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The Premier Postgraduate Bi-monthly magazine in malaysia (sept-Oct 2012)
Citation preview
mbaedgeTM i
mbaedgeTM
POSTGRADUATE Stud
iestransformING Melaka
into the regional hub for
educational excellence
Datuk Seri Ali Rustam CHIEF MINISTER OF MELAKA
STUDYING MEDICAL SCIENCES IN MALAYSIA with Dr Alan Ong Han KiatTAPPING INTO A GOLD MIND with Ermin Siow, Executive Director of Poh Kong Holdings BhdPositive Politics as the Best Practice in the Workplace with LENNY CHIAH
PP 17103/09/2012 (030736) 2012 Issue 11 September/October 2012 RM7.00
ii mbaedgeTM
The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
mbaedgeTM 1
mbaedgeTM
Stud
iesPOSTGRADUATE
TAPPING INTO
A GOLD MIND
with ERMIN SIOw ExEcutivE DirEctor of Poh Kong holDings BhD
2 mbaedgeTM
The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
Competition Ad - Final 01.pdf 7/8/2012 11:51:36 PM
mbaedgeTM 3
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POSTGRADUATE
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
Competition Ad - Final 01.pdf 7/8/2012 11:51:36 PM
Stud
iesPositive Politicsas the Best Practice in the workplaceLENNY CHIAH with Rodney Toh
4 mbaedgeTM
The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
CORPORATE
Managing Director: Steven Shim
Office Manager: Vicky Shim
Key Accounts Manager: Wong YW
Finance Manager: Bonnie Bang
EDITORIAL TEAM
Senior Editor: Janet Tay
Writers: Nurraihana, Mohd Amil
Contributors: Alexandra Wong, Dr Alan
Ong Han Kiat, Lenny Chiah, Jeremy
Francis, Julian Goh, Professor Howard
Dooley
Photographer: Tang Weng Kit, Brandon
Leow
Graphic Designer: Tony Lam
PUBLISHER
Penerbit Wawasan Nusa (M) Sdn Bhd
(866716-P), Wisma Wawasan,
19-2 Jalan PJS 8/12, Dataran Mentari,
Bandar Sunway, 46150 Petaling Jaya,
Malaysia
Tel: 603-56301802, Fax: 603-6301803,
Email: [email protected],
Website: www.pwn.com.my
PRINTER
Intan Spektra Sdn Bhd
12 Jalan Vivekananda, 50470 Kuala
Lumpur
All rights reserved by MBA EdgeTM and its publisher. While every care has been taken, the publisher, writers, and editors will not be held liable for errors, inaccuracies or commissions. Unsolicited material is submitted at sender’s risk. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of copyright owner. The scanning, uploading and distribution of this magazine via the internet or any other means without the permission of publisher is illegal by law. Unless otherwise stated, credits for public domain images are from www.inmagine.com without prejudices (royalty free).
EDITOR’S NOTE
In this issue, our cover story
features an exclusive interview
with the Chief Minister of
Melaka, Datuk Seri Ali Rustam,
where he shares his vision
and plans to transform
Melaka into the regional hub
for educational excellence.
Readers will discover the CM’s
exciting plans for transforming
Melaka into a first-class
learning community and taking
education tourism to the next
level.
We speak to Associate
Professor Dr Alan Ong from
the University of Tunku Abdul
Rahman (UTAR) about the
study of biomedical sciences
as well as job opportunities
and the latest developments in
the field.
Ermin Siow, Executive Director
of Poh Kong Berhad, the
country’s largest jeweller, talks
to Alexandra Wong about the
future of the gold industry in
Malaysia and the viability of
investment in this increasingly
valuable commodity.
Rodney Toh is in dialogue
with Lenny Chiah on politics in
the work place; you would be
surprised to know that not all
office politics are bad – there
are positive politics too! Ms
Chiah dispenses advice on
how best to manage politics in
the office so that they create
a positive environment rather
than the opposite.
We have also featured an
article by Professor Howard
Dooley of Western Michigan
University entitled “KL to
KZOO: Twenty-Five Years
of “Twinning Programmes”
between Malaysia and
Michigan” which details the
enduring journey of twinning
programmes from the 1980s
to present time, changing the
landscape of private education
forever and providing even
more opportunities for
students who would otherwise
be limited by the limited
capacity in public universities.
If you have any suggestions
on what you would like to see
in this magazine in relation to
postgraduate studies or have
any comments about our
current issues, please email us
at: penerbitwawasan@gmail.
com.
Happy reading!
Janet Tay
mbaedgeTM 5
CONTENTSmba edgeTM & postgraduate studiesseptember-october 2012
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TrANSfOrmINg mELAKA into the regional hub for educational excellence, Datuk Seri Ali rustam, CHIEf mINISTEr Of mELAKA
STUDYINg mEDICAL SCIENCES IN mALAYSIA with Dr Alan Ong Han Kiat
Dr TAI CHEN CHIH, With A great Attitude Comes great Happiness
INCrEASINg PrODUCTIvITY in Hard Times, Hard Time Lesson in Europe, Be ready before the Storm comes again in ASIA., by Jeremy francis & Julian goh
KL TO KZOO: TWENTY-fIvE YEArS Of TWINNINg PrOgrAmmES BETWEEN mALAYSIA AND mICHIgAN, by Howard Dooley, Professor of History, Western michigan University
SUNWAY UNIvErSITY ANNOUNCES APPOINTmENT Of NEW vICE-CHANCELLOr
NEW mETHOD to Counter fake Degrees, A system that enables job portal to obtain validated degree qualifications
SUN TZU’S ArT Of WAr & Supply Chain Innovation, UTAr and mISI sign pact to advance supply chain
innovation
POH KONg PrESENTS THE WOrLD Of LUXUrY, The Launch of mOrAgLIONE 1922 Jewellery
THE SmArTEST PEOPLE IN THE WOrLD
THE mBA EDgETm Business Competition Season 3
TAPPINg INTO A gOLD mIND, mEB Postgraduate Studies speaks to Ermin Siow, Executive Director of Poh Kong Holdings Bhd
POSITIvE POLITICS as the Best Practice in the Workplace, rODNEY TOH interviewed LENNY CHIAH
COVER STORY
PROFILE
BUSINESS SEGMENT
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The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
Mr Likeable, People’s Person,
Hardest Working Chief
Minister: Melaka’s Chief
Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali
Rustam has been called a lot
of things.
Now you can add “Idealist” to
the list, after Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
described Melaka as Malaysia’s
most progressive state and
credited it to the leadership
of the CM: “his idealistic
thinking is embodiment of
the nationalistic agenda of
progress for the people”.
That idealism was never
more apparent than when
he daringly expressed his
dream to turn his home state
Melaka into a developed state
by 2010. If a tiny Western
European country with
limited natural resources like
Luxembourg could rise to
become one of the world’s
most prosperous economies,
so could Melaka, he argued.
On 10 October, 2010, that
ambitious goal was realised
when Melaka was declared
a developed state. This was
no pyrrhic, syiok-sendiri
self-praise: Melaka actually
exceeded the OECD score
of the other 38 member
countries in 29 out of 32
criteria. Melaka came out tops
for seven of the indicators:
100% clean water, 100%
electricity supply, lowest
poverty rate (0.5%), lowest
unemployment rate (0.7%),
lowest crime rate (74 cases
per 100,000 population),
the highest percentage
of contribution from the
manufacturing to the
economy and the most ideal
population growth.
Such achievements mean
nothing if the rakyat’s lot
is not improved in any
meaningful way. Again, the
numbers speak volumes:
Its sound fundamentals
have enabled the state’s
economy to grow 5.26%
annually; its 2010 GDP was
84.3% higher than 2000; and
Melakan household incomes
increased by a whopping
286% from 1999-2009. For a
job well done (and we’ve not
even started talking about
the whole World Heritage
City coup), the Federal
Government awarded the
MBA Edge Postgraduate Studies Bi-monthly interviews Datuk Seri Ali Rustam, Chief Minister of Melaka by Alexandra Wong
transformING Melaka
into the regional hub for
educational excellence.
Datuk Seri Ali Rustam CHIEF MINISTER OF MELAKA
“”
Making Melaka a first-class learning community will be a top priority for my administration in the next few years.
COVER STORY
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Chief Minister’s Department
with a five-star rating.
This 43-year UMNO veteran,
and wakil rakyat for 25 of
those years, has few things
left to prove. But the people
of Melaka are fortunate that
the sprightly 62-year-old –
who keeps a hectic work
schedule from 7am to 3am
and can outpace people half
his age on the jogging track
– is still raring to go and has
more items to cross off his
mile-long bucket list.
In this exclusive with MBA Edge Postgraduate Studies,
he shares his vision and plans
to transform Melaka into the
regional hub for educational
excellence.
Q. At the top of your agenda is your goal is to turn Melaka into a regional hub of educational excellence. Why?Making Melaka a first-class
learning community will
be a top priority for my
administration in the next
few years. Education is one
of the most critical drivers
for our transformation from
a middle- to high-income
nation, due to its impact
on productivity and human
capital development. With
Vision 2020 in our sight, we
need a sound education
as a means of generating
sufficient human capital with
the right skills to support
a broad range of industry
needs.
It is also an engine of growth
in its own right. The sector
contributes approximately
RM27 billion or 4 per cent of
GNI in 2009. Malaysia is the
world’s 11th biggest exporter
of education. Education
tourism is going to be a very
lucrative niche to earn foreign
it is also an engine of growth in its own right. the sector contributes approximately rM27 billion or 4 per cent of gni in 2009.
exchange earnings.
Q. Can you give us an overview of the development of the education sector in Melaka? It was kick-started when
Tun Mahathir articulated his
vision of having community
colleges in each state. Melaka
rose to the challenge. We
began with UTEM, then KL
University at Alor Gajah, UITM,
University Islam, MMU, Open
University, and so forth. Over
time, when these colleges
proved their commitment
to excellence, we pushed
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The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
and communities while
meeting the labour demand
in a variety of public and
private sectors.
MMU, the first private
university in Malaysia, has
emerged as an international
benchmark for ICT in higher
education and its graduates
are the most desired by key
players in the industry. MMU
also serves as a catalyst for the
development of the high tech
ICT industry of the nation,
parallel to the Silicon Valley-
Stanford model in the United
States. MMU (including the
branch in Cyberjaya) now
hosts 13 Research Centres to
date, focusing in the niche
areas of nanotechnology,
microsystems, biometrics,
virtual reality, microwave
and telecommunications,
engineering, photonics,
advanced robotics and
business.
As our educational sector
grows from strength to
strength with the most
MMu, the first private university in Malaysia, has emerged as an international benchmark for ict in higher education and its graduates are the most desired by key players in the industry.
for them to be upgraded
to college-universities,
and eventually achieve full
university status.
Some have established
themselves as major players in
the field of their specialization
and achieved notable firsts.
KUIM is the first private
university college of Islam in
Malaysia to develop a focused
study psychology at degree
level as an intervention
to reduce psychological
problems among individuals
popular courses being
Business Studies, Economic,
Finance and Banking,
Hospitality, ICT, Engineering
and Medicine. From just two
universities, we now have 10
university campuses and 42
institutions of higher learning,
and you can expect more
colleges and universities to
open up in Melaka.
Q. How is Melaka able to achieve this critical mass
mbaedgeTM 9
human capital development
among bumiputera, I
wrote to him and asked
him to open a branch in
Melaka. Today, the UiTM
City Campus is the biggest
in Malaysia with almost
3,500 students. I believe
that private institutions will
be instrumental in leading
innovation and driving
growth in the industry, so
we have spent much effort
wooing educationists to
Melaka. We want Melaka
to play a pivotal role in
moving the country forward
towards the realisation of the
objectives of the Government
Transformation Programme
(GTP) and Vision 2020.
from just two universities, we now have 10 university campuses and 42 institutions of higher learning, and you can expect more colleges and universities to open up in Melaka.
Q. What is Melaka’s competitive edge as an education centre? Why would a foreign student choose to further his postgraduate studies in Melaka over KL, for instance?You might say I am biased
because I am Malaccan. But
the moment you step into
Melaka, you can’t help but
feel that the milieu here is
different. There was an article
who said that “out of the
13 States and three Federal
Territories that make up
Malaysia, perhaps the one
that best encapsulates the
essence of Malaysia is Melaka.”
I have to agree. We have all
the necessary elements such
as infrastructure, amenities,
social and industrial network,
backed by progressive local
government policies.
Many would agree that
Melaka’s biggest drawcard
is the range of leisure
activities within a rich
heritage and cultural legacy
which together makes for
a very conducive learning
environment that promotes
a balanced work life. We have
a wide range of shopping
outlets, eateries, parks,
museum, etc. You learn hard,
and also play hard!
in such a short span of time? We were always performance
driven and moved swiftly
to secure opportunities as
they arose. For example,
when UiTM ran into trouble
securing land for their
campus in Selangor, Melaka
jumped in and gave them
an alternative. In 2000,
when distance learning
was still a new concept
in this country, we saw its
potential and established
the Open University. When
Datuk Seri Najib declared
in UMNO Assembly that he
wanted 200K Bumiputera
students in UiTM to galvanise
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The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
We are very much aware
that when you study in
Melaka, there is a chance to
gain cultural competency
with an understanding of
other communities and their
traditions. Stay long enough
in Melaka and you’re able to
blend in anywhere with ease.
No other place in Malaysia
can give you this kind of
cultural exposure, putting
you ahead of others in the
job market. To help foreign
students fully optimise their
experience here, we have
a department under the
CM’s office which organises
orientation programmes to
help foreign students adapt
to local life and culture.
Q. A traditional academic problem has been a mismatch between what is required and what is produced. What is Melaka’s answer to this challenge?We realise that over the last
decade, the career market
has changed dramatically
because of globalisation. The
ability to innovate is critical to
sustain economic stability and
generate wealth. That’s why in
recent years, we have focused
not only on theoretical study,
but equipping the young
with the ability to build their
competitiveness, to enable
them to stand proud on
the world stage. The right
education will give them
that. As leaders of the nation,
we have the responsibility
to provide the environment
where learning is meaningful,
useful and relevant.
