The US-China trade war has affected the global economy with growth slowing. The question is how should Asean a bloc of 10 countries respond to this new cold war. Should it stay neutral or take sides. And can it even find opportunities in these challenges times? To answer these questions, Donald Hanna, Chief Economist, at CIMB Group and Jayant Menon, Lead Economist, at Asian Development Bank gives us their views.

The US-China trade war has affected the global economy with growth slowing. The question is how should Asean a bloc of 10 countries respond to this new cold war. Should it stay neutral or take sides. And can it even find opportunities in these challenges times? To answer these questions, Donald Hanna, Chief Economist, at CIMB Group and Jayant Menon, Lead Economist, at Asian Development Bank gives us their views.

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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.

Staying Neutral in the New Cold War

Malaysia's development financial institutions are carrying RM193.9 billion in financing across 1.8 million accounts — and until now, nobody has formally measured whether that money actually did anything. Bank Negara's new framework changes that, testing DFIs on whether their financing would have happened anyway without them. We put the hard numbers to the man who chairs them: impaired loans running double digits at some members, the payroll-deduction personal loan books, and the RM203.8 million fraud at Agrobank that still hasn't been explained to the public. We speak to YBhg Dato' Muzaffar Hisham, Chairman of ADFIM and Group CEO of Bank Pembangunan Malaysia.

Malaysia's development financial institutions are carrying RM193.9 billion in financing across 1.8 million accounts — and until now, nobody has formally measured whether that money actually did anything. Bank Negara's new framework changes that, testing DFIs on whether their financing would have happened anyway without them. We put the hard numbers to the man who chairs them: impaired loans running double digits at some members, the payroll-deduction personal loan books, and the RM203.8 million fraud at Agrobank that still hasn't been explained to the public. We speak to YBhg Dato' Muzaffar Hisham, Chairman of ADFIM and Group CEO of Bank Pembangunan Malaysia.

Is ADFIM Doing Development, Or Just Lending?

As Malaysia rapidly approaches aged-nation status, managing long-term care, rising healthcare costs, and a shrinking workforce are becoming critical economic and social priorities. Hiroyuki Murata, Professor at Tohoku University's Smart Aging Research Center, joins BFM's Breakfast Grille to discuss how societies can shift from treating demographic aging as a fiscal crisis to leveraging it as a growth driver.

He explores key insights on navigating the silver economy, including:

How government framework policy catalysed a competitive, private-sector long-term care industry in Japan

What businesses consistently misunderstand about modern active seniors and their evolving lifestyle demands

Why defining "elderly" requires a fundamental mindset shift away from traditional retirement toward continuous societal engagement

What immediate policy and health priorities Malaysia must establish to prepare for rapid demographic aging

Prof. Hiroyuki will be speaking at the upcoming International Social Wellbeing Conference (ISWC), organized by the Employees Provident Fund (EPF). Happening on 29–30 September, ISWC 2026 brings together global thought leaders to explore the future of societal wellbeing, sustainability, and inclusive growth.

Image Credit: Pexels

As Malaysia rapidly approaches aged-nation status, managing long-term care, rising healthcare costs, and a shrinking workforce are becoming critical economic and social priorities. Hiroyuki Murata, Professor at Tohoku University's Smart Aging Research Center, joins BFM's Breakfast Grille to discuss how societies can shift from treating demographic aging as a fiscal crisis to leveraging it as a growth driver.He explores key insights on navigating the silver economy, including:How government framework policy catalysed a competitive, private-sector long-term care industry in JapanWhat businesses consistently misunderstand about modern active seniors and their evolving lifestyle demandsWhy defining "elderly" requires a fundamental mindset shift away from traditional retirement toward continuous societal engagementWhat immediate policy and health priorities Malaysia must establish to prepare for rapid demographic agingProf. Hiroyuki will be speaking at the upcoming International Social Wellbeing Conference (ISWC), organized by the Employees Provident Fund (EPF). Happening on 29–30 September, ISWC 2026 brings together global thought leaders to explore the future of societal wellbeing, sustainability, and inclusive growth. Image Credit: Pexels

Aging Nation: Turning Demographic Shifts into Opportunity

Skechers has grown from a US comfort footwear brand into a global business, with Southeast Asia playing an increasingly important role in its growth story. Zann Lee, Managing Director of Skechers Southeast Asia, talks about the company's expansion, competition and how to deal with boycott calls it faced in Malaysia over its perceived links to Israel.

Skechers has grown from a US comfort footwear brand into a global business, with Southeast Asia playing an increasingly important role in its growth story. Zann Lee, Managing Director of Skechers Southeast Asia, talks about the company's expansion, competition and how to deal with boycott calls it faced in Malaysia over its perceived links to Israel.

Staying Neutral in the New Cold War

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