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mdbc MEMBERS MAKE IT HAPPEN!
ISSUE: 3RD edition 2016
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CONTENTS MEMBERS
BIG STORY
MDBC EVENTS / 10
AN INSIDE LOOK / 22
AGM VIP Lunch with the Governor of Bank Negara Lazada Talk Joint networking with MABC HR Forum
GREEN BOARD / 37
COMMUNITY
Mdbc penang / 16
STUDENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM / 25
Members news / 18
EMBASSY NEWS / 27
my services / 39
spotlight / 35
New members / 40
DIALOGUE
picture perfect / 42
RANDSTAD AWARDS / 29 TMF: CORPORATE GOVERNANCE / 31 ESD / 33
/17 /22 /27
MDBC PREMIUM PARTNERS 2016
INTERMO ERS malays a
CMYK CODES: C:20, M:100, Y:100, K:0 C:100, M:100, Y:0, K:0 C:100, M:100, Y:25, K:30
MDBCONNECTS 3RD ISSUE 2016
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MDBC in 2016 in providing more value added services to our members, in various stages of the life cycle of your membership. To assist Marco to bring the MDBC to the next level, we are excited to have brought Bart Veenbaas into the MDBC team. Bart will be responsible for events and membership growth.
Dear MDBC Members and Friends, 2016 has been a year of great change for the MDBC. Firstly, I am excited to announce that the MDBC has gone through the 250 benchmark of number of members, further strengthening our community. Secondly, we have continued to implement the strategic objectives that we had set out last year. One of these changes is to grow the MDBC even further, especially
We have also seen changes in our Board as several Directors had to step down mostly because of relocations. On behalf of the Board I would like to sincerely thank our former Vice-Chairman Jacques Hartman, former Honorary Treasurers Sandra van Hellemond and Michael Brouwer as well as our former head of the Compliance Committee Barbara Voskamp for all their valuable efforts and time. To succeed them we welcome Michiel Brouwer from Shell as our new ViceChairman, Mirjam van Thiel from Dutch Lady Milk Industries as our new Honorary Treasurer and Marjolein van Herk-Van Tilburg from Kneppelhout and Korthals Lawyers to bring valuable legal input to
our Board. With regard to strategic partnerships, the MDBC have rejoined the EU-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce & Industry (EUMCCI) and I am honoured to serve on behalf of the MDBC in the EUMCCI Board as one of its two Deputy Chairmen. This renewed partnership will be of great benefit for our members with regard to advocacy to the Malaysian authorities through its Industry Committees and relevant events. The MSA Awards have just been concluded successfully with quality submissions, powerful presentations, a couple of hundred attendees, topped off by an amazing Gala Dinner. I look forward to an exciting end of the year and would like to thank you, our members and stakeholders, for your continued support of the MDBC! Remco Koster WoodWing Asia Pacific / MDBC Board of Directors
MDBC BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mr. Zainul Rahim Mohd Zain, Chairman Hibiscus Petroleum Berhad
Ms. Marjolein van Herk - van Tilburg Kneppelhout & Korthals Lawyers
Mr. Michiel Brouwer, Vice Chairman Shell Malaysia
Mr. Wouter van der Weijden &samhoud
Ms. Mirjam Van Thiel, Treasurer Dutch Lady Milk Industries
Mr. Philip Kunjappy Sime Darby Berhad
Mr. Jurriaan Middelhoff Netherlands Embassy
Mr. Suerd Polderdijk Frames Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd
Mr. Remco Koster Woodwing Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd
Honorary Member of the Board:
Datuk Merlyn Kasimir Former CEO of Matrade
H.E. Ms Karin Mossenlechner Netherlands Ambassador
Mr. Jack Ang Markant (M) Sdn Bhd
MDBC Executive Director: Mr. Marco Winter
MDBC Patrons: Y.B. Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed Minister of International Trade & Industry Y.Bhg Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz Former Minister of Int’al Trade & Industry Malaysian Dutch Business Council Unit 808, 8th Floor Wisma Lim Foo Yong 86 Jalan Raja Chulan 50200 Kuala Lumpur Tel : 603 - 2722 8335 Fax : 603 - 2141 8335 Email : info@mdbc.com.my Website : www.mdbc.com.my
MDBCONNECTS 3RD ISSUE 2016
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Drinkers of the world, unite. Everywhere you go, you find the familiar sight of people savouring their Heineken, clanking the green bottles in merriment. Found in over 170 nations, Heineken is the world’s No. 1 international premium beer. So come, the rest of the world awaits you.
CALENDAR
nov
DEC
THUR 6 / 12:30pm
mon 7 / 2:00pm
KPMG Budget 2017 Briefing KPMG Tower
wed 7 / 6:30pm
MDBC Sustainability Awards 2016 The Westin Kuala Lumpur
Thur 6 / 6:30Pm
Tue 15 / 8:30AM
OCT
MDBC 20th Anniversary Dinner The Westin Kuala Lumpur
MDBC Education: Creating an Impactful CSR Program
WED 19 / 6:30pm
Ladies Sundowner InterChamber
Networking at the Heineken Tavern
NOTICE:
MDBC members will receive personal invitations for these functions by email once all details are confirmed. All events/dates to be reconfirmed.
The MDBC Spouse Program: Bringing together potential employers and professional expat spouses Increase your opportunities for professional and personal development while living in Malaysia, join the MDBC Spouse Program.
For more information about the program or to join, please contact us at info@mdbc.com.my, otherwise, please visit us at www.mdbc.com.my/ services/spouse-program Program Membership Form
MDBC Spouse Program Membership: * Inclusion of your resume in a dedicated Spouse Program monthly e mail to MDBC member companies; * Dedicated events for the Professional Spouse members - on how to start your job search in Malaysia, sharing
Malaysian Dutch Business Council Unit 808, 8th Floor | Wisma Lim Foo Yong info@mdbc.com.my | www.mdbc.com.my
| 86 Jalan Raja Chulan 50200 Kuala Lumpur | Tel: +603 2722 8335 | Fax: +603 2141 8335
MDBCONNECTS 3RD ISSUE 2016
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Our Value Proposition to the MDBC members includes a wide variety of informational opportunities, which is what you will find back in our Events.
mdbc’s 19th annual general meeting for the financial year ending 31 december 2015 Members were invited to MDBC’s 19th Annual General Meeting for the Financial Year ending 31 Dec 2015. Immediately preceding the AGM were 2 guest speakers: 1. Outgoing Ambassador, H.E. Harry Molenaar, who looked back on his time in Malaysia and the changing roles of the Embassy and MDBC in supporting the economic bilateral relationship; 2. MDBC Director and newly elected EUMCCI Deputy Chairman Remco Koster who gave a short overview of EUMCCI matters and how this larger platform offers opportunities to MDBC members, such as the EUMCCI sector committees.
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MDBCONNECTS 3RD ISSUE 2016
For copies of presentations which were given at this AGM, please visit the MDBC
website Library at: http://www.mdbc.com. my/information/the-library/presentations/
The MDBC Board of Directors l to r (front row): Barbara Voskamp, Remco Koster, Zainul Rahim, H.E. Harry Molenaar, Jacques Hartman. (Middle Row): Wouter van der Weijden, Datuk Merlyn Kasimir, Marco Winter, Marjolien Van Herk - Van Tilburg, Mirjam van Thiel. (Back Row): Michiel Brouwer, Jurriaan Middelhoff, Michael Brouwer, Philip Kunjappy, Suerd Polderdijk. Not pictured: Jack Ang
close cooperation with the Netherlands Embassy. A copy of the AGM presentation with additional information on the Strategy is available in the MDBC Library on
our website: http://www.mdbc.com.my/ information/the-library/
Meet the New Members of the Board: Michiel Brouwer (Shell Malaysia) Vice - Chairman
Mirjam van Thiel (Dutch Lady Milk Industries) Honorary Treasurer
Marjolein van Herk - van Tilburg (Kneppelhout & Korthals Lawyers)
A graduate of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Michiel started his professional career with Royal KPN NV in The Netherlands in 1996 working in the Treasury and Corporate Finance Department. Joining Shell in 2001, he has worked in both Upstream and Downstream and is a member of several Boards.
Mirjam graduated from Nyenrode Business University with an Executive Master of Finance & Control in 2006. After several postings with The Kraft Heinz company in Australia and Indonesia, Mirjam joined FireslandCampina in 2015 to become Finance Director of Dutch Lady Milk Industries Malaysia.
A Dutch lawyer in Malaysia, Marjolein is a legal arbitrator at the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration and trained to be a Mediator in Singapore. She has legal expertise in trade, transportation, insurance, and contract law.