Melaka has a well-developed
high-tech industry but
we know that we cannot
remain complacent in the
manufacturing niche forever.
With increased globalisation,
the demand for increasingly
sophisticated skills increases
and we’ll have to scale up and
upgrade ourselves or get left
behind.
To create the right kind of
human capital, we spent a
great deal of time and effort
in building a progressive
educational eco-system.
We’ve initiated dialogues
with both the academia and
industry stakeholders, with
a view to creating symbiotic
partnerships and offering
internship and training
“”
the moment you step into Melaka, you can’t help but feel that the milieu here is different.
mbaedgeTM 11
opportunities that can
enable graduates to assimilate
into an emerging green
economy, the technology
sector, and a service-based
economy.
Q. How forthcoming are the industries so far?I’m very happy to report
that the private sector’s
responses have been very
encouraging and reassuring.
Our corporate partners are
excited by our vision and
are interested in being part
of Melaka’s progress and
transformation to the next
level. Infineon, Sunpower,
Honda, CTRM, Panasonic and
numerous other MNC have
invested much and continue
to actively contribute in our
development by getting
involving in the development
of industry specific curriculum
and infrastructure planning.
Once this new crop of
graduates emerge, I believe
they will prove that the
Malaysian education system
is innovative, global and
industry-focused.
As the industry and
relationship matures,
our focus is shifting from
manufacturing to R & D.
This will open up the
opportunities for our
people to upgrade our
skills, knowledge and
competencies to at global
level. We are already moving
aggressively into the R & D
area, beyond our traditional
strengths, assembling and
manufacturing. For example,
Infineon invested RM500
million this year to build an
R & D centre, generating
employment opportunities
for a few hundred engineers.
This represents a major step
for Melaka as it will catalyse
sector transformation and
accelerate Melaka’s progress
up the value chain. It’s great
for Melaka, and Malaysia as a
whole.
Q. Finally, after all that you’ve accomplished, we’re wondering: what would be your ultimate dream for Melaka?I am proud of what my
people have achieved but
I still have a few dreams. I
want to see Melaka become
a green city. We have begun
working on Hang Tuah Jaya
Green City, a new township
which will be a benchmark
for the future development of
similar cities in Melaka.
Another challenge is to
lower the income disparity
levels between the urban
and rural areas in the state.
We have spared no effort
MULTIMEDIA UNIVERSITY MELAKA
UNIVERSITI TEKNIKAL MALAYSIA MELAKA
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The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
in eradicating poverty: for
welfare aid, with an allocation
of RM71 million a year, we
have given aid to almost
27,000 people. We have spent
RM65 million on housing
projects for the poor, building
6,600 houses since 2000.Now
the ratio is RM1 in kampung
to RM1.37 in the city.
Compared to the national
ratio of 1:1.99, it’s very good
already, but we must keep
working at reducing it. The
number must come down
to 1:1.
My ultimate dream is to
see Melaka become a true
city-state. This means that
whatever infrastructure
and resources you have
in the city, you can also
get in the kampung. You
enjoy the same facilities –
be it water, education or
telecommunications - as if
you were living in the city.
That’s why in Melaka, the
institutions of higher learning
are spread out. You can find
universities in the city as well
as in rural areas like Linggi,
Semujuk, Durian Tunggal,
Selandar, etc.
As leaders, it is our
responsibility to help the
people and bring change that
they desire. The opportunities
before us have to be
maximised for the benefit of
the people. Every plan needs
to be designed with an over-
arching mission: do what is
best to improve the future
and vitality of this state. ME
THE HISTORIC A FARMOSA OF MELAKA
i am proud of what my people have achieved but i still have a few dreams. i want to see Melaka become a green city.
“”
mbaedgeTM 13
“As leaders, it is our responsibility to help
the people and bring change that they
desire. The opportunities before us have
to be maximised for the benefit of the
people. Every plan needs to be designed
with an over-arching mission: do what is
best to improve the future and vitality of
this state.”
14 mbaedgeTM
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Master of Business Administration KPT/JPS(KR11580)07/15(A6338)
Master of Business Administration (Corporate Governance) KPT/JPS(KR11589)07/15(A6339)
Master of Business Administration (Building Management) (N/345/7/0113)10/16
Jalan Universiti, Bandar Barat, 31900 Kampar, Perak Darul Ridzuan.T: 05-468 8888 ext. 2260 F: 05-466 8906
Perak Campus
No. 9, Jalan Bersatu 13/4, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan.T: 03-7958 2628 ext. 8227 03-7625 0328 (direct line) F: 03-7955 8170
Petaling Jaya CampusFor enquiry, contact Division of Programme Promotion
[email protected]/ipsr
Wholly owned by UTAR Education Foundation (Co. No. 578227-M) INTAKES: JAN, MAY & OCT
Master of Business Adminstration
Your Key to Success
Carrer Advancement PathwayHolistic & Effective TrainingExperienced & Qualified Facilitators
Emphasis on Problem Solving SkillsReal-life Consulting ExperiencesSuperb Networking Place
Cheers for the right choice
mbaedgeTM 15
The university also offers programmes at Master’s and Doctor of Philosophy level in the following areas of specialisation:• Accounting • Applied Accounting • Banking • Bio-Diversity • Business and Management • Cancer Research • Chinese Studies • Communication & Networks • Computing and Intelligent Systems • Corporate Governance • Creativity in Technology, Games and Design • Finance • Economic Studies • Environment and Green Technology • International Studies • Learning and Teaching • Management • Mathematical Sciences • Media and Creative Communication • Modern Language and Literature • Project Management • Science • Social Change and Trend • Social Science • Stem Cell • Sustainable Development and Corporate Social Responsibility in Business • Photonics and Advanced Materials • Vehicular Technology • VLSI Design
UTAR’s Master of Medical Sciences and Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Sciences) are multidisciplinary postgraduate programmes, providing opportunities for aspiring candidates to engage in an extensive research that will improve or save life. As the demands for skilled medical science professionals continue to increase, UTAR invites candidates with relevant qualifications and practical experience to upgrade your knowledge in the area of Medical Sciences, on a full- or part-time basis.
Master of Medical Sciences (N/720/7/0015)11/16
Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Sciences) (N/720/8/0016)02/17
Addressing the Challenges andAdvancement of Medical Sciences
Researchers at Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UTAR are engaged in niche research areas of Cancer, Stem cells and Chemoprevention
More info: http://research.utar.edu.my/CCR/
Jalan Universiti, Bandar Barat, 31900 Kampar, Perak Darul Ridzuan.T: 05-468 8888 ext. 2260 F: 05-466 8906
Perak Campus
No. 9, Jalan Bersatu 13/4, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan.T: 03-7958 2628 ext. 8227 03-7625 0328 (direct line) F: 03-7955 8170
Petaling Jaya CampusFor enquiry, contact Division of Programme Promotion
[email protected]/ipsr
Wholly owned by UTAR Education Foundation (Co. No. 578227-M) INTAKES: JAN, MAY & OCT
16 mbaedgeTM
The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
with Dr Alan Ong Han Kiat
a number of scientific publications mainly in a the area of molecular biology related studies and has been awarded the Prime Minister’s Initiative II Grant (British Council) in 2008. He is actively involved in research and was the recipient of the Malaysian Toray Science Foundation
research grant in 2010 and an EScience Grant in 2011. His current research interest is in molecular microbiology of oral cancer and cancer stem cells. MBA Edge Postgraduate Studies Bi-monthly speaks to Dr Ong on the study of medical sciences.
STUDYING MEDICAL SCIENCES IN MALAYSIA
Associate Professor Dr Alan Ong Han Kiat is currently attached to the Department of Pre-Clinical Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Tunku Abdul Rahman. He has a BSc degree in Biotechnology and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology. He has authored
Associate Professor Dr Alan Ong Han Kiat, Department of Pre-Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Tunku Abdul Rahman.
mbaedgeTM 17
What are the entry requirements for biomedical science courses [Masters in Medical Sciences and PhD (Medical Sciences)?
A relevant Bachelor’s (Hons)
degree from institutions of
higher learning, its equivalent
or other professional
qualifications recognised by
the University Senate, is a
general entry requirement for
a Masters course by research
whereas a relevant Master’s
degree from institutions of
higher learning, its equivalent
or other professional
qualifications recognised
by the University Senate is a
general entry requirement
for a entry into the Doctoral
Degree course by research.
However, a minimum
CGPA of 2.5 and an English
language qualification is
normally a prerequisite entry
requirement. Nevertheless,
applications of candidates
whose CGPAs are below the
minimum requirement can be
considered based on relevant
work experience in their
respective fields and upon an
evaluation of the candidate’s
suitability on a case by case
basis.
What are the facilities your universities provide for such programmes and courses?
Well-equipped research labs
which include cell culture
and molecular biology
facilities. The presence of a
pool of experienced research
academics and the availability
of external research grants
and internal seed fundings
are essential to conduct
a postgraduate research
programme. Conducive
research and teaching
environment as well as good
library facilities including
a comprehensive online
journal database are also
provided by the university
to cater for the specific
needs of postgraduate
students. Financial research
assistantships in the form of
monthly stipends, graduate
assistantship as well as
government sponsored
assistantship such as
MyMaster and MyPhd are
made available to deserving
candidates.
“financial research assistantships in the form of monthly stipends, graduate assistantship as well as government sponsored assistantship such as MyMaster and MyPhd are made available to deserving candidates.”.
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The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
What are some of the major challenges new students face when taking up these courses? Is the workload very heavy? Is there a lot of rote learning? Do students have time for extracurricular activities?
As the postgraduate course
is research based, most
students face some form
of challenge in being more
independent and innovative
in conducting their research
activities which includes
self-directed readings and
critically reviewing relevant
research papers as well
as managing their own
experiments. With good time
management skills and an
adequate level of discipline,
postgraduate students can
have a balanced lifestyle
of spending productive
time in the lab as well as
enjoying themselves with
extracurricular activities and
having their own personal
time.
What are the career and job prospects for students pursuing these courses?
Based on the Malaysian
Science and Technology
Indicators 2008 Report, the
Medical & Health Sciences
sector was the second
highest in terms of R&D
researchers being hired on
the whole by government
research institutes, the private
sector and institutions of
higher learning. In addition,
under the 10th Malaysian
Plan, the Health Sciences
Education (EPP8) is expected
to create more jobs by 2020
especially for knowledged
and skilled intensive human
capital in order to meet the
demands and challengers of
medical sciences and health
care. With the right skills
and exposure, graduates
in this area are in demand
in the health sector that is
constantly expanding.
What are examples of some career options available for graduates?
Research Fellow in Research
Centres, Research Scientist/
Officer in Medical Diagnostics
Labs or Research labs,
Technical Consultant,
Academic, just to name a few.
“With the right skills and exposure, graduates in this area are in demand in the health sector that is constantly expanding. “
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Are there any options for specialisation? Is it better to specialise?
In a full-time research
postgraduate course
structure, a certain amount
of specialisation is required
in order to address specific
issues and to deliver
realistic outcomes. As such,
specialisation in a particular
research area is generally
part of the objectives of the
programme.
What are some of the latest development in the field?
The global advancement in
the field of medical sciences
is currently associated with
adult stem cell research,
cancer therapy, regenerative
medicine, pharmacogenetics
and drug discoveries, just to
name a few. Although similar
research trends are seen in
Malaysia, the research focus
remains unique as certain
diseases are more prevalent
in this part of the world as
compared to that in the
developed countries.
What about research and development? Are there any initiatives in your university in these areas? Are there any research opportunities at the university?
The Faculty of Medicine
and Health Sciences, UTAR
is currently hosting three
research centres namely
Centre for Cancer Research,
Centre for Stem Cell Research
and Centre for Research in
Traditional Chinese Medicine.
These centres together
with the research activities
of academics in the faculty
are mainly focused on
stem cell research, cancer
chemoprevention, cancer
research as well as research
components of Traditional
Chinese Medicine. Potential
postgraduate candidates can
expect research opportunities
in relation to the niche areas
mentioned above.
What are some of the qualities of a good research specialist in biomedical science?
Some qualities of a good
research specialist include
the ability to demonstrate
“In a full-time research postgraduate course structure, a certain amount of specialisation is required in order to address specific issues and to deliver realistic outcomes.”
Some qualities of a good research specialist include the ability to demonstrate in-depth knowledge and good analytical skills in addressing biomedical related challengers and issues.
20 mbaedgeTM
The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
in-depth knowledge and
good analytical skills in
addressing biomedical
related challengers and
issues. Equally important
are for postgraduates to
communicate effectively
in their field of research
as well as to practise
ethical judgment and
professionalism when
addressing the demands
and challenges in medical
sciences.
What is your advice to students entering the job market in the field of medicine or biomedical sciences?
A certain level of competency
in research methodology
and the use of up-to-date
instrumentations to carry our
“evidence-based research”
are essential for trustworthy
research applications to
be used in healthcare
research, management and
treatments. In order to meet
job market expectations,
good analytical skills and
statistical knowledge as well
as creative, innovative and
proactive attitudes are much
sought after in postgraduate
candidates. ME
mbaedgeTM 21
Name: Ng Di Lin
Email: [email protected]
Name of postgraduate programme: MSc (Molecular Biology)
Studied at: Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman
Year graduated: 2011
Current occupation: Lecturer
Brief job scope: Lecturing and conducting research.
Q. What do you consider the best take away value from your postgraduate programme?
Learning to be independent and being patient in adversity.
Q. What is your advice to prospective postgraduate students to prepare them for this programme?
Always prepare to fail and be disappointed, so that you can learn from mistakes.
Q. Where do you see yourself in five years?
A successful researcher/consultant with a balanced work/life schedule.
Q. What is your motto in life?
Do not give up and always strive for the best.
