Malaysian Business articles from August 2009

Malaysian Business archives from August 2009

Maxis unveils iPhone 3GS.
August 16, 2009... MAXIS COMMUNICATIONS BHD, the country's biggest mobile operator, has released the much awaited iPhone 3GS and is confident that the new model would do well. Maxis vice-president and head of consumer marketing Tan Lay Han says based on the...

A lack of enforcement.
August 16, 2009... SMUGGLING and hoarding are the two biggest culprits when it comes to shortages of essential items in this country, as evidenced by the current short supply of sugar. What are the enforcement agencies doing? THE CURRENT 'SHORTAGE ' OF SUGAR IN...

The Monash impact.
August 16, 2009... THE industry is watching as the Monash campus in Bandar Sunway enters another decade of research and academic excellence. Perhaps, what makes it outstanding from the other teaching institutions in the region is its strong focus in research,...

Jalenas chooses Ericsson.
August 16, 2009... SWEDISH TELECOMMUNICATIONS solution provider Ericsson has been appointed the main technology partner for Jalenas, Malaysia's first Open Access fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) high-speed broadband infrastructure. Jalenas' first ever city network was...

MSC Malaysia Pahang launched.
August 16, 2009... MSC MALAYSIA PAHANG initiative with its incentives and programmes, and recently unveiled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, is expected to develop information and communication technology (ICT) as an industry and an enabler to the...

Improving retail business among entrepreneurs.
August 16, 2009... IN line with Universiti Industri Selangor (Unisel)'s vision to produce a pool of entrepreneurs equipped with the necessary retail business skills, its Unisel Graduate School of Management (UGSM) has come up with a Corporate Entrepreneurship...

A thin notebook.
August 16, 2009... THE ASPIRE TIMELINE 3810T from Acer is a 13.3 inch notebook PC with a LED baclight, a 1366x768 pixel format, LED backlit keyboard that is just 23.4mm (0.92") thick. The 3810T comes packed with regular features such as a large keyboard, memory...

Multi-function device.
August 16, 2009... AS PART OF FUJI XEROX'S renowned Apeos family of print solutions, the ApeosPort-III multi-function device (MFD) has been given a multi-facet upgrade from its predecessor in terms of enhanced connectivity and security where now it does not only...

What's with the weak ringgit?
August 16, 2009... WHY is our currency still lagging behind others in value when our economy is faring much better? ANYONE TRAVELLING TO SINGAPORE LATELY will realise that the ringgit is weaker than the Sing dollar. Why should our currency be lower than the Sing...

On being Platinum accredited.
August 16, 2009... ACCOUNTANTS today are the major business players influencing key decisions and strategies, and of all professions, they are revered upon to safeguard their companies' corporate image. These people are deemed to be more specialised, more...

What downturn?
August 16, 2009... BOARDROOM remuneration becomes a touchy issue when the economy takes a dip. Malaysian Business' latest ranking of highest-paid directors shows that 230 received RM1 million and more last year, compared with 194 in the previous year. Are our...

Chiropractors: We need more of them in Malaysia.
August 16, 2009... WITH an average of 100 consultations per week, chiropractic certainly presents itself as a very promising career for the future especially considering the fact that there are only about 30 chiropractors throughout Malaysia. 'The need for...

A professional skill provider.
August 16, 2009... WHETHER you are an employer seeking a technical or soft skill training provider, or an organiser looking for a management team to run an academic event, seek no further. The Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's School of Professional and...

Getting the sources of funding.
August 16, 2009... BEFORE embarking on a postgraduate programme, a major consideration that most working adults would have is the question of funding: Where is the money going to come from? Unless you are the children of a wealthy family, salaries of young...

Highest paid ACE (Mesdaq) directors.
August 16, 2009... DAYA Materials tops the list for the first time. ALTHOUGH 2008 IS BEING recognised as the year when the global economic climate started to turn gloomy, ACE (Mesdaq) companies continue to provide impressive remuneration to their directors,...

Hitting pay dirt.
August 16, 2009... BOARDROOM REMUNERATION has become a hot topic since the onset of the financial crisis. It would appear that the downturn has, however, not impacted the remuneration of directors on Bursa Malaysia. Our latest survey reveals remunerations have...

Bankers in the money.
August 16, 2009... BANKING institutions continue to be generous paymasters as liberalisation of the sector creates a premium on expertise. SECTOR-WISE, DIRECTORS IN BANKING AND finance continue to receive large payouts. This is not unusual as with the...

