Malaysian Business articles from September 2011

Malaysian Business archives from September 2011

Maxis deploys new optical backbone network.
September 16, 2011... MAXIS BHD, WITH ALCATEL-LUCENT as a strategic supplier, has undertaken a major transformation of Maxis' core transmission network. By deploying Alcatel-Lucent's 100 gigabit per second (100G) optical coherent network solution, Maxis will be...

The future of money.
September 16, 2011... MONEY IS CHANGING. AT THE beginning, it was salt, gold and copper, and then we moved on to coins or paper. Later, we realised that we could use bits to represent value that was stored somewhere else - a bank account. This new technology...

Translating perception into reality.
September 16, 2011... While the news that Malaysia has climbed five steps in this year's Global Competitiveness Report compiled by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum augurs well for the country, more needs to be done to counter bureaucratic ineptitude, abuse of...

The New Line Up.
September 16, 2011... RESEARCH IN MOTION'S LINE- up of next generation BlackBerry smartphones are built on a new performance driven platform powered by the latest BlackBerry software and hardware. For example, the all-new BlackBerry Curve 9350, BlackBerry Curve...

Next-Generation BlackBerry 7 OS.
September 16, 2011... RESEARCH iN mOTION IS FIGHTING back the smartphone hordes with the unveiling of play-friendly BlackBerry 7 OS phones. BlackBerry 7 introduces a next generation BlackBerry browser which combines the dramatically improved performance of the...

Let rational minds prevail.
September 16, 2011... The Philippines' San Miguel Corp's purchase of ExxonMobil Corp's assets in Malaysia has certain parties up in arms. What's the real issue here? VARIOUS parties seem to be getting rather emotional over the recent purchase of ExxonMobil Corp's...

The long goodbye.
September 16, 2011... Now that the Movement for Change Sarawak has thrown in the towel on its bid to force long-serving Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud into retirement, it looks like the head honcho will stick around for a while yet. IT'S A bit of...

Sailing to the Black.
September 16, 2011... Perdana Petroleum Bhd breaks even for its first-half-year after seven quarters of losses. PERDANA Petroleum Bhd, the revitalised former Petra Perdana Bhd, made a remarkable recovery by returning to the black in its second quarter ended June...

Paying the price.
September 16, 2011... Sime Darby's pricey entry into niche property player Eastern & Oriental is raising eyebrows. Is there any real synergy? SIME Darby Bhd is perhaps celebrating, arguably, its highest earnings ever recorded during its latest financial year...

Sime speaks.
September 16, 2011... MALAYSIAN BUSINESS decided to ask Sime Darby to address some of the pertinent issues relating to its 30% acquisition of E&O. These are its replies: How did this deal come about? Was it Sime Darby that first approached E&O? Yes, it...

Buy into weakness?
September 16, 2011... The newly merged Sunway seems to be offering compelling prospects. Is it worth acquiring now? IT IS perhaps not exactly the best of times to buy property stocks, given the apprehension of a potential cycle change in the industry and worries...

Lost in the market.
September 16, 2011... The current global and stock market uncertainties have put investors in a spot - do they buy or do they dump? We provide some pointers. THERE are always opportunities in a crisis. As such, are the recent market sell-downs across the...

Picking the winners.
September 16, 2011... How Kenanga Investment Research arrived at the ceiling and floor prices of FBM KLCI stocks using the price-earnings band and Monte Carlo Simulation methods. BASED ON THE PRICE-EARNINGS (PE) band methodology, Kenanga Investment Research has...

Will Malaysia meet its growth target?
September 16, 2011... Given the unsettling external environment, can Malaysia achieve its growth forecast of at least 5% for 2011? The central bank and several analysts seem to think so. WITH governments everywhere bracing for the prospect of either a global...

Power of the consumer.
September 16, 2011... Despite signs of an impending slowdown and a rising cost of living, consumers have continued to shore up Malaysia's growth numbers with their spending habits. 'GOOD Golly, Miss Molly,' exclaims my nine-year-old daughter whenever she is taken...

Double dip: Is the end nigh?
September 16, 2011... The current shaky state of the world's financial markets and the developed economies has raised concerns about a potential global double-dip recession. How likely is such a scenario and how will it affect Malaysia? G LOBAL financial markets...