During the AGM itself, it was announced that three of the Directors would be retiring from the Board due to relocations and further commitments outside of the country.
For more photos from the AGM, please see pages 42 & 43.
Chairman Zainul Rahim thanked Vice Chairman Jacques Hartman, Honorary Treasurer Michael Brouwer, and Barbara Voskamp for their long and active commitment to the MDBC. The Chairman then welcomed new Directors to the Board, Michiel Brouwer (Shell Malaysia),Mirjam van Thiel (Dutch Lady Milk Industries), and Marjolein van Herk - van Tilburg (Kneppelhout & Korthals Lawyers). Attendees were also taken through an update on a number of the MDBC services and products which have been improved and expanded in line with the MDBC 2015 - 2018 strategy. At the end of the formalities, there was a surprise soft launch of the Orange Factory component to this year’s MDBC Sustainability Awards. As part of MDBC’s 20th Anniversary celebrations, the MSA will once again be organised in
MDBCONNECTS 3RD ISSUE 2016
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VIP LUNCHEON WITH THE NEW GOVERNOR OF BANK NEGARA
lazada talk MDBC members were invited to an Interchamber organised by our colleagues of the Malaysia Belgium Luxembourg Business Council (MBLBC), with a talk on “Challenges and opportunities of creating an online shopping platform” by Lazada Malaysia CEO Hans-Peter Ressel. The talk provided valuable insights in the areas of e-commerce and digital marketing.
Clockwise from left, Yg Bhg Datuk Muhammad Ibrahim receiving a token of appreciation from EUMCCI CEO Roberto Benetello. Top right: Yg Bhg Datuk Muhammad Ibrahim giving his keynote speech. Bottom right: Attendees at the VIP Luncheon
EUMCCI organized a VIP Luncheon with the new governor of Bank Negara (Central Bank of Malaysia), Yg Bhg Datuk Muhammad Ibrahim, with MDBC as one of the co-organizing bilateral Chambers. MDBC members were invited to meet the new governor and hear what he had to say about Malaysia’s economic MDBC members were invited to our annual joint networking evening and talk with colleagues from the Malaysia Australian Business Council (MABC). Attendees were able to learn more about ‘Accessing Government Funding through HRDF & MDEC: Upscaling the Malaysian Workforce’ from guest speakers Lim Kah Cheng (Chief Corproate Services, HRDF), and Muhammad Imran Kunalan bin Abdullah (Director, MDEC Talent Division). Lim Kah Cheng gave insight into HRDF’s perspective on the single most important factor - improving skill sets - that determine the pay and employability of Malaysian employees, moving Malaysia forward towards meeting the challenging demands of today’s dynamic global business and trade environment.
outlook after a turbulent 2015. Attendees were reassured however, that Malaysia’s economic outlook remains favorable with encouraging growth this year. They were also better able to understand the current financial growth and development in the Malaysian economy.
joint networking with mabc: hrdf & mdec Muhammad Imran spoke about the changing economic landscape which is geared towards a digital economy, warranting a new breed of talent. With this new economy being driven by digital skills, it begs the question of whether Malaysia is ready. What does it take to develop such skills? What can the government and industries do to address the persistent issue of talent gap? He
touched on what measures are currently being taken by MDEC to address the digital talent issue in Malaysia. At the conclusion of the presentations, there was a networking session with refreshments for attendees. For more photos from this event, please see page 42.
With the current national plan to accelerate Human Capital development towards achieving a fully developed national status and include more services and agriculture sectors, the number of employees eligible for training under HRDF will increase by 58% from 1.77 million in 2014 to 2.8 million in 2020. MDBCONNECTS 3RD ISSUE 2016
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Managing people is more than just ensuring that they get their work done in a satisfactory manner. It also entails involving them in a creative role; showing them that together, the team succeeds. This involvement is motivational and can enhance everything in an organization, from processes and procedures, to effectiveness and standards achieved. Attendees at MDBC’s 6th Annual Human Resources (HR) Forum, held at the Hilton Petaling Jaya, were able to learn more about how teams can work together, as well as gain insight into other HR strategies. Kicking off with a presentation by Sivakumeren Narayanan (Head, Foreign Talent Facilitation, TalentCorp) on “Working Together to Meet Malaysia’s Talent Needs”, the Forum also featured a matchmaking session with representatives from the following MDBC members in the HR sector: * Cultural Impact * Cubiks * HRConsultancy4U * Lariche Community * Randstad
6TH ANNUAL MDBC HUMAN RESOURCES FORUM
Panelists at the MDBC HR Forum 2016 (l to r): Sivakumeren Narayanan, Sabin van de Loo, Carolyn Lim, and Ryan Carroll.
* Spring Professional * TalentSquare * Transearch Presentations were also given by the following speakers: * Sabin van de Loo (Managing Director, HRConsulutancy4U): “Is Lean HR the Future?” * Ryan Carroll (Director, Randstad Malaysia): “Randstad’s Employer Branding Survey & The Inaugural
5TH MDBC Sustainability Awards In the next edition of MDBConnects (2016-4) and in the special MSA ’16 supplement, we will give you a full update on the MDBC Sustainability Awards 2016 which has taken place on 6 October at The Westin Kuala Lumpur. Initiated together with the Netherlands Embassy in 2011 and now in its 5th edition, the journey continues with MSA ’16’s focus on Circular Economy. Participants were invited to either compete for the ‘Greenhorn’ Award (Best Circular Economy related initiative), or
Randstad Award.” * Carolyn Lim (HR Manager, Projects & Technology, Shell Malaysia): “Shell Malaysia’s success as an employer.” All four speakers then took part in a panel discussion for the final segment of the HR Forum. Additional photos from this event are available online at the MDBC Facebook page (www.facebook.com/mdbc.com.my)
SUSTAINABILITY AWA R D S 2 0 1 6
the ‘Elite’ Award (Best Overall Circular Economy Drive). This year’s MSA included the Orange Factory (see page 27), the Award presentations by the shortlisted companies and a CEO Panel, which was followed by the MDBC 20th Anniversary Dinner & MSA ’16 Awards Ceremony.
msa ‘16 sponsors & supporters:
The MSA has become a cornerstone in the MDBC event calendar and has helped audiences develop a deeper understanding of sustainability.
MDBCONNECTS 3RD ISSUE 2016
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MDBC PENANG ‘handover’ of mdbc penang & introductions Handover and Introductory Gathering: At the end of August, a special ‘3-in-1’ combined invite-only appreciation cocktail reception was organised in Parkroyal Resort Penang as a farewell and thank you appreciation to MDBC Penang Chapter Representative John Benoist, a welcome and introduction to his successor Kees Donker, and a welcome and introduction to new Netherlands Ambassador H.E. Karen Mössenlechner.
John has been the MDBC Penang representative since the launch of the chapter in May, 2010 during which time he has managed to maintain the MDBC membership community in Penang and build up valuable contacts with government, state agencies and industry in Penang and the Northern Region, who were all well-represented at the gathering. John will be continuing with MDBC as part of our new Johor Chapter!
l to r: Jack Ang (General Manager, Markant / Director, MDBC) Kees Donker, Marco Winter (MDBC Executive Director), John Benoist, H.E. Karin Mössenlechner, Remco Koster (General Manager, Woodwing Asia Pacific / Director, MDBC), Christine Lai and Jurriaan Middelhoff (Economic and Trade Department, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
John receiving his Penang farewell gifts from the Ambassador and Remco Koster
MDBC Penang - MGCC Sundowner: Members were also invited to a Sundowner networking event with our colleagues of the Malaysian German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MGCC) at the E&O Hotel. MDBC Penang Chapter representative Mr. Kees Donker p/a TMF Administrative Services Suite S-21-H, 21st floor Menara Northam 55, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah 10050 Penang Tel: + 60 16 556 9745 penang@mdbc.com.my
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MDBC PENANG company visits Representatives of the MDBC and the Netherlands Embassy visited two flagship member-companies in Penang. At Teleplan tecnology Services, the red carpet and kompang came out to welcome new Ambassador H.E. Karin Mössenlechner for her first corporate visit in Malaysia! An impressive briefing and tour of the facilities by Michael Banks (VP Operations APCA) and Ong Jor Kham (General Manager) followed. With worldwide locations, Teleplan provides lifecycle care for electronics. Teleplan Penang has the after sales service world’s largest class 10 clean room measuring 18,000 square feet. At KMWE Malaysia and KMWE Precision, Managing Director Ronnie Moors welcomed the delegation with a briefing on KMWE / DutchAero, a supplier and partner for both the High Tech Equipment Industry and Aerospace who is “Always on the cutting edge of excellence!” More photos are available on the MDBC Facebook page (www.facebook.com/mdbc. com.my) and on page 43.
