Malaysia Retailer|Vol 6|No 2|2018|Xtend

Vol 6 No 2 2018

3 Flagship Programmes for Retail and F&B Productivity

XTEND-ING SECURITY BEYOND HARDWARE

WM RM9 / EM RM11

Francis Seaw, founder of security solutions provider Xtend Services Sdn Bhd, shares his take on the industry and how it can better serve retailers

Commerce.Asia Enterprise to Boost OmniChannel Commerce

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Malaysia Retailer Vol 4 No1

CONTENTS / VOL. 6 NO. 2

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Commerce.asia Enterprise to Boost Omni-channel Commerce

DEPARTMENTS 41 Monthly Meeting / Member Updates

40 MRCA President’s Selected Activities

47 Calendar

ON THE COVER

Francis Seaw, founder of Xtend Services Sdn Bhd Photography: Song @ Picture This Studio

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IN FOCUS 8 Xtend-ing Security Beyond Hardware

Francis Seaw, founder of security solutions provider Xtend Services Sdn Bhd, shares his take on the industry and how it can better serve retailers.

FEATURES 8 3 Flagship Programmes for Retail and F&B Productivity 10 Commerce.asia Enterprise to Boost Omni-channel Commerce 12 Supporting Malaysia’s ‘Unbanked’ Communities 13 Lelong.my Growth Formula 14 11street Turns 3 16 Sunway Velocity Mall’s Go For Goal 2018 18 Cold Storage Expands e-commerce Footprint in Penang via Happyfresh 20 AEON Opens its First Store in Kuching

22 Property Developer

Extraordinaire, Tan Sri Ir Teo Chiang Kok 24 Let’s Talk Shop 25 Toothbrush that Cleans and Heals 26 MyWorld Flies High with Loyalty Rewards Programme 27 Asia’s Property Queen Dr Renesial Leong 28 Fans Meet 3 Manchester United Football Legends 29 PIKOM’s New Chapters To Drive ICT Industry 30 Tapway’s Solutions for Retailers via Wifi Based Technology 32 Bentley Music Group Hits High Notes with Consistent Growth 34 Rowenda Kitchen, Design for Living, Built for Life 36 Achieving Personal Excellence

Cover Story

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Xtend-ing Security Beyond Hardware Francis Seaw, founder of security solutions provider Xtend Services Sdn Bhd, shares his take on the industry and how it can better serve retailers.

By Khaw Chia Hui Photography Song @ Picture This

hese days, you will be hard pressed to walk into any shopping centre or retail space and not notice the numerous CCTV cameras installed as a theft and loss prevention measure. Just having physical security equipment, however, is not ideal. It has to be maintained and actually trigger a response when security is breached.

Not to mention, hardware upgrade is a substantial expenditure for retailers.

Recognising that these issues hamper retailers in getting the most out of their security measures, Francis Seaw and Xtend Services Sdn Bhd have a different approach.

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Xtend Services Sdn Bhd is described as a holistic multi-solutions provider and you have stressed in the past that you are not in the business of just selling equipment. What is your unconventional security measure?

Before Xtend Services, I was working with one such vendor, selling security equipment to business owners. In the course of my work, I observed several gaps retailers face when it comes to security.

Firstly, the equipment is hardly maintained and these do break down over time. What’s the use of having such equipment but they no longer serve its purpose. Secondly, retailers do not have a dedicated security team to respond fast enough should something happen.

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Often times, it is left to the police or mall security, and in some rare cases, retailers employ third-party security personnel.

Lastly, it does not prevent internal theft or corporate espionage. So in my view, just installing equipment is not enough. The security ecosystem has to be able to detect and report and respond in any adverse event.

I saw an opportunity to carve a niche for myself. Hence I left my job in the early 2000s to start Xtend Services Sdn Bhd. How do you provide security that is different from what is available in the market?

I see an effective security having three components – prevention, detection and response. Most retailers stop short at the prevention and detection stage.

They spend a lot on guards, grilles, alarms, insurance and so on.

What we do is integrate the final part – response. We call it 1Monitor. One holistic solution for your security issues.

We currently own and operate the most advanced central monitoring station in the country.

The 1Monitor system consist of security detection and surveillance devices, communication solutions, to alert and reveal an intrusion, smoke and fire, environmental conditions or other situations which might be considered an emergency, and requiring immediate response.

With a subscription model, the

1Monitor solution offers professional assistance without high overheads, yet effectively improving security and reducing theft and losses, cutting damage costs, and allowing business owners to be confident in the system.

Your 1Monitor centre is certainly impressive. Can you tell us more about what it can do?

As you can see, we have our trained security personnel watching over all our clients’ locations for alerts, warnings and triggers, as well as calls, emails, SMS and other forms of traceable communication.

Our monitoring Response Centre operates 24 hours a day, seven days a

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“1Monitor solution offers professional assistance without high overheads, yet effectively improving security and reducing theft and losses, cutting damage costs, and allowing business owners to be confident in the system.”

- Francis Seaw, founder of security solutions provider Xtend Services Sdn Bhd

week. The team is also well-versed in emergency procedures and competent to deal with police and other emergency service providers our clients might have.

Included in the 1Monitor Services are: • Server & Application Monitoring • Temperature & Humidity • Barcode & RFID Information Tracking • Geo-positioning • Facilities Monitoring • Panic Button Monitoring Will retailers/business owners be able to access monitoring data?

Of course they will. We do provide reports based on request and clients can then use it to implement preventive measures and take pre-emptive action.

Another feature is they have access to our web based interface. This interface lets them view transactions over the web as it occurs. Its versatile reporting functionality provides for an invaluable tool for users to define key performance reports for assessment and review.

So for those owners who are often on the road, they can check into their outlets remotely. Different layers of access can be set up to help compartmentalise security, especially for businesses that already engage surveillance services.

Does it mean that your new clients have to upgrade their existing systems to be compatible with your services?

Not at all. We lease a set-top box to our customers where it is a gateway that connects analogue/old surveillance equipment to ‘communicate’ with our systems. As long as their equipment is not faulty, I would advice them not to replace them, as a cost-saving measure.

When you first started Xtend Services, how did you secure funding for such an ambitious undertaking?

I thought I had the business model all figured out but setting up this state of the art centre required a significant investment, not forgetting the development of our systems, web interface and so on.

Since I did not have experience

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running a business, convincing banks to provide me loans was a tremendous challenge. My savings weren’t quite enough. Instead, I applied to Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera for financial help. It is a fund established by the government statutory body to provide retirement benefits and a savings scheme for armed forces personnel.

It was good messaging too as the armed forces support fit our security business. They agreed and invested RM10 million. Today, the fund has a 26% stake in Xtend.

The investment also helped build credibility for us in the early days. After getting high-profile clients from public and private sectors, it allowed us to work with other clients and community policing programmes.

We only had 30 employees and two offices, but it has grown to more than 200 employees and six offices with our security services covering more than 5,000 sites.

How about the cost of signing up for your clients?

Like I mentioned earlier, security hardware is a significant investment for any business owner. Cost should not be a deterrent of getting the best security for your business. So I was mindful of creating a sustainable business model.

We work on a rental model for our

equipment and a subscription model for our security services. If you do not have any hardware, we also work to help lease the equipment needed. This helps keep costs low.

We charge between RM30 and RM800 a month for the monitoring services, which I feel is an affordable option to keep your assets secure. For an affordable fee covers managed security, managed critical parameters monitoring and control, mobile monitoring and control, unmanned sites control and response service, and a virtual communications centre.

One of our most popular products are burglary alarm system and CCTV rentals.

Our clients range from more than 2,000 sites belonging to Indah Water Konsortium, petrol stations to clinics as well as popular retail brands. As you can see, the affordable subscription model allows for business of any size to sign on with us.

What wise words do you have for budding entrepreneurs in Malaysia?

Seek out people who you can share what you are going through and guide you how to overcome challenges you meet when starting up, for example, getting funding, managing staff, marketing and business operations.

Good mentors will encourage you to be persistent while learning new skills.

Striking it out on your own can be scary especially when you spent decades working for others. Don’t assume it is easy but when you taste success, it is the best feeling you can get.

Although the journey is a lonely one, you cannot survive alone. Go to places where you will meet successful entrepreneurs. Conferences are a good start. Connect and build rapport with other people.

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3 Flagship Programmes for Retail and F&B Productivity The programmes by Productivity Nexus are aimed at meeting the 2020 national level productivity target of RM92,300 per worker.

he line-up of the Flagship Programmes to stimulate labour productivity growth of at least 7.2% to meet the national-level productivity target was officially launched recently in Kuala Lumpur. It was officiated by Dato’ Dr Mohd Ghazali Bin Abas, Secretary General of Human Resources who represented Dato’ Sri (Dr) Richard Riot Anak Jaem, Minister of Human Resources.

Dato’ Sri Richard Riot noted that the retail industry, in terms of productivity per worker, recorded RM45,180 in the third quarter of 2017, while the F&B sector was RM24,971. “As a whole,

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the retail and F&B industry is lagging behind in terms of productivity levels, placing them behind the best in class average,” he said in a speech read out

by Dato Dr Mohd Gazali .

Currently, the Retail and F&B sector employs no less than 2.7 million people which marks RM89 billion in added value – recording an 8.3% contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, the productivity in this sector remains as one of the lowest.

This spurred the implementation of the Productivity Nexus which rides on the premise of sharing the economy’s best practices and being inspired by industry experts to further inspire the

rest of the industry. The initiative is slated to involve 80 to 100 selected flagship companies.

Dato’ Sri (Dr) Richard Riot said the time has come for the labour capital productivity to be further enhanced by embracing of the digital economy ecosystem. “These flagship programmes are all game-changers for the Retail and F&B industry as well as the people of Malaysia.”

Recognising that digitalisation is the way of the future, the Retail and F&B Productivity Nexus Champion, Dato’ Bruce Lim said that the productivity initiatives for retail and F&B have included support for digitalisation

From L-R: Dato’ Abdul Latif Haji Abu Seman, Deputy Director-General of MPC; En. Muhammad Ghazali Bin Abdul Aziz, Chief Special Purpose Vehicle of HRDF; Dato’ Dr Mohd Ghazali Bin Abas, Secretary General of Human Resources; Mr Ganesh Kumar Bangah, Chairman of Malaysia E-Commerce; Mr Joel Neoh, Founder of Fave; Dr Sharon Tong Bee Eng, Director of Culturistic & Dato’ Bruce Lim, Champion of the Productivity Nexus for Retail and F&B Industry.

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“The time has come for the labour capital productivity to be further enhanced by embracing of the digital economy ecosystem. The flagship programmes are all game-changers for the Retail and F&B industry as well as the people of Malaysia.”

– Dato’ Dr Mohd Ghazali Bin Abas

of business operation and honing e-commerce capabilities.