Challenging times for GLCs.
August 16, 2009... HOW well will government-linked companies ride out the economis slowdown? THIS YEAR AND NEXT ARE expected to be challenging times for government- linked companies (GLCs). With the economy in the throes of a downturn, GLCs would be tested on the...

Mighty Temasek suffers a big fall.
August 16, 2009... TEMASEK Holdings, Singapore's powerful state-owned investment arm and sovereign wealth fund, has suffered massive losses of late. What went wrong? THE MIGHTY TEMASEK HOLDINGS, Singapore's state-owned investment arm and sovereign wealth fund, has...

Going places.
August 16, 2009... WITH a transformation process in place, AMMB Holdings is looking good as an investment option in the local banking sector. RECENT HARD FIGURES SUCH as resilient loans growth and low non- performing loans (NPLs) are telling enough that...

Access to financing by SMES.
August 16, 2009... IMPORTANCE of SME sector in supporting the growth of the Malaysian economy A key agenda of the Government is to promote a strong and dynamic SME sector, which would contribute to ensuring sustainable and balanced economic development. The...

VMU set to stamp its mark in Malaysia.
August 16, 2009... LEADING Indian educational group Vinayaka Missions University is going ahead with ambitious investment plans for professional education in dental, medical, management, technology-based and long-distance programmes in Malaysia. Vinayaka...

Diversity is the key.
August 16, 2009... MMC Corporation, while affected by the global downturn, can turn to its myriad businesses to help it prosper in the coming years. A MYRIAD OF BUSINESSES from transport and logistics to energy, utilities and engineering and construction...

The lure of Labuan.
August 16, 2009... LABUAN International Business and Financial Centre has been working hard to market Labuan to unlock its potential. What's the success rate? SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN APRIL last year, Labuan IBFC Inc Sdn Bhd has lived up to its role to market and...

AIM to be a high corporate performer.
August 16, 2009... THE corporate world we operate in is a robust environment. To triumph in such an environment, you need to be a winner, an achiever and a go-getter. To climb the corporate ladder, you'll need to constantly benchmark yourself against other high...

Can China replace US?
August 16, 2009... WITH the United States in a recession, can China help sustain growth in East Asia? The truth is, we need the synergistic roles of the two economic giants. CHINA HAS REGISTERED A positive and relatively high Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth...

Flight anxiety.
August 16, 2009... MAS' decision to 'suspend' flights to the east coast of the United States causes unease in the travel community there. MALAYSIA AIRLINES SYSTEM (MAS)'s decision to 'suspend' flights from Kuala Lumpur to Newark airport on the east coast of the...

Seeing green shoots.
August 16, 2009... IS the United States economy finally on the mend? The second-quarter numbers have certainly improved, but what does that mean for the rest of the world? SCRUTINISING THE NUMBERS RELEASED BY THE United States Commerce Department on the country's...

You bet!
August 16, 2009... THE number forecast operator sector is set for keener competition ahead, thanks to the jackpot element in a couple of new games. COMPETITION IS HOTTING UP in the gaming sector, specifically in the number forecast operator (NFO) segment. On...

Sharing experiences.
August 16, 2009... MCCANN Worldgroup Malaysia's in-house training programme groups its workforce together for one big learning experience. THE YOUNG LEARN FROM THE wise and experienced; and so it has been through the ages. But the wise know that much wisdom can...

Neighbourly example.
August 16, 2009... INDONESIA, with its freer media, can show us a better way to democracy. FIVE YEARS AGO, ON JULY 4, 2004, I had the opportunity of visiting Manado, situated in the north of Sulawesi, Indonesia. It coincided by design with Indonesia's first...

A new generation MBA in the offering.
August 16, 2009... IN today's very competitive environment, academic and classroom teaching is just simply insufficient. Taking on this cue, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's International Business School (IBS) has taken on the task of developing collaborations...

Maintaining the faith in Bumiputera trust agencies.
August 16, 2009... IT would seem that Bumiputera trust agencies have 'sold out' recently, judging from the opening up of their schemes to non-Bumiputeras seemingly as part of the government's market liberalisation measures. What has caused the essence of these...

Stretching your ringgit.
August 16, 2009... IN the present economy, you need to be well-informed to consider various possible investing options so as to not lose money unnecessarily. A few tips. MAKING money through investments requires the right mindset to invest wisely. Making the...