Name: Leslie Low Chen Cheong
Email: [email protected]
Name of postgraduate programme: MBA
Studied at: University Tunku Abdul Rahman
Current occupation: Engineer
Brief job scope: Quality Management
Q. What do you consider the best take away value from your postgraduate programme?
Every single subject or value I learn from my programme will be practised in my work life.
Q. What is your advice to prospective postgraduate students to prepare them for this programme?
Be prepared to be committed because this programme will take up most of your time.
Q. Where do you see yourself in five years?
Joining a corporation for a bigger challenge.
Q. What is your motto in life?
Keep moving forward.
Name: Wong Ping Keong
Email: [email protected]
Name of postgraduate programme: Master of Science
Studied at: Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman
Year graduated: 2012
Current occupation: Development Engineer
Brief job scope: Medical device manufacturing, developing and validating new and improved products, formulations and materials
Q. What do you consider the best take away value from your postgraduate programme?
My interest and knowledge in polymer science was greatly generated.
Q. What is your advice to prospective postgraduate students to prepare them for this programme?
Fortify the EQ and always be motivated. Think out of the box.
Q. Where do you see yourself in five years?
With better knowledge, experience and problem solving abilities.
Q. What is your motto in life?
Play hard, live strong.
Name: Lee Khye Tze
Email: [email protected]
Postgraduate programme: MBA
University: University Tunku Abdul Rahman
Graduated: 2010
Current occupation: Executive Customer Service Operation (Toyota)
Brief Job Description: Management Staff in a service centre at Puchong
What do you consider the best take away value from your postgraduate programme?The best value that I have learnt is in developing the skills of team work and planning in every job or assignment.
What is your advice to prospective postgraduate students to prepare them for this programme?
To prepare for the knowledge that would be shared among lecturers and students to assist them for the future.
Where do you see yourself in five years?To use my knowledge and experience to excel in my work.
What is your motto in life?Word hard for our own future.
22 mbaedgeTM
The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
Renowned Taiwanese
motivational speaker Dr
Tai Chen Chih who was
at Universiti Tunku Abdul
Rahman Petaling Jaya
Campus for his new book:
With A Great Attitude Comes Great Happiness sharing session, shared with
the public about the journey
to success. He encouraged
others to “be brave in
overcoming difficulties upon
stumbling them”, and never
give up but persevere till
the very end even when
there are setbacks because
“victory always comes after
perseverance”. A person’s
success or failure, to Dr
Tai, depends on the right
“attitude”.
Born in Taiwan, Dr Tai went
through setbacks and
frustrations when growing
up. These, in turn, only
enriched his life experiences.
Since 1994, he has published
35 inspirational and
motivational books. Touted as
the “Carnegie of the East” and
“Motivational Guru”, Dr Tai is
Taiwanese motivational speaker Dr Tai Chen Chih’s new book: with A Great Attitude Comes
Great Happiness sharing session
Dr Tai Chen ChihWith A Great
Attitude
Comes Great
Happiness
mbaedgeTM 23
a key and influential figure in
Taiwan that brings positive
changes in society.
During the sharing session,
Dr Tai gave precious advice
which saw the audience
eagerly and diligently
taking down notes. Dr Tai
also invited the audience
on stage to share their
thoughts and feelings about
a motivational short video
shown to them. Dr Tai’s fans
were really enthusiastic and
there was active interaction
between the speaker and the
giving up needs only one sentence; whereas success, requires a lifetime’s perseverance.
“”
audience. Before the sharing
session came to an end, some
audience members queued
up to share with everyone in
the audience words of advice
they had taken down during
the session.
The talk was jointly organised
by the Malaysia Mental
Literacy Movement, Universiti
Tunku Abdul Rahman’s Centre
for Extension Education and
Popular Book Co. (M) Sdn
Bhd. ME
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26 mbaedgeTM
The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
Name: Law Chong Seng (Vincent Law)
Postgraduate studies at:
a. Asia e University, Kuala Lumpur; Executive Master’s Degree of Business Management in Supply Chain Management; Year graduated: 2012
b. University of Technology (UTM), Skudai, Johor; Doctor of Philosophy in Management; Year graduated: ongoing 2012-2016
Current Occupation: Supply Chain Manager
Brief description of job scope:
To oversee and monitor daily functions and development, plan and enhance the systems, procedures and documentation flow for the continual improvement of the Supply Chain Department.
To manage and review product sales forecast and ensure efficient and timely execution of product planning schedule.
To review product planning and delivery schedule and ensure the production plan meets demand and to maintain buffer stock at healthy levels.
To direct inventory and distribution activities and maintain excellent housekeeping of the warehouse.
In what area did you pursue postgraduate studies?
Supply Chain Management research (RFID Adoption in Warehouse)
What do you consider the best take away value from your Masters/PhD?
Being an individual who adds intellectual and scholarly values to my field.
What is your advice to prospective students preparing for the Masters/PhD?
Researching and writing your dissertation will probably require several years. A faculty committee will help and guide your process and keep you on the right track. You may end up knowing your area of specialisation better than any of them, but they will offer general, if not specific, advice when they’re able to do so. One of these professors will be your primary advisor or supervisor and will hopefully become your mentor, offering you the benefit of years of experience and the
opportunity to meet other professionals in the field. Your advisor or supervisor will be your advocate and can mediate amongst the other members of the committee, if necessary. Your relationship with your advisor or supervisor can, and will, play a vital role in your success in your Master/PhD programme.
What are some pitfalls to avoid?
Even with your advisor or supervisor as mentor, you’ll be on your own most of the time, thinking, studying, and working independently. Self-discipline is absolutely necessary. This is another stage, unfortunately, where many students falter. A number of graduate students never complete their dissertations, thus leaving behind years of work.
Where do you see yourself in three to five years?
To move into the exciting world of learning and gain as much as knowledge from the PhD programme.
What is your motto in life?
“Anything is not impossible, unless you quit”
Name: Low Cheng Gek
Email: [email protected]
Occupation: Compliance Monitoring
University: Sunway University (VU MBA)
Brief Job scope: Monitoring Risk Management activities and other internal control processes.
Q. Why made you want to study for an MBA?
Knowledge is a journey that has no end, only stops. I’m doing the MBA for self-development and to enhance skills required for higher managerial work. It is also a great opportunity to meet like-minded people from different industries and perspectives.
Q. What inspires you?
I am still looking for the answer to that, but I think wisdom, people who live life with a greater purpose is great inspiration. The Last Lecture by Professor Randy Pausch is inspiring and so is Steve Jobs’ advice: “Live everyday as if it’s your last day”.
Q. Favourite Quote
Whatever you are, be a good one -- Abraham Lincoln
When status and position come second to sincerely giving one’s best in everything one does.
mbaedgeTM 27
Name: James Ng Kai Hung
Email: [email protected]
Occupation: Manager, International Brokers
University : Sunway University; Victoria University, Melbourne
Brief Job Description
Manage the international brokers division and continually develop its operations by setting operational procedures with best practices of the company and industry to meet the objectives of the business plan. Also responsible for the procurement and development of business through international brokers with specific objectives of increasing gross written premium with sustainable profitability while maintaining customer satisfaction.
Why made you want to study for an MBA?
As some might view pursuing MBA as a form of academic progression while others view its necessity for career development, I had always held an opinion that having an MBA along with your other accreditations would be an
honour. At the beginning of the MBA course, one can imagine the congregation of potential CEOs and business owners from different backgrounds and industries to be a challenging environment. Throughout the MBA course, you would soon realise that it is the different ethnicities and characters of your fellow MBA mates that make it interesting, especially when vast contrast of ideas are being tossed around and debated.
What inspires you?
Reading genuine success stories of common people, how their perseverance carried them through failures and reinforced their success in life.
Favorite Quote
‘Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you are gonna get’ by Forrest Gump
Name: Ng Geok Leng
Email: [email protected]
Occupation: HR Professional – Case Management & Appeals
University: Sunway University College
Brief Job Description: Handles concern & appeal submissions from employees
Why made you want to study for an MBA?
To explore and enhance my knowledge in other areas of business which can help in career advancement.
The MBA course also helps me to develop managerial skills, providing hands-on experience leading study groups, classroom discussions and school organisations.
What inspires you?
To be a well-equipped professional with business knowledge and to be able to create successful business models for the future.
Favourite Quote
“Work hard, study hard and party hard” and “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”
“Whatever you are, be a good one.” Abraham Lincoln
28 mbaedgeTM
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Name: Mohd Firdaus bin
Omar
Email: fir_tm2000@hotmail.
com
Occupation: Engineer-
Projects, Sime Darby
Industrial Sdn Bhd
University: Victoria
University, Australia (MBA),
University Tenaga Nasional,
Malaysia (BEEE, Hons.)
Brief Job Description: Current Job
To lead project execution
for Caterpillar (CAT) engine
generator sets, based on
customisation requirement
of project specification.
Coordinate and manage
the project based on work
scope and the design layout.
In charge of procurement
related to the overall project
specification.
Previous Job:
Consultant, Advanced Power
Solutions Sdn Bhd
Performed insulation
coordination studies
including transient switching
and lightning over-voltage
and Harmonics Analysis that
involved full three phase
harmonics penetration
studies (using PSCAD
software). Also conducted
Protection study (using CAPE
software) under Engineering
System Study.
Why made you want to study for an MBA?
I would like to acquire critical
business administration
knowledge which can be
applied in my workplace
and will help to manage
work more effectively in
an increasingly complex,
challenging and changing
work environment. This
knowledge will help one
to mature at work, become
more creative and also
innovative as every job is a
business by itself.
What inspires you?
Green natural scenery
Calmness of high hill places
Mohd Firdaus Omarlike the Cameron Highlands
Beautiful beach with crystal
clear sea water
Favourite Quotes:
You have enemies? Good.
That means you’ve stood up
for something, sometime in
your life.
Winston Churchill
Anyone who has never
made a mistake has never
tried anything new -- Albert
Einstein
Happiness is when what you
think, what you say, and what
you do are in harmony --
Mahatma Gandhi
“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried
anything new.” Einstein
mbaedgeTM 29
FAIZUL RIDZUAN
23 properties by 30A story of What to find? When to find? Where to find?
ISBN 978967594106
WARNING!THIS BOOK MAY MAKE PROPERTY INVESTING LOOK TOO EASY!Faizul Ridzuan knows how to invest. And he makes it look easy. This regu-
lar employee turned RM2,000 in seed capital into a multi-million property
portfolio in just five years, with 23 properties purchased to date. In this book, he tells you how he does this, with vivid details from his very own experience. In this book, he shares his unique stories on how he:• Purchased properties using zero or little money
• Made over 1,000% returns on capital in less than three years• Is consistently able to identify properties that give double-digit rental yields • Made RM100,000 in profits over 18 months without putting a single sen• Created a million-dollar portfolio • Created an investment framework that allows investors to invest systematically, and • Saved thousands in seminar or education fees. “On Faizul’s recommendation, I bought my first investment property in Casa Mutiara five years ago
and that was really an eye-opener. That investment has given me over 600% returns to date and is
one that I look upon fondly. I got hooked on real estate investments and my most recent investment in
Axis SOHU units has been very profitable and I have bought four units there on his recommendation
as well!”Ryan Khoo, a banker who has bought 14 properties to date“Faizul has an exceptional ability to spot property with great returns. First recommendation was to
purchase Titiwangsa Sentral condo for RM250 000. I sold it for RM480,000 two years later. A must-
read to discover his secrets!”Dr. Isa Naina, a medical doctor and lecturer at University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)“Faizul’s insightful analysis, detailed research and sharp strategies are very useful to those interested in property investment. I am glad to have met Faizul and thanks to him I have gained more than 10% rental ROI and good appreciation from a recent investment based on his recommendation.”Cheong M.Y., real estate agent
WARNING!THIS BOOK MAY MAKE PROPERTY INVESTING LOOK TOO EASY!
Faizul Ridzuan knows how to invest. And he makes it look easy. This regular employee turned RM2,000 in seed capital into a multi-million property portfolio in just five years, with 23 properties purchased to date. In this book, he tells you how he does this, with vivid details from his very own experience. In this book, he shares his unique stories on how he:
• Purchased properties using zero or little money• Made over 1,000% returns on capital in less than three years• Is consistently able to identify properties that give double-digit rental yields • Made RM100,000 in profits over 18 months without putting in a single sen• Created a million-dollar portfolio • Created an investment framework that allows investors to invest systematically, and • Saved thousands in seminar or education fees
“Faizul’s insightful analysis, detailed research and sharp strategies are very useful to those interested in property investment.”
A Publication by Penerbit Wawasan Nusa (M) Sdn Bhd
Available in bookstores nationwide
ISBN I978967594106
30 mbaedgeTM
The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
Name: Lew Man Wai
Email: [email protected]
Currently Pursuing: MBA
University Name: University of Strathclyde
Current Job Title: Senior Electrical Engineer
Brief Description of Current Job: Develop, design and enhance two-way communication radio accessories.
Q. Why did you choose to study for an MBA at the current institution?
My reasons are because of its triple accreditation, it being in the Financial Times Global MBA top 100 rankings and also because the course is taught by lecturers from the main campus.
Q. To a prospective MBA student, how should he/she prepare before starting the programme?
They need to allocate time not only for the MBA classes but assignments too. It is important to balance the time between family, work, study and etc. They might also face challenges to meet both assignments and work deadlines at the same time. They need to mentally prepare for all kind of challenges.
Q. The MBA is not for everyone. Who should not pursue the MBA?
It is not suitable for fresh graduates who do not have work experience because it is hard for them to link what they learn in the course to real situations.
Q. What do you find most rewarding about the MBA?
Other than the knowledge taught in the MBA programme, friendships with classmates and networking are most rewarding. It is a platform to meet with people from different industries and share knowledge. Besides, it helps me to see things differently. We study the same subject during the MBA but people from different industries will have different interpretations of it.
Q. What do you find toughest during the programme?
Time management and travelling. It is tough when assignment deadlines clash with urgent issues at work. And since I work in Penang, I need to keep myself motivated to travel long distance for the class.
