Malaysia Retailer|Vol 6|No 3|2018|Optimax

Vol 6 No 3 2018

MIRF 2018 Brings Retail Digitalisation To Forefront

WM RM9 / EM RM11

BOTH EYES ON ETHICS

Pioneer Ophthalmologists Dr Chuah Kay Leong and Dr Stephen Chung Soon Hee with Sandy Tan Sing Yee, CEO of Optimax Eye Specialist

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Tel: 603-5882 4333 Fax: 1 700 810 950 Website: www.mrca.org.my PRESIDENT Datuk Seri Garry K.S. Chua ROTOL FOOD-CHAIN (M) SDN BHD IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Dato’ Liaw Choon Liang, JP FOCUS POINT HOLDINGS BHD DEPUTY PRESIDENT Dato’ Vincent Choo Kok Leong URBAN IDEA SDN BHD VICE PRESIDENTS Dato’ Liew Bin BRILLIANT MERCHANDISING SDN BHD Valerie Choo Yoke Shiem Simply Awesome Sdn Bhd Shirley Tay Bee Koo SUNRIDER INTERNATIONAL (M) SDN BHD Datuk Seri Dr. Chai Kee Kan KK SUPERMART & SUPERSTORE SDN BHD SECRETARY GENERAL Ken Phua Cheng Chuen BENTLEY MUSIC SDN BHD DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL Dato’ Bruce Lim Aun Choong SKILLS JOHOR SDN BHD TREASURER GENERAL Dato’ Alex Wong Che Sing HAP SENG STAR SDN BHD DEPUTY TREASURER GENERAL Dato’ Winnie Lim Yoke Chin SOLUTION RISK CONSULTANTS SDN BHD COUNCIL MEMBERS Seak Thean Pow BAGUS CURTAIN SDN BHD Dato’ Choi Wei Yee SUNLIGHT TAXI SDN BHD Dato’ Syed Kamarulzaman Dato’ Syed Zainol Khodki Shahabudin PERBADANAN NASIONAL BERHAD Dato’ Dr Edmund Lee Kim Hock KLUANG STATION F & B SDN BHD Datin Flora Tan Joo Hua TRANSTEL TECHNOLOGY (M) SDN BHD William Tang Chee Weng The Store Corporation Berhad Brian Tham Jee Ping WATATIME (M) SDN BHD Nicholas Chong Kah Yean YFS CORPORATE (M) SDN BHD Jeff Yong Chun Loong KIMMA SDN BHD Raymond Woo ARORI (M) SDN BHD Sharan Jethanand Valiram Valiram Trading Sdn Bhd FOUNDER PRESIDENT Dato’ Eddie Choon POH KONG HOLDINGS BHD Malaysia Retailer Vol 4 No1

PRESIDENT COUNCIL Dato’ Eddie Choon POH KONG HOLDINGS BHD Datuk Albert Chiang BONIA CORPORATION BHD Datuk Lee Hwa Cheng KACHING NETWORK SDN BHD Dato’ Tay Sim Kim OSIM (M) SDN BHD H.E. Datuk Seri Nelson Kwok, JP HONORARY CONSUL OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOZAMBIQUE TO MALAYSIA NELSON’S FRANCHISE (M) SDN BHD Dato’ Liaw Choon Liang, JP FOCUS POINT HOLDINGS BHD Datuk Seri Garry K.S. Chua ROTOL FOOD-CHAIN (M) SDN BHD BOARD OF ADVISORS YB Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai PRESIDENT OF THE MALAYSIAN CHINESE ASSOCIATION Dato’ Dr. Jennifer Low, JP GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR, QUILL GROUP OF COMPANIES Tan Sri Dr Lim Wee Chai CHAIRMAN, TOP GLOVE CORPORATION BHD Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Leong Hoy Kum GROUP MD, GROUP CEO, MAH SING GROUP BHD Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Barry Goh Ming Choon CHAIRMAN OF MCT BHD Tan Sri Datuk Tee Hock Seng JP GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR OF BINA PURI HOLDINGS BHD PRESIDENT’S ADVISOR Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Tang Yeam Soon THE STORE CORPORATION BERHAD PRESIDENT’S ADVISOR FOR EVENT & PR Tan Sri Datuk Danny Ooi D’TOUCH INTERNATIONAL SDN BHD LEGAL ADVISORS Ringo Low RINGO LOW & ASSOCIATES Dato’ Dr Manjit Singh MANJIT SINGH SACHDEV, MOHAMMAD RADZI & PARTNERS HONORARY AUDITOR Dato’ Sri Raymond Liew Lee Leong MCMILLAN WOODS OTHER FOUNDING MEMBERS Dato’ Chin See Keat Wong Chee How

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President’s Message Dear esteemed members,

Datuk Seri Garry KS Chua, President, 2016-Present, Malaysia Retail Chain Association

As I enter my second term as MRCA President, I would like to put on record that the last two years have been an enormous journey for all the members and the Council. The Exco and Council have worked very hard to set high standards and benchmarks to ensure that MRCA will always add value for our members. The new line up in the Council will also see new faces such as Datuk Vincent Choo of Subway who is the Deputy President of the Association.

One of the main focus of my second term is to push forward the digitalisation of retail and franchise industry agenda. To further our local engagement, an MRCA delegation headed to Penang to get a northern chapter going. It also allowed us to meet with fellow retailers there and see how we can work together to improve Malaysia’s retail industry. We are also planning to visit Kuching, Sarawak.

We have established close ties with many associations such as PIKOM, ACCCIM, MDCC, Association of Chain Franchise Promotion Taiwan, Malaysia Business Council of Cambodia, Malaysia Business Chamber Vietnam and Hong Kong Malaysia Business Association as the affiliate members. This is one way of helping our members who want to explore business opportunities in these countries.

I’m elated to share that we have plenty of exciting events ahead. One of them is being the Council Installation night. The organising team led

by Dato’ Bruce Lim and William Tang have been working hard to make this night a success. Aside from unveiling the new Council, it is an opportunity for members to network and socialise outside of meeting rooms.

Our biggest event ever is the upcoming Malaysian International Retail and Franchise (MIRF) expo. This year we have more exhibitors participating, hence the event is being held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from July 26 to 28. It is expected to attract 25,000 visitors from 10 countries around the world and is targeted to generate revenue of RM70 million.

We expect a 30% growth in franchise retail by 2020, especially through joint ventures with international retail chains. At MIRF 2018 there will be a large number of international franchise brands taking part. Malaysians should visit the showcase to discuss franchise ventures.

We also have plans to take MRCA Academy to the next level to enhance the retail industry by providing training and learning through the e-learning platform.

Over the next few months we will be organising events such as Media Engagement, CEO Night, MRCA 26th Anniversary Dinner, Charity Run, Charity Golf and Badminton tournaments and charity visitation. I would like to encourage more members to participate in these events. A stronger voice is always needed to bring about real change.

“ENRICHING MEMBERS FOR THE FUTURE”

Malaysia Retailer Vol 6 No 3

CONTENTS / VOL. 6 NO. 3

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MIRF 2018 to Bring Retail Digitalisation to the Forefront

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Catching up with MRCA Deputy President, Dato’ Vincent Choo

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Entrepreneurship & Transformation of Subway

COVER STORY 6 Both Eyes on Ethics

DEPARTMENTS 3 President’s Message ON THE COVER

Dr Chuah Kay Leong and Dr Stephen Chung Soon Hee with Sandy Tan Sing Yee, CEO of Optimax Eye Specialist

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Sandy Tan, the CEO of Optimax Eye Specialist shares how her father started the company, the reason for its success and advice for young entrepreneurs.

FEATURES 11 Catching Up With MRCA Deputy President, Dato’ Vincent Choo 12 Big Plans For The MRCA Academy 14 MIRF 2018 To Bring Retail Digitalisation To The Forefront 18 Desire’ Campaign by Mah Sing 20 Eye Level – Turning Passion In Education Into A Business Opportunity 22 The Move from GST to SST 23 KK Concept Store Opens At The Mines 24 Entrepreneurship & Transformation of Subway 26 MRCA Heads to Penang

28 Going The Last Mile 30 Lim Tayar 31 Asia’s Hottest e-Mall 32 Secret Recipe 33 Malaysia’s Football League

Scores e-Commerce Goal 34 Tealive to Open 500 Stores in China within 3 years 35 Baliayu Spa Sanctuary Introduces New Spa Treatment Concept 36 Start the Morning Right 38 3 MRCA Members Among Recipients of McMillan Woods Global Awards 2018 39 Sunway Lagoon Bags 4 Awards 40 MK Curtain Berhad 42 Ancubic Group: Building Superior Quality & Aesthetically Designed Properties 44 Higher Salary Growth In ICT Industry 45 50 Developers Win PIPDA 2018

CHEQQME 1ST ANNIVERSARY! CheQQme - It’s CheQQme 1st Birthday Party! This month, we will be celebrating our 1st anniversary with loads of goodies

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Both Eyes on Ethics When one thinks of laser eye treatments, the first name that comes to the mind of many Malaysians is Optimax Eye Specialist, the pioneer of laser vision correction in Malaysia. But that is not all. The company’s philosophy and ethics have a big influence in the company’s success. Sandy Tan, the CEO of Optimax Eye Specialist talks about how her father started the company and the struggles of the early days, the reason for the success of the company and advice for young entrepreneurs.

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Ismail in 1995. The rest as they say is history.

The company is now run by his daughter Sandy Tan who studied law and has been exposed to the workings of Optimax since she was 12 when she used to follow her father to visit eye centres and listen to him discuss matters with ophthalmologists. Starting out as her father’s personal assistant, she was given intensive job rotation to familiarise herself with the various departments and operations of the company. Sandy proved her mettle and at the age of 28, earned the confidence of the board of directors who appointed her CEO in 2015.

SEEING LONG TERM “My father got the idea to start the company when he learned about the importance of eye care from an ophthalmologist,” reveals Sandy. People usually do an annual body checkup, but rarely do a full eye check. The eyes are the windows to a person’s soul, but it is also the window into the state of a person’s health as well. The eyes are one of the most overworked organs.

Hence my father thought it was a good opportunity to start an eye centre.”

But at that time, most Malaysians

relied on government hospitals and some well known eye specialist hospitals. “From the beginning, my father knew it would be an uphill climb to attract Malaysians to go to eye specialist centres as a lot of work has to be done to raise people’s awareness about taking care of their eyes and most importantly, to gain the trust of the people,” says Sandy. “The story of Optimax is one that has a lot to do with universal human values. One that involves values such as kindness, trust and sincerity. My father used to emphasise this like a mantra: ‘We have to win our patients over with sincerity.’

These are also the values that guide me.”

It was these values that helped the company overcome its initial struggle and helped it build its brand to what it is today. Sandy also credits the “right people who joined us to build the company together.” She continues, “My father always says this: When you are sincere, people will do their best for you. Because we were really sincere in wanting to offer the best in eye care, we had good and talented doctors who believed in what we were doing and joined us. Our core values formed the foundation of our service and satisfied

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ptimax Eye Specialist has made it possible for people who relied on glasses and contact lenses to have clear vision. It is a life-changing experience for many: the gift of sight sans glasses or contact lenses. Since it started, Optimax has served more than 210,000 satisfied clients. The company, based in Malaysia, attracts patients from all around the world: Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia, Hong Kong, China and Japan.

As the pioneer in laser vision correction, the company has been instrumental in making laser vision correction widely available in Malaysia.