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3rd Edition 2016 The Netherlands has the best startup business climate in the EU
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
ONE RINGGIT
Members News
The Netherlands is the most competitive EU country (Global Competitiveness Report, WEF)
Tonasco celebrates 10 years! On 26 August 2016, Tonasco celebrated its 10th Anniversary with honourable guests, esteemed suppliers and business associates. It was a fun-filled celebration, as the guests tried their hands on various funfair games while enjoying a scrumptious feast of dutch delicacies and food-truck meals. The highlight of the event was Tonasco Herring Eating Contest, which was hosted by Christoph Prommersberger (Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands). Contesting guests slipped on traditional dutch clogs and competed to see who could gulp down an entire piece of herring.
Above l to r: Lin Sheau Wei (Business Director, Tonasco), Christoph Prommersberger, and Toon Moors. Below: The Tonasco team celebrating their 10 year anniversary!
Reaching the 10-years mark is an important milestone for Tonasco. “We are thankful for all well wishes from near and afar, and we look forward to many more years of successful collaborations with all our customers and business partners.” added Toon.
In his opening speech, Tonasco Managing Director, Toon Moors, thanked all suppliers and business partners for their support over the past 10-Years. When
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asked about Tonasco’s plans for the future, Toon commented, “Tonasco will continue to focus on Single Piece production, and our future is in higher precision and more complex parts. We have recently invested in more sophisticated Zeiss measuring equipment, and we have purchased another building to double our production facilities. For the coming years, we will continue to challenge ourselves to be one of the best manufacturers of high precision parts.”
innovative technology to create a custom app for almost any business. They help companies and businesses improve profitability by streamlining workflow with the help of modern technology and in house software solutions. LizardApps’ core platform provides all these areas in the form of role and group based user management. “We don’t want to change the way organisations do business, we want to make it better and help them
move forward in time.” Recently, LizardApps has worked with MDBC to develop the MDBC App. Now available for both iOS and Android devices (just search for ‘MDBC’), the App brings you the latest information on MDBC events, allows you to register for events and add them to your calendar, access relevant news and more.
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MDBCONNECTS 3RD ISSUE 2016
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
Members News
3rd Edition 2016
KLM expands kul - ams service and connection opportunities to Europe and beyond for travelers via its hub, Amsterdam Airport Schipol. “Malaysia is one of our key markets in Southeast Asia and we look forward to welcoming more travelers from Malaysia onboard to experience KLM’s world class services and friendly Dutch hospitality,” added Gijs.
Above l to r: Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, Gijs van Popta, and H.E. Harry Molenaar (now former Ambassador, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) at the ribbon cutting ceremony at KLIA for the launch of the additional KUL - AMS flight (KL 812).
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines recently increased its flight capacity between Kuala Lumpur (KUL) and Amsterdam (AMS) by adding three weekly flights, bringing their total to 10 per week. The new service is as follows: KL812 Leaves KUL at 8:45 hrs and arrives at AMS at 15:30 hrs the same day KL811 Leaves AMS at 13:00 hrs and arrives at KUL at 07:10 hrs the
following day. The existing flights remain unchanged. The extra flights are operated with KLM’s newly refurbished Boeing 777 - 200, which comprises of 34 World Business Class seats, 40 Economy Comfort seats, and 242 Economy class seats. Air France / KLM General Manager for Central Southeast Asia, Gijs van Popta said KLM offers a wider choice of services
Datuk Badlisham Ghazali (Managing Director, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad) said, “As one of the oldest airlines that has been flying into Kuala Lumpur since KLM’s days in Subang Airport, I am sure the decision for additional frequencies is a validation of Kuala Lumpur’s position as a strong regional hub. This will further boost travel and tourism between Malaysia and The Netherlands.” H.E. Harry Molenaar stated that the additional KLM flights between KL and Amsterdam indicate that the mutual trade between the two countries is blooming and provides an opportunity to further intensify the business relationship.
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No. 33, Jalan i - Park 1/3 Kawasan Perindustrian i - Park Bandar Indahpurah 81000 Kulai Johor, Malaysia Tel: +607 660 7878 Mail: info@hqpack.com.my
Members News
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
3rd Edition 2016
Chur associates & iQi holdings team up for dutch delegate briefing
i3m 2nd MY-NL Leadership program i3M Group organized a business study trip conducted at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. It gave participants the opportunity to digest the latest developments in the field of innovation; an eclectic approach that included the preconditions for successful innovation and interpreting the opportunities and threats due to globalisation and innovation.
Representatives of Limburg Real Estate Society, Chur Associates, IQI Holdings and MDBC
housing corporations, lawyers, notaries and consultants). Two MDBC membercompanies legal services provider Chur Associates and real estate investment company IQI Holdings teamed up to provide a local briefing for the delegation, focusing on economic outlook and legal aspects affecting the housing markets.
In April, a real estate society from one of the provinces of the Netherlands (Limburg) visited Malaysia for a fact-finding trip, consisting of senior managers and directors of real estate related companies in the south of the Netherlands (real estate investors, developers, architects, directors of social
Participants of this second Malaysia Netherlands Leadership Program were senior level management and came from diverse backgrounds but had one thing in common; that of the need for innovation to drive growth in their companies and to make an impact on the wider economy. The group also had the opportunity to visit MNCs such as Philips, Unilever, and Rabobank, who shared first hand experience on innovation and tackling business challenges in the current economic climate. Participants left with new insights and benefited from the networking opportunities with their peers from local and international companies.
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AN INSIDE LOOK: REGUS - VIJAYAKUMAR TANGARASAN Regus is a multinational corporation that was founded in 1989. Operating at over 3,000 locations in 900 cities across 120 countries, Regus provides serviced offices, virtual offices, meeting rooms, and videoconferencing to clients on a contract basis. Vijayakumar Tangarasan is the Country Manager for Regus Malaysia and has been with the organization since January 2013. Uniquely positioned with a finger on the pulse of the worldwide economy, we asked Vijay to comment on the recent trends in light of the world (and local) economy, the push by the Malaysian government for companies to expand into the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), and the overall direction of work spaces. MDBC: Given the cautious market sentiment that we’ve seen recently, how has this affected businesses here in Malaysia (whether they are MNCs or SMEs)? VT: With the big companies, even in industries like oil and gas, they come in with a long term plan so they get a physical office, establish (or have already established) a base locally and with the long view in mind, haven’t been affected too much. Over the last two years, what we have seen is that the economy has impacted the smaller players, companies like the suppliers to the oil and gas industry which have been impacted more because they are dependent on the major players who have a lot of projects. We’ve seen this in Labuan,
East Malaysia, West Malaysia. A lot of these companies have closed or reduced their presence here and have only kept the sales offices, the huge project teams are now gone as part of the downsizing. Bigger players such as Petronas and Shell are different, but even they have reduced the number of projects and only kept their core teams. They’ve actually been coming to us, which is a plus point for us, but then, we’ve also been losing the suppliers around them. The other thing impacting the local economy at the moment is the currency, and concerns over political stability. As for the latter, companies don’t want to put money into a country when they’re not sure of what’s going to happen; this is affecting Malaysia as well in attracting FDIs versus other ASEAN countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, etc. Pricing for office rentals are improving from a consumer standpoint. Landlords used to be able to hike up the price by quite a lot because there was a lot more demand than supply. These days, they’re desperate because they cannot fill the spaces available so they have to drop the price and offer additional benefits, like getting an office space semi furnished. That’s why even though the landlords used to see us as competitors, they now understand that we can be partners. With an increasing number of companies looking for more flexibility and lower risk due to downsizing and uncertainty over future expansion or contrac-
Below: One of Regus’ innovative offerings the ’Thinkpod’. With room for a laptop and a comfortable adjustable chair, the Thinkpod is a stylish new thinking and workign space providing privacy in the shared space of a Regus business lounge.
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MDBCONNECTS 3RD ISSUE 2016
“When investment agencies push Malaysia as an attractive destination to foreign entities, they can also offer Regus as a low risk, highly flexible solution for them to enter into the local market.” tion, it’s harder for the landlords to cater to that type of market while controlling the risk for themselves. For the customers that want that flexibility and have a shorter time period in mind, they can come to us. Those that have grown and now want a larger office space, we tell them to go directly to the landlord. We’ve been approaching a lot of the landlords with a hotel concept joint venture (JV) where the landlord spends money to do a fit up for Regus and Regus then works on a profit sharing with the landlords. We can attract a lot of businesses for the landlords. Regus offices usually have a wide variety of industries, all of whom have their vendors / suppliers walking in as well, so the building is going to get a lot of marketing just from the exposure. Additionally, suppliers like to be close to where their clients are so there’s an entry point. It’s something which can be used to differentiate the building from the others surrounding it. MDBC: So how has this affected the office space in general? We know that with Regus, customers have more flexibility in terms of office space, layout, facilities, etc., but what about the look and feel of an office. On one hand you have people who are still very much tied to the traditional office space, and on the other you have those that crave open offices and a more ‘creative’ space in order to get their work done. How do you bring these two groups together? VT: It’s a trend that’s been happening over the last few years. We have gotten feedback from our international centers that there is a demand for unconventional offices, people want to go somewhere that is really ‘funky looking’. So our requirement is that in every Regus center that is now opened, at least 30% of the space needs to cater to co – working, open spaces. Regus actually will be introducing a new product called ‘Spaces’.