“By strengthening the Retail and F&B players’ competencies as well as providing necessary assistance throughout this transformative journey, this sector will have the opportunity, backed up by the right skills, to expand internationally,” added Dato’ Bruce.

The flagship programs are divided into three areas: Retail Digitalisation Program, O2O Growth Venture Program, and Top Transformers. Led by the Malaysian E-Commerce Chairman Ganesh Kumar Bangah, the Retail Digitalisation Program is aimed at helping brick and mortar retail business owners master the “online revolution” and attain sustainable business growth.

The O2O Growth Venture Program, led by Fave Founder Joel Neoh, emphasises on venturing into new online sales channel and business model to increase sales of businesses and how digital tools and consumer

insights can be adopted to increase sales.

Meanwhile, the Top Transformers Program is designed for leaders in Retail and F&B who are tasked to manage people and deliver results regardless of ranking to produce a well-tuned working environment. The program, championed by PKT Logistics Group Sdn Bhd Group Chief Executive & Managing Director Dato’ Michael Tio, kicked off in January and ended in March.

Dato’ Bruce Lim added that they are exploring the possibility of hosting more of these programmes in the future to further strengthen and transform retail and F&B SMEs into international players.

The Productivity Nexus was launched as part of the “Malaysia Productivity Blueprint” in 2017 by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib under the 11th Malaysia Plan. The Productivity Nexus aims to forge close partnerships among industry associations and partners to

strengthen industry-specific support infrastructure and foster cross industry collaboration through various industry initiatives.

The privately-driven initiative is supported by the Malaysia Productivity Corporation, Economic Planning Unit, Prime Minister’s Department, Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation, and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation.

This initiative is also slated to receive the support of Human Resource Development Fund.

It is also in collaboration with MRCA, Bumiputera Retailers Organisation, Malaysian Franchise Association and Malaysia Retailers Association (MRA). Concurrently, K-Pintar has been appointed as the Project Manager and they will be tasked to measure the productivity levels of the participating companies while simultaneously overseeing the entire project.

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Commerce.Asia Enterprise To Boost Omni-Channel Commerce The fully-integrated stop e-commerce solution will help bridge gap between SME merchants and technology enablers. alaysian commerce technology venture builder, Commerce.Asia Ventures recently launched its flagship offering Commerce.Asia Enterprise, a one stop solution to enable small and medium enterprises move their business online quickly and efficiently.

The launch was witnessed by chief executive officer of Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Datuk Yasmin Mahmood. Founder. Executive chairman of Commerce.Asia, Ganesh Kumar Bangah said there is great potential for eCommerce to be the economic booster for the country as the Malaysian digital economy already accounts for 18.2 per cent of the country’s GDP as of 2016.

“Although 90 per cent of Malaysian businesses are SMEs, only 28 per cent have an online presence.”

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Technical complexities of setting up an online store and operating multiple marketplace accounts are some of the challenges for many SMEs. “This affects their success in running an online business. It is essential that businesses embark on an Omni channel strategy that combines physical and online presence as they are losing out on a vast market of online buyers by not having an online presence,” he said.

Arming Malaysian SMEs According to Ganesh, while the industry has many more enablers today, there is still no easy way for a business to move online. In order to have an online presence, SMEs need to build a virtual store which is payment gateway ready, select shipping and delivery partners, understand buyers shopping patterns, choose from the many marketing channel options, manage the daily

technical operations and attend to queries at the online website, among others.

“All this takes up an enormous amount of knowledge, time and resources, something that SMEs, especially micro-SMEs, simply cannot handle as it is just too difficult. This is the main hindrance to why SMEs are hesitant to go online despite the vast opportunities to engage more local and global audience,” he said.

Commerce.Asia Enterprise is a one stop solution to help bridge the gap between SMEs merchants and technology enablers. It is a fully integrated one-stop point to connect SMEs to a full suite of solutions and services.

One of the biggest problems for micro SMEs is funding, and Commer.

Asia addresses this concern by providing multiple packages for different budgets

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From left: Ganesh Kumar Bangah, executive chairman of Commerce.Asia, Datuk Yasmin Mahmood, chief executive officer of MDEC and Datuk Seri Garry Chua, President of MRCA.

and service levels. Currently it has more than 20 customers including merchant brands such as Orlando, and Travel4All. The company expects this to increase to 100 merchants by the end of the year.

Strategic Investment in Technology Enablers To spearhead its endeavour, Commerce.

Asia has entered into agreements to invest in two existing Malaysian eCommerce enablers – Penang-based SiteGiant and Komuten. SiteGiant is an eCommerce platform that powers online stores, sale on several marketplaces and channels, along with integrated inventory and order management. It is integrated into all major local and global ecommerce marketplaces including Amazon, eBay, Qoo10, Lazada, 11street, Lelong, Shopee, Logon, and YouBeli.

Site Giant has more than 2,000 merchants and has handled more than RM200 million in Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) last year.

Kumoten is a pioneer Malaysiabased drop shipping platform which aggregates products from various platforms and wholesalers and and integrates products for sale by online resellers. It currently has more than 100,000 active SKUs (stock keeping units) and over 22,000 registered resellers.

Crowdfunding Campaign In an entrepreneurial crowdfunding move, Commerce.Asia is also inviting the public to take part in a 13.4 per cent equity stake (to a target of RM3 million) of Commerce.Asia Ventures, to fund its investment of select eCommerce enablers and the solutions within its ecosystem. This equity crowdfunding will be led by Malaysian equity investment venture company Pitchin.

The CEO of Pitchin, Sam Shafie said, “We are extremely excited to open

up this investment opportunity to the public to participate in the Omnichannel vision of Commerce.Asia for SEA.” Based on statistics from a Google Economy Report, it is clear that Southeast Asia is the world’s fastest growing region for eCommerce, with 260 million users which are set to increase by 3.8 million each month to reach 480 million by 2020. By 2025, the Southeast Asian eCommerce market is predicted to reach USD88 billion.

About Commerce.Asia Commerce.Asia, a new members of MRCA, is a Southeast Asian ecosystem builder that assists SMEs, Brands & Micro-entrepreneurs to sell online by providing them with end to end omnichannel commerce solutions.

Commerce.Asia develops these solutions by integrating best of breed technologies from Technology Enablers. The company brings together these Technology Enablers by making strategic investments, providing guidance and mentorship to them.

“The commendable achievement of MRCA bringing together a vast network of Merchants under one umbrella and, of course, the active programs and benefits for members is key to our membership,” said Ganesh Kumar Bangah, executive chairman of Commerce.Asia.

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Supporting Malaysia’s ‘Underbanked’ Communities By using iPay88’s Virtual Account people without any bank saving account, online banking access or credit card, can still buy online. he online payment solution is focusing its attention on the ‘unbanked communities’ as they make up the gap in the nation’s aspirations towards a ‘cashless society’. iPay88 executive director Chan Kok Long said, “We cannot talk about achieving a ‘Cashless Society’ when there are still pockets of people who do not even have banking accounts, what more online banking or credit cards to enable online purchases.”

Malaysia has a total population of 31.3 million as of 2017, with about 22.6 million being adult population (those aged 15 and above). However, according to Bank Negara Malaysia, 8 per cent of this adult population were still ‘underbanked’ – they do not own a bank account or credit card and need to go outside of the banking system to meet their financial needs. “iPay88 does not want to leave any stone unturned, so we have developed the Virtual Account as a solution that still allows the ‘underbanked’ to participate in online procurement of products and services; no one should be left out in digital economy,” said Chan. iPay88’ is an NTT Data company and

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“Virtual Account Solution is equipped with proven fraud prevention system and monitoring that safeguard all transactions. Shoppers can use it without fear of fraud.”

– iPay88 executive director, Chan Kok Long

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a leading Malaysian-based provider of online payment solutions in ASEAN. Virtual Account is a simplified online payment application that enables people who do not have any bank saving account, online banking access or credit card, to still buy online. With just an internet connection, they can place orders online at any eCommerce website, merchant or marketplace that they wish to purchase the product or service.

To make the online payment, the ‘underbanked’ customer has to select the Virtual Account option at the payment page and receive a 14-digit virtual bank account number (which can be emailed to them or written down).

All the customer needs to do is to use the 14-digit virtual bank account number to deposit the cash payment at any bank branch, or at any ATMs nationwide, to complete the online purchase. When the online purchase

is complete, the customer just needs to wait for the delivery of the items purchased online. iPay88’s Virtual Account solution also takes care of the backend bankingpayment transaction validation, confirmation of the merchant’s bank and ATM receiving the cash deposit from the customer.

Chan explained that Virtual Account Solution is equipped with proven fraud prevention system and monitoring that safeguard all transactions. Shoppers can use it without fear of fraud.

“With the Transformasi Nasional 2050 (TN50) initiative, the Malaysian Government is supporting the adoption of all things digital, transforming the nation digitally. The iPay88’s Virtual Account solution ensures that this community of people in Malaysia do not miss out on the opportunities of digitisation.”

Through its recent buy out of Mataris Agency, Lelong.my aims to strengthen the group company Interbase Resources Sdn. Bhd’s position as Malaysia’s leading e-commerce ecosystem. elong.my’s Managing Director, Richard Tan, said that the acquisition of the Malaysia-based digital marketing agency is part of a strategic approach in strengthening the group company’s pioneer position and raise Lelong.my’s brand presence and awareness among consumers and sellers in Malaysia as a successful online marketplace.

With the acquisition, Mataris founder and CEO Cyril Dhenaut was appointed the Chief Marketing Officer of Lelong.my. “Mataris’ expertise will greatly benefit Lelong.my as it amplifies the brand’s business direction towards a holistic digital marketing approach for 2018,” said Dhenaut.

Lelong.my, under Interbase

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Resources Sdn Bhd’s group umbrella, is home to more than 10,000 homegrown merchants with products varying from computers, mobile phones, gadgets, home appliances and fashion and accessories – creating a great opportunity for local merchants to access a wider market within the country. The 19-year-old parent company is an integrated e-commerce ecosystem, the first of its kind in Malaysia, having managed websites such as Superbuy.my and an upcoming online marketplace, LMall.my, as well as having its own payment system, Netpay.my.

According to Tan, the “holistic digital marketing approach” will include a “facelift” of Lmall.my and renewed focus on “overall customer journey”.

Lmall.my is known as an online marketplace that only accepts products from established brands, offering highquality experience of visiting a mall, virtually, for its customers. In addition to the transformation of Lmall.my, Tan added that Lelong.my is on the lookout for growth opportunities including acquisitions as the business continue to grow.

“We continue to seek more acquisitions and business opportunities in various industries such as tech, education and business, both locally and internationally. We are targeting companies and businesses that are aligned with our growth pillars, and those that can add more value to our company,” he said.

Mataris’ expertise will greatly benefit Lelong.my as it amplifies the brand’s business direction towards a holistic digital marketing approach for 2018.

