 5-year ambition to become Southeast Asia’s leading "Insure-Health-Tech" company.</li></ul>

$176M: How an “Accidental Founder” Built Doctor Anywhere

How do you turn nostalgia into a scalable business in one of Malaysia’s most crowded food and beverage markets?



On this episode of Open For Business, we speak with Nick Ng, Founder and CEO of Hock Kee Kopitiam, about building a modern kopitiam brand rooted in heritage, community, and made-to-order tradition.



From opening a single outlet in Johor Bahru with no prior restaurant experience to growing a multi-outlet chain across Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Johor, Nick shares what it takes to stay relevant while scaling. We explore how Hock Kee maintains consistency across outlets, how its revenue mix has evolved, the impact of Halal certification and tourism-linked collaborations, and the operational pressures of running a fast-growing F&B business.

How do you turn nostalgia into a scalable business in one of Malaysia’s most crowded food and beverage markets?On this episode of Open For Business, we speak with Nick Ng, Founder and CEO of Hock Kee Kopitiam, about building a modern kopitiam brand rooted in heritage, community, and made-to-order tradition.From opening a single outlet in Johor Bahru with no prior restaurant experience to growing a multi-outlet chain across Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Johor, Nick shares what it takes to stay relevant while scaling. We explore how Hock Kee maintains consistency across outlets, how its revenue mix has evolved, the impact of Halal certification and tourism-linked collaborations, and the operational pressures of running a fast-growing F&amp;B business.

From Cargo Drones To Passenger In The Sky

In 1 playlist(s)

Open For Business

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips