Knowledge Management

nikzafri · Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 119

The Star Business - 25/12/07

New launches to drive growth

Chief executives have lined up new products for next year. Mah Sing Group Bhd CEO Datuk Seri Leong Hoy Kum expects the company's new launches will be well received in a buoyant, domestic-driven economy. Guinness Anchor Bhd's MD Charles Ireland feels 2008 should be a better year as the market for malt liquor has started to stabilise. Prudential Assurance Malaysia Bhd's CEO Tan Kar Hor will cultivate new product lines like retirement planning and Islamic products

DATUK SERI LEONG HOY KUM
Managing director and CEO
Mah Sing Group Bhd

WHAT is your outlook for the property market next year?

We believe that the property market in 2008 will be robust, underpinned by a resilient domestic driven economy. Various pump-priming initiatives under the Ninth Malaysia Plan will provide a boost to propel the economy upwards and increase disposable incomes.

Malaysia�s young population, rising urbanisation, low unemployment rate and increasing wages, as well as a high savings rate will continue to contribute to the property market�s positive run.

Datuk Seri leong Huy Kum
The Government has been proactive in this manner, with several goodies announced for Budget 2008. EPF contributors will be allowed to make monthly withdrawals for financing one house effective Jan 1, 2008.

This could potentially unleash close to RM9.6bil annually into the property industry, allowing homebuyers to afford homes costing 20% more than previously.

The 50% waiver on stamp duty for purchase of homes under RM250,000 should boost demand for homes, and the Group has taken the initiative to ride on these incentives.

We are setting up a help desk to advise our buyers on the EPF withdrawals, as well as waiving the remaining 50% stamp duty for Mah Sing homes priced up to RM250,000, to ease the burden of home ownership.

Besides domestic demand, there has been increased foreign interest in our properties as they like the quality of our properties, boosted by the waiver of real property gains tax.

We have the most liberal landownership laws in the region, and now, foreigners are allowed to buy unlimited units of residential properties above RM250,000 without restriction of usage.

What are some of the opportunities and challenges for industry players going forward?

Growth corridors including the Iskandar Development Region (IDR) and Northern Corridor Economic Region have resulted in renewed interest in these areas, and improving infrastructure as well as strong economic and population growth will spur demand for housing there.

Malaysia�s increasing exposure as an international property market will attract more foreign participation. It is indeed an opportune time for foreign investors because whilst our properties may be world class, valuations still lag behind those of our regional peers.

Increases in raw material prices have increased construction costs, resulting in higher pricing for good housing projects in strategic locations.

Buyers will want to hedge against inflation by investing in assets that have potential upside.

Which property sector and development types offer the best potential for your company?

In terms of the residential market, we believe that medium to high-end gated and guarded residential properties should do well.

Demand for these properties is a reflection of Malaysians� growing affluence and sophistication. These properties would need innovative concepts and practical layouts, as well as being supported by a strong brand.

For the commercial market, there is a shortage of good office space, especially Grade A offices in Kuala Lumpur. The limited number of good quality investment grade buildings available for sale in the market has driven up the capital value of prime offices.

Depending on the location, commercial retail buildings should do well.

What are the challenges faced by the industry and the impact on your company?

Prime land is increasingly scarce, especially land that fits our fast turnaround business model.

However, we have a proven landbanking track record, securing good land year on year to maintain our earnings visibility.

Sometimes, landowners also approach us either to sell land, or to propose joint ventures on their land to tap into our branding, experience and skills.

Our capability to appropriately manage cash flow is key to the company�s ability to capitalise on opportunities

Increases in raw material are inevitable, but we have taken steps to mitigate the effects, for example, by using step up pricing for new launches, bulk purchasing to enjoy discounts, and lowering our funding costs via shrewd negotiations.

Human capital, i.e being able to continuously recruit, train and retain good people who are willing to take the company to new heights amidst increasing globalisation, will be the key to success.

We have a very strong team which is striving to realise the Group�s vision.

What are some of the interesting property launches that can be expected from your company in the coming months?

We have started a registration exercise for our new commercial projects, which will be launched in 2008.

Southgate Commercial Centre offers investors the opportunity to own offices in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, as opposed to just leasing the offices in most new buildings.

There will be food and retail outlets to support the offices. Southbay City in Batu Maung, Penang will be a new �must-visit� destination, integrating leisure, commercial and retail offerings near the upcoming Second Bridge on the island.

Our existing residential projects are Perdana Residence, Kemuning Residence, Hijauan Residence and Aman Perdana in the Klang Valley, and Sierra Perdana, Austin Perdana and Sri Pulai Perdana in South Johor within the IDR.

We shall continue our sales from these projects, mainly semi-detached homes and bungalows within gated and guarded communities.

What are your expectations of project take-up rate, sales revenue and earnings for the company next year?

We believe 2008 will be another good year and we should be able to achieve another year of uninterrupted profitability and good take-up. This will be underpinned by our unbilled sales exceeding RM1bil, which is twice our revenue in 2006.

We have a remaining Gross Development Value (GDV) of RM3.042bil, representing a total GDV of RM4.119bil, which will ensure earnings visibility for seven years.

We expect another year of good sales, especially with the implementation of the Employees Provident Fund withdrawals next year. We will continue to focus on the lifestyle medium to high-end residential and commercial segments, which have given us very good results.

Charles Ireland
CHARLES IRELAND
Managing Director
Guinness Anchor Bhd

WHAT is your outlook on consumer spending for 2008?

The Malaysian economy seems to us to be in pretty good health. When the Ninth Malaysian Plan�s spending kicks in, we hope that the present growth rate of 6% will be sustainable throughout 2008.

Within the malt liquor market (MLM), we are extremely supportive of the Visit Malaysia Year initiatives and are delighted that it has been extended to 2008. This is because we know that generally, tourists enjoy relaxing with a beer at the end of the day when on holiday, and that other spending that they do will further support the Malaysian economic growth.

While we are optimistic for 2008, we are also not discounting that several other factors can impact consumer spending, such as inflationary pressures and the external environment, like high oil prices and the US subprime mortgage market as well as the accompanying credit crunch.

As for the MLM, we were spared another year of excise duty increase in the recent Budget 2008 and the market is slowly beginning to stabilise, registering a marginal growth year-on-year.

How was consumer spending in 2007?

The malt liquor industry had a tough year with a 1.4% contraction in the market.

Consumers were, not surprisingly, still careful in their spending on beer given the very high prices due to us having the second highest excise duty in the world.

I am pleased to say though that despite this, GAB performed very well. Our revenue breached the RM1bil mark to reach RM1.07bil while pre-tax profits stood at RM152.16mil.

Our success was due to our continued focus on our people, brands and performance. We launched several innovative marketing initiatives to attract consumers to our brands, increased our budget allocation for employee training and improved operational efficiency to strengthen our financial performance.

This, together with continuous support from our consumers and trade partners, has helped us open up a clear lead over the competition.

What is your expectation of spending at the higher end? Please define �higher end� in your industry.

Whilst GAB proudly boasts a full diverse portfolio of brands, we have the best �higher-end� beer brands in Malaysia. As such, a good performance in this segment is critical to our success.

Higher-end outlets for us are modern pubs and clubs, white table restaurant and hotels. We expect that this sector will continue to perform as Malaysia transitions into more of a service economy and there is further growth in middle-to-higher income jobs.

Furthermore, the Visit Malaysia Year initiatives will hopefully continue to bring additional affluent consumers to the country.

GAB is well positioned to grow in this segment. Consumers regularly choose our brands as part of their evening. Whilst we are the clear market leader overall, we have over 90% market share of this �higher-end� segment.

How have the tourism dollars helped to boost consumer spending, what further measures can be introduced to boost tourism?

Tourism is very important in bringing in tourist ringgit into the country, helping boost the economy and, consequently, consumer spending.

The price of beer and stout is one factor that tourists consider in making a choice of holiday destination. We also know that beer prices in Malaysia are the highest in the region and believe that this may lead to tourists choosing neighbouring countries over Malaysia.

To this end, we believe that it was a good decision by the Government not to increase excise duties this year to give the rest of the world a chance to catch up.

We further believe that the industry should play its part in boosting tourism. The Ministry of Tourism�s initiatives should be commended and complemented by us.

We are currently thinking of how we can support the ministry in its efforts and have started dialogues with them on how we can help.