What is remarkable is that the founder and managing director, Dato’ Tan Boon Hock, started life as a mechanical and electrical (M&E) contractor. When he heard about the new laser technology to treat short sightedness, he saw the potential for such a treatment to catch on among Malaysians. He grabbed the opportunity to learn as much as he could about the technology and decided to take the plunge into healthcare services.

He invested RM2 million and set up Optimax. He opened the first Optimax Eye Specialist centre in Taman Tun Dr

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clients began recommending us to others. That’s how we have grown from one branch to 11 today, providing laser refraction procedures to treating patients with various eye diseases, both young and old.”

Since helming the company, Sandy has also injected her own management philosophies into the company. “I promote harmony in the workplace.

I believe in good communication and seeking a win-win solution. I also apply some of my father’s management philosophies. My father is a great source of inspiration to me. He is able to calmly evaluate a situation and find a solution to it.”

THE OPTIMAX ETHICS From the start, Optimax was serious about giving the best service in protecting the eyes. “We know how precious sight is, and we are focused on the patients’ well-being and their eyes.

Our team of doctors has this in mind and we work hand in hand with them to give our patients the best service and results!” explains Sandy.

The company has built a solid reputation thanks to several factors like the offer of lifetime vision warranty.

Sandy explains the rationale behind this: “We know how much hassle and discomfort to patients if they

“We continue to do our best for clients and we do not oversell our services just for the sake of getting market share.”

- Sandy Tan Sing Yee, CEO of Optimax Eye Specialist

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encounter any unexpected incidents during the procedure. Hence, where applicable, we offer a lifetime vision warranty. This also adds to the confidence of our patients that we will walk this journey with them.”

The company also ensures that the doctors at Optimax have the necessary experience in laser refractive treatment, management of eye diseases and other ocular conditions. “Treating over 210,000 patients to date, our doctors understand what the patients are going through and they know what is the best treatment.”

Over the years Optimax has built a strong network based on firm fundamentals. “We have 11 branches nationwide, including one full fledged eye hospital to serve all our patients’ needs. We also have proper facilities and systems in place and we continuously invest in suitable technologies and management systems, including ISO certification.

Audits of our treatment results are also carried out,” explains Sandy.

The icing on the cake is the various prestigious awards that Optimax has won over the years, which recognises its sterling contribution in the ophthalmology industry. The media coverage that the company has received in the print, television, radio

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and digital media for its outstanding service and CSR activities has gone a long way to make the company’s name recognisable to many Malaysians. “We are recognised by the community as a trusted brand,” says Sandy.

KEEPING ABREAST OF CHANGES In the fast moving world of today, to keep abreast of changes the company continues to invest in new technologies.

“We continue to do our best for clients and we do not oversell our services just for the sake of getting market share,” says Sandy. “Our latest branch in Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur offers femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS). We are also in the midst of constructing a hospital in Mt Kiara and converting many of our centres to achieve hospital status. This would mean growing the Optimax family, and we are looking for the right talents to grow together. Top on the list is getting good and reliable ophthalmologists to join us. We are also promoting medical tourism by giving excellent medical care in a relaxing and comfortable environment for our clients, from having a club house to good food.”

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ADVICE FOR WOULD-BE ENTREPRENEURS Everyone wants to be an entrepreneur!

While it is good that so many want to strike out on their own, Sandy cautions would be entrepreneurs to not start a business out of impulse. “Think properly about your motive for starting a business.

Starting your own business because you don’t like your boss or colleagues is probably not a good idea! Think about what product or service you can offer which will attract potential clients.”

After thinking about the business’ mission, Sandy then advises to start to test the market to see if there really is a market out there for the product/service. “Be prepared to pivot if you have to, as what you thought you knew might not be what it really is in reality.

Once you get the business model right, be patient and stick with it.

As the saying goes, many gave up without knowing how close they were to success.”

Catching Up with Dato’ Vincent Choo of Subway

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On a new role as MRCA Deputy President.

ato’ Vincent Choo has been an active member of the retail and franchise industry in Malaysia. He is most known as bringing the American franchise brand Subway to our shores.

Since then, he has turned the brand around, making it a popular choice for Malaysians of all ages.

Although he is busy with his responsibilities at Subway Malaysia, Dato’ Choo also makes time to share his experience and knowledge through his MRCA membership. After being an active MRCA member for many years, he was elected as Deputy President at the recent AGM. This is his first foray into the MRCA Council.

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You have been a long-time MRCA member. Why is it a good time for you to join the Council?

I have always been actively involved as a member. Being in the Council is another step to enhance my life experiences and enhance my fellowship. It will become a greater motivating factor to bring MRCA to greater heights.

What are your thoughts about taking up the post of Deputy President?

I must say that this is a very busy association and a lot of commitment must be dedicated to run this well. One really must be able to dedicate time and energy as you can see many great events and talks as well as collating important information so it is organised and circulated among our members and the public alike. So yes, taking up this position does keep one very busy.

What are your plans and vision for your term?

MRCA is a well-organised and experienced association that already has many great plans in place. My goal is to ensure these are carried out in the best way possible.

What can you bring to enhance the MRCA Council?

My background is in marketing and business development. I run a successful international F&B chain, Subway, which will certainly add value and a wealth of knowledge for the association.

What are your immediate responsibilities for the year?

I take charge directly of the Who’s Who in MRCA Directory and Malaysia Retailer magazine.

What is your opinion on the current retail industry in Malaysia?

It is still very robust as Malaysia is still a very stable country with great tourism to offer as well as

opportunities for good investment with affordable spending. Malaysia has much to offer as a multi-cultural society and we do embrace that quite well too.

What do you think the new government can do to support Malaysian retailers?

We are very hopeful of the new government doing the right “thing”. It should not further burden retailers with more taxes and certainly more dialogues must be held and considered. We hope the government will not implement blanket regulations on wages and foreign help, among others, which ultimately can cause vast problems for many industries, including retailers.

Do you think that the removal of GST will spur high revenue for retailers?

It will be hard to say for now as there will be Sales and Service Tax in place in September. But during this interim period, consumers may take the opportunity to spend and thus will certainly see a boost in retail spending.

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Big Plans for The MRCA Academy The MRCA Academy is set to play a very important role in shaping the retail industry via its training programmes. ll eyes are focussed on the MRCA Academy. Datuk Seri Gerry Chua, upon his re-election as the President of MRCA, said that one of his priorities during his tenure would be to reinforce the importance of the MRCA Academy.

The MRCA Academy was set up during the tenure of Datuk Seri Nelson Kwok, who served as MRCA President from 2014 to 2016. When it was set up, it was touted as a training academy by the industry for the industry. The mission statement of the MRCA Academy is to “Repurpose retail education in the digital economy.”

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ENHANCING THE RETAIL INDUSTRY VIA TRAINING Dato’ Liew Bin, the new head of the MRCA Academy, feels that many things can be done to improve the academy.

“The purpose of the academy is to train our members to provide them with the necessary education in the retail industry,” he says. “One of the benefits of being a member of MRCA is the

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academy and the vast knowledge it can provide via its training programmes. The Government is encouraging industries to embrace the knowledge based economy and the purpose of the academy is to give that knowledge to our members.”

Members can see a stronger and more improved academy that will serve the needs of the members. “A lot of things will be done to improve the academy,” says Dato’ Liew. “The academy can contribute immensely to MRCA members and for the industry as a whole. The Government realises the importance of the retail industry to boost the economy. As an association, it is our responsibility to train the people in the retail industry so that we can enhance and improve the industry and take it to another level. When everybody in the retail industry makes money, it will boost the GDP of our country.”

Because of its role as a provider of knowledge, Dato’ Liew feels that the MRCA Academy is one of the most important departments in the MRCA. “If we do not provide training for our

members, I think whatever else we do is wasted. People in the retail industry need to be trained just like people from other industries as well, especially now with globalisation, digitization and other technological changes that will impact our industry.”

The topics covered in the training modules will also be relevant and current in the industry. The first programme that the academy started this year is on Sales and Service Tax (SST). Members were taught the difference between SST and GST and what effect the SST would have on retailers and consumers.

Many more interesting programmes have been lined up for the whole year and announcements will be made soon, promises Dato’ Liew.

EMBRACING THE E-LEARNING PLATFORM Under his stewardship, members can look forward to more training and learning via the e-learning platform.

“My idea is to provide all members with

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“The purpose of the academy is to train our members to provide them with the necessary education in the retail industry.” ~ Dato’ Liew Bin, Head of the MRCA Academy

a password and with it they can access the e-learning platform,” explains Liew.

“The academy will record all lectures, talks and edit them into 10 or 15 mins sessions of recordings where members can log in and learn more about a particular subject.”

A MORE PROFESSIONAL ACADEMY The academy will be run more professionally by providing services that relate to the members, promises Dato’ Liew. One such service is providing research that is relevant to

the industry. “The MRCA Academy will also conduct a lot of research because we as an industry just cannot rely on other people’s research about the retail industry,” explains Liew. “We should have our own research methodology so that at any given moment we can give our members a clear indication of what is going on and what are the expected trends that will affect the retail industry.”

Eventually he hopes the MRCA Academy will evolve and develop to become a very important and influential institution like a college. “We hope one day the MRCA Academy will become the top institution for gaining knowledge about the local retail industry. It has the potential to become a major income earner for MRCA and for enhancing the influence of MRCA in the retail industry.”

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MIRF 2018 To Bring Retail Digitalisation To The Forefront Malaysia’s largest retail and franchise expo to be held from 26 to 28 July at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, boasts a 20% increase in exhibitors. he Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA) has officially announced the third Malaysia Retail & Franchise (MIRF) exhibition during a media conference recently at Menara MATRADE, Kuala Lumpur.

Going from strength to strength, the MRCA is highly optimistic about this year’s exhibition as more exhibitors signed on to participate in the three-day show. Organising Chairman Raymond Woo said 25,000 trade visitors are expected, compared to 21,000 recorded in the previous show.

Visitors can expect nearly 300 booths helmed by companies in retail, franchise and supporting industries from more than 10 countries.

Themed “Platform for Growth”, the exhibition also aims to provide a platform as a catalyst for local and international exhibitors to interact and explore business matching opportunities locally and globally.

In line with MRCA’s goal, the

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exhibition hopes to encourage crossborder retail expansion as well as becoming a primary hub in Southeast Asia to seek prospective retailers and franchisers/franchisees. Visitors will be able to look for varied opportunities.

Raymond Woo said: “This makes it an essential event for retailers and consumers as they would be able to interact, transact and form new collaborations as well as cross-border partnerships. We are confident that this year’s exhibition will be far more successful as many have seen how our previous ones have effectively opened up new business opportunities to the public.”

He is also confident that MIRF 2018 will record up to RM100 million in transactions and deals compared to the RM65 million last year.

MRCA president Datuk Seri Garry Chua added: “We are pleased to present the event for the third year running, and hope to promote Malaysia’s economic development and create more fruitful

entrepreneurial opportunities for local businesses.”

This year, the exhibition will be centred around digitalisation, which focuses on leveraging the enhancement of technology by adopting new ways of transactions such as artificial intelligence (AI), e-wallet payment and machine learning.

This will help to shape a new burgeoning economic landscape in Southeast Asia, especially in the retail and franchise industry. The exhibitors will be exposed to a new ecosystem and have an opportunity to develop their initiatives in technology.

With the emergence of e-commerce industry recently, it has revolutionised the traditional brick-and-mortar businesses globally as well as bridging the gap between business and technology.