– Lelong.my Chief Marketing Officer, Cyril Dhenaut

“We continue to seek more acquisitions and business opportunities in various industries such as tech, education and business, both locally and internationally.”

– Lelong.my’s Managing Director, Richard Tan

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Lelong.my Growth Formula

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The online shopping platform achieves 300 per cent growth in total gross merchandising volume and celebrates by rewarding customers with rewards and prizes. he country’s number two online marketplace has seen considerable growth in several facets of its business operations, from its products to its sellers. Since 2015 until 2017, it not only saw a tremendous growth in total gross merchandising volume (GMV), but has more than 13 million product listings from more than 40,000 sellers.

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Hoseok Kim, CEO of 11street said Malaysia is set to see significant advancement of its e-commerce industry in 2018. “11street intends to be at the forefront of this industry growth as we continue to meet the needs of Malaysian online shoppers and explore ways to enhance the shoppers’ experience.”

Set up in 2015, 11street is now a joint venture between Axiata Digital

Hoseok Kim, CEO of 11street.

Services and South Korean e-commerce marketplace provider, SK Planet.

11street also experienced more than 200 per cent increase in the total number of sellers registered on its platform, as well as a growth of more than 160 per cent in its product listings from 2015 to 2017.

The top performing categories include Baby & Kids, Mobile & Tablets and Skin & Personal Care. In addition, 11street has sold more than 500,000 food & beverage and service e-vouchers in 2017 alone. Of all the purchases made

by Malaysians from the platform, the top selling products include car cameras, photo books as well as vouchers for movies and petrol.

11street’s findings also revealed that in the past three years, more shoppers start to make online purchases for Automotive, Home Décor, Smartwatches & Wearables and Women Jewellery & Accessories. These categories are regarded as the fastest growing categories by the number of orders placed at 11street. Some of the top performing brands are Firefly, Laneige, Petronas, Samsung, and Unilever.

The findings also uncovered that Malaysian shoppers bought the bestselling products from the top three countries with the best-selling products, translating into the most number of orders from Malaysian shoppers, which are China, Korea and USA. Kim added that the company has been and continues to be dedicated to improving the quality of its sellers through its seller development programs, Seller Zone and the 11street Academy - the nation’s first certified e-commerce certification programme.

“We’re also grateful to our customers for their continued support and loyalty throughout the years. In 2018, we continue to be committed to enriching the Malaysian daily lives by bringing consumers a wide variety of products from specialty items to everyday necessities, at competitive prices.”

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Sunway Velocity Mall’s Go For Goal 2018 World Cup 2018 is just around the corner and Sunway Velocity Mall has caught the football fever! ive exclusive, money-can’t- buy jerseys signed

by Belgium’s Eden Hazard, England’s Dele Alli, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Brazil’s Neymar Jr are up for grabs. To score a chance of winning one of these moneycan’t- buy prizes, simply shop at any of Sunway Velocity Mall’s sports outlets from 27 April to 10 June.

Every RM50 spent will give you one chance of winning.

So, the more you spend, the higher your chances of winning. Lucky draw forms can be filled and submitted at the Main Concierge Counter located on the Ground Floor.

While you’re shopping for your favourite sporting

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gear, don’t forget to also redeem an Adidas Telstar-Mini Size 1 football when you spend RM300 and above in a maximum of two receipts. To take home the larger Size 5 Telstar-Glider ball, just spend RM500 and above in two receipts or less.

Participating outlets are Adidas Performance, Adidas Original, Adidas Neo, Topper Sports, Royal Sporting House, Reebok, Li-Ning, Rip Curl, Hoops Station, Sports Direct, Vans, Ogival and JD Sports.

For more information, log on to https://www. sunwayvelocitymall.com/goforgoal/

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Cold Storage Expands e-commerce Footprint in Penang via Happyfresh First online grocery market place in the island state. old Storage and HappyFresh recently launched the northern region’s first home delivery service of fresh food and groceries. Marking HappyFresh’s 3rd anniversary, the expansion of services into Penang is part of the brand’s expansion plans in Malaysia, and an extension of its tie-up with GCH Retail (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, the operator of Cold Storage in Malaysia.

By downloading the HappyFresh app, customers in Penang can conveniently pick and order fresh food and ingredients from Cold Storage Gurney Plaza or Island Plaza. The items can be delivered within an hour from when the order is placed or at the customer’s preferred timing.

Alice Lau, Upscale Director of GCH

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Retail (Malaysia) said that expanding its home delivery services to Penang will not only increase the visibility and coverage of the Cold Storage brand but meet the demands of the rising number of consumers who use digital platforms as their primary means of purchasing goods and services.

Earlier this year Cold Storage teamed up with HappyFresh to serve customers in the Klang Valley. Cold Storage has made a name for itself in fresh produce and quality local and imported products in Malaysia since 1963.

Cassandra Chong, Head of Business Development, HappyFresh Malaysia, said that the company had been considering expansion plans and felt that the Penang Island would fare well with its service. “It’s an exciting time

to be in this industry as consumers are showing more interest and trust in online grocery delivery. This is a new chapter for HappyFresh Malaysia and we hope that Penangites will come to value HappyFresh’s grocery delivery service.”

In conjunction with HappyFresh’s third anniversary, in-store customers who visited Cold Storage Gurney Plaza or Island Plaza would receive RM20 HappyFresh cash voucher to start shopping with Cold Storage on HappyFresh, the first 1,000 HappyFresh customers would receive a large grocery shopping bag courtesy of HappyFresh and Cold Storage, additional mystery gift from Cold Storage to the first 200 HappyFresh customers purchased from Cold Storage stores and early bird discounts from HappyFresh.

Strategic partnership with Shieldcard and AIG gives protection for customers when they shop at Giant, Cold Storage, Mercato & Jasons Food Hall. y working closely with Shieldcard, the owner and operator of the AXXESS programme, GCH Retail (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (GCH) aims to make a meaningful difference in improving the lives of its customers. “We have enhanced the AXXESS programme exclusively for GCH customers, to offer up to RM 40,000 in protection benefits.

Our goal is to make a meaningful difference in improving the lives of our customers,” said Pierre-Olivier Deplanck, CEO of GCH which owns Cold Storage, Mercato and Jasons Food Hall stores.

He added that GCH customer base comprised mainly of family members.

“We want to support our customers and their families and ensure they are adequately protected for unseen circumstances.” The protection benefits are worldwide and provide 24/7 protection for Hospitalisation with Daily

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Income of RM50 per day, for up to 30 days per insured incident. RM20,000 will be given to the next of kin in the event of an unfortunate incident, in addition to monthly grocery vouchers worth RM18,000 in total.

To ensure this added benefit reaches out to as many customers as possible, anyone who spends a minimum of RM30 from 16 April to 15 May, will get a free AXXESS card and be immediately eligible for the Personal Accident (PA) Benefit until 31 May 2018.

Customers are encouraged to register their AXXESS card during the campaign to enjoy the complimentary for the first month. Subsequent to the free period, members will need to spend a minimum of RM200 per month at any GCH outlets to maintain the same PA benefit.

“AXXESSpoints can be earned at participating merchants nationwide, to redeem private medical benefits and

help reduce or pay in full, members’ annual motor insurance premiums,” said Tunku Naquiyuddin Tuanku Ja’afar, Executive Chairman of Shieldcard. The programme is structured in a way where members can earn AXXESS points through many different touchpoints, leveraging on their daily spending needs, he added.

AXXESS has partnered with key merchants across diverse consumer retail channels, including petroleum, hypermarkets, retail, entertainment, food & beverage, themed attraction, and health & wellness, among others.

In the coming months, AXXESS will be adding about 50 more merchants so that its members can earn the AXXESSpoints to reach the required minimum threshold to be eligible for the private medical benefit.

The customised PA is underwritten

by AIG, a leading general insurer in Malaysia.

Happy customers with their AXXESS card.

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Customised Personal Accident Benefits for Loyal Customers of GCH

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AEON Opens its First Store in Kuching Offering an expansive range of quality products and services, AEON Mall Kuching Central aims to enrich the lifestyle of the surrounding communities. xpanding their presence in East Malaysia, AEON Co (M) Bhd recently opened its first mall in the region to provide a new shopping experience to residents of Kuching and the surrounding areas.

AEON Mall Kuching Central, located only 25 minutes away from Kuching town, spans over 1.6 million square feet of gross built up area, has more than 130 retail lots spread across three floors. It has the AEON supermarket offering fresh groceries, and AEON Store selling trendy apparels, household furnishing and appliances, as well as a variety of F&Bs. The mall has 1,800 car park bays designed to provide ample space for maximum shopping satisfaction to shoppers during their visit to the new mall.

“AEON Kuching Central is dedicated to being a one-stop destination to help shoppers find excitement in our mall offering – from grocery to fashion,

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lifestyle, food and beverage, and more,” said Shinobu Washizawa, Managing Director of AEON Co. (M) Bhd. The mall was officially opened by Dato’ Henry Sum Agong, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism. At the official launch, the Malaysian AEON Foundation made a contribution of RM 30,000 each to four charity homes – Lembaga Kebajikan Anak-Anak Yatim, The Sarawak Cheshire Homes, Pertubuhan Kebajikan & Pendidikan Nur Murni and Rumah Seri Kenangan Kuching.

On the ground floor is the supermarket which offers fresh and quality groceries sourced locally and globally. Besides shopping for groceries and household essentials, customers can also satisfy their appetites with delicious meal options.

A unique element of AEON Mall Kuching Central is its food and beverage selection. Delica is a one-stop deli

that has a section selling ready-to-eat light bites, easy preparation meals and authentic Japanese cuisine. There are also several food counters such as ‘Ready to Cook’, ‘Salmon Counter’, ‘Marinated Counter’, ‘Premium Fruit Gift Pack’, ‘Cut Fruits & Juice Counter’, ‘Cheese Counter’, ‘Korean Kimchi Counter’ and ‘We Cook You Eat’ cooking stations as well as ‘La Boheme’ Bakery.

Apart from appetising delicacies, shoppers can also find a contemporary mix of Japanese fashion, home and lifestyle concepts which include a wider range of merchandise.

Prior to the official opening of the mall, AEON Store Kuching held a preview sale where AEON members had the opportunity to shop and enjoy special discounts for products at the supermarket and department stores.

With the launch of AEON Mall Kuching Central, AEON now has 27 malls and 35 stores nationwide.

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Property Developer Extraordinaire Tan Sri Ir Teo Chiang Kok’s name is synonymous with nation building and the ever changing physical landscape of Petaling Jaya area and the surround communities.

s director of See Hoy Chan Holdings Group and its members groups Bandar Utama City Corporation and First Nationwide, his companies have, for more than 30 years, undertaken an extensive range of development projects including schools, housing, shopping centres and office complexes. More importantly, energy efficiency, environmental features and landscaping are incorporated in all its development projects.

