MAY - JUNE 2014
Bi-monthly Magazine | Issue 22
by
Positioning Penang:
Asia’s Most Exciting Education Hub YB Prof Dr.P.Ramasamy
Penang Deputy Chief Minister II
MORE IN THIS ISSUE: ISSN 2232-0342
HIGHLIGHTS
Seeding Hull’s Winning DNA in Malaysia
THE CEO
THE CEO SEGMENT Win an Early Mover Advantage with B2B Marketing
SEGMENT
FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE BUSINESS SEGMENT NEW SEGMENT!
PP17103/19/2014 (030736) 2014 Issue 22/ 2014 May RM7.00 9772232034009
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by
STAYING AHEAD OF THE CURVE Dr Tay Yong Haur,
Associate Professor in the Faculty of Engineering and Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Malaysia.
WIN AN EARLY MOVER WITH B2B MARKETING ADVANTAGE Alvin Chee and Eddy Chai,
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the founders of Malaysia’s leading B2B multimediaonline marketing platform, www.viniits.com
www.alan-lim.com
FOCUS Getting rich begins with the right mindset, the right attitude and the right plan.
BILLIONAIRE ESPRESSO a recharge for entrepreneurs Available in all major bookstores. POPULAR | MPH | KINOKUNIYA | TIMES | BORDERS ISBN 978-967-5945-28-1
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EDITOR’S NOTE
EDITOR’S NOTE The latest QS World University Rankings 2013/14 reported a 17% increase in the number of Asian universities in the global top 200 during the last five years. It concluded, “As Western governments struggle to maintain funding levels, Asian institutions have rapidly increased their ability to attract the world’s best faculty and students.” What does this mean for Malaysia’s education players? As a growing number of Asian universities acquire reputations as world leaders, more and more mobile students will be seeking top-quality higher education within the region. Anyone who’s been observing the local scene can tell you that Malaysia’s higher education sector is now in overdrive. A lot of the action is happening in the Klang Valley, but other states are also capitalizing on this opportunity.
One of the most aggressive is Penang. It has every reason to be: the state’s accessibility, infrastructure and logistics creates a natural demand for skilled human resources. In this issue, MBE goes one on one with Penang Deputy Chief Minister II, Prof Dr Ramasamy Palanisamy’s to get his insights on why Penang has a realistic chance to be Asia’s most exciting educational hub. One of Penang’s most talkedabout education efforts is the designation of Batu Kawan as an education hub, and for good reason. It will house renowned institutions of higher learning including The Ship Campus, a landmark model of entrepreneurship and academia working in symbiosis that integrates teaching facilities within a real-world working environment. The collaboration between PKT Logistics Group and Hull University, The Ship is the materialization of a lifelong dream of PKT CEO and Hull alumnus Dato’ Michael Tio.
We get the deets on the recent Executive Study Tour of his alma mater, which he personally conducted to give 21 high-level Malaysian business leaders “a taste of Hull”. In an enlightening chat with Dr Tay Yong Haur, Head of Programme for Master of Information Systems for Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, he explains why the study of Information Systems is one of the most eagerly sought-after postgraduate courses in Malaysia, and not just for geeks and boffins. In our CEO segment, Alvin Chee and Eddy Chai, the founders of www.viniits.com, Malaysia’s first B2B online marketing site, tell us why it’s important for companies – even those with small budgets - to get into the online marketing game. We’ve got an exciting read – enjoy!
Alexandra Wong
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CONTENT
COVER STORY 08
Asia’s Most Exciting Education Hub YB Prof Dr.P.Ramasamy Penang Deputy Chief Minister II
Event
Featured
Staying Ahead of the Curve
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Dr Tay Yong Haur
The Best of Australian MBAs now in Sunway Dr Hendry Ng Head of VUMBA programme, Sunway College KL.
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Associate Professor in the Faculty of Engineering and Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Malaysia.
Now every child can write
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CONTENT
HIGHLIGHTS
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Seeding Hull’s winning DNA in Malaysia Mohd Rizal Jailan, Managing Director of INOKOM
THE CEO SEGMENT Win An Early Mover With B2B Marketing Advantage
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Alvin Chee and Eddy Chai, the founders of Malaysia’s leading B2B multimedia-online marketing platform, www.viniits.com
Interview Jenny Chen
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Tan Chung Heng
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Sher-Min, Ng
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Lee Kok Sheng
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Chan Kailin
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Elma Dareen Athanase 18 Boon Khing Chung
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Asia’s Most Exciting Education Hub YB Prof Dr.P.Ramasamy
Penang Deputy Chief Minister II
T
he Penang Deputy Chief Minister II’s office on the 52nd floor of the Komtar building in Georgetown was probably the last place Prof Dr Ramasamy Palanisamy saw himself in six years ago. But as fate would have it, the academician and political scientist with a passion for social issues, found himself catapulted to a position where
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he could put his academic ideas into action. He set up base in Penang to serve the people in that state after winning the Batu Kawan parliamentary and Perai state seats in the 2008 general elections. Ramasamy who is also executive councillor in charge of Penang’s economic planning, education, human resource, technology and innovation portfolios, took some time off from his backto-back schedule to speak to Postgraduate Studies about
his academic journey, and the state’s long term plans to develop itself as an education hub in the region. He speaks about Penang’s endeavor to push its human resources from the middle-income trap, up into the high-income sector, and the state’s plans to position itself as an attractive base for local and foreign investors in the region by providing the necessary ingredients, especially a highly skilled workforce.