What are the new challenges at a time when consumers are said to be spoilt for choice?

One of the wonderful things about a business is that there are always challenges and the trick is to turn these challenges into opportunities.

Over the past six years, GAB has been successful.

We believe that by working hard with our great people and fantastic portfolio of brands to deliver performance, we are able to continue to grow to deliver ahead of shareholders' expectations.

Tan Kar Hor

TAN KAR HOR
CEO
Prudential Assurance Malaysia Bhd

IS your company on track toward achieving the risk-based capital (RBC) framework by 2009?

Insurance companies in Malaysia have known for a long time about the impending introduction of a risk-based capital framework. The possibility of such a framework being introduced was highlighted as early as 2001 in the Financial Sector Masterplan.

Since 2004, Bank Negara has also been working closely with the insurance industry to draw up the framework that is applicable for Malaysia, and there have been several rounds of refinement of the proposed framework following discussions between the central bank and the insurance industry.

This has allowed insurance companies, including Prudential, to test the impact of the proposed framework on their financial positions and to strategise in areas such as product development, investment decisions and efficient capital management.

As far as Prudential is concerned, we are on track to implement the RBC framework by 2009.

What are the current initiatives and processes put in place or being undertaken to achieve the RBC framework?

With the impending introduction of the RBC framework, there will be higher demand for professionals with specialised skills such as actuaries and risk managers.

This is especially so because the RBC framework uses statistical science to make explicit provisions for uncertainties in an insurer�s future financial position, for example, the amount of claims and the market view of investment return.

As a leading insurer in Malaysia, Prudential is fortunate to be able to attract and retain people with specialised skills. We focus a lot not only on attracting and retaining the right people, but also training them.

The new framework also gives insurance companies more opportunities and flexibility to demonstrate good internal governance and risk management systems and practices. We are further strengthening these areas to cope with the new framework.

Being part of a large global financial services group (UK-based Prudential plc), we are also fortunate that our group head office supports us by providing their experience on new developments in the regulatory regimes in other countries in which we have operations as well as training to update the skills of our specialised staff.

Are mergers and acquisitions (M&A) on the company�s agenda in view of the deadline for RBC compliance getting closer?

At present, we are not considering any mergers and acquisitions.

What steps are your company taking to gain a larger foothold in the sector?

The launch of our sister company, Prudential BSN Takaful, last year was a significant milestone that enabled us to widen our product range to include syariah-compliant insurance plans. We expect strong contribution from our takaful business given the huge market potential.

We will continue our efforts to expand our agency force, improve their productivity through rigorous training programmes and leverage on IT to enhance their efficiency.

We are also aggressively broadening our insurance solutions to meet our customers� needs.

Retirement is one of the key focus areas as the market is ripe for financial solutions that can help customers proactively plan for retirement and be able to live comfortably through their golden years. We are building our strength and expertise in this area, supported by our market leadership in investment-linked products and deep understanding of the retirement space through consumer research and vast experience worldwide.

Besides retirement, healthcare remains a major concern as one gets older. We will continue to develop even more innovative insurance plans to ensure our customers are well protected against escalating medical costs.

With all these initiatives in place, Prudential is well positioned to deliver sustainable, profitable new business growth in the coming year.

Will financial advisor be one of the important distribution channels for the company going forward, judging by its success in developed countries?

Developing our agents to be financial advisors is an important step to cater for customers who are nowadays more financially-savvy and require solutions that can meet various financial needs.

Training programmes that our agents undergo increasingly emphasize on customer needs analysis, the provision of financial advisory services and proper advice to customers as a way to increase their skills and professionalism.

We will also continue to synergise the strengths and competencies of Prudential�s insurance, takaful and fund management businesses in Malaysia to deliver innovative financial solutions that cater to customers� needs.

This synergy will further solidify our brand name and position as a significant retail financial solutions provider in the market.

What will be your investment in IT infrastructure and other expansion plans?

We have put in great efforts to transform our agents to be more receptive to technology in conducting their business.

Many of them are already using notebooks and mobile devices such as Treo smart phones and BlackBerry equipped with customised insurance solutions that give them the flexibility to conduct their business while on the move.

Besides real-time accessibility to customer information, these devices also allow our agents to prepare quotations and provide on-the-spot response to customer enquiries.

These efforts are part of our ongoing commitment to innovative services and products, and transforming our agency force into the most �well-connected� in Malaysia.

Prudential will continue to leverage on technology to further improve agents� efficiency and customer service delivery. In the pipeline is the development of Sales Force Automation (SFA), which will give our agents instant access to customer data and enable them to issue policies right in the customers� homes.

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Here's my version of summary

1. Property market demand will depend many factors

a. Future - Malaysia�s young population, rising urbanisation, low unemployment rate and increasing wages, as well as a high savings rate

b. Current - EPF withdrawals

2. Future - the Development Regions

Current - Volatile construction raw materials pricing ' still need further assistance'

3. Buyers are recommended to hedge against inflation by asset investments that have potential upsides

Potential upside relates to :

- spread ratio/yield result in order to get risk/return ratio. In short, take additional risk to benchmark the current risk. Only then a decision can be obtained to know if additional pick-up of yield is worth in terms for 'taking additional risk' (huh?) It's kinda 3D thinking in asset management.

Again 'potential' means 'Future'.

4. Future : Landowners should work together with Developers instead of selling land.

5. Current : Tourism is still the most popular 'profit generator'.

6. Future : Risk Based Capital to (Future) Risk Weighted Assets ratio of x%.

Current : Impact testing on Product development, investment decisions and efficient capital management.

7. Current : Competent Human Resources, Knowledge Workers etc. still being hunted.

8. Current and Future : ICT will still rule!

nikzafri · Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 119

Having 'too much' experience in various business, especially in the fields of sales and marketing, I would say that MLM is still the BEST way of doing business provided that you follow the rules/regulations and not break it or trying to amend it.

It's not about the business plan that contributes to the MLM success, but it's the responsibility and commitment by the members in order to reach the sales/marketing target.

Another reason is the effective communcation with uplines and downlines. (short notices on changes are not acceptable)

Another common reason with MLM is again, human...We tend to be too much obsessed with the Business Plan rather than the product we sell. Thus, the product knowledge is still lacking behind due to thinking of how to get so much money based on the business plan. (again I'm not blaming the system, but people)

Unfortunately also, the original purpose of a business plan that promotes the conventional hardwork, patience, long term and reap profits later - is now loosing its popoularity with the :

a) drastic changes made in the original businessplan flow or strategy,

(you know..the rhetoric, hybrid system (either approved by the authorities or self-approved or self-modified by the 'super top uplines')

Please note that, binary is still binary, MLM is still MLM and single level is still single level. It just the choice that suits you that counts!

b) competition from the rhetoric/so-called e-commerce,

c) competition from the Get Rich Quick Scheme,

But the above (a)-(c) are really related to "How to take a shortcut to become rich" and this will make so many people attracted to 'money' (who wouldn't?) and tend to forget other good business/sales/marketing practices.

I'm not denying the fact of GENUINE ones but there are too much 'fakes' or 'doubtful' ones.

I'm sorry, some people might find my statement a bit offensive but I have taken almost 2 decades researching and involving myself in too many programmes and business plans to find out that the good ol' MLM (even single-level) is still the best.

Here's one of them (in Bahasa Malaysia)

http://www.geocities.com/nikzafri/qsale.htm

As the saying goes "The old school is still the best school"

My experience dictates my belief in working both hard and smart = busy! Smile

nikzafri · Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 119

The Star Global Malaysians Forum - Posted: 02 June 2007 at 3:21pm

I always ponder on this subject since I was a kid � perhaps influence from sci-fi stories. Will we be seeing building designs of the future be different or with the sophisticated looks? Or perhaps getting taller and taller?

As I entered the 90s, yes, I have seen some futuristic developments as I expected when I was a child. But do you think, the building will be taller and taller in the future?

I don�t think so. Of course, once people become really economic-conscious, this skyscrapers would no longer be built as you don�t have proper justifications in terms of economy. Just visit any skyscraper in the world today - look at the �small� office spaces as you go further up? And look at the rental price?

But if you all ask me, will digital age encounter higher evolution as time goes by? My answer would be a big �YES� and to evolutionize the digital age, you do not need to build high buildings, right?