Tan Sri Ir Teo Chiang Kok who is a member of several trade associations, also supports many charities. He shares with Malaysia Retailer insights into the property business.

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How did you come into your current role in Bandar Utama City Corporation and what do you bring to the board of directors?

Bandar Utama City Corporation is a family business and I joined the family business 47 years ago. I have been primarily involved in the property development, operations and investment portfolio for the company since then.

“We are proud that we have, since the mid-1970s, adopted many new concepts such as neighbourhood clusters, instead of a monolithic, sprawling, large residential layout.”

– Tan Sri Ir Teo Chiang Kok

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You come from a family almost synonymous with property development and nation building. Do you feel a heavy sense of responsibility in being a part of the business?

The rapid economic development and growth of the country, especially from the 1970s onwards, opened opportunities for property development and it was opportune that we were able to grasp the opportunity to benefit from this situation.

What values do you feel are most important that were handed down to you?

Being part of a family business has

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many unique challenges because there are no specifically written job scopes and one is expected to do whatever is deemed needed to be done. There are balancing challenges between family tradition, family protocol, family hierarchy and business decisions.

Bandar Utama was among the first developers in Petaling Jaya. How did that come about and what were the challenges you faced after taking on the project?

In the early 1960s there was a growing trend to move away from the downtown city to the suburbs. This trend made it possible for many new townships to sprout notably, Petaling Jaya. Property development business is definitely cyclical and timing is an important factor. However, many planned timings are subject to unpredictable events –planning approvals, technical approvals, construction schedules, availability of materials and labour and most importantly, the saleability of your products in order to manage your cashflow needs.

Are there any undeveloped land remaining in Bandar Utama?

If there are, will the main focus be on commercial properties?

Yes, there are still parcels of land for further development, both commercial and residential.

Let’s talk about your competitors in Petaling Jaya. How do you ensure your properties (commercial and residential) and masterplan stand out from the rest?

One of the major challenges of being a property developer is to stay relevant.

The expectations of our purchasers are in tune with world trends since Malaysians travel frequently. The major challenge is at the masterplanning stage as most projects will span many years, even decades. The masterplan should ideally be planned to be relevant throughout this period. Trends and

expectations are changing rapidly especially now with so many technology disruptors that can completely change the demand landscape almost overnight.

We are proud that we have, since the mid-1970s, adopted many new concepts such as neighbourhood clusters, instead of a monolithic, sprawling, large residential layout. This allowed for the development of communities and identity. Each neighbourhood will have open spaces for congregation and is within walking distance. Each neighbourhood is served by schools, and neighbourhood shopping precinct all within walking distance. Propitiously, this neighbourhood precinct made it very practical to introduce Gated & Guarded service without undue inconvenience to residents.

Instead of a network of criss-crossing roads we adopted the hierarchy of roads so that through traffic travels via dual carriage arterial roads and do not transverse through residential streets.

Regarding the shopping centre component, what are your thoughts on the issue of oversupply of retail space? How has that affected the company’s future plans in developing more retail space?

The incidences of over-supply is

locational. The role and designs of shopping centres are constantly evolving with disruptors like e-commerce, internet movie downloads, computer gaming, etc. The shopping element per se is reducing in importance and shopping centres are now more a congregation space for entertainment and recreation. It is fortunate that we are social creatures and there is always a need to gather and meet, and shopping centres are evolving to cater to such needs.

As a mall developer, what are the main draws to keep it vibrant, popular and well-visited? Can you share some of the successful decisions that were made to ensure the mall’s popularity?

The shopping centres have evolved from purely for retail shopping activity to more F&B, entertainment and recreation attractions. Mall operators have to constantly fine-tune their offerings and attractions by changing and refreshing their tenant-mix. Likewise, retailers also have to adjust to rapidly changing demands and expectations to stay relevant and profitable.

Are there any pointers that you can share for retailers, old and new, to stay ahead in the game? Are there any pitfalls to avoid?

Apart from location, location, location, shopping centre operators and retailers alike need to be agile and be able to adapt to changing conditions, and especially economic conditions, which may lead to affordability gap and inflation. They must also be able to distinguish between sustainable demands and fickle fashionable hype and cyclical demand.

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Let’s Talk Shop Retail Agenda Forum 2018 touches on global trends, technology and creative thinking that will put retailers on the path of success.

By Khaw Chia Hui

fter a successful run last year, StrongPoint APAC hosted its second Retail Agenda Forum at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on 17 April.

This time there was a different line-up of speakers and a panel discussion aimed at inspiring and sharing knowledge and experience in the retail landscape.

StrongPoint APAC SVP and Managing Director Roine Gabrielsson kicked off the morning by highlighting a number of global trends affecting the retail business, especially in the face of a soft economy and the growing numbers for e-commerce. He emphasised the need for retailers to embrace the O2O concept as a way to diversify their market reach.

StrongPoint Global Product Director Andrius Kalašinskas spoke on the digitalisation of retail operations and improved shopping experience for customers. He highlighted some of the solutions that worked well and those that did not.

“Physical stores are becoming a kind of media. They are no longer just a place to sell your products but a means to convince customers to try your brand and stay loyal.”

He touched on the business of Amazon and Alibaba. He pointed out

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that last year Amazon invested 20% of its revenue in innovation. This showed that Amazon recognised the store as a media, especially after the purchase of Whole Foods.

“Similarly, Alibaba launched 30 physical stores in China and 30 more will be launched in Beijing alone. The stores are built on Alibaba’s ecosystem of services and aimed at enhancing the shopping experience. A good shopping experience will further drive the use of technology,” said Kalašinskas.

He also shared the story of the first fully automated store called Keedoozle that was introduced in Memphis, in the United States in 1937. Customers were given keys to use while shopping. As dry and canned goods were displayed behind glass displays, shoppers used the keys to select the quantity they wanted.

However, technology at that time was not equipped to handle heavy traffic, and this resulted in crossed wires and wrong items being delivered.

It also slowed down conveyor belts.

Keedoozle closed down in 1949. “This is an example of a good idea with an underdeveloped technology,” he said.

EZBuy co-founder and CEO Kamran Shaukat spoke on embracing

ambiguity and whether new technology would actually work for a retailer.

“E-commerce is still a work in progress. For example, Walmart is a billion-dollar company that is wary of e-commerce.

Although technology providers have a lot of solutions in their toolboxes, my advice is, do not take on everything at once. It can overwhelm, confuse, and even petrify your staff.

“E-commerce can be nascent in emerging markets such as in Pakistan, where I’m based. But when it is messy, you can grow with it when you embrace its ambiguity.”

Following a short break, the forum resumed with a panel discussion comprising Malaysian retail leaders Malik Murad Ali (IT Director at Mydin Mohamed Holdings Berhad), Dennis Low (General Manager, Head of Enterprise Products at NEC), Dr Afendi Dahlan (Director at DR Group Holdings Sdn Bhd), Gary Brown (former CEO and Executive Director of 7-Eleven Malaysia), and Simone Lee (Tigas Alliance Group Founder and CEO).

The facilitator was Kenneth Tan, owner of Retail Asia Magazine.

Each panellist spoke of the technology implemented in their retail business that worked and some of the solutions they tried out but did not fulfil expectations. They all agreed on the need for human-centric technology in their line of business. They also stated that price wars would not be sustainable in the long run.

The event ended with professional speaker and author Fredrik Hären who conducted a lively session on business creativity to spur retailers to approach issues in their business in a remarkably different way.

Later, a post-conference workshop was held where invited guests witnessed the launch of StrongPoint’s E-commerce Logistics Suite.

The Retail Agenda Forum was co-hosted by TM ONE, NEC Corporation of Malaysia, Radiant GlobalTech and Web Bytes.

BP iBright is a new generation electronic toothbrush that does more than keeping the teeth clean.

re you still using a manual toothbrush to brush your teeth?

That is so last century! Time to make the change to electronic toothbrush. It is not just any electronic toothbrush: you must try the BP iBright sonic toothbrush with the cutting edge wavelength light therapy technology that manages oral health better than a manual toothbrush.

Dentistry clinical studies prove that BP iBright helps prevent and treat gingivitis, strengthen gums and make teeth whiter. Thanks to the revolutionary technology behind this electronic toothbrush that uses red and blue light modes that work in synergy to clean and heal teeth and gums, which has never been done before until now.

This is how it works: studies have shown the red and blue light have specific properties. Red light hastens healing and has anti-inflammatory effect which is excellent for treating gingivitis and soothing gums. Blue light on the other hand, has been scientifically proven to whiten teeth and kill bacteria. When red and blue lights are used in a dual light mode, the combination of these two colours emits a purple light which gives the benefits of both.

In other words, the purple light will whiten, clean teeth, heal and soothe gums!

The best toothbrush head for removing plaque and debris from the teeth is one with soft bristles and a small head. This is the recommendation of most dental professionals. The BP iBright toothbrush head uses microfibre brush which is soft and replaceable. It helps to loosen and remove plaque by vibrating at 12,000 – 24,000 RPM, without causing harm to the tooth surface.

The design of the small head also helps to reach all areas of the oral cavity, especially the hard-to-reach back teeth. This powerful

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Right: Celebrity Amber Chia with Dr Bryan.

Below: Goh Liu Ying, Badminton Olympics Silver medalist, with Dr Bryan.

toothbrush is very light and comes with a micro USB charging port. It is easy to pack and use and can be used anywhere and anytime!

Anyone with yellow teeth and gums that bleed during brushing should seriously consider switching to BP iBright electronic toothbrush. It keeps your teeth clean, helps whiten it and stops gum from bleeding.

So, make the right choice when choosing a toothbrush and look forward to a future with good oral health where you will never be afraid to smile because of your pretty, healthy teeth!

Shop at https://bit.ly/2LdGcpw and enjoy RM50 discount by using “MRCA” code at checkout.

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Toothbrush That Cleans And Heals

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MyWorld Flies High with Fintech Company wants to create a payments, loyalty and mobile experience with new products for corporate, merchants and convenience for users. ive years into its operations, MyWorld Rewards (M) Sdn Bhd which produces loyalty rewards programmes and is also actively involved in FinTech expansion, is ready to tap into a broader market. To commemorate its 5th anniversary the company will host a gala dinner at the end of the year with the apt theme “Flying over Asia and Beyond”.

MyWorld Holdings Bhd Group Managing Director, CEO and founder Datuk Dr Sunny Tan Hang Ming, said the company has already expanded to Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taiwan, Australia and Korea.

The holdings company MyWorld Group operates businesses in the fields of ICT, e-commerce, tours and travels, and print media.

“With the experience gained over the years we plan to expand our scope and size of business over the region and beyond in our next five years of operations,” he said.

With its strong partnership with over 600 corporate clients worldwide, more than 10.3 million members are now enjoying benefits from 42,000 merchants across the region, namely in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Hong Kong and China.

