You think your integrity is high? hmmm think again..hehehe

Certified Integrity Officers Group 6 and The Executive Group, photo with
YB Senator Datuk Paul Low, Minister in the Prime Minister's Dept


 

Wow, time flies. Little did I realize I have been resource person for the CeiO program now running into the 6th, 7th (April) and 8th (June) cohorts. It is conducted at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Academy at Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur. My slot is a two hour 'internal management control' sharing of industry experience and some stuff on auditing and risk management and a review of corporate scandals and malfeasance in the likes of Enron et al. This certified program is under the supervision of the Centre for Corporate Integrity Development of MACA and most participants are from the public service, GLCs and some PLCs.

When I was first invited to speak at this program, I was under the banner of the Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance (MICG). They have now invited me in my personal capacity hehehe. The Malaysian Institute of Integrity or IIM was set up during Ex-Premier Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi or Pak Lah as he is fondly known. 

I was a bit apprehensive when it was first introduced. My initial reaction was....why do we need an institute for integrity? Would it not be interpreted or perceived by the world at large that Malaysia is a nation of people with no integrity? haha. We are now seeing the fruits of that initiative. Kudos to Pak Lah as we now see a growing seriousness at the way we look ethics, integrity, fraud and corruption at both the public and private sectors. 

The present government is serious at ensuring that Malaysia moves down the scale in the global corruption index. ok ok..I will leave at that. No heavy stuff on a sunday afternoon..hehe. Enjoy the rest of the weekend folks...ciao...

of celebrity ceos and death by powerpoint...

Sorry folks! I have not been blogging, almost a month. It has also been 3 months now since I called it a day as adviser and board member of MRC Malaysia in partnership with THATCHAM UK. The first quarter of 2014 seems unusually crazy for me as ALL weekends in March up to 12th April, are taken up. MBA classes..OMG! (the usual Gen Y expression for oh my gawd! hehehe). Lecturing Strategic Management  cohort 5 at UUMKL and facilitating and tutorials at Asia e University  (Strategic Management, Multinational Corporations (MNC), Corporate Governance & Best Practice and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Its a nice feeling when after retirement people still remember you and invite you to speak and/or chair conferences hehehe. Last thursday, Comfori, winner of PMSB's best training provider award 2011, invited me to speak and chair the second day (March 20) the 5th Annual Conference on Human Capital Management Excellence (whatever that means..hehehe) at Hotel Seri Pacific, Kuala Lumpur. I didn't realize that the conference proceedings was going to be in Malay...erkk..I told them I am more comfortable if it was in Bahasa Indonesia  (oh  no!...hehehe). And I realized most speakers were doing it ad-lib. With quite a few marching on shamelessly in Oxbridge or Harvard English hohoho. The audience were mostly public sector with a few from the universities.

Among a few favorite presentations, one was from the 'celebrity' CEO of the LHDN or the Inland Revenue Board. Yes, the prodigal phenomena in anyone's life hahaha. In life, there only two certainties - Death and Taxes!  hohoho. Tan Sri was fun, flamboyant  and I wish alot more CEOs both in public and private sectors are like him, fun and engaging, inspiring, motivational yet no nonsense. He seems to engage the Gen Ys quite well. That, my friends, those in HCM..managing and engaging them, are the greatest challenge now and in the future.  I told Tan Sri that he is like Jack Welch..he laughed. Which reminds me what Jack Welch (The celebrity GE former CEO) said: 'When the rate of change outside an organization is greater that the rate of change inside, the end is near...'

The topic given to me was 'Penyediaan persekitaran yang komprehensif ke arah memaksimumkan jana tenaga dan ide serta membentuk motivasi dan sifat kepimpinan dalam organisasi' Wow! that was a mouthful and translated it simply means 'Preparing or providing an environment that can maximize generation of energy and ideas as well as motivating and developing leadership qualities in organizations'. Since my presentation was the last one for the day and since there was going to be another function at the hotel and we were told to finish earlier haha and to spare the poor delegates further torture or death by powerpoint hahaha, I didn't have any slides on (although i did prepare one hehehe). I just told them..eh fellas, all that I wanted to say, had already been said by others the last two days...erkkk...hehehe. I also said, there was a book that read 'leaders don't need powerpoint' hehehe.  Have a nice weekend ya all...

festschrift...

WIKIPEDIA says that in academia, a FESTCHRIFT is a book honoring a person, especially an academic, and presented during his or her lifetime. The term borrowed from German, could be translated as  celebration publication or celebratory (piece of) writing. A comparable book presented posthumously is called Gedenschrift (memorial publication). Sometimes the Latin term "liber amicorum" (literally : "Book of friends") is used for a festschrift. The German word Festschrift has been incorporated into the English Language.

Last Friday, February 21, 2014, I had the privilege of attending such a function at the Senate Room, Chancellory, National University of Malaysia or UKM, on the kind invitation of the Chairman of UKM University Board Emeritus Professor Dato' Ir Dr Mohamad  Zawawi Ismail. 

The festschrift was for Emeritus Professor Abdul Rahman Embong. I once had the privilege of moderating a seminar at the MACC Academy where he was panelist. This festschrift was organized by IKMAS and the Social Science Association of Malaysia. (I was seated beside the founding director of IKMAS Datuk Professor Yusof who is now KUIN Rector, Kedah). Spotted at the do was Dato' Mohd Fadzli, Tan Sri Nordin Kardi and some other friends from Institut Integriti Malaysia.

I thought the bicara sains sosial and the book appreciation discourse was quite good. Profesor Ulung  Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, despite his usual academic epistemological approach hehe,  cracked a few jokes here and there and I particularly like his mention of timun, tahu and tauge...(hehehe).

Off the cuff remarks by the brand-new UKM Vice-Chancellor Datuk Professor Noor Azlan Ghazali was very illuminating and game-changing too I would think. I like the bit where he said that academic disciplines must break their protective boundaries. The thinking should shift, and he gave the example of education. The old paradigm would think in terms of education per se and would be about pre-school, primary, secondary, university education and teacher training...he goes on to say why not think of education in different contexts? The economics of education for example. The technology of education..etcetera etcetera...

I was humbled, when he mention about business schools not going out meeting real business people from an article I emailed him. Thank you Datuk Prof VC...you read my emails...hehehe

The Merdeka Awards 2013...