COVER STORY
Q1
What got you interested in political science, labor and social issues?
From my days in universities I have been quite left-inclined. I had the passion to take up issues and problems of the underdogs—workers, peasants and those members of the marginalized communities, both here in Malaysia and abroad. Besides lecturing at UKM, I was also engaged in taking up the cause of urban and plantation workers. Since coming into politics my political orientation has not changed, I am still very much involved in taking up and resolving the myriad problems of ordinary people in Penang, be they workers or members of the marginalized ethnic communities.
Q2
Are the realities different as an academician and as a politician?
Being in the academia was more a laidback position; you lectured, wrote articles and books and gave your opinions quite freely. Whether these made the necessary impact or not I am not sure. But in politics and more so in the government, what you say and what you do are taken seriously by society. Penang has limited funds to undertake major projects and we have to depend on federal funds. However, Penang being managed by an opposition coalition, federal funds are
hard to come by. So, state expenditure in the state is dependent on quit rent and assessments on properties. However, despite our limited funds and restricted powers, we cannot give excuses. We must try hard to implement policies to make a difference to people’s lives. Sometimes people really don’t understand why certain projects cannot be undertaken and the real nature of the problem, but then we cannot give excuses all the time.
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Q3
On the topic of income Penang has been promoting itself as an education hub in the region. What does Penang have to offer institutions that plan to set up base here?
Since we took over Penang in 2008, we have been trying our best to render Penang as a regional hub for universities and colleges. To date, a number of institutions of higher learning have expressed interest in coming to Penang to set up branches. Asian Women’s University and University of Hull have expressed interest in coming to Penang. Of course, there are many more of these institutions interested in locating in Penang. While we sell land to these institutions who are interested, licenses for operation must come from the federal government. Right now, the education sector is still very much Klang Valley based. We hope more universities and colleges will make Penang their destination. However, for Penang to attract institutions of higher
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learning there must be dynamic economic activities centered in Penang. In the final analysis, Penang with its newly renovated airport, rail links to Kuala Lumpur and a seaport has much to offer to those interested in investing in education. Some of the plus points for investors are: skilled human resources, logistical support, infrastructure, street food, reasonable hotels and other amenities.
COVER STORY
Q4
Is there a blueprint for the development of education in Penang?
There is no specific blueprint, but the state has designated certain areas as educational hubs particularly in the Balik Pulau and Batu Kawan areas. We are looking into the possibility of providing skills training for students those who have completed their secondary school education. Skills requirement is of topmost importance in Penang; many companies are coming into Penang demanding the availability of skilled workforce.
They want to know how many engineers we have and whether the workforce is proficient in English. From the 1970s and onwards, Penang has been largely associated with the Electrical and Electronic industry; but now we want to bring investors keen on valueadded industries, services, and research and development industries. Penang cannot be trapped in the middle-income for too long; it has to break out of this straightjacket and go for higher salaries. For salaries to go up, we need high value-added industries based on skill workers, technicians and engineers and not cheap labor.
Benson Wong (Founder of MBA EdgeŽ Postgraduate Studies magazine) YB Prof Dr.P.Ramasamy (Penang Deputy Chief Minister II) with Y. Bhg. Dato’ Suppiah Manikam
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COVER STORY
Q5
You have an illustrious record in academia, a string of fellowships, and are often called to speak overseas. What would your advice be to students who want to aim high in terms of academic achievements?
I always had the passion to learn and overcome the odds. I don’t just give up because of failures. I have emerged from a series of failures in my life. Failures and obstacles have been my stepping stones. I was never a superb student, but what differentiated me from my smarter students was my power to sustain and propel on. I had the passion for survival and taking risks. Not doing well should not bog you down. One moment you are down, but the next moment you should jump up and say-“I will fight it, I will go beyond this.�
Academic qualifications are important in starting your life but they do not determine and regulate your life totally. Life is more than getting a string of As. It is about how you interact with your fellow human beings, the
importance of lifelong learning, acquiring wisdom, moving away from racism and bigotry and above all to embrace and cherish diversity and dissent.
We have been planning to make Penang a hub for world universities and colleges.
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COVER STORY
Q6
What book would you recommend to future leaders?
There are so many books that I have read and enjoyed over the years. One book that emotionally affected me was Dee Brown’s “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee”. I read this book when I was about 27 years old and it certainly stood out as a classic one among the many other books that I have read. The story is about the plight of Native Americans and how they were bullied, pushed aside and killed by the whites.
Q7
Who are some of the leaders you admire?
There are many leaders that I look up to. And they all regarded as “subversive” figures in history (laughs). To name a few—Karl Marx, (Vladimir) Lenin, Antonio Gramsci, Mao Zedong, Ho Chi Minh, Nelson Mandela, Periyar Ramasamy who was a social reformer of the Tamils, Velupillai Prabhakaran (the late founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam). These are a few in my top list, leaders who fought for social, economic and political justice. Today many university students might not know about them. That is why it is important to cultivate good reading habits particularly on history.
