Malaysian Business articles from September 2009

Malaysian Business archives from September 2009

Moving away from convention.
September 16, 2009... THE appointment of Malaysia Airlines head honcho Datuk Seri Idris Jala as a Cabinet Minister took the country by surprise. Is this an indication that there is a change in the way we pick the best people for the job? THE APPOINTMENT OF MALAYSIA...

Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 sets the pace for Unified Communications.
September 16, 2009... DR Balz Wyss, Microsoft Asia Pacific senior director for Unified Communications (UC) & Collaboration & MS Online, is understandably excited as he shares what the soon-to-be-launched Exchange Server 2010 can do. 'There's no one in the...

One Malaysia.
September 16, 2009... MALAYSIA is truly a unique nation; Its independence crafted with great caution, By past leaders who had a sincere intention, To bring freedom and prosperity to people of all stations. Today, Malaysia is truly of ONE nation; Of different races...

Asas Serba's grand plans.
September 16, 2009... LITTLE known Asas Serba Sdn Bhd is proposing to take over the country's 22 toll highways. IN THE MIDST OF THE DEBATE on the government taking toll concessions private, a little known private entity, Asas Serba Sdn Bhd, has come up with a...

Game for Genting.
September 16, 2009... STRONG fundamentals and bright prospects make gaming giant Genting a firm favourite with analysts. GENTING BHD HAS HAD A disappointing first half but analysts are excited over the gaming and leisure giant's results next year and in 2011,...

A case for open access.
September 16, 2009... AN open access broadband network allows multi service providers to distribute their services over a shared infrastructure. Interestingly, the concept separates the ownership of the infrastructure from the service provider's platform. LOCAL...

Low-cost but high-flying.
September 16, 2009... DATUK SERI TONY FERNANDES, the founder of budget airline AirAsia Bhd, is a known workaholic and minor illnesses don't really get him down. So despite resting at home, he invited us over for an interview. His home in the upscale Damansara...

Ruling the skies.
September 16, 2009... WITH its adventurous drive and verve, budget airline AirAsia has won a coveted place in Malaysian air travel - and picked up quite a few critics and detractors. This has not stopped the intrepid carrier from attempting to scale even greater...

Looking on the bright side.
September 16, 2009... IF there's something AirAsia Bhd CEO Datuk Tony Fernandes laments, it's the inclination of Malaysians to sometimes harp on the negative. DATUK SERI TONY FERNANDES is under the weather, and a tad cold, when Malaysian Business meets him at his...

Keeping in Tune.
September 16, 2009... APART from exploiting the market at large, the Tune group of companies also enjoy synergies from each other, all united by a single 'low-cost' banner. IN TYPICAL MALAYSIA BOLEH fashion in the pursuit of greatness - the biggest, tallest,...

Challenges amidst recovery.
September 16, 2009... DESPITE encouraging signs on the global economic front, Malaysia still faces major challenges ahead, especially with regard to its private investment which has yet to reach anywhere near its pre-1998 days. THE PROPONENTS OF A 'V-SHAPED'...

A necessity for SMES.
September 16, 2009... THE calls for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to adopt information and communications technology (ICT) as a necessary means to improve their operations and processes are not something new. In fact, the phrase 'utilisation of ICT is no...

Going by instinct.
September 16, 2009... CONTRARY to popular opinion, many investment decisions are made based on instincts - the so-called animal spirits. Given the right conditions, they are the cause of wide fluctuations in the economy and financial crises. OF LATE, THERE HAS...

Paint it green.
September 16, 2009... THAT ICI/AkzoNobel attaches much importance to safety and sustainable development is reflected in its low odour, low VOC and green label- certified emulsion paints. 'DO NOT PANIC. DO NOT RUN. Walk briskly towards the nearest exit,' briefs the...

Retail rule.
September 16, 2009... IS the time right to buy consumer retail stocks? THE GLOBAL ECONOMY IS moving from recession to stabilisation and recovery. According to a recent review by CIMB Securities, the latest batch of indicators for the Group of Seven (G-7) economies...