I was at the Merdeka Awards 2013 a few hours ago. Again, privileged, honored and humbled indeed by YBhg Tan Sri Datuk Seri Arshad Ayub's invitation to be in his guest list. It was graced by the Honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia  YAB Dato Sri Mohd Naib Tun Razak and the Regent of Perak His Royal Highness Tuanku Raja Dr Nazrin.

The Merdeka Award aims to promote thought leadership and innovation, foster a culture of excellence, encourage a worldview, thereby enhancing Malaysia's standing as a dynamic, competitive 21st Century Global Player in all key sectors from Science and technology to the arts. The idea of a Merdeka Award was conceived by the major global O&G and energy  multinationals namely ExxonMobil, Petronas and Shell.

This year's recipients are: Tan Sri Datuk Seri Arshad Ayub (for outstanding contribution in shaping Malaysi'as education landscape through the development of professional education, education reforms, and innovation that have resulted in education becoming more accessible to Malaysians) and Raja Tan Sri Datuk Seri Muhammad Alias (joint recipient in the Education and Community Category , for outstanding contribution to rural development and rural reform through organizing successful land settlement projects (FELDA) for the many landless, rural population in Malaysia); Dr Lim Boo Liat in the Environment Category for outstanding contribution to the conservation of Malaysia's biological diversity ; Tan Sri Dato' Dr Yahya Awang in the health, Science and Technology Category  for outstanding contribution to pioneering the development of clinical research and cardiac surgery in Malaysia and for his instrumental role in the establishment of the National Heart Institute (IJN) and Emeritus Professor Dato' Dr Lam Sai Kit for an Outstanding Scholastic Achievement (scholarly research and development in medical virology and emerging infectious diseases including dengue).

Tan Sri Datuk Seri Arshad's acceptance speech was as always, a constant reminder of his no-nonsense disposition, discipline, commitment and passion for whatever he has chosen to do the past 85 years. A role model and inspiration to his 7 children and 28 grandchildren and to me too.

I think everyone who were at the awards ceremony will never forget, in his acceptance speech, Tan Sri  Dato' Dr Yahya Awang said " ... and finally I like to thank my wife for allowing me to mend all the broken hearts in Malaysia" gagagagagaga. hahahaha. i thought that was really cute, cleverly thought out punchline.. humorous indeed. You wouldn't expect anything less from someone who graduated from Monash University would you? hehehe. 

Which reminds me..of this tale I used to share at collision repair industry conferences : once upon a time, a mechanic was removing the cylinder heads from the motor of a car when he spotted  the famous heart surgeon in his shop, who was standing off to the side, waiting for the service manager to come to take a look at his car. The mechanic shouted across the garage, "Hello Doctor! Please come over here for a minute." The famous surgeon,a bit surprised, walked over to the mechanic. The mechanic straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag and asked argumentatively. "So Doctor, look at this. I also open hearts, take valves out, grind them, put in new parts, and when I finish, this will work as a new one. So how come you get the big money, when you and me is doing basically the same work? The Doctor leaned over and whispered to the mechanic "Eh hello taikor...try to do it when the engine is running leg?"   

Hmmm... could that famous heart surgeon be Tan Sri Dato' Dr Yahya Awang? I'll have to ask him when we do meet the next time. hehehe. Good night folks...     

The Global Journey of An Asian...

Ralph Waldo Emerson couldn't have said it better when he said "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us". My good ole fren Datuk Palan PhD has proven what R W Emerson meant. Palan has unleashed what lies within him.

I have known Dr Palan many years now, long before his Datukship from the Sultan of Perak. I was delighted yet humbled to have been in his guest list for the launch of his "The Global Journey of An Asian" book at Dewan Sivik MBPJ recently. Met many old frens and colleagues too. Many HR hotshots past and present. Ishak Hashim, Ramley, Nordin Ahmad, Prof Azizi Dean of OYA, Datuk Prof Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid  DVC of INTI Baccalaureate International University et al... just to name a few.

The Mentri Besar (Chief Minister) of Perak was also present. He smiled when he saw me because he remembered passing me a cup of hot tea under the tent we were staying in Mina while performing our Haj in 2010. It was sweet of him to call his photographer to snap a picture of us. The photographer emailed me the shot immediately the next day..haha.

I was saying? Yes, I knew Palan way back when I was at KTMB. During the early days of the HRD Congress that he organizes every year, there was one year where he asked me to speak. The topic was 'Change your Shoes, not your Feet' very much about personal and organizational change management. I have been with him many times after that either as a participant, moderator or panelist. Of course I like it when its abroad hahaha. I was panelist at one of his congress held in Jakarta and one in Malacca.

What I like about the book is that it give a true and sincere account of the trials, trepidations, tribulations, challenges, opportunities, the sweet and sour experiences of a journey of an entrepreneur. Not too heavy, written in simple language and with parables and stories and fun..yes fun..which is Palan's hallmark. Not too thick but yes thicker than Tengku Farith's 'Sekali lagi' when he chronicled his experiences and the not -so-smooth route of building up and sustaining his company.

Congratulations Datuk Dr Palan. You have inspired me to write about my own journey too..both corporate and personal. Nanti lah..bila senang2 sikit...I'll probably start with a pictorial one hahaha. Plenty already archived in my iPhoto hahaha..

Noordin Sopiee - A Man & his Ideas...

I promised to write something about Noordin Sopiee, the late Tan Sri. here it is. Sometime last year, I was invited by the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) to attend their  'Dialogue on Diversity, Diplomacy and Peace' at Putrajaya Marriott. Quite a large gathering of scholars, academics, senior high ranking Foreign Service officials past and present and some from our other ASEAN neighbours notably from Thailand and Indonesia. I was given Tan Sri's book 'A Man and his Ideas -selected writings and speeches'. A vey thick book indeed 708 pages inclusive of bibliography, abbreviations and index..hehe

His writings and speeches covers Malaysia nation building, economy, politics and diplomacy, South East Asia, East Asia, East Asia Cooperation, China, Asia in general, regional and international community- Asia Pacific Community, Commonwealth, WTO, Globalisation and others...