“We also aim to be a leader in the FinTech industry, in line with our motto One World, One Community, One Solution,” he said.

The company’s next phase of enhancement will also see it focusing

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Datuk Dr Sunny Tan said the company’s next phase of enhancement will see it focusing its energies on mobile application.

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its energies on mobile application. “We want to create platforms that are more user friendly and convenient for our customers. This will include more offices and centres being established to support our services as well as our partners and members worldwide,” he said.

M-eZOOM, the company’s latest product, is one such application.

Specially designed for its members and business, the application is an information sharing and interaction platform. It links with the mobile device’s navigation function so users can reach participating business outlets quickly.

M-ePAY, meanwhile, provides for cashless spending while MyVIRTUAL is a smart cardless payment system. The app can also search for surrounding business partners nearby, and provide the latest information on products and services.

Another exciting app is M-eGIFT that can be used for giving ‘ang pows’.

The loyalty rewards category is undergoing a transformation, said Datuk Dr Sunny Tan. Both technology and financial enhancements are spearheading this change and taking the industry to one that is secure and safe.

One area that was a challenge for

the loyalty rewards industry was data privacy and protection. Datuk Tan lauds the country’s Personal Data Protection Act 2010, saying that it was introduced at the right time. MyWorld has taken steps to invest in measures against possible data breach.

“It is important to safeguard data so that both corporations and consumers feel safe.

“As a competent organisation, data was our asset. The heart of our business is called Big Data – Data Intelligent Solutions, which are essentially marketing initiatives for merchants and business owners aimed at promoting brand awareness and loyalty.

As such we have streamlined our standard operating procedures and our technology over the past few months in line with the Act so as to protect our users and corporation’s assets,” he said.

He noted that MyWorld operates on a system that is Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, or PCI-DSS, compliant. This set of security standards is designed to ensure that all companies that accept, process or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment.

On top of this the company also uses the EMV L1/L2 payment method for its cards. The EMV cards are smart cards that store their data on integrated circuits in addition to magnetic stripes.

“These are higher banking and financial requirements that we adopt,” he said adding that the company’s development team are highly experienced in banking and financial systems.

The company is also working to enhance its vibrant ecosystem so that loyalty rewards programmes can be beneficial and exciting to users. In this light, the company is constantly wooing more merchants and business owners from various industries to jump onto its platform and offer more benefits to users.

Asia’s Property Queen, Dr Renesial Leong

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Creating Wealth through Property Investment. ell known entrepreneur and property magnate in the real estate industry, Dr Renesial Leong has been creating waves through her lectures, training seminars, books and columns.

A qualified Master trainer on property investing, her books on property investment, including the runaway best-seller Property Jewels Under the Hammer, a must-read for those who intend to acquire property investment through auctioned properties.

Dr Renesial ventured into the world of real estate investment business about 20 years ago, and she has been riding high ever since.

Long before she became known as “Asia’s Queen of Property” with a multimillion dollar investment portfolio, Ipohborn Dr Renesial Leong had to struggle to help improve her family’s livelihood.

The Leong family’s sole breadwinner was Dr Renesial’s late father, whose income as a schoolteacher was barely enough to make ends meet for the entire family.

Her mother too sacrificed greatly just so Dr Renesial and her siblings could make it through their daily lives.

The life-changing conversation she had with her mother on how they could live a comfortable life without worrying about money was the turning point in her life. She decided to move to Kuala Lumpur to work and earn big money. Her sheer determination to be rich became a sort of a mantra which repeatedly attracted financial and career success into her life. An article she read on Hong Kong billionaire Sir Li Kashing who created his wealth through property investment, made her realise that her answer to financial freedom was in property investment.

She worked three jobs to save enough money to buy her first property, a double storey house, for investment purposes. Buoyed by the success of her investment, she soon expanded her portfolio to include commercial and industrial properties as well as raw

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land. Profits from sales are re-invested to maximise the multiplier effect of investment growth. Her rental collection also gives her a steady stream of passive income.

Having attained fame and fortune in her line of business, she devotes her energy to help budding investors by providing valuable insights through her numerous seminars and talks. Her seminars and talks are not only lively but backed by case studies, simulations of real-life situations and wellresearched facts. In her recent seminar on “How to Profit from Properties in 2018”, Dr Renesial discussed important topics on tenant management: setting house rules, collecting deposits, and the edge of short-term renting. Many graduates attest to her sought-after workshop, citing the positive changes property investments have made to their lives.

Despite achieving astronomic levels of success, Dr Renesial has never failed to give back to society by helping the less fortunate. She puts aside a portion of her profits from investments and proceeds from her seminars to be donated to the less fortunate and charities of her choice, living up to a promise she made to herself that she would help those in need when she has achieved success.

As she had explained “Being rich

Dr Renesial’s latest book.

Get your copy from the nearest bookstore today.

is not just about what you have in the bank account - but it’s also what you have in your heart.” It is this sentiment that motivates her to encourage her graduates to embark on the journey of giving. Giving back to society, she states, has given her a more meaningful and fulfilling life. When she is not conducting lectures or seminars, Dr Renesial spends her time travelling to oversee her properties around the world as well as to relax.

“Never Work Again Through Properties” Dr Renesial conducts “Never Work Again Through Properties” booth camp once a year. Email her at renesial@ property-queen.com to register your interest and her team will keep you posted on her future seminars.

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Fans Meet 3 Manchester United Football Legends The event was hosted by United’s exclusive Global Online Marketplace Partner, Aladdin Group. ore than 3,000 die-hard Manchester United fans in the country turned up for a once-in-a-lifetime meet and greet session with the football club’s greatest triple winning legends, Denis Irwin, Dwight Yorke and David May recently.

The fans met the trio at a ‘liveviewing’ match party recently at Berjaya Time Square in Kuala Lumpur to watch the Manchester United win the match 2-1 against its arch-rival Liverpool at Old Trafford, telecast ‘live’ at the “#ILOVEUNITED” event.

However, the day before the clash between the two rivals, the trio visited United’s Exclusive Global Online Marketplace Partner, Aladdin Group, at its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur for a private meet-and-greet session with the Group’s board members, Ambassadors, VIPs and merchants. The event was hosted by Aladdin Group’s co-founder and Chairman Dato’ Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor; co-founder and President Dato’ Seri Desmond To; cofounder and Deputy President Dato’ Wesley Ong and Senior VP Dato’ Sri Dr. Vincent Tiew. Also present were Deputy Youth and Sports Minister, Datuk Sri M. Saravanan, and foreign dignitaries H.E. Karin Mössenlechner, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Malaysia; H.E. Attila Káli, Ambassador of Hungary to Malaysia; H.E. Olexander Nechytaylo, Ambassador of Ukraine to Malaysia; Mr. M Schoeman du Plessis, Deputy High Commissioner, South African High Commission in Malaysia as well as winners of the “To United We Celebrate” and “#ILOVEUNITED” social media contest.

Dato’ Seri Desmond commented that the Group’s partnership with Manchester United football club will provide a global platform for AladdinStreet to promote Malaysia and its merchants to the world. “AladdinStreet is one of the only 25 companies in the world and only one in ASEAN to be in an exclusive global

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Manchester United legends Denis Irwin (2nd from left), Dwight Yorke (3rd from left) and David May (3rd from right) with Deputy Youth and Sports Minister, Datuk Sri M. Saravanan (centre) accompanied by AladdinStreet co-founder and Chairman Dato’ Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor (left), co-founder and President Dato’ Seri Desmond To (2nd from right) and co-founder and Deputy President Dato’ Wesley Ong at the recent meet-and-greet session.

From left: Denis Irwin, Dwight Yorke and David May at the event.

partnership with Manchester United,” he said.

AladdinStreet provides its customers with premium quality and authentic Halalan Toyyiban compliant products sourced globally and delivered locally.

To celebrate the Group’s partnership, visitors to AladdinStreet will qualify for an opportunity to win tickets to Old Trafford and watch Manchester United play. All they need to do is visit AladdinStreet website or by simply downloading AladdinStreet’s mobile

apps from AppStore or PlayStore and register. No purchase is required.

Throughout the day there was cheerful banter, and pronounced, highspirited excitement when the contest winners were presented with prizes by the three football legends. Dwight Yorke sportingly played cameraman to a winner from the media. For the other fans of MU, it was also a once-in-alifetime opportunity to get their official United merchandise signed by the football greats.

PIKOM’s New Chapters to Drive ICT Industry

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The National ICT Association of Malaysia (PIKOM) to make e-Commerce one of its main focus in 2018. hairman of National ICT Association of Malaysia (PIKOM), Ganesh Kumar Bangah, unveiled the latest addition to the prime PIKOM Chapters – “Venture Investment Chapter” – in response to the need “to draw in foreign investment and know-how into the Malaysian ICT industry.”

The other chapters are PIKOM CIO Chapter, Outsourcing Malaysia, E-Commerce Malaysia Chapter and PIKOM Cybersecurity Chapter.

“The setting up of the PIKOM Venture Investment Chapter is timely for 2018, as we need to put in concerted efforts to draw in more foreign investment know-how into Malaysia’s ICT industry to accelerate our young ICT companies towards achieving high growth.”

PIKOM is collaborating with strategic partner Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) to kick off Sea

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Dragon, an annual sustainable Venture Pitch Platform for Southeast Asian start-ups and scale-ups for investments, growth and global market expansion. In this pitching event scheduled from May 4th to 8th, Southeast Asian start-ups and scale-ups will be matched with potential regional and global investors with as much as US$25 million funding to be raised.

“We are looking to attract investors to this platform from North Asia market including China,” said Ganesh who added that PIKOM is creating a highly conducive ecosystem for local ICT brands, companies and organisations to thrive in Malaysia.

PIKOM also expects to garner huge interest in e-Commerce via activities run under the E-Commerce Malaysia Chapter. Ganesh, who doubles up as the E-Commerce Malaysia Chapter Chairman, said this Chapter has the same objectives of the Government’s

Ganesh Kumar Bangah, PIKOM Chairman.

National E-Commerce Strategic Roadmap – to boost e-Commerce adoption among local SMEs by doubling the current number of e-Commerceenabled SMEs to 350,000 by 2020.”

Looking ahead, MDEC and PIKOM are set to jointly host the upcoming 24th World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) in 2020, which will place Malaysia, as the host nation, in the radar of ICT heavyweights globally.

#MYCYBERSALE 2017 Hits RM311 Million Gross Merchandise Value Malaysia’s biggest online sale event, #MYCYBERSALE 2017, achieved a gross merchandise value (GMV) of RM311 million – exceeding the RM300 million target set for 2017. GMV is defined as total revenue generated during the five-day sales period before taking into account discounts.

About RM39 million of the RM311 million GMV were derived from international shoppers, surpassing the export revenue target of RM20 million, a 254 per cent increase from the 2016 export revenue of RM11 million.