Aircraft art.
September 16, 2009... PAINTING commercial aircraft is both a technically-demanding art, and a booming industry. IN THE EARLY DAYS OF aviation, aircraft consisted mainly of canvas, wire, wood and bits of metal. Markings were painted on later, mainly for recognition...

Life (Insurance) is a game!
September 16, 2009... HOW AXA Life scored a home run with an online game to entice the younger generation. Case Study Client: AXA AFFIN Agency: Grey Group Malaysia How do you sell the future to today's youths who breathe for the moment and live for the 'now'? This...

Back to basics.
September 16, 2009... WE all need a financial roadmap to prepare for the future. A look. During a recent alumni get-together, someone popped the question on how to best make his ringgit count, considering the present uncertainty in market events. 'Do I continue to...

Good 'money' habits.
September 16, 2009... DEVELOPING good financial habits wins half the battle in the art of financial planning. But where do you begin? WE ALL have choices to make. Often the paths we go down daily are tied to our habits. It was Samuel Johnson, the 18th Century...

Banzai?
September 16, 2009... THE Japanese electorate routed the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party at the recent polls, paving the way for the Democratic Party of Japan to take over and set things right for their long-stagnant economy. Can it do it? THE JAPANESE SPOKE ON...

A-ready-to-trade e-marketplace.
September 16, 2009... TELEKOM MALAYSIA'S VERY OWN e-marketplace portal platform and online business community, mybizpoint, launched last June, is proving to be a helpful tool for the telecommunications giant. TM SME executive vice-president, Shanti Jusnita Johari,...

Built on solid foundation.
September 16, 2009... DATUK Abdul Rahim Abdul Rahman, founder of Rahim & Co international property consultants, and his daughter Alisa M Rahim tell SHARMILA VALLI NARAYANAN about the importance of gaining the trust and respect of colleagues in successfully...

Birds fly, so why can't I?
September 16, 2009... TIRED of playing passenger all the time? ANIS RAMLI seeks out the ultimate flying experience for those wanting to take control. BLAME IT on Icarus. Or Da Vinci. Or even the Wright brothers for that matter. Ever since man discovered flapping...

The burden of debt.
September 16, 2009... THE new empire of debt - the rise and fall of an epic financial bubble talks about how america destroyed itself through debt. IGNORE all talk of the green shoots heralding imminent recovery. What got us into this present economic mess was...

Lonely at the top.
September 16, 2009... HIGH altitude leadership examines the pitfalls leaders face the higher they go. NO MATTER what industry or business you are in, it's not easy being a leader in today's corporate world. After all, most leaders want to produce stunning results...

The games that we play.
September 16, 2009... THE MALAYSIAN Institute of Management (MIM) and Ricoh have produced and launched a book entitled Games we Used to Make & Play that documents the traditional games and pastimes played by Malaysian youngsters since Merdeka in 1957 and beyond....

Matrade's Bangladesh splash.
September 16, 2009... THE Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE)'s 'Malaysian Products & Services Exhibition 2009 (MPSE 2009)' as well as its Specialised Marketing Mission on automotive parts and related services to Dhaka, Bangladesh have...

Astro's next-generation communication services network.
September 16, 2009... MAXIS Communications Bhd has announced that it has executed an agreement with Measat Broadcast Network Systems Sdn Bhd (MBNS), a subsidiary of Astro All Asia Networks plc (Astro) to design, supply, commission and manage Astro's nationwide...

Criminals target Facebook and other social networking sites.
September 16, 2009... HUGELY POPULAR SOCIAL NETWORKING sites like Facebook and Twitter have become attractive targets for phishing and scamming attacks as online criminals follow the latest Internet trends that are attracting the most users. The F-Secure Response...

Measuring KPIs.
September 16, 2009... KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs) are making the headlines these days especially after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced that KPIs will be implemented in all government matters, beginning with the KPI monitoring exercise for...

