tnt’s uniqueness msa’13
Makers & Drivers of Business & Commerce
KDN No. PP11067/12/2012 (031173)
and MAKE SURE YOU also get your msa’13 special supplement!
budget 2014 ISSUE: 4TH edition 2013
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CONTENTS MEMBERS
COMMUNITY
MDBC EVENTS / 10
STUDENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM / 22
MSA’13 Economic Outlook Briefing MDBC HR Forum Visit to the Humid Tropics Centre
mdbc penang / 25
MEMBERs news / 15
embassy news / 27
SOCIAL / 36
eu / eumcci / 29
NEW MEMBERS / 38
ADCN / 31
BIG STORY
DIALOGUE
Inside look / 20
kpmg budget brief / 33
green board / 35
/10 /20
/25
STRATEGIZING THE FUTURE OF THE MDBC During the last quarter of 2013, the MDBC Board of Directors (as well as the MDBC operational team), made a start in strategizing the future of the MDBC, with the intention of laying the fundamentals for a successful 2014 - 2018. Aptly supported by facilitators Wouter van der Weijden and jSern Khor of &samhoud, a ‘usual unusual’ consultancy firm which is driven by its higher goal - “Together we build a brighter future. We achieve breakthroughs by inspiring and connecting people.” In a fully interactive format, the Board was taken through these elements: * Discovering major trends and developments shaping MDBC’s future; * Discovering current state and major challenges of MDBC; * Formulating an inspiring vision for MDBC; * Discussing strategy for MDBC. Wouter made the Board look at the MDBC with Outside-in and Inside-out perspectives. To formulate a vision for the Council, the Higher Goal, Core Values & Core Qualities as well as the Audacious Goal were debated. Following this first program with the Board,
a workshop with MDBC’s operational team took place. The workshop included a reflection on the main outcomes of the Board Meeting, feedback on the vision and a practical first step to determine the key success factors and related activities for MDBC’s strategy map’s perspectives - Finance, Members / Students, Partners, Processes and Employees / Culture.
the prioritised activities. We look forward to sharing the outcome with our members soon!
This very exciting and motivational excercise will be continued in early 2014 to achieve the Board’s and operational team’s alignment on
MDBC BOARD OF DIRECTORS MDBC Patrons:
Dato’ Jaffar Indot, Chairman Jepamajosa Sdn Bhd
Mr. Jan-Willem Smulders AQ Services International
Mr. Remco Koster, Vice Chairman Woodwing Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd
Ms. Barbara Voskamp VoskampLawyers
Y.B. Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed Minister of International Trade & Industry
Datin Sandra van Hellemond, Treasurer QPA Sdn Bhd
Dr. Wim Botermans RB Lifescience Sdn Bhd
Y.Bhg Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz Patron, Malaysia-Europe Forum
Mr. Marco Winter MDBC Executive Director
Mr. Michael Brouwer Silverstreet Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Ms. Anne de Graaf Netherlands Embassy
Honorary Member of the Board:
Datuk Merlyn Kasimir Former CEO of Matrade
H.E. Mr. Harry Molenaar Netherlands Ambassador
Mr. Jack Ang Markant (M) Sdn Bhd
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 · 4TH ISSUE 2013
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CALENDAR
January
February
march
ThuR 23 / 9.00AM
TUE 18 / 9.30AM
THU 13 / 2.o0PM
MON 27 / 6.30PM
feb - to be confirmed
Outlook 2014 What to expect in 2014 Organised at MIDA
MDBC New Year’s Reception Help MDBC Ring in the New Year!
MDBC PREMIUM PARTNERS 2013
River of Life Project Briefing Together with Netherlands Alumni Association Malaysia (NAAM)
MDBC’s Virtual Golf Championship at City Golf
MDBC Penang Chapter: Talk by and dialogue with Penang Chief Minister:
NOTICE:
MDBC members will receive personal invitations for these functions by email once all details are confirmed. All events/dates to be reconfirmed.
