Vol 8 No 1 2020
Sushi Empress,
Enjoying The Taste of Success
MRCA’s 27th Anniversary Starry Night Dinner Running For A Worthy Cause
WM RM9 / EM RM11
Nicole Lim, Chief Executive Officer, Empire Sushi Group Sdn Bhd
MRCA Corporate Patrons
Event
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A-5-2, 3, 3A, Level 5, Block A, Sky Park One City, Jalan USJ25/1, 47650 Subang Jaya, Selangor. 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
FOUNDER PRESIDENT Dato’ Eddie Choon POH KONG HOLDINGS BHD
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Dato’ Liaw Choon Liang, JP FOCUS POINT HOLDINGS BHD
PRESIDENT COUNCIL Dato’ Eddie Choon POH KONG HOLDINGS BHD Datuk Albert Chiang BONIA CORPORATION BHD Datuk Lee Hwa Cheng SINMA JEWELLERY CENTRE 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
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 Hai Shiang ARORI (M) SDN BHD Sharan Valiram VALIRAM TRADING SDN BHD Jason Woo Wee Yoong CLARA INTERNATIONAL BEAUTY GROUP SDN BHD Malaysia Retailer Vol 4 No1
BOARD OF ADVISORS 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, 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 Tan Sri Datuk Ter Leong Yap EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN SUNSURIA 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 Datuk 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 Datin Yap Shin Siang YYC GST CONSULTANTS SDN BHD OTHER FOUNDING MEMBERS Dato’ Chin See Keat Wong Chee How
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President’s Message Dear esteemed MRCA members,
Datuk Seri Garry KS Chua, President, 2016-Present, Malaysia Retail Chain Association
I would like to wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year. Year 2020 is a special one for Malaysia as this is the year we strive and aspire to better times. The Malaysian government has earmarked 2020 as Visit Malaysia Year, lending support in hundreds of programmes for tourists to have an authentic experience. Other initiatives include the Transit Without Visa programme, visa-on-arrival facilities, development grants, and joint promotions across several industries. Malaysia has set a target of 30 million international tourist arrivals this year, with an expected revenue of RM100 billion. MRCA is immensely supportive of such efforts as it will rejuvenate our economy while improving the tourism and its secondary sectors. The government has allocated RM1 billion through the Tourism Infrastructure Fund, which is available up to Dec 31, 2020 or until depleted. It is for projects that contribute to the development of the tourism industry and not just limited to hotel, convention centre, facilities related to education, medical or agrotourism. Retailers can tap into the fund to build around their existing infrastructure to cater for tourism activities. I hope our members will benefit from this as MRCA continues to engage with public and private sectors on how to keep the momentum going. I sincerely believe retailers are a resilient group. Speaking of grants, the Market Development Grant (MDG) ceiling by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) has been raised from RM200,000 to RM300,000 per company effective January 1, 2020. MRCA has sent a circular to all members, informing them of the incentives offered by MDG through MATRADE. If you have missed the circular, please have a look at an article we did on the issue. Last quarter, MRCA continued to hold several key events, aimed at improving networking opportunities and helping deserving charities. I would like to thank the organising committee chairman Dato’ Vincent Choo for their hard work for making MRCA’s 27th anniversary dinner a success. We were all treated like stars as the industry gave out the Billion Ringgit Recognition Award to 20 companies. We were fortunate to have Guest of Honour Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Yusof, Minster of Entrepreneur Development. I would like to record my profound gratitude to our sponsors and corporate patrons Maxis, Fusionex and RHB Bank for their utmost support. We also had a successful media appreciation dinner where we honour them for their continuous support in publicising MRCA events. This has helped many of our members understand the inner workings of the media industry as well. Thank you Organising Chairmen, Jeff Yong and Dato Choi Wei Yee. Let’s not forget our two charity events – the annual golf tournament and the annual run. MRCA raised RM50,000 cash for five charities via the golf event while the run garnered another RM50,000 for 10 charitable organisations. For this, I would like to thank Ong Kian Ming, Deputy Ministry of International Trade and Industry for gracing the Charity Run and Tan Sri Ter Leong Yap, Founder and Executive Chairman of Sunsuria Bhd, as the Guest of Honour for the Charity Golf. My thanks also goes to Organising Chairman for the Charity Golf, Dato’ Alex Wong and the Organising Chairman for the Charity Run, Jordan Ng. I’m happy to note that we are still able to help the less fortunate in these times. Not forgetting Datin Flora, for organising the Deepavali and Christmas charity visitations. I would to take the opportunity to wish all our members a bountiful and meaningful Chinese New Year. May it brings us strength to grow the retail industry.
“ENRICHING MEMBERS FOR THE FUTURE”
Malaysia Retailer Vol 8 No 1
CONTENTS / VOL. 8 NO. 1
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MRCA’s 27th Anniversary Starry Night Dinner
EVENTS 28 Deepavali Charity Visit
29 Christmas Cheer for 50 Underprivileged Children
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Media Appreciation Dinner 2019
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Running for a Worthy Cause
34 Wedding Bells for Datuk Seri Nelson Kwok’s son
COVER STORY
26 Culinary Gala
6 Sushi Empress, Enjoying
27 McMillan Woods McC Cares
the Taste of Success
ON THE COVER
In less than a decade, Empire Sushi Group Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Nicole Lim and her dedicated team have garnered 39 outlets under their belt. How does she do it?