AN INSIDE LOOK
It is part of Regus, but will be branded as Spaces. Staff working at these locations will be in jeans, t shirts, very casual. And it’s not going to just be targeted at interior designers or IT guys; we’ve had some other professional industries like lawyers, travel agencies, HR companies, etc. who have come in and said that they are interested in that type of an office so it will be for anyone looking for that co – work space. The other thing is that companies will be able to do product launches, events, and more at Spaces. 70% will be traditional offices, 30% will be a huge co – work space for everyone. We think that’s the best mix that will appeal to anyone looking for office space. MDBC: That sounds like it’s a good thing for the local economy, reducing the risk and allowing more companies to continue operations (even if in a reduced capacity for the time being). How has this also been affected by the recent government push for the development of the AEC? How has this affected the development of the AEC? VT: Industries or sectors that need Regus’ help, particularly SMEs or even investment agencies (such as InvestKL, Invest Selangor, and even MIDA, and MITI), that are dealing with foreign companies looking to enter into the local market, can leverage off Regus’ offerings. When investment agencies push Malaysia as an attractive destination to foreign entities, they can also offer Regus as a low risk, highly flexible solution for them to enter into the local market. In a way, they are in the same situation as startups and SMEs here. Regus provides them with highly flexible, low risk office space, allowing them to run small teams (even down to a single person) that can plug into the Regus network and grow. It’s not just the physical office space; it’s the other offerings from Regus that really helps facilitate this establishment and growth. Our clients can step into a Regus office, have a place to work whether it’s a traditional office or the more popular co – work space, have someone who will handle the office administration, and when needed, have access to meeting rooms, etc. Also of value, is the Regus Business Community (formerly Business Link), a bespoke online trading platform that allows hundreds of thousands of Regus clients worldwide to buy and sell products and services, and connect with other businesses using the Regus network. It is a website accessible via the Regus global customer portal myregus.com, as well as informal networking
events held around the world. It allows users to browse through online offers posted by hundreds of thousands of businesses using Regus workspace, or request specific products and services when needed. This is valuable for our members because they can go in and check within the community for someone who provides the service they’re looking for – legal, banking, HR, etc. Regus employees don’t get direct access to this, only Regus clients – whether they’re an office, virtual office, or business world class client. One of the biggest challenges today is growing sales, and for that you need access to databases so that you can get the relevant contact information, you know who to talk to and you can approach them properly. This leads to better engagement and further, to closures. This means that for SMEs who are looking to expand into the AEC, they can travel
regionally, plug into any one of the Regus outlets available, do their market research, establish a foothold, and tap into the companies that are already in the local market via the Business Community. What we’ve noticed however, is that a lot of companies from other parts of the AEC are coming to Malaysia and expanding but not so much the other way around. We would love to see Malaysian companies expanding out into the wider AEC market but currently there is that lack of knowledge and experience to take it up to the next level. We still need help from overseas experts to come in and mentor more Malaysian startups before they can expand out into the wider AEC market. There are a lot of SMEs in Malaysia, some have even been very successful, like Air Asia, and have expanded out into the international market, but not everyone is at that level, so for now we still need outside mentors. MDBCONNECTS 3RD ISSUE 2016
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STUDENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM LEASEPLAN The SIP Experiences of Sander Douma at LeasePlan. A Master student in Organizational & Management Control at the University of Groningen, Sander Douma was interested in gaining practical experiences within the field before he graduated. Although doing an internship is generally not compulsory at that university, more students are deciding to do one, acknowledging the advantages that it provides with real world training and exposure to the corporate world. MDBC is increasing this awareness among students of the University of Groningen and the internship program was a good option for Sander. “It is important for me to apply my knowledge into practice and to gain relevant working experience. It will give me a competitive edge over my peers once I graduate” said Sander, who is currently doing a finance internship with MDBC member LeasePlan Malaysia. LeasePlan is a com-
pany offering leasing options to clients, making fleet management and the mobility of lease drivers easier.
with other financial activities, or help employees in other working areas, such as operations.
Founded in The Netherlands, LeasePlan has been in existence for over 50 years and is active worldwide. With more than 1.5 million leased cars in totol, it can be said that LeasePlan is the largest in its field. Given the largest economic growth potential in the Southeast Asian region, the company decided to start a firm in Malaysia and realised that a student intern would be very helpful with regard to assisting the finance manager of the company. LeasePlan Malaysia was connected to Sander via the MDBC Student Internship Program (SIP).
LeasePlan Malaysia has been very satisifed with the input from the student intern so far. “It has been very helpful for our company to have a high quality, motivated, flexible, and independent resource in our very young organization who can help with the many different challenges which a start up can face. Similar resources would not be easily available in the Malaysian market. Additionally, it is a big plus that the Dutch interns can easily relate to and interact with the Dutch Head Office culture in LeasePlan. We are already looking forward to more student interns moving forward from here.”
During his internship, Sander has been tasked with improving and streamlining different financial processes so that they can be outsourced later on. Risk management and tax are the most important areas within these processes.
Sander Douma and colleagues at LeasePlan
The tasks that Sander has been given are relatively complex, especially for a start up, but it makes it a good challenge for Sander who already has work experience. Sander is also sometimes asked to assist
visit to the heineken tavern & mentor evening
Clockwise from left: The students visiting The Tavern at the HEINEKEN Malaysia Brewery. Top: Heineken on tap! Bottom: Special guest Esther Vergeer giving an inspirational talk to the SIP students. Bottom left: Mentor Evening also included talks by business leaders in the MDBC Community.
MDBCONNECTS 3RD ISSUE 2016
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NETHERLANDS EMBASSY NEWS
New Government Facility for Direct Investment & Exports launched and OF KL edition! New Government Facility for Direct Investment & Exports In Q3 of 2016, there will be some changes in the available Dutch financial instruments for international business. Important for doing business in Malaysia is a new facility, the Dutch Trade and Investment Fund (DTIF). The DTIF will provide funding for direct investments and exports. The fund provides Dutch companies with similar forms of support as the Dutch Good Growth Fund (DGGF). The existing instruments, the Facility Emerging Markets (FOM) and Finance for International Business (FIB) will be ended. The DTIF consists of non-ODA resources and will be available in countries that are not served by the DGGF, such as Malaysia. The DTIF typically provides Dutch SMEs active abroad with loans, guarantees, insurances and other types of revolving financial investments that are not commercially available. The new facility was launched on 1 September 2016 and the planned size of the DTIF is â‚Ź110 million. The DTIF is offered through a one-stop shop at the National Entrepreneurial Netherlands (www.RVO.nl). Within the RVO, one team will be responsible for the implementation of the DGGF and DTIF. You can, of course, also get in touch with the Economic department of the Embassy for more information.
Orange Factory KL edition From 19 September until 8 October 2016 the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kuala Lumpur will host the second edition of Orange ASEAN: The Orange Factory, an intense three week workshop in which small groups of talented students from ASEAN countries and the Netherlands work together with young professionals to tackle sustainability challenges put forward by a number of participant companies. After a successful first edition in Bangkok, it is now up to KL to deliver a fruitful program. This edition will focus on the transition towards a Circular Economy, and business cases will be developed according to this theme. Supported by academics and experts, the student teams develop innovative solutions to guide issues like climate change, resource
depletion, pollution, energy inefficiencies, and waste management into a circular economy in the ASEAN region. Orange Factory aims at creating value for both participating students as well as for companies. Following three weeks of intense collaboration and competition between the student teams, companies that have provided a business case will be presented with a full report on the issue that they are trying to solve. The Dutch Embassy and the Malaysian Dutch Business Council in KL, as well as the Rock Group Consultancy in Amsterdam put in a lot of effort to organize a challenging and educational program that included inspiring speakers and visits to leading companies in KL. Shell was kind enough to provide us with a venue where the workshops took place. As the Embassy, we enjoyed hosting motivated students that brought in their expertise to drive ASEAN and Dutch businesses into a circular economy, and we hope to see some game changing end results!