Is the recovery here?
August 16, 2009... ARE we getting over the economic slump triggered by the US subprime fiasco? THE global capital market comprises the debt and equity markets of all countries. Movements in the debt or bond market tend to presage only one of two things:...

Honestly speaking.
August 16, 2009... DATUK Lee Hwa Beng has the unenviable task of making good the highly controversial Port Klang Free Zone project by virtue of being the chairman of the Port Klang Authority. We talk to him about the viability of the project and whether he will...

Selling Malaysia to the world.
August 16, 2009... THE Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation has come up with an informative newsletter for Malaysian exporters. LOCAL EXPORTERS CAN LEARN a thing or two on how to leverage on the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation...

The business of beauty.
August 16, 2009... DATIN Dr Clara L Chee has been a strong advocate of the need for knowledge-based beauty practices and the importance of making educated choices when it comes to skin and beauty regimes in this country. Joined by her two sons Woo Wee Kang and...

Water wanderer.
August 16, 2009... NO excursion is better for the spirit than a trip on the water. SEASONED travellers will tell you that there's nothing like taking a cruise. A holiday on water - where your every need is taken care of - a cruise is truly the perfect way to...

Money matters.
August 16, 2009... ISLAMIC Money & Banking: Integrating Money in Capital Theory examines how money, in the Islamic banking model, can become an endogenous variable of an economic system. ISLAMIC Money & Banking: Integrating Money in Capital Theory...

Bringing out the best in people.
August 16, 2009... CLOSING the Engagement Gap - How Great Companies Unlock Employee Potential for Superior Results shows how to harness the potential of employees for a competitive edge. GOOD leaders understand that the most valuable source of staying ahead of...

Sweet charity.
August 16, 2009... DIGI Telecommunications Sdn Bhd distributed RM150,000 to 14 charitable organisation partners under its 'Love to Save' campaign. The month-long campaign, which started on June 1, 09, saw DiGi making a pledge to donate the amount with the public...

Holiday wins.
August 16, 2009... HOLIDAY Villa Hotels & Resorts is celebrating its 22nd anniversary with a special contest 'Stay & Win or Dine & Win'. Open to all room guests and diners, the contest will run from Aug 1, 2009 till May 31, 2010. During the period, 22...

The Prius comes to town.
August 16, 2009... TOYOTA'S world-famous advanced hybrid car, the Toyota Prius, has made its debut in Malaysia. Speaking at the function, Kuah Kock Heng, President of UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd said, 'Prius has proven that hybrid technology is viable, durable and...

Benkay gets a new chef.
August 16, 2009... HOTEL Nikko Kuala Lumpur has added Tetsuya Yanagida as the latest addition to its culinary brigade. Holding the position of Executive Japanese Chef of Benkay Japanese Restaurant, Tetsuya or Yanagida-san as he is also known is no newcomer to the...

UKM-GSB:Promoting excellence in research.
August 16, 2009... IT is deemed an important task for Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's Graduate School of Business (UKM-GSB) to promote excellence in research. In fact, one of the purported elements of our strategic planning is dedication towards research...

First Malaysian to lead Philips Malaysia.
August 16, 2009... LEE WENG SEONG, CHAIRMAN AND chief executive officer of Philips Group of Companies, is the first Malaysian to lead Philips in Malaysia since the company set up its operation here in 1960. Lee's appointment last October came at a time when the...

Is the stock market recovering?
August 1, 2009... DO Bursa Malaysia's latest trading figures point to a recovery? How will it fare in the face of rising transport and power costs? THE STOCK MARKET FIGURES FOR JANUARY TO June 2009 are in. Bursa Malaysia recorded a share trading value of...

New life for KUB.
August 1, 2009... FROM an overly diversified and unwieldy entity to one that is lean, mean and focused, KUB Malaysia Bhd seems to have turned the corner. Has the long-bleeding conglomerate, which started life as a cooperative, found its footing at last? THEY SAY...

Man on a mission.
August 1, 2009... MALAYSIAN Business talks to KUB Malaysia Bhd's head honcho Datuk Mohd Nazar Samad. DATUK MOHD NAZAR SAMAD, 51, joined KUB Malaysia Bhd on March 1, 2007. Previously a banker for 13 years, he joined Cold Storage Malaysia Bhd in 1992 as its...