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COVER STORY
One moment you are down, next moment you should jump up and say - “I will fight it, I will go beyond this.” YB Prof Dr.P.Ramasamy Penang Deputy Chief Minister II
INTERVIEW
STUDENT INTERVIEW Jenny Chen University:
Why made you want to study an MBA?
Victoria University MBA (VUMBA) at Sunway; BA Hons Business Administration from University of Hertfordshire
For personal satisfaction. I admit the journey is not easy at all - having to juggle between work and studies. But on the brighter side, MBA is a lifetime appreciation asset. At the end of the day, it is the best decision one can make.
Occupation:
What inspires you?
Business Building Manager, Business Division for Malaysia Debt Ventures Berhad
Brief Job Description: I work for Malaysia Debt Ventures Berhad, a wholly owned company under MOF providing contract/project financing facilities to early and growth stage companies under Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Greentech and Biotechnology sector in Malaysia. I am responsible to undertake sales & marketing activities to develop and generate prospect pipelines and sales; and initial assessment and structuring of financing proposals/applications.
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My father did not come from a well-to-do family, but he studied hard and got himself a full scholarship to further his studies. He was a qualified engineer with TNB but had since retired after 36 years of service. I hope one day I will walk in his footsteps and make him proud.
Favourite Quote Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don’t recognize them. – Ann Landers
INTERVIEW
STUDENT INTERVIEW Sher-Min, Ng Why made you want to study an MBA?
University:
Besides enhancing my career, I took up VUMBA course to satisfy my thirst for more knowledge. It is one of the ways to keep myself up-to-date and to be differentiated from my fellow colleagues during a career promotion. Moreover, current roles require me to equip myself with relevant management and analytical skills for making sound decisions. To me, VUMBA is attractive with its global recognition, quality of teaching, fully-equipped facilities and the well-established professional networking through VUMBA Club.
Victoria University MBA (VUMBA) at Sunway College
What inspires you?
Professional Financial Analyst in the Finance & Planning
Satisfaction inspires me! As the saying goes, “A man’s potential for growth is limitless.” In the past, I have been taking up trainings and courses which benefit both my personal and career development. At work, the feeling of successfully completing one task and moving on to the next is very exciting for me – the so-called “satisfaction”. I am passionate about my work and studies, and truly enjoy working towards my dream of becoming a successful CFO in the near future.
Favourite Quote “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts”- Winston Churchill
Past University: CAT-ACCA Accounting Programme at Sunway College, BSc in Applied Accounting (ACCA supported degree) at Sunway College
Occupation:
Brief Job Description: I am responsible for the end-toend budgeting, forecasting and reporting of Financial Performances; at the same time, I act in a advisory capacity in managing decisionmaking processes to provide investment decisions and to resolve performance gaps. Furthermore, the position requires me to work very closely with the CFOs, Financial Controllers and Business Executives of different businesses across company’s Asia Pacific Region. 17
INTERVIEW
STUDENT INTERVIEW Elma Dareen Athanase University:
What made you want to study an MBA?
Victoria University MBA (VUMBA) at Sunway; Keele University at KDU College (Twinning programme) – Degree in Business Management and Marketing.
I often found myself handling demanding tasks that I felt would be much better handled if I were to increase my knowledge in certain aspects and develop myself more as an academic. There comes a time when you feel that you require a higher ability and you feel you are ready to take on such a challenge. That is why I chose to do my MBA - to get to where I want to be.
Occupation:
What inspires you?
Compliance Program and Policy Analyst at the Seychelles Revenue Commission.
Brief Job Description: I develop and monitor compliance strategies and programs to be adopted by the internal divisions such as the Audit Unit and the Collection Enforcement Unit. I also analyse trends in tax revenue collection and develop strategies to improve collection.
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First of all, it comes from my family who are all strong believers of pursuing higher education and they understand the need as well as the benefits of such. Seeing my parents go after what they want has taught me that I can do the same. Secondly, throughout my degree course and my working life I have met several individuals who were experts in their fields.
Favourite Quote: “Pursuing an opportunity is never easy; failure at some point or in some respect is an inevitable part of the process.”