MDBCONNECTS 3RD ISSUE 2016
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DIALOGUE
Randstad: Randstad Award 2016 TOP 75 COMPANIES IN MALAYSIA REVEALED award is a welcome endorsement for the hand work our team has been doing. We are grateful and proud to be recognized as one of Malaysia’s top employers as we celebrate 125 years in Malaysia this year. We look forward to fueling Malaysian progress through economic and talent development.” Recruitment firm Randstad announced the launch of the inaugural Randstad Award in Malaysia earlier this year (The annual award celebrated its 16th edition globally this year). They also released the list of the country’s Top 75 companies. Recently the winning companies were announced. The Randstad Award is presented to the most attractive employer in more than 20 countries across the globe. The 2016 edition of the award covers 25 countries. Consisting of over 200,000+ respondents and covering 75% of the global economy, the winner is based on the outcome of the world’s largest survey into employer branding. It truly is the only award representing ‘the people’s choice’. The outcome of the Randstad Award is based on public perception and focuses on three main areas: overall brand awareness, absolute attractiveness and relative attractiveness. This creates a level playing field for all competing companies instead of giving an advantage to large multinationals with higher name recognition than smaller local companies. The 75 largest companies were selected in each participating country, usually with more than 1,000 employees. This list is presented to a representative cross section of relevant respondents based on region, age and gender. In Malaysia, 4,504 potential employees and jobseekers between the ages of 18 - 65 were surveyed. These respondents were asked to identify companies they recognize and indicate if they would like to work for them. This is then followed by an evaluation of attractiveness factors, such as salary, benefits, work atmosphere and job content, for each company. With the Randstad Award being held for the first time in Malaysia, the findings
have provided an unprecedented look into who Malaysia’s employees truly regard as the most attractive employers. The survey results have been particularly revealing. Despite the strong slowdown around the oil & gas industry, Malaysian employees still regard the sector as very attractive and wish to be employed in that area. The Randstad Award findings reveal other valuable insights including which sectors are the most attractive and what candidates are seeking in terms of job attributes. Ryan Carroll (Country Director, Randstad Malaysia) said, “The Randstad Award is a key element of our global research. The award coming to Malaysia for the first time is a significant step for us and showcases the growing importance of the Malaysian market for Randstad. Employer branding has been an increasing focus for employers in Malaysia and this research will showcase public sentiment around the country’s top 75 companies.” MDBC members among the Top 75 for 2016 are (For a full list of the Top 75 companies, please visit the Randstad website at: www.randstad.com.my): AirAsia Berhad Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank) OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad Shell Malaysia Sime Darby Berhad YTL Corporation Berhad
She added, “Shell focuses on human centered innovation to inspire and attract talent. We showcase how ingenuity powers innovation, which then positively impacts the world. This is part of what we mean when we talk about Fueling Malaysian Progress, as we work with customers and partners for more and cleaner energy in our changing world.” Shell Malaysia also ranked first out of 3 companies in the oil and gas sector for attractiveness. Randstad Award 2016 - Attractiveness Factors 1. Salary & employee benefits 2. Financially healthy 3. Long - term job security 4. Good work - life balance 5. Pleasant working atmosphere For more information on the Randstad Awards, please visit www.randstad.com. my
Randstad Malaysia Country Director Ryan Carroll
Winner of the Randstad Award 2016 for Most Attractive Employer was Shell Malaysia where 73.73% of all respondents who knew the company saying that they would like to work for them. Farm Mooi Fung (Human Resources Director, Shell Malaysia) noted, “The MDBCONNECTS 3RD ISSUE 2016
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DIALOGUE
TMF: CORPORATE GOVERNANCE NEW COMPANIES BILL WILL FURTHER IMPROVE CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN MALAYSIA Text by: lim Lee kuan Malaysia is taking steps to transform itself into a nation of high-incomes and quality growth by 2020. The New Economic Model and the Economic Transformation Programme provided the economic framework to significantly increase productivity, innovation and creativity, leading to a more favourable investment environment and increased business opportunities. Following on from these major policies, the Dewan Rakyat recently passed the Companies Bill, which is expected to come into force at the end of 2016. The new Bill has the full support of the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) as it is in line with the CCM’s goal to ensure that the corporate law framework maintains its edge in attracting foreign and domestic investments and expanding entrepreneurship. The commission also aims to ease and cheapen the cost of doing business in Malaysia, whilst giving strong emphasis on corporate governance. Hence, it is anticipated that in the upcoming months, the CCM will release new regulations under the Companies Bill for public consultation. The strengthening of corporate governance practices is key in attracting private sector investments into the country. A 2015 study by ACCA and KPMG showed that Malaysia is leading other developing nations in this area. This has been achieved by regulations and policies being developed in recent years specifically designed to improve corporate governance. For example, the Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance 2012 (MCCG 2012) is targeted at companies listed on Bursa Malaysia. However, all Malaysian companies are encouraged to adopt the principles and recommendations of MCCG 2012 and make good corporate governance an integral part of their business dealings and culture. The Companies Bill, which will replace the existing 50 year-old Companies Act 1965,
will include many key changes including: Easier Incorporation of Companies The Bill will introduce the ability for a single person to incorporate a company. That same person can be both the sole shareholder and sole director. This will make incorporating a company more attractive for businesses and entrepreneurs. A single individual can have complete control of the company, and still enjoy the separate liability of the corporate entity. No requirement for private companies to hold Annual General Meetings (AGMs) In line with making it easier to run companies, there will be no need for private companies to hold an AGM. For private companies, audited financial statements are no longer tabled before the AGM. There will be a timeline to circulate the audited accounts among the shareholders and for filing with the CCM. Easier Passing of Written Resolutions for Private Companies With the intention to move away from physical general meetings, private companies will find it easier to pass written shareholder resolutions. The Bill outlines a process for shareholders to pass ordinary or special resolutions by having the required majority signoff on the written resolution. There is no need to have the unanimous written resolution signed by all the shareholders. New Solvency Test Requirement Going hand-in-hand with making corporate processes easier, certain safeguards will be put in place. This is to protect third parties doing business with companies and ensure their rights as creditors are not prejudiced. There will be multiple varieties of a new ‘solvency test’ that will be applied for different situations. Hence, it will
be important to understand and to seek advice on the different solvency tests applicable. For the more common situation of declaration or pay-out of dividends, directors must now ensure that the defined solvency test has been met. To release dividends, a company must be able to pay its debts as and when they become due within 12 months. The failure to meet this solvency test may result in the directors becoming personally liable. In other situations, directors must meet a solvency test (but with a different definition). Directors must sign a Solvency Statement, which is akin to a statutory declaration, verifying that the company is solvent. This new Solvency Statement is required when the company undertakes the following: (i) Capital reduction without a court order; (ii) Financial assistance; (iii) Redemption of preference shares; and (iv) Share buyback. Increase in Sanctions on Directors The Companies Bill introduces harsh sanctions for directors who breach regulations. Serious infractions can result in a five-year imprisonment and RM3 million fine or both. Concluding comments Effective corporate governance structures encourage companies to create value (through entrepreneurialism, innovation and development) and provide accountability and control systems which correspond with the risks involved. When companies are well governed, they are better able to attract capital investment. The new Companies Bill will transform Malaysia’s corporate landscape. It will support start-ups and entrepreneurship, simplify compliance, reduce the cost of doing business, strengthen and enhance internal control, corporate governance and corporate responsibility. MDBCONNECTS 3RD ISSUE 2016
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VALUE CREATION THROUGH MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS Globalisation of businesses has induced a search for any competitive advantage that is worldwide in scale. In a rapidly consolidating global economy, the pressure of globalisation has spurred an increase in cross border Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A). This has become a fundamental characteristic of the business landscape, with Malaysia proving to be no exception. Financing Asia Pacific’s Growth M&As are an avenue toward restructuring success, stimulated by a range of strategic factors. These include domestic competition, growing pressure on operational and capital efficiency, and delivering bottom line growth - especially growth in value for shareholders. Since organic growth is hard to come by when the rates of projected economic expansion are low in most markets and sectors, many firms, both large and small, have undergone M&A exercises in order to remain competitive against the onslaught of global conglomerates. Worldwide M&A transactions have reached unprecedented levels over the past few years, powered by a triple - digit percentage increase in the number of deals over US $10 billion, totalling US $4.7 trillion during 2015. As domestic competition heats up and globalisation opens new doors, some firms go further with acquisitions by carrying them out across national borders.