You can just �go anywhere� to find :

a) �wi-fi� and �wi-max� � a very rapid evolution of broadband which started from leased line which started from �dial-up�

b) �3G� facilities � a very rapid evolution of GPRS, Bluetooth which started from WAP.

then you�ll get connected to the world - and these technologies are getting better and better as I speak now!

Now why would people build tall buildings on the first place? If you study carefully, the typical claims would be :

a. to denote some kind of success and glory via �monuments�,

b. plus (ironically) also an indication of the lifestyle of rich and famous, the taller the penthouse or CEO�s office suite be, the �taller� the �success level� would be

So, do you think, this philosophy will still be valid in the future? (Maybe now) I think what we�re facing now is part of the new industrial revolution (we�re still in the learning stage) and soon when quality genuinely takes its place, we would be concentrating to building a more secured, stronger + environmental friendly superstructures � green buildings (not necessarily high)

Now how would I know this? I see �signs are happening now�. I noticed that some true rich men coincidentally related to the digital business � surprisingly prefers lower buildings with good surroundings - just look at Google, Yahoo offices and even Microsoft building in Richmond. Now these firms are more into evolutionizing digital technology rather than making skyscrapers to denote their success.

Now the following are what I foresee (not Nostradamaus-oriented) :

a) The current skyscrapers will stay the way they are but new ones will no longer be built,

b) Even if there are new buildings to be built, the focus would be on reliability, strength, longer life-cycle and especially environmental friendly elements � in simple terms � GENUINE sustainable development,

c) Digital technology race and evolution will come to a total halt one day (but not as soon as skyscrapers) and we would still be maintaining what we have � possibly try to go back to the basics as much as we can.
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Response from flick068-Posted: 02 June 2007 at 4:34pm

I think you're not very far off in your Nostradamaus-oriented predictions. The current movement is towards green and sustainable buildings rather than glorified monuments. Although glorified monuments seems to be de rigueur in developing nations eg India & China. For eg, just read in today's paper a billionaire in India building a 60-storey palace with helipad, health club, etc for his business/office and home, just 'coz he can! If you've got it, flaunt it type of mentality I suppose. And look at all the one-upman-ship happening around in Shanghai, Taiwan, Malaysia included on who builds the tallest, longest, biggest building... (how about a building that works and not crack or leak would be better don't you think?)

Once people realise about scarcity of resources and the need for sustainability then the buildings will follow. In some ways the developed nations are getting there because they are the first to feel the effect, in a way.

Also, with the digital movement, it will change the way people work. Perhaps more people will work from home and there won't be need for massive office buildings - although i think this is much further away in the future.... i don't think human bosses have the necessary skills to manage staff remotely (another whole different discussion on human bosses' skills....)
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Nik Zafri's Response : Posted: 08 June 2007 at 2:46pm

Hi flick, thanks for seconding. The more I look into this matter, the more I see few things :

a. We have to learn the hard way - that is when the environmental factors started to deteriorate profusely, only then, people will understand that how important to safeguard nature in order not to destroy the future of their very own future generation. (many countries started out where we started. Some realized fast and drew the line to block the 'madness of unsustainable development' plus restarted trees planting but some countries were left very far behind and awaiting destruction - as a result of their own past guilts)

b. The (a) factor is very much related to serious need for attitude change - ignorance, talking hypotheses/dissertation (talk the walk), no follow-up action taken, waiting for something to happen first (reactive and corrective or firefighting attitudes) etc.etc.

Indeed ICT evolution should be channelled towards educating the people proactively!

nikzafri · Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 119

Posted: 09 December 2006 at 7:12pm

I've been monitoring this forum since yesterday but it seems despite you all may have read The Star on 08 December, 2006 but probably missed the following news about Eric (Almerical) - well...when I saw it yesterday, I think I was the first GMN member who sent him a congratulatory sms. (Sorry Eric, I know you don't need this publicity but I'm putting it here anyway)

THE STAR NEWS/NATION - 08-DECEMBER-2006

Fear of change a blow to ICT

PENANG: Not many businesses are using information and communications technology (ICT) or websites to market their products and services due to fear of change, said a web developer.

Webture Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Eric Yam said many were still doing business the conventional way because they feared change due to a lack of ICT knowledge.

There are also those who think that it is only good for global trading. But this is wrong. The website can also reach out to local customers,?he said during his presentation on E-Commerce and How It Helps Domestic Conventional Businesses at the Penang ICT Week organised by the MCA ICT Resource Centre yesterday.

Yam said some entrepreneurs were unwilling to invest in ICT, or already had a website which failed to bring in revenue due to wrong focus.

beautiful web design is useless when there are few visitors or if download time is slow,?he said, adding that a successful website must include good design, applications and marketing.

On the cost of hiring a web designer, Yam said it varied depending on content and web features. The price could range from RM500 for work by a freelance designer to over RM80,000 for corporate websites.

Goon Tee Ho, sales manager of web-based software application company Teneo Technologies Sdn Bhd, said some SMEs already had websites but failed to maintain and update the content due to the cost factor.

Karen Soo, chief executive officer of MEP Meeting & Exhibition Planners Sdn Bhd, shared her success story on ICT adoption.

From having two desks, one notebook and a printer, her company had grown to a workforce of 30 people today, with ICT solutions allowing the staff to work faster and smarter.

and

THE STAR NORTH - 08/12/2006(note the title is a bit different but the contents are much the same except, the northern version has the name covering the news)

Many still not using ICT to do business

By CHOONG KWEE KIM

Not many businesses are using ICT or websites to market their products and services for fear of change.

Chief executive officer of web developer Webture Sdn Bhd Eric Yam said many were still doing business the conventional way be-cause they feared change due to a lack of ICT knowledge.

There are also those who think ICT it is only good for global trading which is wrong. A website reaches out to Malaysian customers and is not only meant for overseas business,?he said.

Yam said this during his presentation on E-Commerce and How It Helps Domestic Conventional Businesses at the Penang ICT Week organised by MCA ICT Resource Centre (MIRC) recently.

Yam said some entrepreneurs were unwilling to invest in ICT, or already had a website which failed to bring in revenue due to wrong emphasis and focus.

beautiful web design is useless when there are few visitors or the downloading time is slow,?he said.

successful website must have good design, applications and marketing.?

On the cost of hiring a web designer, Yam said it varied depending on content and web features.

The price could range between RM500 for work by a freelance designer to over RM80,000 for corporate websites.

Yam was one of three speakers at the session on Empowering SME Exporters Through ICT chaired by Dr Ooi Chen Hock.

Goon Tee Ho, sales manager of web-based software application company Teneo Technologies Sdn Bhd, said some SMEs already had websites but failed to maintain and update the content due to the cost factor.

Traditional static websites no longer meet the needs of modern businesses,?he said.

There is a need to implement flexible web applications that are effective in terms of functionalities, ease of use, scalability and cost,?he said in his presentation on Capturing Global Market Opportunities Through the Internet.

Karen Soo, chief executive officer of MEP Meeting & Exhibition Plan-ners Sdn Bhd, shared her success story on ICT adoption.

From just two desks, a notebook computer and a printer, her company had grown to a workforce of 30 people today, with ICT solutions allowing the staff to work faster and smarter.

nikzafri · Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 119

The Star Global Malaysians Forum - Posted: 08 September 2006 at 8:59pm

Awareness must come from people like us. We must keep educating in any way we can even it may take ages. The order and chaos are co-existing but the choice is always ours. Our effort even a small contribution but in good faith would definitely help somewhere..to a certain extent - Every little bit helps.

The idea of having people who still care is the best we could do for now (I wish there's a better solution) in common scenarios like :

a) 'you're on your own' -> it's you who will make the change or it's a dirty job but someone has to do it. I view these as you can't do anything by just sitting and watching or hoping everything will be OK. To me, participating in this forum would reflect at a minimum level - your intention to help out even merely by talking or giving opinion/views.

b) 'ask not what the government can do for you but what you can do for the government' -> yes, it sounds a bit rhetoric again but if you think carefully after reading this phrase (It's a call for help) - > how do you define government? Can it exist without people, can it exist without votes. Again, it's our hands that are causing the government to exist. It takes two to tango!

c) 'If you can't get to the government, let the government comes to you' - we must not give up hope, keep trying. Someone somewhere will see your good intentions. But if you fail to gain attention even how hard you tried, there will be predecessors if not your own children.