Driving R&D initiatives.
August 1, 2009... MIMOS, is considered the country's premier applied research centre in frontier technologies and it has for the past few years been pursuing exploratory and industry-driven applied research through multi stakeholder smart partnerships with local...

Setting a new benchmark.
August 1, 2009... LITTLE known developer Encomas Sdn Bhd has created history by bringing luxurious properties to the Kedahan shores. High-end properties have arrived in the northern state of Kedah with the recent completion of the Villa Seri Tunku superlink...

KUB's rebirth.
August 1, 2009... SINCE ITS INCEPTION AS A cooperative almost four decades ago, KUB Malaysia Bhd has had a controversial and troubled past. Its business direction changed frequently as the politically linked entity strove to find niches within its sprawling...

When controversies ruled the day.
August 1, 2009... KOPERASI Usaha Bersatu Malaysia Bhd (KUB) is not the only politically linked cooperative to have been mired in controversies. Those linked to parties like the MCA, MIC and PAS have had their share of the adverse limelight. MALAYSIAN BUSINESS...

The highway takes a toll.
August 1, 2009... There is undoubted universal pride in the nation's highway infrastructure for its role in the social and economic development of the nation. The previous article highlighted PLUS as a highway concessionaire that has changed the infrastructure...

No clear route ahead.
August 1, 2009... TAKING over PLUS and other concessionaires by the Government is a popular rallying call. But such a drastic move needs to be tempered with consideration for the health of the stock market, the investment climate and the rights of investors, big...

Poser over Maxis' relisting.
August 1, 2009... IS a local Maxis IPO in the offing any time soon? SPECULATION THAT MAXIS Communications Bhd may be making a comeback on Bursa Malaysia has sent the market abuzz. This is hardly surprising. After all, Maxis was the darling of telecom investors...

Saving Satang.
August 1, 2009... CAN embattled Satang Holdings find a way out of its delisting predicament? TWO DAYS AFTER BEING suspended by Bursa Malaysia Securities on July 13 for failing to submit its regularisation plan to the Securities Commission (SC), Satang Holdings...

Tariff boost?
August 1, 2009... IT would seem that utility giant Tenaga Nasional's prospects going forward very much depend on a tariff hike. TENAGA Nasional Bhd (TNB)'s earnings may be boosted by about 20% in 2010 if it can get at least a 3% tariff increase, but analysts...

Power transfer.
August 1, 2009... WHO are the front-runners for the multi-billion ringgit undersea cable project that will transfer electricity from Bakun dam to Peninsular Malaysia? MANY LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL companies are expected to submit their bids for the undersea...

Products and services update from Malaysia.
August 1, 2009... MATRADE publishes a directory-cum-catalogue showcasing products and services from Malaysia for the world. THE LATEST MALAYSIAN product and services targeted for the world market is now being showcased in a special directory produced by the...

Rising outlook.
August 1, 2009... BANKING stocks are set to attract more attention ahead, thanks to signs of resilience. BANKING STOCKS COULD BE attracting more buying interest from investors ahead. Of late, more and more banking analysts are turning positive on Malaysian...

Reducing systemic risk.
August 1, 2009... THE United States has come up with a plan that it believes will boost the ability of the financial system to distribute risk and, hopefully, prevent future financial crises. LAST MONTH THE OBAMA Administration released a report drafted by the...

Tax concerns.
August 1, 2009... MALAYSIAN employers have to migrate to the new Schedular Tax Deduction system latest by the end of the year. Are they ready? ALL EMPLOYERS IN MALAYSIA would have to migrate to the new Schedular Tax Deduction (STD) system, or better known as...

Realities of realty.
August 1, 2009... WILL the government's latest incentives to stimulate the economy work for the property sector? DEPENDING ON THE VARIOUS opinions being voiced around the Malaysian real estate sector, these are either not the worst of times and could soon become...

Resort living with a difference.
August 1, 2009... WITH over 2 km of Sungai Langat river view frontage and a similar length of riverfront boardwalk, Glenmarie Cove stands out as the only development in the Klang Valley that provides boating and berthing facilities. Centered around a...

Close that sale fast.
August 1, 2009... QUICK trippers account for half of shoppers and buy a third of everything sold, says in-store research company TNS Sorensen. A LOT OF CONVENTIONAL wisdom is just flat wrong. Take retail sales, for example. Conventional wisdom says the longer...