Feeding the national passion.
September 16, 2011... Malaysians' passion for food fuels McDonald's growth in the country. Breaching the RM1 billion-in-sales mark last year, it targets a 15%-20% growth in revenue this year. EATING is undoubtedly the unofficial number one national pastime for...

Ties that bind.
September 16, 2011... The British have never really left Malaysia - in terms of business investments that is. Molly Jagpal, the Executive Director of the British Malaysia Chamber of Commerce tells Sharmila Valli Narayanan that British investments in Malaysia are...

Malaysian consumer trends.
September 16, 2011... A look at Nielsen's '2011 Global Online Environment and Sustainability Survey'. THE majority of Malaysian consumers show some affinity towards eco- friendly products. However only 20% would actually pay more to purchase such products,...

Governing Singapore after the PE.
September 16, 2011... Needed: New social compact that provides unity under good leadership, yet caters to hunger for more debate, diversity. AFTER a tightly contested Presidential Election (PE), Dr Tony Tan will next serve as Head of State. The former Deputy Prime...

Playing to win.
September 16, 2011... As innovation and creativity become the stamp of high value work, so our working circumstances will have to provide an opportunity for childlike play and creativity to flourish. REMEMBER that old clichint that school days are the best days of...

Holistic health for all.
September 16, 2011... The Total Wellness method offers a holistic approach to health that promises enhanced worker productivity and lower costs for companies. IN 1982, prominent American surgeon Dr Robert Willix, with some 2,000 coronary bypass operations to his...

Survivor.
September 16, 2011... How to thrive in the difficult years ahead. HAVE YOU noticed how the price of milk is rising? Since I don't usually do the grocery shopping for my family, it wasn't until my wife and then a close friend of ours with four young children both...

Property & tax.
September 16, 2011... How will expected changes to the relevant accounting treatment for property developers affect the tax treatment? THE property sector's contribution to Malaysia's Gross Domestic Product is estimated to be 3.3% in 2010 based on the Economic...

Pull of the emerging economies.
September 16, 2011... The developed markets' debt woes only serve to highlight the emerging markets' strength and the potential appeal of their assets and currencies. WORRIES about debt problems in the eurozone and Standard & Poor's downgrade of the United...

Be a PAL.
September 16, 2011... THE Malaysian AIDS Foundation's PAL Scheme is a fund-raising initiative that aims to provide and improve access to second-line HAART medication for underprivileged Malaysians living with HIV. THE Malaysian AIDS Foundation (MAF) initiated the...

Sweet beginning.
September 16, 2011... Model, actress, singer and emcee Deanna Yusoff has taken on a new role - that of an entrepreneur. She tells Sharmila Valli Narayanan about that video that nearly ruined her career and how she has come out of it stronger; explains why, despite...

Family-fit Ferrari.
September 16, 2011... The prancing horse now offers a four-seater that makes a speedy spin in a Ferrari a family affair. KIDS; they are never too young to be flown in a Ferrari. Ferrying one's brood of little bambinis was never an option until the Italian luxury...

Spreading its voice far and wide.
September 16, 2011... The Philharmonic Society of Selangor made its maiden venture overseas during the recent Merdeka Day/Raya holidays. THE Philharmonic Society of Selangor, or affectionately called The Phil, made its maiden venture overseas during the recent...

Timely advice.
September 16, 2011... Real-Time Marketing & PR, How to instantly engage your market, connect with customers, and create products that grow your business now', * By: David Meerman Scott * Publisher: Wiley & Sons, Inc * Pages: 244 * Price: RM79.80...

A change needed.
September 16, 2011... 'Consumptionomics - Asia's role in reshaping capitalism and saving the planet', * By: Chandran Nair * Publisher: John Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte Ltd * Pages: 198 * Price: RM111.80 Consumptionomics - Asia's role in reshaping...

Celcom-couponhouz tie-up.
September 16, 2011... Celcom Axiata Bhd has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (Mou) with Coupon Houz Sdn Bhd (CHSB), the owner and operator of CouponHouz.com, on coupon redemption and mobile payment via Celcom Aircash. With this MoU signing, Celcom customers will...

Smartpools boosts business.
September 16, 2011... SmartPools expects to expand its operations in Malaysia and the region bolstered by advanced sale orders worth RM24 million from leading property developers, including Sime Darby Property, MRCB Land, TH Properties, Davanam Constructions and the...