Q. Where do you see yourself in five years?
I will have myself prepared for various skills/knowledge (business, management, finance) other than technical. And I am looking forward to another breakthrough in my life.
Q. What is your motto in life? What is your favourite quote?
Motto: Nothing is going to happen without you doing it
Quote: “Man is what he believes.” – Anton Chekhov
Name: Teoh Wei Yi
Email: [email protected]
Currently Pursuing: MBA
University Name: University of Strathclyde
Current Job Title: Research Analyst
Brief Description of Current Job: Equity research in fund management industry
Q. Why did you choose to study for an MBA at the current institution?
The University of Strathclyde business school is a reputable university. It is listed in the Financial Times Global MBA top 100 rankings.
Q. To a prospective MBA student, how should he/she prepare before starting the programme?
He/she has to prepare to commit their time and effort throughout the programme. At the same time, be open-minded and prepared to be a listener, regardless of your job position. This is very important in the entire learning experience.
Q. The MBA is not for everyone. Who should not pursue the MBA?
Fresh graduates who do not have much work experience as well as professionals who want to be specialists in their industry.
Q. What do you find most rewarding about the MBA?
Networking is one of the most rewarding parts of the MBA, together with quality knowledge gained.
Q. What do you find toughest during the programme?
The toughest part is managing time between family, work and assignment.
Q. Where do you see yourself in five years?
The knowledge and the experience gained during the MBA are very helpful in my existing career. With these value-added skills, I can see myself excelling in my career and also having a broader network.
Q. What is your motto in life? What is your favourite quote?
Motto in life: Never regret.
Favourite Quote: “We don’t have to be smarter than the rest. We have to be more disciplined than the rest.” – Warren Buffett
Profile of the winners
of the MBA edge Business
CoMPetition seAson 2
mbaedgeTM 31
Dialogue: Partnership between Sunway Univeristy & Feng Chia University ME
32 mbaedgeTM
The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
Every organisation goes
through hard times at
some point. This may be
down to
mistakes of judgement it
has made or because of
external market conditions.
It is during these times
that engaging the whole
workforce in productivity
improvement becomes a
critical issue.
There are seven factors to
address to achieve this.
1. Communication
This is the time to
substantially improve the
quality and quantity of
communication. Employees
are not dumb. They are in
touch with what is happening
but they may not know the
whole picture. Communicate
the brutal facts. Employees
need to know results and
trends over the last year/two
years. They need to see the
facts and figures in a clear
and tangible way. These
facts may include trends in
the organisation’s market
share, sales and profitability
figures, competitor activity
and its impact, marketplace
predictions and customers’
likely demands.
Share what the organisation
is doing to confront these
challenges, what is working
and what more needs to be
done. The message should
be upbeat and positive with
a ‘we can do it but we need
your help’ message.
Introduce and formalise a
communication process. For
example, the CEO should
introduce monthly face-to-
face communications with
his/her direct subordinates,
and the next level down, on
key messages to be passed
on to employees. The CEO
should address all employees
informally, at their locations,
bi-monthly, face to face
or via video conferencing.
This should be a two-way
communication, including
questions, concerns and
feedback. The CEO needs to
be highly visible in his/her
communications. In addition,
monthly briefings should
be introduced to encourage
top down and bottom up
communication.
The message is ‘communicate,
communicate, and
communicate’ and engage
employees at all levels with
the current realities. Be
honest, be open and win
their trust. You cannot over
communicate in hard times.
2. Cuts
Pay cuts and compensation
pain should start at the top
with the CEO, Directors
Increasing
Productivity in
Hard Times
Hard Time Lesson in Europe, Be ready before the Storm comes again in ASIA.
BY JEREMY FRANCIS & JULIAN GOh
mbaedgeTM 33
and Senior Management.
In hard times it is totally
unacceptable for Senior
Managers to be awarded 11
per cent pay rises annually
and employees one per cent
or worse still, nothing. It is
immoral and plain wrong.
In hard times, the owners of
the business and the already
well-paid senior management
need to be seen to be
setting an example. Their pay
and bonus cuts should be
significant and demonstrate
their commitment to the
future of the business. They
also need to make other
obvious statements by
driving less expensive cars,
staying at less expensive
hotels and taking cheaper
flights. This is a time for
servant leadership and the
leaders need to be seen to be
taking their leadership role
seriously.
This should also be a time
for reassurance and the
message should be that
no staff pay cuts or cuts in
numbers should be necessary
if the organisation can
work together to increase
productivity. This message
is one of total team-working
through the hard times and
beyond.
This is a time for the CEO and
his/her team of Directors and
Senior Managers to walk the
talk when it comes to making
sacrifices for the good of all.
Make no mistake, all eyes are
upon them.
3. Confrontation
Turn the crisis into
confrontation. Confront
the enemy – that’s your
competition! In hard times,
your competitors will
savagely reduce prices and
attack your customer base.
The result is that your market
share falls and theirs rises.
Your sales and profitability
are falling at the same time.
This must not be allowed to
happen. You must renew
your external focus and fight
the competition.
Focus on three of four
key issues or ‘battles’ you
must win to take on your
competition and the
marketplace. Call these ‘Must
Win Battles’ (see the book
with this title), or something
similar. These should be
initiatives which will involve
everyone in the organisation
becoming externally focused
and fighting the ‘enemy’.
Examples of such battles
might be:
• Creating a greater variety
of customer service
offerings, including
flexible pricing
• Involving your internal
departments with key
suppliers in improving
customer distribution
and servicing processes
• Using tele-sales and
e-commerce more
effectively to increase
higher volumes of cost
effective sales
• Broadening your
product/service
offerings
• Speeding up research
and development
processes to get
products to the market
faster
• Increasing customer
communications,
demonstrating the
financial value you bring
to them and improving
account management
• Getting to know key
decision makers in
key accounts better
and building positive
relationships with
them to open up new
business opportunities.
• Cost-wasting internal
issues also need to be
addressed aggressively.
For example:
• Can you afford to
support an ailing part of
the business any longer?
• Does that new product
idea really need to be
scrapped now?
• Does that piece of
technology that has
been causing you real
problems really need to
be replaced now?
• Does the internal culture
and values need to
change significantly
now?
• Are there key people
who are not performing
and really need to go?
• Is the current structure
working or does it need
to be changed?
• Is this a time for
considering changes in
key suppliers?
All these and other questions
should be considered to
make the organisation a fully
effective operation, capable
of winning major battles.
Wake up the organisation, kill
complacency and go on the
offensive!
4. Creativity
Now is the time to tap into
the creative abilities of your
workforce. Human beings
can be enormously creative
if they are allowed to be! In
hard times, you get out of
trouble by not doing more
of what clearly does not
work! Problems need to
be re-thought. The status
quo needs to be robustly
challenged. Processes need
to be changed drastically.
The objectives of all activities
need to be questioned.
Old norms of internal
working practices need to
be changed. Linear, rational
thinking needs to be replaced
by creative, innovative
thinking.
So what can you do? here
are some tips:
Engage with individual
employees to find out what
contribution they can make
Find out the natural gifts,
talents and strengths they can
bring to their job (if they were
allowed to!)
Involve them in solving a
problem at their level. Pose
the problem as a question,
e.g., “How can we reduce the
34 mbaedgeTM
The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
changes re-invent the
business and just see the
employee energy that is
released!
5. Collaboration
Hard times can really
benefit organisations. Why?
Because no one has all the
answers anymore and the
opportunity for collaborative
working suddenly appears.
This is a time for creating
partnerships between
managers and employees,
internal departments, the
organisation and its suppliers
and the organisation and
its customers. The historic
mindset must change from
command and control to
collaborate and co-create!
Vertical functional and
independent ways of working
need to be replaced by
horizontal, cross-functional
and interdependent ways
of working. In hard times,
functions cannot be allowed
to work in isolation. They
need to bring their own
individual expertise and
know-how to other teams
to create a ‘one team’
approach to meeting the
challenges the organisation
faces. This requires stamping
out competition between
internal teams, not allowing
any teams to opt out of
co-operative working and
putting collaborative, creative
working high on the agenda.
Managers should be
encouraged to adopt a
less directive and more
participative way of working
with employees. Your
account managers should talk
afresh with major customers
and your purchasing
managers should talk with
key suppliers to explore
ways to work more in a
collaborative partnership for
mutual benefit. Move from
a competitive mindset to a
collaborative mindset.
The beauty of collaboration is
the need to share, to be open
and honest and to allow the
creatively for problem solving
to flow. Your organisation will
be able to make step changes
as a result.
6. Capabilities
In hard times, organisations
should seize the opportunity
to train, re-train and upskill
the capabilities of their
managers and employees.
The time is now available to
do this, and this is the right
time to do this!
Accept that things will not
get better overnight but
investment in your people
will enable you to capitalise
on the change in market
conditions when it comes.
Train your managers to
be modern managers by
changing their management
style to be more inclusive
and engaging. Train them
to be leaders of change and
entrepreneurs. Turn them
into coaches. Show them
how to empower people by
working less ‘in the business’
number of products returned
by customers?” Turn the
problem into a ‘battle’
Train employees in creative
and innovative thinking
processes and problem-
solving skills
Form teams of employees
to tackle problems at their
level. Encourage them to be
self-managing teams. Appoint
facilitators e.g., managers/
supervisors from other teams
to help them
Put time frames to problem-
solving initiatives, make them
short and urgent e.g., two to
three months maximum
Praise successes and
encourage more involvement
in daily continuous
improvement processes
When you fully engage
your employees with your
challenges, you will be
amazed at the results. Not
only will you realise their
talents, you will also motivate
them and make them feel
like a valuable part of your
business, vital for enhancing
their psychological contract
with you.
Get creative, make step
mbaedgeTM 35
and more ‘on the business’.
Get them to delegate more,
to think strategically, to plan
more effectively. Quite simply,
increase the capabilities of
all your people. Challenge
them, stretch them and grow
them. It sends out the signal
that you value them and that
you are investing in them.
If you do not have enough
budget for this purpose,
pay for the training and
development from cuts in
senior management salaries!
Let’s face it, your business
is your people. There is not
always the time to invest in
their development, but now
the time is here. It is also the
time to send some big new
signals on how you want
to commit to continuous
people development. That
is turn will increase staff
motivation and productivity.
Formalise your people
development commitment
by introducing Personal
Development Discussions
between managers and their
staff. Grow your people and
they will grow.
7. Celebration
Now for the best part – the
celebration success.
Let’s recapitulate. You have:
• Communicated the
brutal facts
• Cut costs at the top
• Turned a crisis into a
confrontation with
competitors
• Engaged and
empowered people
with creative/innovative
thinking
• Instilled a collaborative,
interdependent and
partnership style of
working into the
business
• Embarked on a
programme of
increasing people
capabilities and
developing their
potential
What’s missing? Quite simply,
celebration! Lots of open,
generous and frequent
celebration. Celebration of
success should be evidenced
at an individual level (e.g.,
employee of the month), at
a team level (e.g., internal of
external customer feedback
on the team’s improvements),
at a functional or divisional
level (e.g., improved results)
and at an organisational level
(e.g., improved market data
and press comment).
Celebrations need not be
extravagant. People would
question them if they
were! They need to be fun
and enjoyable, and most
important of all they need to
reward everyone’s hard work.
They can be paid for out of
productivity improvements. If
you’re stuck for ideas, employ
the services of a specialist
adviser/organiser in their area.
Celebration fuels the fire of
success, it fans the flames of
personal desire and it sets
ablaze the marketplace as
what you do is noticed and
admired by others. What an
impact it can make!
So that’s it – the seven ‘C’s
of increasing productivity in
hard times. It is all common
sense, but that of course is
the first thing to go when
organisations run into hard
times! ME
About the Author & Editor
Jeremy Francis is the CEO of
Buyandtrain.com, based in
London. Julian Goh is the sole
representative (Goh Business
Practitioners) of the company
in Asia. Should you have
enquiries, kindly forward your
email to [email protected] or
contact him at +01115683183
36 mbaedgeTM
The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
mbaedgeTM 37
Kuala Lumpur is famous
for its “Twin Towers”,
dual 88-floor skyscrapers
that dominate the skyline
of Malaysia’s vibrant capital
city. KL is also notable for
another kind of pairing:
“Twinning Programmes”,
Malaysia’s contribution to the
globalisation of international
education. Pioneered in a
partnership between the
SungeiWay Group (now
known as the Sunway Group)
in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and
Western Michigan University
in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA,
“twinning” proved such a
success that programmes
modelled on it are a hallmark
of Malaysia’s higher education
system.
July 2012 will mark the 25th
anniversary of the opening
of Sunway College and the
inauguration of its “Twinning
Programme” with Western
Michigan University.
This paper historically and
analytically examines why
“twinning” was invented in
1987 through a partnership
between a Malaysian Chinese
company and an American
Midwest state university;
how together they created
a private school, Sunway
College, that with that with
a 2+2 programme built a
bridge between KL and KZOO
that has graduated thousands
of students; and the ways
it spurred development of
a vibrant private education
sector that helped Malaysia
emerge as a Southeast Asian
regional centre for education
attracting 80,000 students
from 100 countries.
Among the students who
have benefited are Tengku
Idris B. Tengku Zaid, Sue
Yen Lam, and Mohan Rajah
Vatghumalai. They are
graduates of a “twinning
programme” that in 2012
will mark its 25th anniversary
as a bridge between Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia and
Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Malaysians all, representative
of this Southeast Asian
country’s three major
communities – Malay Muslim
bumiputras (sons of the soil),
Chinese, and Indians – they
exemplify the 2,500 students
who have travelled from
Malaysia to Michigan through
an international partnership
between Sunway College
and Western Michigan
University. Thousands more
have attended more than 60
other American universities
and colleges after graduating
from the Sunway-WMU
programme. They embody
the success of an innovation
in international education
that was invented in Malaysia,
pioneered in operation
by these two schools (a
Malaysian private college and
a Michigan public university),
adopted to transform
Malaysia into a regional
center for higher education
Southeast Asia, and been
replicated from Indonesia to
Kenya.