TMF
GROUP
mdbc sustainability awards 2013 highlights
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MDBCONNECTS 路 4TH ISSUE 2013
SUSTAINABILITY AWA R D S 2 0 1 3
Now in its 3rd year, the MDBC Sustainability Awards (MSA) is more than just an awards presentation; the MSA encourages the sharing of best practices enabling attendees to be inspired by, learn from and share with the companies that have shown true leadership, sustainability and uniqueness in their projects. Held at the Parkroyal Kuala Lumpur, the MSA consisted of two components: the informative, sharing of best practices by shortlisted companies in each category during the day program, and the exhibition and awards presentation dinner during which winners were announced. During the cocktail reception, a unique sustainability exhibition by all of the shortlisted companies in this year’s competition was featured. MSA13 main sponsor TalentCorp’s CEO Johan Merican briefly spoke about TalentCorp’s commitment to sustainability in the workplace, after which guests were treated to a special Heritage Haute Couture show by local designer Ridzuan Bohari of Ridz Collections. The fashion show included Ridzuan’s Wanli collection outfits which highlighted the jewellery of MDBC
member company Ming Blue & White. MSA’13 co-sponsors were TNT, Sime Darby, InvestKL and Basis Bay. During the dinner and awards ceremony, which had a festive green & blue theme, winners of the MSA 2013 were announced by the VIP Guests: MDBC Patron and Minister of International Trade and Industry, YB Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed and His Excellency Harry Molenaar Netherlands Ambassador, the MSA’13 Chief Judge. In the category of Best Sustainability Communication, Unilever Malaysia won with their Unilever Sustainable Living Plan framework and communications program. Unilever utilized this to help achieve their ambition of doubling the size of the company while halving their effect ont he environment and increasing their positive social impact. In the category of Best Sustainable Workplace, the winner was Shell Business Service Centre (SBSC) and their U Village, or Urban Village concept for the Wisma Shell office located in Cyberjaya.
Representatives from the winning companies (Unilever, Shell and Guinness Anchor Berhad) of the MDBC Sustainability Awards 2013 with Marco Winter (MDBC Executive Director), Janneke Toussaint (MSA Communication Executive), Dato’ Jaffar Indot (MDBC Chairman), YB Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamad and H.E. Harry Molenaar
THE MDBC SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS IS OUR WAY TO ACKNOWLEDGE, SHOWCASE, HONOR AND REWARD THE OUTSTANDING BEST PRACTICES IN SUSTAINABILITY OF MDBC MEMBER COMPANIES.
l to r: Marco Winter, Johan Merican, Dato’ Jaffar Indot, H.E. Harry Molenaar, Ir. Ahmad Hadri Haris and Pauline Goh during the cocktail reception when the judges of MSA’13 were presented with tokens of appreciation.
This office showcases a balanced and complete approach to creating a sustainable workplace. Guinness Anchor Berhad (GAB) won in the category of Best Sustainable Supply Chain Management or Logistics Project. With the introduction of the new Heineken bottle to the Malaysian market in 2011 (coincidentally also the first returnable Heineken bottle in the Asia Pacific region), the plastic crates used to transport these bottles from the brewery also had to be redesigned. GAB decided to innovate and modified the inner partitions for existing crates instead of getting rid of them, thereby preventing a significant amount of plastic wastage. Congratulations to the winners of this year’s MSA! For more information about the MSA’13, please refer to the MSA’13 Supplement. For many more pictures of the MSA, please check out the MDBC Facebook Page.