In Ekuinas we trust .....BY: By A Kadir Jasin.
September 16, 2009... WHILE declining competitiveness and failed foreign investment forays by government-linked companies like Maybank hog the headlines, can Ekuiti Nasional, the government-funded private equity fund management company created to raise Bumiputera...

Virtualisation & cloud computing.
September 16, 2009... IN the next few years, IT will evolve in highly-automated services. Surveys have shown that we spend too much money on keeping the lights running, and too little on delivering new business value from IT. Business wants to move faster and...

Storage solutions in action.
September 16, 2009... A SOUND BUSINESS PLAN that links IT objectives to correspond business needs is critical to ensure technology investments support overall organisation's goals. It's no secret that well-aligned organisations in terms of business and technology...

Rugged mobile.
September 16, 2009... THE EXTREMELY RUGGED ULTRA mobile CF-U1 is dubbed the lightest and smallest rugged handheld computer engineered for the field workforce. The 184mm x 151 mm x 57 mm gadget runs on Intel Atom processor Z520, with 1GB DDR2 SDRAM of main memory...

Slim and lightweight.
September 16, 2009... SEEMINGLY CRAFTED BY NATURE itself, the Eee PC Seashell draws its inspiration from seashells and its opalescent and glossy exterior is crafted by the innovative in-Mold Roller technology. Boasting a profile measuring just 1-inch in depth and...

DiGi's practical solutions for SMEs.
September 16, 2009... INFORMATION and communications technology (ICT) has been acknowledged to be crucial to the prosperity of businesses in today's increasingly competitive world. The small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are definitely not excluded. Embracing...

A one-stop wholesale center.
September 1, 2009... BANDAR Botanic in Klang is slowly transforming into the country's leading wholesale hub. An all-out effort to transform Bandar Botanic in Klang - a new central business district in Klang Valley - into Malaysia's and Southeast Asia's biggest...

Lucrative industry.
September 1, 2009... THE HALAL INDUSTRY IS A huge business. The global halal market is valued at some RM10.85 trillion per year and is growing fast. There is a huge market out there waiting to be tapped. It's no surprise then that Malaysia has set its sights on...

Managing finance effectively.
September 1, 2009... TODAY'S CFOs rate 'increased collaboration and communication' as a leading benefit for a more integrated organisation, particularly as finance is primed to move from a transactional accounting function to a more analytic and strategic role. This...

KPJ strengthening its foothold in Penang.
September 1, 2009... KPJ Healthcare, the healthcare division of Johor Corp Bhd, has strengthened its foothold in Penang with the recent opening of the multi- disciplinary KPJ Penang Specialist Hospital (KPJ Penang) - its 19th hospital nationwide - in Bandar Perda,...

Nortel's ACE.
September 1, 2009... US-BASED NORTEL INC, WHICH delivers communications capabilities, is currently focusing on its Agile Communication Environment (ACE), it leverages Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and Web Services to deliver rich, Communications-Enabled...

Why you should buy only completed properties.
September 1, 2009... ONE of the things that always stun my overseas friends when they come to Malaysia is the fact that our property developers can sell their properties before completing their projects. And when I tell them that the properties don't have to be...

Party politics revulsion.
September 1, 2009... THE Permatang Pasir by-election results - with the Pas candidate winning by a big majority - once again show up the fact that the voters remain unimpressed with the ruling coalition's leadership changes despite the Opposition coalition's loose...

TM to draw more SMEs.
September 1, 2009... TELEKOM MALAYSIA BHD (TM) plans to attract more local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to utilise information and communications technology (ICT) solutions as competitive tools in their operations. TM SME executive vice-president Shanti...

Open microsoft.
September 1, 2009... IN THE CURRENT ECONOMIC climate, many customers are looking into how virtualisation can reduce the cost of deploying and managing their IT infrastructure through server consolidation and more efficient use of server resources. Akmal Jaafar,...

Redefining innovation to beat the credit crunch.
September 1, 2009... WITH ITS ASSOCIATION TO CREDIT derivatives, innovation is something of a dirty word at the moment. Many see innovation as at odds with the 'managing the fundamentals' business mantra that the credit crunch has imposed. In the resulting...