Mid-1980s: Crisis of Capacity in Public High Education; Enter the Private Sector
Twinning grew out of a crisis
in the mid-1980s when the
government was unable to
provide enough seats in its six
universities or scholarships for
study abroad for Malaysians
seeking a higher education.
Prime Minister Dr Mahathir
Mohamad appealed to the
private sector to help by
creating private colleges
that could offer access to
higher education at an
affordable price. Quick to
respond was Jeffrey Cheah,
President of the SungeiWay
KL TO KZOO:
TwENTY-FIVE YEARS OF TwINNING PROGRAMMES BETwEEN MALAYSIA AND MICHIGANTHE SUNwAY UNIVERSITY-wESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIP 1
by Howard Dooley, Professor of History, western Michigan Universit y 2
38 mbaedgeTM
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Group, a construction and
real estate conglomerate.
With no experience in
education, he sought a
partnership with a university
abroad already popular with
government-sponsored
Malaysian bumiputras:
Western Michigan University
in Kalamazoo. Contracting
together in January 1987,
they developed the idea
of “twinning”: a 2+2
collaboration through which
they would create Sunway
College to offer the first half
of WMU bachelor’s degree
programmes (60 credits) in KL,
then students would transfer
seamlessly to Kalamazoo to
complete the remaining half
of their studies. With savings
of 40% compared the cost a
full education overseas, 2+2
was especially appealing
to middle class Malaysians
from Chinese and Indian
communities, who could
not get into local universities
because of ethnic quotas,
and did not qualify for
government scholarships to
study abroad.
Sunway: From Humble Beginnings to Full-Fledged University
Sunway College opened in
July 1987 in rented quarters
in Petaling Jaya, an edge city
west of Kuala Lumpur and
first intake of 67 students,
mostly Chinese and Indian
Malaysians, who began
their studies in WMU-model
classes. A faculty member
from Western Michigan
University served on-site as
a full-time Resident Director
of the Twinning Program 3.
After two years, the pioneer
cohort transferred to WMU in
1989 and graduated in 1991.
By 1992 the Sunway-WMU
programme had grown to
350 students. Sunway added
twinning programmes (2+1
and 1+2) with universities
in Britain (2), Australia (4),
and New Zealand (1);
enrollment burgeoned to
3500. SungeiWay began
constructing a 22-acre
campus as the centerpiece
of Bandar Sunway, a satellite
city it developed west of
Kuala Lumpur. The new
Sunway College was opened
by Prime Minister Mahathir
in April 1993; with purpose
built classrooms and hostels,
it was the first private college
in Malaysia to offer students
the experience of a complete
campus environment rather
than commuting to classes
in converted shophouses. By
its 10th anniversary in 1997,
Sunway was largest private
college in the country, and
WMU had become the top
destination in the U.S. for
Malaysians, enrolling 700
students.
The Asian financial crisis
of 1997 was a setback
for Malaysia, forcing
devaluation of the ringgit,
but the country and Sunway
quickly adapted. The WMU
twinning programme was
rebranded as an American
Degree Transfer Program
(ADTP) offering enrollees the
choice of continuing on to
Kalamazoo, or applying to
ultimately 60 other American
universities and colleges that
accepted transfer credits on
the Sunway-WMU program.
When the Ministry of Higher
Education authorised private
colleges to offer 3+0 foreign
degree programmes through
franchises, SungeiWay
formed a joint venture with
Australia’s Monash University
to establish Malaysia’s first
foreign branch campus
alongside Sunway College.
Sunway College added
franchise degree programmes
from the UK and Australia,
professional and financial
courses, and pre-university
foundation programmes.
In 2004 it was upgraded to
Sunway University College
by the Ministry of Education,
able to offer its own 3+0
degrees, and in 2010 was
recognised as Sunway
University, with Jeffrey Cheah
its first Chancellor. Enrollment
in Sunway’s education
institutions now stands at
16,000, with about 30%
international students from
80 countries.
Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah: The Andrew Carnegie of Malaysia?
At the center of Sunway’s rise
is its founding father, Jeffrey
Cheah Fook Ling. Now 66,
he is a Malaysian Chinese
of Hakka descent. Hakka
were Han Chinese “guest
families” from south China
who immigrated to Malaysia
early in the last century and
many rose from nothing to
wealth. An accountant from
Ipoh, in 1974 he founded
SungeiWay as a tin mining
company that moved into
construction and real estate.
Professor Howard Dooley
mbaedgeTM 39
Interview: QUILL BMW with the Head of After-Sales ME
Sunway International School.
Through the Foundation,
operating surpluses from the
Sunway Education Group
are reinvested into the
universities and schools, and
the Foundation will disburse
scholarships and research
grants. The Foundation is the
first of its kind in Malaysia.
Through his philanthropy
and especially his devotion
to education, Tan Sri Jeffrey
Cheah seems destined to
be the Andrew Carnegie of
Malaysia.
A Win-Win
Twinning has proved to be
a “win-win” for all parties.
The Sunway College-
Western Michigan University
Twinning Program was
the first in Malaysia, and its
success inspired emulation
throughout the country.
A vibrant private sector
in education grew up in
Malaysia that now numbers
over 20 private universities
and 40 private colleges.
Twinning has become the
hallmark of Malaysian higher
education. Thousands of
young Malaysians were
enabled to begin their higher
education at home, broaden
their horizons while finishing
their degrees abroad,
and bring back skills and
connections to help Malaysia
realize its goal of becoming
a fully developed country by
2020. The success of twinning
spurred the government of
Malaysia in the early 1990’s to
declare the goal of becoming
a regional center for higher
education in Southeast Asia,
aiming to attract students
from around Southeast
Asia. Today 80,000 foreign
students from 100 countries
are studying in Malaysia’s
twinning programs and 3+0
degree programmes, bringing
in valuable foreign exchange
and experiencing this
cosmopolitan multicultural
crossroads.
Twinning also proved
to the most successful
“internationalisation”
initiative in Western Michigan
University’s history. The
Sunway-WMU contract
of 1987 created a bridge
across the Pacific linking
two “pleasant peninsulas”
– Malaysia and the state
of Michigan – that as 2012
begins has enabled 2500
Today he is one of Malaysia’s
wealthiest magnates; his
SungeiWay Group is a
multinational diversified
into hotels, health care,
infrastructure and education.
He has become a major
charitable donor, recognised
with honorific Tan Sri by the
King of Malaysia. In 1997 he
set up the Sunway College
Trust Fund to formalise the
status of Sunway College as
a not-for-profit educational
institution, and in 2010 in
created the Jeffrey Cheah
Foundation into which he
transferred equity ownership
of the not-for-profit Sunway
Education Group, composed
of Sunway University,
Monash University Sunway
campus, the Jeffrey Cheah
School of Medicine and
40 mbaedgeTM
The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
Malaysian students to begin
their educations in SE Asia
and complete their degrees
in America. In addition, the
Sunway-WMU twinning
programme attracted an
international enrollment,
drawing students, e.g., from
Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia,
Mongolia, Mauritania, Nigeria,
even Iran and Uzbekistan,
who began their higher
education in Kuala Lumpur and
completed their degrees in
Kalamazoo.
WMU still welcomes students
from Sunway and Malaysia,
93 in the Fall Semester 2011,
and it replicated its 2+2
“twinning” model in Hong
Kong, Indonesia, India, Pakistan,
and Kenya.
The Sunway-WMU Partnership
The partnership will mark its
25th anniversary in 2012, but
is also ending as a “twinning
programme.” The Malaysian
government ruled that a
school desiring to become
full-fledged university could no
longer offer curricula provided
by a foreign partner; in order
to become Sunway University
awarding its own degrees, the
2+2 arrangement must come
to an end. While the contract
forged in 1987 is terminating,
the relationship will continue
in the form of course
articulation arrangements,
study abroad opportunities,
and faculty teaching and
research activities, Currently Dr.
Christopher Korth, Professor
of Finance and International
Business in WMU’s Haworth
College of Business-, is in Kuala
Lumpur for three months to
teach courses in Finance at
Sunway University. he first
visited the site 35 years ago,
in an earlier career as a banker,
and when what is now the city
of Bandar Sunway was a tin
mine deep in the jungle.
Conclusion
Looking back over 25 years
of history linking KL and
KZOO, Malaysia and Michigan,
the partnership forged
between a Malaysian Chinese
entrepreneur’s company and
an American Midwest state
university has proved to be
an extraordinary win-win for
all parties, and a microcosm
of the globalisation process
linking Southeast Asia, the
US, and the world. Fittingly, a
new restaurant just opened in
Kuala Lumpur, created by two
WMU alumni, is named the
Kalamazoo Café! *
* A-36, Jalan PJU 1/43, Aman Suria Damansara, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia http://www.facebook.com/pages/Petaling-Jaya-Malaysia/Cafe-Kalamazoo/160001724019165?ref=mf
About the author
Howard J. Dooley is Professor
of History at Western Michigan
University, where he has
been a faculty member since
1970. His scholarly interests
include World History, Modern
European Diplomatic history
since 1870, Twentieth Century
United States history, World
War II and the Cold War,
the Modern Middle East;
Globalization and International
Education. He wrote his
dissertation on the Suez Crisis
of 1956 and is working on a
book tentatively titled: 1956:
The Year That Shook the World.
Dooley led Western
Michigan University's
“internationalisation” as
Executive Director of
International Affairs from 1991
to 2004, and Fulbright Program
Adviser 1983-2004. he has
also served as Chair of the
Michigan Humanities Council,
and project evaluator for the
National Endowment for the
Humanities. In 2002, he was
selected by AMIDEAST for a
team of US higher education
administrators who visited
Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and
Tunisia under the auspices
of the US Department of
State. He chairs the Rotary
Ambassadorial Scholarship
Committee of the Kalamazoo
Rotary Club. ME
Notes:
1. An earlier version of this article was presented at the Southeast Asia and World History Symposium, Pannasastra University, Siem Reap, Cambodia, January 2, 2012
2. Dr. Howard Dooley served as Western Michigan University’s rep-resentative on the Academic Board of Sunway College 1992-2004.
3. Resident Directors from Western Michigan University were: Dr. Larry Israel-general studies-social sciences; Dr. Lawrence Tyler, general studies-social sciences; Dr. Alan Jacobs, anthropology; Dr. Richard Pippen, biology; Dr. David Dickason, geography; and Dr. Richard Pippen (extended second term).
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The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
mbaedgeTM 43
Sunway University continues on its path of providing quality education
Bandar Sunway, 11 July,
2012 – Sunway University
is proud to announce the
appointment of Professor
Graeme Wilkinson as
Vice-Chancellor of Sunway
University. Professor
Wilkinson will be taking
over from Professor Robert
Bignall this month, and will
be responsible for providing
strategic direction and
leadership for the University,
representing it both at
home and abroad. With
this appointment, Sunway
University is the only
homegrown institution with
an international academic as
its Vice-Chancellor.
Professor Wilkinson brings
with him broad experience,
as an academic and senior
university manager. Born
in England, he graduated
with First Class honours in
Physics from Imperial College,
London and received a
Doctorate in Philosophy in
Atmospheric Physics from
Oxford University in 1977 and
was awarded the Johnson
Memorial Prize.
Professor Wilkinson’s career
has seen him take up
lecturing positions at several
highly regarded universities
in the UK, including the
University College London.
As a specialist in satellite
image understanding, he has
also worked at the European
Commission’s Joint Research
Centre in Ispra, Italy, where
he led a team of international
scientists working on the use
of space satellite technology
to monitor environmental
issues. More recently, he
helped spur the growth
and development of new
universities in the UK, taking
up senior positions as the
Head of School, Dean and Pro
Vice-Chancellor.
As he begins a new chapter in
an already esteemed career,
Professor Wilkinson is excited
to play a part in shaping the
growth of Sunway University.
He states, “I am both proud
and honoured to be given
the opportunity to play such
a pivotal role, leading Sunway
University and building upon
the outstanding work that
has been carried out by my
predecessor as well as the
highly dedicated staff here.
I will be looking to grow
this university to become a
globally recognised academic
institution known for
grooming students who think
to make a difference.”
The appointment of Sunway
University’s new Vice-
Chancellor is testament to its
continued commitment to
providing quality education
to its students. As one of
the leaders in the field
of private education in
Malaysia, Sunway University
is constantly seeking
new avenues for growth,
enhancing the range of
programmes it offers its
students. With Professor
Wilkinson on board, Sunway
SUNwAY UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF NEw VICE-CHANCELLOR
(ABOVE) Professor Wilkinson, VC of Sunway University, First Class Honours in Physics (Imperial College, London),
Doctorate in Philosophy in Atmospheric Physics (Oxford University), Johnson
Memorial Prize.
44 mbaedgeTM
The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
University will be able to
harness his global experience
and expertise, supporting
its growth as it continues
to cater to the needs of
its growing population of
students and staff.
Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah,
AO, Chancellor of Sunway
University stated, “I am
extremely happy to have
such an esteemed individual
come on board as Vice-
Chancellor here at Sunway
University. On behalf of all the
staff and students of Sunway
University, I would like to
extend a warm welcome to
Professor Wilkinson as he
joins the Sunway family. I look
forward to working closely
with him in bringing Sunway
University to greater heights.”
ABOUT SUNWAY UNIVERSITY
Sunway University provides
high quality education
based on a tradition of
exceptional teaching that
has shaped competent
and intellectually vibrant
individuals since 1987. By
collaborating with Lancaster
University, a Top 10 UK
university, Sunway degrees
have been benchmarked
by their distinguished
As one of the leaders in the field of private education in Malaysia, sunway university
is constantly seeking new avenues for growth,
enhancing the range of programmes it offers its
students.
university partner. Owned
and governed by the
Jeffrey Cheah Foundation,
Sunway University is
committed to plough back
its surpluses to provide
education opportunities
that will transform lives. To
date, the Foundation has
given out more than RM80
million in scholarships to
over 11,000 deserving and
needy students. For more
information about Sunway
University, please log on
to www.sunway.edu.my/
university or call +603 7491
8622 ME
”“
mbaedgeTM 45
Happenings ME
To safeguard degrees from
being forged, Universiti
Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR)
and the leading online job
portal JobStreet.com have
developed a system that
enables the job portal to
obtain validated degree
qualifications of UTAR
graduates in their system.