FEATURES
11 Media Appreciation Dinner 2019 12 MRCA’s 27th Anniversary Starry Night Dinner
Nicole Lim, Chief Executive Officer, Empire Sushi Group Sdn Bhd
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20 Running for a Worthy Cause 24 Teeing off for Charity
Raises RM100,000 for the Needy
30 Mercearia Grocer to Debut in
Mah Sing’s Southville City, Bangi
35 Value of Doing Your Best 36 Feng Shui 2020 37 MRCA in the News DEPARTMENT
3 President’s Message
Cover Story
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Sushi Empress, Enjoying The Taste of Success In less than a decade, Empire Sushi Group Sdn Bhd Chief Executive Officer Nicole Lim and her dedicated team have garnered 39 outlets under their belt. How does she do it?
orn in Teluk Intan, Perak, some 30 years ago, Nicole Lim is one of four siblings growing up in a middle income household. Back then, sushi was not as ubiquitous as how it is now. To enjoy some scrumptious sushi, Nicole said the family would have to travel to Ipoh about 95km away. Also, sushi shops were of the conveyor belt or supermarket variety. “Having a sushi meal with our children wasn’t exactly affordable. It was considered a splurge. I always wondered why it can’t be more easily available and affordable. Although I love to eat sushi, most of them are on the traditional side.” This got her thinking. And she saw a market niche – Malaysia needs express sushi with localised flavours and yet remain affordable. It must have been serendipity when she met her future
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husband and business partner Jordan Tan, who is a sushi chef. The duo are so invested in their sushi dream that Nicole left her studies at the university in 2011 to focus on starting the sushi business in 2013.
LOCAL APPEAL Instead of reinventing the sushi wheel, Nicole felt that the market needed products are reflect Malaysians and her company’s trendy appeal. “The sushi market is a tough one. Many of them provide a sit-down experience with traditional sushi items. But these days, many Malaysians prefer to just grab and go during lunch time. Not everyone has the chance to have a long lunch. I wanted to cater to the express crowd without sacrificing the quality of my products. “I also wanted to differentiate our
products. So, instead of selling the same kind of traditional sushi, our products have a local flair.” She said among the best sellers are the grilled lobster and abalone, takoyaki sushi, smoked duck, spicy roll, saba teriyaki, unagi and cheese roll. In addition, Empire Sushi has its signature dishes such as the aburi salmon and inari lobster. Another point was her food should also look good, colourful and tasty. With these things in mind, Chief Operations Officer and R&D Head Jordan had his job cut out. Currently, Empire Sushi has about 90 types of sushi. Nicole’s first outlet was at Berjaya Times Square. “I had already envisioned that my food must look gorgeous, hence having a big and bright display is vital. Customers can immediately see what we have to offer.
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“In the first six months, I was at the outlet from 6am to 11pm, creating the workflow from A to Z, ensuring the staff are up to the job. I’m proud to say that I am able to make each and every sushi in our menu from scratch. “I feel that the business needs me to be hands-on. After all, we’re in the food business. There is something intimate about feeding people.” In addition to her business, Jordan and her tied the knot and started their own family.
MAINTAINING QUALITY As a testament to Nicole’s unique sushi ideas, Empire Sushi is growing at an exponential rate, opening 39 outlets within six years in major cities. Other than Kuala Lumpur, its kiosks are in Petaling Jaya, Penang, Ipoh, Alor Setar and Kuantan as well as a workforce of more than 300 people. With a fast-growing business, it is vital for Nicole to ensure that product quality and price are meeting expectations of her customers. “I’m often asked how we are able to keep our prices affordable for majority of Malaysians, yet our quality remains high. “It is very important that we are able to fulfil those two points. Prices of food items fluctuate but I’m happy to note that our Purchasing Department is very
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resourceful. Our sushi is made fresh daily. Rice is cook in each outlet. Sushimaking is ongoing throughout the day to meet demand. And since we do not use preservatives, unsold items have to be thrown away at the end of the business day,” she said. “Our sushi-making process does not use alcohol or pork products, hence allowing some outlets to have halal certification from Jakim.” Nicole said the soft economy is not an excuse for her to skimp on quality or increase prices. “I prefer to re-examine my business operations to see how we can function better, more efficiently.” A big help to her business is the growth of food delivery services, especially in major cities. “Innovation is Empire Sushi’s foundation so when innovative services such as food delivery come along, we embrace it. “The popularity of each food delivery service depends on region and city, but we’re happy to ensure our products reach our customers in a different way. These services do contribute to sales and allows us to reach more customers.” As for e-wallets, Nicole says Empire Sushi has signed up for a few and it is popular among teenagers, however it does not appeal to those aged 40 and above.
MOTIVATING WORKFORCE
“Having the right attitude is a must in life. It will take you far. It has helped me in my personal life and when running the business.” – Nicole Lim, Chief Executive Officer, Empire Sushi Group Sdn Bhd.
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In keeping to its vibrant and trendy brand, the workforce in Empire Sushi are aged 40 and below. “Our staff are quite young but they are very hard working and highly motivated. I prefer not to have a hierarchy relationship with them, instead I cultivated an open work environment where they feel free to share their ideas and plans. “I’d say we have become like a family as most of the pioneering staff are still with us.” For new staff members, they will have to undergo training every three months at Empire Sushi’s headquarters. This is to ensure their product knowledge is up to expectations. Aside from work, Nicole’s staff also joins her in numerous corporate social responsibility efforts throughout the year. There will be visits to charity homes, orphanages, Orang Asli villages and contributing to a peace run.