The number of exporting merchants also increased to 497 this year, compared with just 260 in 2016. In total, more than 1,007 online merchants participated in #MYCYBERSALE 2017 across 22 retail categories as compared with just 607 in the previous year. About 10 per cent of this year’s merchants were micro-enterprises under the MDEC’s e-usahawan initiative.

This year’s #MYCYBERSALE, now in its fourth consecutive year, was organised by PIKOM in collaboration with MDEC. #MYCYBERSALE 2017 also saw an encouraging private sector partnership with the inaugural inclusion of Pinnacle Partners, Commerce.Asia, Lazada and MasterCard. The other

#MYCYBERSALE 2017’s merchants and service partners included Fusionex, iPay88, Skynet, SF Express, LWE, Involve Asia, Shippop, Exabytes Asia, Akamai, 11street and eGentic (Premier Partners); Shopee, (Gold Partner); Aramex, eGHL and Payoneer (Silver Partners); Maybank, TM, Celcom and Malaysia Airlines.

“This year’s GMV results is good news for the growth of e-Commerce in Malaysia. It shows that Malaysians are continuing to embrace the online shopping culture as long as there are a variety of products offered at good discounts,” said Ganesh Kumar Bangah, Chairman of e-Commerce Malaysia.

“The outstanding export revenue growth shows that Malaysian online merchants, especially SMEs have great potential to reach out to their customers beyond borders,” he added.

MDEC Chief Executive Officer Datuk Yasmin Mahmood said the performance of this year’s #MYCYBERSALE was remarkable considering that 2017 marked the transition of the event moving towards becoming a private-sector-led initiative.

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The Right Data Solution for Brick-and-Mortar Retailers Tapway’s innovative solution for retailers is slowly revolutionizing brick and mortar stores’ ways of engaging with the customer and increasing their sales.

nline shopping is all the rage at the moment all over the world. According to the website Statisca (www. statistica.com), e-commerce penetration in Malaysia is currently at 51.4% and is expected to hit 63% in 2022. Consumer research company Euromonitor projected Malaysia’s e-commerce market to be worth US$560 million (RM1.99 bil) by 2016. But does this growth in e-commerce mean it’s the end for brick and mortar retailers?

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Stores Are Here To Stay!

No, says Euromonitor. Its latest country report on Retailing in Malaysia says that “in 2017, consumers in Malaysia tended to prefer stores that offer a more convenient experience when shopping for groceries” There is still a demand for physical stores. So what must traditional brick and mortar stores do to thrive in the age of e-commerce? They should look to companies like Tapway Sdn Bhd to help them stay ahead of the competition and thrive. Tapway, created by Lim Chee How and Justin Loh, was formed in 2013.

Today it operates in over four countries in Southeast Asia and has emerged as a fast-growing regional brand.

Tapway was created with a belief that the traditional brick and mortar stores still have a role to play in the age of Internet of Things (IoT) by utilising technologies to create a much better customer experience and in the process, revolutionise their businesses. Today, Tapway measures the behaviour of more than 10 million shoppers per month, across all the sensors deployed in retail stores across the region and crunches billions of data points.

It’s All In The Data Online retailers use big data to keep track of customers’ preferences and suggest other things for the customers

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The Tapway system allows traditional stores to connect with their customers on a different level via technology. By arming traditional stores with more detailed consumer insights, these stores will have an edge to stand out, especially in a crowded marketplace like a mall or office district.

– Lim Chee How

to buy. Tapway helps stores do the same thing by capturing real-world consumer behaviour and build superior customer experience with big data.

As competition for customers among retailers (both offline and online) has gone stronger, offline businesses that thrive will be those that are able to deliver a differentiated customer experience to drive growth.

The Tapway system allows traditional stores to connect with their customers on a different level via technology. By arming traditional stores with more detailed consumer insights, these stores will have an edge to stand out, especially in a crowded marketplace like a mall or office district.

Tapway provides physical stores with in-depth customer analytics by gaining

insights from walk-by traffic, walk-in traffic, capture rates, average visit duration, customer retention rate and many other essential information. This is done by setting up a system using video and/or Wi-Fi sensors in the outlet.

Once the system is up and running, store owners and workers can have a better overview of what is happening in the store. The data gathered is able to show how many shoppers are in each area of a shop at any given time.

Tapway’s system also allows the store to interact with the customer!

Once a customer logs on to the store’s WiFi via Facebook or Twitter, the store can send alerts and use real-time campaign based on the customer’s store visit behaviour.

The data collected by Tapway is a boon for physical stores. Stores can use the available date to make changes that will attract customers to spend more time in the store and increase the chances of them buying things. The footfall data, for instance, will show store owners the peak periods in the shop and this can help them to utilise their employees to better meet the clients’ expectations.

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Bentley Music Group Hits the High Notes with Consistent Growth The strong brand name with three retail outlets and an online store is now looking to expand within the region.

entley Music recently celebrated its 43rd anniversary party attended by its clients, well-wishers and invited guests. Also present was Datuk Seri Garry Chua, MRCA President.

Over the years it has emerged as a bastion of musical instruments retailing, clinching numerous awards including ASEAN Outstanding Business Award by the ASEAN Retail Chain and Franchise Federation, and the Malaysian Book of Records.

Bentley Music Academy was also awarded the SME Platinum Business Award 2017, another prestigious recognition for the music academy as the the pioneer in this industry since 1975.

The company has grown to three stores while remaining focused on two core areas, namely musical instruments retailing and sound reinforcement integration.

In 1975 founder Phua Sin Loke opened the first outlet in a shop lot in Masjid India. Subsequently, Bentley Music acquired its own building and moved from Masjid India to a multifloor super store on Jalan Bukit Bintang.

Spread over four levels of retail space, the outlet carved a name for itself as a music mecca on both national and international levels in the 1980s.

In 2007 the company opened its second outlet in Mutiara Damansara.

At 20,000 sq ft megastore, it is today the largest retail showroom of musical instruments in Malaysia. Here is also where the Bentley Music Academy is located.

The third outlet, opened in 2013 in Penang, brings lifestyle and customer experience to the forefront of its business.

“These music shops offer customers a comfortable space to browse in and shop,” said Ken Phua, Executive Director of Bentley Music Group.

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The Bentley family celebrate with cake and wine.

“Instore demonstration areas make it easier for customers to try out the instrument before making a purchase.

Specialist brand areas, meanwhile, engage customers and help them to quickly identify their choice brands,” he said.

The company’s associate dealers, meanwhile, an 80 to 100-strong network of dealers throughout Malaysia has also helped it develop into a strong retailing brand.

Bentley Music’s expansion does not stop here. Moving with the times, the company launched an online retail presence last year for the added convenience of its customers. The user-friendly site, which offers free shipping, makes buying guitars and its accessories a breeze.

Bentley Music is also known for its music academy, a franchise-based system with licence accorded by the Malaysian Franchise Association.

The Bentley Music Auditorium, meanwhile, can seat 500, and caters to concerts, public seminars and forums.

As its customers would testify, Bentley Music’s stronghold is in its offerings. The company carries multiple brands and a good range of instruments.

In its early days Bentley Music

Phua Sin Loke, Chairman and Founder of Bentley Music Group presented a Certificate of A ppreciation to Datuk Seri Garry Chua (centre). Looking on is Ken Phua.

predominantly sold brass, woodwind and string instruments. Spotting a changing trend, the company started offering electric guitars, synthesizers and drums.

“We are the nominated supplier of educational musical instruments to the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Home Affairs, as well as to international schools,” he said.

Bentley Music has also carved a name for itself in the sound reinforcement integration services. Mr Phua said the company is supported by a technical and engineering team that implements systems at hotels, meeting rooms, school and public auditoriums,

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Guests pose for a photo in the midst of much gaiety.

A group picture to remember the night.

Bentley Music celebrates its special day by honouring its staff with certificates of appreciation.

Some of the performers with their certificates of appreciation.

VIPs smile for the camera.

Performers and musicians entertained the guests.

stadiums, and food and beverage outlets.

In the coming years the company is looking to grow the music school.

“The franchising system, with our approved franchisor licence from the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism and the Malaysian Franchisor Association, is working well for us,” said Ken Phua.

Bentley Music also plans to expand its horizons to the ASEAN markets. Ken Phua said that while e-retailing will feature significantly in its future growth plans, the traditional bricks and mortar stores will continue to remain relevant.

“Online retailing is expected to grow substantially over the next five years, and we want to be a part of

this. However due to the nature of our business – the selling of musical instruments – human interface is vital.

The personal experience is still an important element when selecting an instrument like a grand piano or an electric guitar,” he explained.

“The same with sound reinforcement integration services. Audio installation needs engineering expertise. It is also very subjective and preferential, and decision making for a complete AV integration solution is usually based on the size of the hall and target audience.”

The company already has a distribution arm in Singapore, and recently obtained rights to distribute musical instruments in Brunei and Cambodia.

Crowd being entertained.

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Rowenda Kitchen

Design For Living, Built For Life Rowenda’s extensive range of cabinetry and accessories is a testament that the kitchen should be as efficient as it is enjoyable.

he kitchen is often considered to be the heart of a home. Although it’s a place where food is prepared, it is the hub where families bond and where even guests gather for a casual meal and entertainment. As such it is important to make the kitchen a pleasant space for family and guests to socialise.

One of the most important considerations when it comes to creating space in the kitchen is your choice of cabinets. Kitchen cabinetry is what sculpts a kitchen’s layout to be more user-friendly, keeping things organised and tidy at all times. More importantly, good cabinets in your kitchen can change the way you work and add value to your kitchen.

Rowenda Kitchen, an industry leader in kitchen cabinetry since 1984, has been manufacturing and delivering quality kitchen cabinets and kitchen accessories, as well as wardrobe systems and customised furniture solutions, including TV cabinets, bars and counters – all with fresh, cutting-edge looks which are here to stay, and which serve the dynamic requirements of the clients.

With expert carpenters and gifted

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concept artists and designers who make up the creative talents of Rowenda’s prolific development and design team, the company prides itself in the “full circle” service it offers clients in transforming dream kitchens into reality.

Integrating the client’s design sensibilities, aspirations and budget considerations into the final product are an essential element of Rowenda’s “customer-first” philosophy. In this respect, Rowenda’s resident team of professionals who are exceptionally skilled with a wealth of industry experience, guide the client through the entire process from start to finish.

To ensure measurement-perfect plans, Rowenda’s designer will carry out a detailed home survey where plumbing and electricity points are marked out before a design is confirmed, a service offered at no extra cost. As the designers are ergonomics experts, they will help the client create a visually stunning and effortlessly practical kitchen.

By planning out the layout on a 3D colour computer system the designers allow the clients to experiment with configuration for a best fit match.

