...been to paradise but never been to me?...

Oxbridge Boat Race Dinner at the Bankers Club, Kuala Lumpur, 2004

Interview Maskulin (Malaysia) Magazine, September 2005

Ya ya before you bash me up good, I must confess, I could not resist uploading these pictures (above) on to my blog (heheh). Its part of my journal..owh well journey right? Remember the lyrics from that oldie? A beautiful song about a woman's experience trying to tell another young woman that finally, love is about the man you fought with this morning and the same one you will be making love to, tonight? Remember those lyrics? haha ok ok let me refresh it...the chorus: "...I've been to paradise..but I've never been to me..." I love that song, great music, soothing melody. The first photo was a black tie do to commemorate the ancient Oxford and Cambridge University traditional Boat Race. I was invited to the function by Dr Foo Ban Yen who was then president of the Imperial College Alumni Association in Malaysia. If you look at the photo carefully (published by Tatler Malaysia), they got my name sounded like a Mongolian (Khaer Uddin) hahaha...no no definitely not related to anyone familiar to you (mak tak sama bapak lain lain hahaha).

Then the other 3 fotos that follow, was my interview with Maskulin in 2005. No no, please, its not the same masculine magazine abroad (evil wink). Those are the ones meant for gays ( I was told...erkk). This maskulin is an attempt by the Karangkraf Group to provide a new magazine for your Malaysian males oh well young malay males to be more specific (I think). I know the owners of that publishing group. They are old frens and we go back quite a long way. I guess that was why they interviewed me hahaha. Success? ya rite...depends how one looks at success actually. To me success can also mean, with a salary of RM900 and with 9 kids..and after paying all the monthly bills, one is left with RM67.40. Not having to borrow or use the credit card...that is a form of success hihi. That's ok, you can disagree with me. I am trying to avoid writing stuff in that direction (wink). Anyway, as I approach my retirement, I thought it would be a good practice to document what little photos or interviews I have had...so that at least later on my grandchildren have something to read or see should they google my name....

perginya seorang tokoh industri seni & kesusasteraan negara...

(dipetik dari: Utusan Malaysia Sabtu 7 mac 2009)

Petang semalam saya terkejut apabila isteri saya berteriak memanggil saya untuk memberitahu berita di kaca TV Zubir Ali meninggal dunia. Sebagai mengenang dan menghormati allahyarham, blog malam ini di khaskan buatnya. Gambar2 serta lirik lagu yang dipopularkan Zubir menjadi titik tolak kepada lagu puisi yang di rakamkan dan di pasarkan secara komersil (Shaharudin Musthafa, Utusan Malaysia, Sabtu 7 Mac 2009/10 Rabiulawal 1430). Saya kenal baik dengan arwah. Kami berkongi bos (Pak Ungku) sewaktu saya di Koperasi Universiti Malaya dahulu (1986-1988). Sementara isteri beliau Puan Fauziah adalah rakan profesional seantero di dunia kesetiausahaan korporat. Betul sepertikata Shaharudin (Utusan Malaysia), hingga hari ini Penantian terus subur sebagai lagu yang mempunyai melodi cukup indah dan dengan frasa lirik yang melampaui zamannya. Sepertimana lagu2 Eddie Ebiet dari seberang, yang juga berkonsepkan puisi. Saya masih ingat sewaktu umur diawal 20an dahulu, menyanyi lagu Penantian di lounge Hotel Perdana, Kota Baru. Akhir2 ini saya sering pastikan ada beberapa lirik2 lagu terselit di dalam dompet sayay dan di antaranya adalah lirik lagu Penantian. Saya sekeluarga ingin merakamkan ucapan setinggi takziah kepada Puan Fauziah sekeluarga di atas pemergian Zubir dan semoga Allahyarham dicucuri rahmat, tenang dan damai di sana. Alfatihah.

(di petik dari Utusan Malaysia Mac 7, 2009)

management development? or mengabihkan boreh?...

Tuan Haji Zulkifli Baharom, former Director of MAS Academy and currently adjunct teaching faculty at Kulliyah Ekonomi & Sains Pengurusan at the International Islamic University (UIA) Gombak, Kuala Lumpur, recently invited me to give a guest lecture on 'Management Development: Success Models and Strategies' to his final year economics/business undergrads. I am actually much more comfortable speaking to postgrads/MBA students (heheh) rather than undergrads cos I always worry if they will be able to follow my thoughts and keep up with my bullet-train-like speech and/or decipher my Egyptian Hieroglyphics? hahaha. Or if at all they could make sense of my 'england' (hehehe) and the occasional ramblings in Malay (especially to those foerign students). But, yes, they did ( i hope, i think..hehe). More than 70% of the students were females! OMG...where have all the boys gone? This is the third time Hj Zul has 'punished' me. The first one was with another batch where I was to judge the best entrepreneurial team. Then I was with another group interviewing me (like the LIVE Hardtalk BBCWorld show...hahaha) which made me feel like a celebrity haha. That was mostly on compensation management bla bla bla....

This time around was on management development. Which to me is a 'must have, good to have, nice to have' kinda tingy. Its a luxury for some organisation, a must to others and perhap not necessary or relevant at all to others. More often, in years of corporate life, I observe that people use the term management development, training and education interchangeably to mean one and the same thing. Its not, ok? But don't worry...I won't bore you with the details. I have said this once too often that I am a Henry Mintzberg (HM) convert oh well disciple, if you may...hehe. Now, HM believes that both management and management (development/training/education) are deeply troubled, but neither can be changed without changing the other. He simply found too much of a disconnect between the practice of managing and what went on in classrooms intended to develop managers. Well, just in case I do not confuse the poor undergrads, what I did was to take them through, quickly, Mike Doyles explanation on the meaning and nature of management development, acknowledge their significance to organisational success; contrast piecemeal and open system approach; examine methods, techniques and processes used to develop managers; draw attention to the way management development can be varied to meet special needs and different contexts and in a nutshell, speculate about the future direction of management development...but really...how much can you cover in an hour? heheh

So, much of it I was just sharing my own candid experiences of management development/education of where I was; and because I agreed with HM, much of what I said was propagating his (HM) thinking that we need to redefine management development/education so that we do not overemphasize the science of management while ignoring its art and denigating its craft leaving a distorted impression of its practice. Mintzberg was of the view that we need to get back to a more engaging style of management, to build strong management organizations not bloated share prices, calling for another approach for management development/education whereby practicing managers learn from their own experience, building the art and craft back into management development/education, and into management itself. I don't know if the message came through or not...hahaha. I hope it did (wink) cos the feedback I got was that they enjoyed my presentation(?). For a moment I felt like Robin Williams.....(evil wink).

MIHRM SUMMIT 2008 - The fotos....

President of MIHRM Dato'Prof Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid, HR Minister, me and Ishak Hashim

Ishak Hashim, Chairman Court of Fellows MIHRM, greeting the Minister of Human Resources

Me, Ishak, Rajkumar and Dr George Koshy

Dr George Koshy presenting a souvenir momento to me for being a panelist...

The Panelist: from left Datuk Aziz of Telekom Malaysia, Dr George Koshy (Moderateur), Ibrahim Hassan, me and a Singapore Consultant...

MIHRM Summit 2008 staged on 11 to 12 november at sunway resort hotel, petaling jaya, malaysia where we (MRC) sponsored the conference bag and I was panelist...hah...i just got the photos from CDC consulting today on my gmail. Thank you Alfiq and saudara Ibrahim Hassan. I blogged much earlier about it but there were no photos I think. Anyway, just to recap, the summit was themed "Talent Management and Succesion Planning: Meeting Global Challenges" (whatever that means hahaha). And it promised to showcase proven talent management and succession planning strategies through real life case studies and experience sharing by renowned speakers (yours truly included kot...ahaks..eheh heh). The organisers were mindful of the importance of working towards highly competitive global environment but were not so sure (at the timelah) that there was going to be a global financial tsunami and meltdown on the way...the symptoms were already there anyway. Need I say more? hehe

dahulu, sekarang dan selamanyer?.....hehe

ya ya ya ya i have not been blogging. I won't get unduly upset (evil wink) if you stopped visiting my blog all because I have not updated or written anything for the last 11 days or so. Nothing new or nice to write about honestly. I decided not to be part of the statistics of doom prophets, gloom harry, worried-sick john doe, or hopeless lemans or alleged fraudulent maddoffs and the sir allens...hahaha. I saw Obama's spirited 'we shall overcome the challenge and emerge stronger' speech on CNN and BBCWorld. We hear of increasing frequency of plane crashes. That's scary, which makes me begin to rethink of the old statistical assumption that flying is alot safer than being in your car or automobile on the way to Chicago airport! hahaha.

Otherwise, the last 10 days or so has been filled up with meetings bloody meetings. Board, audit committees, remuneration bla bla bla. Then there are other NGO stuff like IPPM and the second 'WACANA' we are organising slotted for end march tentatively. I have also been co-opted into the BLM taskforce (MAICSA) haha...meetings again, time consuming .and that's not including other things like giving a guest lecture to final year business undergrads at UIA, being asked to represent the group to receive a silver award at a professional institute dinner, at the eleventh hour! hahaha...but you know? Always this obliging fellow...so long as the venue got class and the food...great (evil wink) hahahaha. I owe a few people/places papers, articles...oh my gawd! what have I done to myself? I hope I have not overstretched my brain. I wished I was on that flight to london last night. Especially when TSA offered to foot the bill (minus of course, the airticket lar...that... I can use my enrich points...plenty still unused...some will be purged or gone if I don't use by dec 2009 hehe). But despite all the above, its a nice feeling that your little outfit showed a 61% improvement on the PAT for 2008 performance (evil wink) isn't it? We are all off to Awana this weekend (tomorrow onwards) to critically dissect our position, dahulu, sekarang dan selamanya.....hehehe (no, no, no...please don't associate us with any political party...wink wink wink...evil wink) hahaha. Enjoy the coming weekend folks...until my further update....cheerio.