MDBCONNECTS · 4TH ISSUE 2013
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Some call it talent management. Let’s call it partnership. Without the right talent, there will be no transformation. Without transformation, we will not realise our potential as a nation nor achieve Vision 2020. This is why we aspire to make Malaysia a global talent destination by 2020. We make it our mission to build effective partnerships and make a difference in addressing your talent needs as well as Malaysia’s in order to enable the country to reach its aspiration of a high-income nation. TalentCorp is pleased to offer top expatriates flexible long term working and living options in the country. We also look forward to facilitate highly-skilled young foreign talent to work in Malaysia. The right talent makes all the difference. We would like to work together with you, as leading employers, to enhance talent availability for your organisation, your sector and the country. To learn more about our foreign talent facilitation initiatives, please visit www.talentcorp.com.my
www.talentcorp.com.my
On money, people and water
Economic Outlook Briefing On 24 September, MDBC members were invited to a special Economic Outlook Briefing by Nick Kounis, ABN AMRO Bank N.V.’s Head of Macro Economic Research. Kounis is responsible for the bank’s analysis of the global economic outlook and implications for interest rates and exchange rates. The group’s analysis is used by a wide range of clients, including a broad spectrum of investors and
mdbc hr forum 2013 Together with event partners Randstad and TalentCorp, MDBC held the 4th annual HR Forum at InterContinental Kuala Lumpur. Organized with a unique, interactive format, attendees had the opportunity to meet all 8 of the MDBC member companies from the HR sector one on one in a “match-making” session; they were also able to listen to a variety of industry experts during the Forum and Panel discussion. The 8 MDBC HR companies taking part in the match-making session were: * Able Fisher * Cultural Impact * Randstad * &samhoud * Spring Professional * TalentCorp * TalentSquare * Transearch Wendy Lau
corporates, as well as the risk and asset and liability management within the bank. Kounis has published on a wide range of areas, including the eurozone sovereign debt crisis, monetary policy, global economic and financial imbalances and the impact of commodity prices on the global economy. ABN AMRO Bank N.V. is one of the largest banks in the Netherlands with roots reaching back as far as 1720.
Speakers for the HR Forum featured: * Randstad: Presenting the Randstad APAC World of Work Report 2013 and Talent Strategy presentation “Today’s economy is driving the need for new and different skills, so how do we find them?” - Anthony Carl Astrera (Regional Manager, Randstad’s Asia Pacific Sourcing Centre of Expertise KL) * TalentCorp: “Immigration Innovation & Transformation” - Siva Kumeren (Head Foreign Talent Facilitation Division) * &samhoud: “Corporate Vision(ing): Inspiring and Connecting People for Sustainable Business Success” - Wouter van der Weijden (Partner) * Shell Business Service Center: Winner of the MSA13 Best Sustainable Workplace category - Hafeez Saidi (Facilities Manager)
visit to the humiD tropics center kuala lumpur In cooperation with the Netherlands Alumni Association Malaysia (NAAM), MDBC members were invited to visit the Rainwater Harvesting System in the Humid Tropics Center (HTC) Kuala Lumpur. The whole system in HTC consists of three basic elements: the collection system, the conveyance system and the storage system. An overall result shows that the system in our reliable and manages to demonstrate the good water quality for daily multipurpose usage within the premise.
Top: Attendees at the MDBC HR Forum One on one “match-making” session with the 8 companies Bottom: Panelist (l to r) Hafeez Saidi, Nur Azlina Mohd Yazid, Anthony Astrera, Siva Kumeren and Wouter van der Weijden.
The panel discussion was moderated by Wendy Lau (Transearch Wendy Lau) and also included Nur Azlina Mohd Yazid (HR Manager, Shell). MDBCONNECTS · 4TH ISSUE 2013
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Let’s Light up our cities with a cLeaner source of eLectricity. We all need electricity. Whether it’s to light up the local football match or warm the half-time drink – it’s an essential part of powering our lives. Shell is helping to deliver natural gas to more countries than any other energy company. When used to generate electricity, this natural gas emits around half the CO2 of coal. It’s one of the most abundant sources of energy available today and, with our continued innovation, it could provide us with cleaner energy for around the next 250 years. And it’s one of a number of different sources of energy we’re investing in to power and sustain our lives today and into the future. Let’s broaden the world’s energy mix.
search: shell Let’s go
Let’s go.
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4th Edition 2013
Read all about the latest MDBC entertainment news!
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
ONE RINGGIT
Members News
SHELL INNOVATION SUMMIT Shell Malaysia held a two day Innovation Summit at Kuala Lumpur in September 2013. This is the first time that the event has been held in Southeast Asia (after successful runs in Mexico, China, Russia, Brazil, USA and India). Themed “Innovation Driving Development”, the event brought together Shell business and technology leaders with government and industry experts to discuss the vital role of technology and innovation towards securing energy needs for Malaysia and the Asia - Pacific region.
innovation are key. Innovation enables advancements. Collaboration brings the best opportunities to the table”.
