Post on 13-Mar-2016
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“Now Everyone Can Have Good Skin”
Malaysia’s New Hub of Nanocomputing Technology
2013 Annual Issue Bi-monthly Magazine | Issue 15
•Anniversary Edition•
Bullish Predictions for Malaysia’s Mining Future – It’s High Time to Close the Talent Gap
Business Segment:People Power: Shankar Nagalingam
Country Human Resources Director of Dell Malaysia and South Asia Developing Markets
Defining the MODERN CEODato’ Michael Tio
Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director PKT Logistics Sdn Bhd One Logistics Hub
ISSN 2232-0342
9772232034009 PP17103/15/2013 (030736) 2013 Issue 15/ 2013 Annual Issue RM7.00
Professor Datin Dr Clara CheeFounder/Chairperson, Clara International Beauty Group
YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin
Malaco Mining MD, Sia Hok Kiang
TM
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PEOPLE POWERMr Shankar NagalingamCountry Human Resources Director of DELL Malaysia and South Asia Developing Markets
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Defining theMODERN CEODato’ Michael Tio Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director PKT Logistics Sdn Bhd One Logistics HubTM
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“Now Everyone Can Have Good Skin”Professor Datin Dr Clara CheeFounder/Chairperson, Clara International Beauty Group
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EDITOR’S NOTESCORPORATEManaging Director: Steven ShimOffice Manager: Vicky ShimKey Accounts Manager: Wong Finance Manager: Bonnie Bang
EDITORIAL TEAMSenior Editor: Janet TayContributing Editors: Alexandra WongWriters: Nurraihana, Mohd AmilContributors: Dr Tazeeb, Dr Chong, Sia Hok Kiang, Dr Albert, Dr Loannis, Sr Azita, Massuhaella, Chong Meng Kiong, Cheang Wai Leong, Chua Yu Kiat
Photographer: Mccain PhotographyGraphic Designer: Nazir Tay
PUBLISHERPenerbit 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: info@pwn.com.my, penerbitwawasan@gmail.com Website: www.pwn.com.my
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While editing our 4th anniversary special edition, I was struck by a common quality among our interviewees.
Sure, they think big, are risk takers and probably work harder than anybody in their respective fields - the usual traits associated with over-achievers.
But reading about their key lessons and experiences, particularly from the formative years, I couldn’t help noticing another recurring theme: they are all passionate advocates of continuous learning and improvement.
Sia Hok Kiang, Managing Director of Malaco Mining and one of the mining industry’s most respected thought leaders, believes that being an all-rounder with a keen understanding of negotiation skills and corporate governance, as well as other important aspects of management, was critical to his professional growth.
You may be surprised that Dato’ Michael Tio, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of PKT Logistics Sdn Bd and One Logitics HubTM started the traditional way by joining the family business, but has an ultra-modern approach when it comes to
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EDITOR’S NOTEScorporate culture: he encourages his staff to use Facebook as a communication platform because he believes it helps him to give his employees his side of the story.
Professor Datin Dr Clara Chee, Founder and Chairperson of Clara International Beauty Group, a pioneer in the beauty industry, did not rest on her laurels once her beauty business began to boom. Instead, she enrolled in the University of De Montfort UK to upgrade her knowledge and skill sets.
The key takeaway: getting ahead goes beyond mastering the technical aspects of your field. The good news? It’s achievable, as these trailblazers prove.
Happy learning!
EDITOR’S NOTE
The Editor
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CONTENTS
FeaturingHighlights
METAL POWER
COVER STORY
CON
TEN
TS
FACON Education Fair28
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18 The ChallengesOf Supply Chain Talent Management with Dr. Ioannis Lagoudis & Dr. Albert Tan
Postgraduate studies speaks to Mr Sia Hok Kiang, Managing Director of Malaco Mining Sdn Bhd and Council Member of the Malaysian Chamber of Mines.
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Student Leader And High Achiever Makes Inspiring Speech At Graduation
Malaysia’s New HubOf Nanocomputing Technology
Minister of Higher Education Launched Malaysia’s First University to Specialise in Computer Science And Engineering
WORLD CLASS INSTITUTIONS AT FACON EDUCATION FAIR!
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CONTENTS
Interviews
PEOPLE POWER
BUSINESS SEGMENT
46Mr Shankar NagalingamCountry Human Resources Director of DELL Malaysiaand South Asia Developing Markets
Dato’ Michael TioChief Executive Officer & Managing Director PKT Logistics Sdn Bhd One Logistics Hub
Professor Datin Dr Clara CheeFounder/Chairperson, Clara International Beauty Group
4041
4342
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“Now Everyone Can Have Good Skin”
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66Chong Meng Kiong
Chun Yu Kiat
Massuhaella Binti Mohd Idris
Cheang Wai Leong
Sr Azita Mohamed Tahir
BUSINESS SEGMENT
Defining the MODERN CEO
TM
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It’s high time to address the talent gap in
the mining industry. Despite the tin sector’s
collapse, Malaysia’s best days in mining are yet
to come, according to Sia Hok Kiang,
CEO of Malaco Mining. He speaks about economic
opportunities and job prospects in the mining
industry, and gives us his frank views on hot topics
Lynas and Rare Earth.
By Alexandra Wong
MIGHTY METAL
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How did you get involved in your
current field?
I am an economic geologist specialising in
mineral projects. I graduated in Applied Geology
from the University of Malaya. I joined Osbourne
and Chappell International (a mining company)
in 1981 and was lucky to be posted worldwide in
mineral exploration and development projects.
For the benefit of the layman, what
exactly do you do? And how does your
line of work impact the common man?
My forte is my hands-on knowledge in
the mining industry. That is, a very good
understanding of how the various types of
mineral deposits are formed; the costs to mine
the mineral deposits, the costs of the various
types of mineral extraction methods and a good
current understanding of the metal prices.
With the above knowledge, I am able to study
those mining projects that are in distress (such
as under foreclosure or abandoned) and evaluate
the geology and mine economics to identify
viable deposits from distressed projects.
Postgraduate studies speaks to Mr Sia Hok Kiang, MD of Malaco Mining.
The science of mineral deposits has advanced
tremendously over the last 30 years. By keeping abreast
of new knowledge in the geology of ore deposits, I am
able to identify “blind” deposits which escaped earlier
exploration.
There is always a higher probability of finding new ore
deposits from a mining field that was closed down. You
hunt elephants in elephant country.
The revival of closed-down mineral projects helps to
unearth locked and abandoned mineral resources and
provide additional employment.
1Q
Q2
COVER STORY
12
There is always a higher probability of finding new ore deposits from a mining field that was closed down. You hunt elephants in elephant country.
3
4Q
Q
What keeps you busy on the professional
front these days?
Through the Malaysian Chamber of Mines and in
collaboration with The Mineral and Geoscience
Department, I am actively promoting the revival
of the mining industry in Malaysia. I attend mining
conferences and present relevant papers.
I am also actively identifying viable mineral
deposits in Malaysia and other countries.
What are some of the more exciting global
developments happening in the mining
industry?
The fast-paced economic development of highly-
populated nations and the mass production
of miniaturised electronic devices have led to
increased demand for conventional industrial
metals and new technology metals (NTM).
The past decades of lull in the mining industry had
resulted in the slowing down of supplies in metals.
The imbalance in the supply/demand curve thus
pushes the prices up, encouraging the exploration
and development of new mining projects.
This is the most exciting time in the history of the
mining industry.
COVER STORY
13
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6
7
8
Q
Q
Q
Q
What is the outlook for the mining
industry in Malaysia?
Malaysia is lucky to be endowed with very
favorable geology for the formation of mineral
deposits. This is why we were once the
World’s largest producer of tin. We still have
substantial primary deposits of tin, tungsten,
rare earth, copper, base metals, iron, gold,
coal and other industrial minerals awaiting
development.
With the implementation of the New
Mineral Development policies the Government
is encouraging the development of the mineral
sector; coupled with our high geological
potential Malaysia’s outlook for the mining
industry is bright.
What are the job prospects available in
the mining industry?
The mining industry will require geologists,
mining engineers, metallurgists, safety/
environmental engineers, civil, mechanical
and electrical engineers, accountants, human
resource officers and other usual industry
support personnel.
What are the career path and rewards that
await a geology graduate, for example, if
he or she does well in the mining sector?
A successful geologist who does well in the
mining sector has the competitive advantage
of understanding the geology of ore deposits.
He/she will be able to progress to head the
exploration department of mining companies, and
ultimately head the corporation.
Better still, if he/she is entrepreneurial he/she may
be able to identify mineral deposits and start their
own businesses.
In Australia, mining leaders have raised
the concern of the lack of skilled workers.
Is Malaysia facing a similar manpower
shortage in the mining sector?
This problem is even more acute in Malaysia.
Since the collapse of the tin industry in 1985
the Malaysian mining industry has practically
ceased, save a handful of mines. This lack of job
opportunity discouraged students from taking
mining geology courses.
Those who did graduate in geology were unable
to obtain industry training and exposure to gain
experience, resulting in a huge talent gap.
What is the root cause of the talent gap?
Our local universities provide geology as
well as mineral engineering courses, so
there is no lack of educational opportunity.
It is the lack of a viable career path within
the country that caused the talent gap.
9Q
COVER STORY
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Better still, if he/she is entrepreneurial he/she may be able to identify mineral deposits and start their own businesses.
Geologist at workShould it be an area to
reconsider, with the advent
of information technology
and mining technology, not to
mention the fact that mining is
on the upswing again?
In view of the upswing in the mineral
sector
in Malaysia, we must endeavor to
close this talent gap.
What is your suggestion to the
Ministry of Education to close
the gap in this field?
We must enhance the practical
aspect in the field of mineral science
education.
In this respect, it would be good if
large mining companies could set up
specific mining schools in Malaysia;
in collaboration with famous mining
and geology schools such as Curtin,
McGill, Colorado School of Mines,
Geology University of Beijing; and to
provide mining and geological training
to both undergraduates and post
graduates.
