“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

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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

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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

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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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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

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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.

27

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.

BUSINESSSEGMENT

54

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.

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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.

BUSINESSSEGMENT

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Q

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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.

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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

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Q Q

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?

BUSINESSSEGMENT

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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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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Q

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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

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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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