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MOVING AHEAD It has been a fruitful journey for Nicole, seeing she snagged The Star Outstanding Business Awards (SOBA) 2018’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year (up to RM25mil revenue), 2019 Junior Chamber International Creative Young Entrepreneur Award Top 10 Finalist, and seven awards from different organisations. “I’m very happy and proud that the industry has recognised my entrepreneurship and innovation. My team and I are continuously aiming to garner more awards as they are motivation for the company to do better. “Part of the award process allows me insight into what we have done right and wrong. I can take stock of my business as a whole as well. Having the will to learn new things is a must for entrepreneurs. I also enjoy reading about successful people to gain more knowledge and motivation.” For Nicole, the most important trait for her is having the right attitude. “Having the right attitude is a must in life. It will take you far. It has helped me in my personal life and when running the business.”
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“Part of the award process allows me insight into what we have done right and wrong. I can take stock of my business as a whole as well. Having the will to learn new things is a must for entrepreneurs.”
RCA organised an appreciation dinner for the media on December 9th at the Chakri Palace Skyview (Raintree Sky Bar & Lounge), Dorsett Hotel rooftop in Sri Hartamas. About 60 guests, including members of the media, attended the event. Among them were Datuk Albert Chiang, MRCA Branding Education Charity Foundation, Immediate Past President Dato’ Liaw
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Choon Liang, Past Presidents, Datuk Lee Hwa Cheng, Dato’ Tay Sim Kim and Datuk Seri Nelson Kwok, Vice Presidents Shirley Tay, Valerie Choo, Dato’ Liew Bin and Datuk Seri KK Chai, Secretary General Ken Phua, Deputy Secretary General Dato’ Bruce Lim, Treasurer General Dato’ Alex Wong and his deputy Dato’ Winnie Lim, council members Dato’ Choi Wei Yee, Seak Thean Pow and Raymond Woo and Youth Chief Nicholas Chong. Organising chairmen, Jeff Yong and Dato’ Choi welcomed the guests and the media as well as the two sponsors for the event for making the event possible. MRCA President Datuk Seri Garry Chua in his address welcomed the guests and the media and thanked the media for their continuous support in publicising MRCA events and activities throughout the year.
He added that the appreciation dinner was specially organised to thank the media for their continued support. He also thanked E-Beauty Group Sdn Bhd and Tropicana Golf & Country Resort for sponsoring the event. Guests were entertained by a live band performance while feasting on a delicious spread of Thai cuisine. Later in the evening, nine media partners were presented with an Appreciation Certificate each. The media were: • Harini Management Services Sdn Bhd • Media Prima Berhad • Oriental Daily Sdn Bhd • Sin Chew Media Corporation Berhad • Star Media Group Berhad • Nanyang Siang Pau Sdn Bhd • The New Straits Times Press • The China Press Bhd • The Edge Media Group
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Media Appreciation Dinner 2019
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MRCA’s
27th Anniversary
Starry Night Dinner
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ore than 1,000 guests comprising top business leaders, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and corporate senior management, and all dressed to the nines, graced the association’s 27th anniversary gala dinner at the One World Hotel recently. Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Yusof, Minister of Entrepreneur Development, was the Guest of Honour at the stylish event which was theme ‘Be A Star’, The evening saw lots of activities to celebrate and entertain such as Signing on the Wall, Make-up Scene, Director on Sight and Welcome Star. The opening performance had three types of dances with different backgrounds which represented the past, present and future. The first dance was Rumba with a 70s era background, the 2nd dance, freestyle / Salsa, had an office background while the 3rd dance, Tango, had a futuristic backdrop. MRCA President Datuk Seri Garry Chua welcomed the guests and said that the association had grown from
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a humble association led by visionary retail leaders to become a progressive and highly influential force in the retail industry. “It provides a platform for members to share their knowledge and experiences, thus supporting one another and the growth of the industry,” he added. Today, MRCA has an all-time record of more than 530 members many of whom have expanded locally and internationally and are competing with international brands. With such a strong organisation of leading franchise and retail store operators covering more than 30,000 outlets throughout the country, these members help provide over 150,000 job opportunities to Malaysians. The President’s theme, ‘Enriching Members for the Future’, sets the landscape for members to grow and be rewarded under the MRCA umbrella. Datuk Seri Garry Chua also thanked all the main sponsors as well as those who purchased tables to attend the dinner. He also commended the Organising Chairman Dato’ Vincent Choo and his committee for putting up an exciting show. In his welcoming speech, Dato’ Vincent Choo said that the annual dinner was a good time to look back at their achievements, the good and hard times, and the lessons learnt. “It is a time to be grateful for all these things – our good health, the people in our lives, our country and the opportunities it gives us,” he added. The evening also saw Tokens of Appreciation given to the dinner sponsors and MRCA corporate patrons Maxis, Fusionex and RHB Bank as well as Billion Ringgit Recognition Award given to 20 companies. MRCA continuously organises many activities such as Charity Fundraising through its Charity Run, Charity Golf and Visitations to charitable organisations; Business trips for overseas collaborations; Annual Banquet events; Bi-monthly meetings and Marketing and Promotional initiatives. It is committed to be an excellent 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. It also provides a highly supportive environment to build business and pool ideas, experiences and efforts together by placing its members first.