The operating mines can then be used
as a practical training ground for the
various aspects of the industry from
exploration to mining, mineral dressing
and metallurgy.
Scholarships can be provided by the
industryto excellent students.
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11
Q
Q
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What is your personal take on
Lynas and Rare Earth? What is fact
and what is myth? With so many
conflicting views circulating in the
media, the layman would appreciate
the honest viewpoint from a
specialist.
Rare Earth is a collective name chemists
gave to a group of 17 metallic elements
which have specific chemical and physical
characteristics. It is not “earth” as
perceived by the name, and it is not rare
too, the occurrence of rare earth group of
elements (REE) is more than tin or copper
in the Earth’s crust.
Rare Earths constitute 17 out of 37
elements in the earth that had been
identified as New Technology Metals
(NTM). Example of the usage of rare
earth elements is in the manufacture of
super magnets, which is critical in the
manufacture of hybrid cars, smart phones
and high speed maglev trains.
Rare earth metals are not radioactive.
Rare earth metals do not occur naturally
in the earth’s crust, but come in the
form of compound in minerals such as
monazite, xenotime. Rare earth elements
are extracted from these minerals through
a leaching process which is what Lynas is
doing in Malaysia.
The mineral that carries rare earth element
contains thorium (Th) which is mildly
radioactive. After the extraction of the rare
earth elements, the residue of thorium
oxide could be contained in concrete
containers. The residual radiation is very
mild as compared to radiation from uranium
in the nuclear reactor cells; and can be
easily contained.
Why did these companies come
to Malaysia? Does their presence
benefit Malaysia, economically
speaking?
I believe Lynas came to Malaysia because
of logistic economics.
The Lynas rare earth mine located in
West Australia is very far from the coast.
If Lynas were to set up their extraction plant
at the mine site, they have to transport the
acid (extraction solvent) from the suppliers
in the cities to the mine site, and then
transport the finished product back to the
coast to be shipped to the end user (Japan).
Both overland transport and labor costs are
high in Australia.
West Malaysia is strategic in that the
industrial zone is next to the port, we are
near to the end user, and we have an acid
plant right there in the same industrial park!
For Lynas it would cost far much less to
ship the ore concentrate amounting to
about just 30,000 tons per year from West
Australia to Malaysia than to process the
ore on site.
12 13Q Q
16
With the successful operation of Lynas,
Malaysia will join 6 other nations (China,
USA, Japan, India, France and Germany) as
producer of rare earth elements.
With the presence of a refining plant right
within our country, our own rare earth
resources may be developed as an upstream
industry to rival China, which currently
controls almost 92% of the rare earth supply
in the World.
Since rare earth elements are the New
Technology Metals of the future, the
development of our very own rare earth
resources will benefit our economy
tremendously.
What is your advice for graduates and
post-graduates who are interested in
joining the mining sector? What do you
need to do well?
Be knowledgeable. Mining is an exact
science so there is no guess work. Keep
learning and enhancing your knowledge, not
just your specific field, but also related fields.
Mining bosses prefer well rounded staff.
For example, if you are a geologist, you must
have an in-depth knowledge in the geology
of ore deposits. At the same time, you must
acquire working knowledge about mining
engineering (how the ore deposit found by
you can be mined) and mineral processing
(how the minerals can be extracted from the
ore mined).
COVER STORY
14Q
...it will be good if large mining companies could set up specific mining schools in Malaysia; in collaboration with famous mining and geology schools such as Curtin, McGill, Colorado School of Mines, Geology University of Beijing; and to provide mining and geological training to both undergraduates and post graduates.
17
What would you consider career-
changing milestones in your life?
In 1987 I decided to leave employment.
Without the technical and financial
support of a large mining corporation, I
had to handle every aspect of mining on a
hands-on basis.
The episode taught me that being
knowledgeable in geology alone was not
sufficient to be a miner! I was then forced
to learn to be an all-rounder.
COVER STORY
15 16Q QAnd you clearly walk your talk. Though
trained as a subject expert in mining,
you’re remarkably well-versed in a
diverse range of fields and subjects. Can
you share how being an all-rounder has
helped you get ahead in your career?
My comprehensive knowledge in the field of
mining enabled me to translate mineral content
grades into dollar and cents. By comparing
with the localised unit mining costs and the
corresponding processing costs, I was able to
identify viable mineral deposits very quickly.
At the same time, I learned the skill of
negotiation and corporate governance including
the all-important financial analysis and
contract laws. All these important aspects of
management gained me headway in my career.
On a personal note, do you have any favourite quotes
that are your source of inspiration?
“Sunrise always follows Sunset”“Be Specific”
“ 1 + 1 equals to only 1.7. Be prepared to share your profit”
to contact Mr.Sia: hksia@malaco.com.my
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THE CHALLENGES OF SUPPLY CHAIN TALENT MANAGEMENT
HIGHLIGHTS
Postgraduate Studies MEB speaks to Dr Ioannis Lagoudis & Dr Albert Tan about the challenges of supply chain talent management (finding and keeping talents for the industry.)
www.misi.edu.my
Tell us what your profession now is. What do you do?
I am Assistant Professor at the Malaysian Institute for Supply Chain
Innovation specializing in transportation logistics and supply chain
management. I am also the Director of Applied Research.
I am an associate professor in MISI and beside teaching and research;
I am also the director for education looking after the graduate program,
exchange program with overseas universities, executive program and
curriculum development.
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Dr. Ioannis LagoudisDr. Albert Tan
HIGHLIGHTS
Tell us your brief background. What did you do previously? (research?)
I hold a first degree in Economics from the National and Capodistrian University of Athens,
M.Sc. and Ph.D. in transport logistics from Cardiff Business School and Post-Doctoral
Degree in Port Logistics from the University of the Aegean.
Prior to joining the Malaysian Institute for Supply Chain Innovation I worked in industry as a
consultant and in academia teaching Shipping Management, Strategic Management and Decision Making
and Modeling at the University of Aegean, the Hellenic Open University and U21 Global in Singapore.
I was an Associate Director in National University of Singapore managing the Double Master
program in Supply Chain Management as well as teaching IT management programs in one
of the institute. Previously, I was working as Director in a government agency in Singapore
responsible for upgrading the IT capability of the manufacturing and logistics industries.
This involved planning and evaluating e-Commerce solutions for the chemical and logistics
industries. I have also provided numerous BPR and ERP consulting for both discrete and process
environment in Asia to streamline their supply chain while working in Oracle systems.
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How did you choose the research topic?
The maritime and transportation industry
in general even today are considered as
a non-value adding activity within the
supply chain management concept since
no product transformation activity takes place. Back in the
mid 90s this idea was prevailing even more and I thought
it would be a challenge to prove that transportation is a
significant link to the supply chain strategies adopted by
companies and thus some value is created.
In the late 1990’s, research in reverse
logistics is very minimal as compared to
the forward distribution and supply chain.
Therefore, I work closely with a professor
who has keen interest in reverse logistics to build models
that can help to deepen the knowledge in this field and
identify potential ideas for industry to apply or adopt.
HIGHLIGHTS
What is the main thesis of your doctorate paper?
My PhD thesis focuses on identifying
value in maritime transport operations.
In the thesis a number of processes
are identified related to maritime
operations and these are assessed in order to identify
their importance and value (not necessarily monetary) for
maritime companies.
A decision model for managing reverse
logistics operations in the computer
industry – objective is to examine
various economic factors to make
reverse logistics operations a profitable business.
....I thought it would be a challenge to prove that transportation is a significant link to the supply chain strategies adopted by companies and thus some value is created.
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HIGHLIGHTS
What do you find most challenging about Supply
chain management?
One of the biggest challenges is the fact
that one needs to coordinate numerous
activities, which span around the globe
and are exposed to high variability and
uncertainty. Coming from a transportation background
I can reassure you that the “simple” process of moving
goods globally is exposed to significant variability
stemming from adverse weather conditions, breakdowns
to strikes etc. Overcoming all these uncertainties is a
great challenge and not always straight forward.
Managing suppliers and customers is
the most challenging task as compared
to managing resources within an
organization due to differences in
objectives and expectations between them and the
organization. Mutual trust takes a long time to build
especially in Asia and thus additional controls are built to
ensure quality service and products. Additional layers for
check and balances are built at the interface between the
supply chain members, resulting in additional costs and
unnecessary delays.
SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT How is supply chain relevant to your work today?
At research level we have number of
supply chain initiatives, which relate to
different supply chains. Here in Malaysia
and in the wider ASEAN region we have
identified a number of problems, which relate to niche
supply chains such as Halal, Dangerous Goods, and
Cold etc. With the cooperation of our industry partners
we try to solve a number of problems that relate to
supply chain operations and we try to minimize the
level of complexity and uncertainty involved.
Supply chain is not limited to goods only
and can be applicable to service supply
chain. I am involved in a number of
researches on service outsourcing and
it helps me to understand the importance of drafting a
contract that is able to protect the consumer in the event
of dispute. MISI has outsourced a number of services
to vendor and these service supply chains are critical
to ensure we are able to deliver consistent and reliable
services to our students and customers.
for more information contact www.misi.edu.my
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What are the supply chain challenges/concerns
in a multinational corporation?
(Supply-demand disruptions?
Low profit?) I am not really sure from
where one should begin. The fact
that modern multinational supply
chain strategies practically mean global presence and
operations one can understand the level of complexity
at all levels from top and bottom. I could list just a
few among the many being cultural, production, FX,
transportation, quality, financial etc.
With economic uncertainty in Europe and
the USA, it is a key concern for MNC to
ensure business sustainability. These
MNCs are evaluating various options to
expand their market overseas to increase their revenues
and to reduce their supply chain costs to maintain their
profit margins.
Where there is a short supply of talented
workforce in the country, how does an
organization acquire key talent?
I would start by saying that there is a lack
of SCM talent globally with ASIA lagging
behind I could say. Acquisition of such
talent is one of the biggest challenges
that Global HR Heads are facing at the moment. I guess
that one the key sources of finding this talent is via
academia. MISI being under the MIT-SCALE network
offers great opportunities for companies to that extent.