Rowenda Kitchen’s inventory is multinational and certain aspects

about its materials processing such as fitness grading and hand-crafting techniques are subjected to research and development processes to ensure top-notch quality at its production site in Rawang, Selangor.

Besides its global sourcing, another characteristic of what makes Rowenda Kitchen a brand with overseas reach is its presence in international events such as the Eurocucina Exhibition (Milan), Living Kitchen Exhibition (Cologne), and Design Shanghai Exhibition (China), among others. In Malaysia, Rowenda Kitchen participates regularly in HOMEDEC exhibition, among others.

With its cutting-edge designs, top quality materials and value added accessories, there is no doubt that Rowenda Kitchen will not only continue to soar high but eventually succeed in becoming the biggest cabinet and custom-made furniture wholesaler and retailer in ASEAN.

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Achieving Personal Excellence In a 2-part series, Dr Victor S.L. Tan highlights critical areas of improvement which can help people achieve personal excellence.

xcellence is defined as excelling or surpassing some standards of expectation.

It is the dream of human resource practitioners for staff to achieve people excellence in the workplace.

To achieve people excellence, organisations need to focus on the growth and development of individuals.

In this respect, there are 10 critical areas of improvements which can help people achieve excellence.

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01 AWARENESS

One of the greatest values of the human resource as an asset is the people’s ability to learn, improve and grow. To do this, they must be aware of the areas that need learning or improvements. They must be aware of what they do well and those areas that they fall short.

They need to uncover their blindspots which block them. They need to check the areas they have become too complacent in that slow down their performance. They have to be discerning about their habits that are counter-productive or affect their relationship with others. They need to reassess their attitude regularly to ensure that they do not get in the way of things.

Abraham Maslow, the world renowned psychologist and philosopher said it best, “What is necessary to change a person is his awareness of himself.”

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02 ATTITUDE

Attitude is important for two simple reasons. First, without the proper attitude, one may not even become aware of one’s weaknesses or areas to improve. Second, awareness can be quite futile if one does not have the right attitude towards self-improvement. Too often, we notice that intelligent and capable individuals are prevented from greater achievements because of their own attitude. Because of their negative attitude, they argue that it is others who need to change and not them. They blame everything and everyone else except themselves.

On the hand, a person with a positive attitude takes responsibility for the problems faced. He solves problems rather than complain about them. He takes charge to improve things. This is a great step towards personal excellence. In essence, excellence is not a skill, it is an attitude.

03 AIM

A critical aspect of achieving personal excellence is having an aim. This requires setting clear goals and specific measurements to monitor progress. People who achieve excellent results know the importance of planning and plotting the right strategies to achieve the desired results effectively.

Harvard Business School did a study whose findings indicated that only 3 per cent of people are successful, 30 percent of people as somewhat successful, and the other two-thirds as simply watching life pass them by. The difference lies in having a clear and tangible aim in life.

A person without an aim is like a ship without a destination. In this respect, I know of many great performers in the corporate world who have a clear “things to do” list everyday. They list down the things to accomplish and schedule the completion according to priorities. Each day they will start with a “things to do” list and by the end of the day, they will strike out with a sense of satisfaction of the tasks that they have completed. For those tasks not completed, they will diligently carry forward the unaccomplished items to the following day’s “things to do” list along with the other tasks for the day and the process is repeated each day. The results achieved through this process are always magical and such results only happen to those with an aim.

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04 ACTION

There is no excellence without action. As an illustration, there is no point in an obese person constantly talking about wanting to lose weight.

The value lies in taking appropriate actions such as dieting and exercising.

For example, if a person wants to improve his public speaking skill, he has to go through the discipline of mastering the art. Likewise, if a manager wants to improve her working relationship with others, she needs to put effort to build her interpersonal and leadership skills.

I like the inspirational words of Theodore Roosevelt: “We are face to face with our destiny and we must meet it with high and resolute courage.

For us is the life of action, of strenuous performance of duty; let us live in the harness, striving mightily; let us rather run the risk of wearing out than rusting out.”

Remember, people will judge us by our actions, not our intentions. We may have a heart of gold – but so does a hardboiled egg!

05 ABILITY

A fundamental way to achieve personal excellence is to develop the ability to do one’s tasks better each time. This requires constant upgrading of one’s knowledge and skills in various areas of work. By being willing to take more responsibilities, one will develop more skills and gain more experience.

The key is to keep an open mind and be willing to learn and grow.

One must not be afraid to make mistakes. One needs to seize every opportunity for improvement. One must not be shy to ask those who know more or have more experience.

Besides learning from others, there is a need for self-learning. This requires strict discipline in building a strong body of knowledge about a specific area of work. One can constantly do research on the latest information about a specific topic one and build up an area of expertise.

To be effective, one needs to continuously sharpen the saw. The best way to do this is by embarking on a continuous learning process on the job; through either formal training and education or self-learning.

The second part of the article will be discussed in the next issue.

Dr Victor S.L. Tan is an international change authority who undertakes change management consulting and seminars. He has written 10 management bestsellers including Changing Mindsets and Changing Your Corporate Culture. For comments, log on to www.klscc.com or email him at victorsltan@klscc.com

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President’s Activities and Officiating Members’ Events 1. Datuk Seri Garry at the Pledge Presentation for Productivity Nexus. 2. Launch of Goldenhome Kitchen showroom. 3. MRCA teams visits LimKokWing University. 4. Attending the ACCIM CNY Grand Dinner 2018 at Setia City Convention Centre II. 5. Official launch of Commerce.Asia.

6. MIRF MOU signing with Nanyang Siang Pau. 7. Datuk Seri Garry Chua signing the Pledge. Looking on is Dato’ Seri Mustapha Mohamad, Minister of International Trade and Industry. 8. Representatives from the Ministry of Higher Education visited MRCA.

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41 Monthly Meeting / New

APRIL 2018 24 April 2018 Venue: Wisma Bentley Auditorium, Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya

FUSIONEX NAMED MAJOR PLAYER IN APAC BIG DATA ANALYTICS

puts the power of analytics and insights into the hands of our customers without over-complicating matters.

“We will continue to invest in various avenues to help more organisations across the region and the world benefit from the adoption of Big Data Analytics. We want to help enable companies to become data-driven organizations, where they can process and analyse data at speed and at scale for a better tomorrow.”

Fusionex shared that IDC MarketScape has recognised the company as a major player in the its Asia/Pacific Big Data and Analytics Platform 2017 Vendor Assessment. Fusionex is the only ASEAN-originating company listed in the report.

Each brand was evaluated based on their big data and analytics solutions, ranging from big data management, integration platforms, and analytics tools to cognitive/AI software capabilities.

According to the report, “Fusionex has better operations in, and a better understanding of, Southeast Asia compared with many other vendors in the region. It also has a strong grip on the operational needs of the retail and manufacturing sectors in this region.”

“Today, data management and analytics have become a necessity in any industry – not just to thrive but also to remain relevant as well as to survive,” said Fusionex International CEO Dato’ Seri Ivan Teh. “Fusionex GIANT’s humanised visualisation and powerful engine enables anyone, from business analysts, IT professionals, data scientists, and C-level executives, to unearth insights from their data. Essentially our technology

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SKYBLUE MEDIA, LEADING THE WAY IN AUDIENCEINTELLIGENCE ADVERTISING Skyblue Media is one of Malaysia’s foremost Digital outdoor advertising company based in Kuala Lumpur with over 250 LED panels on lamp poles and 17 LED Overhead Bridges in prime locations of Kuala Lumpur. Currently, its business operations are in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru), India and Indonesia. Skyblue Media will soon be in the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand.

Skyblue Media has been a pioneer in developing new technology. Its latest Audience Intelligence Platform provides real-time information on places, people and products. It processes massive data from smart environments such as mobile apps to understand consumer behaviour at a global scale. Currently processing data from over a billion devices globally, this platform helps in data-driven decisions. It not only understands the behaviour of the consumers but also enables advertisements to be re-targeted to them through mobile apps, social media, google advertisement display network and other online tools, on their smart devices.

“MRCA provides an opportunity for a brand to be recognised by the wider society. It is a great chance to join MRCA and to make our brand known to a broader audience,” said Managing Director Dato’ Manikandamurthy Velayoudam.

ADVANTECH MALAYSIA A LEADER IN IOT INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS & EMBEDDED PLATFORMS As a global leader of the intelligent IoT systems and embedded platforms market, Advantech’s has set “Enabling an Intelligent Planet” as its corporate vision. To embrace the trends of IoT, Big Data, and artificial intelligence, Advantech promotes IoT hardware and software solutions with its Edge Intelligence WISE-PaaS core to assist business partners and clients in connecting their industrial chains. Advantech also works with business partners to co-create business ecosystems that accelerate the realization of industrial intelligence. (www. advantech.com)

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Mobile Access Anywhere

CMS

On Demand Dashboard

Cloud Analysis

Business Intelligence

Multi-Solution Integrated Platform

Multilevel Monitoring

Encryption

Rapid Elasticity

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KTIC MARKETING, MAKING INTERNET ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE KTIC Marketing, one of the largest internet agency in the country today, is dedicated to making internet accessible to everyone.

As the internet increasingly becomes an essential in our daily life, KTIC Marketing is partnering with major telecommunication brands and has assembled thousands of foot soldiers spread across Malaysia nationwide.

With many years of industry experience, the company has formed multiple platforms and led youths in joining the rapidly growing telecommunication industry to startup their own business. These groups of youth have been continuously seeking greater heights. KTIC Marketing, set up in 2012 in the heart of Bandar Sri Damansara, looks forward to growing the telecommunication industry and opens its door to talented individuals who want to inspire and achieve success in life. The company believes in the potential within the telecommunication industry and how the internet can transform the globe entirely in the near future.

REGAL INTERNATIONAL GROUP LTD, CONNECTING INVESTORS TO BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN EAST MALAYSIA Regal Hospitalities, specialist in hotel management services and property asset management, is the asset management arm of the SGX-mainboard listed Regal International Group Ltd., a property builder developer based in Kuching, Sarawak.

Regal Hospitalities is the wholly-owned subsidiary of Regal International Group Ltd. (“RIG” or together with its subsidiary, the “Group”), which is dual-listed on SGX (Stock code: UV1.SI) and TWSE (Stock code: 911619.TW).

Over the past 3 years, Regal Hospitalities has achieved an impressive record of maintaining and enhancing the operations and management of the Group’s property development projects in Kuching and Kota Samarahan areas of East Malaysia. This includes apartments, high-end condominiums and commercial units. Propelling ahead, Regal Hospitalities seeks to complement the Group’s service capabilities via its innovative real estate services.

Isaac Chong and Ken Teo, Directors of KTIC Marketing.

“We are pleased to be a part of MRCA who promotes growth and well-being of Malaysian businesses. With the same vision of marking our company name globally, we look forward to potential partnerships that we can establish with MRCA in the future,” said Isaac Chong and Ken Teo, Directors of KTIC Marketing.