Maxis launches cloud computing services.
September 16, 2011... Maxis Bhd has launched Maxis Cloud, the most advanced on-demand, real- time, fully managed cloud service in Malaysia. Maxis also announced that customers will be able to access Maxis Cloud via the country's highest speed business broadband...

The first free travel guide in Malaysia.
September 16, 2011... If you are looking for the best guide for exploring the uniqueness of the Klang Valley, look no further than Travel for Locals (KV4L). Coming in 144 pages packed with information and interesting images of popular places in the Klang Valley,...

Construction mission to Jakarta secures millions.
September 16, 2011... A Malaysian trade delegation to Indonesia comprising companies from the construction and building materials industries has secured sales of RM755 million in Indonesia's rapidly expanding building sector. Malaysia External Trade Development...

Canon Malaysia PhotoMarathon 2011.
September 16, 2011... For the ninth consecutive year, the region's largest photo competition Canon PhotoMarathon 2011 will kick off this September in seven countries; India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The grand prize winner will...

Volvo Malaysia appoints new MD.
September 16, 2011... Volvo Malaysia Sdn Bhd has appointed Mansoor Ahmed as its new managing director to replace Eric Leblanc. Prior to being posted to lead the Volvo Malaysian operations, Mansoor, 49, was Volvo's Beijing-based Vice-President of Vehicle Sales and...

Emery Oleochemicals wins.
September 16, 2011... Emery Oleochemicals, a joint venture between Sime Darby Plantation Sdn Bhd and PTT Chemical International Private Ltd. and a world leader in natural- based chemicals; recently received the 2011 Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific Green Excellence...

Cherry picking in a downturn.
September 16, 2011... THE global financial markets are grappling with extreme volatility. Equity markets have experienced sell-downs following the US downgrade and concerns about slowing economies in Europe. With the global economy facing the prospects of a...

Local data centres on expansion mode.(Company overview)
September 16, 2011... The government realises that there will come a time when most businesses will need data centres and Malaysia has the geographical stability to meet this need. And today, home grown data centres are slowly but surely making their presence felt...

Telekom Malaysia partners Google.
September 16, 2011... IN A MOVE TO PROVIDE AN ONLINE marketing tool for the small and medium enterprises that are using its services, Telekom Malaysia Bhd last month entered into a year-long strategic partnership with Internet search engine giant Google Inc. Under...

Taking off.
September 1, 2011... THIS issue, we have an exclusive interview with former high-profile Minister, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, who now wears several hats in the corporate world, one being Chairman of AirAsia X. As the country's longest-serving Minister of International...

Making Sandakan thrive again.
September 1, 2011... Once devastated by allied bombing during World War II, Sandakan is re- energising itself to become Sabah's second most sought after property hub outside the State Capital, Kota Kinabalu At the height of the timber boom that lasted well into...

The voice of the industry.
September 1, 2011... Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Pikom experienced significant achievements over the years, many of which have propelled Malaysia's ICT industry onto a new level of competitiveness. The Association of the Computer and Multimedia...

Contractor-developer consensus vital for 'SUPER' success.
September 1, 2011... For a development project to be dubbed 'super', every element related to the development must fall in place accordingly - from the building structure to soft aspects in the likes of project management and marketing. Sheer architectural...

Of superior quality and efficiencies.
September 1, 2011... IN TODAY'S FAST-PACED WORLD, MANAGING AN EFFICIENT workflow and being able to produce quality documents for internal and external use are top requirements for SOHO businesses operating in an environment which places an emphasis on efficiency and...

The riskiest element in investing.
September 1, 2011... I wrote about various advertisements that appeared in the media on investing in US properties in the July issue of Malaysian Business. In it, I shared seven points as to why all of us should be careful before doing so. While there is no doubt...

Heitech partners with Fujitsu and NetApp.
September 1, 2011... HEITECH MANAGED SERVICES (HMS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of HeiTech Padu Bhd, has forged a collaboration with Fujitsu Malaysia and US-listed data storage technology company NetApp to expand cloud offerings in Malaysia. HMS CEO Abdul Halim Md...