Some organizations have sponsored
some of their non-supply chain staffs
to do a conversion program to become
supply chain executives while others
have offer scholarships for full time students in supply
chain management.
What are some strategies to attract new pool
of talent to supply chain management? (To the
company and the industry)
My understanding is that apart from
the financial incentives probably, most
important when attracting new talent
is that the job should offer challenges
and significant opportunities for evolution within the
company. Our experience shows that applicants weight
the latter two variables more.
Some organizations have management
trainee program to attract them into
their companies with potential for them
to accelerate the career development.
Others have promised new comers exciting roles and
responsibilities to prove their capabilities before sending
them overseas to start new operations.
At the industry level, supply chain management should
be positioned not as sweatshop job but as a professional
job with strong emphasize on analytical and soft skills.
Are they any strategies in retaining talents?
Offering new challenges to employees
along with showing them that they
can climb the “ladder of hierarchy”.
The offering of continuous education
opportunities to employees is also a
strategy that works. Financial incentives should not be
excluded……
Supply chain professionals are given
ample opportunities to work in different
capacities to understand the entire
supply chain. From sourcing to planning
to distribution and transportation. These scopes will
allow them to widen their knowledge and later expand
their portfolio or role to manage their internal staffs.
HIGHLIGHTS
23
Who should apply MSCM?
Anyone with high goals and aspirations
in solving complex global problems
regardless of his/her background should
apply for such a Program. The reason
that ones background should not restrain him/her from
attending such a course is that this year we have a
lawyer on board and I can reassure you that he excelling.
Those who are analytical and have a
passion for supply chain or logistics
management should be encouraged to
apply for MSCM. Those who have a few
years of experience will be ideal, as this course would
assume some basic background of businesses that are
lacking from freshmen.
HIGHLIGHTS
GLOBAL THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Offering new challenges to employees along with showing them that they can climb the “ladder of hierarchy”.
for more information contact www.misi.edu.my
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What are the career prospects of a MSCM holder?
Probably among the best globally.
The importance of the role of the
supply chain manager is increasing at
a constant pace. Companies having
realized this assign higher executive
positions to SCM people involving them more and more
at strategic level decision-making stages.
Generally, based on the job profiles
from MIT SCM alums, most of the
students will end up working for
consulting companies as a consultant,
in manufacturing or logistics companies as a business
analyst or in software companies as an IT consultant.
Do they stand a better chance for Asia/ this
region exposure?
In a recent round table at MIT where the
discussion was on SCM talent the lack
of skilled and qualified personnel in Asia
was rather evident. HR VPs from over
30 multinationals who participated in this event shared
exactly the same concern on how and where to acquire
and retain SCM personnel that will be able to meet the
needs in Asia and serve the global strategies they try to
implement.
Yes, they will stand a better chance with
Asia exposure since most of the training
will be referring to Asia for discussion as
Asia is growing economically. Most of
our existing students are from Asia and thus will be able
to interact well in class discussions.
What is the overall outlook for the market in this
region?
Asia is the place to be. The prospects
in Asia probably far better compared to
the rest of the world today and for many
years to come. The opening of new
markets and political developments such as the ASEAN
community offer significant opportunities for those who
want to stay in the area.
The outline for job market in supply chain
management is promising as there is
still a shortage of these professionals in
Asia. Some of the existing supply chain
professionals are not trained in this field while other
companies are outsourcing parts of the supply chain due
to a lack of expertise in their organizations. In fact, more
organizations are seeing the important role of supply
chain management to integrate the different functions in
order to deliver reliable services to their customers.
HIGHLIGHTS
The importance of the role of the supply chain manager is increasing at a constant pace.
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What is your advice to students who are
interested in MSCM?
Go for it! The future belongs to those
who dare new innovative things!
With a positive job outlook for supply
chain professionals in Asia, those who
are keen to pursue their career in this
field should apply for MSCM and widen
their knowledge .The current CEO of Apple was the
ex-chief Supply Chain Officer before he was appointed
the CEO. That shows how importance supply chain
management skills are today in an organization.
What is your motto? What inspires
you?
Innovate! Think Big! Think Supply Chain!
Everyday we are faced with logistics
and supply chain issues and it has
been fortunate for me to apply some of
the supply chain management tools to
solve these issues. From scheduling, planning events
to negotiating with dealers, I have been able to benefit
from these tools to achieve my personal goals and
satisfaction.
What is MISI strategy?
(Academic-industry synergy?)
MISI is committed to reshaping the
conduct and content of education,
research and business at global level to
create and promote a culture of Value
Driven Innovation, which is an integral part of all our
processes, practices, methodologies and thinking co-
created with our stakeholders.
In order to achieve the above mission we have three key
pillars of activities:
i. Education – we offer full-time and part-time MSc
programs on Supply Chain Management following
probably the best curriculum on SCM used by MIT-CTL.
ii. Executive Training – we offer customized in-house
training programs in order executives across different
industries to be educated and become aware on
modern supply chain management practices
iii. Research – we partner with industry to conduct
high quality research on supply chain management
problems. The involvement of about 16 companies
today via our thesis program is among the partnering
initiatives.
MISI strategy ensures a win-win
relationship with industry. MISI conducts
applied research to solve industry issues
while industry will learn from MISI to
improve and streamline their supply chain.
It is a reinforcing loop to gain knowledge from industry
and impart new knowledge back to industry to improve
their supply chain.
HIGHLIGHTS
for more information contact www.misi.edu.my
26
Best Employer Award Grand Winner - Business of the Year Award
ANNOUNCEMENT
Dato’ Michael Tio with all the 5 awards
Dato’ Michael & Datin May with the adopted staff
Dato Michael and his Uni mates.
PKT Logistics Group Sdn Bhd (PKT Logistics),
has excelled in the past years with the vision
to be the leading logistics company in the
country. From the humble beginnings of
being a custom broker back in 1974 to a total logistics
solution company today, PKT Logistics stands strongly
on a 17 acre land along KESAS Highway.
With their commitment in the industry, it was of no
surprise that they were awarded 5 awards at the recent
Star Outstanding Business Awards 2012. Recognized as
the Grand Winner for the Business of the Year Award,
Best in CSR Award(Silver), Best Employer Award(Silver)
& Best Green Initiatives(Gold) has reaffirmed its
presence in the industry thus allowing its customers to
have total peace of mind with their logistics need.
To add to their success, PKT Logistics Chief Executive
& MD was also awarded the Grand Winner for the
Entrepreneur of the Year Award. He was quoted in
The Star by saying, “Communication was a key factor
needed to survive in today’s business environment. A
lot of companies bar Facebook at work, which is not the
right move. We are a Facebook-compulsory company,
meaning the whole organisation uses Facebook. I take
pride in saying that the response time between myself
and my staff is 30 seconds,”
Dato’ Michael philosophy is Dream of It, Talk about
It, Plan for It, Work on It and Get It is what keeps us
moving forward with success.
STAR OUTSTANDING BUSINESSAWARDS 2012PKT Logistics Group Sdn. Bhd.
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28
WORLD CLASS INSTITUTIONS
AT FACON EDUCATION FAIR!
The ever popular Facon Education Fair is
back in March 2013 with more than 500
booths set up by institutions of higher
learning. The fair is endorsed by Ministry
of Education and Ministry of Higher Education in
recognition of its success and contribution to the
education industry.
The fair also covered 11 cities in Peninsula & East
Malaysia where school leavers and working adults
have a unique opportunity to meet with 1,000
renowned institutions from Malaysia and overseas.
HIGHLIGHTS
29
Since its inception in 1990, this prestigious event has been attended by
millions of visitors underlining its popularity and public recognition for
its success and contributions to human resources development and the
education industry.
Facon Education Fair will be back in December 2013 and the dates and
venues are as follows:
For more information on Facon Education Fair please visit www.faconex.com or follow us on facebook, www.facebook.com/faconeducationfair.
Peninsula Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur Dec 7 & 8, 2013 (Sat & Sun) Putra World Trade Centre (Hall 3 & 4)
Alor Setar Dec 10, 2013 (Tue) Holiday Villa Hotel
Penang Dec 11, 2013 (Wed) Traders Hotel
Ipoh Dec 12, 2013 (Thu) Kinta Riverfront Hotel & Suites
Malacca Dec 13, 2013 (Fri) Equatorial Hotel
Johor Bahru Dec 14 & 15, 2013 (Sat & Sun) Persada Johor Intl’ Convention Centre
East Malaysia
Miri Dec 7, 2013 (Sat) Grand Palace Hotel
Kuching Dec 8, 2013 (Sun) Riverside Majestic Hotel
Sibu Dec 9, 2013 (Mon) RH Hotel
Sandakan Dec 13, 2013 (Fri) Sandakan Hotel
Kota Kinabalu Dec 14, 2013 (Sat) Promenade Hotel
Tawau Dec 15, 2013 (Sun) MB Hotel
HIGHLIGHTS
30
31
32
FEATURING
STUDENT LEADER AND HIGH ACHIEVER MAKES INSPIRING SPEECH AT GRADUATION
Press Release: 1 November 2012
Sunway University’s 517 graduates from
the Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Science and
Technology and the Sunway University
Business School received their scrolls in
a ceremony graced by the Chancellor of Lancaster
University, Sir Christian Bonington. The graduates
each received two scrolls, one from Sunway and one
from Lancaster University, a Top 10 UK university that
validates Sunway University’s home-grown degrees in
Information Systems, Information Technology, Computer
Science, Psychology, Business Management, Business
Studies and Accounting and Finance.
Valedictorian Candy Lee Ker Ching, a first class honours
graduate in B.Sc (Hons) Accounting and Finance,
spoke candidly how she had initially studied pharmacy
but decided to switch to accounting and finance. She
said “With plenty of uncertainties, I took the courage
to leave and embarked on a journey in accounting. It
was challenging in the beginning, but the only thing that
carried me through were faith and perseverance”. Lee
added “Looking back, following my heart and instincts
was the best decision I ever made” she said. She urged
her fellow graduates to have the courage to take charge
of their own destiny; the path of their own and not others.
“Find where your passion lies and strive for what you
truly love” she shared.
Candy Lee received her scroll from Sir Christian Bonington, Chancellor of Lancaster University
33
FEATURING
Lee thanked Sunway University for providing avenues
in which to build critical minds and intellectual abilities.
She spoke of her experience when she visited Lancaster
University as a student ambassador to discuss the
Sunway-Lancaster Summer Programme in 2011 when it
was launched for the first time.
Lee was President of the Sunway University Accounting
Society and was co-founder and advisor of the SIFE
Sunway which was entrusted with the mission of
providing economic opportunities to societies in need.
Lee is currently employed in GE Global Operations in
their Financial Management Programme.
Jubilant Bachelor of Science (Hons) Psychology graduates. L to R Rachel Kang Zhi Kone, Ang Ying Fen, June Goh Cui Lynn, Yap Jing Min and Ong Sue May.
Candy Lee receiving her Sunway University scroll from Chancellor Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah
Graduating students welcoming the stage party
This is Sunway University’s 6th graduation ceremony in
which it has conferred degrees. Sunway University is part
of the Sunway Education Group which is celebrating its
25th Anniversary this year. In his speech the Chancellor
of Sunway University Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah said
“Our commitment to excellence is reaffirmed this year
and it stems from our belief that education provides the
foundation for an accomplished nation and it is this belief
that drives our determination in providing education
of the highest quality. He also welcomed Sunway
University’s new Vice-Chancellor Professor Graeme
Wilkinson, an Oxford-trained scientist and added “We
will continue to work to lead the way in shaping the
educational landscape for future generations”.
34
FEATURING
Cyberjaya, 31st January 2013 - Universiti
Malaysia of Computer Science and
Engineering (“UniMy”), the country’s first
boutique university devoted to providing
specialised computer science and engineering education
was today launched by YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled
bin Nordin, the Minister of Higher Education (“MOHE”).
UniMy is established in line with the roadmap of the
Higher Education Transformation Programme under
the New Economic Model, to produce market ready
computing professionals and talents as demanded
by industry players. According to a study by
Multimedia Development Corporation, Malaysia’s
demand for IT graduates will experience an annual
growth rate of 18.6% between 2010 and 2013 against
a supply growth of only 2.7%1. Data and projections
show that computing technology will account for
two-thirds of all job growth in all fields of science
and technology in the future.
“Tasked to bridge the gap between demand and supply
for highly skilled IT personnel and professionally trained
graduates in the next 10 years, UniMy takes a new
approach in higher education by creating a ‘best of breed’
ecosystem working in partnership with global technology
companies including Microsoft, IBM, EC Council,
Dell, Huawei and Autodesk”, said Professor
Datuk Dr. Halimaton Hamdan, Vice Chancellor of UniMy
Minister of Higher Education Launched Malaysia’s First University to Specialise in Computer Science And Engineering
YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled bin Nordin, the Minister of Higher Education (“MOHE”).
MALAYSIA’S NEW HUBOF NANOCOMPUTING TECHNOLOGY
Press Release:
35
FEATURING
Committed to adopting high quality assurance, UniMy
has signed Collaboration Agreement with University of
Melbourne (UNIMELB), Australia’s top university.
The agreement with the UNIMELB is through its
Melbourne School of Engineering.
UNIMELB is the No.1 University in Australia with a
formidable reputation in IT, Computer Science and
Engineering. According to QS World University Rankings,
UNIMELB ranked fourth in the world for graduate
employability. UNIMELB’s Bachelor of Science degree
was the first software engineering degree fully accredited
by the Institute of Engineers, Australia in 1996, and is one
of the first professionally accredited software engineering
degrees at the undergraduate level in the world.
The potential area of collaboration includes the adoption
of the quality control, academic board processes and
external examination. The intended collaboration will also
be extended to the development of the faculty members,
learning space and the Innovation and Commercialisation
Centre.
In a bid to further distinguish itself from other universities
and IT disciplines, UniMy has a unique faculty to
student ratio of 1:10 with a maximum capacity to take
in 3,000students. Small and personal, focused and
specialised, UniMy targets the best brains to train in
computer science, software and hardware development.
UniMy offers an integrated 1+3+1 Computer Science
and Engineering programme starting from Foundation,
Bachelor of Science and Master of Science. The first
enrolment for Foundation Studies is expected to begin
in May while enrolment for Undergraduate Programmes
is scheduled in September 2013. Two undergraduate
programmes, namely Bachelor of Science in
Computer Science and Bachelor of Science in
Software Engineering are available and admissions to
the degree programmes are also open for registration to
candidates with A-level, STPM, and diploma or equivalent
qualifications. The university also offers Professional
Certificate for Microsoft, IBM, Autodesk, EC Council
and Huawei programmes, to graduates to increase their
marketability and employability.
FEATURING
In helping to shape the world through education,
the university will also establish an Innovation and
Commercialisation Centre (IC2) that will be modelled
after renowned research labs such as XeroxPalo Alto
and MIT Media Lab. It will showcase the ‘best of breed’
outputs and aims to be the world’s leader in multi-
disciplinary and intensive application of Computer
Science in National ICT Focus Areas. IC2 will serve as a
communication platform to culminate ideas, people and
funding, all under one roof.
At present, UniMy operates from a temporary campus
in Cyberjaya within the Multimedia Super Corridor, while
plans are underway for its permanent campus to be built
within Cyberjaya City Centre and to be completed by 2016.
In pursuit to be the new hub of Nanocomputing
technology, UniMy will form a user-centred environment
to assist computational scientist in their research,
whereby the challenge is to combine theory, algorithms,
simulations, high-performance computing infrastructures,
molecular modelling and user interaction into one system
that enables exploratory science at the nanoscale. IBM
will work with UniMy in this project to define a training
programme in computer modelling of nanomaterials and
provide training for UniMy post-doctoral researchers at
IBM research facilities.
36
Malaysia’s Hub of Nanocomputing Technology
37
About Universiti Malaysia of Computer Science and Engineering (www.unimy.edu.my)
Prestariang Education Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Main Market listed Prestariang Berhad, established UniMy in 2012. It is a privately run university located in Cyberjaya, Malaysia. The University is classified as a more selective
institution by the Ministry of Higher Education in Malaysia, devoted to providing specialised computer science and engineering education in the country. The University is
designed towards creating computing professionals and talent in an effort to sustain Malaysia’s economic success to produce market-ready computing professionals and talent which is in line with the New Economic Model and Higher
Education Transformation Programme initiated by Malaysian government in 2011.
FEATURING
38
39
40
INTERVIEWS
University : Currently pursuing Victoria
University MBA (VUMBA) at Sunway; I hold
a BSc (Hons) in Quantity Surveying from
Salford University, UK and a Postgraduate
Diploma in Arbitration from the College of
Estate Management , UK.
Brief Job Description : I currently head
the Works Procurement Department that
looks after all the procurement and contract
administration needs for all the expressways
under PLUS Berhad such as the PLUS’
North-South Expressways, the New Klang
Valley Expressways, the Federal Highway
Route 2, the ELITE Expressways, LINKEDUA,
Butterworth-Kulim Expressways (BKE) and
the Penang Bridge.
Why made you want to study an MBA?Being in a corporate world and trained as a quantity surveyor
and an arbitrator, I feel like I need to equip myself with better
management skills. By doing MBA, I find that I can relate to
my work better, enhance my working relationship with my staff,
colleague and superiors and more importantly better understand
what is required of me in my Company. It also feels satisfying,
being able to understand and apply the knowledge and skills that I
have learned.
What inspires you?Pursuit of knowledge. Learning is a never ending process. I like
to learn new things and skills. The satisfaction comes from being
able to apply the knowledge and skills, and to be able to share
and educate what I have learnt along the way, with friends and
colleagues.
Favorite Quote
When there’s a will, there’s always a way..
Sr Azita Mohamed Tahirazita@plus.uemnet.com
Head of Works Procurement Department, Projek Lebuhraya Usahasama Berhad (PLUS)
Learning is a never ending
process.
41
INTERVIEWS
University :
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR)
Brief Job DescriptionMy role is to help grow the businesses thru’ initiatives such as analyze the information available to develop constructive and structural way to increase sales via series of campaigns launched. Besides that, I constantly involve in project management such as new system development (CRM). Others such as developing and tracking sales achievement via balance scorecard, “stress-test” business model to ensure sales target is achievable, development of sales tools to help business to manage their portfolio and re-engineer existing business processes through segmentation models. On annual basis, I’ll involve in developing sales strategies and segmentation deck for
business review.
What is your advice to prospective MBA student to prepare them for the MBA?I would strongly recommend to anyone who wishes for career development or for self-interest such as setting up own business to pursue higher qualifications i.e MBA. It is a good exposure and with additional knowledge, it will definitely help you in various ways.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?Basically, this MBA course will help me in terms of managing the work and managing expectations of people in the company. With the knowledge, we can even help the company in achieving its mission in different views, ie the forecasting methodology used in the company may not be suitable. With the understanding through MBA, options of forecasting methodology are taught and research/literature review done. This will help the company as well as individual for the efforts and contribution. After MBA course, the next thing I would plan is, to fully utilize the knowledge into my work expertise. There is no need to change job if the company recognize the effort of the individual that has put in and recognize the real usage of MBA.
What is your motto in life?I personally have 3 principles in life. First, always do things the right way, the easiest way, the efficient way and the simplest way of all. Secondly, always try doing things differently and learning most out of it. Thirdly, never restrict to own boundary. Always be helpful, diversified work to continuously improve own self. Like Gandhi say before “Almost anything good you do will seem insignificant, but it is very important that you do it”
Chong Meng KiongAssistant Vice President, Alliance Bank
What do you consider the best take away value from your MBA?The course covers are pretty comprehensive, where it can be used in any line of industry. It covers areas such as operation process, research methodology, project management skills, entrepreneurship and managing organization behaviour. It is a very practical mode of study, where we hope these are able to add value to our current job and also possible future career.