“We are venturing into digitalisation this year as it goes hand-in-hand with the current purchasing trend from the consumers. We are blessed to be

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witnessing the evolution of technology by utilising various functionalities and I am positive that the platform we are creating will ensure a positive growth of the industry,” said Raymond Woo. “We have partnered with industry’s best players and we are hoping that the exhibition this year will result in a fruitful of entrepreneurial success in the future. Thus, such platform is vital to promote industrial growth in line with the technology breakthrough as a stepping stone for countless entrepreneur out there,” added Datuk Seri Garry.

He added that MRCA has established close collaboration with many associations such as PIKOM, MDCC, Association of Chain Franchise Promotion Taiwan, Malaysia Business Council of Cambodia, Malaysia Business Chamber Vietnam, Hong Kong Malaysia Business Association as the affiliate members.

“These organisations are related to MRCA in a way and this will help members who wish to explore business opportunities in these countries, in terms of connectivity,” he said.

During the media conference,

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2018 Malaysia International Franchise Biz Matchmaking

MRCA and the Association of Chain and Franchise Promotion, Taiwan (ACFPT) are jointly organising a Business Matchmaking event during MIRF 2018 on 27th July at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC).

The Biz Matchmaking will serve as a trade link between Malaysian suppliers and buyers and top-rated Taiwanese suppliers. It is also aimed at providing more effective business opportunities for both parties as well as develop a more convenient platform to create win-win business opportunities.

The event is scheduled to begin at 2pm at the Hospitality Lounge 5 at KLCC. Allen Chou, Vice Chairman of ACFPT and Dato’ Liew Bin, Vice President of MRCA, will officiate at the event. Several Taiwanese companies are taking part in the session where they will be introducing a range of products such as machinery equipment for soy mile, homemade drinks, Taiwanese fried chicken, shaved ice and snacks, among others, to potential Malaysian clients.

MRCA and Mah Sing Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cement their partnership and collaboration in the MIRF 2018.

MIRF 2018 is sponsored by RHB (Gold Sponsor), TM (Gold Sponsor) and Mah Sing (Platinum Sponsor). Supporting partners include Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Secretariat for the Advancement of Malaysia Entrepreneurs, Commerce Development

Research Institute, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCIM), The National ICT Association of Malaysia (PIKOM), Asiawide Franchise and Global Creative Media Agency (GCMA).

The exhibition is also endorsed

by Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Ministry and Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation.

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‘Desire’ Campaign by Mah Sing Mah Sing Group Berhad offers 19 completed and soon-to-be completed projects nationwide. The Group also targets to complete its Vacant Possession (VP) via a digitised process for this year. he property developer recently launched its ‘Desire’ campaign that sees a selection of the Group’s homes and commercial spaces nationwide bundled into a hassle-free, affordable sales package for anyone looking for ready-to-move-in homes as well as workspaces.

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ADDRESSING THE RISING DEMAND This sales campaign rewards its buyers with a myriad of attractive perks upon purchase of any of 19 projects nationwide, either for personal stay or commercial activities. One of the benefits entails buyers the ability to move-in instantly, with the Group providing complimentary renovation consultation from its professional panel of ID consultants as well as furnishing packages and moving-in services.

Apart from the attractive sales packages, the campaign’s main aim is to address the nation’s rising demand for more quality ready-to-move-in homes and work spaces. Mah Sing’s Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Ho Hon Sang said that there is a pent-up demand for completed properties and the campaign aims to accommodate this growth. “Through ‘Desire’, Mah Sing gives buyers the opportunity to own their own properties and move in instantly, absolutely hassle-free.”

The Group promises prime quality in the products they offer as each project will undergo a stringent quality inspection; QLASSIC audits, pre-delivery inspections by a highly-trained quality team and external assessments by Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB).

Datuk Ho continued, “Buying a completed product eliminates the guesswork and risk associated with buying something off-plan. We will exercise great care to equip every home or work space with the most efficient layout and superior set of amenities.” Other perks include easy

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L-R: Mah Sing’s Director of Group Strategy & Operation, Lionel Leong, Mah Sing’s Chief Executive Officer Datuk Ho Hon Sang and Mah Sing’s Director of Group Strategy & Operations, Rachel Leong.

ownership financing packages - flexible financing schemes with a low deposit, affordability – ability to adjust the payment of financial schemes to limit down payment as well as viewing the actual unit itself.

The desirable selection of housing, workspaces and industrial buildings include Greater KL’s Lakeville Residence in Jalan Kuching, M City in Jalan Ampang, D’sara Sentral in Sg Buloh, Penang’s The Loft@Southbay City and Ferringhi Residence as well as Johor’s Meridin East, Meridin Medini and Meridin Bayvue.

DIGITALLY WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS When buyers opt to buy their homes or workspaces through the ‘Desire’ campaign, they will be able to enjoy the newly adopted digitised process of Vacant Possession in 2018. Mah Sing introduced the digital VP process earlier this year for the VP of its Avens Residence.

Datuk Ho shared, “Vacant Possession is very important to us as well as our homebuyers as they will step into their home for the first time. This new process has shortened the time taken for the customers to complete the required documentation and paperwork which will be replaced with more interaction time with the customer

service personnel to better understand the development.”

ENHANCING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE As the Group constantly works towards further enhancing customers’ experience, future handovers will incorporate the Group’s digitised VP process system. Homeowners who collect the keys of any Mah Sing homes can experience a paperless and hasslefree VP process where everything is done online. The customer service personnel will conduct a one-on-one session with each buyer to give them insights on the development and house rules. Upon completing the VP process, the VP form will be signed digitally by the buyer and instantly sent to their email for their record.

The Groups has also launched a ‘MY Mah Sing’ app which allows for an efficient and transparent communication between homeowners with the property management team and Mah Sing’s customer service team. Some of its features include an Integrated VP scheduler, timely photo updates on construction progress on purchaser’s properties and Defect Management Report, Property Management Administrator, among others. The application can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Commercial Projects Featured in Desire Campaign

SOUTHVILLE CITY, KL SOUTH, SAVANNA LIFESTYLE SHOPS Location Bangi, Selangor Type of Property Integrated Mixed Development Commercial & Residential Hub Land Status Freehold Project Size 428 acres Total GDV RM11.1 billion Southville City is a well-connected, integrated township with a contemporary palette of modern amenities and eco features. Bangi’s latest, up-and-coming growth centre, the masterplanned township has commercial hubs such as the Savanna Boulevard Shops which comprise 4 blocks of 3 storey building with a total of 28 units and built ups from 4,407 sq ft. These spacious lots are ideal for F&B outlets, mini marts, boutiques and more. There is also an avenue for catering to the area’s ready catchment as well as its surrounding municipalities.

All precincts in Southville City will be gated and guarded and the development itself will have lush greenery as part of its landscape features.

Southville City is located next to the KL-Seremban Highway and the direct interchange built into the Highway shortens the distance to Kuala Lumpur to just 19km.

D’SARA SENTRAL (Retail Shops) Location Sungai Buloh, Selangor Type of Project Mixed Development – Retail Shops, SOVO, Service Residence Project Concept Reinvented, Enhanced Urban Project Size 6.55 acres Land Status Leasehold Total GDV RM937 million D’sara Sentral is a transit-oriented development with direct access to Kg Selamat MRT station and has both residential and commercial components. Comprising 105 units of retail shops, one tower of SoVo

and four towers of Serviced Residences, D’sara Sentral is strategically located right opposite the Kg. Selamat MRT station. A covered walkway shortens the walking distance to the station.

The retail component is now 85% taken up and enjoys the newly adopted digitised process of Vacant Possession. The VP of the project is timely as businesses in the retail shops will get to enjoy the ready catchment of 4,300 residents within the development as well as the nearby community.

It is anticipated that D’sara Sentral will be the “catalyst of growth” in the Sungai Buloh area. It has a potential to become the hotspot for people to gather because of its promising outlook of retail shops as well as convenient accessibility. There will be a further boost of population growth in the area as it is located near to a 2,330 acres of Kwasa Damansara project which is currently under development. Upon the completion of the project, it is estimated to have about 150,000 people residing in that area.

D’sara Sentral is easily accessed from all parts of the Klang Valley via Jalan Sungai Buloh, Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP), NorthSouth Highway and Selayang-Kepong Highway.

GARDEN BOULEVARD Location Cyberjaya, Selangor Type of Property Serviced Apartments & Retail Land Status Freehold The Garden Boulevard is an integrated development nestled within the bustling city of Cyberjaya that is easily accessible by public transport. This award-winning location of unique homes and signature landscaping themes ensures that businesses will benefit from the favourable vicinity’s ready catchment.

ICON CITY (Retail Shops) Location Petaling Jaya, Selangor Type of Property Integrated Mixed Development Retail Shops, SOVO, Service Residence Project Concept Contemporary, Live Work & Play Project Size 20 acres Total GDV RM3.2 billion Multiple award-winning Icon City is an integrated mixed development which recently received MSC Malaysia Cybercentre status. With the MSC Malaysia Cybercentre status, companies within Icon City are entitled to a set of incentives, rights and privileges as provided in the MSC Malaysia Bill of Guarantees.

Icon City features 30 7-storey and 8-storey shop offices, Neon Food Hub (56 units of 4-storey retail shops), 2 towers of Icon Residenz serviced suites, 2 towers of i-SOVO, and 1 tower of The Volt (MSC Building). The entire development is 97% taken up. Phase Two of Icon City is currently in planning stage with upcoming launch in the near future. A unique feature of Icon City is the Ark Event Space which consists of 2 levels (5,000sq ft each) of event space overlooking the Petaling Jaya skyline. A vibrant and modern indoor space, it is suitable for closed door event, meetings, performances, exhibitions and more.

Strategically located at the intersection of the Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP) and Federal Highway, Icon City is a few minutes away from New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE), Shah Alam Highway (KESAS), ELITE and New Pantai Expressway (NPE).

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Eye Level – Turning Passion In Education Into A Business Opportunity Are you passionate about working with children? Do you love helping them develop essential skills and perform better in school? If the answer is ‘yes’, then starting an Eye Level learning center is what you are looking for. ye Level is an international supplementary education program that helps children to further develop their Math and English skills – with emphasis on self-directed learning, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

By running an Eye Level center, you have the opportunity to help children to perform better in school, enable them to have a wider range of career options in future and enjoy better quality lives.

Eye Level’s robust curriculum, developed over the past 40 years, is the result of intensive and extensive research together with strategic global bench-marking of best practices in teaching and learning methodologies and content. At Eye Level, an effective individualised learning plan is designed based on the individual learner’s academic level, personal interest and learning ability. This, in essence, is why it is known as Eye Level. We start our students at a level that matches their ability and then plot a progressive learning plan that allows for the child to learn at their own pace.

Eye Level Critical Thinking Math is world-renowned for its well-crafted syllabus aimed at developing problem solvers, critical thinkers and lifelong learners. For Eye Level English, four important fundamental skills in children – listening, speaking, reading and writing – are developed. Eye Level English also includes the development of communication skills and content knowledge by enhancing literary skills.

Eye Level is owned by Daekyo Co. Ltd., a well-established Korean-based public listed company founded in 1975.

Eye Level is recognised worldwide and its centers have more than 2 million students enrolled in over 22 countries.

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Daekyo has since become Korea’s leading and most admired organisation for its achievements in enrichment education.

