Bank Pembangunan Malaysia is the country’s oldest development financial institution with a twin mandate of national development and profitability, but is coming off a chequered past of funding projects owned by 'connected' parties.



Now, Arshad Ismail, President / Group CEO since April 2019, wants to up risk and governance standards while evolving into a policy driven bank.



He discusses delivering on these plans whilst dealing with the fallout from Covid-19.

Bank Pembangunan Malaysia is the country&rsquo;s oldest development financial institution with a twin mandate of national development and profitability, but is coming off a chequered past of funding projects owned by 'connected' parties.

Now, Arshad Ismail, President / Group CEO since April 2019, wants to up risk and governance standards while evolving into a policy driven bank.

He discusses delivering on these plans whilst dealing with the fallout from Covid-19.

Sharper and stronger than a double espresso. The Morning Run stretches your mind and braces you for the business day. It's your fast track into work where you can hit the ground running. From 6am to 10am weekdays, the Morning Run brings you the biggest stories and must-listen-to interviews. Stay enlightened, make educated business and investment decisions.

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.

National Development and Profits: Bank Pembangunan's Big Goals

The colonial heritage of modern Malaysia is a complex one, in large part because the three major territories that now make up the country had distinct histories and came under the sway of different powers over the millennia. Over the last century of the half though the landscape is marked by the North Borneo Chartered Company in Sabah, the White Rajahs of Sarawak as well as Malaya’s mix of Straits Settlements, Federated and Unfederated States. While the experience of colonialism wasn’t singular, we can nevertheless think about it and draw lessons from it that’s productive for a discussion of our future.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

The colonial heritage of modern Malaysia is a complex one, in large part because the three major territories that now make up the country had distinct histories and came under the sway of different powers over the millennia. Over the last century of the half though the landscape is marked by the North Borneo Chartered Company in Sabah, the White Rajahs of Sarawak as well as Malaya’s mix of Straits Settlements, Federated and Unfederated States. While the experience of colonialism wasn’t singular, we can nevertheless think about it and draw lessons from it that’s productive for a discussion of our future. Image Credit: Shutterstock

Remembering Our Colonial Past

Malaysia's durian industry has gone from struggling to meet demand to dealing with a glut but at the very heart of it, it is very much a part of Malaysia. Datuk Anna Teo, founder and Group CEO of Hernan Corporation, a durian grower, processor and exporter, discusses falling prices, rising costs, and whether Malaysia can build a truly world-class durian industry.

Malaysia's durian industry has gone from struggling to meet demand to dealing with a glut but at the very heart of it, it is very much a part of Malaysia. Datuk Anna Teo, founder and Group CEO of Hernan Corporation, a durian grower, processor and exporter, discusses falling prices, rising costs, and whether Malaysia can build a truly world-class durian industry.

Hernan : Uniting Malaysians (and the World) With Durian

Pos Malaysia hasn't turned a profit since 2018 — 32 straight quarters in the red and close to a billion ringgit in accumulated losses. But the first half of 2026 hinted at a shift: losses narrowed to RM63 million, revenue grew 8%, and cash flow turned positive for the first time in years. Group CEO Charles Brewer joins us to explain the pivot from mail to parcels, the push into pawnbroking and digital gold, and whether the national postal operator is genuinely turning the corner — or just had a good six months.

Pos Malaysia hasn't turned a profit since 2018 — 32 straight quarters in the red and close to a billion ringgit in accumulated losses. But the first half of 2026 hinted at a shift: losses narrowed to RM63 million, revenue grew 8%, and cash flow turned positive for the first time in years. Group CEO Charles Brewer joins us to explain the pivot from mail to parcels, the push into pawnbroking and digital gold, and whether the national postal operator is genuinely turning the corner — or just had a good six months.

National Development and Profits: Bank Pembangunan's Big Goals

In 1 playlist(s)

The Breakfast Grille

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips