A True-Blue Malaysian Hav Com

CONTENTS

4 BOLD INITIATIVES 8 VIEWS FROM THE TOP 11 THE NEXT GENERATION 14 THE INTELLIGENTSIA

ADVERTISING & MARKETING t is the best of times, it is the worst of times. Take your pick. If you want to see real change CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER | SHARON TEH and play a part in making it happen, it is the best of times. However, if you are focused (012) 313 9056 only on the obstacles that this country has seen over the past year, you may be tempted SENIOR SALES MANAGERS | to call it the worst of times. GEETHA PERUMAL (016) 250 8640 Johan Mahmood Merican, CEO of Talent Corp Malaysia Bhd, belongs to the fi rst catego- FONG LAI KUAN ry. “I meet a lot of Malaysians who have despaired over the future of our country. It doesn’t (012) 386 2831 help when extreme minority views dominate public discourse and we seem unable to unite ACTING SENIOR SALES MANAGER | I GREGORY THU on issues critical to the country, like education. (012) 376 0614 “It has been said ‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men (and wom- ACCOUNT MANAGERS | en) do nothing’. Hence, I believe that if there’s enough of us, each doing our bit to change LUM WAI FONG (016) 218 5908 for the better, then our country can succeed. We need as many of us [as possible], keeping JOANE TAN that faith and dream alive, so that we can still contribute and make Malaysia as great as it (012) 3772885 deserves to be.” NG CHING YIN (012) 232 8035 Hence, that is the essence of this special pullout on Merdeka, done in collaboration with SHAFINA SYAHRIR TalentCorp. Do we have what it takes to keep the dream alive, to borrow a phrase from Johan? (017) 281 4787 In the last 57 years, Malaysia has gone through many ups and downs, economically and SHANNON LEONG (012) 677 5345 politically. But the mere fact that we have come so far as a nation testifi es to the spirit and DIGITAL MEDIA | resilience of the people. SHARON LEE As you turn the following pages, you will fi nd that the common thread that weaves the (016) 330 1571 AD TRAFFIC MANAGER | stories together is the recognition that this country is going through some tough times. Yet, VIGNESWARY KRISHNAN all are willing to put their shoulder to the wheel and fi ght for a better tomorrow, so that Ma- (603) 7721 8005 laysia is a country of choice for talent and investment. EMAIL | [email protected] Yes, Malaysia has come a long way since 1957. The challenge is ensuring that the country remains a good place to be for future generations. Clearly, a country is only as good as its people. We need to draw on our resources within the country and outside it, so that we can CORPORATE PUBLISHER & GROUP CEO | have a sustainable pipeline of talent to drive the economy forward. HO KAY TAT Rather than curse the darkness, let’s all light a candle to illuminate a better path forward. MANAGING DIRECTOR | All it takes is a spark to get the fi re going. AU FOONG YEE E DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR | Merdeka! LIM SHIEW YUIN

WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS, LETTERS AND CRITICISM. PHONE (03) 7721 8000 E-MAIL [email protected]

PSEUDONYMS ARE ALLOWED BUT PLEASE STATE YOUR FULL NAME, ADDRESS AND CONTACT NUMBER (TEL/FAX) FOR US TO VERIFY. THEEDGE MALAYSIA | SEPTEMBER 1, 2014 S3 special focus 9 Technologies to Elevate Cyberjaya into a Global Technology Hub

ince its inception in 1997 as a nucleus for the development of an ICT-based industry in Malaysia, Cy- berjaya has continuously evolved over the years to serve the needs of ICT players, entrepreneurs and Sthe larger economy – both locally and in the region. Regarded as a premier ICT hub today, the next phase of development is to move beyond a regional platform and onto a global scale. Spearheading this initiative is Cyberview Sdn Bhd, the entity that has been given the mandate by the Malaysian government to transform Cyberjaya into a global technology hub. More than just mere semantics, the management team at Cyberview believes the foundation and building blocks to become a global technology hub is already in place. “It is not necessarily a quantum leap from where Cyber- jaya is today, but the focus to transform the city into a global technology hub is defi nitely a signifi cant step forward for the country,” says Faris Yahaya, managing director of Cyberview Sdn Bhd. “We recognize that Cyberjaya is beyond just ICT, and that is why we need to explore how to leverage its existing resources and facilities to support other companies and industries that are actively involved in emerging technologies,” adds Faris noting that this does not in any way mean that Cyberjaya will disregard future developments in the ICT sector. For Cyberview, the shift in focus from a premier ICT hub to a global technology hub is a decision that has to be made with careful consideration and analysis. To ensure that it is on the right path, Cyberview commissioned a study “Technology on the risks and benefits of such evolves fast, a transformation process which so when we includes consultation and engagement with stakeholders for input. concluded the Based on results from the study, study, 9 rapid Cyberview was able to formulate technology a strategic blueprint for the global growth focus technology hub. was identifi ed to According to Faris, the formulation of the blueprint took into account bring this plan relevant government policies that up to speed until touched on technological priorities the year 2020” - for the country. The blueprint was Faris also developed based on an evalu- ation of leading science and technology parks around the world. It was benchmarked against ternet, cloud computing and big data analytics. dent that there is still a lot of untapped potential, and when these science and technology parks in order to identify and Faris believes that it is reasonable to concentrate all eff orts benchmarked against the six leading science and technolog- adopt the best practices and key success factors to become a on these nine technology areas for the next fi ve to six years. ical parks around the world, there were some strengths that global technology hub. “Technology evolves fast, so when we concluded the study, stood out, he says. Nine technology areas were identifi ed for Cyberjaya to fo- nine rapid technology growth focuses were identifi ed to bring “Unlike other technology parks, Cyberjaya is an entire city. cus on as a global technology hub. The entire process involved this plan up to speed until the year 2020,” he says. We have a population of 70,000 that is continuously grow- studying the 11 National Key Economic Areas (NKEA) from the In line with the new plan, Cyberview has identified 90 ing and targeting a population of 100,000 by the end of 2016. Economic Transformation Program (ETP), and then expanding companies that it will be targeting – essentially 10 for each This gives Cyberjaya the critical mass to sustain growth,” Faris the value chain of each industry. From there a universe of relevant technology area. “The main objective is to bring Foreign Di- points out. “Also, to date 40,000 technology-related jobs have new technologies that apply to each industry were generated and rect Investment (FDI) and Domestic Direct Investments (DDI) been created by the 800 companies based in Cyberjaya. If you based on this method, a database containing 159 technologies to drive investments into the city. There is a need to grow the look even closer, out of the 800 companies, about 500 are MSC were identifi ed. To further narrow down from 159 technologies local industry, accelerate the start-up ecoystem and complete Malaysia status companies.” to just nine technology areas, multiple criteria were applied to the soft infrastructure. We’ll work very closely with existing Faris also contends that it has an advantage in terms of assess and determine the most feasible and viable technology government agencies including Multimedia Development Cor- geographical location. Apart from various highways that con- areas that Cyberjaya should focus on. poration (MDeC), Malaysian Communications and Multimedia nect Cyberjaya to other towns and cities, this emerging global The criteria includes reviewing the technology’s relevance Commission (MCMC), Malaysian Investment Development Au- technology hub also off ers a natural gateway to the 600 million and potential in relation to Cyberjaya, determining how each thority (MIDA) and InvestKL,”says Faris. populations within Southeast Asia. technology would fi t strategically by considering the existing Additionally, Cyberview will participate at global network- Faris hopes that both local and foreign investors will see resources that are available within the country and region, ing events to give Cyberjaya the right exposure it needs. “It is the value that Cyberjaya has to off er as a global technology measuring the value proposition of each technology area to a matter of profi ling it to get that global exposure. We have to hub. At the end of the day, the biggest benefi ciaries are Malay- ensure that it enhances Cyberjaya’s position as a global tech- meet the right people on top of exposing ourselves to emerging sians, he opines. nology hub, among others. technology areas,” Faris explains. “It is more than just a pitch. “Given the government’s pursuit to elevate Malaysia to Based on the study, it was concluded, Cyberjaya would need It is making sure they are aware of the existence of Cyberjaya become a high income nation, Cyberview certainly has a role to focus on the following nine key technology areas – green and what it has to off er.” to play in this national economic transformation. Through technology, biotechnology, smart grid technology, wearable Thankfully, Cyberjaya is already a strong brand name that Cyberjaya, we’re doing our part to make sure our country technology, information security, creative content, mobile in- Cyberview can market to the rest of the world. Faris is confi - succeeds,” Faris says.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY bold initiatives Attracting and retaining talent is a challenge for many companies, but some organisations have already implemented strategies that will appeal to and help develop the next generation of leaders. Here is a look at what they are doing to keep the talent pipeline fi lled. A Doing it the BY Diversity and inclusiveness disclosure no longer optional TIGER way Wa w tion Malaysia has taken a bold step forward in its agenda to of p promote diversity and inclusion in the workforce. The latest initiative is a five-step strategy announced by Prime Minister BY NURUL IMAN DIMYATI talk Datuk Seri Najib Razak where he called on the private sector to Maybank makes diversity and inclusion its policy ter show leadership in talent practices for Malaysia. alayan Banking Bhd, or Maybank as it to ensure that its workforce refl ects the racial mix of sle Corporate leaders have been asked to emulate the best is commonly known, has gone through every country in which it operates. This is tracked and Ho international practices in diversity and inclusion by disclosing many ups and downs since it was estab- reported every month to the executive committee, and the the breakdown of their workforce in terms of gender, ethnicity lished in 1960. But not only has it managed it goes up to the board as well. and age by management levels in their company’s annual to stay in the game, it has also spread its “We have pools feeding into every level of the organ- we reports. To this effect, all listed companies are required to wings to become the fourth largest bank isation. We use the pool not only to ensure a sustainable be disclose their diversity policy for board, management and Min Southeast Asia by assets. pipeline, but also to ensure diversity and inclusion are tha workforce in annual reports issued after Jan 1, 2015. Maybank currently operates an extensive network monitored,” Nora says. It is about giving confi dence and to a In view of Malaysia’s chairmanship of Asean next year, of more than 2,000 offi ces in about 20 countries. The reassurance to everyone, whether they are young or old. eith five-year multiple-entry visas are allowed from December group has some 47,000 employees to cater to their The group sends its employees on diff erent types of onwards to support the movement of business visitors, growing number of customers, half of whom work international assignments. “Do we lose people [during yea investors and fund managers, including those from beyond right here in Malaysia. these assignments]? No, because we track this. We lost ties Asean, such as India and China. Aspiring to be a bank that serves the community, people in the past because we didn’t track their pro- the To tap Asean’s potential, a key pillar of Malaysia’s 2015 by listening to its customers and facilitating growth gress,” Nora says. chairmanship is the promotion of a people-centred Asean, and value, means Maybank has to work hard to build To ensure career progression, Maybank introduced int which involves, among other things, the launch of the MY a “good family” out of its workforce. programmes at various levels — entry, middle, top and plie Asean Internship programme aimed at engaging the youth How is this done? The group’s chief human capital executive — to ensure robust career development. “pr in opportunities that arise out of the Asean Economic offi cer Nora Abd Manaf says the secret lies in Maybank’s An example of its entry-level programme is the spr Community. core values — teamwork, integrity, growth, excellence Global Maybank Apprentice Programme (GMAP), spe Malaysian companies and effi ciency and relationship building. In short, they which is a two-year on-the-job programme for grad- Som with a regional presence, live and work by their TIGER values. uates to explore and experience diff erent functions day such as Malayan Banking “A Maybanker is a person who fi rstly must have the within an area of their choice. Transitioning Leaders Bhd, CIMB Group skills to perform his or her job. After all, we are a prof- to CEO (TLC) is its top management programme for ask Holdings Bhd, DiGi.Com it-making entity. Secondly, the job is performed with high-performing middle managers, providing them gen Bhd, Axiata Group Bhd, both the mind and heart because humanising has to with a platform to strengthen their potential to take did Nestle (Malaysia) Bhd, come from the heart,” Nora says. on CEO-like roles. to m Sunway Group and Sime “It is someone who is very aware of others as much Aside from financial support, more than 20,000 in e Darby Bhd, have agreed to as he or she is self-aware. It is someone who goes out employees have volunteered and contributed their to g pioneer this programme. of his or her way to listen because a lot of people hear expertise, knowledge and skills through Maybank’s but don’t listen. Not only listening and putting others’ community programmes. This allows them to have the needs above his or her own, but also someone who gives satisfaction of engaging with the community while others the opportunity to ensure he or she is taken care empowering them further. of as well. It is always give and take.” At the end of the day, it is not all about the money, Nora Over the last three years, the banking group has says. “We know our people are headhunted every day and seen an improvement in its retention rate for high-po- they are given good increments. But this is what we say tential and high-performing employees. Where once it to our people, ‘We want to create a workplace where you was six out of 10 who left, now it is only two out of 10. will choose to stay. We know you will choose to stay even A contributing factor is the bank’s monitoring and if you have got fantastic off ers out there.’” E tracking of talents in all aspects. Nora calls it the talent dashboard. “It is the ability to track and know where you are in all aspects. It is almost a religion for us. We track to ensure that we have a place for everyone,” she says. The group has a place for almost everyone, from those below the age of 30 to those above 55, and across the whole spectrum of race THE EDGE GOH / PATRICK THE EDGE, SAM FONG / THE EDGE, YUSUF / SUHAIMI and ethnicity. A CHange for the better

BY JENNIFER JACOBS Some, she had to turn down. “There was actually a out in rashes from constant contact with the fi sh. The girl who begged me to consider her because although scholar is studying medicine. hen Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib her father earned RM8,000 a month, he had served Mok’s favourite, perhaps, is an architectural stu- Razak announced a double tax deduc- as a guarantor for a friend whose business had failed, dent who graduated from Universiti Malaya this year. tion for companies that sponsor Malay- so all his money was spent settling that debt and he “His father is a wood craftsman in either Kelantan or sian citizens at local universities under could not support her. But how can I go to my client Terengganu, earning RM700 a month to support a fam- Budget 2012, Mok Wai Ling, a partner at and say, ‘Oh, help this one, but you won’t be getting a ily of fi ve or six children. It was his father who inspired Crowe Horwath, got cracking. She saw deduction for it’?” him to be an architect.” Wa way through which companies could earn tax deduc- Nevertheless, some of her clients were willing to She points out that while public university fees are tions and, more importantly, also affect a great number overlook the tax deduction and help in their personal cheap because the government subsidises 80% to 90% of people by lifting them out of the cycle of poverty. capacity out of the kindness of their hearts. The spon- of them, students still need to pay for accommodation, “We have so many contacts, and when we actually sors have to sign an MoU to commit to supporting the food and study materials. Those who are studying ar- talked to them and our friends, a lot of them were in- candidate through his/her university studies. Similar- chitecture are required to build models, and each model icy terested. But they didn’t want the administrative has- ly, the candidates have to sign an MoU committing to, can easily cost RM200. “When your father is earning x of sle of looking for their own candidates, so since Crowe among others things, keep up their GPA and conduct RM700 a month, there is no way he can support you, so he and Horwath was already doing it, we off ered to coordinate themselves in a manner befi tting a scholar. came to us and I got one of my clients to sponsor him.” and the whole thing,” she explains. “They give us a report twice a year on how they are Project CHange does not tell the candidates what This initiative grew into Project CHange. There doing academically and socially. What I mean by social- courses to take or what to do with it. The money is a an- were a few requirements: the students would have to ly is, what they do in their spare time. The majority of grant rather than a loan and students are not bound to ble be Malaysians; their parents would have to earn less them are involved in some kind of social or voluntary work for the companies that provide them the funds. are than RM5,000 a month combined; and they would have activity,” says Mok. “So we have the whole range of courses — biochemistry, and to attend a Malaysian institution of higher learning, Paying it forward is part of the plan. “When they food technology, medicine, architecture, multimedia, old. either public or private. are in a position to help, just like they are being helped fi lm production, and even aeronautical engineering,” s of The sponsors were willing to pay up to RM10,000 a now, they will. They are already helping out in their says Mok. ing year, which was more than enough for public universi- spare time, but once they graduate, get a job and be- Sometimes students fall below their required GPA, ost ties, but not quite enough for private ones. Sometimes, come successful, I cannot guarantee that they will not putting them in danger of losing their scholarship. ro- they agreed to sponsor more for deserving cases. be so busy with their work and making money that Mok assesses this on a case by case basis. “One of my Mok went through the applications and did the they will forget everything. scholars only managed to achieve a GPA of 2.33, but I ced interviews herself. Most of the students who had ap- “I can only trust them. And I look forward to the defended her to her sponsor. She had gone to Univer- and plied were poor. One candidate could only manage one time when they will be able to carry on the good work siti Malaya Sabah and fallen ill, so she was in and out “proper” meal a day, and that too was bread thickly that has been started with them,” she says. of the hospital and missing classes. She took photos the spread with ‘kaya’ because the rest of her money was Mok is proud of the scholars, proud of the people of her medical bills and medication to prove that she AP), spent on health supplements for her sickly mother. they are and what they are setting out to achieve. “The wasn’t fooling around. ad- Sometimes she couldn’t even aff ord this and on those majority of them want to do something with their lives. “Her sponsor decided to give her a chance and in ons days, she fasted. They want to go back and help their communities. They one semester, she managed to bring her GPA up to 2.97, ers “How can you not want to help people like these?” have seen how poverty has held their parents down and which is tremendous. It shows that these people are for asks Mok. Even with such cases, she would be strin- they want to be able to break out of that cycle.” serious and when they have been given an opportunity, em gent in her selection process. Not only would the can- All the scholars are close to their parents. “Their they will do their best.” ake didates need to qualify economically, they would need parents teach them that even if they are poor, they While Mok thinks it is wonderful that the govern- to maintain a 3.0 grade point average (GPA), be active must live their lives with integrity, honesty and kind- ment has off ered a double tax deduction to help poor 000 in extracurricular activities and demonstrate a desire ness, and that they must be considerate. Also, if they students fund their university education, she does not heir to give back to the community. are successful in the future, they must reach out and think it goes far enough. What about those who are not nk’s help others as they are being helped now,” she says. academically inclined, who fail their examinations and the Mok feels that because of young people such as these, fall through the cracks? hile there is hope for the country. “Even if just one or two “The school system is churning out 50,000 to 80,000 of them go on to make a diff erence, that will be great. of these annually and they come out with no hope. ora It will mean that we have invested correctly.” Why can’t the government extend a similar incentive and One of the scholars, who has since graduated, studied for vocational schools? We have to rethink the way we say public policy. He studied in Kuala Lumpur and used to view vocational training. In the West, skilled labourers you go home on the weekends to help his father look after are the backbone of communities.” ven his 105-year-old grandfather. And while he was home, Mok is an optimist, but she doesn’t see the world E he would hold classes for primary school students to through rose-coloured glasses. She acknowledges that instruct them in subjects like Maths and English. And there are problems, but she is certain that they can because most of the people in his kampung were poor be fi xed. “If you don’t start now, who is going to do it? and he was one of the very few to go to university, This is our country. We have to fi ght for it because if the other villagers would ask for his help in fi lling we don’t, no one else will. The thing is to keep trying. in government forms, to apply for grants, says Mok. The thing is not to give up.” E There is a scholar whose parents would wake up SUHAIMI YUSUF / THE EDGE, SAM FONG / THE EDGE, PATRICK GOH / THE EDGE GOH / PATRICK THE EDGE, SAM FONG / THE EDGE, YUSUF / SUHAIMI at 3am to buy fi sh from wholesalers before selling them in the market. The father had a bad back from standing the whole day and the mother’s hand broke Creating a great Rewarding I place to work diversity o

BY CHESTER TAY panel itself is composed of a diverse BY EMILY CHOW side the work scope to enrich their group of people. lives,” she says, emphasising that BY Our future depends on how Meanwhile, Intel’s Learning and n the area of talent sustainability, diversity and inclusion should be well many different kinds of Development courses provide its em- Malaysia has a twofold problem the backbone of all talent manage- people can live and work to- ployees with knowledge and skills in — it is experiencing a brain drain, ment policies. gether.” This was the state- a wide variety of topics, including while a part of its workforce lacks “Ultimately, it’s about getting the ment made by the first prime leadership, project management, critical thinking skills. “Based on most out of your business and taking minister of Malaysia, Tunku problem-solving, effective deci- discussions with employers, we advantage of creative tension, mak- “Abdul Rahman, during his 80th sion-making, cross-cultural train- Ifi nd that the most common problem, ing sure you don’t miss out on the birthday celebration on Feb 8, 1983. ing and technical subjects. insofar as fi nance talent is concerned, talent you have.” Apro The late Tunku placed great em- The company also inculcates a is people who lack critical thinking In helping companies attract and the phasis on the importance of diversity culture in which employees are en- and analytical skills, as well as a gen- sustain talent, ACCA Malaysia has col- and inclusion in Malaysia’s economic couraged to communicate with their eral inability to strategise and provide laborated with selected partners on thr development and progress. Indeed, managers, senior leaders and peers sound business counsel,” says Jen- strategic initiatives aimed at groom- and as far back as the early days when through its Internet forum, men- nifer Lopez, head of the Association ing people. One such programme, in Malaysia embarked on its econom- toring and coaching relationships, of Chartered Certifi ed Accountants partnership with TalentCorp, is Cer- doe ic development drive, its diversity and social media channels. (ACCA ) Malaysia. tify Me Now!, a government-funded, Adv was one of the compelling reasons To ensure talent sustainability, But in the global arena, Malaysian upskilling initiative for local fresh foreign investors chose this country Intel Malaysia works closely with professionals are highly sought after, graduates to study the ACCA quali- the as a destination for their manufac- secondary schools, universities and she points out. “On the one hand, this fi cation and become professionally ma turing activities. government agencies to develop a is a good problem to have because certifi ed. sch Today, many multinational cor- strong talent pipeline. “We current- our talents are acknowledged to be Other programmes, carried out and porations in the country continue ly work with TalentCorp on a STAR of international standard. Living in a with various employers and which to stress and put in place initiatives programme, in which we bring in multi-cultural landscape makes our targets undergraduates, include the Mo that promote inclusion and diver- JPA scholars to our company to ex- people adept at working with oth- Deloitte Tax Challenge, the ACCA-PwC from sity within the workplace, not just perience our work environment,” ers from various backgrounds and STAR Programme, the BEST Leader- in terms of race and gender but also says Cheah. experience. ship Development with KPMG and tou from other perspectives, such as age It also works with Collaborative “However, this makes it neces- TAR University College, and the AC- pro and background. Research in Engineering, Science sary for policymakers, companies CA-Shell Club, which supports ACCA One such company is US-based and Technology (Crest) to increase and educational institutions to work students and members at Shell in UE Intel, which began operations in the take-up rate of science, technol- together to ensure the talent pipeline their personal and professional de- to Penang as far back as 1972. In fact, ogy, engineering and maths courses is continuously fed, so that we have velopment. UE it takes this so seriously that a spe- in secondary schools. adequate quality talent to support our “We constantly keep our options of w cial post was created to ensure that Today, Intel Malaysia has more growing economy. This should include open to new ideas on talent develop- par diversity and inclusion were indeed than 8,000 employees involved in mechanisms that secure the infl ow ment programmes for the accounting on part of the company’s ethos. assembly and test manufacturing, of talent into the country, and this is profession,” Lopez says. Intel Malaysia’s diversity and microprocessor design and devel- where TalentCorp plays a key role.” The association has hosted the ado inclusion manager Cheah Li Wei opment, global shared services in In view of this problem, companies ACCA Malaysia Sustainability Re- Sur says the objective is to create a finance, IT and human resources. should employ wholesome strate- porting Awards (MaSRA) since 2002. “great place to work”. “We provide This high level of diversity and gies when developing talent man- The awards recognise organisations has equal-employment opportunities inclusion has worked in the com- agement policies. According to Lopez, that document and report on their efi c for all applicants and employees. We pany’s favour. Cheah tells this sto- this means companies shouldn’t focus sustainability, environmental and we do not discriminate; we make sure ry of how gender diversity helped just on attracting talent, but also on social initiatives. par women, minorities, people with dis- improve productivity. “An all-male retaining them. “Throughout the 11 cycles of abilities, people in the military and module engineering team was in “This could include conducting these awards, we have noted an in- the veterans, and other diverse groups fi re-fi ghting mode and struggling to periodic ‘happiness index’ surveys, creasing awareness and acceptance rise are appropriately represented.” meet its weekly commitment. So, the providing training that adds to their among Malaysian companies to be the In fact, if there are concerns about manager decided to bring in a female personal and professional develop- more transparent in their reporting in p discrimination, Intel’s Open Door engineer to change the dynamics of ment, and organising activities out- and for them to communicate their new practices allow employees to speak the group, and this led to a well-co- sustainability practices and perfor- “Th up and expect a timely response, ordinated team that eventually im- mance. This means incorporating the she stresses. The rationale is sim- proved its output.” three Ps — Profi t, People and Planet mo ple. “Intel believes that by building — into the company’s blueprint,” ora a great place to work, employees Lopez: We constantly keep our options says Lopez. PIN will bring performance, and that open to new ideas on talent “It has been very encouraging to leads to huge business value for the development programmes see how the overall quality of sustain- company,” she elaborates. “At Intel, for the accounting ability reports produced by companies we respect, value and celebrate the profession in Malaysia improve year on year.” unique points of view and opportu- This year, the theme of the awards nities that come with our diverse is “Sustainability & Inclusiveness”, Kar employee population.” in line with ACCA Malaysia’s belief ado According to Cheah, Intel Malay- that sustainable practices should be if [s sia currently has a workforce that is integrated into each component of sch made up almost equally of men and an organisation’s value chain and they women, and encompasses all major strategies, hence creating value for ethnic groups in the country. Some the organisation, people and the en- 75% have worked in the company for vironment. more than five years. “This includes sustainable work- This level of diversity is a result place practices and policies such as of the various measures that have diversity of talent, optimum usage of been put in place. For example, to resources, minimising carbon foot- ensure that it achieves its print, contributions to employees and hiring goal of having a social welfare as well as conserving balanced workforce, the the environment,” Lopez says. company’s interviewing “Today, Malaysia is regarded as a leader and champion of sustainability reporting in Asia. Studies show Cheah: By building a that more local companies and lo- great place to work, cal subsidiaries of multinational employees will bring corporations issue sustainability performance, and that reports compared with their peers leads to huge business in the region, so ACCA is proud to value for the company have played a role in building the business case for sustainable practices and development in Malaysia.” E Impacting future generations one school at a time

eir hat BY SARAH VOON Technip: All about safety and sustainability be Technip Geoproduction (M) Sdn Bhd became a member of ge- ripple effect happens when an event or action impacts something PINTAR in 2010 and currently has one school under its wing that, in turn, has an effect on something else. And it is this that — SK Ulu Lumagar in Bongawan, Sabah. Before getting into the the PINTAR Foundation hopes to create with its talent develop- the specifi cs of the programme, Syed Feizal Syed Mohammad, ing ment initiatives. chairman and senior vice-president of Technip’s Malaysia and ak- Since 2008, the foundation has helped to link companies with Brunei operations, gives a safety briefi ng. “We take safety very the underserved schools in Malaysia and coordinate school adoption seriously here at Technip,” he says. Aprogrammes. In adopting these underserved schools, these companies help Another thing it takes seriously is its commitment to the and them to perform better, both academically and otherwise. school it has adopted. “We only adopted one school so we can col- “Our vision is to inspire the young generation to be responsible citizens be focused on helping that school,” Syed explains. “When we on through our three key tenets — nurturing talent, advocating responsibility go into a CSR programme, we purely look at the value of con- m- and promoting intelligence,” says PINTAR CEO Karimah Tan Abdullah. tributing back to society.” , in “A lot of people think PINTAR simply means smart. While in Malay it Although Technip did not have a site in Sabah at the point er- does, it is also an acronym for Promoting Intelligence, Nurturing Talent and of adoption, that did not hinder it from adopting the remote ed, Advocating Responsibility. school. “[This school] was recommended by PINTAR and one of esh “We are looking at a holistic educational experience, which is in line with our main drivers in choosing a school was its needs.” Syed: With CSR, I believe what goes ali- the National Education Blueprint. We encourage our members to adopt pri- Technip believes that meeting key criteria in terms of cor- around comes around. It helps build the ally mary schools because we feel that if [students] get the basics right in primary porate values is also important. “Two [of our corporate] values character and values of the staff . If you school, when they get to secondary school, they will face fewer challenges that stand out clearly where the school is concerned is build- have employees with good moral and social out and problems.” ing the future and encouraging a fair return for all,” Syed says. values, this is where the company gets the ich PINTAR currently has 376 schools and 37 members under its umbrella. The fi rst value drives the talent sustainability it hopes to returns — whether it is business or social the More than 300 programmes are organised a year and more than 1,000 staff achieve. “Our Sustainable Development (SD) committee eval- benefi ts wC from the various companies volunteer for these programmes. uated the demographics of the school and its performance to er- “Since the inception of the school adoption programme, PINTAR has see what kind of programmes we could put in place — [for] nd touched over 660,000 students through the companies as well as our national academic performance as well as soft skills,” he points out. AC- programmes,” Karimah says. The results were positive. Syed says the students who went CA on to secondary school performed well academically, and were in UEM Sunrise: Encouraging the next generation more outspoken and confi dent. de- to realise its full potential The second value — encouraging a fair return for all — is UEM Sunrise Bhd is a pioneer member of PINTAR. It has adopted 17 schools, more geared towards Technip’s staff rather than the students. ons of which 13 are primary and four are secondary. Collaborating with PINTAR is “With CSR, I believe what goes around comes around. It helps op- part of its core corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach, which is based build the character and values of the staff . If you have em- ing on two strategies — education enhancement and community engagement. ployees with good moral and social values, this is where the “We worked closely with PINTAR Foundation to identify the schools to be company gets the returns — whether it is business or social the adopted, ensuring that they meet the criteria set by the Foundation,” says Nik benefi ts,” Syed opines. Re- Surina Suria Nik Abdullah, head of corporate communications at UEM Sunrise. He believes that there is a huge potential for talent to 02. The company feels that it has achieved much in the seven years that it be unlocked through CSR programmes, such as the school ons has been a member of PINTAR. “We feel that we have done something ben- adoption programme. “There are talent reservoirs to be eir efi cial for them. This is evident from the positive and encouraging feedback tapped and nurtured in every part of the country. If Tech- nd we have received from stakeholders, which are the teachers, students and nip can play a small but signifi cant role in doing this, then parents of the programme,” Nik Surina says. the thousands of companies in Malaysia can too. Then, there of There is no reason not to continue building up the next generation, seeing will be a multiplier eff ect and through this, we can achieve in- the success of this programme thus far. “It is UEM Sun- talent sustainability.” E nce rise’s hope to be able to adopt more schools and fur- be ther enhance educational support programmes ing in preparing the younger generation for this eir new and changing environment,” she adds. or- “The nation’s future lies in their hands.” the UEM Sunrise hopes that there will be net more support, participation and collab- nt,” oration by organisations through the PINTAR programme. g to in- nies r.” rds ss”, Karimah: We encourage our members to lief adopt primary schools because we feel that be if [students] get the basics right in primary t of school, when they get to secondary school, nd they will face fewer challenges and problems for en-

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views from the top Th e world is getting increasingly competitive and the war for talent is a real issue, says Tan Sri Jeﬀ rey Cheah. Th at is why he and other corporate leaders such as Tan Sri Yong Poh Kon are passionate about education. In these interviews with Th e Edge, Cheah and Yong share their thoughts on Sun talent sustainability and nation building. ing cou pan dep Of c ing que

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Lik Wh BY ANNA TAING In the mid-1980s, he started Sunway College, which The Edge: Very often, we hear of parents telling their My lost money for more than a decade. In 1997, when the children studying overseas not to come back, but thi an Sri Jeffrey Cheah, the founder of Sunway education business started making money, Cheah to make a life for themselves abroad. In your case, und Group, is a true-blue Malaysian. “I believe set up the Sunway Education Trust as a philantropic not only are you a provider of education facilities big in this country. My grandchildren are the vehicle. In 2010, he converted the trust into a social here, you have also involved your children in the try. fifth generation in Malaysia. While I have enterprise where all the institutions of the Sunway business. Can you share your thinking on this? be c amassed some money from my business, I Education Group and profits were put under the Tan Sri Jeff rey Cheah: We cannot stop people from see will continue to give and contribute to the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation. This was to ensure the doing what they do if there are inadequate opportu- atro Twelfare and progress of the nation,” he says. foundation and the work it does would live on from nities in the country. Sometimes the children them- all l It is not just rhetoric. While Cheah has continued one generation to the next. selves don’t want to come back, not because of what eac to reinvest his money and expand his company, his Cheah believes in making the Sunway Group a the parents tell them. People can exercise freedom, the children are very much involved in the conglomerate place where talent makes a home. “The world is get- but we cannot speak for everyone. The world is getting that he has built up over the last 40 years. “I believe ting increasingly competitive and the war for talent increasingly competitive and war for talent is a real sto my children will contribute their fair share of good is a real issue. We have to put our own house in order issue. We have to fi rst put our own house in order for if th work to take the business to greater heights and give to attract and retain talent. us to attract and retain talent. We need to improve ove back to society,” he says. “We need to improve ourselves as a country, and ourselves as a country, and as a community, because fut This explains why Cheah is big on sustainability, as a community, because people are mobile today. people are mobile today. If they study overseas and if which he describes as building a culture that can be It is my ongoing commitment to make Sunway the policies back home are not attractive to them, they How passed from one generation to another. “I have always ideal place for talent,” he says, adding that if young don’t come back. is s asked this question: What we are doing, is it sustain- people find opportunities in good companies locally, It’s just like any company. If the management of a and able over time?” there would be no reason for them to work abroad. company is not forward looking, not transparent, does con In fact, when he started developing Bandar Sun- His daughter, Sarena, who is joint managing direc- not have good corporate governance and core values We way, it was just a huge tin-mining wasteland, which tor of the Sunway Group, has been with the company for society and community, then people can say, ‘Why our he describes as a “moonscape”. It was a challenging for 20 years. What compels her to stay in the coun- should we work for a company like this?’ bel task as it involved brownfi eld redevelopment, Cheah try when young people like her are looking abroad? It is my ongoing commitment to make Sunway an con recalls. “You can fi nd earthworms here today; the “Like every young person, I go where the oppor- ideal place for talent by providing the opportunities, by whole eco-system has been restored,” he says. tunities are. Why am I here? I truly believe that my ensuring quality education is accessible to all and by rat He is also very passionate about education. Indeed, dad has built a very strong foundation in the Sunway providing training to improve productivity. bec the topic gets him animated and all fi red up. “It is the Group, both in the corporate as well as CSR [corpo- I am a true-blue Malaysian; I believe in this country. are key life-transforming enabler,” he stresses. rate social responsibility] area. If you ask me, he is My grandchildren are the fi fth generation in Malaysia. fras “I come from a small village in Perak called Pus- a deliverer of platforms. In the 20 years that I have While I have amassed some money from my business, har ing. I saw the eff ects of poverty and the deprivation worked with him, I have learnt a lot, especially the I will continue to give and contribute to the welfare We of opportunities to study, and the need to improve values that very much resonate with myself and and progress of the nation. I believe my children will exp the well-being and prospects of the people. Because siblings,” she says. contribute their fair share of good work to take the sch of this, I felt the urge to do something for my coun- The following is an excerpt from the interview business to greater heights and give back to society. and try and help the less fortunate realise their dreams.” with Cheah. Sarena [my daughter] and my two sons are here, live working for the company. They grew up in the com- tha pany because I don’t believe in giving them top jobs when they are not ready — it cannot be sustained that Wh way. They have to rise up the ranks, go through the Sun mill. Achievement must be earned, not given. I believe Sus they share my ideals and aspirations of being a true- pas blue Malaysian and will do their best for the country. abo tim Are your children ready to take the baton from you? Sarena is joint managing director. She is not executive Wh chairman or president yet, so she is not. I am quite de- wh manding, every one knows that. I won’t say I am obses- shi sive, but I am quite particular about certain things, like gre cleanliness. I am also against smoking and gambling.

Are you more demanding when it comes to your children? I treat them equal to the staff so that they can learn together as a team. I want to make sure that after me, this company continues to grow and is sustainable. We are very much about meritocracy, we are colour blind, passport blind and religion blind when we deal with people and select talent.

Is this reﬂ ected in the diversity of your workforce? We are well balanced. We see diversity as a strength, which can be very powerful for us in enhancing our competitiveness and upgrading our talent pool. I am an ethnic Chinese; many people think this is a Chinese company, but we are not. We are a Malaysian company and we want to build on this. THEEDGE MALAYSIA | SEPTEMBER 1, 2014 S9 special focus

Sunway survived a crippling crisis in 1997/98. Go- be economic life and where people could live, learn, Today, the quality of private education has been ing forward, how do you see the potential of this work, play and be safe and healthy. compromised to a certain extent by the profi t mo- country, in terms of enabling your stable of com- You can fi nd earthworms here today as the whole tive. What is your view on this? panies to continue to prosper after 57 years of in- eco-system has been restored. It was challenging be- There were opportunities to list the education group dependence? cause it involved brownfi eld redevelopment. to raise funds, but I did not do it because there is a very Of course I see potential, otherwise I won’t be reinvest- And to this day, we are discovering new ways to game- clear line between what is business and what education ing so much. We have a big stake in Malaysia, so the change growth for our communities in the township. is meant to do. The education group is for society, not question of not being comfortable here is irrelevant. The elevated BRT Sunway line, water treatment inno- for profi t. When you list, management will always look I have weathered two economic crises, and I am proud vation and world-class partnerships we are exploring at the bottom line because you have to pay dividends. to say I did not ask for any assistance of bailout from are some of the new ways we can give perpetual value We don’t have this issue today. The shareholders don’t anyone. Neither did I ask for a haircut from the bankers. to our communities. demand anything except high standards, good quality Having said that, Malaysia is a blessed country. There students and quality results. are plenty of resources, big land masses and a relative- How does the Jeff rey Cheah Foundation fit in with ly young population. We must embrace the spirit of your philosophy? In recent times, Malaysia has been through some moderation and diversity in race, religion, creed and I believe that to lead a fulfi lling life, you should have a diffi cult times, and there has been a feeling of de- culture. If we harness these assets well, our country higher purpose, and making money is merely a prod- spair and pessimism on the ground. What is your will advance and prosper, especially with a young pop- uct of that purpose. If you think about it, what we have advice during such times? ulation. We can harness this young talent, give them done for ourselves dies with us. But what we do for oth- I am an optimist. We must remind one another that good education, the right type of education. We must ers and the world remains forever. That’s why I say, ‘I you and I have a part to play in restoring faith and opti- have good policies to enhance their skills, make them aspire to inspire before I expire’. mism in the people. Inaction breeds doubt. Malaysians competitive and excel. I come from a small village in Perak called Pusing. I are resilient. Unity in diversity is our strength, and this saw the eff ects of poverty and the deprivation of oppor- must be emphasised over time. Like any other country, Malaysia is not perfect. tunities to study and the need to improve the well-being We are all in the same boat, so why not row togeth- What challenges do you see? What opportunities? and prospects of the people. I was privileged to receive er? As with business, the tide will change. But if we row heir My greatest fear is religious and racial disharmony — a good education in Malaysia and Australia, and as a together, we can get somewhere promising much faster. but this will destroy the country. Hopefully, all Malaysians result, I did quite well in business later on. Because of We went through two bad crises, which we handled ase, understand this and do not allow the extremists and this, I felt the urge to do something for my country and quite well. Having said that, the mid-80s recession was ies bigots to take over. Bigotry is a real threat to this coun- help the less fortunate. bad for Sunway. We nearly lost everything. Then in 1997, the try. It remains one of our biggest challenges that must When I started Sunway College in the mid-1980s, I the storm was even more devastating. So what did I do? s? be countered so that our country can advance. We have told myself that we cannot play around with children’s That’s where leadership comes in. om seen how extremism has led to the commitment of education. We want to give future generations of Ma- This time around, leadership is just as impor- tu- atrocities in other countries of late, and for what? Let’s laysians the right ingredients to excel in life, arm them tant. As leaders, we must continue to be optimistic. m- all live together — we know our diff erences, we respect with proper skills and knowledge to compete. The good weather comes and goes, as long as we are hat each other, and there are plenty of opportunities under It was not easy then. We lost money for more than breathing, we must stand up and overcome it. That’s om, the Malaysian sun for every one. 10 years. After 12 or 13 years, the college started to make how I would say it. E ing As true-blue Malaysians, we should all speak up to some money, that’s when I thought the timing was eal stop this. The trouble with the silent majority is that right to put it in a trust. for if they continue to be silent, when the extremists take I started the Sunway Education Trust in 1997 as a ove over, it is too late. I believe in speaking up so that the philantropic vehicle because I believe that education use future is sustainable. is the most powerful weapon that can transform lives. d if I have always asked this question: What we are doing, hey How can leaders like you contribute to ensure there is it sustainable over time? I wanted to build this not is sustainability in Malaysia’s economic growth just for the generation of today, but the generations of of a and development, so that future generations can tomorrow. So I began to think about converting the oes continue to enjoy a prosperous environment? trust into a social enterprise, which is what you know ues We must not rest on our laurels. At Sunway, we embrace now as the Jeff rey Cheah Foundation. Why our core values — integrity, humilty and excellence. I With the social enterprise model, profi ts from the believe that observing these key values will help us institutions within the Sunway Education Group, the an contribute to sustainable growth. nation’s largest social enterprise, will be ploughed back , by We also promote CSR in a big way. If more corpo- for scholarships, grants, research and development and by rations participate actively in CSR, our society will expansion of facilities. This is not new in the West, but become progressive and sustainable. At Sunway, we it is relatively new in the Far East. The Jeff rey Cheah try. are committed to putting the right fundamental in- Foundation has awarded more than RM165 million in sia. frastructure in place. We will continue to invest in the scholarships to some 20,000 students since 1997. ess, hardware and software to contribute to nation building. Following the setting up of the foundation, we have are We have invested more than RM200 million in road achieved quite a few milestones. We have established will expansion and upgrading works. I have adopted six links with Harvard, and set up the Jeff rey Cheah Re- the schools and contributed RM12.5 million for restoration search Institute for Southeast Asia. Hopefully, we will ty. and upgrading works. Classrooms are where children’s establish ties with Oxford and Cambridge soon. ere, lives are shaped. We must pursue an education system Had I not transferred all the shares to the Jeff rey m- that grows in excellence and size. Cheah Foundation, I am not sure what would have obs happened one generation after this. Now, nobody can hat What is your thinking on sustainability and within touch it. After me and my children, it will continue. the Sunway Group? How much focus is on this? eve Sustainability is about building a culture that can be ue- passed from one generation to another. I am passionate try. about education, and have devoted much of my personal time and energy promoting education. ou? On the business front, sustainability is imperative. ive When I fi rst discovered this tin-mining wasteland [on de- which Sunway Group has developed a whole town- ses- ship], it was like a moonscape. I looked upon it as a ike great opportunity, as it was a place where there could ng.

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BY EMILY CHOW contribution to the country. His credentials include help implement the projects as defi ned in the labs. being a former president of the FMM Council, board I was initially hesitant, as I was very happy within ome believe that talent can be groomed. But member of Bank Negara Malaysia and the Malaysian my comfort zone of IT [at Royal Selangor],” he recalls. when it comes to sustainability, Tan Sri Yong Investment Development Authority (MIDA), and co- But the more he thought about it, the more the Poh Kon, the managing director of pewter chair of Pemudah (The Special Task Force to Facilitate challenge of the job appealed to him, and he signed manufacturer Royal Selangor International Business). He is currently a member of the National up just as the ETP roadmap was launched in Octo- Sdn Bhd, believes something fundamental Economic Council. ber 2010. must be put in place first — education. Yong’s son, Yoon Kit, is also interested in nation “On a macro level, talent sustainability in my job S“The involvement of younger people in the business building. After 14 years at Royal Selangor, he decided is to encourage projects that attract high-income jobs is important, and there are many routes to get them to join Pemandu as he saw it as an opportunity to help for Malaysians. Companies need to think larger than to be more [highly skilled], but fundamental to that is shape the direction of the country. just cheap labour, and to have a more sustainable getting a strong educational background. Only then “At Royal Selangor, I started out as a software engi- view of their industries in the long term,” he opines. will you be able to sustain any particular business,” he neer, developing IT systems and creating the online store Overall though, policies and companies can only opines. “In dealing with the brain drain, policies should back in 1999. I eventually worked [my way] up to group do so much. At the end of the day, a signifi cant part target not only talent, but also potential talent, meaning IT manager,” he says. “It wasn’t a family responsibility of talent sustainability lies within the individual’s primary and secondary school students.” to join Royal Selangor, I just felt that I could contribute.” desire to contribute. Yong is a vocal advocate of improving the nation’s Yoon Kit was recruited by Pemandu after he partici- “Off ering fi nancial benefi ts to Malaysians currently education system and human capital pool, in particu- pated in the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) overseas to return can only go so far. After the benefi ts lar promoting the use of English language in schools. labs that helped shape each National Key Economic Area run out, it takes very little for the returnees to fi nd fault He maintains a keen interest as a businessman as well (NKEA). He is currently director of two NKEAs: business and leave again,” says Yoon Kit. “Malaysians need to as a parent and grandparent, and believes Malaysia’s services and electrical and electronics (E&E). have a sense of belonging to want to come back. They declining standard of education is why talented indi- “After joining the ETP labs in 2010, Pemandu re- need to feel that their country needs them as much as viduals are leaving the country. quested some of its lab participants to immediately they want to make it better.” E “Good talents in the country recognise the value that a good education can bring in the form of improved incomes and a better standard of living. If the country’s education system is not of the required standard, and alternative quality private education is beyond the means of many, talent will emigrate to countries with quality education in public schools,” Yong says. “The Malaysian diaspora in Singapore, Australia or Canada often cite good education for their children as the No 1 factor for leaving.” Good talents in the On the part of Royal Selangor, it off ers English lan- country recognise guage classes to employees in hopes of remedying the recruitment problems it faces. “We operate retail stores, the value that a good apart from manufacturing, and fi nd it extremely diffi cult education can bring in to recruit school leavers with the necessary standard of the form of improved English to communicate with tourists at a level com- incomes and a better mensurate with our branding. The same applies to staff standard of living. If the in our export or online sales department,” says Yong. “This problem is not unique to us, but also hotels, country’s education front offi ce staff , information counters and so on. We system is not of the have to face the fact that this is a globalised world and required standard, and everyone uses [English as] an international language. alternative quality private “It is not ideal though — we would prefer that the education is beyond the school system looks after such basic [requirements],” he continues. “But this way, it’s not only for the benefi t means of many, talents of a company, but a tremendous benefi t to the employ- will emigrate to countries ee. If you analyse the background of people with the with quality education in best-paying jobs in the country, English profi ciency public schools. was key in their journey to where they are today. Un- fortunately this pathway is now denied to the majority, because English is taught only as a subject. This isn’t enough, as it only takes up 11% of the school curricu- lum rather than the necessary 40% to 50% exposure needed for a suffi ciently strong foundation in English.” Yong’s own three children were fi rst educated in public schools before being transferred to private schools and later, embarking on their tertiary education in the UK. They all returned to Malaysia. “We [Yong and his wife] wanted them to come back, and found it important to make sure they have a link back here, so we kept in constant touch [with them when they were abroad], and they would come back during the holidays,” he recalls. It worked. Today, his daughter is a homemaker, one son works at the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) of the Prime Minister’s Department, while another is an executive director at Royal Selangor. Yong himself returned home after fi nishing his degree in Australia. “When I came back, I worked here [at Royal Selangor] while spending some time at other organisations like the Federation of Malaysian Manu- facturers (FMM). There was no compulsion [for me to come back and work at Royal Selangor], but I thought my engineering skills were quite useful at that time, so those were put to use,” he says. “I started out as a works engineer, [the role of] which was to improve productivity.” Yong’s involvement in various organisations and task forces speaks volumes about his beliefs and the next generation Many Malaysian entrepreneurs are encouraging their children to be involved in the family-run businesses, a testimony to their continued belief in the future of this country. In the following pages, we talked to fi rst and second generation business leaders on why they stay and how they can help create the right environment to retain and grow talent.

A compelling reason to return

BY ANNA TAING “Some recent incidents show a certain degree of cluding education, human capital development, com- rising polarisation in the racial and religious senti- munity building and philantropic work. arly this year, Tan Sri Lee Shin Cheng, the ment in the country. There are now some campaigns What needs to be in place to ensure a sustainable founder of IOI Group, announced the appoint- and movements by the media and civil rights organ- pipeline of talent? ment of his two sons as CEOs of the two listed isations calling for moderation, a moderate Malaysia. Apart from living conditions, Yeow Chor says it is flagships in his stable — IOI Corp Bhd and IOI “When it comes to attracting talent from a varie- income. While Malaysia enjoys a low cost of living, its Properties Bhd. ty of backgrounds, it is about how open the country professionals take home one of lowest salaries in the While Shin Cheng, 74, is executive chair- is. People will feel uncomfortable if there is prejudice region. In this regard, he says current eff orts to make Eman of both concerns and therefore still very much and certain activities are not allowed on the pretext Malaysia a high-income nation by 2020 is a step in the in control, he is passing the baton to his sons and on of racial or religious sensitivities, like certain concerts right direction. their shoulders now rest the task of taking the corpo- not being allowed.” “Salaries have to be substantially revised to catch rate group to its next level of growth and ensuring the Malaysia, he notes, has a smaller expatriate pop- up with regional and global peers. We are beginning growth is sustainable for future generations. ulation, per capita wise, compared with some of the to see this happening due to companies going over- Datuk Lee Yeow Chor, 47, is the eldest son and no other countries in the region. To a certain extent, he seas,” he says. stranger to the corporate world, having joined IOI explains, this has do with the economic structure As a parent, does he see a future for his children Group some 20 years ago in 1994. Lee Yeow Seng is just of a country where expats tend to be in the services in Malaysia? Yeow Chor believes that when children 35 and has stayed relatively low profi le, that is until his sector. This is still small in Malaysia and needs to be are educated overseas and exposed to diff erent people recent appointment as the top guy at IOI Properties. developed further. and cultures, they become global citizens. Many still For Yeow Chor, it was only a matter of time before It also has to do with the perception of Malaysia fi nd Malaysia a platform they will work in, whether it he took the reins after coming back to Malaysia in the before expats come or talents return. “I fi nd that most is running a family business or setting up their own early 1990s. The question of not returning to work for of the people who have come here say they like to live business, because Malaysia is still their home. the family business did not arise. in this country. The problem is, before they make the “It most likely will not be their only base because He was exposed to the business from very young. “My decision to come and live here, it is based on their im- there is a big range of playing fi elds for them out there father used to bring me with him to business dinners pression of the country’s environment and living con- where they are comfortable through their exposure and on visits to construction sites and plantations. I ditions — food, accomodation, the quality of and access abroad. had already cultivated an interest in the business, so to education, the people their children will mix with “When I travel overseas as chairman of the MPOC naturally when I came back, I knew that in time to and how open society is.” [Malaysian Palm Oil Council], I meet Malaysians in come, I would join the family business,” he tells The As one of the largest groups of companies in Ma- various countries and I can see that their heart is still Edge in an interview. laysia, what does it do to create an environment that in Malaysia because of their family and the lifestyle Even so, he did not join the group immediately. In- draws talent today? here,” he says, adding that “my children will have stead, he worked in the civil service for four years, fi rst Yeow Chor says there must be a culture of commu- close affi nity to Malaysia despite the opportunities in with the Attorney-General’s Chambers and then in nication that is open and less paternalistic as young other countries”. E the judiciary service. His last posting was magistrate. people today look for transparency and openness. As “It was a good opportunity to understand the work- a leader, he believes in the need to learn and refresh ings of the government at diff erent levels. It makes it himself to keep up with developments. “When you easier for me to navigate around government depart- talk about transforming an organisation, as a leader ments. In any business, there will be a certain degree we must start transforming ourselves. If we don’t re- of interaction with government departments and of- fresh, how can we expect others to believe that this is fi cers,” he says. a progressive company?” In 1994, Yeow Chor joined IOI as general manager. This is why he is a member of the Young Presidents’ He acknowledges that for working professionals who Organisation (YPO), of which he is the 2013/14 chair of have to develop their careers from the bottom up, the the Malaysian chapter. The YPO is a global leadership consideration of whether they want to come back to organisation whose motto is Better Leaders Through Malaysia to work is very diff erent from those who will Education and Idea Exchange. help run a family business. While education is important, Yeow Chor opines He believes that students with overseas exposure that the exchange of ideas is just as crucial for a lead- are “global citizens” who can set up base anywhere in er to develop. YPO members gather monthly to discuss the world. Hence, to attract such talent, there must be issues that extend beyond business, such as family and a compelling proposition. other matters, he says. In this way, leaders learn to be a In this regard, he says Malaysia is lucky. “It is well better member of the family, community and society. located geographically, within the economic corridors Yeow Chor recognises that, apart from renumeration, of power in the emerging world — China, India and the younger generation also seeks to work in compa- Asean. It is a multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-reli- nies that have a strong corporate social responsibility gious country, where the people are able to speak the lan- (CSR) agenda. guages of three countries. This is the inherent advantage.” A year after joining IOI, and together with manage- The fact that Malaysia is also resource rich and has ment, Yeow Chor introduced a set of vision, core val- been posting strong economic growth in recent years ues and principles for the group. “Even at the time, we gives it an edge. In the second quarter of this year, Ma- recognised that there had to be ‘balanced’ commercial laysia’s 6.4% expansion in gross domestic product (GDP) success, which takes into account the interests of all was one of the highest in the region. stakeholders — employees, enviornment and community. “While Malaysia has this inherent advantage, in de- “Back then, CSR was not in vogue, but we already ciding whether it is a good place to do business or work, had this mindset that to achieve sustainable success is [people] will also consider the vibrancy of the society. not about pleasing one set of stakeholders. The three Ps As people say, a large part of the success of a business become important — planet, profi t and people. Having depends on the talent it has. So, whether we can attract this kind of overall consideration is important. It is not the right talent to Malaysia depends on, among other so much about CSR, but corporate responsibility.” things, the living environment.” CSR, Yeow Chor says, is ancilliary to IOI’s busi- This is where Yeow Chor thinks there are some worry- ness. One of its many initiatives is Yayasan Tan

HARIS HASSAN / THE EDGE HARIS HASSAN / ing underlying trends which, if not arrested, could deter Sri Lee Shin Cheng, a foundation wholly funded not just talent from coming back, but also investment. by IOI Group that focuses on a range of areas, in- M

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and Tapping opportunities back home rec res tru thr BY SARAH VOON try. It is hard for this mother and daughter to imagine it is not necessarily about work. Later on, we go home So, living so far apart. for dinner and discuss work. Then, I will go back to my ven from a young age, Gaik Wong believed that “When the children were younger, I was still build- place. If I get an email about work or see something pan Malaysia held many opportunities for her to ing my career. But I would make sure that I found time on TV related to the business, I will call my mom up we tap into. The founder and managing director to bond with them. Over the weekends, we would go to talk about it.” wo of The Chicken Rice Shop (TCRS Restaurants swimming or play tennis and then have dinner to- Surely there has to be a limit? No, Kah Lin doesn’t fro Sdn Bhd) was not wrong. Coming home after gether,” Gaik reminisces. believe so. “There is no clear distinction between what in t her tertiary education in Australia was indeed “I guess you can say that I am ‘selﬁ sh’ because I want is work and what is family time. I think that’s how a Ethe right move for her, she says. “Malaysia has always my children around. It is not the amount of time you family business should be. We believe that our relation- som had big opportunities, then and now.” spend with them, but the quality of the time,” she adds. ship can also be applied to the staff and we treat them han Her daughter and CEO of The Chicken Rice Shop, This sage advice is the ﬁ rst of many memorable like family. This is one of the values that we inculcate if h Wong Kah Lin, sits next to her in their branch at The one-liners from her. “A family that plays together, stays in the company.” hol Gardens shopping mall in Mid Valley City. Both are together” is another. “And works together, too!” Kah Lin Gaik agrees. “We are one big family. There have sho dressed in bright pink polo shirts emblazoned with chimes in, eliciting a laugh from her mother. been so many times that I have been asked how many the company’s logo. The mother and daughter are evidently a tight-knit children I have and I answer, 900! That’s my brood of bee “All my children went overseas to study, but they pair with much in common. Does Kah Lin share her chickens. I am the mother hen,” she declares. its have all returned to Malaysia,” Gaik beams proudly at mother’s sentiments about Malaysia? Indeed, she is. But the mother hen is also quick to in her only daughter. “I wanted to do something Malaysian because we stress that Kah Lin is the boss of the business. “One lea The Wong family seems to have gone against the are both proud of being Malaysians. At the time, chick- mountain cannot accommodate two tigers,” she says. bec tide. So, why did they return? Gaik believes that family en rice was seen as ‘roadside’ or ‘hawker’ food. We saw “When there is something we disagree on, we agree env plays a primary role in this, but there is a deeper con- the opportunity to create a space for all Malaysians, re- to disagree.” cou viction in place. gardless of race, to sit down and enjoy a meal of chicken Kah Lin interjects, “I let her decide because she is “There are family ties, the parental network and the rice together,” Kah Lin says. the boss.” But Gaik insists that it is she who lets her his opportunities. You have friends that you have grown With Gaik’s existing network in the chicken indus- daughter decide. “Okay, she lets me decide and lets me tha up with. Your roots are here in Malaysia,” she says, ges- try and Kah Lin’s youthful passion, the two embarked make mistakes so that I will learn from them,” Kah ing turing in the way a woman passionate about a cause on a business endeavour that would only strengthen Lin relents. bec would. But she isn’t done. their relationship. “We have always been close. I am “The way we see things may be diff erent because “At the end of the day, you also have to ask yourself: the only daughter, so it is quite natural for me to be there is a generational gap, but I have to let her try. rea Do I believe in this country?” It is the way she says it, close to my mom. But we got closer when the business Regardless, there are always challenges in a business,” lea with such conviction, that leaves us speechless. A phys- started,” Kah Lin says. Gaik reasons. “There are good and bad times, but there’s do ically imposing woman, Gaik surely could intimidate “It is quite a healthy relationship, but some of my nothing like having your loved one with you to share the wh a crowd with just her words. But then she breaks into friends would call it ‘abnormal’ because our relation- bad times. Then we come up with solutions together.” tha

a big smile and continues. ship is more like best friends than mother-daughter,” The pair smile at each other before continuing their THE EDGE / YAP KENNY hav “There is just something about Malaysia. My daugh- she laughs. “It makes a diff erence in the way we work.” playful banter over plates of fragrant, steaming hot chick- is w ter-in-law is Singaporean, but over the years I have seen “And we love to eat together, too!” Gaik points out. en rice. An elderly lady walks in as we are having lunch, her bloom in Malaysia,” she says, chuckling a little. Though in the food and beverage industry, the lines be- and the pair get up to greet her with hugs and kisses. ben “You may think there are greener pastures elsewhere, tween work and food may blur a little. The lines are also They chat for a few minutes and return to the meal. oth but the green pastures are right here.” blurred when it comes to work and their personal lives. “She is our No 1 customer. She has been coming a h Kah Lin, who has been nodding in agreement all “We live and breathe the business,” Kah Lin says. “A here every day since we opened this branch,” Kah Lin rea this while, says a popular topic of discussion for them typical day is like this: We come into the offi ce in the smiles. This warm display of welcome is truly Malay- wil

at dinner time is why Malaysians are leaving the coun- morning and discuss what is happening that day, and sian hospitality at its best. THE EDGE, ABDUL GHANI ISMAIL / abo Making meritocracy a way of life

BY EMILY CHOW “If they feel they can come back and have as good Another strategy that can be used to retain talent is a standard of living as they did abroad, they will do so. providing educational opportunities to help improve any of those who pursue an education We call it a brain drain, but do we have enough money their skill sets and employability. abroad come to a crossroads at the end to pay for the brain?” he says. “Westports provides the staff with a lot of training, of their studies — to stay where they are Ruben recalls a time when salaries in Malaysia and we try to promote from within when we can. Know- or to come home. But for Ruben Emir were stagnant due to the country’s zero-infl ation pol- ing they have an equal chance of moving up [the ranks] Gnanalingam, the path was always a icy. But wages here are now catching up with those in gives encouragement to a lot of employees. You have to straight road. developed countries. make sure people are well compensated for what they MAfter completing his A-Levels at Eton College, a de- “If companies understand that we’re moving towards do,” says Ruben. “For those who we feel have potential, gree in economics at the London School of Economics this scale [of being a high-income nation], and people we invest in them in terms of executive education and (LSE) and postgraduate studies in information technol- have to be paid accordingly, that’s okay. But people also in-house programmes.” ogy, the current CEO of Westports Holdings Bhd came need to understand that unfortunately, if companies Finally, according to Ruben, something that an home in 1999. move towards this scale, they have to increase the pric- employer can do, and which would make a world of “At the end of the day, it is a family business; I had es of their goods,” he explains. “So we’re going to have a a diff erence, is simply to understand its employees. to join it. While it [the decision to come back] is al- few years of infl ation, mainly because we have to catch “Listening to your employees is crucial. You have to be ways a choice, it’s an obligation as well,” he says. “I up with the zero infl ation we’ve had for a long time.” alert to their needs and be in tune with what they are didn’t mind. I think sometimes you grow up knowing While there is only so much one can do about infl a- facing, especially their lifestyle, because their needs your responsibility, so you prepare for it. But I also like tion, what companies can do to retain talent is to think will change. Malaysia. I don’t see myself being more comfortable in the way an employee would — by considering their “You may think you are giving them a great incre- living anywhere else.” long-term career path. This combines the strategies of ment, for example, but if the market has changed dra- Westports was founded in 1994 by Ruben’s father, off ering better wages and meritocracy. matically and they are worse off than they were before Tan Sri G Gnanalingam, who introduced the company “Let’s not just consider how much an employee in terms of their standard of living, then [your incre- policy of hiring mainly locals. In fact, there are only makes in a year, because that fi gure might never in- ment is] not really an improvement, even though you two foreigners in its current workforce of more than crease,” Ruben says. “Look at the life cycle of some- think you have given a lot more.” 4,000, both of whom are Singaporeans. one’s career prospects — how they can move up in Since Westports’ listing on the stock exchange last “Let’s put it this way, everyone at Westports can Malaysia and how much they can earn after a certain year, many employees have become shareholders. This speak Malay,” Ruben chuckles. “My father wanted to point. When this is better [here] than that [abroad], is part of Ruben’s vision of fostering a family culture in provide a chance to groom local talent, so he always there will be an infl ux [of talent]. People from other the workplace, along with innovation and performance. pushed for hiring locally. Only when we couldn’t fi nd countries will start to look here.” Meanwhile, Ruben hopes that his two young sons will a particular skill locally would we hire a foreigner.” choose to remain in Malaysia when they grow up. “Will In addition to encouraging homegrown talent with- they work at Westports too? Only if they want to and if in the company, Gnanalingam senior fostered meri- they qualify. The same rules will have to apply to them, tocracy to ensure the retention of talent, something and they will have to go through the same process I did. even his own son wasn’t exempt from. When Ruben “Getting experience abroad is always a good thing. fi rst came on board in 2000, and again in 2004, he took I would expect them to come back, but the question is, on non-executive positions before progressing to his will the environment be right for them to come back to? current position of CEO. If not, I wouldn’t wish it upon them either. But I’ll play He started out by heading the IT and marketing my role in making it so.” E departments — the former because that was what he knew best and the latter because sales is a leader’s primary task. “When I joined the company, we had a fi ve-year plan, and talking to the media was just the last part of it,” he recalls. “In that plan, I had to do three things: gain the respect of the staff , gain favour from the clients and gain trust from the board. I had to gain all three elements from three diff erent constituencies before [being] made CEO. me So, we run everything merit-based as a family as well.” my Ruben felt comfortable returning home to a coming pany he knew would be run on merit. “That was how up we grew up. I knew I was going to be rewarded if I worked hard and did the right thing. We were taught sn’t from young that we had to play our roles very carefully hat in the family business. w a “My father told me from day one that if he found on- someone better [than me] to run the company and en- em hance shareholder value, he would let me go because ate if he didn’t, it would restrict the company and shareholders. I concurred. If there is someone better, why ave should I hold the company back?” any Despite Westports’ policy of meritocracy, there have d of been times when the company was not able to retain its talent. “I had an employee leave [to work at a port k to in the UK], and although he may not have wanted to One leave the company, he did want to leave the country ays. because he did not want to raise his children in an ree environment where merit isn’t the only thing that counts,” Ruben recalls. e is “He said it very openly. That, in so many points of her his life, he was reminded that merit isn’t the only thing me that matters. He said, ‘I don’t want my children grow- Kah ing up thinking that this is the way the world works, because it shouldn’t be this way’. use “For a lot of people working overseas, this is a key try. reason [why they don’t come back], because meritocracy ss,” leads to job satisfaction and security, knowing that if I re’s do my best, I will be rewarded,” he continues. “That’s the what people need to feel secure in their jobs, to know er.” that they can progress when the time is right if they heir THE EDGE / YAP KENNY have done their best. The uncertainty of not knowing ick- is what people have issues with.” nch, Besides the reassurance of career progression, Ru- ses. ben reckons that providing monetary rewards is an- al. other way to ensure talent retention. “As we become ing a high-income economy, and once our quality of life Lin reaches developed nation standards, more graduates ay- will want to come back, as at the end of the day, it is

ABDUL GHANI ISMAIL / THE EDGE, ABDUL GHANI ISMAIL / about money and the standard of living. J an underfundingofeducation, say, require muchequipment. So you have for professionalcourses, which donot ment. And invariably, thesehave been can get afairly highreturnoninvest- look forthoseareasfrom which you ucational credentials, you basically future needs. of theeconomy, letaloneanticipate that doesnotmeettheactualneeds mid-1980s hasresultedinatalent pool tion oftheeducation sectorsincethe is dysfunctionalandtheprivatisa- Malaysia’s current education system BY JENNIFER JACOBS Focus on what matters “If you’re aninvestor insellinged- opment inthecountry, feelsthat on thepoliticaleconomy ofdevel- was aleadingscholarandexpert Universiti Malaya professor, who in tellingitlikeis. The former omo Kwame Sundarambelieves unfl of theauthorities because ofhisoften Malaya, usedtobeathornintheside ics and Administration at Universiti economics at theFaculty ofEconom- observes. equipment totrainthestudents,” he professional competencebutoften, you notonly needacertaindegreeof in engineering, orotherareas where somehow orother, theprivate educa- in Malaysia. it would taketoensuresustainability is justasoutspoken when asked what and socialdevelopment department, he tion oftheUnitedNations’ economic of theFoodand Agriculture Organisa- political expedience. ar coat what hethought asamatter of actually neededandhisrefusaltosug- Jomo, who was professorofapplied “There hasbeengreat faiththat“There Today, asassistant director-general inching views of what thecountry discuss what Malaysia isdoing right and what can beimproved. Professor Arokia Nathan and Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Dr Chau De Ming Malaya professor Jomo Kwame Sundaram, Cambridge University’s hearts and have strong views on how things can bebetter. Former Universiti Many Malaysians who have gone abroad stillhold the country close to their the intelligentsia been very slow toadjustchanging system provided by thegovernment has resources. “Infact, theformal education system isnotgenerating much-needed carious situation where itseducation in apositiontorespondadequately.” tic engineeringfi through joint ventures because domes- has tobemetby foreigncompanies else, thisdemandalmostinvariably construction projectsorsomething particular kindsofengineersforeither increase inademand, say, aneedfor result isthat asand when you have an tunately, thishasbeenlacking. So, the term planningandexecution. “Unfor- there beensomeforesight andlong- resources tohave overcome thishad with thefi have beenoneofthefew countries portunities, fromdoingso,” hesays. by thepoliticsofhighereducation op- the publicsectorhasbeenhandicapped country ina way that isrequired. And going torespondtheneedsof are modest. So, theprivate sectorisnot eas where thehardware requirements accounting andanumberofotherar- more investment inlegalprogrammes, the economy. But what we have seenis tion sector would meettheneedsof So Malaysia finds itselfinapre- Jomo feelsthat Malaysia would of cynicismintheprivate sector circumstances andsituations. lem inperception. alot “There’s about Malaysian publicuni- During [formerprimemin- nancial as well ashuman he charges. much moreresponsive,” This hascreated aprob- ister Tun Dr]Mahathir’s stitutions as well asbe versity graduates, some isting educational in- need toreformtheex- ent that you need. You time,the way youre- every typeofnew tal- sponded totheneed rms areusually not for greater talent in keep doingthat for ICT (information and communica- a new university. gy) was tocreate tions technolo- “But youcan’t work onthefarm. rather thankeepthem at hometo ents tosendtheirchildrenschool would actasan incentive forthepar- get agood mealat school, andthis being twofold — thechildren would breakfast programme, hisintention in poverty-stricken areas.” tion tostartaschoolmealprogramme me that they hadtakenupthesugges- anything extraordinary. Then, hetold cause Ididn’t remembersuggesting know what he was talkingaboutbe- advice Ihadgiven. Frankly, I didn’t and hethankedmeforthehelp small lunchtocelebrate hisretirement, time askedforsomeideas. minister forpoverty eradication at the na’s International Poverty Day andits years ago, I was invited toattend Chi- substantial with great benefit. “Six en areasandturneditinto something idea ofschoolmealsinpoverty-strick- the schoolmeals.” nutrient needs would bemetthrough dren, noteating enough, someoftheir junk at home, orforthepoorerchil- So even thoughthey may beeating child’s developmental nutrient needs. good nutritionisand you try tomeeta eration ofchildrentorecognise what multiple objectives. You trainagen- in many partsofthe world toachieve “School feedingprogrammesareused can resultinhuge knock-on eff programmes, which ifdoneproperly, Even oneassimpleschoolfeeding fected with relatively simplemeasures. can bedone.” improvement intherecent past. Soit last threedecades, seeingasignifi education reformshave been in the performance indicators? Much ofits No 1inthe world intermsofeducation poor until Nokiacamealong, become does acountry, which was relatively laysia with that ofFinland. “How lenges ofeducational reform.” cause you have aneglectofthechal- not spendingenoughmoney. Butbe- lousy. Notbecause thegovernment is everybody’s admission, pretty they’re mance indicators? Ithinkby almost in the world. But what aretheperfor- higher education isamongthehighest cational spending,” hesays. it isespecially anindictment ofedu- of thepublicsectormoregenerally, but needs. This ispartoftherunningdown the publicschoolsystemtorespond English]. cility [inother words, they speak good it isusually aproxy forlanguage fa- which areoftennot well-deserved as foreigncredentials,attached toso-called versity graduates andahuge premium cynicism aboutMalaysian private uni- But how theministerhad taken Jomo hadsuggested aschool “Two years ago, he was holdinga He talksabouthow Chinatookthe Jomo thinksgreat change canbeef- He contrasts thesituation inMa- How so?“Government spendingon “A majorproblemistheinability of ects. cant their own childrenconsumingthe I ampromoting right now.” on themarket. And this ispartly what eaten inschool, but what isavailable change theprofi the sideeff to cooperate andmeet the contract, the troubletoencourage smallfarmers farms that usepesticides. Butif you take go and buy it wholesale fromthebig food comefrom?Itissomucheasierto in theschoolshere, but where doesthe now, therearesomelunchprogrammes Malaysia? “Why not?”asksJomo. “Right children inurbanareas. trition indicators, thanmiddle-class healthier, accordingto various nu- children inpoorerareas were much fact, because ofthisprogramme, the success inmore ways thanone. In because theprogrammehadbeena has somany facetstoit,” says Jomo. to bearelatively simpleideaactually dren. So, you canseethat what seems tritious schoolmealaday forthechil- result ofsimply introducing onenu- had notsuggested but which were the ing mealotofcredit, even forthingsI and safereating standards. This meant that they developed new safely, without theuseof pesticides. to becarefulthat thefood was grown food intheschools, thefarmershad had before,” Jomo explains. ed eating foodsthat they may nothave slowly begantochange andthey start- kets as well. So, people’s eating habits food becameavailable inthelocalmar- surplus ofthese vegetables, thehealthy tables. And sinceeveryone produceda farmers togrow certaintypesof vege- became important inencouragingthe aged themtocooperate with eachother. the foodneededall year long, itencour- no individualfarmercanproduceall farmers togrow healthy foodandsince the food, thebetter. They got thelocal needed supplies. And themorelocal the foodforchildren, theschools their parents,” hesays. go homeandconvey themessage to them andthechildren, inturn, would whythese vegetables wereforgood etician would explaintothechildren because they were toobitter. The di- tables that they may nothave liked things, likecertaintypesof vege- why it was important toeat some They got thechildrentounderstand bored eating thesamefoodevery day. day sothat thepupils would notbe that thefood was abitdiff the provinces. what peopleeat isdiff involved. Chinaisabigcountry and gramme, therehadtobeadietician blew hismind. “Fortheschoolpro- and appliedthisrelatively simple idea And theminister was very proud Would thisreformberelevant in “Basically, theministerstartedgiv- This was notall. Because it was “And it was thesecooperatives that But itdidn’t end with that. To cook “So, thedieticianhadtoensure ects aremuchgreater. You le of notonly what is erent ineachof erent every E