42
INTERVIEWS
Current University: Universiti Tunku Abdul
Rahman (Master of Communication)
Brief Job Description :
My responsibilities are:
• TosellandpromoteBancassurance
products (One Solution Product).
• Providepersonalfinancialadvisory
services.
• Identifycustomersegmentsfornewsales.
• Buildcustomerrelationshiptoup-selland
cross-selling banking products.
What do you consider the best take away value from your postgraduate programme?This course is all about communication and it is really interesting
where we learnt communication more deepen and broadly. This
course was under Faculty of Creative Industry (FCI). The class
was lively and we are free to giving our opinions and sharing
thoughts. The educators are so experienced.
What is your advice to prospective postgraduate student to prepare them for this programme?My advice to those who are wishing to further master, once
you have think of it, you must go for it. The choice is in your
hands. Especially to those who want to further in Master of
Communication, I just want to congratulate you that you just
made a brilliant decisions. Some people might say that there
is no point to further Master if you don’t have any working
experience. For me, people are made with different kind of luck
and fortune, don’t bother about what people said, just think of
what you aim and need that is the most important.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?I wish to further my PhD after I’m completed my Master. My
hope is I wish that I would get a bright future in my career
and whatever things that I do. In future, I also hope that I
can contribute what I had learnt now to my beloved country,
Malaysia.
MassuhaellaBinti Mohd IdrisSenior Financial Executive (BancAssurance), Public Bank Berhad
What is your motto in life?
Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is
the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. -
Herman Cain
43
INTERVIEWS
University :
Victoria University MBA (VUMBA) at Sunway;
University of Sheffield Bachelors in Engineering
Brief Job Description
I work for a South African engineering
company with proprietary technology in
the manufacturing of insulation oil process
equipment. My responsibility is to help the
company set up an assembly operation
in Malaysia. I work closely with both the
technical manager and operations manager
to oversee the whole assembly process, from
production planning to logistics and supply
chain management. On the marketing aspect,
my key role includes liaising with government
authorities for licenses and trade incentives,
planning for marketing activities, organizing
exhibitions and growing channel sales.
What made you want to study an MBA?My current business development role requires me to have sound
comprehension on the overall business operations. I felt that I
lacked the insights of the bigger picture from my past working
experiences having much focused on the daily operations and
little on business processes and strategies.
From this I hope to acquire in-depth business knowledge such
as accounting, financial analysis, marketing, supply chain, human
resources and strategic management. This would help me in
advising the management when it comes to identifying market
demand, assessing opportunity costs and applying best practices
in the business.
I also wanted to study an MBA to network with other like-minded
people. All the students have one common objective which is
to improve themselves by earning an MBA qualification. There
are a large number of students with diverse background and
experiences to network with in the course, not to mention past
alumni students. It is just interesting to make some new friends
and exchange ideas.
What inspires you?People who overcome adversity with a positive attitude inspire
me. I admire people who have the courage to continue pursuing
what they believe in in spite of all the obstacles along the way.
Chua Yu Kiat12064192@imail.sunway.edu.my
Business Development Manager
Obstacles are those frightful things you
see when you take your eyes off your goal.
~ Henry Ford
44
INTERVIEWS
Current University: Victoria University
MBA (VUMBA) at Sunway
Graduated from: Monash University
Throughout my experience in VUMBA, I have enhanced my
personal values mainly to be a good team player, to be more
self-discipline and to apply what I had learnt in my current job as
a Fund Transfer Pricing (FTP) Analyst. As an FTP analyst, I am the
key coordinator with treasury, information system and business
department for various projects involving FTP rates (internal
interest rates or cost of funding) within the bank itself. The major
motivation for me to further my studies in MBA is to enhance
my knowledge in other area (eg. ERP SAP system, Business
Economics, Financial Analysis, Project Management, Supply
Chain and Logistic, etc) apart from my current work experience
so as to provide ample opportunity in enhancing my career to the
next level.
Furthermore, VUMBA covers both technical and analytical
assignments and research papers which further enhance my
reading and research skills in other area of studies. With most
of the classes being held in the weekends, I can rest assure my
enrolment to VUMBA will not affect my usual work in any manner.
Moreover, both Australian lecturers and local tutors are helpful
and can be reached easily, thus, I am able to get consultation and
to solve my problems with them easily.
Apart from study, I am impressed with the activities organized by
the VUMBA Club catered to all VUMBA students as well. Through
this club, I am able to enhance my network and to learn to be an
event organizer.
Cheang Wai Leongcheangwaileong@hotmail.com
Fund Transfer Pricing Analyst, Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad
All in all, I am proud to be a student of
VUMBA and my favourite quote for VUMBA is “Let’s Grow
Together With VUMBA”.
45
BUSINESS SEGMENT
Profiles of
Extraordinary People
SUBSTANCE, RELEVANCE, SIGNIFICANCE
46
Postgraduate Studies MEB speaks toMr Shankar Nagalingam about the challenges of finding and keeping
talents for IT industry.
By Alexandra Wong
From an unconventional PC startup founded on
$1,000 and a game-changing vision for how
technology should be designed, Dell, Inc. has
transformed into a global end-to-end solutions
partner driven by innovation and customer focus. In
Malaysia, where its presence is felt in three sites - Dell
Global Business Center (Cyberjaya), Simon Wong
Technology Centre (Penang) and Asia Pacific Customer
Center 2 (Bukit Tengah) - the multinational corporation
regularly ranks as one of the region’s most desirable
employers.
In this issue of MBA Postgraduate, we speak to Shankar
Nagalingam, Dell Malaysia’s Country Human Resources
Director for Malaysia and South Asia Developing
Markets, on a range of HR issues, including what it
takes to secure a coveted job in the company.
PEOPLEPOWER
BUSINESSSEGMENT
47
Currently the Country Human Resources Director for Malaysia and South Asia Developing Markets, Shankar Nagalingam has served more than 19 years in the Multinational Corporations within the Human Resources profession. During his nine-year tenure in Dell, Shankar has held key HR positions e.g. Director of Talent Acquisition for South Asia/ANZ and HR Business Partner leading Malaysia Services and Technical Support
Mr Shankar Nagalingam Country Human Resources Director of DELL Malaysia and South Asia Developing Markets
Contact Center Operation, Asia Sales Organization and Global Business Operations and Marketing, where he strategized effective and efficient implementation of HR policies and procedures across the organization, played mentor to organization leaders and built strategic alliance with key business leaders across the globe. Prior to Dell, Shankar was attached to Komag USA (Malaysia) for 10 years leading the Staffing organization.
BUSINESSSEGMENT
48
Your tertiary degree was in Education, but
you made a switch to the manufacturing
sector 1 1/2 years after your first posting.
Why did you switch careers and how
did you adapt to a radically different
environment?
During my first posting as a secondary school
teacher in Kulim, I witnessed some friends growth
in the corporate world. The manufacturing sector
was becoming very robust then, and I longed to
be part of that exciting growth. As this was during
the economic crisis and jobs were extremely
limited, I sent more than a hundred applications
before being accepted by Komag as an entry
level staffing executive.
I chose HR because I believe this is one area
you can make a difference to people. Going from
a structured environment into a manufacturing
environment was a huge change. The speed is
much faster. You have to be always on your toes.
You need to be versatile. Even though I was in
Staffing, I was expected to get involved in every
aspect of the organization whether it’s employee
relations, market intelligence, salary preparation
etc. You could say
I was a Jack of all trades in HR. It was a very
tough environment but it was an invaluable
learning environment. I had very good support
and coaching from my manager, Ismail Abdul
Rahim.
You had zero manufacturing or HR
experience, yet your employer hired
you for a challenging position.
What did he see in you?
My manager, Ismail told me he wanted somebody
who was hungry to work and to learn. If I was
open to learning, he was willing to invest his
effort and energy to guide and coach me.
I learnt that experience was good-to-have
but not compulsory.
1Q
Q2
BUSINESSSEGMENT
49
How has the employment scenario changed
today? To put it bluntly, what would it take
to land a job in Dell?
With rapid globalization, the whole platform has
changed. One of the key things we look for is the
ability to think global. It’s so important for even
fresh graduates to know what’s happening in US,
Europe, APJ and your ability to communicate and
influence your team members in different parts of
the world. In Dell Cyberjaya, most of the roles are
global in nature, reflecting the transformation the
company has undergone. You have fresh graduates
communicating with customers in US, Australia, etc.
In this globalized new world, having self-confidence
and boldness in articulating your thought processes
is going to be very important because our job value
chain has moved up from manufacturing-centric to
services-oriented.
Adaptability is also critical because in any robust
organization like Dell, there’s going to be change.
Today, you may do something and believe that
this is the best decision you can make. One week
down the road, something may change, and while
that was the best decision then and you made the
right decision then, now everything has to change,
and you need to get accustomed to it. You cannot
feel frustrated or go into a victim mentality. You
need to have that level of ambiguity to survive in
the globalized world. You need to be intuitive to
navigate your way in the corporate world – yes, it’s
getting extremely competitive out there. As part of
our CSR, we actively collaborate with academic
institutions in Southeast Asia to share real-world
industry knowledge.
Even though I was in HR, I was expected to get involved in every aspect of the organization whether it’s employee relations, market intelligence, salary preparation etc.
3Q
BUSINESSSEGMENT
50
One thing hasn’t changed, though. You still need
that hunger for continuous improvement. Regard
every day as a learning opportunity. In everything
that you do, how can you look at things differently?
Always do that to add value not only to yourself
but to the processes and organizations that
you support.
In your two decades of industry
experience, what are the biggest
challenges within the HR profession?
In my opinion, recruiting and hiring the best
talent for the organization, followed closely
by developing and retaining key talents would
be an ongoing cycle for most organizations.
Globalization - where you manage a diversified
background of team members - is another
key factor.