I particularly like the first page of his writing 'Quantum Leap' that was reprinted from 'Malaysiana : News Straits Times Annual, Kuala Lumpur: Berita Publishing, 1992 pp 172-175. Here goes:

"there are nations which are stuck in the past, with little to look forward to and whose accomplishments are long gone. There are nations that are grappling with so much of the present that they have little time for the future. Malaysia fortunately, is a country which can look back with reasonable satisfaction, which can live in the present with reasonable relish, and which can look forward to the future with substantial anticipation. Of course Malaysians must always guard against letting things go to their heads. Humility is always necessary. Arrogance is never ever justified. God punishes pride pride by guaranteeing a fall. 

It has often been said that a pessimist is merely a well-informed optimist. This is unfortunately true in the case of many parts of the world. In the case of Malaysia, it would seem that the optimist is merely a well-informed pessimist."

if only the late YBhg Tan Sri Noordin Sopiee is still alive today and notice that our neighbours have overtaken us in many respects like even Vietnam is in 17th rating in a recent education poll...I wonder what Tan Sri's rantings would be like... hehehe. I rest my case. If you get a chance to read about the thinking behind this illustrious son of the soil, you would agree with me that Malaysia is not short of smart intelligent and global Malays...we don't seem to reproduce many people like him anymore. even if there are, they seem to be under-ulitised or marginalized.. (a well informed pessimist remark hehehe)...

Menyuburkan Kembali Jiwa Akademia?...

Sometime last year I was appointed a member of the Board of Studies, MBA programs at the International Business School, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (IBS/UTM) at the Kuala Lumpur Campus. We were each given the book authored by former VC Datuk Professor Ir Dr Zaini Ujang who is now KSU2 at the Ministry of Education, Malaysia. It is in malay which meant something like 'Reenergizing the spirit or soul, if you may, of Academia'.

Essentially, the book is a collection of his 2013 new year speeches and some details of UTM's 2013-2020 strategic directions. He began with, and I quote in malay "Saya menjangkakan warga akademia akan terkejut sekali gus tersedar bahawa mereka tidak lagi seharusnya hanyut dengan idealisme   sendiri sehingga membataskan disiplin ilmu masing-masing kepada aspek yang terlalu metodologikal  sehingga sukar dihargai oleh masyarakat umum." 

The first chapter discussess the direction of academia and he begins by asking the ancient 3 big questions. I like it better in malay hehe 'saya ingin memulakan ucapan tahun baru 2013 Masihi ini dengan melontarkan tiga persoalan besar yang sentiasa menjadi mauduk pemikiran para ilmuan sejak zaman berzaman, sejak ribuan tahun dahulu:

(i) Apakah makna 'Pendidikan' dan 'Ilmu' sehingga ramai kita yang sanggup menghabiskan seluruh usia, wang ringgit, jerih keringat dan kudrat untuk mendapatkannya?

(ii) Apakah makna 'pengajian tinggi' 'universiti' dan 'akademia' sehingga tumbuh dan terbina jutaan institusi ilmu, kolej, dan akademi di serata pelusuk dunia ketika ini?

(iii) Apakah 'hasil utama' sebenar sesuatu proses keilmuan, sistem pendidikan, pengajian tinggi, universiti dan akademia?

Then he says "Marilah kita kembali memahami hakikat bahawa universiti adalah gedung ilmu peringkat pengajian tinggi yang seharusnya menjadi wadah budaya ilmu. Universiti sarat dengan idealisme untuk membangunkan modal insan berasaskan kemajuan dan penghayatan ilmu setulusnya."

He then, in chapter 3, propagates the notion of a new academia and introduces the concept of institutional DNA. haha DNA...my favorite subject:

"Akademia baru merupakan gagasan yang lebih menyeluruh tentang pengajian tinggi yang ketika ni memerlukan suntikan dan idealisme baharu untuk terus relevan dan bersaing dengan sektor lain. Akademia baru juga merupakan jawapan kepada pelbagai cabaran berkaitan pengajian tinggi yang seringkali didakwa bersifat terlalu inward looking, teoritikal dan kadangkala tidak berpijak di bumi nyata."

naaah itu dia...haha... I think that's heavy enough for now..hehehe. If you'd like to have a copy of the book you may like to ask from IBS/UTM. Who knows you might get a gratis copy? or you can read mine, if you like hehehe.  Enjoy the long CNY & Federal Territory day) break folks...

Royal Professor Ungku Aziz - a tribute on his 92nd Birthday...

January 28, 2014 recently, was Royal Professor Ungku A Aziz's 92nd birthday. Happy birthday Pak Ungku (as he is fondly known to most Malaysians). Many have made remarks or commented about him in the mainstream media. Including from Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz former Minister  (who was once a lecturer at Universiti Malaya) and from his daughter, Tan Sri Zeti (the current Central Bank of Malaysia Governor).

I had the privilege of working with him from 1986-1988, when I was general manager of the University of Malaya Cooperative Limited. He was chairman then, my boss.  The late Datuk Professor Mohd Yunus Noor was Deputy Chairman and  Associate Professor Mohd Said Kadis was Secretary.

I remember the first day I reported for work and Pak Ungku said 'Encik Khaeruddin, welcome to the University. You are one of the 10 most important people at this University' (which I later soon found out what he meant..hahaha). I know my boss quite well, so when during his birthday and the comments he made in the papers haha why am I not surprised at all. He is very Japanese in many ways, despite being born in London. Much like a Shogun, his management style hehe. So, if you are a Samurai, and if you make a mistake or defy the sacred creed, you know laaa what Samurais need to do... hehehe. I am quite familiar with his diet and how he takes care of his wellbeing. He jogs and swims regularly. I think the whole nation knows that haha. He eats often when we have guests, at Rumah Universiti. Rumah Universiti (or the University House, was then managed by us, UMCoop).  So we know what he likes to eat, the do's and dont's. 

He is the longest reigning Vice Chancellor of the University of Malaya and knows every tree that is planted all around the campus. The Pejabat Hartanah  then, better check with the Shogun first, before cutting down any tree ok. 