With this new system,
employers with JobStreet.
com we can now verify
degree qualifications of
UTAR graduates quickly
and effectively. Information
obtained from UTAR’s
registry includes name, class
of the degree holder and
convocation date.
UTAR President Ir. Professor
Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah
Hean Teik said, “This system is
a fruition of the collaborative
efforts between the university
and JobStreet.com since the
signing of a memorandum of
understanding between the
two parties in January 2010
and a research agreement in
March the same year”.
“There are more than
20,000 UTAR graduates and
graduating students who are
currently using JobStreet.
com to find their next job. By
validating their degree, it will
give assurance for companies
in Malaysia to hire UTAR
graduates who will contribute
to the country’s economy”,
said Mark Chang, CEO &
Founder of JobStreet.com.
The database linkage for
verification of graduates
is part of a collaborative
research effort by the two
organisations to improve
efficiency and effectiveness
in the hiring process by
employers.
About UTAR
Universiti Tunku Abdul
Rahman (UTAR) was
established in June 2002
under the Act of Private
Institutions of Higher
Learning 1996 of Malaysia.
With an inaugural intake
of 411 students in June
2002, today, UTAR has
a student enrolment of
over 20,000 and alumni
strength of over 26,000. It
started with eight Bachelor’s
degree programmes
and now offers over 100
programmes ranging from
Foundation and Bachelor’s
to Master’s and PhD levels
in its four campuses in
Kampar, Petaling Jaya, Kuala
Lumpur and Bandar Sungai
Long, which house nine
faculties of Accountancy
and Management, Arts and
Social Science, Business and
Finance, Creative Industries,
Engineering and Green
Technology, Engineering
and Science, Information
and Communication
Technology, Medicine
and Health Sciences, and
Science, and the Institute of
Chinese Studies. Aiming to
New Method to Counter Fake Degrees
become an internationally-
reputed teaching and
research university, UTAR
is also actively involved in
research, development and
commercialisation activities
and has established 25
research centres.
About Jobstreet.com
JobStreet.com (www.
jobstreet.com) is a leading
online recruitment company
presently covering the
employment markets
in Malaysia, Singapore,
Philippines, Indonesia, India,
Japan, Thailand and Vietnam.
ME
A system that enables job por tal to obtain validated
degree qualifications
UTAR President Ir. Professor Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik
Mark Chang, CEO & Founder of JobStreet.com.
46 mbaedgeTM
The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
Universiti Tunku Abdul
Rahman (UTAR) and
Malaysia Institute for Supply
Chain Innovation (MISI)
signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) for
cooperation at the UTAR
Petaling Jaya Campus on 3
July 2012.
Signing on behalf of the
two parties were UTAR Vice
President (Internationalisation
and Academic Development)
Professor Dr Ewe Hong Tat
and MISI Chief Executive
Officer Dr Mahender Singh
while UTAR Dean of Faculty of
Science Associate Professor
Dr Lim Tuck Meng and MISI
Education Director Dr Albert
Tan signed as witnesses.
Present to witness the signing
was MISI Chairman Tan Sri Dr
Zulkefli bin A. hassan.
“Under the MoU, UTAR and
MISI will collaborate to foster
advancement in teaching,
research, and promoting
international reputation of
both institutions through
student and staff exchange,
joint research projects,
training activities, consulting
services or conferences, and
other academic activities,
particularly those that are
related to the advancement
of education and research in
supply chain and logistics,”
said Prof Ewe.
he added that a specific item
under the MoU would be the
full-credit-transfer graduate
student exchange between
the two institutions, which
would provide an enriched
learning experience for the
graduate students of both
institutions.
“MISI is very proud to be
working alongside UTAR, a
University with distinguished
achievements and a history
for excellence. Today signifies
a partnership that commits
us to work together closely
towards our common goal,
UTAR and MISI sign pact to advance supply chain innovation
Sun Tzu’s Art of War &Supply Chain Innovation
the pursuit of excellence
in supply chain, logistics
education and research.
Our joint endeavours will
encompass many significant
activities, from the exchange
of students to the promotion
of educational and academic
activities” said Dr Mahender
Singh.
he added that the first UTAR-
MISI workshop would address
the ‘Art and Science of Supply
Chain Management’ which
would be supported with
contents from MIT and linked
to the Sun Tzu’s art of war
strategic principles.
The Art of War was written sometime in the 6th century BC
mbaedgeTM 47
Happenings ME
Professor Ewe (second from left) and Dr Mahender exchanging the signed documents while Dr Lim (far left), Tan Sri Dr Zulkefli (centre) and Dr Tan look on.
About UTAR
Universiti Tunku Abdul
Rahman (UTAR) was
established in June 2002
under the Act of Private
Institutions of Higher
Learning 1996 of Malaysia.
With an inaugural intake of
411 students in June 2002,
UTAR now has a student
enrolment of over 19,000
and alumni strength of
over 26,000. Starting with
eight Bachelor’s degree
programmes, it now offers
over 100 programmes
ranging from Foundation
to PhD level in its four
campuses in Kampar, Petaling
Jaya, Kuala Lumpur and
Bandar Sungai Long. These
campuses house the nine
faculties of Accountancy
and Management, Arts and
Social Science, Business and
Finance, Creative Industries,
Engineering and Green
Technology, Engineering
and Science, Information
and Communication
Technology, Medicine
and Health Sciences, and
Science, and the Institute of
Chinese Studies. Aiming to
become a university with an
international reputation for
teaching and research, UTAR
also actively pursues a variety
of research, development and
commercialisation activities
and has established 25
research centres towards this
end. For more information,
visit www.utar.edu.my
About MISI
Located at Shah Alam, MISI
has been a joint initiative of
the Malaysian Government
and the world’s renowned
MIT Centre for Transport
and Logistics. It was
launched on 22 March 2011
and is the fourth centre
in the MIT Global SCALE
(Supply Chain and Logistics
Excellence) Network,
which is an international
alliance of leading-edge
research and educational
organisations, dedicated
to the development and
dissemination of global
innovation in supply chain
and logistics.
MISI offers graduate and
executive education in
logistics and supply chain
management and will admit
its first Masters students in
August of 2012. There are also
plans for a doctoral degree
as well as a deep portfolio
of professional courses for
executives, symposia, short
courses, and extended on-
site events with activities to
reinforce MISI’s connections
with corporate partners. For
more information, visit www.
misi.edu.my ME
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Kuala Lumpur, 28 August 2012 – Malaysia’s largest
jewellery retail chain store,
Poh Kong, announced their
new partnership with one of
Europe’s finest and notable
jewellers, MORAGLIONE 1922,
in an exquisite European
themed roadshow at Pavilion
Kuala Lumpur today.
MORAGLIONE 1922 is a
jewellery brand rich in
heritage established in
Valenza, Italy, in 1922. The
company has fostered its
skills in creating timeless
jewels that are sold in the
most prestigious locations
all over the world such as
Europe, Russia, the Middle
and Far East, Latin America,
Japan and now Malaysia.
Their collections are the result
of the ability to juxtapose
colourful precious stones
with diamonds, in true Italian
style.
For MORAGLIONE 1922, the
jewel is a masterpiece of
art, which accentuate the
femininity of a woman. The
collection showcased at the
launch today was inspired
by Europe’s elite royalty
including Queen Sofia of
Spain, Princess Grace of
Monaco, Princess Anastasia of
Russia and Queen Isabella of
Spain and will be available at
selected Poh Kong outlets.
Emiliana Caprioglio,
International Sales Director
of MORAGLIONE 1922 said,
“At MORAGLIONE 1922 we
are constantly renewing and
adapting our design elements
but will always remain true
to our objectives and high
standards of quality. We
are looking forward to this
partnership as we believe that
Poh Kong shares the same
philosophy.”
Poh Kong, founded in 1976,
is one of the most recognised
jewellery brands in Malaysia.
With over 100 outlets
nationwide, the brand is
synonymous with excellence
in respect of design, quality
and craftsmanship. Over
the years, Poh Kong has
expanded its offerings
beyond the traditional to
cater to the demands of its
growing clientele. Besides
MORAGLIONE 1922, Poh
Kong is also the privileged
sole distributor for Schoeffel
luxury pearls from Germany,
Luca Carati from Italy, Angel
Diamond from Belgium
and carrier of many more
exquisite jewellery pieces
from all over the world.
“We at Poh Kong are
extremely happy with
this new partnership
with MORAGLIONE
1922 – a company with
an incredible reputation
for its craftsmanship and
passion. As the largest
jewellery retail chain store
in Malaysia, we are always
committed to bringing the
very best to our customers.
With MORAGLIONE 1922
collections, our consumers
can expect nothing but
glamour, elegance and
POH KONG PRESENTS
THE WORLD OF
LUXURY
The Launch of MORAGLIONE 1922 Jewellery
Emiliana Caprioglio (middle left) and Eddie Choon (middle right)
mbaedgeTM 49
sophistication,” said Dato’
Eddie Choon, Executive
Chairman and Group
Managing Director of Poh
Kong.
To celebrate this unique
partnership, Poh Kong has
embarked on a European
themed roadshow to
showcase MORAGLIONE
1922’s latest collection along
with designs from Luca Carati,
Schoeffel and Angel Diamond
from Belgium for the first
time at signature mall Pavilion
Kuala Lumpur from 28 August
to 2 September. This exquisite
event promises nothing but
beauty, class and elegance as
Poh Kong has collaborated
with notable local designers
such as Keith Kee, Carven Ong
and DL Fashion, pairing their
designs with these unique
jewellery brands in a series
of fashion shows and special
appearances by Reshmonu,
Syafinaz Selamat and Daniel
Lee.
About Poh Kong
Founded in 1976 and listed
on Bursa Malaysia Securities
Berhad since 2004, Poh Kong
is the largest jewellery retail
chain in Malaysia, reaching
its 100th outlet mark in 2012,
which include concept stores
such as Poh Kong, Poh Kong
Gallery, Diamond & Gold
outlets, Diamond Boutique,
Jade Gallery, Tranz Boutique
and Oro Bianco. Poh Kong
offers a wide range of gold
ornaments, diamonds and
gems specially created by
its team of skilled craftsmen
and designers. Poh Kong
in-house brands include
Tranz, Happy Love, Anggun,
The Art of Auspicious, Bunga
Raya Gold Bar and many more
to come. Poh Kong is the
licensee for Disney Collection;
sole distributor for Schoeffel
luxury pearls from Germany,
Luca Carati from Italy, Angel
Diamond from Belgium,
and carrier of many more
exquisite jewellery pieces
from all over the world. Poh
Kong has won numerous
awards including the Reader’s
Digest Trusted Brands Awards
(2011) and the Fair Price Shop
Awards (2010). The company
was also listed in Retail Asia-
Pacific Top 500 (2010). ME
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“If we do discover a complete theory, it should be in time understandable in broad principle by everyone. Then we shall all, philosophers, scientists, and just ordinary people be able to take part in the discussion of why we and the universe exist.”
Cre
dits
: Sup
erSc
hola
r.org
mbaedgeTM 51
“In my own work, I've tried to anticipate what's coming over the horizon, to hasten its arrival, and to apply it to people's lives in a meaningful way.”
“High school's attractive to me, not necessarily because you
have a good time, but because it's clear why you are miserable.
As opposed to real life . . . Dissatisfactions are more vague,
more amorphous.”
“I learned that fighting on the chess board could also have an impact on the political climate in the country.”
52 mbaedgeTM
The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
“Just because we can't find a solution it doesn't mean that there isn't one.”
Polgár and her two older sisters, Grandmaster Susan and International Master Sofia, were part of an educational experiment carried out by their father László Polgár, in an attempt to prove that children could make exceptional achievements if trained in a specialist subject from a very early age.
At the age of 14, Christopher Hirata entered the California
Institute of Technology (Caltech) and two years later began
working with NASA on a project exploring the possibility of
colonizing Mars.
mbaedgeTM 53
In 1974, during his university studies, he began his research
work at NASA and continued this work until his return to Korea in
1978 where he decided to switch from physics to civil engineering
and eventually received a doctorate in that field.
“I don’t always accomplish what I might initially intend to do, but I usually make progress on something (even if this “something” is just the task of replenishing my own motivation levels).”
“Celebrity - I don't even know what that means. Obviously it's the same basic word as celebration, but I don't know what's being celebrated.”
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The MBA EdgeTM Business Competition Season 3
mbaedgeTM
When Tom Peters coined the term personal branding” in his 1997 article “The Brand Called You” in Fast Company, he had this to say: We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc.
Dan Schawbel puts it this way: Personal branding is the process of how we market ourselves to others. The way we manage our careers is changing, due to the rise in competition and the introduction of web 2.0. In order to extend our reach, visibility and networking capabilities, we must turn to personal branding as our savior. In the digital age, our name is our only currency.
Personal branding is like your fingerprint. It is unique to you. But how
does one create a powerful personal brand?
The MBA Edge Business Competition is now in its third season. For this season, prepare a powerpoint presentation (target audience 28 to 35 years old business executives) on “The Salient Points of Creating a Powerful Personal Brand in the Malaysian Context Today” with presentation notes for each slide.
Rules• Maximum 30 slides.• Proof of purchase
- a receipt for 1 copy of MBA EdgeTM Postgraduate Studies magazine.
• 3 winners will be judged by the impact, persuasiveness, and pragmatism of the advices.
• This is an individual competition open to current MBA students studying in Malaysia.
Entry SlipName of participant:
Email & Mobile:
University name:
University chop:
• All submissions will be blind judged by a panel of judges
• Winners will be contacted directly.