IT is an intensely competitive industry
with a fierce war for talent. What are
Dell’s strategies to acquire the cream
of the crop?
With the changing environment, we have to go
beyond the traditional way of hiring. For example,
we hardly advertise in newspapers anymore.
Instead, we leverage social media tools like
Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to reach out to
potential employees. LinkedIn is a goldmine of
talent particularly in niche areas. Many “passive
candidates” – those who are employed but don’t
apply for a position - are open to changing jobs
for the right opportunity.
For any organization to attract top talent, you
need to build a brand as the employer of choice.
As part of our university relations with South
East Asian academic institutes, we regularly give
talks and participate in career events. It’s not
about talent hunting for Dell per se; we also want
to contribute to the country’s talent pool by helping
graduates to be more employable. When the students
interact with our acquisition team, they have very good
customer experience and their time comes to apply for
jobs, Dell naturally comes to mind. Ultimately, we want
the Dell Malaysia brand to be perceived as a Cool Place
to Work and a Center of Excellence.
That said, leaders in the most successful companies
believe building their talent pool is a huge part of their
job. This talent mindset cannot be relegated to HR; every
employee must be involved in hiring and retaining the
best and brightest talents possible. One strategy that
has worked very well is our Employee Referral Program.
We work through our brand ambassadors i.e. our own
employees, people who know and represent the best
values of the organization. Now if each of our 4500
employees brings at least 5 resumes, can you imagine
the size of our talent bank?
4
5
Q
Q
BUSINESSSEGMENT
51
Does an MBA candidate stand a better
chance for getting into the IT industry,
or Dell, for that matter?
An MBA degree is always desirable to
organizations be it IT or other industries.
More so, if a candidate holds an MBA from
an accredited University. Opportunities are
varied in Dell and they can always choose
their respective career pathways. Be it
in HR, Accounting, Marketing, IT or Sales.
A good MBA equips you with the theoretical
and experiential learning based on real-life
consulting experiences. In Dell, we offer
our people advanced learning courses -
people managers can pursue a graduateship
programme with the internationally recognized
Society of Business Practitioners in United
Kingdom, and we also sponsor masters
programmes for selected employees. When
we drive these programs, we obviously want
to know whether they’re effective. Based on
survey outcomes, the students have definitely
benefited. Their managers are happy to report
that their team members have demonstrated
positive changes and grown tremendously in
confidence, especially when they deal with global team
members. It makes sense. When you upgrade the skills
of the individuals, they invariably translate back to the
organization.
6QBUSINESSSEGMENT
52
Dell Malaysia has won a number of HR
awards, including Malaysia HR Innovations
Award 2012, MIHRM; Employer of Choice
Grand Gold Award 2011, MIHRM and
Malaysia HR Development Award 2012. In
your opinion, what makes Dell such a great
place to work?
At Dell, we believe people are our greatest asset,
so we pour a lot of time and effort into creating
a diverse workforce and creating a positive,
collaborative environment where everyone is valued
and included. From a competitive benefits package
and a professional environment that fosters
personal development to recreational facilities
and flexi-hours, you can really have it all at Dell -
benefits, rewards, balance.
There is a close correlation between
productivity and company success.
What approach do you use to boost
workplace productivity?
Different employees would require different
approach in encouraging productivity.
In Dell, we focus on empowering team
members so that they feel more confident,
capable and in control of the outcome
of their work. When a team member’s
performance positively impacts the
organization, we reward and recognize
that person.
We encourage a culture of excellence by
setting SMART i.e. Specific, Measurable,
Accountable, Realistic & Timely goals that
ultimately improve productivity, effectiveness
and efficiency of our team members.
78
Q
Q
That said, leaders in the most successful companies believe building their talent pool is a huge part of their job.
BUSINESSSEGMENT
53
9
10
Q
Q
How do you help your team members to
achieve those goals?
This is where the leadership component comes
in. As a leader, your role is to ask, what are
the resources a person needs to become
successful? What coaching plan do you need?
Dell fosters a 70/20/10 model of development,
whereby we create targeted development
solutions containing tools and resources
dedicated to development occurring on-the-job,
learning through others, and recommended
formal training to maximize your potential
and facilitate meaningful learning. In Dell we
look at both current and future contributions.
For bottom performers, we ask how we can
transform them and accelerate them in their
areas of development? At the end of the day,
an employee wants to know: what is it in for
me and what can you do to help me meet my
career aspiration?
That was why we created the Caring Leader
tenet in the early days of my career at Dell.
We want to create HR professionals within
the people managers who can foster an
environment of trust and engagement that helps
their team members excel. Career development is
all about bringing out the best in our talents so that
at the end of the day, customers can benefit from
better solutions and the company can achieve
better results.
Lastly, what is your personal
formula for success?
Let me answer by quoting an incident on my first
day at work in DELL. My manager, Edmund Chew
asked me, “What’s your next role going to be?” I was
stunned as it was not something I was expecting to
hear on Day 1! This experience gave me a great lesson
that drove me in my career, and nearly 20 years later,
this is exactly the same kind of conversation we have
at Dell. Always work on a Continuous Improvement
mindset. Have the hunger to look at a problem
differently, how to be better. When you have the
energy and passion to energize and rejuvenate people
around you to excel, it will, in turn, create the aura of
success that we want to cultivate in an organization.
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BOOST YOUR EMPLOYABILITY
Build a professional online profile. If you haven’t
jumped on the social media bandwagon because you
feel it’s only for oversharing narcissists, you may have
second thoughts after hearing what Dip has to say:
“Even Michael Dell is on LinkedIn. You can network
and get in touch with anyone globally. LinkedIn is THE
place for recruiters to sniff out talent, especially if we
want to meet Gen Y candidates who are very active in
social media!” Make a list of the top three companies
you wanna work with, and start building your network.
Treat your resume like a sales tool. “How in one page
would you be able to sell yourself?” asks Shankar.
“It’s a branding. If I’m going to have five resumes I
want to view, what is going to stand out? You need
to be clear, simple, crisp, articulate exactly what your
accomplishments are and what you can deliver to my
organization.”
Ask the right questions in a job interview. A successful
interview does not just hinge on the correct answers.
Dip says, “The questions they ask shows the calibre
of the interviewee. Are they relevant to the industry
and to the company? The right questions show that
the candidate is savvy with what’s happening in the
global marketplace.”
It’s never too early to start thinking about your
ideal career. Dip shares, “We are out there in the
market always looking out for new talents through
our University Relation, Internship and Apprentice
Programmes.” So the next time you attend a career
university talk (Dell conducts this regularly), show
the speaker you’ve done your homework and fire
away. This is your chance to stand out from the silent
majority. You can bet the recruiters are taking notes.
Dip Kang, Senior Manager Of HR Talent Acquisition & Sourcing, DELL Malaysia
Eying that high-profile MNC job? What
can you do to be more desirable to
your dream employer? Here are some
tips from Dip Kang, Senior Manager of
Human Resources Talent Acquisition &
Sourcing for Dell Malaysia, on how to
elevate your employability quotient.
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COVER STORY
56
PKT was established by Datuk Tio Sook Keo
and was originally called Port Klang Trading in
1974. In 1996, Tio’s son Dato’ Michael Tio (PKT
Group Chief Executive and Managing Director)
who was studying and working in Britain returned to
Malaysia to take over the reins of the business from
his father.
DATO’ MICHAEL TIOChief Executive Officer & Managing Director PKT Logistics Sdn Bhd One Logistics HubTM
BUSINESSSEGMENT
Defining the MODERN CEOHOW A SECOND GENERATION CEO TRANSFORMED A TRADING COMPANY INTO A LOGISTIC GIANT
WITH VISIONARY LEADERSHIP AND INNOVATIVE IDEAS
1Q Dato’ Michael Tio, please tell us briefly
about the beginning of PKT.
PKT Logistics was founded in 1974 by my father.
We literally lived inside the office then. The
business started from our home in Port Klang, the
front part is the office and we stayed at the back
part. It was originally called Port Klang Trading
& Holding Agency. Back then we specialised in
custom clearance for cars.
57
BUSINESSSEGMENT
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3
Q
Q
You studied in the UK. Tell us what you
did there.
In 1986 I went to the UK to study. At the same
time, I was in the used car business. Starting
from one to two cars a month, I exported
cars to Malaysia. After my diploma education,
I studied accountancy at the University of
Hull. My used car business also picked up. I
managed to export one or two units a month
during diploma level, then at degree level the
number increased. I later pursued a Masters
degree in International Accounting from
Reading University.
What was your experience exporting the
first car?
I still remember clearly when I bought my first
car. It was the Mercedes-Benz 230E I bought
from an old couple. At that time I didn’t know
how to drive a car with automatic transmission.
They invited me to their house for tea to find
out why I wanted to buy the car. Finally when
I got into the car, I wound down the window
and asked the couple, “Excuse me, how do you
drive this car?” We all had a good laugh!
I usually tell this story because starting a
business is tough. I had to struggle in the
beginning. I had to drive some 500 miles from
Manchester to London to the place where
they did container stuffing. After my first car,
things got better and the business grew. I started off
driving the car myself to London and taking the train
back to Manchester. Later I had friends who drove
with me when the business grew. After completing
my degree in Accounting in Hull, I decided to
study for my Masters degree at Reading University
under Professor Christopher Nobes. I was familiar
with his works and read his books in university. I
completed my Masters in International Accounting.
My education helped me in my business. I believe
to be a successful businessman you need a fair
understanding of accounting and finance.
I stayed in Wimbledon for another four years running
my used-car business. In 1995, after my wedding,
my father asked me to take over the family business.
Very quickly, I made up my mind to give up my
million-dollar business to come back to Malaysia.
I usually tell this story because starting a business is tough.
58
DATO’ MICHAEL and his father, DATO’ TIO SOOK KEO,the founder of PKT Logistics Sdn Bhd
You decided close down a lucrative
business in UK to come back to
Malaysia in 1986. Why?