M&A activity involving Asia Pacific companies have been particularly robust. The competitive landscape in Asia - rapid economic growth, technological change, enormous rise in consumption demand allows companies to leverage on the Asia Pacific region as a growth driver. Generating Value Via Purchase of Growth in Malaysia Mergers with, or acquisitions of, domestic firms by international firms, have increased as part of a worldwide trend in corporate structuring. Apart from globalisation pressure, there are many other reasons that prompt M&A activities. Among them are to achieve a bigger market share, generating synergistic gains and cost savings opportunities. M&A deals in Malaysia came up to a total of 446 in 2015, 40% more than the 322 deals done in 2014, despite a tough year for the country. Malaysia is ranked among Asia Pacific’s top 10 foreign direct investment (FDI) hotspots, according to a study by US based global information company IHS Inc. Recent FDI based on M&As reflects a rapid increase in M&As rather than the traditional foreign investment in “greenfield” projects (those designed to build new means of production). Strategic growth industries in the services sector include financial services, healthcare,
education, commercial aviation, tourism, and the IT - Business Process Outsourcing industry, as Malaysia becomes an increasingly important services and services - exporting economy for Southeast Asia. Long - Term Prospects Cross - border M&A activity is still in an early phase in Asia’s middle income economies and remains small, relative to their sizes and stages of development. For example, in 2015, M&A transactions accounted for 3% of GDP in Malaysia, compared to 14% of GDP in America. M&A activity in Asia, specifically ASEAN, will continue to rise on the back of the region’s strong economic fundamentals because business leaders realise that they have to be strategically positioned to compete within ASEAN when it reaches its full potential. The economic and regulatory reforms, which a number of ASEAN countries such as Malaysia have undertaken, have helped bring about greater liberalisation of industries and attract more inbound investments. The cross - border deal flow is expected to be a key theme in the coming years, as major economies strike agreements and alliances to bolster trade. For instance, the recently agreed Trans - Pacific Partnership between 12 Pacific - Rim countries (including the US, Japan, Canada, Australia, and Malaysia), is the biggest global trade agreement in two decades. With the Ringgit weaker against the US dollar, there is greater anticipation of foreign investment and more private equity deals. Though cautiously optimistic, we expect to see this momentum continue into 2016. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of any organisations. Examples of analysis performed within this article are only examples. The situation is different on a case to case basis as they are based only on very limited and dated open source information. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of any organisations in the region.
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MDBCONNECTS 3RD ISSUE 2016
DIALOGUE
InvestKL / TalentCorp: ESD The Expatriate Services Division (ESD) under the Immigration Department of Malaysia was established to provide efficient, effective, and innovative services for expatriates and companies to submit expatriate related immigration matters.
OVERALL PROCESS Expatriate Applications via MYXpats Centre
Overview
Among the services offered are Employment Pass, Residence Pass - Talent, Professional Visit Pass, Dependent Pass, Long - Term Social Visit Pass, and Social Visit (Temporary Employment) - Foreign Maid Pass.
Company can now submit expatriate applications.
Company Registration via ESD
STAGE
STAGE
3
4
Company submits all related company information through the Expatriate Services Division (ESD), Immigration Department of Malaysia at esd.imi.gov.my
Passport Endorsement & Collection
STAGE
Preference to foreign talent employed in the 12 industries under the National Key Economic Areas (NKEA) as outlined in the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) of the Malaysia Government are:
2
STAGE
Pay the applicable fee, endorse the passport at MYXpats Centre, and collect the passport once it is ready.
1
Company Activation Company signs Letter of Undertaking (LoU) and receive further access to the ESD’s portal services. 2
3
STAGE 1:
COMPANY REGISTRATION VIA ESD
2
1
Log in using the login id and password created. Submit related company information and company projection of expatriates required for the year.
Create account by clicking “Registration” and fill in the necessary information. Click the activation link sent to the email address registered in the system. 1(a) purchase e-Info SSM Company is required to purchase e-Info SSM through ESD online.
COMPANY ACTIVATION
2
1
Print a copy of Letter of Undertaking (LoU) from the ESD online system onto the company’s official letterhead and complete the information required.
Approved companies need to schedule appointment via the ESD online system.
submit company application
5
STAGE 2:
LoU printout
create account
4 3
Approved company may now proceed to STAGE 2 (refer to page 9) for company activation.
Please note that companies will need to obtain approval through ESD before applying for expatriate passes. Companies registering via the ESD’s online system will enjoy an improved, safe, and secure online experience in the application process. Additional information about ESD, MYXpats Centre, and the application process can be found at esd.imi.gov.my
AL OV PR
Through ESD’s Malaysia Expatriate Talent Service Centre (MYXpats Centre), ESD approved companies can apply for a range of expatriate passes (listed above).
AP
ESD offers registration services for companies who wish to employ eligible expatriates. In addition, ESD also facilitates expatriate related passes for Embassies and any temporary manual applications. All companies will need to 4 register with ESD as a first step.
Status notification will be sent via the ESD system with further instructions.
company activation Company does not meet the requirement for expatriate application.
RE
N
IO
CT
JE
notification
Verification and validation of the submitted information.
clearance
Appointment
4
3
One of the company’s directors as stated in the SSM is required to be present at a scheduled appointment at the ESD, Immigration Department of Malaysia for the following actions: 1. MyKAD/ Passport of the company director will be requested for identification purposes. 2. Official LoU to be signed and witnessed by Immigration Officer.
After LoU signing is completed, company will be given further access to submit expatriate applications (STAGE 3).
Further access rejection
LoU submission
5
8
9
STAGE 4:
STAGE 3:
EXPATRIATE APPLICATION VIA u Copy of Passport • All pages MYXpats CENTRE • Must have validity exceeding twelve (12) months from the date of application submission. Documents required:
2
• Must have at least six (6) blank pages. u Confirmation letter from the educational institution with the following details: Submit completed application. • Name of the applicant as per passport; • Fill in the required information Notification via system will • Passport number; and dependents be sent to you upon receiving of expatriates • Course / Major enrolled; (if applicable). your application. • Course / Major start and end date; • Fill position by selecting • Confirmation from the institution on the student’s current standing (year of study, through the list atstatus); enrolment Setup”. “Position • Name and position of the signatories of the letter. • uUpload all documents as required. Internship offer letter from host company with the following details: • Name of the applicant as per passport; • Passport number; • Name of the program and program; submit application • Program start and end date; • Signature, name and position of the host company representative; • Acceptance signature, and date of the applicant. create application u Detailed schedule of the internship program.
1
4
3
Status notification will be sent via system - approved
or rejected. Approved COOLING-OFF PERIOD REQUIREMENT Verification and
expatriates may now validation of the proceed to STAGE 4 for 1. Employment Pass Category III holders whose pass have been renewed for two information. (2) times or 3 years submitted in apassport row MUSTendorsement. leave the country and serve 3 months cooling off period to be able to apply for 2. 3.
Employment Pass Category III again. Exemption is only given for cases of Employment Pass Category III converting to Employment Pass Category I / II. Employment Pass Category III holders who are changing employers MUST leave the country and serve 3 months cooling off period to be able to apply for Employment Pass Category III with different employer. Visitnotification Pass (Temporary Employment) holders who wanted to convert to Employment Pass (all categories) MUST leave the country and serve 3 months cooling off period to be able to apply clearance for Employment Pass (all categories).
PASSPORT ENDORSEMENT & COLLECTION AT MYXPATS CENTRE
1
Print the approval letter available online for download. Applicable fees will also be advised online.
2 3
• Applicants who have entered the country will have 30 days from entry date to endorse the EP sticker.
entry
approval
6
Endorsed passport(s) can be collected within 2 working days
collection
Walk-in to the MYXpats Centre and submit the relevant documents for endorsement of related pass sticker on the passport.
walk-in
5 4$
Documents required during endorsement: • Original passport • Copy of approval letter • Payment Receipt • DP11/DP11A Form with original company stamp and details of the appointed Endorser as per the LOU (signatory)
Payment for the Immigration fees can be made at the MYXpats Centre counter.
payment
endorsement 18
19
30
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MDBCONNECTS 3RD ISSUE 2016
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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT KPMG In this 20th anniversary of the Malaysian Dutch Business Council (MDBC), we are putting a spotlight on our special “Founding Members” - those member companies who have been a part of the MDBC community since our very first day in 1996. The third of MDBC’s four Founding Members, KPMG has long provided knowledge as value for the benefit of their clients. Recently, KPMG conducted their 2016 Global CEO Outlook which provides insight into the expectations of global CEOs on business growth, the challenges they face, and their strategies to chart organizational success. It captures the perspectives and insights of nearly 1,300 CEOs from companies across 11 industries in 10 countries. The following has been extracted from the 2016 Global CEO Outlook report. CEOs believe that technological change will be one of the biggest factors impacting growth over the next three years, second only to economic factors. Companies are increasingly forming partnerships, alliances, and joint ventures with startups and universities. Competitors may be suppliers as well as customers, and all are becoming part of the innovation process. This results in a redefinition of power and responsibilities and the need for a different type of leadership.