...of legacies and slogans? dot dot dot

I am a member of the Malaysian Institute of Human Resource Management (MIHRM) and was Founding Executive Board of the Malaysian Society for Training and Development (MSTD). Mine is a specialist MBA (Human Resource Development). Four general management modules including of course, strategy, marketing and finance. One of the fourteen core modules was educational management which explains my inclination towards human capital management and development and educational management. In 1994 while attending an education summit at Institut Aminudin Baki (IAB), I read Tan Sri Wan Zahid’s paper/keynote address (he was Director-General of Education at the time). And I noticed he propagated the concept of ‘zero defect’ popularised by Philip Baynard Crosby (a one time assembly line worker who became an entrepreneur spreading the gospel of quality control in manufacturing, died in 2001 at Asherville, NC at age 75. His zero defect concept emphasise customer satisfaction as a measure of quality control. Other Quality GURUS on same ranking as he is, include Armand V Feigenbaum, W Edward Demings and Joseph Juran). Tan Sri Dato' Dr Wan Zahid (Harvard trained) used the frog parable to drive the managerial imperative in shaping the future of education and the ministry of education during his regime. Essentially, the frog exemplifies adaptability. A creature that can live on land on in the water (amphibious) and can adapt to hot arid climates, cold climates, hot humid climates and cold humid climates. From the biological perspective, the frog has survived the ages because of its remarkable adaptability to the environment. However, in a laboratory experiment, frogs were placed in shallow pans of room temperature water and they were free to jump out of the pans at anytime, Under each pan was a bunsen burner, which heated the water gradually. As the temperature rose, degree by degree, the frog adapted to the new temperature. Unfortunately, regardless of how hot the water became, the frog never became uncomfortable enough to jump out of the pan. In fact it stayed right there until the heat was so intense that the frog died. Some of us are also incredibly adaptable. In fact, a major reason for our success as human beings is our ability to adapt. When we find ourselves, as individuals, mildly dissatisfied with our jobs, with our significant other (hehe), or with almost any other circumstance in our lives, we proceed to adapt. For many of us, the more our environment challenge us, the harder we try to adapt to those changes. Similarly, organizations too tend to replicate the frog’s approach to life. To cut a long story short, moral of story is: individuals and organizations must determine in a timely fashion when to quit adapting and to move into the unknown, to proceed with changing directions and finding environments more supportive to them. Uish panjangnyer! Dot dot dot…

Then after him came Datuk Dr Shukor (also Harvard trained). I had the privilege of chatting with him on a few occasion before he became Director-General of Education. He seems to like Carl Weick’s Organised Chaos Theory haha. After him came the late Tan Sri Rafaee who was at one time, Principal of Malacca High School and I didn’t realise that he was also from Port Dickson (where I grew up). Now, at one of ASLI’s National Education Summits at Sunway Resort I had a chance to chat with him for a few minutes and noticed that (I may be wrong ok) his style of leadership and management was based on ‘visibility’. Then came Tan Sri Datuk Dr Ahmad Sipon. Apparently, from what I gather, his style was based on the age old Javanese maxim of ‘Beras, Waras, Keras”. Something like that, that essentially discourages wastage. Encourages responsibility, prudence and perhaps humility too. A simple process I would also subject a young man would have to go through if he intends to have my daughter’s hand in marriage. I will explain that in detail in my next post, the beras, waras keras tingy (hahaha I need to check if I have not touched on that subject in my earlier blogposts). The current Director-General of Education has been heard (again correct me if I am wrong hehe) to mention about Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS) as popularised by the Korean professor Kim and his French colleague. CIMB group is into BOS in big way, I think. Perhaps I may have missed something else? Balanced Score Card maybe? (BSC…not Bangsar Shopping Complex ok? Erk) which is again fashionable and flavour of the month, been around since 1995 (see my earlier posts) and I think the GLCs are using it of course modified into their own templates. So, my point? What am I getting at? Leaders like to leave a legacy and the use of slogans during their tenure oh well during their regime. Whether it’s appropriate, implemented or gets cascaded down the ranks, is another matter. Those legacies will remain. And people remember them for a particular slogan or management fad they propagate or tried to get implemented organization–wide. Heroic Leaders are out, Engaging Leaders are in says Professor Henry Mintzberg.

It is interesting to see how consultants influence the thinking of both the corporate and the public sectors. It is so alive and evolving. Some of these concepts are but regurgitation of old concepts rebranded or redefined…much like old wine in new bottles. But I am a great disciple of Danah Zohar. I had a chance to speak to her when she was here in 1997 during the International Federation of Training & Development (IFTDO) conference hosted by Malaysia. Danah Zohar, in her book Rewiring the Corporate Brain said, “Most transformation programs satisfy themselves with shifting the same old furniture about in the same old room. Some seek to throw some of the furniture away. But real transformation requires that we redesign the room itself. Perhaps even blow up the old room. It requires that we change the thinking behind our thinking – literally, that we learn to rewire our corporate brains”

conference oh conference...

Today, Sunday, February 15th, I like to jot down a bit about me if you don't mind? As I approach my mandatory retirement (which I do look forward very much hehe) I begin to look and review alot of things, where am I, what have I achieved in corporate as well as in personal terms. Always mindful of the fact that 50% of our personality is because of our job or the position we hold. Once that is gone, you'd be lucky if you still get 50% of the emails, sms or mms on your Blackberry Bold hehehe. Its very flattering to get invited to deliver keynote addresses. These days when I get an invitation to present papers at conferences where they charge humongus rates to participants and I probably just get a thumbdrive, a selangor pewter frame or a leather travel wallet, I would politely say thank you but would rather just be a panelist or chair the day's conference (evil wink). I must be getting old and lazy huh? haha. Having said that, you can see below that I would still be quite busy reading, researching and preparing or at least be comfortable with some background material before I stand out there in front some really furious participants (yes occasionally they are you know? huhu) waiting to draw their smokings guns to shoot down the sheriff (chairman lar...hahaha). The list, here goes:

1. Trends, Developments and Updates in Retail Financial Services (24-25 March, 2009 Prince Hotel Kuala lumpur, Chairman and Panelist on Day 2)

2. Best Practise & Tools in Managing Food Safety Conference (21-22 April, 2009, Istana Hotel, KL, Chairman for both days)

3. Corporate Tax Planning, Transfer Pricing and Compliance: Planning approaches in challenging times and in shifting operating environment, (11-12 May 2009, Grand Park Plaza Hotel Singapore, Chairman and panelist)

4. Commercial Contract Law China, 25-26 May, Beijing, China, Chairman and paper)

Of course, I should not be perceived as arrogant or ungrateful. Afterall, these invitations have done much to boost my esteem and extended my claw of network. Made me read alot more stuff for if not I would otherwise then be burning my precious time away at starbucks or coffee bean or blabber away profusely over tehtarik at nathija maju kelana jaya hahaha...thank you for the invitation anitha, nadra, sherry... ok folks? enjoy the remaining part of this rather warm sunday dot dot dot

...of mandarins and pocongs?

foto source: guardian.co.uk

The Starbiz, Wednesday 11 February 2009 page B9 carries an article by US economist Paul Krugman, who called their senators, proud centrists oh well, destructive centrists! He said, "the centrists insistence on comforting the comfortable while afflicting the afflicted will, if reflected in the final bill, lead to substantially lower employment and substantially more suffering". In simple language, even if Obama's original US$800bil in stimulus with a substantial fraction of that total given over to ineffective tax cuts - have been enacted, it wouldn't have been enough to fill the looming hole in the US economy, which congressional Budget Office estimates will amount to US$2.9tril over the next 3 years! Wow! that is scary isn't isnt it?

Now, on the other side of the atlantic, the British Civil Service or Mandarins as they are popularly referred to, are again under scrutiny. Its much about transparency of information and disclosure and is deemed right, wrong, ethical or unethical, morally acceptable or immoral...depending how one looks at it. Its ok in some societies, not so ok in others, a definite no no in some others. Read more here. The Economist latest edition, describes the UK economy as a fallen star (not a falling star ok? hehe. Read more of the article here if you like.

The Star today reported:

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia scored a dismal 35 out of 100 points in the Open Budget Index (OBI) 2008 and is ranked 53rd out of 85 countries, prompting Centre for Public Policy Studies chairman Tan Sri Dr Ramon Navaratnam to declare he was “surprised and embarrassed.” Malaysia is now listed under the “minimal information” category on Budget information provided by the Government, behind countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. see full report here. This should be a concern to our Mandarins. Of course somebody will jump, some will brush it off as ...aaargh another evil statistical ploy attempting to discredit or sabotage our economy...which ahem...could be true you know? (evil wink) cos afterall there are only 3 great lies in this world: one is a lie; second is a bigger lie and ; three is statistics...dot dot dot...

After a week of not blogging and I come out with yet again another economic fumbles and fears? hehe perhaps my next blogpost should be diverted to ghosts or pocong stories huh? hahaha...as always, my loyal visitors, readers and fellow bloggers...do have a great weekend ya? dot dot dot

of dubai and the tarzan who lost his cawat?...hehe

Heading home?


3.62 million expatriates in Dubai
864,000 nationals
8% population decline predicted this year, as expatriates leave
1,500 visas cancelled every day in Dubai
62% of homes occupied by expatriates 60% fall in property values predicted
50% slump in the price of luxury apartments on Palm Jumeirah
25% reduction in luxury spending among UAE expatriates
Sources: arabbusiness.com ; Times database


I have not heard anyone, over the last few years, say anything unkind about Dubai, that once sleepy hollow fishing village and oil-absent desert that was, in just 5 years, transformed into a miraculous citystate or megacity of the future so it seems... everyone just loves to visit and then not wanna come home. But that's not fair, really... well to me especially...hahaha cos I haven't got the chance to visit it when I was told it (Dubai) wu juz awesome.... The last time I ever set foot on Dubai soil was when MAS stops for an hour or so enroute to London. I only remember it was bloody scorching hot and some stuff displayed at the airport duty-free shop then..hmmm. But yesterday' report on timesonline.co.uk seems to be sending a chill down the spine. I know of some frens who are working in Dubai rite now. They probably would have a different story to tell. If you like to know what the hell is going on, read more here.

Yesterday's The Malaysian Reserve Daily has nothing much else except about profit drops, missed estimates, falling shares, auto bloodbath, Proton cutting one-third of its sales outlets, Bursa 2008 net profit drops 57%, pananasonic sees RM15 bil loss - to cut 15000 jobs, Titan announces VSS - will cut 20% of workforce...bal bla bla...very depressing news. Not much encouraging or news of hope...mostly despair, fear and to some perhaps crumbling down owh well, tumbling down (like humpty dumpty on the wall) yeah...the whole sky seem to be falling down over their heads.

Why then do you think I stayed away from blogging for 2 weeks? (evil wink). I guess its now a global inertia (the tendency of a body to stay at rest or continue its state of motion...newton's law...or have you forgotten?). Despite all that folks, please, please do have great weekend...perhaps it would be alot more fun watching ole tarzan movies, huh?....