In Malaysia, Eye Level has grown from strength to strength since it started operations in 2004. It are one of the leading education brands in Malaysia, with over 100 franchisees, and enrolled students exceeding 10,000 at any given time. It achieved all this by being one of the best in the business of making kids smarter! Its steady and sustainable growth strategy focuses on getting the right franchisees who share the passion and belief in Eye Levels’ philosophy and methodology.

An education business franchise provides a wealth of rewarding

experience in terms of educating children for a better future. Parents are always concerned about their children’s education and career, and will do all they can to improve their children’s future. The growing demand for supplemental educational services makes education franchising a strong and sustainable business opportunity.

There are still many opportunities for establishing Eye Level centers throughout Malaysia. If you dream of starting your own learning center, we welcome you to explore the Eye Level franchise business with us. Please call the Franchise Recruitment Department (Ms. Reese Yeo at 016 262 2767) to find out more details on how you can be part of the Eye Level family.

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The Move From To As promised by Pakatan Harapan as part of its election manifesto, the hugely unpopular GST has been scrapped as of 1 June 2018 to be replaced by the Sales and Service Tax (SST) from 1 September. Will the move from GST to SST really make a difference to consumers, business and the country?

By Datuk Seri Raymond Liew

he political tsunami of 9th May 2018 saw the Pakatan Harapan (PH) led by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir, sweep into power. Tun Dr Mahathir, who led the country during the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997 is once again at the helm of the country as he tries to steer it through rough economic times.One of PH’s election manifesto is to abolish the hugely unpopular Goods and Services Tax (GST) which was blamed as the cause for the rising prices that affected the middle and lower income Malaysians. The Ministry of Finance announced on 16th May 2018 that the GST will be zero-rated effective 1st June 2018.

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OUT GST, IN SST! The GST will be replaced with the Sales and Service Tax (SST) which will be introduced on 1st September. The proposed tax rate for the SST is 10%. As SST has a “narrow tax base” the overall impact on business is not as drastic as GST since it only affects certain products and services and does not cascade across the board like the GST. The three month interim period between 0% GST and the onset of the SST is considered a tax holiday for consumers where they hope prices will hopefully come down.

Hopefully the transition will be smooth for the businesses as there is an urgent need for frank dialogues and discussions between the Government and businesses. The Government has always been pro-businesses and I am

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confident that the transition will be smooth for the businesses as there will be rounds of dialogues and discussions between the Government and businesses as the Government gathers views on SST.

IMPACT OF SST The change to 0% GST should improve the cash flow of businesses, especially SMEs. However, it may have little impact on bigger businesses which are primarily exporting their products or services.

Consumers can expect food, beverage and retail prices to be lower. Property prices, especially newer houses, automobiles and air travel can also expect to be marginally lower. SST is expected to create more disposable income, which will translate into boosting consumer spending, spur private consumption and increase business activity.

However, there is a possibility that products and services covered under SST will see an increase in prices. In the months between the abolition of GST and introduction of the SST, some unscrupulous parties may take advantage of the situation and engage in non-compliance and profiteering. It is very important that the Government carries out monitoring and enforcement activities effectively.

We applaud the Government’s efforts to strengthen the economy by whatever means. We hope that the SST will be a better tax system than the GST– that it will bring in the extra revenue needed by the Government without causing hardship to the people.

Datuk Seri Raymond Liew is McMillan Woods’ managing partner, a chartered accountant and tax advisor.

The Difference Between SST And GST

SST

Narrow tax base – one level of production

GST

Broad base – multilevels of production

Cascading and compounding effect Cascading and compounding effect eliminated

No relief for export Exports are zero rated and input tax is claimable Clarification issues

Minimal clarification issues

Declining in tax productivity

Increase in tax productivity

Tax rate between 6 and 10%

Tax rate is 6%

First of many ventures by KK SUPER MART into setting up shop in popular malls. he auspicious number 333 denotes, in Chinese, longevity. It is also the number of stores KK SUPER MART has across Malaysia.

On 14 July 2018, KK SUPER MART opened its 333th store at The Mines Shopping Mall in Mines Resort City just outside Serdang. This marks the company’s first foray into setting up outlets in shopping centres in Malaysia.

The KK 2.0 Concept Store was launched by Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry Deputy Secretary-General Dato’ Basaruddin Sadali, KK Group of Companies Founder and Group Executive Chairman Datuk Seri Dr KK Chai and The Mines Assistant Centre Manager Trish Ang Lay Choon.

To celebrate the occasion, there was a lion dance performance, free samplings and special promotional items on sale from 14 to 20 July.

Datuk Seri Dr Chai found that The Mines is a focal point for residents in Serdang, Seri Kembangan, Bangi and Balakong. Many of them go there for movies, food and beverage, and shopping for groceries and other items.

The KK 2.0 Concept Store has more

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than 6,000 household items available and boosted by a food and beverage corner. Meanwhile, its décor reflects a young and vibrant feel with dark wood panels and warm lighting to provide a comfortable shopping experience.

Despite the upgrade in looks, the company is committed to keep to fair prices for its products.

The food and beverage corner is providing ice-cream, drinks, snacks, ready-to-eat food, popcorn, sandwiches and additional items to come. There are tables and chairs for shoppers to enjoy their food and drinks without feeling the need to rush off after their shopping is done.

L-R: Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry Deputy SecretaryGeneral, Dato’ Basaruddin Sadali, KK Group of Companies Founder and Group Executive Chairman Datuk Seri Dr KK Chai and The Mines Assistant Centre Manager Trish Ang Lay Choon.

Opening of the new KK Super Mart at The Mines Shopping Mall.

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KK Concept Store Opens At The Mines

This year also marks several firsts for the company. The first food and beverage corner was unveiled at the Terminal Bersepadu Selatan in Bandar Tasik Selatan while the KK SUPER MART at the Muhibbah LRT station in Bukit Jalil was the first outlet at a train station.

KK Group of Companies recorded a turnover of RM750 million in 2017.

In addition, the company signed a partnership with Malaysia’s homegrown e-wallet Boost at the end of June. This will further strengthen the offline retail network and encourage the transition into becoming a cashless and cardless system.

Boost users can perform services such as paying utility bills, buying prepaid top ups and digital vouchers as well as gifting them, free money transfers and even split bills. With this partnership, Boost users can now pay for items and get instant cash back when shopping at KK SUPER MART. Boost will be offering RM10 cashback to paying customers at KK SUPER MART with a minimum spend of RM20. This offer ends on 25 August.

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Entrepreneurship & Transformation of Subway The MRCA Youth Division had a treat in May, when they were privy to a rare sharing of an entrepreneurial husband and wife team – Dato’ Vincent Choo and Datin Cynthia Cheong of Subway Malaysia. his dynamic duo couple is the master franchisor of Subway for more than 14 years but not many knows that Dato’ Vincent rose from very humble beginnings and over came several hardships through sheer perseverance and determination.

He was not born with a silver spoon as his father was a hawker and a Kungfu Master who made just enough for basic living of a family. Dato’ Vincent related how his early entrepreneurship started with his first hobby – rearing fighting fishes. He had been so good in multiplying the fighting fish and had used up all his mother’s buckets to rear the fishes until mum said the fishes had to be disposed off. His quick thoughts had him checking out the aquarium

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“It’s all about setting goals and creating dreams and working hard towards achieving those goals.” ~ Dato’ Vincent Choo

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shops and soon he discovered he could sell the fishes back and make some pocket money. This started him on his first business opportunity.

His other early entrepreneurship continued during his schooling years.

He used to cycle to school on a very old beat-up bicycle and sometimes endured ridicule from his schoolmates who owned nice racing bikes. His entrepreneurship mode kicked in as he was determined to get a better bike.

He decided to venture into dealing with bicycle parts which enabled him to earn enough to upgrade to a racing bike part by part. By the time he finished secondary school he had a full fledge racing bike!

“It’s all about setting goals and creating dreams and working hard towards achieving those goals,” said Dato’ Vincent who also stressed on the importance of the right product and the right market for that product.

With his father’s help and some study loan, Dato’ Vincent enrolled into KDU where he pursued his American transfer program degree. As fate would have it, he met his future wife, Datin Cynthia at the college and together they would pursue studies in the US. Not one to leave things to chance, he found a way to earn additional income for them before leaving for the US. He was determined to ensure they were secured financially to complete their education as Datin had enough funding for her first year studies only. With foresight and a never-give-up attitude, he decided to take with them some inexpensive mementos from Malaysia which he then sold at a higher price in the US. The youths who were attentively listening ‘ooohh-ed’ and ‘aaahh-ed’ when Dato’ Vincent said he willingly did it for love. He also worked as a custodian at the college, bought and sold used cars and even worked as a bartender. Meanwhile, Datin Cynthia had received her Masters with a scholarship and was the first International Graduate Assistant teaching Public Speaking to undergraduate students on campus.

After graduating with a marketing degree, Dato’ Vincent joined a hypermarket as a management trainee. His steadfast and hardworking attitude landed him as Head of Department. Upon his return to Malaysia, Dato’ Vincent had collected a wealth of experience in the

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FMCG after having worked in many multinational companies. His strength was in marketing, sales and business development as well as in travel retail.

He decided to leap into managing his own business and started marketing jams, soya bean drink and juices. When Subway came knocking to Malaysia, Dato’ Vincent concentrated building the brand by being the Master Franchisor for Subway Malaysia. He shared how hard work, determination, commitment, being hands-on, having the right product and having a positive attitude are key factors that contribute to a successful business.

Datin Cynthia shared the history of Subway which began in the US in 1965 and is now at 44,000 locations in 110 countries. It is the biggest franchise business in the world. Malaysia chalks up 230 stores with 140 in Klang Valley.

The first store they opened was at Jalan Pinang, Kuala Lumpur.

She also shared their vision for growth and expansion and revealed that Subway’s uniqueness was their commitment in making sandwiches ‘the way the customer likes it’. A Subway sandwich contains 6gms of fat or less, making it a healthier choice of meal as well as being affordable.

Subway prices has only seen very minimal increase over the last 14 years.

The couple’s dynamic and strong leadership coupled with their shared vision for Subway have earned them numerous accolades and honours, including the Top Global Franchise award by Subway World and many others, such as the Putra Awards, McMillan Awards and BrandLaureate Awards.

After the warm sharing the energetic couple, to everyone’s delight, led them to the Subway outlet where customised sandwiches were made and served to all.

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MRCA Heads to Penang Delegation meets retailers to boost membership numbers and establish a northern chapter.

delegation comprising the Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA) top brass made a two-day trip to Penang on 9th June to meet retailers and service providers in the northern region. The delegation was led by MRCA President Datuk Seri Garry Chua. Others in the delegation were Dato Vincent Choo (Deputy President), Dato Liew Bin (Vice President), Valerie Choo (Vice President), Shirley Tay (Vice President), Ken Phua (Secretary General), Dato Bruce (Deputy Secretary General), Raymond Woo (Council Member), Datin Flora Tan (Council Member) and Simon Wong (MRCA GM).

The trip was also a part of the new MRCA Council’s efforts to increase membership as well as to establish a northern chapter that will strengthen the association’s standing in Malaysia.

MRCA mae a similar trip in August 2016 to Johor.

The setting up of the chapter is also MRCA President Datuk Seri Garry Chua’s plan to push the association to greater heights.

The delegation left for Penang and arrived at Ecoworld Gallery in Macalister Road where they were greeted by

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Group photo with all the attendees.

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Briefing at the EcoWorld office.