I still remember when in 1988 I was summoned by Aishah (his PA) to his office and had to wait no less than 3 hours before I could get an audience with him. I have to to take my turn as there were already plenty of professors queuing up for their turn haha. Then, when I finally got to see him, he said to me 'I just came back from seeing Anwar. Don't believe what you hear or read. In two weeks time, I will have to leave this wonderful job.' Pak Ungku loved his job, the university and the cooperative movement. It was his passion. 

One of the things I had the opportunity of doing, when I served him, was preparing the by-laws of the  Federation of University Coops based on the Japanese Federation of University Coops model. The by-laws, I believe, are still being used in the Federation of Malaysian University Coops. Happy Birthday Pak Ungku. May you live way past beyond a hundred...

much ado about...hmm many many things...hahaha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo7reAlqjZU

I am behind in my blogposts. Sorry haha. Plenty to write, to share to be critical, intellectual, cynical or political. Now that I am  free agent sort off.. I am tempted to get political haha. But for now I think I shall remain apolitical until such times as is absolutely necessary. 

What I would like to do is give tribute to one of my former bosses Royal Professor Ungku A Aziz or fondly known in Malaysia as Pak Ungku. Then comment on two books I got. One is in malay written by former UTM VC Datuk Professor Zaini Ujang and the other one is the late Tan Sri Nordin Sophiee former ISIS Director-General and CEO. I'll do it later..soon. hehehe

In Kuantan now, enjoying the great cool weather, strange actually. I grew up, my early years in Kuantan and being by the seaside it is humid and can be so hot that it makes one become dark hahaha. It's the chinese new year holidays. Will drive back to Kuala Lumpur sunday. Yes, tomorrow is sunday.

Wishing all my Han friends wherever you are all over the world, happy Chinese New Year or Gong Xi Fa Cai..in the year of the Horse, 2014... 

I have plenty to write, but I thought I should learn some more new tricks like updating videos etc etc hahaha.  Oh oh the call for prayer is already heard.. we blog again later later.. cheers fellas..

APTIR 2013? ...bukan petir ye... (it's not lightning ok) hehehe

No no no..definitely not. haha. I was at the launch of the United Nations' Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Trade and Investment Report 2013 (theme: turning the tide towards inclusive trade and investment), this morning (December 2, 2013) at 10 am by the Art Gallery, Chancellery Building, The University of Malaya by Professor Rajah Rasiah my good friend who is an Oxbridge scholar and is now back at the faculty of economics and administration (FEA) as acting dean. He was dean and then as a Khazanah Chair holder, was Director at the university's Regulatory Studies Centre for awhile.

The presentation was followed by reactions from a MIDA official,  Adjunct Professor Khaeruddin Sudharmin  and Dr Lee Hwok Aun from Universiti Malaya and was moderated by Prof Dr Kee Cheok an Adjunct Professor at Universiti Malaya. I had read about the launch of the same report in Sri Lanka and was told it was also launched by OECD last week. I spent the whole night reading the 182-page report ...wondering adoi..what am I going to say/comment on behalf of the private sector! huhuhu

The ideas only came in early this morning before I left the house only to get caught in the morning rush hour jam...huhuhu. I was hoping that my reaction would be the last one. hahaha no no no..after Prof Rajah presented...everybody on the panel looked at me...omg.. so here's what I was blabbering away. It was on LIVE video for the university community and gawd knows who else were watching me...erkkk. it'll probably be on youtube. I hope I did not say anything politically, economically or socially inappropriate. hehehe

I began  by saying...eh hello, in the private sector its all about profits ok...hehehe (or is it? hmmm). No risk no gain. We operate in a world of uncertainty.That's the first thing they teach us at business schools, remember? The private sector (MNCs, public-listed companies, SMEs ) are constantly looking at trends and development to ensure their survival and sustainability. Always exploring for new market opportunities while at the same time mitigating their risks. balancing risks and return while planning their growth strategies. They rely on all sorts of data, research from everywhere  and would sometime buy expensive country specific risk profiles, reports especially those that do business on a global or regional scale.

I then said, while the mantra or main objective is shareholder wealth creation, the private sector has kept up with times and global scenarios. I said that I agree with some of the observations in the APTIR report 2013 that the  era of 'trade and invest now, distribute gains later' is outdated. That the world now demands inclusivity in trade and investment. Inclusivity, which not many people understand or know what it means, is not just about bridging the inequality gap, its also about allowing people to participate in the process.

Then I reminded the audience what JK Galbraith famously said 'Men have been swindling other men on many occasion. In the autumn of 1929, men succeeded in swindling themselves'... The private sector is even tougher than most people  can imagine. Especially after the Enron debacle, after sarbanes-oxley Act was introduced in 2005. Greater demands for corporate governance, corporate social responsibility and compliance with many regulatory reforms. Malaysia with Bursa, Securities Commission, and the companies commission. having to keep abreast with latest developments of trade agreements, the failed (or so it seems) of the WTO doha roundtable. Affecting multilateral, bilateral and preferential trade agreements and now we have the TPPA (go read about it haha).

The report confirms that this is the asia-pacific century and the leading investment hub. And moving closer to home, our ETP is private-sector driven by the way. It would not be complete if I did not end my comments by quoting Gabler (Re-inventing the Government..hehehe). 3 important sectors determine the growth or decline of any economy. The Public, Private and Cooperative Sector. Gabler advocates that some things must always be in Government's hands and must never be outsourced. Especially if is strategic and affect the security and sovereignty of any nation; some things may be left to market forces in determining its growth or demise; and for a preferred equitable distribution of gains or wealth, nothing comes closer to the cooperatives...

Do take a look at the UN Asia -Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2013...its downloadable from the  internet...Happy reading, happy exploring and happy finding some new opportunities from the  55 member nations in the Asia-Pacific region. And oh ya..do have a great week ahead ok...hehehe 

Men are from Mars, Women from Venus...or is it? hmmm...

Remember that book "Men are from Mars, Women from Venus' by Dr Gray published about a decade ago? I read somewhere it sold 50 million copies and translated into 40 languages. 