CEOs recognize that they are operating in a new world. The pace of change continues to accelerate. 41% of CEOs anticipate that their company will be significantly transformed over the next three years. “CEOs are taking change by the reins and transforming their companies, rather than being buffeted by the ride,” says Margaret Cowle (Transformation Leader, KPMG’s Asia Pacific Region). Asia Pacific is a hotbed of change and has an interested combination of new entrants and technology companies constantly making new markets with new business models leveraging disruptive technologies and leading customer behavior. Fostering innovation is the top strategic priority for CEOs globally over the next three years. Technology, which can be a trigger as well as an enabler of innovation, features among the top investments CEOs are expecting to make over the next three years. “Today’s top business leaders understand that long - term success in this era of fast paced technological change requires a new way of thinking and operating,” says Lynne Doughtie (Chairman and CEO, KPMG USA). “In fact, the corporate playbook is being rewritten and replaced by one that takes business agility to a level we have never seen before.” So what does it take to execute change in
KPMG Malaysia is a member firm of the KPMG global network of professional services firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services. Established in 1928, KPMG’s history makes KPMG a pioneer Accounting firm in Malaysia with their first office located in Ipoh, Perak. The KPMG in Malaysia practice was the earliest establishment of KPMG’s presence in the Asia Pacific region. With approximately over 1,900 staff positioned in 9 offices nationwide, their objective is to provide knowledge as value for the benefit of their clients, their people, and the capital markets. KPMG’s operations in Malaysia are carried out in association with KPMG Desa Megat & Co. Their single management structure for all Malaysian offices allows efficient and rapid allocation of experienced professionals wherever the client is located in the country. The flexibility of this single structure allows KPMG to effectively serve companies across Malaysia, and they have many projects where professionals from different offices work together on a work engagement under the supervision of a single nominated client partner, who has operational control of all resources. KPMG has established industry groups which enable the delivery of targeted, industry-specific experience, expertise and methodologies. The focus on industry and countryspecific knowledge helps them to deliver exceptional people with an intimate knowledge of their client’s specific business issues, deep industry expertise as well as an overriding commitment towards service excellence. For more information on KPMG, please visit https://home.kpmg.com/my/en/ home.html
“We are evolving towards a world where what’s inside the company and what’s outside is not binary. This means that, as a CEO, you can’t have a proprietary or protective mindset. You need to be very comfortable with ambiguity and undefined spaces,” says KPMG’s Isabelle Allen (Global Head of Clients and Markets).
a fast changing environment? Streamline your internal processes, be agile. Focus on selling a measurable return to customers in the short to medium term. The digital transformation is not an overnight event but a series of incremental steps, each delivering a concrete business advantage.
Level 10, KPMG Tower 8 First Avenue Bandar Utama Petaling Jaya 47800 Selangor Darul Ehsan Tel: +603 - 7721 3388 Fax: +603 - 7721 3399
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Charter
Distribution
International transportation
Supply Chain Logistics
Customer Service Dangerous Goods
Air Cargo
Transport Insurance
Sea-Air Solutions Customs Clearance Value Added Services Sea Cargo
Project
Cold Chain Logistics
Own international network
SPOT - Tracking & Tracing Contract Logistics
Dynamics in Logistics ► Transports by Air, Sea, Rail, Road ► On all continents and in all seas of the globe ► 24/7 transparency all over the world ► With Accuracy. Reliability. Transparency. Passion ► Perfect Supply Chain for our customers cargo-partner Network Sdn. Bhd. (Formerly known as cargo-partner Logistics Sdn. Bhd.) Suite B610-B611, East Wing, Wisma Consplant 2 No.7, Jalan SS16/1 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Email
mykul@cargo-partner.com
Phone
+60 3 5636-2228
we take it personally
www.cargo-partner.com
GREEN BOARD
KLOTH Lifestyle Transforming Plastic Bottles into Uniforms less energy and 65% less carbon emissions in comparison with normal Polyester Polo shirts.” KLOTH Lifestyle collects clear plastic bottles from waste processors around the country and shreds them into plastic flakes. These plastic flakes are then cleaned and converted into pellets and spun into polyester yarn.
OSKP receiving their partnership certificate from GreenTech Malaysia Alliances (GTM) l to r: Nik Suzila Nik Hassan, Datuk Wira Jalilah Baba (Chairman, GTM), Woon Foo Wen (CEO, GTM), Tan Sri Peter Chin (Group Chairman, GreenTech Malaysia Corporation), Tan Sri Ong Leong Huat (Group Managing Director and CEO, OSK Group), Ong Ghee Bin (CEO, OSKP), and Ong Ju Xing (Group Executive Director, OSK Group)
KLOTH Lifestyle’s first client for organizational corporate wear for customized designs - OSK Property (OSKP) was recently awarded a partnership certificate by GreenTech Malaysia Alliances (GTM) for its sustainable corporate transformation initiative. OSKP is the first property development company to receive a partnership program certificate from GTM under the waste management initiative of its Partners Program in support of sustainable corporate transformation. This first phase of the sustainable corporate transformation for OSKP included the announcement and showcase of 1,200 corporate polo t shirts for employees. Made in collaboration with KLOTH Lifestyle, the sustainable fabric for these polo t shirts is made from 60% cotton, and 40% recycled plastic bottle polyester by Waste2Wear.
most plastic waste ends up in landfills and waterways, causing devastating effects on sea life and the well being of the environment. “I am glad to announce that this transformation into recycled polo t-shirts has kept more than 10,000 plastic bottles out of the landfills; each polo t-shirt is made from 8.5 recycled plastic bottles from PET bottle (Pet 01). Congratulations OSKP!” shared Nik Suzila Nik Hassan (Executive Director, KLOTH Lifestyle). She added, “The OSK Property polo t-shirt has been certified by the Scientific Certification System (‘SCS’) and Global Recycling Standard (‘GRS’); the overall production of the polo t-shirt is sustainable and has proven to use 70%
Facts about RPET - Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate, also known as Recycled Polyester: • 90% less water is used in making recycled polyester versus polyester • RPET requires 70% less energy than virgin fibre production • Recycling one plastic bottle saves the equivalent of 3 hours of energy from a 60 watt light bulb and 1 kg of RPET keeps 60 water bottles out of landfills With a wide variety of special treatments, this fabric is the perfect choice for OSK Property’s use (be it in the office or at the construction site), due to its sustainable and durable qualities. Each OSKP uniform will be embroidered with a label that signifies the number of recycled bottles used to produce the outfit and serves as a reminder to all employees to practice a sustainable lifestyle. The next phase of the transformation will include the collection of bottles by OSKP itself who will then hand them over to KLOTH Lifestyle for the production of other OSK corporate uniforms.
Every year, massive amounts of plastic bottles are consumed in Malaysia and
Tan Sri Peter Chin and Tan Sri Ong Leong Huat, accompanied by Sarah Kedah (Chief Marketing Officer, KLOTH Lifestyle), get the first touch of the material that formed the new OSK Property uniforms made out of 40% plastic bottles and 60% cotton.
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Fly the World’s Best Airline to Amsterdam
Seamless connections from Kuala Lumpur to Amsterdam, via Doha. Paint your next escape to one of the world’s most eclectic and creative cities. The heart of the Netherlands and home to renowned art galleries, museums, festivals and music venues, this vibrant world city has it all. For more information, log on to qatarairways.com/my
MY SERVICES - BUSINESS SERVICES Not all MDBC member-companies are involved in bilateral trade or investments; a very important part of the MDBC community is our service providers. They provide the services (or products) which all organisations, and often especially the potential Dutch investors in Malaysia, require. The ease of doing business within the MDBC community has substantially increased thanks to our service providers. This page is specially dedicated to them.
Biotechnology Research BIOVALENCE SDN BHD
Education & Training I3M Group Sdn Bhd
Fresh Produce Provider JPB Asia pacific sdn bhd
C - 12 - 03, 3 Two Square No 2 Jalan 19/1 46300 Petaling Jaya Selangor Darul Ehsan
58 - 2 Jalan Metro Pudu Fraser Business Park Off Jalan Yew 55200 Kuala Lumpur
1 & 3, Block B, Jalan Saujana Indah 8 Taman Perindustrian Saujana Indah 40150 Shah Alam Selangor Darul Ehsan
Tel: +603 - 7960 4942 / 4932 Fax: +603 - 7960 7553 contact.us@biovalence.com.my www.biovalence.com.my
Tel: +603 - 9222 5018 Fax: +603 - 9222 5013 yen@i3mgroup.com www.i3mgroup.com
Tel: +603 - 7859 1910 Fax: +603 - 7859 1911 mazrimansor@jpbasia.com djuanonn@jpbasia.com www.jpbasia.com
Biovalence is a leading Malaysian biotechnology research company that works on numerous human and animal viruses using the revolutionary RetroMAD1 broad spectrum antiviral. We also work on various special naturally occurring bacteria that can rapidly change amonia in water into harmless nitrogen gas which will contribute towards improving the environmental quality of inland lakes and rivers.