In my past, my management plans have been nicknamed 'poison' by one ex-employer. But of course, I don't easily throw what seemed/claimed to be 'poisonous' to them because I believe that 'People reject to what they don't understand" or "People are scared of change" and most importantly I believe that 'the poison' they were referring to are actually 'a cure' to their 'illness' or perhaps other people's illness somewhere else. It's very sad that I have to resign from that organization just to prove myself right - lucky me - I don't easily give up. I joined another company (bigger than the previous) and miraculously, against all odds; ironically, what seemed to be the 'poisonous' plans were actually 'cures' to the new organization. Would I have thrown the plans away, I would not have reached this far. And you know what? The previous employer had the guts to come back to me and expressed how 'stupid' he was to not stop my resignation. But I; in good faith; calmly/sportingly replied to him that his company was not the 'chosen one'...what to do..it's fated I guess. But I did want to help his company back but the employer chose not to accept because he felt a little bit 'shame'.

c) 'nobody is wrong, everyone is right', 'nobody is right or wrong' -> which one are you?

Someone once asked me : "Can you do a better job Nik if you're chosen to lead the Government?" I said : "It's not an easy job" - "The chances are, I could be doing worse " BUT "I do know that I don't have to be a politician or authority to uphold good/best practices and principles"

Nobody thought that the Walls of Berlin can be finally crushed down. Nobody thought that Malaysia can have their own cars. Nobody thought that the speed of sound can be broken. Nobody thought that we can go to the moon. Nobody thought that ICT/information/knowledge will become one of the most important asset in our lives...

But in the course of history, negativities have prevailed in 'burning Joan of Arc', 'murdering Mahatma Gandhi and Lincoln', 'branding inventors/scientists as magicians' etc. etc. I'm sad to think of the fact that there must be casualties/martyrs in order to help humanity reaching what we define today as 'civilisation' or 'peace' or whatever you want to call it. In a way, I'm beginning to understand why we can't tamper with nature - for eg. In the jungle, tigers/wolves have to eat smaller animals in order to survive, seagulls have to eat fish or newly born turtles to live - it's the survival of the fittest. It's the way you perceive it or see it. If you see tigers as 'bad animals', then you will shoot the tiger not knowing (or ignoring) of what would happen to their cubs.

Well, I believe - if we keep frequently seeing things negatively (not that we cannot have 'benefits of the doubt' at all) - they will stay negative in our hearts and worse - these negativities will dictate our actions. But if we try to turn 'weaknesses' into 'strengths', it will definitely be positive to us so long as you have faith and confidence - whatever happens.

Being a normal human being - despite God is so powerful and can 'bring' food to your doorstep without putting any effort - we still have to find or have a job; even if it's small one as this is what we are and being created for (with brains, limbs and senses) I don't deny the fact that miracles exist (or at least 'luck') but hoping for too much miracles (luck) may lead us nowhere. On the other hand, I've seen miracles/lucks happening when I put some good effort on certain things.

There must be a point whereby we must learn to give credit to ourselves, being satisfied or feel the thrill of victory in our lives (in our very own ways) - even how small these can be. Give hope to yourself if you fail to give hope to others.

The one question that came to me during my 40th birthday :

"Have I made the difference?"

I don't believe that people will always resort to dissatisfaction all the time. Pain and bad memories are something you can't erase, you have to bring them with you but how you're going to deal with them later that matters most - anger? fear? vengeance? or not letting us to be 'beaten' again.

There will always be 'pros' and 'contras' in everything and it will stay that way till the end of the world. But best thing is that it's these pros/contras that help nation building - believe it or not. Just like having catalyst in chemical. But if there's too much of pros or too much of contras...then our world will never go anywhere.

Don't be sad if you have to do mistakes or making the 'wrong' choices in our lives. After all, we are only human. After all, to err is human.
-------------------------
Response by adie/ghost001 - Posted: 15 September 2006

A very good comments indeed Nik. Yes, we can never know what's prepared for us in the future. We only know the remnants of the past and try to improve the present and the future with it. But there's no point of trying to improve the future so much if we haven't learn from our past mistakes.

I agree with you on becoming 'independent' as today's world is like, nobody knows you and you don't know anyone. But if you strive hard enough you will succeed but one thing requires explanation - although I understand what you mean by predecessors but how to let the government come to you? (Perhaps I'm not as smart you are..can you please enlighten?)

I'm sad reading the part when people thought you're bringing 'arsenic' whereas in actual fact, you're bringing 'antedote'...I remember reading your pal's opinion almerica that clearly indicated you as a guy who don't like 'craps' and getting straight to the point. Well you did prove to the old management about the new management you later joined did you not?(almerica, I noticed that you've met Nik, is he the kind of the same person?)

I have no comments on the rest of your views as they are 'self-explanatory' but I think, having seeing your web and the forum here, you have made the difference.
----------------------------
Response from Almerica - Posted: 18 September 2006 at 2:13am

Hi ghost001, yes, I've met up with Nik albeit it was just a very short hello and get to know session. A very active fella I might add (hehe). The most important thing is that this forum provides every one of us the opportunity to make our voices heard (well at the least, it is heard by those who share a strong belief in doing the right things and doing things right!), so keep it up with your postings.
----------------------------
Posted: 19 September 2006 at 7:11pm

Hi ghost001/adie, glad to know that you've quoted my names here and there in many threads. But a piece of advice - be yourself and not be me.

I see great potentials in you (quite a good judgement of character myself) even you're not one of my 'apprentice'. (Yes, I do have so many 'apprentices' that have succesfully 'go places' under my strict supervision & guides) I'm sorry if this statement may appear 'arrogant' to you but I mean well. I do not want people to say that you're some sort of my crony..please...

Happy Foruming
-----------------------------
Response from adie/ghost001 - Posted: 19 September 2006 at 7:21pm

Thank you for the good advise and I'm really sorry if I have gone overboard although I thought that's part of being a fan is all about. Sometimes I didn't realize that I'm doing something that might attract your unnecessary attention. Yes, I know your PMs and emails are full becoz of me and sometimes I admit that people do get irritated on my persistence.

I understand perfectly what you mean as you're the kind of person who likes to say things 'straight to the face' and I really admire you for that. But - If I have the opportunity, I would like to register myself to become your apprentice - seeing your principles and beliefs are good enough for me and I won't be turned off by your last comments but on the other hand, I will treat them as constructive criticisms.

Kudos to you my friend!
-----------------------------
Nik Zafri's Response - Posted: 19 September 2006 at 7:27pm

THAT'S THE SPIRIT GHOST!!!

But please understand, not that I don't want you to use my name at all in your threads (for e.g. using 'quote' button..that's ok with me - interactive/comments) - but not too much like 'Nik says this and Nik says that or because of Nik etc.'...I don't like it. I can take praise & admiration but not fanatism or obsession.

I may consider you to become my apprentice..one day. You are one of a kind - ghost (kinda remind me of myself when I was your age) Alas, please remember in one of my last thread - I did say "We must learn to give credits to ourselves". I'm a humble man, ghost but not too humble as this attitude may potentially turns into 'inferiority complex'. A lot of people tend to take opportunity when you're being 'too low' (Take this as one of the lesson if you want to become a good businessman)

Withdrawal doesn't always mean that you're loosing..but you're actually restrategising.

Cheers...
----------------------------
Response by Almerica - Posted: 20 September 2006 at 12:39am

Hi ghost,

The best judge is yourself. You can gauge your own level of daily performance and personal expectations every night when the day is done. Just ask yourself these questions before you knock off to bed.

- Did I really do things that were of value today?
- What did I do right? What did I do wrong (or what haven't I done that I should have)...and Why?
- What did I learn today? How can I use what I learnt today to be applied to what I can do in the future?
- What happened today that made me feel good/bad and why?

Then remember them and rectify what you think you did wrong (or do what you didn't do which you could have done) OR practice and try to inculcate the good things you have discovered or learnt.

Imagine if you can rid yourself of 1 bad habit in just a week and adopt 1 good thing you have leant in a week...in just one year you would have eradicated 52 negative habits of yours and adopted 52 positive traits. Tell me then that you need a mentor when in fact you would have been qualified to be a mentor to others.

But the key is that when you analyse yourself and the situations everyday, don't let the devil on your shoulder try to give you excuses on why you had to do something this way or that way...just be honest with yourself because you can't afford to lie to yourself just to make yourself feel better. Simple right?
------------------------------
Response from adie/ghost001 - 20 September 2006 at 2:07pm

Thank you for the good advise almerica. I'll try to remember them. It's a sign of care from GMN members and I really appreciate it.

nikzafri · Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 119

The Star Global Malaysians Forum - Posted: 05 September 2006 at 5:09pm

Thanks Eric. Nowadays, doing business is a lot more different than those days. 95-97, 97-99, 99-2001 2001-2003, 2003-2005, 2005-2007 - I have noticed that coincidentally, many times that the Malaysian business evolution is likely to occur in a quantum of 2 years. I can almost predict how 2008-2010 would be like but I wouldn't want to become another 'nostradamus' for now. You see, 2005-2007 have taught me few things :

a. Go back to basics when you find yourself 'lost in the future jungle',

b. Maximise your potential - continually learn and learn and learn,

c. Utilise your available resources wisely - spend where necessary only,

d. Open up your own business (especially something to do with 'networking') and 'business failure' nowadays is NOT an option,

e. Trust, transparency, intergrity are now very important - even more important than agreements, deeds et

nikzafri · Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 119

Permit me to share a brief experience ('Client ABC') There was one time when all the senior executive staff including managers have been asked to propose on how to improve (value-add) the intranet usage as the company has been using intranet for years but do not know for what.

Then come this 'techie guy' who started to explain to the 'big boss' using all the ICT technical jargons on how to build an intranet portal. The boss was like : "Ok..yeah..yeah...so what's your point" and that guy kept 'blabbering' with all the 'alien colloquials'. He claimed that all the terminologies he's using is actually 'data' to justify his proposal. Actually he misunderstood what the boss meant.

Then came my turn to comment as a consultant. The boss asked me of where should be the starting point to have a real intranet portal respectively for every department.

I simply replied - in order to avoid 'reinventing the wheel' and since their company has been certified with ISO 9000, they can start by looking into their own procedures, manuals, plans, for process flow of each operation and ensure that these processes are displayed on the intranet portal (making use of the ready-available resources..not creating a new thing) Such information must be accessible to all according to their level of users (superusers, read only and 'blah-blah-blah') Then come out with FAQ for each set of processes. They can also go further by releasing some of the information on the net to gain confidence from investors as they are one of the public listed company.

One of many advantages about having these processes online is that when the 'senior officers' are not in the office perhaps due to some site or outstation assignments, the receptionist can do a quick response to queries based on the standard FAQ that is derived from the processes depending on what the queries are all about. It's a cool telemarketing for the receptionist as well (and good commission too)- cos' sometimes, the queries may come from prospective clients.

Did you know that this technique has been used successfully in Fortune 500 IT companies in the event of troubleshooting queries from the customer. You will notice that the 'technical' people (receptionist actually assuming the jobs of 'desk help' or 'customer service' )- will say "What's your problem sir, how may I help you?" Then you will notice momentary typing sound - looking for the answer in the FAQ and not long after that - confidently replied to you based on the FAQ or if they can't find the right solution, they will simply say "We'll get our people to attend to your problem" or "I'll pass the line to the right officer...hold on please"

The boss looked at this techie guy and said :

"Why can't you talk like him?"

Then this techie guy gazed at me with 'that kind of look' and started to ask me on how to go about - technically speaking. (I think you all know why..he's trying to 'get' me)

Before I could answer, the boss quickly answered on my behalf saying :

"The technical part is for YOU to worry about."
-----------------------------
Almerica's response - Posted: 29 August 2006 at 11:50pm and Nik Zafri's resonse - Posted: 30 August 2006 at 7:15pm

That's what we really all hate. Instead of being a man, acknowledge his weakness and learn from this encounter, such "vindictive" response is what reveals his "train of thoughts" and type of personality. These are the kinds that are ones who wouldn't mind sabotaging a project just to make themselves look good. May be just a small matter, but the way he responded shows the kind of person he is, a potential danger to any organization (don't give a damn if he has a folder filled with phDs or MBAs). Sometimes we can pick out their character from their immediate slight response such as that.

You'll find these kinds of people in any organization (surprisingly - big ones). But I just 'ignore' them. Let me tell you further, what happened to this guy (you're absolutely correct - he's a holder of MSc Computer Engineering - no offend Master/PhD holders...just don't take this guy as an example)

He did try to 'sabotage' the project but since the boss has been keeping an eye on him after that 'lousy' presentation and other 'past blunders' (before my time) - like spending a lot of company's money buying sophisticated gadgets, softwares, system, application etc. - his movements are limited and from the latest source, he is now being put in the 'freezer'.

Nik Zafri : The good part is that the project did won big awards - that much I can tell you and of course for the consultant...there was a big payout of bonus! Wanna know more? The project turned out to be an 'application' sold throughout the company branches and affiliates but of course..my agreement didn't include 'royalty'..but it's ok..the bonus was cool

Anyway you were absolutely right. Cut the jargon, stick to the language that people can understand and you will fare better than the so called "self - claimed" techies who think they are so far ahead compared to others. Using jargons to impress is nothing new. Normally these are low self esteem people who wants to be seen as somebody great.

Nik Zafri : Yeap...laymen term and getting straight to the point. I love the idea of having various 'Guides for Dummies' - the books are really popular!
---------------------
Almerica's Response - Posted: 31 August 2006 at 12:30am and Nik Zafri's Response - Posted: 31 August 2006

Haha! That's great my friend. Definitely deserve it more than Mr ICT in the freezer! Hmmm, the big payout sounds very exciting cos at least you get what you are worth and for the success you brought for them. Hey next time you have too many marketing consultancy work in KL to handle, call me, hahaha. Here in Pg when a consultant like us gives the clients some great ideas and concepts, many of them pay you less than what you ask for, use the idea and tell the whole world what a genius they were to come out with such innovative stuffs..... Heck they were some corporate branding excercise that we propose for our client here, that though may costs thousands less compared to the rates in KL they still get a toothache. Or they ask you to provide suggestions and ideas and they mess it up with some funny illogical concoctions of their own and then say it didn't work. Haha can;t win them all.

Nik Zafri - Eric, actually at some level, I feel greater satisfaction in having 'been chosen' to contribute towards project success. Of course there are some monetary matters to be considered as well. But you would feel the 'worthiness' of the amount being paid to you knowing the fact that you have done a good job.

nikzafri · Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 119

THE BASICS OF BUSINESS - By Brian Tracy - Entrepreneur.com

Business is an art as well as a science. It's a matter of practical experience, judgment, foresight and luck. To be successful in business, you must master the basics of business success.

Fortunately, all business skills are learnable. You can learn anything you need to learn, to achieve any goal you can set for yourself. There are no limits--except the limits you place on your own imagination.

There are three major reasons why businesses fail: lack of money, lack of knowledge and lack of support. By mastering the basics of business success, you'll gain the knowledge necessary to acquire the support and money you need for your business.

So just what are the essentials of business success? There are seven key areas of activity that determine whether your business will live or die:

1. Marketing. Your ability to determine and sell the right product to the right customer at the right time

2. Finance. Your ability to acquire the money you need, and account for the money you receive

3. Production. Your ability to produce products and services at a high enough level of quality and consistency over time

4. Distribution. Your ability to get your product or service to the market in a timely and economic fashion

5. Research and development. Your ability to continually innovate and produce new products, services, processes and responses to your competition

6. Regulation. Your ability to deal with the requirements of government legislation at all levels

7. Labor. Your ability to find the people you need, deal with unions, establish personnel policies, training and organizational development

And from this list, comes the very specific, identifiable reasons for business success:

Having a product or service that's well suited to the needs and requirements of the current market

Developing a complete business plan before commencing business operations

Conducting a complete market analysis before producing or offering the product or service

Thoroughly developing advertising, promotional and sales programs
Establishing tight financial controls, good budgeting practices, accurate bookkeeping and accounting methods, all backed by an attitude of frugality

Ensuring that there's a high degree of competence, capability and integrity on the part of key staff members

Having good internal efficiency, time management, clear job descriptions, accompanied by clear and measurable output and responsibilities

Developing effective communication among the staff and an open-door policy for managers, especially the business's owner

Generating strong momentum in the sales department and placing a continued emphasis on marketing your product or service

Making concern for the customer a top priority at all times

Putting determination, persistence and patience at the top of the list on the part of the business owners

And now that you know the seven essentials of business success and the identifiable factors involved in helping your company succeed, let me share the top reasons for business failure. Thousands of companies were studied to determine the reasons businesses fail. Here they are, in order of their importance:

Lack of direction. Business owners often fail to establish clear goals and create plans to achieve those goals, especially before starting out, when they fail to develop a complete business plan before launching their company.

Impatience. This occurs when business owners try to accomplish too much too soon, or expect to get results far faster than is truly possible. A good rule to remember is that everything costs twice as much and takes three times as long as expected.

Greed. When entrepreneurs try to charge too much to make a lot of money in a short period of time, failure isn't far behind.

Taking action without thinking it through first. An entrepreneur acts impetuously and makes costly mistakes that eventually cause the business to fail.

Poor cost control. An entrepreneur spends too much, especially in the early stages, and spends all their startup capital money before achieving profitability.

Poor product quality. This makes it difficult to sell and difficult to get repeat business.

Insufficient working capital. An entrepreneur expects--and requires--immediate, positive cash flow that doesn't occur, leading to the failure of the business.

Bad or nonexistent budgeting. An entrepreneur fails to develop written budgets for operations that include all possible expenses.

Inadequate financial records. An entrepreneur fails to set up a bookkeeping or accounting system from the beginning.

Loss of momentum in the sales department. This leads to a decline in cash flow and the eventual collapse of the enterprise.

Failure to anticipate market trends. An entrepreneur doesn't recognize changes in demand, customer preferences or the economic situation.

Lack of managerial ability or experience. An entrepreneur doesn't know or understand the important skills it takes to run a business.

Indecisiveness. An entrepreneur is unable to make key decisions in the face of difficulties, or decisions are delayed or improperly made because of concern for the opinions or feelings of other people.

Bad human relations. Personal problems and conflict with staff, suppliers, creditors and customers can easily lead to business failure.

Diffusion of effort. An entrepreneur tries to do too many things, thus failing to set priorities and focus on high-value tasks.

Business success isn't a mystery waiting to be solved. It's an attainable goal, if you simply avoid the reasons for business failure and continually focus on improving the areas that are responsible for business success.

Brian Tracy is the "Success Secrets" coach at Entrepreneur.com and is one of America's leading authorities on entrepreneurial development. He's produced more than 300 audio and video learning programs covering the entire spectrum of human and corporate performance.

Material copyright � by Entrepreneur.com, Inc. All rights reserved.

------------------------------
The Star Global Malaysians Forum - Response from Almerica - Posted: 11 August 2006 at 1:36am

Great stuffs nik!

Allow me to add. The main problem in today's businesses is that many top corporate owners still find it tough to delegate and trust even their fully competent and qualified generals to make a call. This slows down decision making process and one major fact today is that business is very much based on the speed of making things happen.

My company had the privilege of being appointed as an ad-hoc project manager and coordinator, handling everything from protocol communications to organising a huge MNC's official opening of its plant in Pg with our CM being the honorary guest. (see the link below). We were given just about 3 weeks from the word go to make it happen and the rate of their approval for our proposals were simply superb.

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/8/10/north/15077905&sec=North

They are currently the fastest growing semicon company (as listed in Forbes). Our CM, Tan Sri Koh and everybody present were astounded when the CEO of the corporation mentioned that it was his first trip to Pg! He reiterated that he based his actions on the advices of his team of leaders here in Malaysia & S'pore. He went ahead to invest 100million here upon their advice and only made his trip here to witness the official opening of the plant. And the greatest achievement is that they built the plant and started its operations (with over 200 staffs) all within 3 months making them a record breaker! You know what their tagline is? Moving Forward Faster.

And here we sometimes see big local companies that has so much red tape that even a decision to approve a Rm 1000 purchase is delayed due to the green light required by the MD. Hmmm, we have always teased at the "kiasu-ness" of the Singaporeans but I wonder if we ever look at our own "kiasi-ness", hehe.
---------------------------------
Nik Zafri's Response - Posted: 11 August 2006 at 1:36pm

nikzafri · Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 119

Here's a speech by YAB PM Dato' Seri Abdullah Hj. Ahmad Badawi on Knowledge Management and Knowledge Based Economy. Compliments from PMO Portal - (c) Reserved 2005 - Prime Minister Office.
------------------------------
Oleh/By : DATO' SERI ABDULLAH BIN HAJI AHMAD BADAWI
PERDANA MENTERI MALAYSIA

Tempat/Venue : PUTRA WORLD TRADE CENTRE, KUALA LUMPUR

Tarikh/Date : 07/07/2005

Tajuk/Title : THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

SPEECH

YAB DATO� SERI ABDULLAH HAJI AHMAD BADAWI
PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA
AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
PUTRA WORLD TRADE CENTRE, KUALA LUMPUR
7TH JULY 2005, 9.30 A.M.
-----------------------

ASSALAMUALAIKUM WARAHMATULLAHI WABARAKATUH AND GOOD MORNING

YB DATO� DR. SHAFIE SALLEH
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION

YBHG PROF. DATO� DR. MOHAMED ZORHADIE BARDAIE
VICE CHANCELLOR OF UNIVERSITY PUTRA MALAYSIA

DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS AND GUESTS

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

1. IT IS A PLEASURE AND AN HONOUR FOR ME TO BE HERE TO ADDRESS THIS ESTEEMED GATHERING OF ACADEMIC, TECHNOLOGY AND INDUSTRY LEADERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD AT THIS �INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT 2005� ORGANISED BY UNIVERSITY PUTRA MALAYSIA. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IS AN IMPORTANT EMERGING FIELD OF SCIENCE THAT HOLDS GREAT POTENTIAL FOR ENHANCING THE VALUE OF ORGANISATIONS, INDUSTRIES AND EVEN WHOLE ECONOMIES. THEREFORE, I BELIEVE THAT THIS CONFERENCE � WHICH AIMS TO BUILD AWARENESS OF THE MANY BENEFITS OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AS WELL AS THE MANY ADVANCES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN THIS FIELD � WILL BE EXTREMELY BENEFICIAL TO ALL.

2. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IS A FIELD OF SCIENCE THAT IS BECOMING VITALLY IMPORTANT. WE SHOULD BEGIN TO TAKE A LONG, HARD LOOK AT HOW THE EFFECTIVE UTILISATION AND MANAGEMENT OF KNOWLEDGE HAS CREATED WEALTH IN OTHER MORE ADVANCED COUNTRIES AND, AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, EMULATE THIS SUCCESS. INDEED, IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN TODAY�S WORLD, I WOULD ARGUE THAT IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO HAVE ACCESS TO KNOWLEDGE, BUT WE MUST ALSO KNOW HOW TO UTILISE AND MANAGE THAT KNOWLEDGE SO THAT WE MAY GAIN AS MUCH VALUE FROM IT AS POSSIBLE.

3. NEVERTHELESS, WE MUST RECOGNISE THAT MANAGING KNOWLEDGE IN TODAY�S FAST-PACED, INTERCONNECTED AND GLOBALISED WORLD, IS NOT AN EASY TASK. THE PROCESS OF MANAGING KNOWLEDGE HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT AND COMPLEX GIVEN THE EVER GROWING BODY OF KNOWLEDGE IN EXISTENCE AS WELL AS THE INCREASINGLY NUMEROUS CHANNELS BY WHICH KNOWLEDGE IS TRANSMITTED. THE ADVENT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (I.C.T.) HAS ADDED TO THIS COMPLEXITY, BUT THANKFULLY, IT HAS ALSO PROVIDED SOLUTIONS TO MANAGE IT.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

4. I WOULD NOW LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU MY VIEWS ON WHAT I FEEL ARE THE MAIN BENEFITS OF ADOPTING KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS TO US AS MANAGERS OF ORGANISATIONS, AND AS INDIVIDUALS.

5. LEADERS AND MANAGERS OFTEN HAVE VERY DIFFICULT TASKS TO PERFORM AND A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT INTERESTS TO SERVE SIMULTANEOUSLY. IT IS OFTEN A JUGGLING ACT THAT REQUIRES A GREAT DEAL OF PATIENCE; SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE; MANAGEMENT, DECISION-MAKING, COMMUNICATION AND PEOPLE-SKILLS; AND A STRONG FOUNDATION OF ETHICS AND INTEGRITY TO BOOT. BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE AS PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA, I CAN TELL YOU THAT LEADING AND MANAGING A COUNTRY IS PERHAPS SIMILAR TO LEADING AND MANAGING A COMPANY. THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A PRIME MINISTER AND THAT OF A CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER MAY NOT DIFFER TO A SIGNIFICANT DEGREE. BOTH HAVE SPECIFIC GOALS AND TARGETS TO DELIVER, DEADLINES WITHIN WHICH TO DELIVER THEM, DIFFERENT INTERESTS TO SATISFY, AND ALMOST ALWAYS, LIMITED BUDGETS TO WORK WITH. AND THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF ALL IS THAT WE HAVE TO GET THE BALANCE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, OR WE RISK LOSING SO MUCH MORE THAN WHAT WE PUT IN.