Quality control.
September 1, 2009... WHILE the easing of equity restrictions is expected to attract more foreign companies to list on the local bourse, the authorities must make sure that only credible ones are allowed to come. WHEN MULTI SPORTS HOLDINGS LTD, A SHOE sole...

Stretching itself.
September 1, 2009... THINGS seem to be looking up for BP Plastics Holding after a roller- coaster ride the last two years. What's in store for the polyethylene film-packaging manufacturer? BP PLASTICS HOLDING BHD (BPPLAS) was badly hit when the price of resin went...

All Gung Ho a KWAP.
September 1, 2009... THE Retirement Fund (Incorporated) or KWAP is confidently bracing for the day when it will help shoulder the civil service's massive pension burden. THE RETIREMENT FUND (Incorporated), better known as KWAP or Kumpulan Wang Persaraan...

Capital market get-together.
September 1, 2009... THE World Capital Markets Symposium held in Kuala Lumpur recently touched on the potential of emerging markets and the pressing need to fix financial systems, among others. DESPITE THE UNCERTAINTY surrounding stock markets around the world,...

The wisdom of spending.
September 1, 2009... WHY there is a need to relook the time-honoured Asian savings habit. IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT Asians, including Malaysians, consume too little of their income in comparison to Americans and that this has created a global savings imbalance,...

(The month of October ... ).
September 1, 2009... THE month of October will see a major exhibition of cutting-edge research and inventions taking place in Kuala Lumpur, and it should generate a lot of interest from institutions of higher learning, businesses and corporations. The Ministry of...

Harnessing the halal potential.
September 1, 2009... WITH a 1.8 billion world Muslim population, there's a huge halal market out there waiting to be tapped. The Halal Industry Development Corporation is helping Malaysia do just that. HALAL IS BIG BUSINESS. THE GLOBAL HALAL market has an...

Mission: To develop a halal eco-system.
September 1, 2009... HOW is Malaysia going about developing its halal industry? Malaysian Business speaks to Halal Industry Development Corporation CEO Datuk Seri Jamil Bidin. THE HALAL INDUSTRY Development Corporation (HDC) was formed in September 2006 to...

Stamping the branding idea.
September 1, 2009... THE Branding Association of Malaysia (BAM) cannot emphasise enough the importance of branding in making Malaysia more competitive globally. BRANDING IS NOT ABOUT ADVERTISING. IT is about identity, it is who you are, stresses Branding...

Collect call.
September 1, 2009... SPECULATION is rife that telco giant Maxis will relist on Bursa Malaysia. How will this affect the sector? MALAYSIA'S ALREADY ACTIVE telecommunications sector could be about to get even busier, with the country's largest mobile phone services...

The new rules of consumer engagement.
September 1, 2009... THE HEART OF THE WEB'S SUCCESS IS IN CONNECTING people with information. As consumers become more price-conscious in a downturn, they're spending more time online researching purchases and finding good deals. Industry figures indicate that...

Small is in.
September 1, 2009... IS the time right for small-cap stocks to shine in the ongoing market rally? WITH THE MARKET IN AN uptrend since March 2009, one would assume to have made a lot of money on almost any single stock in the market. However, the fact remains that...

The human element in economic turbulence.
September 1, 2009... HOW the current economic climate is impacting the management of human capital in Malaysia. IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, IT IS entirely natural for many employees to be concerned about their job security. Thus, they are generally willing to be part of...

The art of selling.
September 1, 2009... SELLING at a higher price is every businessman's dream. But how do you do it? 'WHY ARE you so expensive? How come your coampetitor is cheaper than you? What gives you the right to charge so much? Give me a discount and I'll give you the deal.'...

When to sell.
September 1, 2009... KNOWING when to exit a stock is all-important to minimise your losses. HUNDREDS of books have been published on how to buy stocks while very few have been written on how to sell. Selling techniques are much more complicated and involve...