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Billion Ringgit Recognition Award 99 Speed Mart Sdn Bhd AEON Credit Service (M) Berhad Berjaya Corporation Berhad Fusionex International Gerbang Alaf Restaurants Sdn Bhd (McDonald’s) Hap Seng Star Sdn Bhd iPay88 Holding Sdn Bhd KK Supermart & Store Sdn Bhd Maxis Berhad Media Prima Berhad Mydin Mohamed Holdings Berhad Padini Holdings Berhad Poh Kong Holdings Berhad PPB Group Berhad QSR Stores Sdn Bhd RHB Bank Berhad Senheng Electric (KL) Sdn Bhd Telekom Malaysia Berhad The Store Corporation Berhad Top Glove Corporation Berhad
Diamond Sponsor IGB REIT/Southkey Megamall Sdn Bhd
Platinum Sponsors PPB Group Berhad Sunsuria Berhad The Store Corporation Bhd UMR Strategic Sdn Bhd
Gold Sponsors Coca-Cola Refreshments (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd QSR Stores Sdn Bhd Sunway REIT (RHB Trustees Berhad)
Silver Sponsors Berjaya Starbucks Coffee Company Sdn Bhd Bina Puri Holdings Berhad Cuckoo International (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd Ikano Handel Sdn Bhd Parkson Corporation Sdn Bhd Perbadanan Nasional Berhad (PNS) Sumbangan Lagenda Sdn Bhd Poh Kong Holdings Berhad Top Glove Sdn Bhd Tropicana Indah Sdn Bhd Urban Idea Sdn Bhd Valiram Holdings Sdn Bhd
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Running For A Worthy Cause More than 1,500 participants from all over the country braved the rain to take part in the MRCA Charity Run which was held in the evening on 14th December.
eld for the sixth consecutive year, this year’s event was held in the evening instead of early morning as in previous years. Themed “PreCountdown 2020”, the run was held in collaboration with Summit USJ, and the Guest-of-Honour was Dr. Ong Kian Ming, Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry Guest of Honour who flagged off the participants. This meaningful event raised RM50,000 and the proceeds were donated to 10 charitable organisations – House of Joy, Kiwanis Club of Kluang Mandarin, Persatuan Kebajikan Taman Kebaikan, Pertubuhan Kebajikan Anak Yatim Mary, KL, Pusat Harian KanakKanak Spastik Ipoh, Rumah Kebajikan Kanak-Kanak Cacat Negeri Perak, Rumah Keluarga Kami, Vinashini Home, Vision Home and Yi Xing USJ Old Folks Home. This year’s Charity Run had two categories – 5km and 10km – and unlike previous years, the run was non-competitive and opened to the public of all ages. As the run was noncompetitive, all the participants were winners and each of them received the specially designed “M” finisher medal upon completion of the run. The alphabet is the first of the medal set of letters M.R.C.A. Organising Chairman, Jordan Ng, said that the charity run aimed to raise funds for the MRCA Branding Education Charity Foundation which was established in 2010 to not only provide educational assistance to those in need but also to help charitable organisation through various corporate social responsibility initiatives. MRCA President, Datuk Seri Garry Chua thanked Dr. Ong Kian Ming for taking time off his busy schedule on a Saturday evening to attend the Charity
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Run. He also congratulated Organising Chairman Jordan Ng and advisor Datuk Lee Hwa Cheng for successfully organising the evening run. He also extended his heartfelt thanks to Summit USJ for providing the venue, Premium sponsor, Poh Kong Holdings Berhad as well as Executive sponsors Banner King Sdn Bhd, BHS Book Printing Sdn Bhd, Bonia Corporation, Focus Point Holdings Berhad, Urban Idea Sdn Bhd and Valiram Group, and all the other sponsors for making the event a success. Dr. Ong Kian Ming, who also took part in the run, congratulated MRCA for organising the run for the benefit of the 10 charity homes. He commended the participants for braving the rain to participate in the noble cause. Many exciting programs were also organised for everyone to enjoy including lucky draw sessions, live band performances, singing sessions, group dance performances and competitions on stage for men and women to see could stand the longest on one leg or do the most push-ups. There were also varieties of F&B stalls. The MRCA Charity Run was initiated by then-President Datuk Lee Hwa Cheng in 2014 with the aim to raise funds for charity.
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Teeing Off for Charity The annual MRCA Charity Golf 2019 fundraiser held at the Tropicana Golf & Country Resort saw 120 golfers taking to the green in late November. The main objective of the event was to combine workplace health management and social commitment, while networking with the members. The Guest-of-Honour was Tan Sri Ter Leong Yap, Founder and Executive Chairman of SunsuriaBhd. The Organizing Chairpersons, Dato’ Alex Wong of Hap Seng Star Sdn Bhd and Brian Tham, of Watatime Sdn Bhd, said the event raised RM50,000 cash to be donated to five charities:
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Bethesda Home, Rawang, Persatuan Kebajikan Dialysis Neesum Ipoh, Perak, Persatuan Rumah Kebajikan Kanak-Kanak Makarios, Subang Jaya, Rumah Orang-Orang Tua Seri Setia, Sg Way, Selangor and Seri Sayang Welfare Home, Batang Kali, Selangor. The Hole-in-One sponsor, Hap Seng Star Sdn Bhd, generously sponsored the Mercedes Benz A-Class 200. The day was continued with a dinner that evening coupled with entertaining activities for the golfers. The highlight of the night was the charity auction where seven sponsored items were up for grabs. All the proceeds were donated to the charity bodies.