I was a panelist with two ladies Hani Bohlender and Wendy Mackey Jones of the European Professional Women's Network from the UK and moderated by Munirah Looi a former Citibanker and now President /CEO of Brandt International at the 'Women Extraordinaire Forum 2013'. This forum, hosted in Hong Kong and elsewhere, is for the first time, being hosted or organized here in Malaysia. Tan Sri Rafidah, Aziz Minister of the Ministry for Women, CEO of SME, Politician Datuk Azalina, Iron Lady Datuk Maznah Hamid, Datuk Hazimah of Hyrax, Datuk Dr Norraesah, Sharifah Maria Alfah and other powerful or who's who women in both the corporate and the public sector, were among the many speakers. Why me? haha I guess they wanted to hear views from the men too. I must admit at the outset, that my views were strictly mine and those of my favorite management guru, Tom Peters hehehe.

I accepted to be panelist with a certain degree of fear and trepidation. Fear that I may be hurled with rotten tomatoes or rottens eggs if my remarks were politically incorrect or offensive and intimidating at best haha or someone captures me on her smartphone, uploads it onto youtube, it went viral and next thing you know, I am dead meat. hahaha... Seriously, I had to be very very careful about what I was going to say.

Then I remembered Lord Armstrong, the Cabinet Secretary during Lady Margaret Thatcher days, when he was accused of lying. His Lordship went up to the rostrum at the House of Lords and said.. 'No, I did not lie. I was merely being economical with the truth!' hehehe

But, me being me...when the microphone was in my hand...I was rambling away 'mulots takde insurans' like there was no tomorrow...hahaha.

The topic of discussion was 'women in the new century- women in leadership  and whether or not there were differences in leadership styles between men and women'. Wow, berat tuh..(heavy stuff) haha. And based on recent IMD research there are 3 paradigms (gender blind views, gender conscious view and perception is reality view). And I started off by declaring that I am of the first paradigm (gender blind view). In my last blogpost I promised not to write heavy stuff hehehe. I shall leave it at that ok? But if you like further details, go visit www.womenforum.asia.

The momento I received (photo above) caught my attention. It is figurine of Dewi Shinta. In the Ramayana Epic, she (Dewi Shinta) is the wife of Sri Rama that was kidnapped by Rahwana. Go google the rest of the story. Good night folks and TGIF...hehehe

CSM-ACE 2013 or Cyber Security Malaysia:Awards-Conference-Exhibition...

CSM-ACE 2012 Doubletree Hilton Kuala Lumpur where I first moderated...

I have been asked to chair or moderate many conferences over the years.. across disciplines and industries. There was one time recently I moderated a O&G 2013 conference at JW Marriott, Kuala Lumpur, where the panelists and delegates thought that I must have had years of exposure in the oil and gas industry as I spoke about the new unconventional Gas opportunities with authority hahaha. The guy who asked me was from Frost&Sullivan. See the organiser/delegate feedback on my linkedIn. hahaha. Of course, I had to read up and know as much as I can before I can carry out my duty as a good moderateur, ask the right questions and engage both the speakers/panelists and delegates/participants…eh hello..not an easy thing to do ok?

Last week 13th November, I was again chairing a panel discussion of the above conference (CSM-ACE 2013) at Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur. The track was : Governance & Risk Management and the Topic: Cyber Security as a Proxy for Trade Protection. We were to discuss and deliberate current issues and the formulation and implementation of cyber security policies that are vital to our national security and economic prosperity, on the premise that coherent cyber security policies can ensure a secure, resilient and trusted digital operating environment that best serves the interests of the nation through effective domestic and collaborative international cyber security measures.

The  distinguished panelists and experts in their own right were Thaib Mustafa, VP IT Strategy Telekom Malaysia, Pierre Noel, Chief Security Officer & Adviser, Asia, Microsoft and Megat Mohammad Faisal Khir Johari, Director of Risk Consulting , Deloitte Enterprise Risk Services Sdn Bhd. Noel of Microsoft failed to turn up…hmmm I wonder why..but was told that MH had cancelled that day's flight from Singapore…hmmm. he was swiftly replaced with Iskandar Brown (who just got married 2 weeks ago haha), executive director at BDO. Megat apparently was also at the Inaugural ASEAN Corporate Governance Summit at Langkawi 6/7 Nov and he said he saw me co-chair then…hehehe. 

As usual, I try to avoid typical malaysian-style where, chairmen, moderators speak more than panelists hahaha. I said hello..and Salam 1CyberSecurity..which I realised afterwards that that's about the only thing delegates remember hahaha. It is always a challenge speaking or moderating in the afternoon ok? Anyway, started off with my usual 'Men have been swindling other men on several occasions. In the Autumn of 1929 men succeeded in swindling themselves' - John Kenneth Gailbraith. Then I went on to give the definition of Proxy - authority given to someone to vote or kill others on their behalf hahaha and proxy server….go google it ok?. and I alluded all to go take a look at one of the recent issues of The Economist where there was a special report on the state of the world economy (The Gated Globe)…and why cyber security is really a proxy for trade protection…the interesting debate and deliberations ensued from the distinguished panel of experts…. 

Wow…quite a mouthful and heavy stuff isn't it? I promise my next blogpost won't be so heavy…hahaha.. promise, promise..ok? hehehe. Have a great week ahead now y'all...

Inaugural ASEAN Corporate Governance Summit 2013 Langkawi...

I have been  occasionally chairing, moderating and panelists at the Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance (MICG) conferences and seminars for quite sometime now. I also represent MICG at one of the modules (Internal Controls and Risk Management) for the Certificate of Integrity (CeoI) program of Institut Integriti Malaysia conducted at the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) Academy. 3 cohorts have listened to or oh well, endured or survived the 2 hour ordeal with me hahaha. One of the participants who is with Tekun Nasional came to me and said 'Prof, I was in the second group that you lectured' haha. Very nice of him to come to me. I felt very humbled by that gesture but I also felt bad because I faintly remembered. adoi...

Anyway, I was asked to co-chair this Inaugural ASEAN Corporate Governance Summit 2013 at the Pelangi Meritus Resort & Spa, Pantai Cenang, Langkawi Island, Malaysia...the island that former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohamed had envisioned to give Bali a run for their money..a Bali wannabe sort of hehehe. I was last here at this Pelangi Resort in 2004 when I attended the LID or The Langkawi International Dailogue.