The Best of Australian MBAs now in Sunway In the recent MBA Rankings by the International Graduate Forum (IGF) as reported in CEO Magazine, Victoria University MBA was 1st in the Australian MBA rankings, and 6th in global top 20 MBA rankings (International Graduate Forum). The MBA Rankings were based on key performance indicators (KPIs) considered to be of interest and value to potential students. These included faculty
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with business background (14%), faculty with PhDs (12%), faculty to student ratio (12%), student work experience (12%), class size (10%), international diversity (10%), study abroad options (8%), male to female ratio (4%); accreditation (8%); price (6%); and range of programs (4%). Apart from the verdict on the capabilities of the business schools concerned to capture
customer reference and loyalty, the rankings highlighted the brand equity building by business schools. At least, the rankings support the notion that there are values or capitals produced by MBA education. The values of an MBA education may be based on the Bourdieusian perspective of values or capitals produced by education systems. These
FEATURED
The Best of Australian MBAs now in Sunway
include intellectual, social and symbolic values or capitals. Intellectual capital involves the knowledge and skills of managing contemporary organizations. Social capital involves the social contacts amongst fellow MBA students and alumni as business partners, suppliers, customers, and other valuable relationships. The symbolic capital of an MBA qualification serves as a credential to improve one’s employability. The Bourdieusian perspective has added social and symbolic capitals to the conventional learning perspective that focuses only on knowledge. The values of MBA education are derived from the system of exchange involving knowledge, social contacts and the employability. However, it takes a certain
habitus to facilitate the desirable value production. Habitus is described as the durable dispositions of sensing, perceiving, thinking, and acting inculcated through learning and socialization (Vaara & Fay 2011; Wacquant 2011). Sunway College is actively inculcating the MBA habitus to
produce the values expounded by Bourdieu. This involves implementing a workplace integrated approach to teaching & learning, instilling the openness in students to mesh with a diversified professional and social network, and sustaining the MBA program as a highly regarded MBA program. The inculcation of MBA habitus for value creation requires an ecosystem of inter-dependent academic and non-academic parts (supporting value creation activities of student life, sports, and community activities), for the academic activities may fail without the non-academic supplementary services. Student experiences are the driving force for value creation (Pinar, 2011). Also, this ecosystem includes other stakeholders such as
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FEATURED employers, alumni, and donors who have direct and/or indirect contacts with the students. The MBA habitus is valuegenerative with endless improvisations. This echoes the marketing framework of Kotler and Keller (2012) that customer value is created and renewed
through the interaction between relevant actors (customers, companies, and collaborators) and value-based activities (value exploration, value creation, and value delivery). Similarly, it agrees with Porter (1985) that the activities of a business contribute to its tasks of designing, producing, delivering, communicating, and supporting its products to create value.
In summary, the values or capitals of MBA education are not just intellectual, but also social and symbolic. It is no longer sufficient to earn brownie points through mere basic facilities and resources such as classrooms, lecturers and libraries. The success of an MBA program is dependent on the value-creating MBA habitus inculcated by a robust ecosystem that focuses on student experiences. For more information about Victoria University MBA, contact Dr Hendry Ng (hendryng@sunway.edu.my).
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Staying Ahead of the Curve
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iven its leading role in the globalization of business, the study of Information Systems is one of the most eagerly sought-after postgraduate courses, and not just for geeks and boffins. In UTAR, the Master of Information Systems, which equips students with the practical, theoretical and management skills to manage information systems, is second in popularity only to the MBA. MBA Edge Postgraduate speaks to Dr Tay Yong Haur, Head of Programme for Master of Information Systems for Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman.
Bio Dr Tay Yong Haur obtained his Bachelor of Computer Science and Master of Engineering (Electrical) from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, and PhD from Écolepolytechnique de l’université de Nantes, France. He is presently an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Engineering and Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Malaysia. He is also the Head of Programme for Master of Information
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Systems and the Chairperson for Centre for Computing and Intelligent Systems (CCIS), UTAR. Dr Tay has been actively involved in universityindustry collaborations and consultancies that involve the application of machine learning, pattern recognition and computer vision techniques. He serves as a technical consultant to several international and local companies, in commercialization of these technologies.
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Q1
How did you get into the IT field?
After receiving a personal computer from my father, I did a lot of hobby programming. I learned how to do programming as early as 14 years old. While pursuing my degree in Computer Science, I also enjoyed doing my studies. I was doing hardcore programming and dealing with networking – no encounter with artificial intelligence (AI) yet. Then in my final year, Apple launched a personal assistant system called Newton. This is way before Palm Pilot and i-Phone. The laptop computers were not even popular yet then. The Newton was like a small brick that was packed with advanced technology and could do a lot of things including handwriting recognition.
Q2
To humans, it is very easy to recognize handwriting. For a computer to do that, however, was really ahead of the curve and it just blew my mind! How do I programme a computer to recognize a face? To tell a dog from a cat? To recognize ABC? Thus my curiosity was triggered to start my journey in artificial intelligence.
What did you do to pursue your passion in AI? I believe at that time, it was not a major area of study yet.
I did my masters in the area of AI. As my interest developed further, I joined a lab in West Coast of France and did my PhD from École polytechnique de l’université de Nantes. Call it fate. The lab spun off a company that was led by Dr Stefan Knerr, a leading industry expert in handwriting recognition. He
brought along a few of his PhD students including me. On a rented property next to the lab, this small team developed a handwriting recognition software from scratch, from mathematics theory to programming code. It was the most advanced handwriting recognition
software using innovative recognition technology for its time. Today, the company is the leading handwriting recognition provider, and its handwriting recognizer is widely used in today’s smart phones and other pen-based devices. After I joined UTAR as an academic, I continued to serve them as a technical consultant. 25
Q3
What prompted the jump from industry to academia?
In fact I’m working actively in academia as well as the industry. The biggest challenge in IT, as you know, is a shortage of talent. That’s why in Malaysia, we have a lot of high-tech companies but they can’t grow faster or bigger because they are hamstrung by the talent issue. Especially startup companies because they need people who have broad and deep knowledge in order to solve a problem. Being in academia puts me in close contact with many students. I can draw from this deep pool of talents to groom them. As an academic with close connections to the industry, I hope to be the bridge.