Gold Cash Sponsor
Top Glove Corporation Berhad.
Apparel Sponsor
Fire Fighter Industry Sdn Bhd.
Auction Sponsors
ATG Watch Sdn Bhd Ball Watch Malaysia Sdn Bhd Senheng Electric (KL) Sdn Bhd Valiram Group Watatime (M) Sdn Bhd
Lucky Draw & Door Gift Sponsors Berjaya Starbucks Coffee Company Sdn Bhd Bonia Corporation Berhad Brilliant Merchandising Sdn Bhd Carlsberg Malaysia Delfi Marketing Sdn Bhd F&N Beverage Marketing Sdn Bhd Hap Seng Star Sdn Bhd Rinnai (M) Sdn Bhd Rotol Food-Chain (M) Sdn Bhd Senheng Electric (KL) Sdn Bhd Spectrum Outdoor Marketing Sdn Bhd Urban Idea Sdn Bhd
Auction Items
Gintell G-Resto Sharp 40’ LED TV Jaguar Watch J23-12254BGN-RUS Jaguar Watch J23-12252BGNC2C Tumi International Carry-On (Black) Ball Watch Engineer II GM1032C-S2CJ-BK Mercedes Benz Travel Bag Macallan Rare Cask
Successful Bidders Dato’ Vincent Choo Jeffrey Soo Alvis Koh Yih Tong Dato’ Alex Wong Dato’ Liaw Choon Liang Ganesan Tan Sri Ter Leong Yap Raymond Yee
Tournament Winners Champion Rajender Singh 1st Runner-up Justin Wong 2nd Runner-up Philip Ting 3rd Runner-up Adrian Yap 4th Runner-up Dr Jasmeet Bull Eye Dato’ Wahad
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Culinary Gala A showcase of Fast Cars, Fashion and Gastronomy Experience. ig Onion Food Caterer Sdn Bhd (Big Onion) together with Safa Global Holdings Sdn Bhd (Seven S Mega Auto) recently hosted a special gala for its clients and guests of honour to witness the signings of two memorandums of understanding (MoU) events. The signing of the MoUs was witnessed by His Royal Highness Prince Norodom Naravong of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Among the guests were MRCA members including President Datuk Seri Garry Chua and Council member Datin Flora Tan. Held on 24th November at Seven S Mega Auto’s luxury car showroom, the event began with the signing of the MoUs which marked the official partnership for event collaboration. Kenny Bee, Sales Director of Seven S Mega Auto said, “The uniqueness of blending distinguished F&B experience and the prestige of high-end automobile is truly one of its kind.” The second MoU was signed between Big Onion and Puan Sri Nisa Bakri, a culinary personality and entrepreneur. Managing Director of Big Onion, Liang Foo Kuan said, “Puan Sri Nisa is not only a renowned personality in the field of culinary cuisine in Malaysia, but as an enterprising entrepreneur, she made
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significant strides in popularising our country’s delicacy to overseas audiences. Synonymous with our vision, we are proud to welcome her on board and to include her culinary expertise and signature dishes as part of Big Onion’s menu portfolio.” The auspicious evening featured delectable cuisines by Big Onion and exclusive signature dishes by Puan Sri Nisa Bakri. Guests and dignitaries not only took the opportunity to network but also to check out fleet of luxury cars. Malaysia’s celebrated shoe designer, Christy Ng also showcased her latest collection of shoes and bags with eventonly exclusive offers. Big Onion is Malaysia’s awardwinning food and beverage and culinary services provider that offers professional catering services and chefs’ public showcase of signature dishes for local and international events.
Funds raised at the inaugural McMillan Woods 100,000 Steps Charity Walk Challenge recently at the Tropicana Metropark, were donated to the National Council of the Blind, Malaysia, (NCBM) and Old Folks Homes. he NCBM will use the funds to buy 50 braille machines that will assist the blind to communicate more effectively and have some form of normalcy in their life. Guest of Honour Y.M. Tunku Datuk Mu’tamir Tunku Tan Sri Mohamed, Royal Household of Negeri Sembilan, in support of the charity said, “McM Cares has done a phenomenal job at creating awareness of the blind’s needs in the form of braille machines, which greatly improve the lives of the blind people. I am glad to be a part of this magnanimous initiative.” A total of 23 achievers were certified by the Malaysia Book of Records. Thirteen of them accomplished the 100,000 steps (about 75km) from 12.01am to 6.00pm, an exhausting duration of 18 hours, while 10 achievers accomplished the 100,000 steps after 6.00pm. Participants had to walk through the beautiful urban greenery landscape of Tropicana Metropark set in an 88-acre freehold land in Subang Jaya. The urban retreat also cradles the 9-acre Central Park which has a 750-metre linear lake. The event, supported by Tourism Malaysia, attracted international participation from Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Indonesia, New Zealand, Australia, Taiwan, Iran, Albania and India, as well newly crowned Miss Cosmopolitan World First Runner Up Winner, Christine Chai, as the Ambassador. Also among the participants was a group of blind people. McM Cares programme is a CSR initiative driven by McMillan Woods that has contributed over USD230,000 (RM929,900) since its inception on 1st January 2014, to various charities. It aims to address the global challenges of climate change, education and poverty alleviation. Dato’ Seri Raymond Liew, President of McMillan Woods, said that the
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company has social responsibilities to give back to society. “We do our best to raise funds, support and create awareness on global challenges. We have underwritten to raise RM100,000 for the National Council of the Blind, Malaysia and any surplus to support the Old Folks Homes.” He also thanked all the partners, sponsors, celebrity ambassadors, and participants who took time off their hectic weekend to support the cause. The 100,000 Steps Challenge also
attracted many supportive sponsors such as Bagman for backpacks, T-Shirts from Ultron, Medals and Trophies from Unique Supreme, MyDin for drinks and cookies, Pensonic for achiever gifts, Cuckoo Malaysia for the mystery gifts for selective participants, Tourism Malaysia for door gifts, Fitness Concept for treadmills, in case it rained, and Fitbit pedometer watches for selective celebrities and achievers who persevered through the gruesome 18 hours to accomplish the 100,000 steps.