...of chickens and kitchens...hahaha

Its nice when friends call you up and lament (owh well, complain is more like it haha) that they were not mentioned at all in your (my) blog. Only the 'whos who' were documented, so it seems (hehe). Sometime back my classmates as far back as 1965 also complained how come they did not deserve a mention or a story on my postings? Sorry folks, I didn't realise all of you read my blog. Thank you sooo much for taking time to read my oxymoronic stuff (hehe). Ya ya, it has been about 2 weeks now since my last posting. Yes, anne, wan noriza, norzarina my ex colleagues, I didn't realise you have been faithfully following my blog! Thank you thank you...(hehe). I bet you (my readers) must have all been spun by so many things already huh? global meltdown, technical recession (?), free fall, executive jets, Davos, insanely devilish compensation packages, hop step and jump? (evil wink)....ya ya and the list is endless...

last nite at Sao Nam, Plaza Damas Vietnamese Restaurant owned jointly by a fren, while entertaining my guests from Bangkok and the UK, alot of jokes and anecdotes resurfaced. Oh well, recycled was more like it (heehee). We were also talking about language proficiency and someone told me about this chappie, a malaysian consul general speaking in a 'beating roundabush kinda sort of', while the host ambassador spoke in perfect, precise, concise oxbridge 'england' (hahaha). During dinner, apparently this malay fellow consul's wife spoke perfect 'england', very refined indicating she perhaps may have come from a borgeouis family and everybody thought...hmmm, the wifey should have been the ambassador instead!...hahaha ( interesting story of a kampong boy made it good..hehe). Then Tan Sri (anonymouslah..hahaha) and Puan Sri related their own experience when they were in Boston. Apparently again, a malay chappie doing his PhD came over to the apartment for dinner. He commented "I say Tan Sri, your chicken is small!" Tan Sri said,"Sorry, we are not having chicken for dinner tonite". The PhD candidate again said, "Your chicken is small lar Tan Sri". "Ooooo you mean our kitchen is small?" said Tan Sri....hahaha. But the chappie wuz alright, brave fellow, main belasah aje walaupon 'england' dier berterabork! hahaha. Well, he got his PhD eventually! and probably a full professor too now.

PS:And o ya Kakteh choc-a-blog, (if you're reading this post) your 'the banes of handphones' appeared on page 3 of life&times, NST today. A most joyful read indeed..hahaha how true, how true.... do enjoy the snow in london, while it lasts ok? (hehe)...

...confidential notes by the ambassador?

I missed the 2009 Strategic Outlook Forum last week so I thought I must not miss the book launch above that took place this morning at 10 am, Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur, by HE the US Ambassador in the presence of HRH Raja Nazrin. The launch was put up by ASLI, the book was published by the Institute of South East Asian Studies (ISEAS) Singapore. I was amazed at the turnout (having been in publishing a long time ago, I sure do know how difficult it was to get people to attend book launches especially if its not a bestseller list). Many familiar faces were there, Datuk Prof Visu Sinnadurai former Dean UM Law faculty, Tan Sri Emeritus Professor Khoo Kay Kim, Tan Sri Kishu, Richard Tankesly of New Zealand but a malaysian resident (the first bumiputeh as he likes to introduce himself all the time...hahaha), Tan Sri Zaini Chairman of northern ECR and BERNAMA, Datuk Rafiah, Faris, James Beltram, Fung former vice president British Graduates Association of Malaysia (BGAM), members of the Royal Commonwealth Association, United Nations Association of Malaysia (UNMA), corporate chieftains, NGOs and of course HE ambassadors who were invited and came (hehe) etc etc etc...

In his forward, YBM Tengku Tan Sri Dato'Seri Ahmad Rithauddeen, former foreign minister of Malaysia described YAB Tun Dr Ismail as an astute diplomat and the formulator of foreign affairs who charted the nation's course in international relations in the early years of its independence. That he was amazed by Dr Ismail's ability to transform himself very confidently into a successful diplomat at the United Nations when he was there as our first Permanent Representative despite never being trained as a diplomat, and that he was a politician and a medical doctor by training.

I like to quote Dr Ismail's inaugural speech during the general debate at the 12th Session of the United Nation's General Assembly (678th Plenary Meeting), Tuesday, 17th September, 1957, at 3 PM, (President: Sir Leslie Munro, New Zealand) on Agenda Item 25 - Admission of New Members to the United Nations: Admission of the Federation of Malaya to Membership in the United Nations.

80. 'Although our material wealth and our standard of living compare very favourably with those of many nations in the world today, as a small nation, our basic strengths lies not in these material things, but in the moral character and purposes of our people. We have in Malaya three major racial groups: the Malays, the Chinese and the Indians, who have lived together for generations in peace and harmony, Neither the difference in religion and cultural background, nor the difference in their economic and social status, has created an insuperable barrier towards the national unity of these races. Our great desire is to have the right and the good fortune to live as a free, independent and united nation among free nations of the world. The achievement of this desire, through peaceful and constitutional means, through friendly negotiation and a spirit of compromise, is the result of the abiding moral strength inherent in each of the three racial communities living in Malaya today.' (Appendix 1 pages 103-105)

That was in 1957 and I was three years old...and as I read it again, and again, to my mind, the most important guiding light then and perhaps even more so now, is for all of us Malaysians to realise that our basic strength lies not in material things [but please don't ask me to hand over my nokia e90 and blackberry bold to you ok? (evil wink)] but in the moral character and purposes of our people. We did perhaps have just one or two 'commissions' at the time, life was much simpler, less complicated, there were no internet or facebook (hehe). And perhaps, like Obama, the first black US President, installed today, we too need to redefine and re-examine where we went wrong and how do we move forward without engaging a 'change' slogan or 'rebranding' (whatever that means..hehe) exercise (evil wink) or BOS or ROS ... hmmm. What say you, folks? and o ya...go pick a copy and read the book...