Catcha media gets another substantial shareholder.
September 1, 2011... CATCHA MEDIA BHD RECENTLY ANNOUNCED that HSC Healthcare Sdn Bhd has become a substantial shareholder with 5.01% stake in the company. In a filing to Bursa Malaysia, Catcha Media said HSC Healthcare's investment follows a series of strategic...

MAC3 cloud rendering farm.
September 1, 2011... MULTIMEDIA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (MDeC), which has contributed RM500,000 cloud rendering cost saving through the country's first cloud-rendering facility, plans to increase the high performance computing power for rendering to 300 nodes by...

How will the change in internet addresses affect your business?
September 1, 2011... THE INTERNET HAS DEVELOPED on the strength of IPv4, which has supplied about 4.3 billion unique Internet addresses - the number of possible unique combinations allowed by the 32-bit length of the addresses in binary form. But, in February, the...

Managing information in the cyber age.
September 1, 2011... In the era of digital news flow, governments and corporations have limited capacity to control the free flow of quick information. So, rather than looking silly trying to manipulate information, they should learn how to manage it for maximum...

Leave the academicians alone!
September 1, 2011... When higher education in a country is politicised, something is seriously wrong with the system. When will we learn that education is something that cannot be toyed with? WHY can't we just leave our academicians to run local public...

Allaying concerns.
September 1, 2011... Hong Leong Group's Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan's reported involvement in a consortium to acquire Pan Malaysian Pools has raised concerns about the mixing of gaming with banking. Is there cause for worry? THE market was abuzz last month following...

On the mend?
September 1, 2011... Do recent announcements addressing Johor Corporation's hefty debts point to a corporate restructuring programme? THE recent announcement that Kulim (M) Bhd would be acquiring 338,000 acres of estate land in Johor from parent Johor...

Gone awry.
September 1, 2011... Affin Bank becomes the first casuality of the Indonesian central bank's proposed plans to reduce the cap on foreign majority shareholdings in the country's commercial banks. A YEAR ago, analysts hardly raised their eyebrows when Affin...

Net outflow continues.
September 1, 2011... Will the market stabilise? FOREIGN institutional investors liquidated RM2.5 billion from the Malaysian equity market during the period from July 25 to Aug 12. This was in contrast with the more than RM3 billion of net portfolio funds that had...

In full bloom.
September 1, 2011... Sarawak is at the early stages of an infrastructure super-cycle, underpinned by some huge investments gaining ground within the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy. One beneficiary to look out for will definitely be Sarawak Cable. THE recent...

Tough times ahead?
September 1, 2011... It would seem that the local property sector is in for weaker times ahead. ARE investors prepared for a weaker property sector ahead? Of late, apart from a fall which was in line with the general market sell-down, some analysts note that the...

Going long distance.
September 1, 2011... Former International Trade & Industry Minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz moves up to the flight deck to guide AirAsia X into new aviation territory. WHEN AirAsia group chieftain Tan Sri Tony Fernandes and his team made their way to Tan Sri...

English emphasis.
September 1, 2011... Rafidah worries about the continued slide in the standard of English in Malaysia. THROUGHOUT her years working on communiquints, negotiating trade pacts and drafting agreement terms, the correct and precise use of English was essential in the...

Mind the gap.
September 1, 2011... Aerobridges are anathema to the low-cost airline model. A IRAsia X's business model relies on a quick turnaround of its aircraft. The sooner it gets off the ground and the more it flies as near full-load as possible, the more optimum are its...

Time for SMEs to go digital.
September 1, 2011... SMEs must engage in innovative activities and upgrade their technological capabilities to meet more demanding market requirements. SMALL- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), which typically comprise the bulk of business enterprises, play a...

Asean, monetary policy and 11H2.
September 1, 2011... How will Asean economies respond to external shocks and what's in store for the second-half of the year? THESE surely are some 'interesting times' for the global economy, with the US now downgraded, the European Union struggling with a...

Into the deep.
September 1, 2011... The new frontiers in oil and gas exploration and production is deepwater or ultra deepwater. Towards this end, Floating Production Storage and Offloading or FPSO vessels come in handy. In this final of a two-part series, we take a look. ...

Not all doom and gloom.
September 1, 2011... Looking for the silver lining behind the US credit downgrade. THE events of August, starting from the global stock exchange crash to the downgrade by Standard & Poor's (S&P) of the United States credit rating from AAA to AA+, have...