Shell Malaysia Country Chairman Iain Lo highlighted in his opening remarks that “Meeting the challenges which accelerated change brings will require governments, academia and private enterprise to work together to find innovative ways to achieve our common goals. Co-creation and open
Innovation and technology will play a crucial role to unlock the energy the world needs for the coming decades. Global energy demand is expected to significantly increase as the world population grows and prosperity increases.
The Innovation Summit kicked off with a discussion on the role of innovation in nation building and the importance of innovative collaboration to strengthen Southeast Asian nations. In a dialogue, participants from government, industry and Shell discussed strategies to address future energy challenges for Malaysia and the region.
Dutch truckers are the best truck drivers in the world, according to the International Road Transport Union (IRU).
environmentally sustainable way? We believe that natural gas is uniquely positioned to address the challenges faced by policy makers today, tomorrow and as part of a secure, competitive, affordable and sustainable energy future,” said Maarten Wetselaar (Royal Dutch Shell Executive Vice President for Integrated Gas) during his address at the Summit. “I see fertile ground for further innovation and value creation for both the industry and Malaysia. As a long term investor and partner in Malaysia, Shell is committed to creating a positive legacy – a contribution to the nation that we and our partners can be proud of,” he concluded. Maarten Wetselaar addressing the audience
“The growth of Asia’s megacities and fast urbanization, with increased congestion and pollution, presents policy makers with a big challenge and an opportunity: How do you fuel development in an
business trends asia: lecture at rotterdam business school Matthijs van den Broek, Editor-in-Chief of MDBC member Business Trends Asia, is currently lecturing at another MDBC member, the Rotterdam Business School. He is lecturing Export Management,
Outsourcing and Commercal Skills in the Business School’s Trade Management Asia bachelor programme and Marketing in the Leisure Management bachelor programme.
Orchestrating business excellence through IT advancement
Founded in 1992, at the early adoption of ITIL standardization, Quint Wellington Redwood has long been committed to providing consulting services aimed at helping organizations improve through processes. By offering a complete portfolio of education and consulting services, Quint, today, is a true single point of contact for IT organizations with the proven ability to meet their needs through people, processes and technology.
CONSULTING | LEARNING | IP-LICENSING Dare to Challenge
www.QuintGroup.com MDBCONNECTS · 4TH ISSUE 2013
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The Art of Packaging Cleaning, developing, producing, and distributing packaging for high quality and fragile industrial products
No.28, Jalan Mega 1/5 Taman Perindustrian Nusa Cemerlang 81550 Nusa Jaya, Gelang patah Johor, Malaysia Tel: +607 5545678 Mail: info@hqpack.com.my
www.hqpack.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
Members News
4th Edition 2013
chur associates’ 10 th anniversary & CASTLE! Chur Associates, a legal services provider, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. In November, the CA’lebration started when the whole team travelled to Taiwan for an annual recharge. In December, Chur Associates launched its new office with the CA’s Perfect 10 Party. The new office is aptly named ‘The CAstle’. The unique, three floor semi detatched building in Taman United Kuala Lumpur features a lot of green elements and spaces such as “The Vogue” - a double volume space where a gold crafted frame hangs with ropes and metal wheels as anchors. This space is specifically set for a unique CAtizens photo shoot for a check in on your favourite social media platform. With a mish mash of Star Wars, Star Trek, Batman, Albert Einstein and Ho Chih Min, a visit to Chur Associate’s CAstle will be anything but boring.
TATUM Company’S 1 st ANNIVERSARY Tatum Company, a design-studio/ showroom which specializes in high end interior design, has created the largest “library” and showcase for fabrics, wall coverings, rugs, furniture pieces, lighting and the often forgotten accessories and exclusive home fragrances. Tatum Company exclusively distributes some of the most exquisite European products unique to Malaysia and Singapore, such as well-known tradenames sElitis, Ochre, Lizzo, Creations Metaphores, Pepe Penalver and Manuel Canovas, as well as special products from The Netherlands such as beautiful lightings from Jacco Maris, comfortable sofas from Verden and the timeless outdoor furniture of Borek. Tatum’s Dutch owner / interior decorator Gerardine Loggere has an accomplished background in fashion and interior
decorating. With Tatum, she created a working platform for architects, designers and contractors. When she took the bold step to start in Malaysia from scratch as her Asian base, these trade-names immediately bestowed Gerardine with exclusive rights based on her vast experience in design and style management in Europe. Presently Tatum is working for various projects for E&O Penang and number of private residences, for which some of the architectural works are also undertaken by Tatum, with support of Dutch architects.