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Right now, I’m serving as a consultant with several technology companies. One of the companies that I worked with began as a two-man company and after six years, they have 200 staff. I am very proud that I went through the journey with them and we still maintain very close ties . I love what I do because I have the best of both worlds; I use my academic and research experience to help solve industry problems; and I then embed the experience from the industry into my teaching to share with my students. I still stay in academia because I enjoy being able to
disseminate my knowledge and educate the students to develop their potential. With social media, I have a direct and convenient channel to keep in touch with my students. I maintain a blog as it is a channel for me to keep in touch with current and former students so that we have a common platform to talk. They know what I do and what the current research trends are. My involvement in their lives doesn’t end after studies. I still keep in touch with my first graduates in 2005!
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Q4
What is the value of obtaining an MIS?
The Master of Information Systems (MIS) is growing in popularity because a lot of big corporations are sourcing for MIS graduates and their expertise. Having a postgraduate qualification will give you an advantage in managing software projects rather than being limited to just a developer. In short, the MIS helps in career development.
The biggest challenge in IT, as you know, is a shortage of talent.
When you’re a developer, you are only focused on the technical things. It is fine when you’re an individual contributor, but when you have a few people working together, then your key challenge is to figure out how to materialize the project within a certain time frame and that requires a leader with the skill
sets to execute them and the management knowledge to pull all these elements together. The UTAR Master of Information Systems provides the practical, theoretical and management skills in information systems to do this.
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FEATURED
Q5
What is the focus of the curriculum?
The curriculum looks at contemporary principles and theories of computing together with the practical application of information technology to provide the relevant knowledge and confidence to strategically manage information systems as organisational resources by effectively analysing problems and making critical decisions. It equips candidates with advanced knowledge and skills
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in analysis, design, deployment and management of information systems. With the knowledge and skills obtained, candidates will be able to devise and plan, control and execute a substantial information systems management project. Throughout the programme, candidates are encouraged to participate in enhancement courses such as seminars, talks, workshops and conferences, and organised lecture series.
Q6
Who should enrol?
The Master of Information Systems is ideal for candidates who wish to succeed in a wide variety of technical, managerial, teaching or research careers that involves the use of information technology in business environments.
FEATURED
Q7
What do you teach?
Personally, I teach research methodology.
Q8
From conversations with other academics, one gets the impression that research methodology is always a challenge for postgraduate students. Why?
It’s true, especially for students who are new to the subject. Initially students will be taken aback with the demands of the subject. However, once they find a research topic that interests them, the learning process will be much easier. Conducting research projects can be quite tedious and demanding and students need to be very involved in it to enjoy the studying and the work.
Students should look for something that interests them to make learning more fun. Using my experience as an example, I chose to pursue handwriting recognition because the subject fascinated me. How do I make a computer behave so that it can recognize handwriting? Why is it so easy for humans to do but not for computers? I was passionate about it so I didn’t
mind spending countless hours looking for the right method to get the answers. Ultimately, it boils down to your curiosity about the subject and your passion for getting answers to a whole lot of questions.
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FEATURED
Q9
How do you design a syllabus for a constantly evolving industry where things can go obsolete in the blink of an eye?
We update our course structure regularly to make sure the contents are up to date in terms of practical knowledge. Practical knowledge is evolving so we have to adapt and update but the fundamentals and theories are the same. UTAR encourages us to be involved in the industry and to obtain feedback on changing industry requirements. For example, my involvement
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as a consultant allows me to work in a team with the programmers and manager to understand their constraints and challenges, and we take this feedback to our faculty for curriculum development and revision. UTAR also has a panel of industry advisors to give us regular feedback and input for continuous improvements. This collaboration happens at all levels from lecturers to students.
As a matter of fact, many of our postgraduate students are from the industry. They bring with them their unsolved problems from work and through our projects and discussions about the subject, a solution is provided. We try to create a winwin situation for them. They can learn and earn a degree, and at the same time, take something back to their company that can help them in their work place.
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Q10
The last few decades have seen a lot of IT developments that changed the world: the internet, Google, social media. What’s the next big thing, in your opinion?
I would say that the next big phenomenon is AI. Based on one statistics, more than 70% of Silicon Valley companies are using some form of AI. Google, Facebook, IBM, and Yahoo are all big companies that are either hiring a lot of AI experts or engaging companies that do AI.
Q11
Can you choose to do an AI-related project for the MIS course?
Yes. The MIS programme allows students who may be interested in AI to study its applications and how to make use of it from a business standpoint.
Q12
Don’t think AI is only about creating a robot! There are a lot of applications for AI but we don’t realize that it is AI.
Who are the IT role models that you admire?
YannLeCun, a computer science researcher with vast contributions in machine learning, computer vision and robotics. He now heads the AI division of Facebook. I also admire Elon Musk, the cofounder of Paypal, Tesla Motor and SpaceX, and an
engineer and entrepreneur who builds and operates companies to solve environmental, social and economic challenges. What I admire is their passion, perseverance and endurance in carrying out their work in order to reach the successes of today’s progress.
For example, before you take a photo with your digital camera, a rectangle appears to focus on your subject. That is AI. In FB, a few years ago, you need to drag the face of your friend to tag them. Today, there’s automatic face recognition. Image-based searching in Google such as searching for similar sunset images is also a form of AI. In the very near future, you will see these AI techniques being deployed inside your watch, your glasses, your car, and many more.