Why Asean cannot stand alone.
September 1, 2011... Its continued dependence on the West as a source of investments and export markets makes Asean vulnerable to uncertainties in the developed world. ADVOCATES of Asia standing alone got another dent in their arguments when Standard and Poor's...

Making a real difference.
September 1, 2011... MyKasih Foundation is drawing in many corporations to join its cause in helping the poor and needy break the poverty cycle, thanks to its high level of transparency and accountability. MyKasih Foundation, fast establishing itself as a...

Yahoo!
September 1, 2011... Did you know that according to comScore, Yahoo! News is the top news site, Yahoo! Finance the top financial destination, and Yahoo! Mail the top email service provider in Malaysia? CUSTOMISED content - that is Yahoo! Malaysia's selling point,...

Gender watch.
September 1, 2011... Are women board-ready? ONE cannot blame professional women - accountants, lawyers, company secretaries and others - for dusting out their old CVs ever since the recent flurry of announcements that Malaysia intends to increase female...

Sales errors.
September 1, 2011... The 'Seven Deadly Sins' of sales management. I HAVE been part of many business turnarounds in my career, and in all situations, I have noted the errors consistently made by sales management, all of which negatively impact team morale and...

Adapting Universal Law breeds success.
September 1, 2011... The science of success management system for you and your business. THE journey to individual achievements of success involves plentiful sacrifices, perseverance, hard knocks, obstacles and a long list of challenges. In the eyes of others,...

Your bathroom and your ... retirement.
September 1, 2011... Just as shaving and bathing are more fun when water flows freely from our taps, sustaining a peaceful lifestyle in retirement is only possible with sound financial planning. How prepared are you? EACH time there's a water disruption at home,...

The big sales challenge.
September 1, 2011... This issue, we look at the right prospecting method to rope in new customers. 'WHAT'S your biggest sales challenge?' is my oft-posed question to my clients. 'Getting new customers' is the feedback that I usually get. Probing further, they...

The Gold Pyramid.
September 1, 2011... How to allocate your assets into gold and precious metals. I REALLY appreciate your feedback on my last three articles, which reviewed the precious metals markets. The question that many of you asked was: 'Is gold too high to buy?' From my...

Lady of Grace.
September 1, 2011... New Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is playing it safe by going with the 'listening to all stake-holders and taking every concern into account' policy statement. Will it work? YINGLUCK Shinawatra has yet to warm her prime ministerial...

Confronting ghosts of past.
September 1, 2011... As Bernice Chauly anxiously awaits the launch of her first novel, a 'fictive autobiography' called Growing Up With Ghosts, she tells Sharmila Valli Narayanan how her family used art as a way to cope with grief, why she became an artist and how...

Balancing life.
September 1, 2011... Life on the Wire: Avoid Burnot and Succed in Work and Life teaches readers how to harmonise the natural tension between working and living. TODD Duncan's Life on the Wire is an interesting self-help book. It's geared primarily towards...

The Lexus rules.
September 1, 2011... LEXUS: The relentless pursuit - Revised Edition shows how Toyota has prospered and bounced back from adversity with aplomb. MALAYSIANS took note of the Lexus brand when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was once seen emerging from one when arriving at...

Ambient media MOU with MBO cinemas.
September 1, 2011... Ambient Media, a subsidiary of People 'n Rich, has inked a deal with MCAT Box Office Sdn Bhd (better known as MBO Cinemas) and technology provider Eugenetek Corp Sdn Bhd. The tri-party memorandum of understanding would see Ambient Media...

Bon odori.
September 1, 2011... Some 35,000 visitors visited the 'Bon Odori' Dance Festival held in Shah Alam recently. This year's event, themed 'Arigato Malaysia', was specially dedicated to thank Malaysians for their generous support given in the recent earthquake and...

HeiTech Invests in Grand-Flo.
September 1, 2011... HeiTech Padu Bhd, a leading integrated information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, has invested its position in Grand- Flo Solution Bhd, a leading brand in Enterprise Data Collection and Collation System (EDCCS)...

Tokio marine life introduces cancer shield plus.
September 1, 2011... Tokio Marine Life Insurance Malaysia Bhd has introduced Cancer Shield Plus, a unique stand-alone insurance plan that is renewable up to the age of 75. This plan is specially designed to ease the financial burden of cancer patients, by offering...