Gerardine Loggere with Sebastian Ickrath Job van Hasselt (r) welcoming Tatum’s guests
On 14 November, 2013 Tatum celebrated its 1 year anniversary of its showroom in Jalan Telawi in Bangsar and paid tribute to their impressive customer base with a special exhibition by German Artist Sebastian Ickrath.
HOLIDAY INN MELAKA’s CSR RACE Employees of Holiday Inn Melaka (HIM) traded in their duty uniforms recently and volunteered to cycle, swim, run, and walk for a cause. It was “Race around the World” week, a global initiative by IHG (Intercontinental Group of Hotels) encouraging staffs from its hotels and corporate offices to undertake physical activities by pledging “kilometer” in the
effort to raise funds for its IHG Shelter Funds Program. HIM contributed to its 1000KM pledge by organizing a trishaw ride along the Heritage trail of Melaka. General Manager Alvin Jaiyaseelan commented “We strive to look after of our community and our people the same way that we will do for our guests” MDBCONNECTS · 4TH ISSUE 2013
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KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
Members News
MONFILS PICTURES’ AWARDWINNING LAYA PROJECT Six shores sharing one ocean, one sky, and one language of survival and music. 2014 marks the 10th anniversary of the 2004 Asian tsunami. 10 years ago, a Richter 9.1 megathrust earthquake unleashed off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia triggering a series of devastating tsunamis along most of the landmasses bordering the Indian Ocean. By the end of that day over 200,000 people were dead or missing with millions homeless in 11 countries. Over a period of 2 years, going from village to village, through six countries, all connected by one ocean and affected by one disaster, acclaimed Dutch filmmaker Harold Monfils along with an international team left on an incredible journey that took them to remote areas of Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, Maldives, India and Myanmar to record ancient and forgotten folk music. Working with mostly unknown local musicians, from remote coastal communities in makeshift onlocation ‘studios’: beaches, jungles, huts and hotel rooms. The film ‘Laya Project’ is not a tsunami documentary with shots of human suffering and lost slippers in the sand. It is a positive take on how people are moving on and a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit after one of the largest natural disasters ever recorded.
4th Edition 2013
TNT wins ceva’s road supplier of the year award
Laya Project does more than just bring the music to life, it made it precious. The music itself lives a fragile existence through the hearts of the people in these affected regions and as time passes its own existence may disappear altogether. While based on regional folk music traditions, the recordings are unique and brought to life for a contemporary audience. Laya Project mixes and enhances the original recordings, crossing boundaries of genre while preserving the music of the people. The film has been screened worldwide on National Geographic Channel and internationally recognized; winning Best Film in Byron Bay Australia, Best Documentary in New York and acclaimed at international film festivals from Italy to Zanzibar. For the international team who came together for this production, Laya Project is dedicated to the survivors of the 26 December 2004 Asian tsunami. Laya Project was produced by EarthSync Ltd at their recording studio Clementine (India) in association with Monfils Pictures Sdn. Bhd., formerly known as Boo Films Sdn. Bhd. (Malaysia). The film and music are available online at www. laya project.com.
TNT Express has been awarded “Road Supplier of the Year” 2013 by CEVA, one of the world’s leading supply chain management companies. Created in 2011, the Global Supplier Awards are designed to recognise best practice and excellence among CEVA’s supplier base worldwide. The awards ceremony was held 18 September in Jacksonville, Florida. CEVA’s CEO Marv Schlanger said: “Excellence really was the theme of the day; starting with the opportunity for us to bring supply chain excellence to life at our Center of Logistics Excellence and ending with the recognition of outstanding performances among our supplier community. Congratulations to each and every one of our winners, especially TNT Express. The partnership with our suppliers is what allows CEVA to continue to deliver impeccably for our customers around the world.”