To have and to owe .....BY: By Rajen Devadason.
September 1, 2009... USING money which doesn't belong to you unwisely can cause you a lot of distress. How to avoid this? MANY OF us are grateful for the overdraft facilities our friendly neighbourhood banks extend to us on either a 'clean' or secured basis. Used...

Creating your dream home.
September 1, 2009... LEADING interior design and landscaping magazine Anjung Seri's inaugural home deco exhibition entitled the 'Anjung Seri Dream Home Exhibition 2009' proves to be a roaring success. ANJUNG SERI, a Berita Publishing Sdn Bhd (BPSB) publication...

Multi-talented.
September 1, 2009... AUSTRALIA'S Saxton Speakers Bureau describes Meena Thuraisingham as someone who 'manages multiple careers and roles as consultant, executive coach, writer, mother, art collector and regular cooking school participant'. She shares her story with...

The beauty of success.
September 1, 2009... GINVERA'S Jackie Tor started off humbly, plying his products in a van around KL before making it big. Today, Ginvera is one of the top local brands in the country for skincare and beauty products. He shares the secrets of his success. JACKIE...

Kettle hour.
September 1, 2009... ANY hour of any day, someone, somewhere around the world is enjoying their cuppa. Anis Ramli talks about her favourite spots. YOU CAN'T find fault with tea. It can be traditional with crumpets or hip with tapioca pearls. You can brew it...

Renoma style.
September 1, 2009... RENOMA has launched its autumn/winter 2009 men's and women's collection. The collection includes DECO, VINTG, MARGIN, and ELECTRO for the women and CHEVA and REP for the men. DECO delights with its modern, functional and sleek styles to...

Zinging past.
September 1, 2009... CIMB Bank and Touch 'n Go Sdn Bhd have jointly launched the CIMB Touch 'n Go Visa Card - a co-brand credit card designed to provide cardholders the convenience and flexibility of reloading their Touch 'n Go card, complete with a range of special...

AFB's financing facility.
September 1, 2009... ASIAN Finance Bank Bhd has signed a financing facility agreement for a term financing-i of RM50 million with Onsys Energy Sdn Bhd. Onsys is a Malaysian-owned company with core activities in bunkering supply, oil trading, ship chartering and...

A real Plus Point.
September 1, 2009... PLUS Expressways has allocated up to RM12 million a year for its PLUSMiles card 'RM1 for 1 Reward Point' programme in an effort to reward and offer incentives to loyal PLUS highway users spending less than RM200 a month on toll. The card is...

Cyberjaya's opportunities for unemployed graduates.
September 1, 2009... K-SMEs in Cyberjaya are offering training opportunities for 156 graduates this year, under the Cyberjaya Graduate Attachment & Training (GREAT) programme launched as one of the initiatives under the Government's RM7 billion Economic Stimulus...

Lonpac comes to Klang.
September 1, 2009... LONPAC Insurance Bhd officially opened a branch office in Klang recently. Lonpac Insurance's Advisor, Tee Choon Yeow, said the local industry in Klang, which is predominantly involved in shipping and manufacturing, offers much potential for...

Motor Image Racing Team in 1-2 podium finish.
September 1, 2009... SINGAPORE-based Motor Image Racing Team (MIRT) continued its triumph at the Malaysian Rally, with three-time Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) champion Cody Crocker finishing first overall, and teammate Emma Gilmour in second place to...

Unesco tie-up.
September 1, 2009... A TOTAL of 16 travel and tour operators from Malaysia and Indonesia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote the three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, namely, Borobudur, Malacca and Penang under one travel package. The...

Tweet, tweet.
September 1, 2009... TWITTER Tips, Tricks, and Tweets shows you how to get all the fun and productivity from Twitter. TWITTER, which has been part of the social networking scene for the past few years, allows its users to turn their Twitter experience into...

Secrets of the Google Guys.
September 1, 2009... GOOGLE Speaks: Secrets of the World's Greatest Billionaire Entrepreneurs, Sergey Brin and Larry Page reveals the amazing story behind Google, a company that in less than 15 years has become a global household name and, in the process, created a...