I3M Group is a provider of training and education services for SMEs and corporates. Our mission is to create and deliver high quality bespoke programs for leadership training, management workshops, and international study tours.
ICT Consultancy magnus CONSULTING sdn. bhd. 7.03 Persoft Tower 6B, Persiaran Tropicana Tropicana Golf & Country Resort 47410 Petaling Jaya Selangor Darul Ehsan Tel: +603 - 7880 0760 Fax: +603 - 7880 0769 r.deslorieux@magnus.com www.magnus.com Magnus provides high quality business and technology consulting and IT implementation services. We are capable of understanding strategic business problems quickly and thereby provide robust and long lasting solutions to our customers. We can assist with Business and IT Consulting, and ERP Consulting.
We collaborate with renowned educational institutions such as Cambridge Judge Business School, Nyenrode University, and the University of Utrecht.
We are a supplier of fresh produce and other food related items to the global food service industry. In Malaysia, JPB provides support in terms of sample storage and logistics coordination for clients. Currently, JPB is the biggest AP holder and sole supplier of Holland cabbages to KFC Malaysia.
CSR Consultancy LARICHE COMMUNITY 40 Lorong Maarof Bangsar Park 59000 Kuala Lumpur Tel: +603 - 2202 2206 brian@larichecommunity.com www.larichecommunity.com Lariche Community is a well - established social enterprise consultancy working to facilitate innovative and exciting multi sector partnerships. The primary aim of our services is to raise the overall standards of CSR engagement in the community for more meaningful and sustainable programs. Lariche Community promotes Corporate Community Investment. Our strength lies in designing processes which yield clear, measurable, and sustainable results.
NEED A RELIABLE PARTNER FOR KEY BUSINESS SERVICES? THESE MDBC MEMBERS ARE JUST A PHONE CALL AWAY! MDBCONNECTS 3RD ISSUE 2016
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NEW MEMBERS
WARM WELCOME
As always, we constantly expand to include new and interesting partners as part of our international community of business professionals, allowing our members to find more opportunities for success. To that end, we would like to extend a very warm welcome to the MDBC Community for the following new members:
Business Activity: Axel & Olio primarily focuses on e Commerce platforms and provides a single shop solution from design to build to running end to end online shopping platforms for all of our partners.
AXEL & OLIO SOLUTIONS SDN. BHD.
BFR INSTITUTE
KLOTH LIFESTYLE SDN BHD
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MDBCONNECTS 3RD ISSUE 2016
BLIP.MY is the Philips Authorized Online Store in Malaysia. We ensure that our customers are provided with a simple, safe, and secure shopping experience through our BLIP.MY guarantee, which promises that we only handle genuine Philips products, as well as offering personalised customer service and guaranteed satisfaction.
Corporate Representation Ibrahim Hamid, Chief Executive Officer Nadia Ahmad, Chief Financial Officer CONTACT: 5 - 2 Menara Oval Damansara Off Jalan Damansara TTDI 60000 Kuala Lumpur Tel: +603 - 7733 6595 Email: ibrahim.hamid@blip.my Website: www.blip.my
Business Activity: At BFR Institute we work closely with our clients to envision their true north, actualise plans and strategies through our lab process to deliver transformational changes through implementation and performance monitoring. Through the BFR methodology, the team provides end to end delivery, taking the clients’ vision or policies and ensuring that key messages and objectives resonate all the way from top management down to the grassroots. We assist governments and private sector clients to formulate, implement, and monitor an agenda of change that delivers concrete and tangible results.
Corporate Representation Miti Nurbaya Zainudin, Head of HR & Corporate Services
Business Activity: Founded in 2015, Kloth Lifestyle is a joint venture company between Kloth Malaysia and GreenTech Malaysia Alliances. Kloth Lifestyle was established to promote, market and develop high quality sustainable fabrics, garments and other fabric-based wearable products made from recycled plastic bottles as well as other eco-friendly sources. Kloth Lifestyle is in association with Vision Textiles Pte. Ltd., whose founder is Monique Maissan, a China-based Dutch entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience in the textile industry specializing in high quality woven and knitted garments.
Corporate Representation Nurul Izani Zulkifli, Head of Operations Sarahah HJ Kedah, Chief Marketing Officer
CONTACT: Level 4, Block A, Lot E Platinum Sentral Jalan Stesen Sentral 50470 Kuala Lumpur Tel: +603 - 8872 7236 Fax: +603 - 8872 7280 Email: enquiry@pemandu.gov.my Website: www.pemandu.gov.my
CONTACT: B8 - 3 - 7 Signature Park, Block 8 Jalan Teknologi PJU 2 / 1A, Seksyen 2 Kota Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya Selangor Darul Ehsan Tel: +603 - 6151 6408 Fax: +603 - 6151 6409 Email: admin@kloth.com.my
NEW MEMBERS Business Activity: Poet Farmer is a digital agency with offices in Rotterdam, Munich, and Kuala Lumpur. We design and build websites and web based applications around the end user; we call this User Centric Design thinking.
POET FARMER SDN BHD
THALES MALAYSIA SDN BHD
TRANSFERFRIEND
We specialize in the following technologies: Laravel, Ionic, and WordPress. We work with clients on achieving their business objectives and build long term fruitful relationships along the way.
Corporate Representation Patrick De Regt, Managing Partner Rik Van der Kroon, Managing Partner Malaysia CONTACT: 80A, Lorong Maarof Bangsar 59000 Kuala Lumpur Tel: +31 (0) 880 909 888 Email: hello@poetfarmer.com Website: poetfarmer.com
Business Activity: Thales is a global organization focused on helping military and civil customers perform difficult tasks in critical environments. At a state level, Thales provides its customers with the best technologies allowing sovereignty and independence. We play a central role in supporting our customer’s ability to protect people, property and information, guarding vital infrastructure and protecting the national security interests of countries around the globe. We are a world leader in dual technology serving the aerospace, space, defence, security, and transportation markets.
Corporate Representation Marc Dancer, Key Account Manager Nicolas De Fougeroux, Country Director
Business Activity: TransferFriend is a pioneering online remittance technology and payment providing company focused on the ASEAN market.
Corporate Representation Herkki Valiste, Director
We have an experienced and professional team providing online and mobile based intermediation remittance services, providing affordable, easy, and two way remittance transactions to immigrant and business users.
CONTACT: 15th Floor Wisma Genting Jalan Sultan Ismail 50250 Kuala Lumpur Tel: +603 - 2178 3800 Fax: +603 - 2161 6390 Website: www.thalesgroup.com
CONTACT: E-7-1 Megan Avenue 1 189 Jalan Tun Razak 50400 Kuala Lumpur Email: info@transferfriend.com Website: transferfriend.com
MALAYSIA SDN. BHD.
VICTORIA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
Business Activity: Victoria International School is the first international school in the district of Kuala Langat. The newly-renovated urban campus provides a comfortable and secure learning environment for students and ample parking space for parents’ vehicles. Technology plays a prominent role in the school, as is demonstrated by the use of smart cards, tablet PCs and interactive whiteboards. All students are taught Coding and Robotics as these skills have been proven to improve students’ problemsolving ability as well as enable them to think analytically.
Corporate Representation Datuk T. Raj Vyran, Managing Director Pravin Thangarajoo Vyran, Director CONTACT: AIM Point Plaza, Jalan Emas 15 Bandar Sungai Emas 42700 Banting Selangor Darul Ehsan Tel: +603 - 3181 2944 Fax: +603 - 3187 6625 Email: info@victoria.edu.my Website: www.victoria.edu.my MDBCONNECTS 3RD ISSUE 2016
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PICTURE PERFECT Above and left: The annual networking event with our Australian colleagues. Below: MDBC’s annual Human Resources Forum saw a great turnout and much discussion among HR practitioners.
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Networking value! MDBC’s Annual General Meeting over FY2015 saw a full program with presentations, formalities, farewells and introductions. Full story on pages 10 and 11. Multiple events in Penang brought together MDBC Penang members and representatives of various main state agencies and industry.
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