6. AS SUCH, I AM DEEPLY AWARE THAT IN TODAYS KNOWLEDGE-BASED ECONOMY, DEMANDS FOR BETTER, MORE EFFICIENT SERVICES AS WELL AS MORE ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS NEED TO BE MET WITHOUT DELAY; OR YOU RISK LOSING YOUR �CUSTOMERS� TO YOUR �COMPETITORS�. INDEED, WHETHER IN GOVERNMENT, THE PRIVATE SECTOR, CIVIL SOCIETY, OR EVEN ACADEMIA, FOUR KEY WORDS SEEM TO DOMINATE AND DICTATE THE LANDSCAPE. THESE FOUR KEY WORDS ARE (1) EFFICIENCY; (2) ACCOUNTABILITY; (3) TRANSPARENCY, AND; (4) SUSTAINABILITY.

7. TODAY, PEOPLE WANT GOVERNMENTS, EMPLOYERS, POLICY MAKERS, PROFESSIONALS AND ACADEMICIANS � IN SHORT, THOSE WHO WIELD DECISION-MAKING POWER � TO BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE DECISIONS THEY MAKE. THEY WANT TO BE INFORMED OF HOW THOSE DECISIONS WERE MADE, AND AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, THEY WANT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS. THEY ALSO WANT TO BE ASSURED THAT THE RESULTS OF THE DECISIONS AND ACTIONS TAKEN WOULD NOT JEAPORDISE THEIR RIGHT TO ENJOY CURRENT AND FUTURE GROWTH. ESSENTIALLY, THE PEOPLE WANT A SYSTEM OF GOOD GOVERNANCE IN PLACE, ONE THAT IS EFFICIENT, ACCOUNTABLE, TRANSPARENT AND SUSTAINABLE.

8. THESE DEMANDS, ALMOST ALWAYS, REQUIRE THAT WE DO TWO THINGS. FIRSTLY, AS LEADERS AND MANAGERS, WE MUST IMPROVE OUR INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE BY INCREASING OUR KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS SO THAT WE MAY LEAD OTHERS MORE EFFECTIVELY. SECONDLY, WE MUST ENSURE THAT THE SYSTEM OR TOOLS THAT WE NEED TO IMPROVE OUR PERFORMANCE ARE READILY IN PLACE SO THAT WE ARE ABLE TO EXTRACT MAXIMUM VALUE FROM OUR EFFORTS. THIS INCLUDES BY PAYING ATTENTION TO MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, INCLUDING THE MANAGEMENT OF OUR EMPLOYEES, OUR BUDGET AND FINANCES, AS WELL AS OUR INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS.

9. FOR EXAMPLE, IN AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRASPARENCY IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE, WE MUST HAVE THE ABILITY TO CAPTURE AND UTILISE THE RIGHT INFORMATION FOR THE RIGHT PURPOSE AT ANY SPECIFIED TIME. I AM PLEASED TO SAY THAT WITH THE GREATER USAGE OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RAISE OUR PERFORMANCE SOMEWHAT. WE ARE ABLE TO COLLABORATE, WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY IN ORDER TO ADD VALUE TO OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING, OUR WORK PROCESSES AND OUR WORK OUTCOMES. IN SO DOING, WE ARE BETTER EQUIPPED TO DELIVER QUALITY SERVICES AND MEET THE ASPIRATIONS OF ALL MALAYSIANS.

10. INDEED, ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF ADOPTING A MORE EFFICIENT KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IS THAT IT HAS ENABLED INTEGRATED WORK PROCESSES AMONG VARIOUS AGENCIES AND EXPERT COMMUNITIES TO BE CARRIED OUT. PUTRAJAYA, THE SEAT OF MALAYSIA�S MODERN ADMINSTRATION, IS AN EXAMPLE OF AN INTEGRATED WORK ENVIRONMENT THAT IS MOVING TOWARD THE INCREASED USAGE OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS. THE GOAL OF DELIVERING A SEAMLESS SERVICE TO ALL MALAYSIANS, WHILE BREAKING DOWN INFORMATION SILOS THAT MAY EXIST BETWEEN MINISTRIES AND AGENCIES, IS BEING CARRIED OUT, ALBEIT IN STAGES. WHILE WE RECOGNISE THAT CONSTRAINTS EXIST, ESPECIALLY IN RELATION TO CONCERNS OVER CONFIDENTIALITY AND SECURITY, NEVERTHELESS, THE GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT THE EFFICIENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES IS IMPROVED FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

11. KNOWLEDGE CONTINUES TO BE VALUED FOR ITS OWN SAKE AS WELL AS FOR ITS ABILITY TO PROVIDE ENLIGHTENMENT AND GUIDANCE. INCREASINGLY, KNOWLEDGE IS ALSO BEING SEEN AS A COMMODITY THAT HAS ECONOMIC VALUE. ACCORDING TO SOME ESTIMATES, THE CONTRIBUTION OF KNOWLEDGE-BASED PRODUCTS AND SERVICES TO THE WORLD�S ECONOMY HAS INCREASED FROM 24 PER CENT IN THE 1940�S TO JUST BELOW 60 PER CENT IN THE EARLY 1980�S, BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PATENTED PRODUCTS REGISTERED ANNUALLY IN THE WORLD. THIS FIGURE CONTINUES TO ESCALATE. INDEED, THE ABILITY TO PACKAGE AND COMMODITISE KNOWLEDGE AND EXTRACT ECONOMIC VALUE OUT OF DISCRETE PIECES OF INFORMATION OWES MUCH TO THE ADVANCEMENTS MADE IN I.C.T. IN RECENT TIMES.

12. INCREASINGLY, COMPANIES, ORGANISATIONS, AND EVEN WHOLE ECONOMIES, HAVE BEGUN TO REALISE THAT THE ABILITY TO UTILISE MORE MEANINGFULLY EXISTING KNOWLEDGE AND TO CREATE NEW KNOWLEDGE IS THE SUREST WAY TO DEVELOP AND TO MOVE UP THE VALUE-CHAIN. MALAYSIA, FOR EXAMPLE, IS PURSUING AN EXPLICIT POLICY OF TECHNOLOGICAL UPGRADING � ENCOMPASSING PEOPLE AND INFRASTRUCTURE � IN ORDER TO MAKE THE TRANSITION TO A KNOWLEDGE-BASED ECONOMY. BUT OUR PROGRESS HAS NOT BEEN AS FAST AS WE WOULD LIKE IT TO BE. TO SOME EXTENT, OUR PROGRESS HAS BEEN HAMPERED BY OUR LACK OF APPRECIATION AND INVESTMENT IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (R&D) AND IN INNOVATION ACTIVITIES. WE ALSO DO NOT INVEST AS MUCH AS WE SHOULD IN KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND OTHER TECHNOLOGY-BASED TOOLS THAT ALLOW US TO CREATE MORE MEANING AND VALUE IN DISPARATE PIECES OF INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE, AND TO EXTRACT ECONOMIC VALUE FROM THESE ELEMENTS.