EcoWorld Divisional General Manager Datuk Hoe Mee Ling. They were then feted to a buffet lunch hosted by EcoWorld and later Datuk Hoe Mee Ling welcomed the delegation and a briefing was given by the Marketing Division EcoWorld on its property development in Penang.

Soon after Datuk Garry Chua, in his opening address, thanked EcoWorld for hosting the meeting and the lunch and encouraged heads of retail business and entrepreneurs who attended the

meeting to become members of MRCA. He also thanked Michael Geh Senior Partner of Raine & Horne Malaysia for organising the meeting. Michael Geh is one of the people tasked with the setting up of the northern chapter.

MRCA Vice-President Shirley Tay presented a short talk on MRCA and the benefits of being a member as well as the association’s achievements thus far. Meanwhile, Deputy SecretaryGeneral Dato’ Bruce Lim spoke about the upcoming MRCA Council Installation

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Networking & socialising sessions in Penang.

dinner and he looked forward to support from Penang-based retailers.

Vice-President and MIRF Advisor Dao’ Liew Bin shared the progress of the exhibition and encouraged those present to participate in this year’s show. He also touched on the success of the previous two shows and how future MIRF exhibitions can benefit local and international retail and franchise owners.

After the meeting, the delegation adjourned to St Giles Wembley in Macalister Road, George Town, to check-in at the hotel for a short rest.

Later that night, the delegation headed to the Chamber Restaurant in Penang Street for a networking dinner hosted

by Raine & Horne Malaysia senior partner Michael Geh. During dinner, MRCA delegates met with business associates and potential

Datuk Seri Garry Chua, MRCA President presenting a token of appreciation to Datuk Hoe Mee Ling, EcoWorld Divisional General Manager.

members. Datuk Seri Garry Chua also expressed his thanks to Geh for their welcoming efforts.

MRCA was founded in 1992 as an avenue for retail businesses to network and exchange ideas, share resources and to promote the healthy expansion

of the retail industry in Malaysia and abroad.

Currently, MRCA has 450 members who are mainly leading retail chain stores operators as well as franchisors which own more than 25,000 outlets in the country.

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Going The Last Mile Omnichannel retailers are expected to provide free, fast and all-inclusive delivery despite of the current last-mile challenges and increasing logistic costs.

-commerce growth rates are exponential in emerging markets, research firm McKinsey found, however these markets present a set of delivery issues.

For example, some companies reported last-mile delivery costs account up to 50% of total delivery costs, with an emphasis on difficult-to-find addresses and delivery locations.

In a survey released by the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission last year, it found 44.8% of online shoppers did not have the patience to wait for delivery and 36.1% refused to pay for delivery surcharge.

A 75% majority only shop locally while 89.6% of them received items by express postal or courier services, followed by home delivery by the seller (30.8%) and self-collect (28.7%).

It has been said that “convenience is the new loyalty”, and perhaps that’s true. Time is more valuable for people than ever. Bulk shopping, including groceries could be done online and then picked up at a nearby locker, when it’s convenient. “After all, it’s quite frustrating to have to wait for a home delivery,” says Roine Gabrielsson, Managing Director of StrongPoint.

What if there is a efficient alternative that suits both retailers and consumers?

While it is used in Europe widely,

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the concept of “click and collect” is just starting to gain traction in Southeast Asia. The idea is: consumers shop for groceries, electronics or fashion items without the hassle of waiting for home deliveries.

StrongPoint’s Click & Collect Pickup Station can be placed in transit hubs, storefronts and even offices so shoppers can collect them on the way home, drop by a closed store to get them and even have it delivered and stored in the office.

It comes with three temperature zones: Ambient, Chilled and Frozen. This

feature is especially useful for grocery retailers. Customers get a code by SMS that they input on a touch screen for the locker doors to open. Store managers can monitor the entire process and the status of each locker through the locker software that is easily integrated with existing in-store systems. As a protection against tampering, all hinges and locks are hidden behind protecting panels.

This solution help retailers save costs in the long run. It allows for the delivery of multiple orders to the same location, ensure product longevity with the right temperature inside the lockers, and a suite of smart solutions that integrate with retailer storage and logistics centre.

Its Click & Collect stations are a part of a holistic E-Commerce Logistics Suite that covers a web-based centralised Pick & Collect, QueueManager to facilitate collection of pre-ordered items, DeliveryManager application, and the RouteManager to optimise delivery routes.

Currently, retailers can book an appointment with StrongPoint to experience the E-Commerce Logistics Suite at its showroom in Tower 2 Etiqa Twins, Kuala Lumpur. For details, call +603 2773 4096 or email info.apac@strongpoint.com.

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Retail has changed a lot since the 1950s.

Instead of shopping at the aisle, why not from your living room instead?

Start managing and optimizing product flow E-Commerce Logistics Suite is a complete solution for managing and optimizing the entire product flow of online orders from planning, picking and delivery. The solution easily integrates with existing systems and solves retailer‘s special needs.

Retailers can book an appointment with Strongpoint to experience the E-Commerce Logistics Suite at its showroom in Tower 2 Etiqa Twins, Kuala Lumpur. For details, call +603 2773 4096 or email info.apac@strongpoint.com.

Scan the code and download our whitepaper to get started with E-Commerce Logistics Suite

+603 2773 4096, info.apac@strongpoint.com Tower 2 Etiqa Twins, 11 Jalan Pinang, 50450, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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Lim Tayar A household name in the automotive retail service industry, providing one-stop solutions with a wide range of products for all your car servicing needs. im Tayar is well known among car owners in Klang Valley. Established in 1985, the company has more than 30 years of experience in the automotive retail service industry. Starting out as a manufacturer-backed licensed outlet, Lim Tayar managed to over time carve a market for itself, leading to the decision in 2006 to disassociate from the manufacturer’s brand to become an independent and wholly owned automotive retail chain, which currently has branches all over Klang Valley and looking to expand beyond. Lim Tayar has in fact, become a go-to centre for automobile servicing needs.

Lim Tayar became the core around which the CKL Group of Companies was formed to look into every aspect of the automobile servicing industry comprising of Global P (an import and distribution arm to supply spare parts), School of Skills (a vocational school to supply talent into the automotive retail sector), motor insurance (underwritten

by Pacific Insurance), and Blue Labs (digital technology to help manage and maintain one’s vehicle conveniently), developing the whole business through a symbiotic ecosystem that provides an end-to-end solution supply chain.

Lim Tayar stands out in the competitive automotive service industry with its outlets conveniently located in strategic locations all over Klang Valley and are open full days, seven days a week. Its well-trained servicemen consist of 100% Malaysians – thus creating job opportunities for locals.

Lim Tayar has also introduced several innovations not seen in the automotive service industry, such as its loyalty program to reward returning customers, and while they’ve implemented Customer Relationship Management (CRM) from a long time ago, they have upgraded it to a digital system to make it easier for customers to keep updated and track ongoing promotions and festive happenings, which is

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something not common among the local automotive retail service industry.

Internally, it has begun using Workplace

by Facebook to keep employees across corporate and retail updated, and also to facilicate open communication between colleagues.

The management believes challenges will always be there. What’s important is to overcome them. One of the biggest challenges it has faced and continues to face is the ongoing price war. However, Lim Tayar is very confident that the quality machinery invested into, coupled with and its skilled servicemen, will continue to expand its customer base.

Since this industry is mandated to hire only Malaysians, getting highly skilled vocational talent is a problem, hence the decision to form School of Skills – its own vocational school to educate and supply talented servicemen to its retail outlets and also into the general automotive retail sector.

In a skilled industry that has a huge turnover, Lim Tayar has an excellent record of retaining its talent. Many of its employees have been with the company for over 10-15 years. This has resulted in

a pool of workers who are not only very knowledgable about the industry but are dedicated as well. Existing staff are also regularly trained, with corporate staff sent overseas for international exposure to experience and learn how other global retailers function and to bring back knowledge and best practices that can be executed for the business; while retail outlet servicemen are sent for product trainings to best advise and service customers.

The company’s dedicated corporate team looks into enhancing the retail segment by implementing user-friendly POS systems, rolling out innovative marketing campaigns and making customers its priority by introducing CRM. It has introduced innovative services such as the Pick-Up-Service, a free service where the customer’s car is picked up from his or her office, taken for service and returned before the end of the day.

The company also invests in regular hardware upgrade at outlets to provide the best in quality checks and services at retail outlets. An example of such investment is Blue Labs, which is a digital application to help manage and maintain one’s vehicle conveniently.

This is in anticipation of the time when all cars will be digitally connected and it will enable motorists to connect to after-market service centres for maintenance work and other car-related services in form of customised on-board diagnostics.

Lim Tayar is ready to spread its wings by expanding beyond Klang Valley!

Clement Lim, Executive Director.

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Asia’s Hottest e-Mall

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Whatever Fione Tan touches, it turns to Internet gold. So, it is no surprise when the founder and CEO of eOneNet. com launched 28Mall.com in 2016, it has gone on to become one of the most successful online shopping sites. ione Tan has been dubbed Malaysia’s Superwoman and The Internet Magician by her fans and admirers, and with good reason. This Malaysian entrepreneur is a visionary. She is able to zero in on what would be the next big thing even before the rest of the country and Asia are able to figure out.

How else can one explain her faith in the Internet as a game changer in the business world during its infancy in Malaysia? She started a website called eOneNet which has been ranked the number one Internet Marketing Asian company by Google since 2000. This website helps companies “sell and increase sales online globally using various platforms and online marketing tools with offices in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong and China”. It has even been noticed by the world famous e-commerce company, Alibaba, which has chosen it as its official strategic and training partner. eOneNet has gone on to win various awards, including the prestigious Hong Kong Distinguished Brands 2009. Fione has

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been acknowledged as the world’s top Internet marketing coach; a fantastic achievement by a Malaysian.

Realising the rising popularity of e-commerce in Asia, she launched 28Mall.com in Hong Kong and Malaysia in 2016. It is the new e-mall that has taken Asia by storm. More than 200 international and local brands have joined it and there are more than 3,000 products, some of them unique to the website.

The website is strict about its products: only original and high quality products are sold here, which has contributed to the website’s reputation for integrity that has garnered a huge following among its fans. Besides Hong Kong and Malaysia, the website also has won over customers from China, Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea, The United States and The Phillipines and is continuously attracting customers from all over the world. Many different categories of products are sold here including cosmetics and skincare, mobile phone and accessoriesand mom and baby healthcare, among others.

28Mall.com also has the honour of being the dubbed the first Social Mall that has been integrated with Wechat, Facebook, mobile, desktop and APP. It is also the first to use the Social HongBao (Lucky Money) system. This system, which is free, allows shoppers to share it to 1.5 billion users in Facebook and 1 billion users in WhatsApp. The more a shopper shares the HongBao with friends, the more digital money she can earn up to USD28. The more she shares with friends, the more money she can earn which can be used to purchase things from 28Mall.com.

Retailers and SMEs can make use of 28Mall.com as a springboard to do cross border e-commerce and export their product overseas, which they wouldn’t be able to do on their own. It is also an excellent platform to make inroads into the huge Chinese market.

Says Fione, “28Mall.com is Southeast Asia’s 020 (online to offline) mall for brands aiming to help Malaysia and other brands to export to China and other overseas market via cross border e-commerce. Unlike other marketplaces, 28Mall only accepts brand owners or authorised distributor which need approval to open store to ensure all products are authentic brands, so that consumers can shop with ease of mind.”