Digital reach.
August 1, 2009... TECHNOLOGY has allowed new ways of getting in touch with customers. Use it to prosper your business. THANKS to the Internet, there is a plethora of technology that any business can utilise to reach out to a new group of consumers. A new group...

Grow your pipelines.
August 1, 2009... MAKE constructing multiple pipelines of passive income your main focus in planning your finances. You won't go wrong. I WAS recently listening to Robert Kiyosaki's audiobook Rich Dad's Who Took My Money? while walking around the Seremban Lake...

Emotions & market performance.
August 1, 2009... WHEN I first started trading grain futures 20 years ago, I noticed a pattern in my trading. Every time I made a big profit, I would give most of it back on the next trade. This happened several times and cost me a lot of hard-earned profits...

The changing face of outsourcing.
August 1, 2009... AFTER having experienced cost savings from outsourcing, what next for business? THE OUTSOURCING MARKETPLACE has matured rapidly during the past two or three years as most Global 2000 companies have outsourced or have considered outsourcing some...

Stop buying storage.
August 1, 2009... RAYMOND GOH, SYMANTEC CORporation's regional technical director for systems engineering and customer advisory services, is responsible for strategic engagements with customers in the Asia South region on their Information Security and...

Pulling Malaysian equity back.
August 1, 2009... THERE is a possibility that Maxis Communications, which had gone private a couple of years back, might be making a return to the local bourse. This would be a good thing, especially if others followed suit as money taken out of the country...

Taxation vexation.
August 1, 2009... TRAVELLERS today are tripped up and trapped by a throng of taxes. MOST BUSINESS PEOPLE QUICKLY learn the truth of that old adage which says there are only two things you can be sure about in life: death and taxes. My own response is that...

Chinese burns.
August 1, 2009... WILL China's heavy-handed tactics against Rio Tinto - the Anglo-Australian global mining juggernaut - cause a pullback by Western investors? SLAPPED IN THE FACE, AS it were, the bull rampaged through China. And in its feral stampede on July 5,...

The empress of fashion.
August 1, 2009... WHAT do you get when you combine a love of history and India, an intimate knowledge of the retail industry, a discerning eye for fashion, passion for work and a couple of creative (and eyebrow raising) advertisements? You get Pat Liew and her...

Healing waters.
August 1, 2009... MALAYSIA'S numerous hot springs offer a soothing respite for everything from skin ailments to stress. Dip into one and enjoy the curative powers of life's most sustaining elixir of all. IF LIFE originated from water, then it's only natural...

Why you should invest in properties.
August 1, 2009... MALAYSIAN investors are a lucky lot today: compared to 20 years ago, there are a lot more investment options today. These include unit trusts, direct stock investment, private businesses, futures, options, commodities, precious metals and of...

Money matters.
August 1, 2009... THE Little Book of Main Street Money - 21 Simple Truths that Help Real People Make Real Money offers practical advice on handling finances. PERSONAL finance books are a dime a dozen, ranging from booklets of overly simplistic bite-sized tips...

Making it big.
August 1, 2009... INTEGRATION Marketing: How Small Businesses become Big Businesses - and Big Businesses become Empires explores the concept of integration marketing to excel in business. THIS book gives readers an insight into the term 'integration...

Boosting trade finance in OIC markets.
August 1, 2009... EXPORT-Import Bank of Malaysia Bhd together with International Islamic Trade Financing Corporation (ITFC), a subsidiary of Islamic Development Bank (IDB), recently conducted a seminar to introduce to Malaysian exporters various financing schemes...

Creative flair.
August 1, 2009... HYUNDAI-Sime Darby Motors Sdn Bhd has launched the new i30. The 'i' stands for inspiration, a key driving force for all vehicle development at Hyundai Motor Company, South Korea. Flowing curves, emphasized by strong character lines highlight...

Fun, mobility & enhanced performance.
August 1, 2009... CANON Marketing (M) has introduced two new printers - the Selphy CP780 and Selphy CP790 - both compact and portable dye-sublimation printers. Both have upgrades in print speed by 10%. The CP780 is all about connectivity as it accommodates a...

Affin Select Growth Fund.
August 1, 2009... AFFIN Fund Management Bhd has launched the Affin Select Growth Fund or ASGF, an equity fund that focuses on growth stocks in Malaysia. It is an alternative for the ethical investor as it does not invest in gaming, liquor and tobacco stocks. ...