The other 2 chairperson was my good old compadre or fellow retired or pensioned off corporate secretaries hahaha. He was until recently the group legal and secretarial honcho of  the global FMCG company, Nestle and the other one, a UniKL don. Mohd Shah Hashim the Nestle guy, was very good, articulate and disciplined. And very dominant too! hahaha. Sorry Shah, hehehe. He only let me summaries the proceedings of the second day of the summit, at the end just after the final panel session and before the tokens of appreciation were given out hahaha. Shah is a very close friend.  We spoke at the Middle East Company Secretaries Conference in Manama, Bahrain, in 2009. He does great bargains too, that somehow made me buy 2 lovely kashmir carpets at prices you definitely cannot get in Kuala Lumpur. Thanks Shah hehe.

Respectable delegate representation from Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and many company and GLC directors and company secretaries from Malaysia. Good lineup of papers and speakers, regulators included, and there were always lively debates considering that corporate governance is not something fashionable or flavor of the month sort of thingy. It is a calling ( a term used in the movie 'Angels & Demons' to describe the swiss guards protecting the Pope at the Vatican..haha) to both the public and private sectors that in order to attract  investors, and enhance capital markets, and be an engine of a nation's economic growth, ethical and transparent behavior is imperative. I am not about to give a lecture on corporate governance ok? hahaha. You can alway google it or check Youtube. Plenty of stuff there. Omg, its past midnite,and I have my MBA class to teach tomorrow. Good night folks. Have a great weekend...

of The Asia HRD Awards ( http://www.asiahrdawards.com/halloffame.aspx) and stale practices...

Not many people know I was one of the recipient of the 2013 Asia HRD Awards (contribution to the HR Community Category). Some would be excited to know, some would congratulate immediately, others might say 'aah who cares' or 'so what?' huhuhu. We should expect that. I, of all people, should expect that too hehehe. 

Which reminds me of when I was director of the Malayan Railways Training School where one day I told my MD.."Dato', if you think that all the 7500 employees love you, it would just be an illusion ok? I went on to say, that while some would take a bullet for you, some would not hesitate to stab u in the chest right in front of everybody else." He laughed and agreed with me.  Upon reflection, I thought he was going to sack me..hahaha.

I just wanted to humbly thank everyone who were part of the process that enabled me to receive that award last June at the Ritz-Carlton, Jakarta, Indonesia. Thank you very much. A last feather on my cap, after 36 years of corporate life.

I like to share what Peter Cappelli, George  W Taylor Professor of Management at the Wharton School wrote in the October 2013 Harvard Business Review. He highlighted 3 stale practices of HR (succession planning, high-potential programs and workforce planning). He said that many talent management practices developed in the post-World War II era targeted problems that no longer exist or cannot be solved in the same ways they once were (Einstein said something similar to that effect..hehe).

Succession planning - intended to identify the right person to fill a given job years in the future. a failed succession plan can be worse that no plan at all, he contends

High-potential programs - designed to quickly move postwar college graduates (initially engineers) with new skills in running manufacturing operations into leadership ranks, because at the time, few executives had college degrees. But most companies have poor track record when it comes to assessing potential, (tell me abaurit..hehe), so the right people don't always end up in the programs

Workforce planning - many HR departments create detailed estimates of their future talent needs. But if you are uncertain about where your business will be and what kind of turnover you'll experience, no workforce plan will be right. As with succession plans, a failed workforce plan wastes the time and energy spent creating it. It can also lock you in a path that is difficult to change...

Go pick up the October 2013 issue of HBR and read the details...Professor Cappelli is author of Why Good people Can't Get Jobs: The Skill Gap and What Companies Can Do About It (Wharton Digital Press, 2012)

of global HRD trends, good governance and ASEAN Community 2015...

I was in Surabaya, Indonesia last month (23/24 october) on the invitation of the East Java Training & Development  Board (Badan DIKLAT JATIM). They asked me to speak for about two and a half to three hours to 200 participants who are senior government officials from all over indonesia (from Aceh right down to Papua). The last time I was invited to speak to a similar audience was on January 16, 2006. It was a whole day affair at what was then Surabaya Hilton. PIM II Angkatan X or Eselon II. This second invite is for Eselon II & III. They are attending a month-long training program  at Diklat Jatim (much like our Institut Tadbiran Awam Negara or INTAN) preparing them for higher leadership roles in government departments back at their provinces. 

First, I was to give them an overview of latest global trends in HRM/HRD, what other countries around the region are doing and how are these trends assisting the governance process in Indonesia. Then I was also asked to touch on the impending ASEAN Community initiative (much like the European Community, EU) that has been scheduled to take off in 2015 and to what extent will the bureaucratic process enhances or impedes Indonesia's competitiveness when the ASEAN community really becomes like EU.

Oh c'mon, you guys really want me to talk about all these? hehehe. Just google them up ok? Plenty of material available online hehe. Anyway, seyesly (the language of the millennial generation hik3x) to mean, seriously, haha..some are of the view that as business forge ahead looking for newer growth avenues in a sluggish economy, leaders are increasingly banking on talent to achieve this growth so it seems (which personally my reaction would be..ya right! I have been quite vocal and cynical about these talent management buzzword  bla3x...bandied around by HR consultants and practitioners alike hehehe much to the disgust of some of my frens in the HR fraternity..erkk). While business demands, margin pressures, declining budgets, HR Technology, social media, data and analytics are all reshaping the contours of HRM/HRD, what is noteworthy as some are propagating, is the visible rise in HR's focus on these aspects and traditional ways of doing things are being re-examined as HR leaders look at more effective ways of managing and aligning talent with the new business objectives. 

And I quoted from my google search the top 5 HRM/HRD trends namely: Rise of HR Business Partners (nothing new bah..Ulrich has been saying that for  over a decade now..hehehe); One World, One HR (macam 1Malaysia jek? hehe); Enhanced Employee Engagement (which reminds me of Tarita Lubis's presentation/paper at 2008 ARTDO Conference in Bali, when she was with DDI Indonesia); HR and Technology (this I have always accused the IT guys of a clever scheme of making HRM/HRD seem strategic when all they care about is the sale of their software and hardware that only huge multinationals or government-owned companies could afford...oops sorry guys..heheh); and finally, HR Data and Analytics (now this is serious, I repeat, serious serious business because whether you like it or not, the next five years is the era of data scientists..there will be a great demand for these species. Just look at the amount of data we are producing. You tell me. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google and everything else).