It is no wonder that within a short time since its launch 28Mall.com has become one of the most trusted platforms for online shoppers. Its position as “Asia’s First Choice for Better Lifestyle and Best Rewards” is truly deserved.

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Secret Recipe Secret Recipe made its debut during the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997. The company’s success is proof that a good business model will survive and can be exported overseas. hen Secret Recipe opened its first outlet in 1997, its main attractions were its cake. To stand out amidst the competition from other bakeries, Dato’ Steven Sim, its founder and CEO, decided that Secret Recipe would offer the finest quality gourmet cakes at affordable prices. To further stand out from the generic bakery market, he decided to position Secret Recipe as a lifestyle cafe, a new concept in Malaysia at that time. Secret Recipe pioneered the concept of modern cafe culture where customers could enjoy a slice of cake or baked pie with freshly brewed coffee amidst a cosy restaurant setting with personalised full-service dining

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experience. Thus, a star in the Malaysian F&B sector was born!

FINDING OPPORTUNITIES AMIDST CHALLENGES Secret Recipe started at a time of bleak economic conditions. The company looked for opportunities during the challenging times by expanding its outlets. While its competitors put their expansion plans on hold, Secret Recipe took the risk and decided to expand into retail locations where it may not have had the chance had the market been good. Thus, the company was able to set up outlets at various locations throughout the country and region.

A CULTURE OF INNOVATION AND ADAPTABILITY After Secret Recipe became a huge success, many other cafe brands sprang up in Malaysia. Many eventually disappeared while Secret Recipe grew from strength to strength. Today, there are over 440 Secret Recipe outlets and what’s more, the company has expanded overseas with a presence in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Brunei, Myanmar, Maldives and Bangladesh.

The reason for its success is the strong culture of innovation and adaptability that has been embraced by the company as part of its work culture.

Dato’ Steven Sim, Founder & CEO of Secret Recipe.

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Its staff are driven by hard work, passion and a compelling vision and mission. It prides itself in its ability to create and commercialise high quality products and concepts into the market in a short span of time while maintaining the consistency of its products in all its outlets.

Innovation, adaptability and passion are also the reasons why the company has been able to keep up with the changing taste of customers. Ideas for innovation come internally from its team or externally from its competitors, business partners, suppliers, worldwide trends and its customers. The company has a variety of brands under its portfolio besides Secret Recipe such as Beyond Veggie, Red Lobster, Roast and Grill, Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart, HeyCha or its latest, Nyonya brand, Alibaba & Nyonya. All these brands were created becauseof its desire to create something new for its customers. True innovation comes when the company is able to lead the next trend or find that new gap in the market.

EXPANDING OVERSEAS Secret Recipe is a Malaysian brand that has gone global. Before expanding overseas, the company made sure that it had a solid core brand concept and a scalable business model to stand on locally before venturing overseas.

Companies that intend to venture overseas should study and analyse potential markets to narrow down to the one that has strong returns and success rates as international expansion would take up a considerable amount of resources.

Secret Recipe’s strategy is to find a strong, reliable local partner to work who shares the same passion that the company has for the industry. There may be a need for some level of customisation of the products or even brand positioning to suit the market needs, but the company remains true to its core promises of providing high quality products to its customers. The company attributes its success in China to learning from its customers and adapting to their needs.

Teaming up with Shopee, MLE’s e-ticket sales exceed target by 120%. n March, Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, signed a memorandum of understanding with Malaysia Football League (MFL) to become the title sponsor of Piala FA Malaysia 2018.

This partnership allows MFL to market and sell Piala FA and unifi Liga Super Malaysia tickets to Shopee’s 10 million users in Malaysia. Designed to boost the revenues of local football teams by letting fans purchase tickets online, the partnership has since sold 20,423 e-tickets as of 5 July 2018, an emphatic 306.5% over the initial target of 5,000 e-tickets.

In fact, e-ticket sales stormed past 5,000 within two months of the partnership, proving the popularity of the programme in Malaysia. More importantly, Shopee does not charge sellers registration or annual fees, or impose a commission, so every Ringgit raised from tickets sales on Shopee is channelled to benefit the teams.

“Aside from the strong growth trajectory, Shopee continues our brand promise to empower local businesses and communities. On top of the sponsorship, we assisted MFL and local teams to chalk up an extra RM1.5 million from ticket sales and activities held together with MFL and local players,” said Ian Ho, Regional Managing Director of Shopee.

Shopee also launched many initiatives such as the Demam Bola campaign, mini stadium, trivias and games to get Malaysians to support and promote the local football teams and scene. To do this, Shopee funded gifts and prizes worth more than RM500,000.

“From the increased convenience to the enhanced presence of the sport, we believe that the socio-economic impact of this partnership will certainly go a long way,” he added.

Kevin Ramalingam, CEO of MFL added that rapid growth in internet penetration and smartphone use in

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L-R: Kevin Ramalingam, CEO of Malaysia Football League and Ian Ho, Regional Managing Director of Shopee, exchanging jerseys of the Shopee PIALA FA 2018 finals.

Malaysia was evidence for MFL to tap into e-commerce.

“But more than selling tickets, our goal was to communicate with our fans, give them a smooth purchasing experience, and make it easier for them to support their beloved local teams. With Shopee, achieving these goals have allowed us to make strides towards transforming the local league and Malaysian football in general. We have been very happy with the progress of this partnership and look forward to working more closely with Shopee,” he added.

Shopee and MFL also launched the official MFL merchandise store featuring Malaysian football teams’ original kits, apparel, bags, accessories, and more.

The store is already stocked with Felda United and UKM FC merchandise and is expected to introduce more products by all Malaysian teams in the near future.

In line with MFL’s vision to promote the love for football amongst Malaysian youth and drive engagement between players and fans, Shopee is organising football clinics for top local football stars and coaches to impart professional tips and advice for passionate youths.

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Malaysian Football League Scores E-Commerce Goal

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Tealive To Open 500 Stores In China Within 3 years Loob Holding in JV with 2 partners to open 1st outlet in Shanghai in September.

he creator of Malaysia’s Tealive bubble tea brand, Loob Holding Sdn Bhd, has formed a joint-venture with two China companies to open 500 Tealive stores in China over the next three years.

CEO of Loob Holding, Bryan Loo, who recently signed the deal with Zhejiang Boduo International Trade Co. Ltd and Shanghai Panfei International Trade Co. Ltd, said Loob Holding will have a 51% majority stake in the joint-venture which will be known as Shanghai Loob Boduo Food and Beverage Co. Ltd. Signing for the China partners were Executive Directors, Yu Tong for Zhejiang Boduo International Trade and Pan Junfei for Shanghai Panfei International Trade.

The joint-venture will see the first Tealive outlet opening in Shanghai in September. More outlets will be opened in other selected cities, said Loo who

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expressed confidence that the jointventure would be able to achieve the targeted 500 stores in three years.

China, the world’s largest tea market, will be the fourth overseas market for Tealive, a home-grown brand founded in 2010. “Barely six months after the birth of Tealive, we took the brand to Vietnam where we now have five outlets. We have penetrated the Australian market with our first store set to open in July.

“Just last month, we appointed our Master Franchisee in India and we are targeting 140 outlets within five years. Once again, Loob has achieved a ‘breakthrough’ being the first Malaysian bubble tea brand to enter India,” stated Loo. Tealive serves 2.5 million consumers each month in its 175 outlets and the brand is still expanding every week.

On prospects in China, Loo said

latest indicators were that the market for tea in China had exceeded US$21 billion per year.

“The Chinese now drink five times more milk tea than coffee. We can safely say that with the arrival of pearl milk tea to mainland China some years back, coffee has taken a back seat.”

Yu Tong described Loob Holding as a great partner with a strong determination to introduce modern tea culture throughout the region and the world.

Yu said that tea accounted for only 7% of the total domestic beverage consumption in 2000 but it more than tripled to 26.0% in 2015. “In the past five years, the overall industry volume has been increasing at an annual rate of 4.5% to an expected $21.1 billion in 2018,” he said.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Tan Sri Datuk Ter Leong Yap, President of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Malaysia (NCCIM and President of the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM), Dato’ Vincent Choo, Deputy President of MRCA, Datuk Haji Radzali Hassan, Chairman of Malaysian Franchise Association (MFA) and Henry Chen, Vice President of Boduo Investment Group.

Also present were officials from both countries, business partners and invited guests from the Malaysian and Chinese business community.

Called Terra Bleue, this innovative supplementary test instrument decodes the whole body’s diagnostic data accurately in 3 minutes.

erra Bleue, available at BaliAyu’s latest outlet located at Plaza Arkadia, Desa ParkCity in Kuala Lumpur, determines the meridians’ conditions and their physical symptoms and then analyses the endocrine, metabolism, musculoskeletal health and autonomic nervous system.

“With this innovation, measurements and the whole body’s diagnostic data can be ready within 3 minutes. Using data management software, it can accurately analyse energy, mental condition, autonomic nervous system, metabolic rate, 12 meridians, musculoskeletal balance and organs’ conditions,” says Annie Low, Founder and Managing Director of BaliAyu who has 13 years of experience in the health industry. The outlet at Plaza Arkadia in Desa ParkCity was officially opened recently by MRCA President Datuk Seri Garry Chua.

Acknowledging the alarming health concern in society, Annie Low states that Terra Bleue’s intelligent function of database also links the body conditions to required products and treatment.

Constant innovation is the key aspect of BaliAyu Spa Sanctuary’s success. BaliAyu is noted for its massage therapy in detox and lymphatic treatments in addition to the muscle relaxation benefit of a general massage. The highly skilled masseuses use first rate aromatic essences combined with top quality olive oil base to deliver a holistic health experience.

Besides the aromatic oil massages, BaliAyu Spa also offers traditional Thai, Shiatsu, four-hand massages as well as foot reflexology, body scrubs, facials, ear candling, pre- and postnatal treatments, among others.

Besides the readily available and

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MRCA President Datuk Seri Garry Chua officiated at the opening of BaliAyu Spa Sanctuary in Plaza Arkadia, Desa ParkCity. On his right is right is Annie Low, Founder and Managing Director of BaliAyu.

Group photo with invited guests.

very successful couple treatments, birthday and bridal packages, and the signature “Bali Fresh” treatment, the spa recently added a very attractive corporate membership package.

Companies can buy a package deal that will provide eligible employees the opportunity to use the spa treatments at their leisure.

BaliAyu currently has four outlets – Bangsar, Paradigm Mall, Sri Hartamas and Desa ParkCity.

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Start The Morning Right Malaysia’s leading multi-grain drinks manufacturer has big plans ahead. ccording to an independent market research by Providence Strategic Partners, GoodMorning Global Sdn Bhd had a lion’s share of 58.7% in the multi-grain industry which comfortably placed the company in the forefront. The Compound Annual Growth Rate forecast between 2016 and 2018 was at 71.4%.

Seeing this, GoodMorning is keen to increase its Malaysian market share as well as improve its regional markets and explore new opportunities in China and Middle East. Company Founder and Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Dr Lim Sin Boon plans to take GoodMorning Global public in the next five years.

To meet demands, the company is completing a factory right next door to its headquarters that will be ready by this year.

However, when he started his company on July 1, 2008 at the age of 39, the journey to success was a rocky one. Among the challenges he faced was in trying to push his products to market. Initially he was working via a simple direct sales strategy which was a single-layer distributorship. Most of his distributors were beauticians in the Cheras area.

Business was doing all right but Dato’ Dr Lim wanted to further grow the business to reach more consumers.