...a british obsession? hehe

High Table: (L t0 R) YH Tan Sri Abu Hassan Omar (former Chief Minister of Selangor, Hull Alumni Malaysia past President & Patron), Guest of Honour YAB Tun Hanif Omar (former Inspector General of Police Malaysia), me, Hull Alumni Malaysia 2008/09 President, and YBhg Tan Sri Arshad Ayub (past OSA President, University of Wales at Aberystwyth, past president and patron Aberystwyth University Alumni Club in Msia)

The University of Hull Malaysia Alumni Association Annual Dinner and 2nd Distinguished lecture Series, held on Sunday 11 January, 2009 at the royal lake club, Kuala Lumpur. Some BW shots (photos courtesy of Tengku Jasshwa) of the 'touch of class' theme and you can come in anything (so long as not in your birthday suit...hahaha). I had to wear that silly penguin outfit and the hull pendant (much like the one the mayor of hull wears round his neck too..evil wink) cos I am president maa? (evil wink). There were moments I felt like Pierce Brosnan...but when I took out the bow immediately after the function, wow...I felt like Daniel Craig in Casino Royale....hahahaha ( you wish...).

...Roundtable on 'Current Issues and Challenges in Mindanao'

I mentioned briefly about the above dialogue in my last blogpost but I thought I would not do justice to the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) alumni Malaysia (especially the untiring passion of Tuan Haji Zul Baharom) and INSPAG-UiTM Director/Senior Fellow HE Dato 'Dr Mohd Yusof Ahmad for their efforts at helping advance the peace process that would bring new hope and sustainable economic development to this autonomous region in Southern Philippines. YBhg Dato' Syed Ahmad Idid former CJ and also a AIM alumnus, provided positive inputs and commentaries and hoped that the roundtable would escalate into a much more serious outcome in tourism, business development and investment opportunities benefiting both Malaysia and Mindanao.

Perhaps for those of you who may have not the faintest idea of what I am talking about or never understood what the problems are in Mindanao, should read this book above, that had been in my collection for more than 30 years ago. It was published in 1980 (3 years after I joined OUP) and I have the special boxed bound edition. It was written by TJS George (Editor of the now defunct magazine ASIAWEEK, in Hong Kong). It is a definitive book, written not only from an Asian perspective, but with wit and sympathy. It is a comprehensive history of the subject, written for the firs time (1980) in a readable and non-academic yet thought-provoking style. The Muslim separatist movement in Southern Philippines had claimed (in 1980), by official estimate, more than 5000 lives and it continued to ravage the country then. It had become an international issue in part through the resurgence sweeping the Islamic World at the time. The root of the problem lie embedded in the history of the Philippines, but the author contends that the schisms within the Muslims themselves and the cleavage between Christian and Muslim Filipinos can still be resolved. Different aspects of the overall problem have been studied by scholars, mostly in the form of treaties. The book draws a striking parallel between Spain and the United States as colonial masters, finds early Philippine leaders lacking in understanding of Islam, and accuses Mindanao's traditional Muslim leaders (at the time) of self-aggrandisement. It examines in colourful detail some bizarre episodes of contemporary history: a politician's plan to establish a new sultanate in Sabah, A Christian army officer's escapade as a Muslim in Sulu that ended up in the 'Jabidah Massacre'. It also analyses the role of the Arabs in Mindanao. Throughout the book the author argues that the opportunity to settle the problem to the advantage of Mindanao's Muslims still exist (in 1980)then and I believe there is never a better time than now. This book should be an interesting read indeed. Mind you, it was written 30 years ago! Go read it...I can lend you my copy (evil wink) at prevailing daily rates of course...haha.

...the week that was...

Ya ya I have not been blogging. The last posting was last saturday the 10th. Much has happened during the week. last Sunday January 11, we had our Hull University Alumni Malaysia Annual Dinner and a keynote address by YAB Tun Hanif (former IGP). I like to call it the 2nd Hull Malaysia Distinguished Lecture Series. Tun spoke on "Unity in Diversity: The Malaysian Approach" to about a 100 alumnus and guests at the Royal Lake Club (RLC), KL. The inaugural distinguished lecture was delivered by Hull's VC Professor Dr David Drewry a few years ago at Pusat Sains Negara (National Science Centre). Being a glaciologist, Professor Drewry spoke on "Effects of Climate Change on the two Poles". I am waiting for some awesome shots of the RLC dinner from my personal photographer and 'spin doctor' to email me the fotos (hehe). On friday morning, I was invited to a roundtable discussion with a delegation of Leaders from Mindanao at the Senate Hall, Chancellery, UiTM hosted by the Institute of ASEAN and International Affairs, courtesy of Senior Fellow, His Excellency (retired) Malaysian Ambassador to Spain. The dialogue was illuminating. I was a guest of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Alumni Club in Malaysia. Zamboanga City, Mindanao is a nice place. Very spanish and it has its own unique identity. I was there twice, to deliver a public lecture ( on Leadership in 2005 and on Human Competency and Corporate Governance in 2006) on the invitation of the College of Education, West Mindanao State University.