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McMillan Woods McC Cares Raises RM100,000 for the Needy
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Deepavali Charity Visit MRCA, under the leadership of thenMRCA President, Dato’ Tay Sim Kim, set up the MRCA Branding Education Charity Foundation in 2010 with the RM1 million in funds raised. Through this Foundation, MRCA set the ball rolling by giving back to the society through visitations and donations to charitable homes during Malaysian festive seasons. In conjunction with the recent Deepavali celebration, members from MRCA visited Pusat Jagaan KanakKanak Kurang Upaya Kirtarsh in Bandar Bukit Beruntung, Rawang, Selangor, to spread some festive joy with cash and goods donations. The home, founded by Mani, has about 50 residents, many of whom have mental health problems. Among those who visited the charity
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home were MRCA Branding Education Charity Foundation Chairman, Datuk Albert Chiang, MRCA President, Datuk Seri Garry Chua, MRCA Charity Projects Head, Datin Flora Tan, MRCA members and youths. The Foundation donated a total of RM15,000 worth of cash, groceries, medical supplies, electrical appliances and mini hampers. The generous donations were from: • Datuk Seri Garry Chua – RM1,000 cash • Datuk Albert Chiang – RM1,000 cash • Myzsm Sdn Bhd – RM1,000 cash • Dato’ Vincent Choo – 10 units of wall fan • Marrybrown – Food & drinks for tea break • Baiwago – Buns • Komugi – Buns • GoodMorning Global – Goodie bags • Transtel Technology – Packet drinks As the leading retail chain association
in Malaysia, MRCA, under the leadership of its 2008-2010 President Dato’ Tay Sim Kim, raised RM1 million for the set-up of the MRCA Foundation. One of its objectives is to receive and provide funds for charitable purposes, especially for the poor and needy. Through its charity work, MRCA hopes to promote awareness amongst the public about the existence of the less fortunate and giving back to the community.
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Christmas Cheer for 50 Underprivileged Children In conjunction with the Christmas festivities and celebration, MRCA recently invited 50 children from three different homes and a centre to spread some festive joy with cash and goods donations. The children are from (Lighthouse Children Welfare Home, Praise Emmanuel Children’s Home, Rumah Kanak-Kanak Impian and Neighbourhood Learning Centre Kepong. The children from the three homes put up a fun talent show and the winner of the show was Rumah Kanak-Kanak Impian with their dancing performance. They were also treated to a special song performance by MRCA President, Datuk
Seri Garry Chua who belted out several Christmas songs. The children were each presented with goodies, enjoyed face painting session, got a chance to interact with Frozen characters by cosplayers and were later treated to lunch provided by Marrybrown, MRCA, through its Branding Education Charity Foundation, and its members donated a total of RM16,500 worth of cash and goodies to the three homes and centre during the visitation. The residents of Taman Paramount, Petaling Jaya also donated some goodies for the children. Datuk Albert Chiang, Chairman of the Foundation, Dato’ Tay Sim Kim, founder Chairman of the Foundation, MRCA immediate past President Dato’ Liaw Choon Liang, together with Datuk Seri Garry Chua, organising Chairperson, Datin Flora Tan and several MRCA members attended the event.
The generous donors and sponsors were: • Marrybrown – Venue, Food & Drinks • GoodMorning Global – Goodie bags • The Famous Amos Cookies – Cookies • Embun Elit (Himalaya) – Body wash • Delfi Marketing – Tidbits & snacks • Transtel Technology – Packet drinks Through the donations and celebrations, the Foundation hopes to promote awareness amongst the public about helping the less fortunate.