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When he opted to go directly to the market, his distributors were not happy and threatened to boycott his brand.

He had to change his business strategy when he saw his sales dropping tremendously. Another factor was the steep commissions he was providing for his distributors.

“The margin was very high for them, which in the end made no sense for me. I wanted to scale up because when we do, there are significantly more savings on procurement of raw material and lower manufacturing cost. These savings can then be passed down to the consumers,” he said.

“I built the company to bring the goodness of my products to people but if it is not within reach of most, then I’m not helping to push for a healthier society.”

He decided to push his products directly to the market via the not-sotraditional channels and its own outlets.

Dato’ Dr Lim named his company GoodMorning as he wanted his health products to be one of the vital things people must have in the morning. He

envisioned that every household would start their day in a healthy way.

GoodMorning is also based on the Chinese word “guliang”. It points to the bran and germ of a grain. Dato’ Dr Lim believes that whole grains are the source of vitality to life. Meanwhile, “liang” in Chinese has 18 strokes that symbolises its 18-grain products.

Expanding on his branding, he approached more than 300 coffee shops to serve his drinks as per their orders.

He advised them not to sell by the can. He also forked out a substantial marketing budget to ensure these coffee shops carry his advertising materials.

Dato’ Dr Lim Sin Boon, Founder and CEO of GoodMorning Global Sdn Bhd.

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Donation of ambulance to St John Malaysia KPS.

Asia Halal Brand Awards 2017.

Malaysia Health and Wellness Brand Awards 2018.

The Brandlaureate SME Bestbrand Award 2015-2016.

Over the months, he spotted that a handful of shops were ordering exponentially more and he realised his products were in demand from patrons.

“Shop owners told me that their patrons wanted them to sell it. That made me happy. My products are able to speak for themselves.”

As business boomed, GoodMorning invested heavily on radio advertising and educational programmes in public primary schools. “It is based on a strategy – be seen, heard, tried, purchased. Eventually, success will come,” he shared.

“The public can ‘see’ us through advertisements in print and the digital media, ‘hear’ us on radio, try our products at various malls and during our roadshows, and are able to easily buy our products.”

His other unique marketing tool comes in the form of lorries hauling a giant can on their backs. “My mobile ads go all over Malaysia. I just tell the drivers to park it in places that have heavy foot traffic such as Bukit Bintang.

We also pay for valet parking in front of five-star hotels and high-end malls. It is still cheaper than buying billboards.

For places outside of Klang Valley, they

drive it to wet markets and park it there for a few hours.”

He also believes in educating young children about good nutrition. According to Dato’ Dr Lim, education and awareness is a longterm process but it is important for young children to know Children Charity Carnival. so they can make informed decisions Dato’ Dr Lim feels it is important to about healthy living later in life. not just focus on the bottomline but “With permission from the Education use his business platform to make a Ministry, we organise awareness real difference in public health. “I see campaigns in schools. Our team is it as a responsibility. When you know there to explain about basic nutrition, something is good for everyone, you organise fun activities and distribute must share it. Don’t keep it to yourself. bottle shakers which can be used to My success today is a giver’s gain.” prepare the drinks.

Among the most popular products “I also see it as a form of corporate in GoodMorning’s arsenal are Vplus social responsibility. My research 18 Grains, VGrains, VHalia and Vmeal. partners in the US found that whole The company is also has brand grains are vital for our health, so why ambassadors such as Chinese DJ not share this information with the Phoebe Yap, Datuk Wira Lee Chong Wei public? We also hold such programmes and Masterchef Malaysia 2012 winner in mosques as well as charity Dato’ Fazley Yaakob. organisations, among others.”

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3 MRCA Members Among Recipients of McMillan Woods Global Awards 2018 The Awards recognise the achievements of global leading business visionaries across all industry sectors and honour their contributions towards global transformation and nation-building. he three MRCA members who received the awards were Dato’ Vincent Choo, MRCA Deputy President and who together with his wife Datin Cynthia Cheong, run the Subway franchise restaurants in Malaysia; Annie Low, Founder and Managing Director of BaliAyu Spa Group and Dato’ Calvin Khiu Fu Siang, Founder and Group Managing Director of MK Curtain Berhad.

Dato’ Vincent and Datin Cynthia Cheong received the Dynamic Business Couple of the Year award while Annie Low was awarded for Holistic Wellbeing Excellence. Dato’ Calvin Khiu received the Inspiration Orator of the Year award.

All of them received their awards in the McM Icons category. They were among total of 33 global CEOs and celebrities who received the awards under various categories.

Presenting the awards was Tunku

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Dato’ Vincent Choo and Datin Cynthia Cheong received the Dynamic Business Couple of the Year award.

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Dato’ Mu’tamir bin Tunku Tan Sri Mohamed who was the guest-of-honour at the McMillan Woods Global Awards 2018 Gala Dinner held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Kuala Lumpur in May. The McMillan Woods Global Awards are seen as a mark of excellence and distinction in the business community.

There are neither winners nor losers in the award recognition ceremony – only the best people and organisations that McMillan Woods Global recognises each year.

The global award presentation is aimed at not only recognising the crème de la crème entrepreneurs’ achievements and successes but also to encourage their determination to stay competitive and to overcome the many challenges globally.

It also creates a solid platform for business networking opportunities among the successful and astute

Dato’ Calvin Khiu (left) received the Inspiration Orator of the Year award.

entrepreneurs. These initiatives will serve as a catalyst for the emergence of new business potentials and to spur the global industrial growth despite the current global economic slowdown.

“McMillan Woods Global in its deft move has put in place a team of eminent advisors to provide support and to ensure that each and every Award recipient is not only successful but is morally upright,” said Dato’ Seri Raymond Liew, President of McMillan Woods Global.

The event was organised and hosted

by McMillan Woods Global, a global network or association of independent local and regional firms of recognised qualified accountants and professional advisors. It aims at providing members and their clients a broader spectrum of accounting, auditing, advisory and management services at a cutting-edge cost effective basis.

Annie Low (right) received the Holistic Wellbeing Excellence award.

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Sunway Lagoon Bags Four Awards The awards, bagged in the first half of the year, include the prestigious CTrip award in recognition of steady influx of Chinese tourists. unway Lagoon recently earned itself the moniker of Asia’s Best Theme Park, as it is much touted by visitors from around the globe. This is further attested by a host of awards and accolades that the theme park has gleaned in recent times. Among more notable ones in recent times include being recognised as one of the top attractions globally by TripAdvisor and the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA).

Barely into the first half of 2018, Sunway Lagoon bagged four more awards. These include the Going Places Reader’s Choice Awards 2017 in the Best Theme Park category; The BrandLaureate Award in the Nation Branding Awards 2017-2018 and the Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand Award 2018 in the Theme Park / Family Attraction category.

However, the icing on the cake was the Ctrip China Traveler’s Top Spot 2017 Awards where Sunway Lagoon was awarded the Most Family-Friendly Overseas Scenic Spot. Ctrip.com International is a leading provider of travel services including accommodation reservation, transportation ticketing, packaged tours and corporate travel management.

Ctrip employs over 30,000 people at branches located in major cities in

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mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Korea, Japan, United States of America, United Kingdom and Australia.

“It is truly a humbling honour for us to be the recipient of highly coveted awards, especially by Ctrip,” said Sean Choo, General Manager of Sunway Lagoon. “Indeed, in recent years, our visitor data has shown a significant and steadily increasing year-on-year flow of tourists from China, indicating that Sunway Lagoon is becoming increasingly popular among Chinese tourists. The Ctrip award is certainly a testament to our efforts in attracting more visitors from the republic.”

He explained that some of these efforts include promoting Sunway Lagoon as a Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) destination. In 2016 alone, the theme park saw the implementation of three large Chinese MICE themed dinners at its Surf Beach attended by over 3,000 guests.

Taking a cue from the heavy use of online transactions and bookings

by Chinese tourists, Sunway Lagoon has also trained its marketing targets on China further by focusing on digital penetration through social media platforms and engaging content by Chinese Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) to entice Chinese tourists further.

“We believe the onslaught of visitors

from China to Sunway Lagoon is twopronged. Firstly, it is a direct result of our intense efforts to attract more tourists from the region, which has shown a huge potential in recent years.

In this regard, we have the employees of Sunway Lagoon to thank for their massive concerted efforts towards this objective. And our hard work certainly seems to have paid off, as can be attested by this award,” said Choo.

“Secondly, however, we also believe that we have a truly unique product offering with Sunway Lagoon. We have certainly epitomised the ‘parks within a park’ concept with six parks in total sprawled over 88 acres including an Amusement Park, Extreme Park, Scream Park, Water Park, wildlife park and the Nickelodeon Lost Lagoon,” he added.

Sunway Lagoon’s six parks are home to more than 90 constantly updated attractions, which have become worldrenowned in their own right, including one of the longest suspension bridges in the world, ‘first-in-the-world’ attractions such as the highly acclaimed Vuvuzela and Sunway Lagoon’s Surf Beach, which has been the venue of many global events including the MTV World Stage and Asia’s Got Talent.

Sunway Lagoon remains optimistic in attracting more visitors from around the world, including China, through its unique offering and heightened marketing efforts.

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MK Curtain Bhd Many properties in Malaysia today are beautifully dressed with lovely curtains from MK Curtain Bhd. t was the dream of a young man to dress buildings in the most beautiful way possible and along the way give customers a professional service never before seen in the curtain industry. With no rich parents to support him, he entered the industry, faced challenges and in the end succeeded beyond his wildest dreams.

Dato’ Calvin Khiu, Founder and Chairman of MK Curtain Bhd established the company in 2005. In a span of 10 years, he turned this company to become one of the leading brands in the local curtain industry. Dato’ Calvin’s dream was to create a one-stop centre for retailing and customising curtains, blinds, wallpapers, cushions, carpets and other home accessories. He wanted to give Malaysians a quality lifestyle by transforming their home with the right home accessories. MK Curtain has become a Malaysian success story. The company has expanded from providing curtains for residential areas to draping commercial centres, private companies,

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Government buildings, schools and hotels.

MK Curtain has more than 20 outlets throughout the country. On April 2016, MK Curtain unveiled its headquarters in Nilai which has a total area of 93,680 square feet. This earned MK Curtain the distinction of earning a place in the Malaysia Books of Record as ‘The Biggest Curtain Showroom in Malaysia’.

MK CURTAIN’S USP One of the distinctive features of MK Curtain is its one-stop service: MK Mobile Gallery which provides on-site measurement, quotations, advisory services for textile selection (for curtains), design, tailoring of curtains and lastly on-site installation.

MK Curtain prides itself in doing things on time and within the budget because customer satisfaction is of

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EMBRACING THE ONLINE REVOLUTION

utmost importance to the company.

One of the reasons why MK Curtain has been so successful is because it looks after its customers well by including special services such as the 36 months service warranty and the Aeon easy payment to enable customers to pay by instalments.

The company started a franchise programme in January 2017 with the aim of assisting at least 100 youths to set up their own businesses and to become shareholders of MK Curtain before 2025. In the process, the company also wants to make these young people very successful financially and create millionaires out of them.

As Dato’ Calvin has proved, hard work and determination can make anyone succeed. This franchise programme is Dato’ Calvin’s way of contributing to society.

CHALLENGING TIMES Like any new entrepreneurs, Dato’ Calvin also faced very tough times. As he did

not come from a rich family, he started his business without any financial support from anyone. Cash flow was always a major problem. Once he was forced to watch his stocks confiscated

by City Hall enforcement officers.