Then I moved on to Governance or Kepemerintahan (in Bahasa Indonesia). The difference between governance in the public sector and the private sector and I shared the paper  I presented also at the ARTDO International Conference in Bali in 2008. It was entitled 'HRM and Corporate Governance: Strange Bedfellows?' 

Finally I moved to the ASEAN Community 2015 and shared a very recent research (Guido Benny & Kamarulnizam Abdullah) that was published in the Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs 1/2011:39-67 which summarily suggests that the major criticism of the ASEAN Community (AC) idea is its elitist approach and that it lacks the most crucial components that have brought about the success of other similar regional organizations such as the European Community (EU). The study also found that despite Indonesian respondents' relative lack of knowledge of the AC, they are indeed supportive of the idea under its three core pillars: Security, Economic and Socio-cultural Community.

Phew, that was quite a mouthful isn't it? I then had to take on questions from the 200 participants. Thanks to the moderateur Bpk Dr Ir H Djony Harijanto, it was restricted to 15 oh my God (OMG), toughest questions on earth...hahaha. Oh ya, my slides (very few indeed, were in English) but the 3 hours I delivered in Bahasa Indonesia ok? wink2 dot3x

MMB or Monday Management Babble...hehehe

Not Monday Morning Blues (MMB) ok...hahahaha. Gotcha! Am still springkleening haha. I have this bad habit of jotting down or writing it somewhere, whenever I come across some interesting quotes especially on management and/or leadership.

The first one is by Mr Pfeffer: 

Managers frequently misunderstood the sources of corporate success according to Pfeffer. Contrary to conventional wisdom, he observes, there is nothing magical about being in the 'right' industry, about being large, about being global or even having a barrier to competition in the form of some technological edge or brand equity he rambles on (please take note of this o ye my MBA strategic management students past and present...hehehe). With the right attitude to people, you can be successfully small, local and 'low tech' says Pfeffer, which I couldn't agree more, kind Sir!

The next one is from Charles F Kettering:

"I don't want people of experience working for me. The experienced person is always telling me why something can't be done. He/she is smart; intelligent;he/she thinks he/she knows the answers. The fellow who has not had any experience is so dumb he/she doesn't know a thing can't be done - and he/she goes ahead and does it."

The last one is from Tun Daim, extracted from a forward he wrote in his daughter's first book:

"My greatest satisfaction is to see young entrepreneurs emerge in this complex corporate world. My mind switches swiftly to the tough days of yore when I was struggling to make a mark in the business world, just after i retire from the civil service. The essentials remain unchanged, today, tomorrow, like yesterday, you need to: study, see, seize, strategize, scrutinize, slog away. One must be able to think on your feet and make quick decisions. Yet have the patience to build and not be lured by get-rich-quick dreams."

That's it. Have a great week ahead fellas. Many I suspect would be away from the office today as tomorrow is Awal Muharram holidays,  the first day of the new year in the muslim calendar and last night Pahang won the football match at Shah Alam stadium..hehehe.  I am off to Pelangi Meritus Langkawi Resort tomorrow morning until November 7, to  co-chair the Inaugural ASEAN Corporate Governance Summit 2013...

of SSDDs, rhinos and phyllostachys vivax...

I am still coping with my retirement oh well, I have actually retired mandatorily in 2010. But the 3 year extension by contract in a way, spoilt me haha. I am still springkleening my old documents to make way for some newer paraphernalia that I hadn't brought home from my office. A collection of no less than 15 years of service...hmmm my last employment and the longest. Its either I was too loyal or I was lazy to move on to another organization..hehehe. Same old wine in  a new bottle as some would say, or rearranging the same old furniture in the same old room, or SSDD as some might have it. Same Shit Different Day hahaha. 

As I was going through folder by folder, I came across a newsletter we did way back in March, 2003, when I was Chief Operating Officer (COO) of MRC Malaysia..whatever that means haha. And I thought it would be nice to have it here in my blog, for posterity, if you may, hehe. Here goes:

From the Chief Operating Officer...It has become fashionable to snicker about the foolish mass hallucination of the New Economy. Everyone so it seems, is making references  every now and then, to the dotcom bust. In the current brutal global economy, business pages continue to report and advise everyone to get back to basics. Some are of the view that as the economy become more interconnected, it is characterized by more structural change and less by cyclical change. And in this increasingly boundary less world, where companies, industries and the larger economy constitute one seamless system, continual exploration and adaptation is often a preferred strategy. From another perspective, the world's best performing companies are responding to the increasing pressure placed on them by employees, customers, shareholders, the media and other stakeholders. They realized that business success is no longer measured by the narrow parameters of the auditor's report. They know that their potential impact is huge. That business is not separate from the rest of society and they actively seek to balance their responsibilities in a way that brings mutual benefit to both business and society.

At MRC, we too are under increasing pressure placed on us by employees, shareholders and other stakeholders. Our fundamental mission will continue to be to reduce subjectivity in motor claims estimation. The consciousness of the need to ensure that vehicles damaged in a collision are safely put back on the road will also continue to be MRC's paramount social responsibility. These can only be achieved through concerted efforts by the industry players as a whole. To that end, I am pleased to report  that much progress had taken place. I like to place on record our utmost appreciation to the untiring support and direction of the Central Bank (BNM) insurance regulation team under the present leadership and PIAM's serving management committee for finally coming to terms and meeting us (MRC) halfway as a way forward for the motor insurance and automotive repair industry. We will continue to  build the replacement parts database and to ensure that it is also timely and updated.

There were times my team and I felt like rhinos on a really hot savannah grassland, charging all over the place trying to put out little bush fires. However, I must also put on record, our sincere terima kasih for the very encouraging support from other stakeholders throughout the value and supply chain. MRC-certified front-end estimating system software houses, vehicle manufacturers,,repairers/bodyshops and adjusters and especially those who were part of the initial pilot program, who had enabled MRC to see light and the end of the tunnel. However, as the saying goes, we are not 'out of the woods' yet!