..of financal arrogance, material supremacy and future predictability? (evil wink)

I was at the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital earlier around lunchtime today. Visiting someone ill of course (whatever else could I be doing there, right?). A benevolent, giving and caring mood (hehe..ya rite) suddenly turned into a moody, disgusting and madness actually...when someone was very loud bragging about how filthy rich he had become and began making disparaging remarks about government doctors (well public services actually), demeaning and ridiculing them of the meagre salaries they are getting and comparing with private sector doctors. Gawd, I was fuming mad, had I stayed a minute longer, I just might have strangled his already walloppy jallopy neck (hahaha). Eh hello wake up man, does he not know that the civil service is so much more attractive these days? oi..where have you been? I should nominate him for 2009 monkey of the year award (evil wink). Owh ok, forget about him. This latest article by my gudfren Moje Aquino Ramos in The Manila Times here is an interesting read. Please check it out and enjoy.

...when HR chaps gets the slam dunk or plonk u mean? hahaha

Associated Press(AP) reported unemployment rate in the US bolted to 7.2 percent in December 2008, the highest level in 16 years, as nervous employers slashed 524,000 jobs. The labour market (US) is expected to remain weak as mass layoffs continue. At the same time, top Democrats, as reported by AP, disliked key provisions, especially the designs of Obama's tax cuts! Obama Oh Obama...and if that's not enuf, the whole world it seems, is putting pressure on the US over the Gaza Siege. And then, in today's NST plax, a report of the Satyam Scandal dubbed as 'India's Enron'. But of course, despite all of these gloom & grim, confidence-shaking headlines, there is this news that's equally of world class standards.. hahahaha(evil wink). Hah, u guess right: the prez conference to say they are ok...sape lagi? kesah Datuk Siti and Datuk K ler..hehe. Takyahler buat prez conference. Bimbang nanti kok kok akan lebih hangat, lebih sensasi plax... ish (hehe). Kita doakanlah yerk...semoga ianya hanya tinggal gosip sahaja k?

Ok ok, on a much much more serious note, this is a time when HR chaps get the plonk, the dirty looks, the kick (in the you-know-what-where-lah hehe). Its performance management, review, evaluation, salary increment, bonus and whatever else lah time, fellas ... hahaha. Kesian HR kan? They always get the blame. But they have always been the punching bag, record-keeper lah, clerk-of-work lah, policeman lah, spy management lah...ish dan bermacam2 lagiek (evil wink). They are, like the shock absorbers of a car. If you go on a smooth first-class highway...the ride will of course be smooth. Even if you put a monkey as your HR chief, the organization will sail purrfectly (wink). BUT, if you masuk jalan kampong, hah...that's when you really know the condition of your car... err I mean your organization aah (need I explain more? heehee). All kinds of intervention has been offered. Balanced Score Cards (BSC) have been around since 1995 but somehow or rather it has not really taken off. Some elements of it in the HR domain perhaps merit some serious re-look, by both HR and non-HR people so that there will be a much better understanding that can assist in real transformation (corporate) exercises that puts HR's role in a much more strategic a position even though it is a universally accepted fact that there are no full proof PMS (not pre-menstrual pains ok? but acronym for Performance Management System hehe).

Here goes: in HR Performance Management, there are 2 things: one is HR Performance Driver (HRPD) and the other is HR Enabler. Example of HRPD is employee productivity and example of enabler is 're-skilling'. There are plenty of examples of disconnect between HR enablers and HR Performance Drivers in the broader organization. You can find them in your own organization, I am sure (wink). Ok, lets take an example from financial services (fictitious, no names please). Now this particular outfit has decided to do a strategic shift: i.e focus of retail business from service to sales. A set of performance drivers have also been identified as follows:

1. increased cross-selling to existing customers
2. teller product knowledge
3. sales skills

but the HR enabler still emphasised SERVICE!

e.g the organisation continue to have the following:

1. training programmes focus on service rather than sales
2. performance appraisal and merit pay that reward service rather than sales
3. recruitment practice based on service competencies rather than sales
4. turnover rates that undermined relationship building between tellers and retail customers and;
5. low pay and benefits for tellers, who were considered overheads rather than a source or revenue growth

Lesson learned?: HR SYSTEMS influences EMPLOYEE BEHAVIOUR from many points.

( adapted from pages 30-34, The HR Scorecard, Linking People, Strategy, Performance, Ulrich et al, Harvard Busniess School Press, 2001)

Employee behaviour is driven by value (personal and cultural) see here. Most organizational vision mission core values statements are quite generic and it seems to me, much of a cut&paste job...hehe using terms like our core values are honesty, integrity, commitment bla bla bla... what ever that means ish...ya what izzit? so nebulous so celestial one leh? Why not use simpler and something employees can relate to, quite ezily like the following value behaviours:

• staying flexible
• adaptable
• taking initiative for one's own development
• resolving issues in an objective manner

for example lah. You can then integrate into (directly) performance criteria with equal weightage to traditional performance measures ( half of bonus and merit pay for financial performance results, the other half to employee adherence to the value behaviours. There is a saying that illustrates the rationale for such consideration of balanced approach to performance management "You can't simply get results too often while leaving a pile of dead bodies behind you" hehehe.

