2025 has seen major shifts in Malaysia’s political landscape, from government reforms and cabinet reshuffles to key events like Budget 2026 and the Sabah state election. On today’s Breakfast Grille, we reflect on our conversations about these developments and their implications for the country.



Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

2025 has seen major shifts in Malaysia’s political landscape, from government reforms and cabinet reshuffles to key events like Budget 2026 and the Sabah state election. On today’s Breakfast Grille, we reflect on our conversations about these developments and their implications for the country.Image Credit: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://Shutterstock.com">Shutterstock.com</a>

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The Breakfast Grille

Featuring the cream-of-the-crop as well as the controversial, the Breakfast Grille is the flagship show of BFM. Expect no-holds-barred interviews to get to the truth and into the minds of business leaders, policymakers and changemakers.

Best of the Breakfast Grille 2025: Politics

Malaysia's hospitality sector is enjoying strong tourism growth, but hotel operators are also navigating rising labour costs, wage pressures, and intensifying competition. Marriott International continues to expand aggressively across both established and emerging destinations, raising questions about brand positioning, operational efficiency, and the long-term potential of secondary cities. As the industry evolves, how is Marriott balancing growth with profitability in one of Southeast Asia's fastest-changing hotel markets?

Malaysia's hospitality sector is enjoying strong tourism growth, but hotel operators are also navigating rising labour costs, wage pressures, and intensifying competition. Marriott International continues to expand aggressively across both established and emerging destinations, raising questions about brand positioning, operational efficiency, and the long-term potential of secondary cities. As the industry evolves, how is Marriott balancing growth with profitability in one of Southeast Asia's fastest-changing hotel markets?

Can Marriott Stay Ahead in Malaysia?

With the Johor state assembly around the corner there is increased jostling between political parties, even those which are formally in alliances. And there has been quite a bit of chatter about wanting youth voices and with many parties claiming that their candidates reflect a mix of veterans and new faces, experience and youthful idealism. But what’s really at stake in the political contest and can our political leaders speak from a different script? We talk about the history of youth wings, cooperation during the Madani period, UMNO Supreme Council Puad Zarkashi's shock resignation and if Bersama is eating any party’s proverbial lunch.

With the Johor state assembly around the corner there is increased jostling between political parties, even those which are formally in alliances. And there has been quite a bit of chatter about wanting youth voices and with many parties claiming that their candidates reflect a mix of veterans and new faces, experience and youthful idealism. But what’s really at stake in the political contest and can our political leaders speak from a different script? We talk about the history of youth wings, cooperation during the Madani period, UMNO Supreme Council Puad Zarkashi's shock resignation and if Bersama is eating any party’s proverbial lunch.

Generational Politics: PKR vs UMNO

The US-China geopolitical rivalry and President Donald Trump's mercurial policies have upended the established multilateral order, to the detriment of countries like Malaysia that base development strategies on the rules-based system. Can multilateralism survive these geopolitical shifts and what role do smaller countries play in reshaping multilateralism for the future? We discuss these themes with Danny Quah, the Li Ka Shing Professor in Economics at the National University of Singapore.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

The US-China geopolitical rivalry and President Donald Trump's mercurial policies have upended the established multilateral order, to the detriment of countries like Malaysia that base development strategies on the rules-based system.&nbsp;Can multilateralism survive these geopolitical shifts and what role do smaller countries play in&nbsp;reshaping multilateralism&nbsp;for the future? We discuss these themes with Danny Quah, the Li Ka Shing Professor in Economics at the National University of Singapore. Image Credit: Shutterstock

Best of the Breakfast Grille 2025: Politics

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