Q13
What is your philosophy as an academician?
As academics, we are here to inspire our students, motivate them, and give them directions in life. Ultimately, how far our students can go depends on their passion, perseverance and endurance to reach their goals.
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INTERVIEW
STUDENT INTERVIEW Boon Khing Chung University:
What made you want to study an MBA?
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR)
While enrolled in an MBA program, you will study leadership, business, and management philosophies that can be applied to almost any leadership role.
Occupation: Customer Service Executive, Hong Leong Bank
Brief Job Description: • Identify and develop sources of potential clients • Customer Contact • Effectively communicate with clients to gain commitment to purchase and products • Develop and maintain relationships which benefit client • Overcome client resistance/objections to products
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What inspires you? I am looking forward to experiencing a new vision for MBA education. With this, I am able to access to a rigorous knowledge base and flexible options to pursue my goals. I hope I will find a community that believes in thoughtful leadership and make an impact in the world.
Favourite Quote: “The winners in life think constantly of I can, I will, I am’.”
INTERVIEW
STUDENT INTERVIEW Tan Chung Heng What do you consider the best take away value from your postgraduate programme? Strong commitment and continuous learning. “The mind of the discerning acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks it.” -Proverbs 18:15
What is your advice to prospective postgraduate students to prepare them for this programme? We should be committed to continuous learning. We should seek it as a top priority, not as an afterthought.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? To be a successful software engineer and to fully utilize the knowledge and skills into my work expertise.
What is your motto in life? “Learn and take action”. Knowledge without application is useless.
University: Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Master of Information Systems
Occupation: Executive Software Engineer, Tokio Marine Insurans (M) Berhad
Brief Job Description: • Determine operational feasibility by evaluating analysis, problem definition, requirements, solution development, and proposed solutions. • Document and demonstrate solutions by developing documentation, flowcharts, layouts, diagrams, charts, code comments and clear code. • Prepare and install solutions by determining and designing system specifications, standards, and programming. • Improve operations by conducting systems analysis; recommending changes in policies and procedures. 35
INTERVIEW
STUDENT INTERVIEW Lee Kok Sheng University: Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Master of Project Management.
Occupation: Sales Executive
Brief Job Description: • Generating in-home roofing and metal sales opportunities. • Building trust and educating customers. • Identifying customer needs and wants. • Effectively evaluating, measuring and specifying home improvement project options. • Building effective proposals and utilizing a consultative selling approach. • Servicing customers at the Champion showroom and home and garden shows on an occasional basis.
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What do you consider the best take away value from your postgraduate programme? The knowledge, understanding and skills can be applied to a range of environments that bring together resources, skills, technology and ideas to realise benefits or achieve objectives, operating within the multiple project constraints of cost, scope, time and quality requirements.
What is your advice to prospective postgraduate students to prepare them for this programme? The life-learning process should continue, so that students have the chance to improve the knowledge they have accumulated so far.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? To be a successful entrepreneur that is uniquely positioned to influence and empower my team to greater levels of success.
What is your motto in life? “We must be knowledgeable to everything because we are living in a competitive world.”
INTERVIEW
STUDENT INTERVIEW Chan Kailin What made you want to study an MBA?
University:
At the beginning, when I knew little about MBA (Corporate Governance), I was attracted by the Secretaryship skill which was also one of the Corporate Governance subjects. Later, when I had gone through some other subjects, I found that this course provides a good pathway and stepping stone towards the practical environment through research and assignment. Moreover, being a bit kiasu, the reason which indirectly inspired me to pursue my studies is because UTAR provides staff discount for pursuing UTAR courses.
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR)
What inspires you?
• • • •
Other than experience, knowledge is the next thing that makes you stand out from others.
Favourite Quote: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” - Albert Einstein
Occupation: Assistant Manager, Division of Community and International Networking
Brief Job Description: Secretary for division meeting Taking charge of filing system Arrangement in receiving University guests Data base maintenance
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Seeding Hull’s winning DNA in Malaysia W
hen PKT Logistics Group Sdn Bhd CEO Dato’ Michael Tio visited his alma mater University of Hull last April, it was no ordinary walk down memory lane.
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HIGHLIGHTS
Yes, he revisited the same lecture halls where he earned his degree in accounting. He took tons of photos at the scenic parks where he used to do group discussions. And of course, he couldn’t leave without at least one meal of his favourite student-day indulgence - Whitby’s fish and chips.
But this round, Tio – who’s also the President of University of Hull Alumni, Malaysia - had a special mission: he was hosting an executive study tour of Hull that introduced young Malaysian entrepreneurs to the university and its prestigious business school, as well as reunite him with other alumni.
When universities get it right, they produce graduates who are not only successful in their chosen path, but remain deeply connected to their alma mater. If alumni loyalty is a measure of school satisfaction, graduates of Hull University must be ecstatic about their experience.