13. THIS LACK OF ATTENTION AND INVESTMENT MEANS THAT WE RISK LOSING OUT ON MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE ADDITIONAL VALUE FOR OURSELVES. FOR EXAMPLE, THE SYSTEMATIC PROCESSES IN KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS HAVE MADE THEM INVALUABLE TOOLS TO TRACK AND MEASURE THE INDEX OF HUMAN CAPITAL � SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND OUTPUT � THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN AN ORGANISATION OR COMMUNITY. BESIDES THIS, KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS HAVE ALSO MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR ORGANISATIONS TO KEEP THEIR INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY INTACT. DOCUMENTS AND RECORDS SERVE AS IMPORTANT REMINDERS OF AN ORGANISATION�S CONTRIBUTION AND LEGACY. BUT IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, THESE RECORDS WILL REMAIN JUST MERE ARTIFACTS UNLESS SOME EFFORT IS MADE TO DOCUMENT AND MOBILISE THE INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE WITHIN. THIS CAN BE DONE THROUGH CATEGORISING INFORMATION SO THAT THE HISTORY OF OUR DECISION MAKING PROCESS REMAINS IN CURRENT CIRCULATION IN AS MANY FIELDS OF APPLIED OR RESEARCHABLE KNOWLEDGE. WHEN WE ARE SUCCESSFUL AT THIS, ONLY THEN CAN WE SAY THAT WE ARE EFFECTIVELY LEARNING FROM HISTORY.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

14. CLEARLY, THERE ARE MANY ADVANTAGES TO UTILISING KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN GOVERNMENTS, ORGANISATIONS AND COMPANIES. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE THIS AWARENESS TO NEW HEIGHTS BY ACTUALLY ADOPTING AND FULLY UTILISING KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN OUR RESPECTIVE ORGANISATIONS. BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO CAUTION THAT HAVING THE RIGHT STRATEGY, TOOLS AND SUPPORTING ENVIRONMENT, NO MATTER HOW IMPORTANT, CAN ONLY TAKE YOU SO FAR. AT THE END OF THE DAY, PEOPLE ARE THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF AN ORGANISATION. AND SO, IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT EVEN WHILE WE PURSUE MORE SOPHISTICATED, TECHNOLOGY-INTENSIVE TOOLS TO MANAGE KNOWLEDGE FLOWS, WE SHOULD ALSO PAY ATTENTION TO HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION AND TRAINING.

15. WE HAVE TO REALISE THAT WHILE KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION MAY BE MORE EASILY ACCESSIBLE NOW, MOST PEOPLE REQUIRE FURTHER TRAINING TO BE ABLE TO TRANSFORM THIS KNOWLEDGE INTO SOMETHING THAT IS VALUABLE AND MEANINGFUL. IN THAT SENSE, PEOPLE NEED TO BE EDUCATED ON HOW TO USE KNOWLEDGE TO THEIR ADVANTAGE, TO CREATE VALUE IN THEIR PERSONAL LIVES AND IN THEIR WORK. THEREFORE, THE PURSUIT OF EDUCATION, TRAINING AND CAPACITY BUILDING MUST BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF ANY INITIATIVE TO ENHANCE AND MANAGE KNOWLEDGE. THAT IS WHY MY GOVERNMENT REMAINS COMMITTED TO ENHANCING ACCESS TO AND QUALITY OF EDUCATION THAT IS BEING DELIVERED, BEGINNING AT THE PRIMARY LEVEL RIGHT UP TO THE TERTIARY LEVEL.

16. I BELIEVE THAT WE MUST BEGIN TO REASSESS WHAT WE TEACH AND HOW WE TEACH OUR STUDENTS, OUR EMPLOYEES AND OUR CITIZENS AS A WHOLE. INDEED, AS WE ENTER THE AGE OF �KNOWLEDGE BORDERLESSNESS�, WHERE KNOWLEDGE FLOWS ARE INCREASINGLY COMPLEX AND MULTI-DISCIPLINARY, EFFORTS MUST BE MADE TO ENSURE THAT OUR STUDENTS, OUR EMPLOYEES AND OUR CITIZENS AS A WHOLE ARE ABLE TO COPE WITH COMPLEX KNOWLEDGE FLOWS AND, INDEED, TO MANAGE AND THRIVE AS A RESULT.

17. OF COURSE, THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND TRAINING IS NOT JUST THE GOVERNMENT�S. THE PRIVATE SECTOR, AS A MAJOR SOURCE OF EMPLOYMENT, MUST ALSO PLAY THEIR ROLE TO TRAIN AND VALUE-ADD THEIR EMPLOYEES. THE COST OF EDUCATING AND TRAINING SHOULD BE SEEN NOT AS AN ADDITIONAL EXPENSE TO BE BORNE, BUT AS AN INVESTMENT FOR THE FUTURE.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

18. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE ORGANISERS FOR INVITING ME TO THIS CONFERENCE, AND TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS IMPORTANT EVENT. YOUR IDEAS, VIEWS AND COMMENTS ON HOW TO MOVE KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT FORWARD, BOTH AS A SCIENCE AND AS AN INDUSTRY, ARE CRUCIAL TO ITS DEVELOPMENT, AND THEREFORE, VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. I WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO USE THIS OPORTUNITY TO HAVE FRANK AND OPEN DISCUSSIONS, AND TO GIVE CONSTRUCTIVE INPUT AND CRITICISM WHEN NECESSARY, SO THAT WE MAY IMPROVE OUR OVERALL PERFORMANCE.

19. ON THAT NOTE, IT IS MY PLEASURE TO DECLARE THE �INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT 2005� OFFICIALLY OPEN.

THANK YOU.

nikzafri · Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 119

My special thanks to Tuan Haji Ahmad bin Che Din, Taman Merdeka, Selama, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia

The 14 Golden Rules for Malaysian Business
(Version 02-May, 2006) - By : Nik Zafri (V1-2002)

(KNOWLEDGABLE) - Possess sufficient knowledge, skills/competencies, abilities, experience, exposures and qualifications. All these criterions must be geared towards developing result-oriented system.

(HELPING HAND) - A lending hand to interested parties - associates, partners, staff and general public (including competitors) related to the business. This include sharing new business methodologies through training/ briefing/ conversation/ meeting/ coaching etc. etc. with a perspective of building a better business network in the long run. Becoming responsible corporate citizens by helping the needies (social/welfare activities) and susceptible to the surroundings (including general public)

(CORRUPTION-FREE) - Free from graft of any form. Bribery destroy businesses in a short time and it is also against religious beliefs and the laws.

(EFFECTIVE MARKETING) - Approach the market ethically upon seeing prospects. Diligence and hardworking without giving up easily. Never say 'NO' to customers requests or enquiries. Form up smart partnership(s) or JV(s) with more experienced parties if required.

(NO WASTAGES) - Do not waste time/money on prospective clients/sub-contractors/suppliers at entertainment centres/nightspots or going on tour - vacation in order to win certain tenders (s) or as one of the 'implied criterons' for tender(s) award. Wastages should also be avoided in terms of quality costs (scrap, duplicate activities, wastages etc. etc.) and where practicable, recycle. Apart from the above, meetings/discussions which are time- consuming and unproductive must be minimised including to experiment or test-run a certain 'blue print' or system which is still theoritical. Finally, negative habits such as loafing, truancy, too much talking, spending too long of a time at canteens/cafeteria/stalls should be avoided.

(VISIONARY) - having long term strategic plans in the context of mission, objective and goal. All planning should consider measurement, implementation, current financial status, human resources, technology and business suitability. Expecting potential problems proactively may prevent future pitfalls.

(EXCELLENCE) - excellence and having own business branding without 'xeroxing' or too much influenced by others/competitors. Being proud of own business (even how small or how big) without inferiority.

(PRACTICAL) - Putting all effort towards achieving the objectives and goals being set-up and not simply developing hypothesis or lip-service. Having business-'ownership' feeling, leadership and ability to work independently. These include the process of critical decision making under any circumstances. Responsible, committed and accountable on duties being executed.

(TRANSPARENCY) - adopting transparency in matters/current development pertaining business that need to be made known to interested parties (client, stakeholders, general public, consumers etc. etc.)

(SUSCEPTIBLE) - caring and susceptible towards the volatile changes in the requirements (specification/trend) of interested parties.

(TENDENCY TOWARDS CHANGE) - Readiness to embrace change or upgrade the quality of services and products according to the latest trends regarding new knowledge, technology and method. These include willingness to allocate additional investment(s) aimed towards continual improvement and long term returns.

(LISTENING TO OPINIONS AND CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM) - becoming a good listener to views and (constructive) criticisms from interested parties as they may become catalyst to business growth.

(NOT DEPENDING ON RUMOURS) - not depending solely on rumours in the course of running business. This include unverified/unreliable tips of market shares/stocks (known to fluctuate)

(QUALITY) - OVERALL - implementation of policy, procedures, standards/codes of practice, process, product/services, resources - technology, training, development of management/staff/workers, customers, teamwork, welfare, occupational health and safety/environmental management. Instilling discipline (or self-instilled disciplines) in all aspects including subordination