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Mercearia Grocer to Debut in Mah Sing’s Southville City, Bangi The neighbourhood grocer is set to occupy 7 lots spanning across 9,255sqft at Savanna Boulevard Shops, Mah Sing’s largest township development in Klang Valley. eading property developer, A family-run operation, the Mercearia Datuk Ho Hon Sang that Southville City Mah Sing Group Berhad brand is operated by MAHSA Grocers is well equipped with various lifestyle will soon open its doors Sdn Bhd and built upon a heritage amenities and features, coupled with to Mercearia Grocer, a of providing friendly service to its strategic access to infrastructure and brand widely known as a trusted customers by offering healthy, fresh connectivity. “We believe that Southville neighbourhood grocer by the first quarter and top quality food. The company has City has the potential to serve the of 2020 (Q1 2020) at Savanna Boulevard two stores in Petaling Jaya and Kota estimated population of around 69,000 Shops in Southville City, Bangi. Kemuning. Apart from grocery items people upon its completion over the Mah Sing’s Chief Operating Officer, its stores also offer a range of beauty span of the next 8 to 10 years. The Benjamin Ong said, the opening of care products, general household recent introduction of Merceria Grocer is Mercearia Grocer marks a new milestone merchandise and stationary whilst one of the many new things lined-up for for Southville City, as this is the first operating an in house café that provides Southville City.” gourmet grocer that will be opened in gourmet beverages, pastries and Southville City sits on 428 acres the township. “We are confident that sandwiches. of freehold land and has undertaken Mercearia Grocer’s opening in Southville robust development over the past City will provide great convenience to few years, following the completion QUALITY LIVING EXPERIENCE the owners and tenants on the back of of Avens Residence and the on-going Mah Sing’s Chief Executive Officer, its expertise and track record VP for the Savanna Executive of providing optimum service Suites. The affordably priced to customers. This, in turn, developments of Southville City will promote more footfall and which include Tower A & B of increase the occupancy of our Cerrado Suites, and Tower A of retail outlets.” Sensory Residence also received He added that Mah Sing encouraging response from the has identified and is engaging market. businesses that will complement To enhance the accessibility the grocer’s overall concept. of the township, Mah Sing This includes cafes, family officially opened the Southville restaurants, educational and City interchange in April 2018, edutainment centres, health which will not only benefit the and fitness services, among residents of Southville City but others. “Presently, we have been also the surrounding community receiving encouraging feedback such as Bangi, Kajang, from interested prospects and Cyberjaya, Putrajaya, Semenyih, will be announcing their brands Dengkil and Nilai. soon,” he stated. The Group remains Mercearia’s Chairman Tan Sri committed to building Dr Mohamed Haniffa Abdullah Southville City as a sustainable said that the company’s primary township as half of Southville responsibility is to operate the City’s land is planned for green best supermarket possible. development. Among the green “We are constantly looking out features is a Summit Park for the best locations to open packed with greeneries and our stores. Southville City is an avenues – suitable for family ideal location given its strategic gatherings and get-togethers. location as it straddles around Other outdoor features include matured neighbourhoods with a 10.8km jogging trail and Mah Sing’s Chief Operating Officer, Benjamin Ong and Mercearia’s large population growths. We 7.1km cycling network that Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Shaffiq Ahmad officiating Mercearia intend to open more outlets in strategically connects the whole Grocer’s debut at Southville City. The event was witnessed by the future.” township for residents to enjoy. Mercearia’s Chairman, Tan Sri Dr Mohamed Haniffa Abdullah.
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Wedding Bells
More than 700 guests, family members, business associates and friends of MRCA Past President, Datuk Seri Nelson Kwok (JP) and his wife Datin Seri Carol Ooi, attended the grand wedding reception of their son Kwok Han Cheng and his bride Choong Pei Fun, daughter of Mr Cheong Sau Chan and his wife Kok Chi Len. The event was held at the Grand Ballroom of Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur in November. Among the guests were several MRCA members including its President Datuk Seri Garry Chua, Deputy President Dato’ Vincent Choo, Founder President Dato’ Eddie Choon, Chairman of MRCA Branding Education Charity Foundation Datuk Albert Chiang, Past President Datuk Lee Hwa Cheng, Vice Presidents Shirley Tay, Dato’Liew Bin and Valerie
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Choo, Deputy Treasurer General Dato’ Winnie Lim and Council member Raymond Woo. Datuk Seri Nelson, in his speech, thanked all the invited guest, some of whom had come from overseas, for gracing the event. He also mentioned that he would be taking a back seat from his business allowing his son to take charge of the company which he built 35 years ago.
he world would be a much better place if only people would do their best. However, the reality is that over 98% of people do not do their best. The following are some of the main reasons why people do not do their best: • They have little confidence in their own talents and skills. • They do not utilise the knowledge, skills and experience they have. • They do not explore and stretch the potential possibilities within themselves. • They are not motivated or inspired. • They feel they will be punished with more work. • They view that the recognition and rewards do not justify their effort.
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BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN PEOPLE Leaders can do many things to bring out the best in their people. Leaders should inspire those who lack confidence in their own ability to apply their existing talent to achieve more. For those with talent but without an outlet, leaders can create opportunities for them. On the other hand, I know of very competent people who hide their talent for fear that they might be overloaded with more work. Those overloaded with work will soon become demoralised and will shy away from taking initiatives. The solution is to develop more people with the right skills so that work can be delegated fairly. To get the best out of people, reward
talent and achievements accordingly. A morale damper is rewarding everyone the same across the board irrespective of their contribution and results. Keeping track of individual performance may take effort but it is worth it because it is only through fair recognition and rewards that people will sustain their performance.
VALUE OF DOING YOUR BEST There is a common saying, “You can take the horse to a river but you cannot force her to drink.” A better way is to take the horse for a ride in the hot sun and then lead her to a river. Driven by her thirst, the horse would want to drink. Likewise, we cannot force people to do the things. Instead, we need to find a way for them to want to do it. Many people do not want to do their best. They do not see the value for themselves except for what is good for their bosses or companies. Leaders must convince their staff about the benefits that arise from doing one’s best. Here are some of them: • Doing your best gives you credible results that provide opportunities for growth and promotion. • Doing your best is therapeutic because you feel great and not feel guilty that you have performed less. • Doing your best gives you a sense of pride and personal satisfaction which increases your self-esteem and well-being. • Doing your best justifies the talent, qualification, knowledge, skills and experience you have.