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HIGHLIGHTS
Tio is just one of many alumni who chose to give back to their alma mater in a big way. Poet Philip Larkin was so attached to the University that he served there as a librarian for 30 years. Anthony Minghella, who lectured there for seven years before winning an Oscar for directing The English Patient, often credited his days at the University’s drama department as the reason for his success. Egyptian-born millionaire Assem Allam donated 1.5 million pounds to
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HIGHLIGHTS
If alumni loyalty is a measure of school satisfaction, graduates of Hull University must be ecstatic about their experience. the University in order for them to develop their bio-sciences department. Dato’ Michael Tio’s tribute to Hull will be a hard act to beat - he is building a university in Malaysia inspired by his alma mater. Though a logistics guy by pedigree - Tio inherited the business from his father Datuk Tio Sook Keo – it was always his dream to be involved in education. When time came to make his move, Tio naturally wanted to tap on his alma mater’s winning DNA. Last year, PKT signed a Memorandum of Intent with University of Hull. Work is currently underway to build a franchised main branch campus on a two-acre land in Batu Kawan allocated by the State Government of Penang. The RM130 million campus will be designed like a ship to mirror PKT’s shipping bloodline. Expected to house 5000 students, the RM130 million will have four blocks of student
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HIGHLIGHTS
The RM130 million campus will be designed like a ship to mirror PKT’s shipping bloodline.
accommodation named after their Hull siblings Thwaite Hall, Needler Hall, The Lawns and Taylor Court. Students will be living in these accommodations managed the same way as in UK. By a happy coincidence, Hull is also the part of a ship. Beyond its bold architectural vision, the true genius of the project lies in integrating teaching facilities within a realworld working environment. The campus will constitute part of One Auto Hub, a site that encompasses automotive logistics facilities, a warehouse, a lighthouse hotel, pavilion, jetty and a mangrove walk as well, making the Ship Campus a rare model of entrepreneurship and
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academia working in symbiosis. “If doctors can be taught in a hospital environment, why not the future logisticians in a logistics hub?” Tio says. Coupled with the Lighthouse Campus in Shah Alam, it’s Tio’s mission to raise the level of Malaysian higher education. If all things go as planned, the Ship Campus should be operational in 2017, the same year that Hull will begin its reign as the City of Culture. With more than 1,500 events and 25 festivals lined up, “this is a great time to be in Hull,” Tio enthuses. His experiences taught him that education is also about engagement with your
environment and people. “Of course the fundamentals of good education must be there, and that’s why Hull has an enviable 95% graduate employability. But when you spend so much of your time in a place, an enriching lifestyle is equally important.” Hull is a campus university, something that is not common among UK universities at that time, explains Tio. “The Hull campus was a self-contained universe with recreational facilities and student accommodation just minutes from the heart of the action. The students, the lecturers and the staff formed my own personal support system. Can
HIGHLIGHTS
you believe that my parents stayed in touch with my original recruiter throughout my student days to make sure I was on track?” Tio’s formative experiences have influenced the way he runs his company. Dubbed a “modern CEO” among the business community, Tio goes out of his way to foster a close-knit staff. A keen believer in the power of social media, he uses Facebook to keep in touch with his staff and “adopted staff” - anyone who likes his company’s Fb page; a large screen highdefinition screen in his office enables him to track updates. His out-of-the-box thinking
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HIGHLIGHTS
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Datuk Wira Jalilah Baba
Dato’ Michael Tio
Dato’ Redza Rafiq
Augustine Lee
Danny Hui
James Lai
Eric Lee
Siti Norida
Ayman Izzaz
Benson
C.C Ngei
Shirlyn Lim
HIGHLIGHTS
Dr Thamas Ponraj
Edmund Edward
Dato’ Billy Goh
Christopher Wong
Kenny Lee
Chor Seng Yang
is stamped on PKT Logistic’s creative amenities, from an American-idol style competition to encourage gym uptake, to a recreational lounge with an Honesty Corner for snacks – you pay for what you take and if the collection is short for the month, the result is made public. To Tio, having a happy, engaged workforce equates productive talents, in the same way that Hull’s education system created lifelong ambassadors amongst its students. The tour – which Tio hopes to make an annual event - ended in a room filled with young, eager undergraduates all listening intently to the story of how he went from a used car salesman to one of the youngest CEOs of a RM1billion company. “It was surreal. I used to be them! But on that night, I was the graduate that had made it in the industry and they wanted my words of wisdom. When some of them continued to follow me on Facebook that same night, I couldn’t help but feel that I had, in my small way, left a mark.” “My experiences in Hull changed my life,” he says. “What better way to honour the place I used to call home than to give something back?”
Whitney Lau
Prof. Zulkifli
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EVENT
Now every child can write At this particular event founded by Benson Wong and his friends, we brought pencils and joy to 10 Tamil schools in northern Malaysia. This program was under the patronage of the Governor of Penang State. We were honoured to have Deputy Chief Minister II, Prof. Dr. Ramasamy give away 15,000 pencils to the PIBG Chairman of the schools, which was witnessed by Dato’ Suppiah Manikam, the Honorary Consulate of Poland.
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THE CEO SEGMENT
FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE BUSINESS SEGMENT
CREATIVE | ENTREPRENEURIAL | OUTSTANDING
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THE CEO SEGMENT
WIN AN EARLY MOVER ADVANTAGE
WITH B2B MARKETING
O
nline marketing is transforming the way companies win sales, especially small businesses with limited marketing budgets. Alvin Chee and Eddy Chai, the founders of Malaysia’s leading B2B multimedia-online marketing platform, www.viniits.com, tell us why.