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SUHAIMI YUSUF / THE EDGE, HARIS HASSAN / THE EDGE M T Concerted eff ort needed for talent development and Technology (Crest). Basically, search inEngineering, Science es? Through Collaborative Re- Malaysian scientists orbusiness- a gateway.” devices likethese. Soit’s morelike how you acquire this comesfrom how togenerate thisinformation, of Things. These thingsrely alotoninformation and right material selection,” says Arokia. really anintegration ofdiff erent technologies withthe radios onthemandcancommunicate wirelessly. Soit’s of the work goes devicesthat into have self-energised systems. We wear thesethings without wires, soalot to wearableelectronics. and morerecently, how toadaptfl would tell you that he works onfl way —theInternet of Things. is the very thingMalaysia islookingtogo into inabig ment ofEngineering, forinstance. Hisareaofspeciality Systems andDisplays at Cambridge University’s Depart- Drawing on the diaspora laysians throughouttheUKandI with them. There areplenty ofMa- abroad andfi good at reachingouttoMalaysians nated with TalentCorp because itis Nasional Bhd. him up with CrestandKhazanah laysia Bhd which, inturn, hooked screen of Talent Corporation Ma- Arokia showed upontheradar as anex-Malaysian inCambridge, BY JENNIFER JACOBS says althoughheknew allalongthat he would come tem foritsmembers. rally when aninstitutionprovides a working ecosys- non-issue forthem. Itissomethingthat comesnatu- a good supportsystemthat makessustainingtalent a environment isprovided. These establishments possess institutes because agood, stimulating andengaging of atopUSinstitution. chines andequipment,” says Chau oftheadvantages have people who arehighly skilledinusingthosema- other advantage isthelabsare well equippedandthey pick upthephoneandcallsomeonetoget advice. An- in veryspecifi ally highaggregation ofpeople who areknowledgeable to anothercountry. have lostanotherbrilliant mindinthefield ofscience nities there. Hadhebeensuccessful, Malaysia would He even madeaneff the MemorialSloanKettering CancerCenter. as aresearchfellow at atopcancerresearchinstitute, York. Hislastfew years intheUS were spent working Cornell Graduate SchoolofMedicalSciencesinNew torate inpharmacology at CornellUniversity’s Weill ence degreeinbiochemistry beforepursuinghisdoc- of theUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison. BY NURUL IMAN DIMYATI “We aretalkingaboutthegateway totheInternet “I have always beenquitefasci- How ishecollaborating with means we“This would liketocreate autonomous Not that hecallsitthat. If you talked tohim, he Take Professor Arokia Nathan, the ChairofPhotonic Malaysia isfortunate that Chau returnedhome. He He believes that peoplestay oninthesetypesof biggest advantage“The thereisthat they have are- Chau hadmadetheUShishomeforalmost12 years. Chau DeMing, 32, graduated with abachelorofsci- way, Malaysia standstobenefit. organisations intheirareasofexpertise. Either countryto workand wouldlocal be willing with home fornow. Mostofthem have rootsinthe abroad, even ifthey arenot willing toreturn here are ways to work with topMalaysian talent nding waysto work c fi from timetotime,” confessesanalumnus including students. “Istillthinkaboutit it attracts peoplefromacrosstheglobe, US. Blessed with many parksandlakes, turesque city nestledintheheartof adison, thecapitalof Wisconsin, isapic- elds. IfIhave aquestion, Icanalways ort tolookfor working opportu- exible electronics exible electronics them relocating toMalaysia full-time. Butthey will be mosphere theretodohigh-end researchandIdon’t see provided fortheminthesecountries. enjoy “They theat- and Europeenjoy their work andthefacilitiesthat are expertise. Hepoints outthat many Malaysians intheUS that isnoreasonthecountry cannotbenefi t fromtheir sians abroadare willing toreturnfor whatever reason, vulge toomany details. things arestillinthemakingandheisnotabletodi- ything that isassociated with Crest. At themoment, between Cambridge andCrestconsequently, an- into placeand we areabletoannounceitinabig way.” on tonurturetheareaandhopefully, everything falls benefi talent andcreate cuttingedge technology that will beof trying tosetupameansbringpeopleover, exchange versity inhisparticularareaofspecialisation. “We are setting upsomemajorprogrammes with Cambridge Uni- my connection would have happened,” heremembers. Malaysia. Haditnotbeenforitseff to connect with thesepeopleandbringthemcloserto think TalentCorp hasmadeasignifi money, butthroughfacilitiessupportandhumancap- do it. We mustallsupporteachother, notjustthrough ing closely with collaborators and working smart, we can what we already have. the region. The challenge, timeandagain, isutilising ence compared with many oftheothercountries in as a whole, Malaysia hasinvested alotofmoney insci- compared with the West. Nonetheless, Chau feelsthat still tryingtofind thebestapproach. It isstilllmaturing anddeveloping. Hesays they are relatively young inMalaysia compared with the West. complete that picture.” My roleistobringinthat piecetohelpotherpeople I seemyself assomeone who isjustapieceofpuzzle. of apuzzleandtryingtoformcompletepicture. So, edge. Itislikeapuzzle. Everyone isbringinginpieces colleagues where everyone bringsindiff ence andresearch. up thediff Medicine andHealthSciences. Every day, hesoaks laysia, teachingaspiringscientists at theFaculty of worked asaseniorlecturerat Universiti PutraMa- here,” hesays. ideas andknowledge that may helpfill inthegaps ing andIbelieve Icancontribute toit. Ihave some passionate about. “Malaysia’s sciencefield isgrow- contribute ideasandknowledge inafield that he was to do,” he says. is. Cominghomefeltnatural and was theright thing [Malaysia] is “This where Igrew up, where my family recalls, was knowing what thecountry meant tohim. back, hedidnotknow when. Oneofthepullfactors, he The mainthing, hesays, istocreate arelationship Chau acknowledges that thefield ofscience isstill Now, Arokia is working with KhazanahandCreston “It islimited, butthroughcarefulstrategising, work- Even intermsoffunding, what Malaysia hasissmall “It issynergistichow you have diff erent groupsof For almosttwo years sincehisreturn, hehas Chau alsocamehome with adetermination to Arokia says while notallMalaysians orex-Malay- t toMalaysia. These arethethings we are working erent perspectives and viewpoints onsci- London Centre forNanotechnology.London tomo ChairofNanotechnology at the the UKin2006totakeupSumi- and natural sciences. Hemoved to national universities fortechnology Switzerland, oneoftheleadinginter- Corpandthenat ETHZurich in Logic of Alberta inCanada, worked at LSI trical engineeringat theUniversity neering. He did hisdoctorate inelec- fore going overseas tostudy engi- studied at StXavier’s Institutionbe- give somethingback.” phenomenal. And Ithinkit’s timeI basic level ofeducation was really and Ithinktheopportunities class education thereinthe1970s, way Ifelt. Ibenefi to thegrowth ofMalaysia. That’s the very happy tohelpandbeconnected Arokia was borninPenang, and cant eff orts, Idon’t think ted fromafi erent knowl- ort in trying ortintrying rst- there are very few boundaries, so we have always worked all have todoregardlessof where we are, andinresearch to that goal.” team that will beabletoget us leadership andagood support about it. This requiresgood plan todoit, notjusttalking together andcomeup with a parties andagencies tocome concerted eff sustainability, it will requirea quality. a balancebetween quantity and provement. Itisaboutstriking there isnofurtherroomforim- he cautions that itdoesnotmean tive. The sceneisimproving, but from anacross-the-boardperspec- science fi will benefi overseas collaborate onprojects that have bothlocalMalaysians andthose can doasacommunity where we can “It isimportant tofind somethingthat we collective knowledge ofthisgrouptalents. to registerasasociety oranon-profi one another. Perhaps, thenextstepforthemis as aplaceforfellow scientists toconnect with a Facebookgroup, Malaysian Scientists Abroad, platforms, includingsocialmedia. Hestarted scientists fromacrosstheglobe via various been tryingtoconnect with fellow Malaysian already exists. Forthepastfour years, Chau has here, itisjustamatter ofcapitalisingon what support, we cango along way,” hesays. ital support. Even ifmoney islimited, with allthis diff maybe you justneedalarger numberofthesepeoplein top talent. Malaysia isalready producingtoptalent, but competitive spirittocreate mechanismsthat cancreate talent, thesky isthelimit. “Ithinkallitneedsisamore it. And ifthecountry canget itsacttogether intermsof tered throughouttheUK, USandEurope. anytime soon, likemany oftheMalaysian diasporascat- closely with Cambridge folkformany things.” very muchresearch-centric. Teaching issomething we worked closely with Cambridge. Forus, academiclifeis erent areas.” Nevertheless, hethinksMalaysia hasalotgoing for How didheendupinCambridge? “We have always “If you want toachieve talent He addsthat thegrowth ofthe Currently, they arefi nding ways tobestutilisethe There isnoshortage ofthingstodiscover Arokia loves itthere, andisnotlikely toreturn eldinMalaysia isgood t Malaysians,” Chau says. ort from various t organisation. E