Dr Victor SL Tan is the CEO of KL Strategic Change Consulting Group. He undertakes change management consulting and training. He is also the author of 11 books on management. His latest book, Leading Positive And Profitable Change, made it to MPH’s bestseller list. His passion is to engage people to do their best to achieve their peak performance. For feedback for this article email him at victorsltan@klscc. com or contact him at 012 3903168.
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Doing Your Best
Often in the workplace, we face challenges that call for doing our best to overcome them. Many people spend a lot of time worrying about the problems they are may face tomorrow. In fact, the best preparation we can do for tomorrow is to do our best today. If we do our best to resolve the problems of today, we do not have to carry forward the problems tomorrow. Tomorrow will take care of itself. The great writer, Earl Nightingale said: “We are at our very best, and we are happiest when we are fully engaged in work we enjoy on the journey towards the goal we’ve established for ourselves. It gives meaning to our time off and comfort to our sleep. It makes everything else in life so wonderful, so worthwhile.” Indeed, we truly feel whole, meaningful and complete when we do our best at work and in life. It is when we continuously do our best, that we eventually reach the point of being the best in our area of work. In fact, the book, The Secret of Change made its way into the Malaysia Book Of Records as the First Motivation book in poem. On 26th September 2019, our company won two prestigious awards from The Brandlaureate, one individual award as “the most impactful change agent” in transforming people and companies and another company award for our change management consulting work. By doing our best, we stretch our talent and capabilities to the fullest. This eventually won us the recognition and merits we deserve in the area of strategy, change and leadership. More importantly, by doing our best, we ensure that we do not short-change ourselves as we maximise our potential and hence increase our chances for greater accomplishments, recognition and fulfilment.
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Feng Shui 2020 The year 2020 is the year of the Metal Rat (Geng Zi) and with it comes a set of feng shui qi and do’s and don’ts. By Harry Fong, Feng Shui Consultant
f you do not plan to move house or carry out a major renovation, there is not a lot that you need to do. In the Year of the Rat, the Grand Duke or Tai Sui is situated in the north and hence exerts its influence on houses that face north (and sit south) as well as those born in the year of the rat (and horse). Those born in the Year of the Goat and the Rooster are also affected but to a much lesser extent.
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From a feng shui perspective, both the Horse and Rat should not move house or carry out major renovations. If you have to, ensure you select a special and highly auspicious day to start work to ward off bad luck. This do-not-renovate rule applies to the house that you are currently staying in. If you have another house where you are not staying in, you can carry out renovations without fear. Again, select an auspicious day to start work. If you must renovate while staying in the house, here are some rules you need to observe. Tai Sui affects N2. Opposite Tai Sui at S2 is Year Breaker or Sui Po. Do your best not to renovate these two sectors. The Horse clashes with while the Rat offends Tai Sui. The luck of both of
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these animals are degraded with the Horse being more affected than the Rat. The Horse can expect more problems in career, wealth, health and relationships and the Rat to a lesser extent. I would suggest that the Horse exercise greater caution at work and with money. Take good care of your health and think before you speak. Three Killings or San Sha affects the following sectors: the entire South, i.e. S1, S2 and S3 and the neighbouring sectors of SE3 and SW1. Again, do your best to avoid carrying out ground breaking and/or major renovations in these sectors of the house. Another annual star that you should be concerned about is the 5 Yellow which afflicts the East sector, i.e. E1, E2 and E3. Like Tai Sui, Sui Po and San Sha, ground breaking and major renovations in these sector can invoke the inauspicious effects of the 5 Yellow. If you plan to carry out ground breaking and major renovations in these sectors, I would advice that you move out during the renovation period. If you cannot move out, then it is imperative to start on a highly auspicious date. Even if you do not plan to renovate the 5 Yellow sector of east, you should place a metal object such as metal vase
and wind chimes, among others, to moderate the effects of the 5 Yellow. The three auspicious annual stars in the current period are the 8, 9 and 1 and they influence the NW, W and NE sectors this year. To benefit from these auspicious energy you must first spend some time in these sectors of your house. For example, if you room is located in the east, which is inauspicious due to 5 Yellow, and you have a spare room in, say the NW, W or NE sectors, you should relocate into one of these rooms for the year. You can benefit from simply spending time in these sectors. In addition, you can activate these sectors by creating movement in these areas. The most popular way is to install an indoor water fountain. Alternatively, you can install a fan or play loud music to activate these areas. Both the East and South are influenced by the highly inauspicious 5 Yellow and the 2 Black or Illness Star. If possible, you should stay away from these sectors. If these stars occupy your living room, for example, you should spend less time there. If they fall into your main door, bedroom or other areas where you spend a lot of time, and you have no other options, place metal items in these areas to diminish the negative influence of these inauspicious stars. In summary, to capitalize on the good qi of the year, spend time in the auspicious sectors (NW, W, NE) and avoid the inauspicious sectors (East and South). If you must carry out ground breaking or major renovations, ensure that you avoid the inauspicious sectors (N2, S2, E, SE3, SW1). Finally, eat and sleep well and think before you speak.
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MRCA NEWS THAT APPEARED IN THE MEDIA RECENTLY
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