Alvin Chee
Eddy Chai
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THE CEO SEGMENT
Q1
How did the idea of Viniits come about?
It really came about quite serendipitously. I’m running an IT solutions company. Through the years, they ask me if I have contacts for other services. None of which are in my coverage, but I am able to make an introduction because of my business network. Then last October, I was talking to a couple of friends - all entrepreneurs - and the subject of pooling
our experience and resources together came up. Within our network, we know a lot of specialists in photography, web design, building data centre, etc. So we thought, why not create a partnership with local merchants that enables them to attract and retain new customers through online marketing? That is the core idea of Viniits. Since we already have the resources and expertise, it would be a shame if we don’t maximise them.
Q2
The internet has changed the business landscape. But how receptive are Malaysian businesses to the idea of online marketing?
A lot of businesses are beginning to see the benefit of online marketing. First, there is the viral aspect of having people post your deals on Facebook or Twitter. Numerous deal aggregator sites also extend the PR buzz for days. That said, Malaysian companies have been slower to embrace it. They know who their customers are, and they rely on longstanding traditional channels to reach them. The way I see it, if you’re sticking to tried and tested methods only, you’re missing an opportunity. If your competitors are not yet running sophisticated online campaigns, this is your chance to gain an early-mover advantage.
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THE CEO SEGMENT
Q3
There are lots of online marketing businesses, from Groupon to Alibaba, to name just a few. How is Viniits’ business model similar to, and different from, your competitors?
It’s interesting that you named them because our concept is based on the strengths of Ali Baba, LinkedIn and Groupon. Most of the online marketing companies out there are B2C. We are B2B, meaning our target market is other businesses, not the end consumers. However, we realized that if we offer something similar to Ali Baba, we are competing with the giants. We have to be special to capture the market. Let me explain how Viniits works. The tool allows merchants to construct a website at their own pace. With an online template, you can build a customized website for your business quickly and easily. Secondly, you have a page for special deals. The discount will depend on the supplier. But basically through our website, you can get a better price than going directly to the supplier.
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Our secret weapon is our marketing tool. We grab the information you provide and use social media marketing to blast your promotion to both your contacts and our database. By integrating merchants and your offers into social media promotions using Facebook, Twitter and other emerging platforms, you can expand your online reach and grow your customer base. By leveraging on our resources for a very reasonable fee, you can achieve truly viral marketing.
Everybody wins. For vendors, the platform is a tool to market themselves while offering deals to attract new customers. For buyers, the platform eliminates the time-consuming legwork of searching for, comparing and negotiating deals. We bring you deeply discounted deals on the smartest, most efficient new services for your business. Finally, the referrer gets commission through the transaction.
If your competitors are not yet running sophisticated online campaigns, this is your chance to gain an early-mover advantage.
Q4
Are there different levels of membership?
Yes, because we believe that different businesses at different levels have different requirements. A basic survival tenet for businesses is that they must constantly evolve. For now, depending on the package, you may start from the basic level inclusive of a personalized webpage with a services and advertising section. The next level is bundled with media marketing services e.g. we interview the company director, take their photograph and design a webpage for the client. We also feature that company in our magazine, which is circulated in selected F&B outlets. We will be adding more benefits over time. It’s really compelling value. At some of our rates, you won’t be able to get even an advertisement in a national newspaper!
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THE CEO SEGMENT
Q5
Who is your ideal customer?
Really, any company that offers services can benefit from Viniits. But if you are a new company that has never done any marketing, Viniits is tailormade for you because we have combined sales and marketing into a one-stop platform that puts you on the global map.
Q6
What are the services being offered in your roster now?
IT companies, web design companies, corporate identity companies, publishing, photography, uniforms and tailor, car workshop, beauty ‌ and lots more in the pipeline!
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We believe that different businesses at different levels have different requirements. A basic survival tenet for businesses is that they must constantly evolve.
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THE CEO SEGMENT
Q7
Which sector is getting the most hits?
Web design. While there is a lot of free software out there, ultimately corporations have more complex requirements that free software cannot cope with. But it is very competitive. This is where the referral programme comes in. We have found that with referrals, the chance of sealing a deal is higher. When you refer a supplier, and the transaction is successful, you also get a commission. We are also creating an opportunity for the referrer to make extra income.
Q8
Viniits is a new player among giants. Are you confident of success?
Absolutely! Viniits is an easy to use, cost effective and practically risk-free way for merchants to tap into online marketing. We will be fine-tuning our offerings too to provide better value to the merchants. Right now, we’re working on incorporating augmented reality into our offering. This is truly one exciting app that has to be seen to be appreciated! As self-made entrepreneurs ourselves, we understand the challenges associated with running a small business. Our goal is to empower other entrepreneurs to take advantage of the amazing tools available today. I believe great things can be achieved with aligned minds.
Find out how you can win the online marketing race at www.viniits.com
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For vendors, the platform is a tool to market themselves while offering deals to attract new customers.
THE CEO SEGMENT
HI BOSS! HI BOSS!
What’s your CORPORATE IDENTITY?
www.bwg.com.my
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