The sudden upsurge in the usage of our centralized database for repair estimation reminds me of a type of timber bamboo with the scientific name phyllostachys vivax. You plant the bamboo and in the first year it produces a one inch shoot. A year later the shoot is still only one-inch tall. You begin to worry. "Does it have enough sunshine? Has there been enough rain?" In the third year, the shoot is still only one-inch tall. The fourth year its the same! You wonder, did I buy a genetically deficient bamboo?" In the fifth year the bamboo grows 90% in just six weeks. The question is: did the timber bamboo take six weeks or five years to grow 90 feet? The answer is five years.

Most of the time was spent laying the root system that would support the stumping growth. I would like to think if at all, this parable (that I stumbled upon while reading 'The learning Paradox', Jim Harris, 2001) had any similarity with our organization, but I hasten to add that we have had other problems as well like putting out little fires here and there as I have mentioned earlier. But I think in our minds, we were quite focused on winning the war and was quite prepared to lose a few battles here and there without compromising our efforts at bridging the local motor vehicle repair industry! A win-win-win situation was always preferred. I believe this approach should continue to be our guiding light.

I'd like to conclude by sharing with you, Richard Dawking's classic book "The selfish Gene" which contends that species are only important as survival mechanisms for their genes. If a chicken is just one egg's way of making another egg, then, following Dawking's argument, one might say that a company is just an idea's way of making another idea. In the fourth wave learning economy, its not the company that's important, it's the people and the ideas in it that must go forward and reproduce."

of too many bosses and too few leaders...

This book was given to me by my colleague who got it personally autographed by the author Rajeev Peshawaria dated September 13, 2013 for me..two days before my birthday. 

Rajeev is CEO of  the International Center for Leadership in Finance or ICLIF Leadership & Governance Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He was  a founding member of Goldman Sach's leadership development program called Pine Street and served as Chief Learning Officer for Morgan Stanley and the Coca-Cola Company as well as Global Director of Leadership Development programs at American Express. Very much like me I guess, a HRD guy but very deep into the exciting and intriguing world of finance. I was  once Director of Training & Development at Malayan Railways.

Which reminds me of what my mentor once told me, that Balance Sheets are like bikinis. What is revealed is interesting, What is concealed, is even more exciting. hehehe. 

When I typed leadership on google, 434,000,000 results came out in less than 0.16 seconds. When I typed management, 2,590,000,000 results came out in 0.19 seconds. On google scholar, 2,470,000 results were out in 0.04 seconds. One can imagine the popularity of these two topics or subject area or discipline if you may. Some would say Bosses do things right (or wrong? hihi) while Leaders do the right things..haha.

I tell my MBA students, that there is no right or wrong in management and leadership. What was wrong then, may be right now. What was right then, may be wrong now. It all depends. We can spend three days and three nights arguing about the differences between a boss and a leader ok.

Rajeev tells us, in his lively and remarkably empowering book, that you only need to focus on three essential principles to become and extraordinary leader. Which he observed  are the foundations of the best leadership - that great leaders clearly define their purpose and values; that nobody can motivate another person because everyone comes pre motivated ; and that a leader's job is not to directly produce results but to create the conditions that will harness the energy of others.

And of course, he goes on to detail his unique and proven program for achieving that leadership excellence that he talked about and shared plenty of illuminating stories from Ford, American Express, Coca-Cola to Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com. Revealing how extraordinary leaders marshall and sustain the level of energy in themselves that is required and how they enlist a core group of proficient co-leaders..

I guess I should leave it at that...telling you everything wouldn't be much fun isn't it? Go get a copy of your own...and tell me that what I said was not in the book at all...hehehe wink2x dot3x. Have a great weekend folks...

ITS 2009 Khaeruddin Sudharmin..London

I was a hit at this International Summit in London in 2009. Spoke on 'Motor Takaful: A Promising Oasis or a Treacherous Mirage?'...whatever that means hahaha... 

If anyone out there who drops by at my blogpost and would like to invite me for a speaking engagement, to chair or to moderate or be a panelist at your conference or seminar, you may reach me at ksudharmin@gmail.com, khaeruddin.sudharmin@mrc.com.my or khaeruddin.sudharmin@aeu.edu.my or whatsapp me at +60193224344. My skype ID is bambangwibowo. 

Well, it used to be FoC or national service or service to mankind..it no longer is the case ok? hahaha...just pay for my flight and hotel and I'd be only too happy to consider. 

But, if you're going to be making lots of money from your conference..you'll need to ask me privately..for my rates....hehehe

Have a good day  and enjoy the rest of the weekend folks...no hard feelings..its all economics ok...kuang3x. 

Cheers, 

Prof K

of jerusalemthemovie and eid mubarak...

A friend emailed me a url 'jerusalemthemovie'. I have been watching it again and again. Awesome cinematography. While understanding 1500 years of history and the world's 3 great monotheism. Not many people know that the church of sepulcher, the caretaker, the guys who hold the keys and open it every morning and closing it in the evening, for generations, are two trusted muslim families... ok lets leave Jerusalem and masjidil Al Aqsa and come closer home...

Not too long ago i wrote about eid mubarak and some peculiar if not a common phenomena, that takes place during raya especially eidul fitr (not so much during eidul adha). About family siblings rushing home to kampong and if you're not 'darah biru' or 'bergelar'  or 'knighted' as the brits call it hehe..you'd probably have to sleep in the kitchen area. And talking about the kitchen area, try not to mess around the kitchen cabinets ok...

Some new observations for this year's eid. Siblings who come home without their partner or spouse. Or  siblings who no longer bother to come home or go elsewhere for reasons known only to themselves. I noticed that that is quite common among families. I may be wrong and a brutal generalisation may not be appropriate or do justice here. I do apologise if that's not true. There was a family who recently lost their mum and dad. Most congregated back home for raya. There was an obvious change in mood. People were friendlier, caring and cooperative and one can feel that togetherness in the air that has been missing for quite awhile actually. Unlike those days of yonder. Full of pretense, cloak and dagger stuff, petty jealousies or rivalries, if you may. I think that's a good sign and a good omen. Life is short, good things in life are ever so brief..I say this time and again. ok ok..what about your family when you got home this time around? Was it better or was it as ever..pathetic?...huhuhu.

Sorry folks, this should have been posted somewhere sometime during that eid mubarak period.  People are already into the hajj or pilgrimage season (for us muslims) and october 15 is eidul adha. Or 'hari raya korban' as they say it in malay.