At that time I was making around RM50,000
a month exporting between 20 and 30 cars a
month. But I felt the used car business in UK
had reached a saturation point. There were
very stiff price competitions and there were
many Asian dealers entering the market. My
wife initially suggested that maybe we could
scale down the operation. I decided to give
4QBUSINESSSEGMENT
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up the business altogether because I believed
that if I wanted to be successful, I needed to
be focused. So we came back to Malaysia in
1996 and I joined my father’s company as a
director and took over the management of
the business.
From 1996 to 2012, for 16 years,
you were at the helm of PKT.
What are the strategic changes
that have taken place?
Firstly, we did a restructuring from a
partnership to private limited company and
changed the name from Port Klang Trading &
Holdings to PKT Logistics.
Secondly, we grew the business massively.
We are more than 100 times bigger in terms
of revenue than in 1996. I reckon by end of
2012 we will be 200 times bigger.
Thirdly, we diversify our revenue. For
example, we partnered with the Japanese in
a JV in 1996 and with the Koreans in a JV in
2000.
Tell us more about the diversification
plans and the rationale for them.
During the first wave of growth, we diversified
focusing on Japan and Korea. In 1996 we
signed a JV (joint-venture) with a Japanese
freight forwarder but soon Malaysia faced
the 1997 currency crisis. Malaysia had the
assistance of the USD35 billion Miyazawa
Plan from Japan instead of borrowing from
the IMF and submitting to their regime.
We were fortunate to have secured the
Rawang to Ipoh double-track project as
the subcontractor and that cushioned us
throughout the recession.
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In 2000, we JV-ed with a Korean counterpart who
had a lot of Korean LCL (loose container load). We
ended up handling 50 Korean agents and became
the largest Korean break-bulk operator in Malaysia.
For our second wave of growth, we focused on the
automotive business. In 2002, Naza began the KIA
CKD (complete knock-down) while Berjaya had
the Hyundai CKD almost at the same time. Both
their auto parts vendors introduced us to them
and we started servicing them. From providing a
simple custom clearance service to these vendors,
we moved on to providing more and more other
services to them. We explained to the vendors
that we needed to grow and we moved to other
brands like Mazda, Skoda, BMW, Peugeot, Volvo,
and others. In total, we have 11 brands now.
Today the automotive logistics business is our core
competency.
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When did you build your present
headquarters, The Ship? How did it
come about?
I felt we needed a third wave of growth and I
told my CFO we needed to diversify again for
exponential growth. As a result, since 2006,
we decided to venture into warehousing as
a logical diversification strategy. We bought
the present 27-acre piece of land to build our
headquarters. I was with my architect, deciding
what to do with the piece of land. My architect
said, “Since you are in the shipping business
why don’t you build your headquarters like a
ship?” I thought that was a fantastic idea and
we built and called our headquarters The Ship.
We had a retreat and I told my facilitator that
I wanted to prepare my people for growth. I
wanted to aim for RM1billion in revenue by
2015. The facilitator asked the group in our
retreat if anyone believed RM1billion was possible. Only
one lady quickly put up her hand. When asked why, she
said, “Michael always walks the talk.”
In 2008, we announced to the media that we would be
spending RM120 million on one logistics hub and we
built The Ship (our headquarters) and The Wave (our
warehouse) within three years. We devised three grand
visions for the company:
• Wawasan 60:40 – by 2013,
we want to diversify our revenue and focus on
achieving 40% from the non-automotive industry
• Wawasan Asean 30 –
To achieve 30% of our revenue outside of Malaysia
• Wawasan 1B –
To achieve RM1billion revenue by 2015
7Q
Dato’ Michael explaining how he drew the concept of the “The Wave” warehouse on a carton (the frag-ment now framed and hung on the wall).
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What is your main focus now?
Everything we do aims at the three grand
visions. Personally, I focus a lot of my
energy on achieving the 40% revenue
from non-automotive industry. My main
investment is only into areas to achieve
this 40% target. We identified FMCG as
the potential area to achieve this. We spent
one year conducting research into this area
and found that the FMCG annual revenue
was RM15 billion in 2009, with 20% spent
on logistics. That’s RM3 billion worth of
logistics business. We also discovered the
breakdown of market share:
8Q
• 14%in-house
• 26%domesticlogisticscompanies
• 60%MNClogisticscompanies
We concluded that to capture the 60% of the
market, we need better infrastructures, better ICT
investments, and so on. One by one, we tackled
each issue and invested in it. We invested RM3
million into a well-known American warehouse
management system. We held a big press
conference and MOU signing to make sure everyone
knows we are serious about our intentions to
penetrate the FMCG logistics space. We invested in
the first FM global compliant green 350,000 square
feet warehouse.
FM Global provides comprehensive global
commercial and industrial property insurance,
engineering-driven underwriting and risk
management solutions, groundbreaking property
loss prevention research and prompt, professional
claims handling. Being FM Global compliant means
that we have a very safe and secure warehouse of
international standards. Eversendai constructed our
warehouse in eight months.
...because I believed that if I wanted to be successful, I needed to be focused
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What’s the outcome from all the
investment and initiatives so far?
We have seen growth from 2007 to 2009, growth
in new clients and business to current clients,
growing revenue at 50%, PKT is growing very
fast, faster than our expectations. So much that
in our recent retreat we felt ready for USD1 billion
by 2020. This round, all the 52 members of my
management team felt this could be achieved.
But why the confidence? This shows that it is
very important to walk the talk and make sure
you follow through to make it happen. When your
people see it happen, they will believe in it and
automatically align their mindset towards that
idea. I give the direction, they believe in it and
make it happen.
who work around here. You can be an adopted
staff but staying overseas. It is a borderless
world in social media. I confer them the status by
admitting them in a closed group on Facebook. I
invite these adopted staff to my open house every
year and give them a golden access card to our
gym and lounge. These are some of the privileges
of becoming an adopted staff.
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Q
Q
Tell us how you use Facebook as a
tool for your business.
I have what I call the Milo van theory. Before
youths join the workforce, I interact with them.
When they grow up and go to work, they will
remember us and use our service. I have now
as many as 10,000 university fans on our
Facebook page. I believe this is a phenomenon,
how we use social media for business, how
it transforms our workplace. I insist my staff
all uses Facebook and communicate with me
using Facebook. I created a surname for my
staff, PKTian. They will use it as their surname.
Some of my Facebook contacts really adore
and like and sell the company. These are not
employees and they work harder than my staff
in promoting PKT! So I invite them into a focus
group as “PKT adopted staff”. They say, “But I
am only a student”. I said, it is ok, you can work
online. Whoever is close to me and interact with
me, most are students and even professionals
Do fans ask you for jobs on Facebook?
Yes they do, a lot of them want to work in PKT. We
invite them to join close group called “PKT Talent
Hunter”. We discuss career opportunities and
prospect with them there. We have 388 people in
this group on a wait list. Since our vacancies are all
filled, our HR people will screen these candidates
and help them find jobs in factories and companies
surrounding us. They will be screened again by
the respective companies and be hired if they are
found to be suitable. This is a form of CSR as well.
63
BUSINESSSEGMENT
12 13Q QTell us about your “anak belajar, ibu
bekerja” campaign. Describe your leadership style.
I believe in employing locals and we will do our best
to ensure we put this as a priority. We embark on
this campaign to hire mothers among the community
we are in. Our objective is to hire 60 housewives and
pay them RM25 cash daily. We reckoned that the
younger mothers who have children going to school
in the morning would not mind working after sending
their children to school from 8.30am to 12.30pm. We
felt the more mature mothers with children in Form
1 to 3 will be able to work from 1.30pm to 5.30pm
before they go home to cook for the family. We hope
to achieve three objectives with this campaign:
1. Cut the cost of labour because we do not need
to employ full-time staff to do what can be done
by part-time staff.
2. To enable housewives to bring back RM25 per
day to help cover household expenses. Imagine
these mothers using the money to buy food to
feed their growing families!
3. To hire only locals.
Approachable, show leadership by example,
respect others first for others to respect you.
I believe walking the talk is very important. I ask
my staff to use Facebook because I believe it is
one of the most power platforms to utilise. I can
see that in three years or so, Facebook will be the
most important communication tool in the world.
As such, I wanted my staff to embrace it.
At one point, I told people who asked me what I
do, “I Facebook fulltime”! And I told my staff I can
only be contacted through Facebook, “Private
message me and attach your files there”. My fans
in the Talent Hunter group know my mission and
vision because they follow our Facebook page.
When you make Facebook interesting, people will
read and embrace the information.
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Are you worried your competitors
will know what you share on
social media?14 16
15
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Q
We are providing the critical mass and leadership
for change, if I want to move the whole industry we
have to lead, we have to share. I am not worried
about others copying us and knowing what we are
doing because we want to set the example and
lead by example. We set the benchmark, we set the
standard. We have to always be one step ahead.
For example, we built a green warehouse that no
one has done before. The electricity is generated
from solar panels and we have natural ventilation
and translucent sheets for natural light to enter.
We recycle rainwater for our toilets and we are
Green Building Index certified. We are always
pushing the envelope and being a few steps ahead.
BUSINESSSEGMENT
Do you have a role model?
I enjoy reading a book entitled The Leadership
Secrets of Colin Powell. I suppose Powell is a role
model. I admire how Richard Branson uses social
media. I believe in emulating positive attributes from
everyone I meet.
What is the source of your
vision, ideas and innovation?
You must have a basic idea of what you want
in life. If you have money, will it guarantee
happiness? If you are happy, do you want others
surrounding you who help you make that money
to be happy too? That’s one of the reasons we
have our annual management trips. It is basically
an unselfish sharing of the fruits of labour. We
take two weeks off every year to travel around the
world. No phone calls, no emails, all effectively
delegated. I tell my management team, let me take
care of all your needs. I want you to take care of
PKT. We pay them well and I tell them I will bring
them to see the world. I personally plan every
detail to make it an experience money cannot
buy. Whether they want to go to the Artic or to the
Sahara, I will bring them. Money is not an issue
as I want to give my team the joy of seeing the
world. I want to see the world also. I am fanatical
about travelling. I love travelling, I can spend six
months planning a trip and provide an in-depth
travel guide. I want it to be an experience to be
remembered, that money cannot buy. This really
builds the morale and motivation of my team.
