BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Bigger Picture  >  Today I Learned  >  How Mamak Restaurants Represent & Promote Social Cohesion

How Mamak Restaurants Represent & Promote Social Cohesion

Professor Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, Director, Institute of Ethnic Studies (KITA)

12-Apr-22 15:00

How Mamak Restaurants Represent & Promote Social Cohesion

Mamak restaurants. They’re everywhere in Malaysia. In fact, they’re a part of our culture. They sell a wide variety of Malaysian food, cater to all races and even televise football matches which brings about massive crowds, especially during the weekend. But how did this unique restaurant concept come to be and how has it contributed to social cohesion in the country?

Image credit: Ahmad Fairuzazli/Shutterstock

Produced by: Dashran Yohan

Presented by: Dashran Yohan


This and more than 60,000 other podcasts in your hand. Download the all new BFM mobile app.

Categories:  food

Tags:  the bigger picturetoday i learnedmamakmamak stallsmamak restaurantsunitydiversitysocial cohesionmalaysiaculturefood





Play / Pause

Listen now : BFM 89.9 -- The Business Station

Today’s Shows



6:00 AM

The 6AM Stretch

Thought-provoking discussions on ideas, people and events shaping our lives.

7:00 AM

World Market Watch

Joe Quinlan, Chief Market Strategist, US Trust-BOA Private Wealth Management tells us where international markets are heading.

7:15 AM

Morning Brief

We recap global and local headlines from today's papers and portals.

7:30 AM

Morning Brief

Ivailo Dikov, Head of Japan Equities, Eastspring Singapore gives us an outlook for Japanese equities.

7:45 AM

Morning Brief

Dr. Afif Bahardin, Secretary of PN Selangor, weighs in on whether a directly elected Kuala Lumpur mayor would improve governance or complicate city administration.

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

Amirul Rizal Abdul Rahim, Director-General of Tourism Malaysia discusses how Visit Malaysia Year 2026 can turn the tourism rebound into lasting growth beyond 2026.

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

Dr Ismet Yusoff, CEO of the Minority Shareholders Watch Group (MSWG), discusses the implications of the IJM Corporation probe.

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

Dr. Benjamin Barton, Head of School and Associate Professor at the School of Politics, History and International Relations, University of Nottingham, Malaysia, joins us to assess UK politics and the challenges confronting Keir Starmer.

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Joe Quinlan, Chief Market Strategist, US Trust-BOA Private Wealth Management tells us where international markets are heading.

9:15 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Ivailo Dikov, Head of Japan Equities, Eastspring Singapore gives us an outlook for Japanese equities.

9:35 AM

People, Planet, Profit

We cover the latest news and views in the ESG space to help businesses thrive with impact.

10:05 AM

Open For Business

Malaysia has top hospitals, competitive pricing, and a strong reputation in medical tourism yet much of the demand is still controlled by foreign intermediaries. Wan Mahsuri Wan Ahmad Kamal, Founder and CEO of Medisuri, an AI-powered medical tourism platform is aiming to reposition Malaysia as a trusted global healthcare hub. We unpack the gap Medisuri is trying to solve, how the business fits into the medical tourism value chain, its monetisation strategy, early fundraising journey, and what scaling this platform could look like in the years ahead.

11:00 AM

Marketing Mojo

lvin Koay, Founder and CEO, Growth.pro, shares how search is changing fast. With AI tools increasingly answering questions directly, brands can no longer rely on rankings, clicks, and traffic alone to stay visible. In this episode of Marketing Mojo, we speak with Alvin Koay, Founder and CEO of Growth.pro, about how AI is reshaping digital discovery, why traditional SEO metrics are losing relevance, and what Malaysian marketing teams must do now to remain credible, discoverable, and competitive in an AI-mediated world.

12:00 PM

Enterprise Explores

Nirbhay Handa, Multipolitan

1:00 PM

The Breakfast Grille Repeat

Amirul Rizal Abdul Rahim, Director-General of Tourism Malaysia discusses how Visit Malaysia Year 2026 can turn the tourism rebound into lasting growth beyond 2026.

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

An eclectic selection of BBC shows, curated with variety in mind.

3:05 PM

Beyond the Ballot Box

4:05 PM

Health & Living

5:00 PM

Top 5 at 5

A countdown of the 5 biggest stories of the day, to catch you up on all you need to know!

6:00 PM

Talkback Tuesday