Regal Hospitalities aspires to be the bridging gateway and platform for international partners and investors to access the budding asset management opportunities in East Malaysia.

Nicholas Wong, Director of RIG said, “Integrating innovation into real estate has been a key pillar in Regal’s operations, and it is evidently illustrated through the unconventional concept of our future lifestyle project - Tropics City. We believe the collaboration with MRCA will complement Regal Hospitalities’ existing retailing competencies and extend our capacity in asset management.”

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HELPING BUSINESS MAXIMISE ITS POTENTIAL A boutique business development company, Multicom Grand Sdn Bhd specialises in assisting businesses expand both local and overseas, through Franchise Development, Business Matching, and Branding & Marketing.

Daphne Tan, the Business Development Director - M&A, said Multicom Grand aims to shake up the business innovation sector by providing a cost effective, full business development solution to companies across the globe. “Our service creates strategic alliances by connecting investors, strategic partners, buyers or franchisees through our network of connections in the professional, corporate, and investment communities.”

Being connected to a spectrum of high net-worth individuals, family offices, fund providers which include banks, private equity funds, venture capital funds, and family offices, among others, the company is able to extend funding needs to its clients.

“We offer a variety of programs which help in developing diverse business models while carrying out our operation with utmost respect of client confidentiality throughout the process,” said Daphne Tan.

ARTIVO SCHOOL OF CREATIVITY Artivo School of Creativity, or ARTIVO, is an international recognised art school which specialises in Creative Art, Craft and Clay programme. It was established in 2016 with the mission of inspiring more creative lives with creativity.

Operating from its first branch in Alam Damai, Cheras, ARTIVO today has 4 branches throughout Malaysia with more than 800 students. In July 2018, ARTIVO will open a branch in Sarawak.

The school strives to create a new trend in creative art education with its well-designed “The FIRST Comprehensive Development Art Programme”. This art programme not only aims to broaden students’ art knowledge, develop their creative minds and inspire their interest in art, but also emphasise on learners’ comprehensive development in multiple intelligences, personality cultivation and passions.

ARTIVO’s unique art courses are well recognised by City College of Birmingham, United Kingdom, attributable to the proven outcome and performance of the stated comprehensive

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development. The schools also provides professional courses such as Certificate and Diploma in International Children Art Education, to its members from ARTIVO Talent Management Programme and ARTIVO Edupreneur Programme.

ARTIVO’s Managing Director, Datin Tiew Lee Sin said that joining MRCA creates a synergy when working “together with a group of ambitious and talented leaders”.

Think Outsource. Think ENVO

HELPING COMPANIES GROW THEIR BUSINESS VIA OUTSOURCING Envo Bpo Services Sdn. Bhd. (ENVO) is a business process outsourcing company with the objective of helping companies grow their business via the concept of outsourcing. Founded in 2009 by Dato’ Lim Han Boon, the MSC status company was set up with a vision to revolutionise the concept of outsourcing and to be a one-stop preferred outsourcing partner.

By educating companies to outsource their non-core activities, these companies can effectively and efficiently use its staff or internal resources for other purposes. This will give the companies the freedom to focus on the things that matter in their business. By providing tailored solutions, ENVO aims to give clients a competitive edge in the market with the increase in productivity.

ENVO provides services such as Customer/Help Desk

BUILDING BRAND IMAGE AND IDENTITY Identity Lab is a group of Elite and dynamic individuals; specialising in creating, developing and strengthening a brand’s unique and rare DNA; able to maximise the extraordinary potential of a company in achieving higher public and brand recognition.

Our diverse portfolio includes partners of international luxury fashion house, SHIATZY CHEN and revolutionary FMCG, WHITE FACTOR; luxury boutique residences in Japan; and luxury retail space fit-outs.

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Support, Leads Generation and Appointment Setting, Customer Survey Service, and Telemarketing and Telesales and Smart Vending Machine services, among others. ENVO also has a team of professionals who have years of operational and management experience in outsourcing process.

On becoming an associate member of MRCA, Jeremy Lim Wei Chang, director of ENVO BPO said, “We are proud to be one of the associate members of one of the most influential retail bodies in Malaysia. Being a member enhances our networking experience with exchanges of ideas and resources amongst the members in a highly supportive environment.”

ONE-STOP REGIONAL PLATFORM FOR THE BEST ASIAN ENTERTAINMENT dimsum, Malaysia’s homegrown subscription video-ondemand service operated by SMG Entertainment Sdn Bhd, a member of the Star Media Group, offers the best and latest Asian content, including exclusive dramas, variety and entertainment shows from the biggest Asian broadcasters and producers.

Delivering the content via mobile applications, Smart TV applications and the web browser, dimsum, which was launched in 2016, is readily available in Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore. dimsum recorded over 300% growth in the last two quarters and it has partnered various brands in marketing and retail collaborations such as Etika, Senheng and Tealive.

Dimsum also welcomed more partners including Hong Leong Bank, Samsung Smart TV, AirAsia Big and Grab.

Lam Swee Kim, Chief Marketing Officer, said, “We aim to become the one-stop regional platform for the best Asian entertainment with our long-term strategy and collaborations across Asia.”

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS IN THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF MRCA

“No substitute for hard work”

BUILDING MORE THAN HOUSING

Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Leong Hoy Kum, Group Managing Director, Mah Sing Group Berhad

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“We Build A Lifestyle”

Tan Sri Dr. Lim Wee Chai, Chairman and Founder of Top Glove Group of Companies

FUTURE IN FAST FOOD

How Consumer Trends Affect the Industry

MASTER OF DATA

ManagePay Systems Bhd Group Managing Director & CEO Dato’ Chew Chee Seng

TENACIOUS YOUNG GUN

MRCA Turns 25

MK Curtain Berhad Founder and Group Managing Director Dato’ Calvin Khiu

CEO Night Teaser A Masterclass In Transformation

Sunway Malls Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Awarding Excellence & Value Creators

Dato’ Seri Ivan Teh, Founder and CEO of Fusionex

Eversendai’s Tan Sri AK Nathan Stars in CEO Night Opportunities in Cambodia & Vietnam MRCA’s Strong Foothold in Johor

Turning 25 with Pomp & Grandeur

HRDF

PAVING THE WAY FOR INDUSTRY 4.0 Dato’ Vignaesvaran Jeyandran, Chief Executive of HRDF

MRCA Cover_Vick.indd 1

The new and improved MALAYSIA RETAILER highlights, informs and introduces readers to trends and strategies within the retail, franchising and branding disciplines.

The quarterly magazine also features a mix of articles, including personality and company profiles, success stories, and general reports relevant to the three disciplines.

Learn From The Best at The MRCA Retail Conference 2017

HR Training & Development: A National Agenda

TARGET MARKET Business community interested in the retail, franchising and branding industry.

DISTRIBUTION • More than 450 Members Companies & Associates in Malaysian and abroad.

• Top Management of companies.

• Relevant Government Ministries & Agencies, including the Malaysian Overseas Trade Office.

• Relevant Business Organisations & Major Shopping Malls.

• MRCA Events.

• Sold in all leading bookstores nationwide.

MRCA Celebrates Silver Jubilee with Elegance & Glamour

MRCA Charity Annual Run 2017 Bigger Expectations at MIRF 2018

SITTING AT THE HEAD OF THE TABLE Dato’ Goh Cheh Yak, Founder and Group Managing Director of

Budget 2018: What’s In It For SMEs? m-Commerce to Lead Growth in 2018

TURNING PASSION INTO BUSINESS Annie Low, Founder & Managing Director of BaliAyu Spa Group Sdn Bhd

SMART PROTECTION FOR RETAIL BUSINESS Flexible and cost effective insurance tailor made for retail chain owners in Malaysia

Dato’ Winnie Lim, Founder, Solution Risk Group of Companies; Zakri Mohd Khir, CEO, Allianz Malaysia Berhad & Horst Habbig, Chief Sales Officer, Allianz General Insurance Company (Malaysia) Berhad

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ON TOP OF THE WORLD

Budget 2017’S SME Goodies

Vol 6 No 1 2018

Vol 6 No 1 2018

Turning 25 with Pomp & Grandeur

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Improving ties with the media industry

FLYING IN A V-SHAPE FORMATION

Dato’ Garry Chua, New President of MRCA Shares His Aspirations For The Association

NEW MPAY-MRCA CASHBACK CARD A BOON FOR RETAILERS

MRCA-KPDNKK Charity Run 2016

Vol 5 No 4 2017

MAH SING’S BUSINESS INCENTIVE GRANT PROGRAMME

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Establishing a Southern Chapter & Realising Expansion Plans

Vol 5 No 4 2017

Exciting Week at MIRF 2017

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STRENGTHENING RELATIONSHIPS

A Runaway Success

Vol 5 No 3 2017

Vol 5 No 3 2017

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MIRF 2016

Challenges of Globalisation & Technology and Impact On Businesses

Vol 5 No 2 2017

MRCA 24th Anniversary & Crown Awards Winners

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Vol 5 No 1 2017

ADVANCING DOWN SOUTH

WM RM9 / EM RM11

Vol 4 No 2 2016

RETAIL CONFERENCE

WM RM9 / EM RM11

Vol 4 No 1 2016

WM RM9 / EM RM11

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MAGAZINE DETAILS Frequency: Quarterly Issues: ◊ January ◊ April ◊ July ◊ October ADVERTISING SPECIFICATIONS Trimmed Size: 230mm (W) x 300mm (H) Typed Area: 210mm (W) x 280mm (H) Bleed Size: 240mm (W) x 310mm (H) Material Requirement: PDF Format

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2018 EVENTS

CALENDAR 5 JUNE

20 JULY

HARI RAYA CHARITY VISITATION

MRCA INSTALLATION NIGHT

SK ULU BERANANG, SELANGOR

ONE WORLD HOTEL PETALING JAYA

25 JULY MRCA RETAIL CONFERENCE

KLCC

26-28 JULY MALAYSIA INTERNATIONAL RETAIL & FRANCHISE (MIRF) KLCC, HALL 5 & 6

18 AUGUST

28 AUGUST

2ND PING PONG TOURNEY

CEO NIGHT

6 SEPTEMBER MEDIA ENGAGEMENT

ONE SHAMELIN, KL

10-13 SEPTEMBER TRADE MISSION TO ALIBABA, HANGZHOU, CHINA

2 NOVEMBER DEEPAVALI CHARITY VISITATION

6 OCTOBER

26 OCTOBER

CHARITY GOLF

26th ANNIVERSARY DINNER ST. REGIS KUALA LUMPUR

18 NOVEMBER CHARITY RUN USJ ONE CITY

2 DECEMBER PRESIDENT CUP BADMINTON ENERZI SUBANG

12 DECEMBER CHRISTMAS CHARITY VISITATION

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