Every year, the staff are excited about the trip and
they are proud to be a part of the team.
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What do you find most challenging?
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Above: Dato’ Michael leads his manage-ment team on the much anticipated annu-al trip “around the world for an experience money cannot buy”
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18
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Q
For the past 16 years, the most challenging issue is to
get my people motivated to work for me. I believe the
modern CEO should focus on motivation, give direction,
be very clear where you want to the company to go. I tell
my staff the past, the present and what is ahead. They
all follow me on Facebook. I use Facebook to motivate
them to move in the same direction. The human touch in
management is important. You must genuinely want to
do something good for them. Facebook helps me give
them my side of the story because when you are at the
top those at the bottom are too far away and may not
understand your perspective. I do not like my managers
to mistreat their lower level staff. If I treat my staff well,
they will not cheat or mismanage the business. Likewise,
I want my managers to treat their lower level staff well. In
turn, they will take care of our business.
What is your advise for fresh graduate
entering the workplace?
“Susah susah dahulu, senang senang kemudian”. Work hard first to enjoy success later. Without hard word, your
success will not last. You need a foundation that is
strong. Always strive higher to achieve more. And always
be honest. If you are without integrity, you cannot
become an honest person overnight. You have to start
being honest and being a person of integrity now. My
motto is, “Happiness is derived from seeing other people
happy.” When people appreciate your kind gesture, you
are also motivated and happy at the same time.
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“Now Everyone Can Have Good Skin”Professor Datin Dr Clara CheeFounder/Chairperson, Clara International Beauty Group
Prof. Dr. Clara L. Chee is a well-known
personality in the beauty industry which
she entered as a beauty therapist with a
Degree in Science (Chemistry). She started
her own beauty business in Petaling
Jaya, Selangor in 1977. Her consummate
interest in beauty led her to acquire
further knowledge and she enrolled in the
University of De Montfort UK (formerly
known as Leicester Polytechnic) to
do research studies in Medicinal and
Cosmetic Products Technology.
Together with her accountant husband,
Woo Ser Chai (also the CEO of Clara group
of companies), she has built a company
from humble beginnings to becoming
the largest group of beauty companies in
Southeast Asia.
BUSINESSSEGMENT
Clara skincare is synergistically formulated with only the finest herbal ingredients using the latest innovative technology to enhance skin penetration and efficacy.
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How did you start Clara International?
I started my own beauty business in SS2,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor in 1977. At that time,
we didn’t have enough capital, so my husband
and I convinced a bank manager to secure a
CGC (Credit Guarantee Loan) of RM20,000. As
the pioneer in the beauty industry, I managed
to attract clients from as far as Johor Bahru and
Singapore, as there was a lack of services or
understanding of how to treat problematic skin
in those days.
My customers came from all age groups. I
realised I need to have further improvement on
my methods and advancement in case studies
and scientific evidence to support the methods
of treatment. So I enrolled in the University of
De Montfort UK (formerly known as Leicester
Polytechnic) to do research studies in Medicinal
and Cosmetic Products Technology. In 1979,
I set up a beauty academy, realising that
more qualified aestheticians were needed for
the expansion of my business. My business
has mushroomed over the years and I have
diversified my path into skincare manufacturing
plants, R&D Facilities, beauty equipment
distributionship and franchising.
Why did you choose the beauty industry?
My parents are my greatest inspiration. My
father opened a textile and sundry shop, and
when I was young I observed particularly how
he mixed ingredients to make hair wax. He
was vain, which was rare in his era, and the
most handsome man in the village. And he was
successful with his business. I was in awe at
how detailed and meticulous he was with beauty
related products and this inspired me to think
about the possibilities out there. I had a lot of
encouragement from my mother as well. She
would say, “Don’t be a homemaker like me. Look
at your successful cousins and be a professional
like them”. I haven’t looked back since.
Why are Clara’s products unique?
My greatest pride is in my Clara skincare
products. Western creams and remedies in those
days did little to treat Asian skin. I have spent the
last 35 years on R&D in formulation adjustment
and advancement of nanotechnology catering
mainly for the tropical and humid climate. We
were the first in the world to produce herbal
skincare specifically for Asian skin. With my
involvement in Chinese herbal studies and other
medicinal areas, I incorporate all my herbal
knowledge into the skincare products. All our
products are free from alcohol and animal by-
products or derivatives.
Clara skincare is synergistically formulated with
only the finest herbal ingredients using the latest
innovative technology to enhance skin penetration
and efficacy. Each product is specially formulated
to treat different skin conditions effectively.
We use natural herbal and botanical extracts in an
environmentally friendly process to manufacture
our products with a lot of R&D in our GMP and
ISO certified manufacturing plants. Our products
are certified halal by the relevant authorities.
We were recently certified as a Bionexus Status
company from Biotechcorp for our involvement in
Biotechnology research and a new development
of products.
BUSINESSSEGMENT
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How is Asian skin different?
It is essential to recognise physical conditions of
temperate skin. We live in a tropical region that has
mainly a Dry-Cold, Dry-Hot, Humid-Hot climate. We
cannot use skincare products that have been produced
for a different climate. UV rays, dietary, nutrition, genetic
factors and our lifestyle affect our skin conditions. A
simple example of our skin condition is explained below:
For Cold Temperate Climate • Caucasian skin types
• Adapt to cold, dry winds
• Skin extra thick & dry (Tight follicles)
• Dryness, wrinkles, fast ageing
• Too little sun. Need more exposure to sun for tanning
effect and protection with thick clothing
For Tropical Hot Climate• Asian skin types
• Adapt to humid and hot environment
• Skin has open follicles due to humidity
• Oily, congested with blackheads and open pores
• Too much sun. Need less sun exposure to cool down
the skin temperature
What are some of the harmful ingredients in
beauty products to avoid?
Some of the banned ingredients that are harmful on
your skin that has bleaching creams containing caustic
components are:
• Retin A Acid
• Oxybenzone
• Caustic Soda
• Benzoic Acid
• Polytetrafluoroethylene
• Hydroquinone
4Q
• Mercury, Lead
• Kojic acid
• Sibutramine
• Tretinoin
• Antihistamine
5Q
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What about plastic surgery and other
intrusive techniques?
I am deeply concerned at the rate of the plastic
surgeries or claims of quick fixes that is growing in
this country. Victims of botched beauty treatment
have been reported regularly in the media. And
there must be a public awareness of the danger
and side effects of the treatment. The treatment
can be very invasive and life threatening.
I have personally lost a good friend who went
for a rejuvenation treatment many years ago.
Other intrusive techniques that you hear
frequently in the market are Botox, Placenta,
Animal Cell Extract, Stem Cell Extract, Steroids,
Hydrocortisone, Desamethesone, Collagen
Injection, Vitamin C injections are hormone and
foreign intervention into the dermis of your skin.
The effect of a smooth, shiny and whitening effect
on the skin is shown immediately but the process
of ageing will begin sooner and it can also be
hazardous to your health.
What were your greatest challenges
during the start-up years?
My greatest challenges during my earlier days
were the lack of resources or expertise to
develop my R&D manufacturing business. For
example, it was very expensive and you needed
to order in tonnes to purchase and source for
raw materials and ingredients from other markets
to develop your skincare range. My constant
travelling to meet the suppliers and visiting
exhibitions opened up new pathways to share
ideas, trade materials with the industry players to
make our supplies more affordable and also to
hold exhibitions booths within Asia as well. On a
personal note, I missed spending more time with
my own children as the first few years during the
formation of the business was very hectic.
6Q 7Q
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What are your greatest challenges now?
The greatest challenges are definitely to put
Malaysia on the map in the area of beauty and
wellness. There has definitely been a huge leap
from where I started in those days but we lack
a regulatory body to govern the beauty industry
to make the beauty procedures safer for
consumers. There is still a lot of improvement
to be made and untapped potential here. I
formed an Association called the Malaysian
Beauty Therapy Association many years ago
to gather aesthetician professionals to join and
support the framework.
My other challenges definitely include looking
into the sustainability of the business. But I
do have a very positive outlook on what we
can achieve for the next stage. I definitely
want to educate and transform the mindset
of the public to see the aesthetic industry as
a respectable profession. And I hope there
can be more funding to improve our level of
education in this field.
What are some of your greatest
achievements?
My greatest achievement is definitely enjoying
the success of our company that was built
from scratch. I am honoured to have received
so many awards throughout the years. My
greatest sense of achievement came when
I was conferred an Honorary PhD from the
Pacific Western University, USA in Cosmetic
Science & Technology in recognition of
my dedication to and achievements in the
aesthetic profession, and awarded the Medaille
du Merite (CIDESCO Professional Standard
and Status Award), the world renowned
asthetician body in Zurich, Switzerland.
My greatest joy is definitely my children, especially
when they had enjoyed their professional careers
elsewhere but then decided to join my company
to help me build my company to greater success.
My whole life is about education. Without it, it is
impossible to win the hearts of others. Clara’s tagline
is “the trusted name in beauty”. I hope it sums up
what I have achieved in my work.
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911
Q
Q
10Q
Q
Having reached this level of
achievement, what are your
plans next?
I do plan to focus on our market growth overseas.
I plan to invest more in our R&D division to develop
more innovative products for our future expansion.
I definitely embrace the globalised market and hope
that in the near future we can stand strong as one of
the international key players in the beauty industry.
What is your advice to
young people entering the
beauty industry, whether as
beauticians or otherwise?
My only key words are passion, and never lose faith
in yourself. I started with nothing and there is no
end to knowledge and education. With that in your
heart, you will be able to find your true calling and
make a success of it. Sharing is caring. Commit
yourself 100% to everything you do and eventually
you will see results.
My greatest challenges during my earlier days were the lack of resources or expertise to develop my R&D manufacturing business.
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