Just like any other determined entrepreneur, he never gave up. He is grateful that there were a few suppliers at that time who were willing to help him by allowing him to pay for his stocks by instalment. He also used to open his shop even during public holidays while all other shops were closed. He worked very hard. “I did not look at the time when I worked,” he recalls. “I used to go to work earlier to take curtain measurement and even continued to install curtain even after the shop was closed. did not look at that time. Even if I had to work after 9pm, I did without complaint.”

The one person who is his biggest supporter is his wife, Moon. He credits her for believing in him and standing by him even during the worst of times.

Dato’ Calvin’s philosophy is to embrace the Internet and the infinite possibilities that it provides. As such, MK Curtain has embraced the online revolution of retail with enthusiasm. It is especially very active in social media like Facebook. It does O2O (online to offline) from the Facebook platform and has successfully generated more than RM3 million sales from the platform in the last few years.

It uses Facebook to monitor customer feedback and reviews. So far it has accumulated over 1 million satisfied customer’s feedback on this social media platform. The company also uses WhatsApp social media to blast out latest offerings and deals from the company to its customers.

SECRET OF ITS SUCCESS The success of the company is attributed to the team at MK Curtain.

Dato’ Calvin has instilled in his team that they are not just installing curtains, but are offering a very important service in beautifying a place. Employees are extolled to be passionate, committed and creative when doing their job.

MK Curtain has major plans for the future. It aims to open 50 outlets in five years all over Malaysia to offer its services to as many Malaysians as possible. It also aims to become Southeast Asia’s leading home furnishing company in the future.

To learn more about franchise opportunities, you may contact MK Customer Careline at 018-229 5000.

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Building Superior Quality & Aesthetically Designed Properties Inspired by the high quality and precision of Japanese construction, Dato’ Low Boon An, founder of the Ancubic Group, brings the same high quality, dedication to detail to the Malaysian construction scene and in the process pursue unprecedented achievements and goals. n 1989, a young Dato’ Low Boon An was working in the Japanese construction industry where he was struck by the prefabricated technology used in the country’s construction industry. The end result was a cluster of high-rise building that was of high quality and designed aesthetically.

Once back in Malaysia, Dato’ Low was determined to bring the same cutting edge technology to the Malaysian construction scene and build high quality buildings with a reasonable price. The result was the establishment of the Ancubic Group, which has several companies under its group whose main purpose is in the development of residential and commercial areas in the most promising areas of Kuala Lumpur and Klang.

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OVERCOMING CHALLENGES As with most new entrepreneurs, the biggest problem faced by the company in its early days was the lack of funds.

Banks were reluctant to trust the new construction company that had yet to prove itself. What kept the company going in the early days was the belief of Dato’ Low that Ancubic Group could prove itself with its professional work attitude of its dedicated staff.

Despite the negative responses, Dato’ Low worked hard to keep the morale of the staff by insisting they hold on to high standards such as integrity, professionalism and delivering high quality work. Such work ethics impressed the bigger companies that worked with Ancubic Group and slowly the solid reputation built by the company and its team of hard working

Dato’ Low Boon An, founder of the Ancubic Group.

Above & Centre: Cubic Botanical@ South Bangsar.

staff began to attract the banks’ attention too. Getting funds became easier as the company began doing bigger projects.

Today, Dato’ Low is proud of the fact that the company has won the confidence of financiers and has secured loans to work on the RM1.2 billion projects in Bangsar South.

ANCUBIC GROUP’S USP Malaysians believe in investing in homes. They are also savvy buyers who insist on quality finishes for the end product. Realising this, Ancubic Group has always strived to provide customers with high quality products and finishes and value added services. The company has been able to deliver products that are of much value to customers. Thanks to the highly qualified professional team that works to deliver the projects on time and the highly efficient sales team that brings across the attractions of the projects to the public. The ultimate aim of the company is to deliver high quality, energy saving and environmentally friendly products to society.

Some of the popular projects under the Ancubic Group include the KS Botanic township in Kuala Selangor.

This is an integrated development programme consisting of residential areas, shop lots, etc. which is the main driver that is propelling this sleepy little town into a future power house of suburban development which will be much sought after in the Greater Kuala Lumpur area.

Another huge development that the company is working on is the RM150 million Suria Jaya @ Seksyen 16 Shah Alam. This will be part of the new crown

jewel of this city and will become a bustling, major commercial area.

One of the most talked about projects of the company is Kazen @ Saujana Puchong. This project comprises three storey spacious residential units and condominium has a gross development value (GDV) of RM160 million. When the project was launched, it received up to 4000 visitors on its opening day! Considering that it was launched in 2016, at a time when the property market was not resilient in Malaysia, the figure is remarkable and is a testament to Ancubic Group’s reputation as a developer and its good marketing approach in picking the right area for development.

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT Ancubic Group is looking forward to the future and is confident that the property market in Malaysia will get

brighter. The Malaysian Government plans to increase the population of the Klang Valley to 10 million in the next 10 years. This will increase the demand for residential and commercial developments. There is no doubt that Ancubic will be ready to cater to the demands of the public with quality products.

The company is also looking beyond Malaysia. It is establishing a solid network of global partners and is looking into spreading its wings to other countries, bringing Malaysia’s unique brand of expertise to construction projects overseas.

Ancubic Group has strong competitive strength and is maintaining a steady and sustainable development at home while at the same time, expanding cross-regional development projects. The future is indeed looking up for the Ancubic Group.

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Higher Salary Growth In ICT Industry Advertised jobs for ICT Professionals in Malaysia grew by 35% to 15,197 in 2017. he overall average monthly salary of ICT Professionals in Malaysia is expected to move up further in 2018 to RM9,389, a 5.4 percent growth, compared with RM8,908 in 2017.

However, this is still much lower than the 7% Average Annual Growth from 2009 to 2017, said PIKOM’s Research Committee Chair Woon Tai Hai at the launch of the 11th edition of the ICT Job Market Outlook in Malaysia 2018 recently.

In the five main categories of positions – fresh graduates, junior executives, senior executives, managers and senior managers – the expected rise in senior managers’ salary this year is 5.9% followed by managers at 5.7%.

The number of advertised jobs of ICT professionals also jumped by 35 % to 15,197 in 2017 compared with 11, 227 in 2016. Senior Executive Level attracted the most number of jobs at 7,118 among the five job categories.

The report covers mainly the Economic and ICT Industry Outlook in Malaysia; Salary and Hiring Trends in Malaysia in five Job Categories and 22 Industry Groups as well as Regional Benchmarking Analysis in 20 countries and 82 cities (including four in Malaysia).

The 92-page report, a collaboration with Jobstreet.com, is PIKOM’s most comprehensive job market publication since 2007 and attracted 17 industry players as valued partners. They are MDEC, Dell EMC, HDC, Ektech, Mykris, Censof, Commerce.Asia, Glocomp, Fire Eye, Dimension Data, Hitachi Sunway, Fusionex, Persol Kelly, Microsoft, Epson, Day Three, and CIS Solucis.

For the first time, PIKOM included in this report Salary and Hiring Trends in six countries in Southeast and East Asia region taken from Jobstreet.com sister regional companies in Singapore, Hong Kong, The Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Malaysia’s overall average monthly

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of RM8,908 (US$2,244) is the third highest behind Singapore (US$3,354) and Hong Kong (US$3,049). Thailand was fourth at US$1,272, The Philippines at US$834, Vietnam at US$746 and Indonesia at 7th place at US$585.

However, Malaysia’s ranking among 20 countries hardly changed significantly when comparing the salary of an entry level IT Project Manager using both the Atlas Criterion and Purchasing Power Parity regional benchmarking scales.

The association has also included the salary trends of ICT Professionals in the cybersecurity market to highlight the critical need for qualified and skilled professionals to tackle the growing cyber threats that are crippling organisations worldwide.

The salary trends of the entry level professionals are also a cause for concern as the salary gap between this category and the other four categories especially the senior manager category, continued to widen.

The overall top five paying industries in 2017 was Financial Services/

Securities / Insurance, Call Centre/ IT-Enabled Services/BPO, Computer/ Information Technology (Hardware), Banking and Telecommunication.

Computer/Information Technology (Software) was the overall top hiring industry for ICT Professionals in 2017, offering 5,686 jobs. This was followed by Consulting (Business/ Technical) industry offering 2,346, Manufacturing/Production at 1,147 jobs, Telecommunication industry at 1,068 and Banking at 906 jobs.

Malaysia’s ranking among 20 countries hardly changed significantly when comparing the salary of an entry level IT Project Manager using both the Atlas Criterion and Purchasing Power Parity regional benchmarking scales.

Woon added that the ICT industry salary scale in Malaysia must be competitive in the region to mitigate the risk of brain drain of ICT talents, particularly in the Cybersecurity sector. “Our entry level salary must be attractive enough to ensure a continuous build-up of ICT professionals in the long run,” he said.

L-R: Deputy Chairman of PIKOM Danny Lee, Ganesh Kumar Bangah, Chairman of PIKOM and PIKOM Research Committee Chairman Woon Tai Hai.

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50 Developers Win Property Insight Prestigious Developer Awards 2018 The fourth edition of the Awards saw a record number of winners. he glitzy dinner event, entitled ‘Recognising Excellence’ and held at the Shangri-La hotel, was attended by more than 600 guests. It was officiated by the guest-of-honour Puan Zuraida Kamaruddin, the Minister of Housing and Local Government alongside Dato’ KK Chua, Founder and Managing Director of Property Insight,

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Dato’ KK Chua also presented a cheque for RM30,000 towards Tabung Harapan Malaysia to Puan Zuraida Kamaruddin.

a monthly property magazine that organised the event.

At the event, Dato’ KK Chua also presented a cheque for RM30,000 towards Tabung Harapan Malaysia to Puan Zuraida Kamaruddin.

Among the developers who received awards that night were Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB), Mah Sing Group Bhd, Sunsuria Berhad, LBS Bina Group Berhad, Malaysia Land Properties Sdn Bhd, Matrix Concepts, OSK, UMLand, IJM and Sunway. For the first time, personal recognition awards were also presented to two awardees.

The awards, created with the aim of recognising outstanding developers and development, attracted more than 120 entries in the various categories. A panel of judges chose the winners based four criteria – track record, concept, building design and value creation.

Also taken into account were factors such as innovation and viability in promoting a better environment for work, play and stay as well as aesthetic design and value added offerings such as comprehensive facilities and unique additions that benefit the community.

Under the Development Awards category, Mah Sing Group Berhad bagged four awards – Best Hybrid Development, Best Mixed Development,

Best Landed Development and Best Family Living Development. Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Leong Hoy Kum, Group Managing Director of Mah Sing Group Berhad, won the Lifetime Achievement Award under the Special Recognitions category.

LBS Bina Group won three awards in the Development Awards Category – Best High Rise Development, Best Facilities Development and Best Gated & Guarded Development. It also won the Best Affordable Housing Developer award in the Developer Awards category.

The Best Refurbished Development and The Best Transit Oriented Development Catalyst awards were won by MRCB while Sunsuria Berhad bagged an award for Best Office Development. Meanwhile Malaysia Land Properties Sdn Bhd won the Best Innovative Services Development and Best Opulence Development awards while Matrix Concepts took the awards for Best Inspired Landed Development and Best Greenery Harmonious Development.

In the Development Awards category, Matrix Concepts won the Best Inspired Landed Development and the Best Greenery Harmonious Development awards.

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