Philips celebrates 100 years of research Royal Philips recently kicked off celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Philips Research. Since the development of its first light bulb, the company has focused on innovations that matter to people, such as technologies that will make healthcare more affordable and accessible, energyefficient LED lighting solutions that will improve people’s wellbeing and make the world more sustainable, as well as locally relevant consumer appliances and services. Nowadays Philips has one of the world’s largest corporate research organizations. Philips Research operates globally and is spread across six international locations in North America, Europe and Asia, with Eindhoven in the Netherlands serving as its headquarters. In 2012, Philips invested more than €1.8 billion in research and development. MDBCONNECTS · 4TH ISSUE 2013
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AN INSIDE LOOK
AN INSIDE LOOK: TNT Express Worldwide - S.C. Chong tions in the country and Brunei since late 2011 is Chong Siang Chung, or SC as he is more fondly known in the industry. Notably, he is the first Malaysian to be internally appointed as TNT Managing Director since the establishment of TNT Malaysia in 1976. Having joined TNT Malaysia in 2003 as the Sales & Marketing Director, SC has led the company to achieve strong double digit growth year after year, making TNT Malaysia one of the fastest growing business units in the Asian region. SC has also been instrumental in leading TNT to win the Best Brand in Logistics Solutions Provider Category for the Brand Laureate Award 2008 and 2010, and two Asia Direct Marketing 360 Awards in 2009.
tential candidates from the bottom up and get them ready for the top job; it requires investment of time and also of resources. It’s very important that when we say equal opportunity, we mean it. We have a lot of management development programs both locally and globally. One of the local management programs we have is called “So You Think You Can Be A Manager”. Once you are in this program, we will lead you all the way. It’s a promise to invest the time, which means that the senior management team is actually involved in mentoring this group of people. Also, they are put into a very academic kind of training with job attachments and so on to expose them to future jobs.
Originally from Kuantan, SC holds a degree in science, majoring in Biochemistry from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and an MBA from the University of Dubuque, USA. He later received his Postgraduate Award in Management and Business Studies from Warwick Business School, UK in 2009. He is also the Vice President of CAPEC - Malaysia (Conference of Asia Pacific Express Carriers) which was established in 1996 to represent the interests in Asia of the world’s leading integrated express delivery service companies: DHL, TNT, FedEx and UPS. CAPEC works closely with governments and other industry associations in constructive partnerships to develop conducive business and regulatory frameworks for express delivery services.
MDBC: You have been in the leadership position for a little while now. Was it a smooth transition? Were there any major challenges that you’ve had to face in that time? SC: It has been smooth; there’s been time to apply what I’ve learned so far into my day to day work. Of course, my previous job experiences have shaped me and my leadership style but while experience counts, there have also been a few books that have really shaped me, such as Stephen Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” and Jim Collin’s “From Good to Great”. I quite like what Covey suggests: When we do something, we have to begin with the end in mind. It reminds me that in every decision that I make, I have to ask myself, is that long term? Is that sustainable? And is that what I want to achieve when I look back at my life? Don’t always go for short term gains. So that guides me, guides my life, and life is about your family as well as your work. It’s about how we want to lead the company so that we can always focus on things that are right.
Founded in Australia by Ken Thomas after the second World War, TNT (Thomas Nationwide Transport) grew through mergers and acquisitions. By the 1980s the company’s focus in terms of growth, was very much on Europe. They acquired major companies in the overnight and express delivery industry and were the first transport company to buy its own aircraft, creating the first pan-European overnight service using a dedicated fleet. In 1992, KPN (the Dutch telecoms and postal company) acquired the TNT group. The split up of TNT N.V. happened in May 2011 when TNT Express and PostNL (formerly TNT Post) were separately listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange. TNT Express Malaysia has 600 employees and consists of three international gateways - KLIA, Penang and Johor Bahru, as well as a network of 10 branches.