Think about it folks, thanks for visiting and reading this far (hahaha) and please do have a great weekend....

Andrea Hirata's Rainbow Soldiers, The Movie...

Ok ok enough of heavy stuff for awhile. I was tempted to make comments on what's going on, on the Gaza strip but that can wait heheh. The whole world's oredi talking soo much about it anyway, so let me share with you instead... something philsophical yet simple, powerful and is making lots of young people in Indonesia cry, when they watch it. Yes, I am talking about this new movie from Andrea Hirata's (see here) novel "Laskar Pelangi" (Rainbow Soldiers). I was introduced to it by one of my MBA students (Neneng Widaningrum Ema Rochima from Jogja... OMG such a long name..but one can trace her geneology from the name ... hehe) at Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) Surabaya. She texted to wish me a happy new year and over yahoo messenger not so long ago, told me about Andrea Hirata. So I quickly googled, and checked out youtube and read the reviews and saw the trailer. Its an awesome movie. The DVD is not available yet, I was told. If you can spare the time, go read the novel and you'll come across lines like "...jangan pernah menyerah kalah...menggapai asa ditengah penderitaan..." and I like this one "...memberikan setitik cahaya ditengah kegelapan, dan secercah harapan, didalam keputus-asaan..." Go checkitout folks...hehe.

...oh no..not economics & watchdogs again? hehe

Tan Sri Lin See Yan's (former BNM Deputy Governor) views in today's The Star, is interesting read. The old man is still sharp. I last chatted with him and YAB Tun Ahmad Sarji at the lounge of Manila Airport after attending the AIM Alumni Reunion year before last. We bumped occasionally at ASLI Summits or when I get invited to free dinners at Harvard Alumni-dos (heheh). Being an economist, his views do not depart much from the general concensus and the fact he reiterates that the economy is going to get worse... wah.... sends chills down my spine.. hahaha. I just hope the unit trust people did not wipe out too much of my EPF. To be fair, earlier on some of them did make some 40% profit (kata dier oranglah hehehe). Of course they didn't tell me they oredi deducted upfront their commission (evil wink).

As the new year begins (3rd day today) I spoke or texted a few close frens especially those that somehow or rather, seemed different, unmotivated, rather quiet. I was wondering why. Whoala, when I jolok, haha..keluar semua yang terbuku di hati. This particular fren (we always call each other cousin BL..haha) laments his frustration for not being made a full professor yet! Relax my fren...I am sure it's coming soon bro (wink). Then, another old fren leaves MSWG. Errol's comments (see below) also in the Star today... in some ways, gives tribute to my fren's contributions to the Minority Shareholder Watchdog Group (MSWG). Thanks for dropping by my blog folks, and do make sure you have got all your stuff for your school-going kids (if you still have lah...hahaha). My second daughter will be in Form 5 and my son (the youngest child) will be in Standard 6. Do make the most of the rest of the weekend!...

...of gulf, gaza, clash of civilisations, young facebookers and generation Y..hehe

2nd day of the new year. The biltz on the Gaza strip, reminds me of the Gulf War of the early 90s. I was sending (oh well, 'accompanying'...is a better word perhaps hehe) my wife to pursue her MA in publishing at Loughborough University of Technology then. That conflict made airlines re-route their usual flight path. On my way back I was on an American Airline that made a stopover at Belgrade (before the breakup of Yugoslavia) for 8 hours! Relatively cheap travel at the time, it costs me only about RM1600. Then I remembered reading the Far Eastern Economic Review, FEER (at the time) and there was this naughty anecdote making fun of the then prime minister of Thailand (Chartichai I think his name was...4th generation thai chinese). The joke it seemed was: a group of journalist were having a press conference after a meeting with the then British PM (now lady) Margaret Thatcher. One of the journalists asked Chartichai: Premier Chartichai, "what do you think of the gulf crisis?" and his response: "Ya ya ya...we will be praying golf with Margaret this afternoon" hahahaha. I dunno how true that was, but I know I read that from the FEER at that time.

The latest and most recent issues of the Economist are spewed with interesting reports and articles which I suggest you read here for a tribute to Samuel Huntington, the famous intellectual nobody misses to quote often, especially at conferences in the early part of the 21st century (The Clash of Civilisations..if you have not read the book..hehe), and here if you want to manage your old-school chappies with your young facebookers talents (hehe) and here if you want to know about the generation Y that's going to join the workspace...hehehe. I want to say TGIF but I thought I read somewhere that that is no longer fashionable (evil wink). It's now TGIM! (for THANK GAWD ITS MONDAY!) haha...as usual, have fun folks...and thank you for dropping by...

...2009:between hype & reality?

Hah...I better believe it first...yes it is 1.1.2009 today. I was supposed to have joined my frens celebrating new year's eve at country heights damansara lastnite, but I didn't. Its a long story. No, seriously, I just felt like having a quiet dinner at home and just watch Astro movies. You know the clock has struck 12 midnite when you hear the fireworks all around hehehe. If you're lost for resolutions (mine is...as always, trying to fulfil previous years' wannados...hahaha) go read some interesting trends for 2009 here before you firm up yours (resolutions I mean hehe). Try to balance between hype and reality, ok folks?