• Decisions of judges are final. No queries will be entertained.
• The Organizer reserves the rights to substitute prizes of equal worth.
• The Organizer reserves the rights to publish the entries submitted with due credits to the students.
PrizesEach winner will win a prize consisting of:• Certificate of
achievement.• Faber-Castel Premium
Pens.• 1 session of
personality-style test by professional image consultant.
• Make up & hair styling (2 themes).
• Fashion styling.• 8 touch-up photos
(print).• 20 softcopy photos in
CD.
Submit by email to:
[email protected] before 15th November 2012 or by mail to: Penerbit Wawasan Nusa (M) Sdn Bhd, Wisma Wawasan, 19-1 & 19-2, Jalan PJS 8/12, Dataran Mentari, 46150 Petaling Jaya, Bandar Sunway, MALAYSIATel: 603 - 56301802, Fax: 603 - 56301803
presents
Contest ME
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BUSINESS
SEGMENT
profiles of extraordinary people
SUBSTANCE, RELEVANCE, SIGNIFICANCE
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by Alexandra Wong
Everyone, it would seem, is infected by gold fever. According to the World Gold Council, the demand for
gold from private investors has hit unprecedented highs. Where is Malaysia in the life cycle of this gold rush? how safe is it to invest in gold? Will the gold market continue to be bullish? We speak to from Ermin Siow, Executive Director of Poh Kong holdings Bhd – the country’s largest jeweller by revenue and size – and Deputy President of Federation of Goldsmiths And Jewellers Association of Malaysia (FGJAM).
TAPPING INTO
A GOLD MIND
MEB Postgraduate Studies speaks to
ERMIN SIOw ExEcutivE DirEctor
of Poh Kong holDings BhD
high net worth individuals
to the man on the street
who wish to diversify their
investment holdings, gold
investment is shaping up to
be a major trend. Malaysia
has at least 10 banks offering
gold savings accounts (no
physical transfer of gold,
funds parked as weight of
gold tagged to market price)
and selling physical gold. We
are also getting more and
more customers who want
to invest in gold wafers to
diversify their investment
portfolio. Investment demand
Q. Let’s talk about the gold industry. What are the major segments of demand?
Gift-giving continues to be
one of the biggest demand
drivers, simply because of
gold’s significance in many
cultures. In Malaysia, the
Chinese give gold gifts
for the baby’s full moon
celebration, dragon-phoenix
bracelets for weddings and
so forth. Recently, however,
investment has been rising as
a major driving force. From
mbaedgeTM 59
for gold is expected to post
an unprecedented high of
nearly 2,000 tonnes for 2012.
Q. Why the sudden surge in interest, considering how stagnant gold price was several years ago?
Gold does well in times of
economic uncertainty. When
investors are unsure of the
global political, economic
and financial climate, gold
is where they go. When
inflation is low and the
stock markets are roaring,
nobody looks at gold. When
economy and stocks don’t
go well, people start buying
gold! Beginning 2010, the
Central Banks started buying
back gold because they felt
it was time to diversify their
current foreign reserves. For
the first time, they were net
purchasers of gold rather than
net sellers. In 2010, the central
banks collectively bought
77 tonnes of gold. Then last
year, the volume shot up to
450 tonnes! In Turkey, the
government encouraged
consumers to bring their
gold and save in the bank as a
collateral for loans, etc. China
is openly encouraging its
people to buy gold, which is
very different from five years
ago. This is not happening
in Malaysia – yet. Gold was
never considered a first-tier
investment, which means
zero risk, but the situation
is swiftly changing with the
central banks demonstrating
a clear interest in bringing
gold back to the financial
system.
Q. Would you consider this form of gold investment a threat to the gold jewellery business?
With more money channelled
into investment, there are
less funds available for
jewellery. Up to the year
2000, more than 70 per cent
of whatever gold was mined
had gone into jewellery.
Last year, the percentage is
only slightly above 45 per
cent. Jewellery consumption
is forecast to ease further
this year, given higher gold
prices and a slowdown in
global economic growth.
However, the loss is mitigated
by increased sales of gold
bars, wafer and coins. This
facility was always available,
just never as popular as now.
In the 90s, hardly anybody
bought gold bars over the
counter!
Q. Why is there such strong support for gold? How would you rate it as an investment instrument compared to other metals/precious stones like silver, platinum, diamonds and property?
One reason why gold is
so sought after is because
it’s very rare. As a naturally
occurring element like iron,
there is a finite amount of
gold in the world. There are
only 171,000 tonnes of gold
on the surface of the earth
as at 2011. If you melt all this
together into a cube, the
resulting mass is smaller than
a tennis court.
You could argue that
platinum is even rarer, but
gold has another property: it
is very inert. It doesn’t corrode
or rust. It isn’t easily affected
by chemicals. That’s why
whatever gold coins were
buried underneath the sea
hundreds of years ago can
Ermin Siow, Executive Director of Poh Kong Holdings Bhd
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”“
reasons. One, it’s widely
used in the manufacturing
industry, so there will always
be demand. Two, it is cheaper
compared to gold, so the
entry point is much lower.
Three, there is still a lot of
upside. It has come down
from its all-time high of about
RM5,000 per kg to RM3,000
now.
Silver, platinum and
diamonds are useful
alternative assets, but are very
different from gold. These are
niche investments and should
be held as a very small part of
any portfolio.
Q. What is the outlook for gold price for the next three years? Do you think the price of gold will continue to rise indefinitely?
Every investment is a risk. The
golden rule in investment is
diversify, diversify, diversify.
Broadly speaking, I would say
that there are more bullish
factors than bearish. There
is a slowdown in world GDP
growth; downturn in both
developed world and most
emerging market countries.
The implication is a loosening
of monetary policy globally.
The Eurozone debt crisis
continues in 2012, with
only slow progress towards
resolution. Short-term
interest rates in developed
world remain at ultra-low
levels throughout 2012.
Concerns about inflation, a
volatile stock market and risk
aversion among investors will
eventually drive them away
from traditional equities and
fixed income instruments, to
safer havens of investment –
like gold.
I would say the upside for
gold within the next three
years is quite good. Of
course, not everyone shares
this optimism. Investing
icon Warren Buffett said in
a speech at Harvard, “[Gold]
gets dug out of the ground
in Africa, or someplace.
Then we melt it down, dig
another hole, bury it again
and pay people to stand
around guarding it. It has no
utility. Anyone watching from
Mars would be scratching
their head.” Whatever his
reasons, you can’t argue
with numbers. If you had
invested with Buffett’s
Berkshire Hathaway between
2000 and 2010, you would
have acquired 70 per cent
returns. On the other hand,
an investment in gold for
the same period would have
netted you 600 per cent
gains!
Q. Can you explain why the retail gold price differs from the market price or newspaper report gold price?
Like most businesses,
dealers include a mark-up
to cover their costs and
profit. Depending on the
fluctuation of the market
gold price, a margin is built
in. Prior to the enforcement
of the Competition Act
this year, the Federation of
Goldsmith and Jewellers
Association of Malaysia issue
a Recommended Retail Price
(RRP). Even then, the RRP is
not mandatory. Members
can sell at different prices
if they want to. Early this
year, the Competition Act
was introduced to promote
a competitive market
environment and provide
a level playing field for all
players in the market, which
up to the year 2000, more than 70 per cent of whatever gold was mined had gone into jewellery. last year, the percentage is only slightly above 45 per cent.
within 24 hours (except
for weekends). Traditional
jewellers like Poh Kong have
so many outlets across the
country and we open seven
days a week, unlike the banks.
We also accept credit cards
and customers can go for our
easy payment scheme when
purchasing our products
whereas banks operate strictly
in cash with no instalment
facility.
Silver is another metal to
watch. It has recently gained
popularity because of several
be recovered in their original
state.
Diamonds or gold? If you’re
a first-timer, I would advise
you to buy gold first. There
is always an intrinsic value to
gold. It is not as volatile as
equities, which could drop
from RM10 to 10 sen within
a short time. The price is
transparent. When you want
to sell, you know how much
it is worth.
Gold is also easy to liquidate
and the transaction is less
of a hassle. You can do it
mbaedgeTM 61
ERMIn SIOWExecutive Director of Poh Kong Holdings Bhd and Deputy President of Federation of Goldsmiths And Jewellers Association of Malaysia (FGJAM)
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in the process will squash
anti-competitive practices
such as cartels and collusions.
With the introduction of the
Competition Act early this
year, FGJAM doesn’t issue an
RRP anymore.
Q. I’m interested in investing in gold. What kind of investment options are available in Malaysia?
In the past, gold investment
was largely limited to the
purchase of gold coins,
pendants and gold bars
from banks, with gold coins
being a particular favourite of
investors. Jewellers sell gold
wafers from 1g to 100g to
customers with many buying
gold wafers at least 20g
and above as investments.
Customers can also trade
in their old gold bars for
jewellery or cash. Today, more
than 10 banks in Malaysia
offer gold investment
accounts and there are more
on the horizon due to its
growing popularity.
Q. For investment purposes, is it better to buy physical gold or
open a gold investment account?
If the amount is not
significant, there’s little
difference between the two
so I wouldn’t worry about
it. One consideration when
you open a gold investment
account with, say, 1kg
of paper gold, it doesn’t
necessarily mean that your
investment is backed by 1kg
of physical gold in the bank.
That’s because in Malaysia,
most banks hold the gold
on an unallocated basis,
which means that you are
not guaranteed of an equal
exchange for metal in the
event of a run on the issuer’s
gold on deposit.
Q. What are the prospects in the gold and jewellery industry?
The gold jewellery industry,
like other sectors, offers
good prospects for the
enterprising. But like most
industries in globalised 21st
century, you must have size,
purchasing power, and image
clout. Money makes money,
so you’ll need to come in
big. A small outfit will not
have purchasing power. An
established name is a must,
or else the big malls won’t let
you in. And when it comes
to retail, good location is
everything.
Q. What are prerequisites for fresh graduates who wish to enter the gold and gold jewellery industry?
Start from retail because it’s
the best training and learning
ground. Jewellery is one field
where you must learn hands-
on. Attitude is as important
as your qualifications. In
retail, you need to socialise,
be comfortable dealing
”“ i would say the upside
for gold within the next three years is quite good. of course, not everyone shares this optimism.
mbaedgeTM 63
with customers, and be
trustworthy. I would
recommend taking up a
supplementary course in
gemology. The nearest place
you can get a diploma in
gemology is in Thailand.
In Malaysia, you can do a
correspondence course with
GIA (Gemology Institute of
America). Poh Kong has sent
our brightest talents overseas
for gemology courses. More
than 10 long-time workers
have left and set up their
own companies. Eventually,
I believe that most people
want to be their own boss.
Q. Safe storage is an issue for those who prefer to buy physical gold. What are some solutions?
A safe is the ideal place to
store gold as it can provide
protection against theft
or fire. Many companies
and financial institutions
provide safe storage facilities
for valuables, although for
convenience, it may be
worth to consider installing a
fireproof personal household
safe.
Q. How do you tell fake gold from real gold?
Not all that glitters is gold.
To tell if the chunk of
yellow metal is real, fake
or adulterated, measure its
density with a densitometer,
which is easily available.
The density of pure gold,
19.3 grammes/cm3, is much
higher than most other
metals. For the layman, you
can start with identifying
gold’s attributes: real gold
does not rust and the item
should be heavy for its size.
Gold is not ferro-magnetic, so
it is not attracted by magnets,
although not fool proof as
other metals and alloys have
similar property. The best way
to assess your gold jewellery
is to take it to a reputable
jewellery store and have them
do it for you; they can also
assess its purity.
It is advisable to buy gold
only from registered or
authorised dealers and obtain
the necessary certification or
authentication to safeguard
its value and our investment.
ME
Gold Fast
Facts
What is gold?
Gold is one of the most stable chemical
elements and may be found in free elemental
form in nature as nuggets, grains, or particles
dispersed in rock veins and alluvial deposits.
Less commonly, it occurs in minerals as gold
compounds, and requires some processing to
extract it. Gold cannot be manufactured and
its finite quantity on earth means that it gets
depleted over time. Gold is used in manufacturing,
electronics, and artefacts of high intrinsic value
such as jewellery and financial instrument due to
its rarity, workability and durability.
What are the different grades of gold?
You have pure gold – also known as 24K gold
or 99.99, which refers to the percentage of gold;
22K or 916 gold; 18K or 750 which is chiefly
used in white gold, gold watches and gold pens.
Below that you have 14K and 9K but they are
not so popular.
Graphic Credits: traderdannorcini.blogspot.com
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Lenny Chiah has more than 20 years in the media and advertising industry. She believes in continuous learning and loves to impart knowledge gleaned from her long experience in the field.
Rodney Toh is the founder of Kim & Kerrie Sdn Bhd, an e-Book publishing solution provider and pioneer in the field in Malaysia.
opinions and behaviours
with different sets of values,
needs and expectations.
Therefore, conflicting views
are bound to happen with
each individual or team
wanting to achieve their own
goals within a limited supply
of resources.
R: What are these “limited resources”?
L: An organisation always has
limited resources in the form
of tangible assets like the 4
Ms. The first ‘M’ is Manpower,
then, Material, like company
cars, iPads, iPhones and
bigger office space. Also,
Money, like salary increments,
bonuses and incentives. The
last ‘M’ is Machinery, like
Positive
Politicsas the Best Practice in the workplaceRODNEY TOH iNTERviEwED LENNY CHiAH DuRiNg A sTAgE iNTERviEw sEssiON ON 26/8/2012 (suNDAY) DuRiNg THE POPuLAR BOOk FEsT AT kLCC, ENgLisH PAviLiON
Rodney (R): Please define politics in the workplace.
Lenny (L): In general, Politics
is the use of one’s power to
influence others to achieve
a set of goals and benefits
for individual, team or the
organisation as a whole. In
a nutshell, Politics is using
power and influence to get
what we want.
R: Why are there politics in the organisation or workplace?
L: There is a multitude
of people with different
and diverse interests,
backgrounds, beliefs,
Lenny Chiah
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The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
office systems and hardware
to get jobs done.
And intangible assets like
status, job power distribution,
control of information
flow, career advancement,
job promotion, and even
rewarding or prestigious
assignments like being given
overseas trips or blue-chip
clients to service.
Therefore, these resource
limitations always lead
to power struggles,
unfortunately, with negative
tactics like misrepresentation
of facts, downplaying
others, abusive handling of
the promotion and reward
system for your blue-
eyed boys or pets, unfair
practices of hiring and firing
procedures.
R: You talked about Negative Politics and Positive Politics. What are the differences?
L: Manipulating and
competing for limited
resources by a self-serving
individual at the expense of
others or the organisation is
Negative Politics.
R: Please give me some examples.
L: Credit claiming for example,
the credit thief who steals
other’s good works. Or pass
the buck and blame others
for mistakes.
Like in the case of the
corruptive leadership
game by Enron’s tactic of
Impression Management,
through distorting
information and suppressing
bad news about company’s
performance, thus resulting in
wrong decisions being made,
leading to the downfall of the
company.
Some other negative cases
were witnessed in the recent
London Olympic Games.
We noted some game fixing
or manipulations, doping
etc. with the objective to
win, but at the expense of
the individual as well as
the country’s image and
reputation.
R: What about Positive
Mr Rodney Toh, the interviewer, and Lenny Chiah, the respondent on stage
Office politics the use of one's individual or assigned power within an employing organization for the purpose of obtaining advantages beyond one's legitimate authority.
mbaedgeTM 67
Lenny Chiah answering questions from the floor. The pendrive inventor, Datuk K.S. Phua, is behind Lenny.
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industry.
Positive outcomes can be
rewarding. Playing it well
can help us to surpass any
academic qualifications,
expertise, personality,
characteristics and
intelligence.
You really don’t need to be a
PhD holder to get promoted
etc. Other outcomes are like
win-win or multi-wins, faster
decision making, better team
work and performances
which are good for
individuals, teams as well as
the organisations.
For me, I strongly advocate
Positive Politics as the best
practice of organisational
culture. It is all about good
working relationships and
communication.
R: When a company emphasises zero tolerance for office politics, does this mean that the absence of negative politics is positive politics?
L: I believe you are referring
to Intel as one of the Best
Companies to work for in
Fortune Magazine list. I
guess what they meant was
probably the negative office
politics.
I personally believe that
there is no such thing as
“No politics”, that’s a very
academic concept.
As long as there is power
and influence, there will be
politics. If I understand it well,
Intel believes in the open
office concept, even the
CEO had no office. Literally,
Politics? Could you tell us more about it?
L: Cooperating and
competing for limited
resources for the common
good or greater good of the
team or the organisation is
considered positive politics.
One such positive example
was also during the recent
Olympic Games, in which,
after winning over our
Datuk Lee Chong Wei, the
Olympic Gold medallist,
Lin Dan humbly said that
he had to thank Datuk Lee
for his superb performance
which had spurred Lin Dan
himself to upgrade his skill to
perform even better to win
the gold medal.
Overall, the super match
of the century had indeed
upgraded the overall
standard of the badminton
nothing behind closed doors,
as there is no room and so
no door.
But just by having an open
office structure doesn’t mean
there are no office politics. As
I mentioned earlier, politics is
all about human relationships
and communication. It is also
about having proper systems
like reward, promotion, hiring
and firing procedures and
many other human resource
functions in fair and good
order. So that nobody can
take advantage of what is
lacking or the imperfection of
these things by interpreting
and dictating their own rules
in accordance with their own
agenda.
R: You have worked for or cooperated with many different organisations
I strongly advocate Positive Politics as the best practice of organisational culture. It is all about good working relationships and communication.
Mr Lai Sing Siang, Advisor of HELP University, being asked about the application of “Jungle Warware” to “Office Politics”
mbaedgeTM 69
and have seen many cases of negative politics at work. Could you share with us on how to change these negative politics to positive politics?
L: For leaders, set the
constructive and positive
political tone as effective
organisational culture for
the healthy growth of the
organisation. Organisational
culture is a direct reflection
of the leader’s values and
character.
For individuals, if you are still
climbing up the corporate
ladder, the first rule and the
most golden one is that when
we have nothing nice to say,
it’s best not to say anything,
don’t just say something
for the sake of saying it.
Otherwise, the things that
you say will come back to
haunt you. Sure, we can be
good listeners, especially
when people gossip or
bitch about somebody. It’s
important to make peace and
be friends with others as it is
said that if we don’t spend
5% of our time building up
relationships, we are doing
something very wrong for our
career indeed.
Next thing to remember is
that we do have a choice
to protect or to defend
ourselves in office politics.
Usually, our most immediate
reaction is either Fight or
Flight.
“Fight” tactic is not
encouraged. Because if
we fight, we will create
even more tension,
misunderstanding and
resistance, and thus
worsening the conflicts, as
the other side will sure to
oppose every thing we say or
suggest simply for retaliation
or saving face.
“Flight” or evasive tactic is
also not encouraged, as we
would be seen as indifferent,
unmotivated and lacking the
ability to cooperate and to
solve the conflict. Therefore,
we can fail as a problem
solver. Most importantly, we
unintentionally let others
who could be very much less
capable, less experienced
or less hardworking than us
to take advantage and to
manipulate and to influence
decisions in our absence.
These decisions can either
make or break our career.
Whenever there is a budget
cut, people with this type of
“Flight” or evasive attitude
will usually be the first on
the chopping board. This is
a survival game of the fittest.
Perception can always be a
reality. Therefore, we need to
be known for our capabilities
and must have the backbone
to stand up to defend our
career and our reputation.
Remember, we are hired for
what we know, but get fired
for who we are.
R: Both these two tactics (Fight & Flight) are equally unhealthy for career advancement or even our health. What is the positive approach to handling negative politics?
L: Well, we know that bosses
with sound minds would
not choose someone
who is bitchy, emotional,
who complains and fights
all the time, or someone
“Fight” tactic is not encouraged. Because if we fight, we will create even more tension, misunderstanding and resistance . . .
70 mbaedgeTM
The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
who takes the flight tactic
and is perceived as being
uninterested all the time.
What the bosses want to see
is someone who is mature,
strategic and is capable
enough to be a problem
solver, or a bridge builder and
a mediator to take charge
of conflicts and to initiate
open communication to
value every one’s unique
needs and goals, opinions
and contributions. for a
multi-win solution. Even if
we are the star performers,
we must still remain positive,
so that we can make it easy
for our bosses to champion
us for a new challenging
and rewarding job, or for a
promotion.
R: How about the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you? Wouldn’t you give others the benefit of a doubt?
L: Yes, do not think of
only the negative side of
people’s behaviours. This
is self-defeating if we keep
thinking of the differences
in each other’s opinions.
It’s better that we focus on
the overall objective of the
organisation which is to grow
and sustain the business.
Be strategic, open-minded,
respect different opinions
by being more pragmatic
and less idealistic, because
ideology can deter us from
understanding the needs and
opinions of others. When the
organisation does not win,
we also do not win. When
everyone does not win, but
only our competitors win,
then the organisation cannot
survive well.
R: So is there ever a “win-win” situation?
L: Yes, from school days,
we were given the idea of
“win-lose” tactics especially in
sports and any competitions
as there was only one place
for the champion. So when
you win, I have to lose. But
this is not so at all in our
work place today. We have
to practise win-win, and
learn how to be diplomatic
in giving face to others, so
that people don’t look bad.
It’s ok to be the first to eat the
humble pie as long as we can
get things done.
Also, we may not be the
champion, but at least we
can be the winner. Like in
the earlier mentioned case
of the champion Lin Dan’s
high accolades of our Datuk
Lee Chong Wei. Obviously,
Datuk Lee is truly a winner for
his superb performance and
great sportsmanship.
R: In a scenario where a co-worker is not part of a group and the group gangs up against him, what would be your
Office politics is a major issue in business because the individuals who manipulate their working relationships consume time and resources for their own gain at the expense of the team or company.
mbaedgeTM 71
advice to him or her?
L: Well, my advice is to leave
the group, and join another
group of people who respect
you and share the same
interests. Focus on the things
you do best. Consult them
always for any problems. The
adage “birds of a feather flock
together” still holds true. So if
you still can’t beat the devils,
join them. It is important that
we should keep our friends
close, but keep our enemies
even closer!
One more advice, do not
have all your emotional eggs
in one basket. Do know some
Risk Sharing Management.
Therefore, it’s very important
to have a balanced life
beyond work, as beloved
family and good friends are
our safe harbours whenever
we are sailing in the stormy
seas of office politics.
Under all circumstances,
never present ourselves as
victims.
Be a mental warrior. Other
than EQ, IQ, SQ and AQ, we
must also have PQ. The P
is for Politics, so it’s Politics
Quotient, PQ. Meaning that
we need to do our very
best always even if we can’t
change the outcome. But at
least others can see that we
react positively and maturely.
In a way, it’s a self-branding
opportunity too. Good
for career advancement.
Remember, the more we
climb up the corporate
ladder, the more PQ we
should have to convince
others and to beat the rest to
win the race.
R: At what point is it worth considering changing jobs/career due to negative politics?
L: Office politics is
everywhere. It’s like the air
we breathe in, either fresh
or stale. So unless there
is a better prospect and
also that we have enough
management or business
skills for us to go over to
the other so-called greener
pastures, we can’t be job
hopping all the time simply
because we fail to handle the
negative office politics.
R: What are some of these management or business skills you have just mentioned ?
L: Well, whether we survive or
fail to survive office politics,
we do unknowingly acquire
some of these transferable
skills like interpersonal skills,
impression management,
communications, negotiation,
stakeholder management as
well as other general skills
like social networking in the
process. These are truly career
survival skills that should help
us to build up our immunity
to notorious attacks or to
In the workplace, where resources are limited, individuals have an incentive to achieve their goals at the expense of their colleagues.
72 mbaedgeTM
The Premier Postgradaute Magazine in Malaysia
help outdo and outwit those
office politic players. These
players have many names like
Drama Queen, Hell Warden,
Toxic King, Office Psycho and
whatnot.
R: Some will say that office politics is always bad. What are your thoughts on this?
L: Well, I think whoever
says this could actually be
the office politics players
themselves. I would like to
reiterate that as long as we
want to get our jobs done
smoothly and get ahead,
we really must have good
working relationships and
cooperation from all related
parties. To create this good
relationship, we must
practise politics, of course in
a positive and ethical way.
Even though we might not
do it actively or proactively,
many a time, subconsciously,
we are actually doing it. And
also, very often, someone
we respect and admire
greatly might have practised
their positive politics tactics
naturally and subtly without
us realising it. Or in most
cases, someone who can
appear to be very supportive
and appreciative is actually
very toxic and is working
very hard to undermine or
sabotage our plans, efforts,
reputation and career.
And to safeguard our
career, one should not be
naïve to always think that
we should be judged on
merit, performance and
contributions only. Much
more is needed than these
factors alone to protect
ourselves from any negative
office politics.
R: What are your parting thoughts to those facing some of these challenges of negative politics in the workplace?
L: Office politics is natural,
it is like the cockroach that
will survive after a million
years or even after an atomic
bomb or a weapon of mass
destruction. We just have to
get on board or get left out,
but always for positive and
constructive reasons. If we do
not practise positive politics,
the outcome is like this
image: instead of seeing light
at the end of the tunnel, we
see only the oncoming train
towards us. Do not let this
kind of destruction to spoil
any of our successful chances
for ourselves as well as for the
organisation ! ME
Co-worker backstabbing occurs to some degree in many workplaces. It consists of an employee doing something to another employee to get a "leg up" on the other employee.
mbaedgeTM 73
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DEXTER LIM & W.T. KAMRM500 BONUS OFFER!CHECK OUT THE FIRST PAGE OF THE BOOK NOW! For every book purchased, get RM500 off our Property Fast Track Seminar! Log onto www.PropertyFastTrack.comwww.facebook.com/FinanciallyFreeThroughProperties
Start from 0! 3 Years to A RM10 Million Property Portfolio“The tale of Dexter’s property investment journey from 0 to A 10 million property portfolio in three years following his partner-cum-mentor Kam’s Property Fast Track method. Simple, duplicate-able, and the fast track way to increase his portfolio. This young man, in a struggling Superman small business with only RM2,400 left in his savings with a RM10,000 credit card debt, bought a below market property with all of his life savings and creative financing; and doubled up his property portfolio every year and reached RM10 milion in just three years. In this book, he shares with you all the details that make up his deals, and how Kam’s training and mentorship has guided him to where he is today. Here, he talks about how he:
Purchased all properties with little or no-money down• Consistently doubled-up his portfolio every year following • a simple game planAll properties generating Rental returns of minimum 6% to 17%• Created a RM10 million portfolio• Infinity returns on all deals purchased• Low risk property investment methods”•
“It is an interesting read to see how Dexter and Natalie journeyed from 0 to a RM10 million property portfolio in three years by staying focused, persistent, following some simple steps, and duplicating the process again and again. What W.T. Kam taught has really benefited this young couple. And it’ll inspire a lot of our youths today to make a difference in their lives by investing in properties.” by Y.B. Senator Dato’IR Donald Lim, Deputy Finance Minister of Malaysia.
A light read with a POWERFUL impact! Make sure you take the time to read this book and apply the strategies! Dexter reminds me of myself when I got started. Young. Hungry. Willing to do whatever it takes. Dexter truly believes in enlightened wealth and has an incredible future. I’m honoured to be able to make this contribution to this incredible book and I’m excited for all those who take the time to read it and apply the strategies that it contains. Bear hugs to you, Robert G. AllenInternational Multi-Bestselling AuthorCreating Wealth, Multiple Streams of Income, Multiple Streams of Internet Income, Nothing Down, Nothing Down for Women, One Minute Millionaire, Cracking the Millionaire Code, and Cash In A Flash.
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worth RM500!
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