MDBC: You are the first Malaysian to be internally appointed as TNT Managing Director. How unique is it that TNT has done this? SC: At TNT we believe that when there’s an open position, you have to apply for it and you have to work for it. We do not reserve positions for specific people, that is not the TNT way. But of course, applying is easy; it’s actually preparing yourself for that leadership position that I believe is the challenge. Normally, most positions within TNT will be given to internal candidates. We don’t discriminate and say that this is a Malaysian MD position; therefore it must be filled by a Malaysian. To us, we are all equal and the same. As long as you are an employee of TNT then you are welcome to apply, so it’s actually quite normal that a Malaysian employee was appointed as the MD.
Responsible for the overall TNT opera-
TNT develops not just one but multiple po-
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MDBCONNECTS · 4TH ISSUE 2013
On the other hand, the past two years have not been easy. The first year, just a few months after I took over, the announcement was made that we were going to sell the company. That was not easy for me because we needed to juggle trying to keep the status quo (so that we would make the acquisition as smooth as possible) with actually jumping in and saying, this is how we want to improve the company. So that first year, we applied LEAN management. We were taking risks because if, at the end of last year, the deal did indeed go through, then what we had invested may have actually gone to waste. We also pushed for revenue growth last year and did very well
AN INSIDE LOOK
“What really makes TNT unique is that we have great people. It’s mainly the personal touch that we always have in all of our dealings. That’s why our customers are with us for so many years.” in terms of SME sized enterprises, we continued to focus on them and stabilize the customers. This year, because of the ground work which was done last year, it has been easier. Most of the cost saving initiatives through LEAN started to kick in this year as well as the investments that we had on sales, which started to pay off this year. So I would say that despite what you hear about the economic situation, I think TNT Malaysia will have the best year ever in 2013. MDBC: What are some of the unique challenges that TNT faces here in Malaysia / Asia? Do you find that there are certain things that you have to address here that aren’t necessarily an issue elsewhere? SC: Specifically, I would say the cost of doing business in Malaysia. We have a lot of hidden costs in running a business, the obvious ones would be airport charges, fuel price, and labour costs; everything is going up. It’s also the requirements from the authorities because we have export controls in place, strategic trade acts, then we have to declare 100% of our exports formally and with this we incur costs. Every shipment that we export for our customers attracts more costs because of the declarations that we we are required to do to comply with the act. Besides the additional admin cost, the major cost element unfortunately is due to surcharges imposed by airport management. Additionally, even though the government is trying to control property prices, rental of the warehouses is still rising. MDBC: In terms of Europe, we see a lot of news about the sustainability initiatives that TNT is pursuing, the sustainable TNT center, more eco-friendly trucks, etc. Are there any plans to bring some of that over here? Would that help offset some of the
costs that you are facing now? SC: If you look at the initiatives that we are taking in Malaysia to go green, it’s quite limited compared to the EU. We try to improve the efficiency of our fleet by making sure that our fleet is new, well maintained and better route planning. This can actually save a lot of resources; we use technology to plan our routes in an effective and efficient manner so that we have a denser route. On the vehicle type, I’m afraid that the Malaysian infrastructure today does not support those types of electric vehicles. You need chargers everywhere and so on, that is the first challenge. We have tested some countries in Asia but those projects were done with the support of the local government, or the state government. Meanwhile, there are things that we can do, things that we are already doing and things that we are planning to do more of. We track our carbon footprint; we did this long before the “go green” craze in Malaysia. We track our waste and we have the three Rs initiative in our offices; but in terms of vehicles, which involve a wider network – some of which is out of the control of TNT – we cannot do it alone, so we need the authorities to lay the groundwork first. The other thing I need to emphasize is that, for TNT, we are very conscious about our carbon footprint, this is especially true when we plan our global or regional network. We are using multi-model network (combining air and land) because we find the multi-model is very energy efficient. MDBC: What has been driving TNT’s growth? SC: The main drivers are SMEs. They make up more than 50% of our revenue so they are a huge contributor to the growth of TNT Malaysia. And because we are a European company so the focus and growth is still very Europe centric. Even though Europe is still facing a downturn, our approach is different. We continue to use SMEs to funnel our growth and we design it in such a way that when we approach the SMEs that do business with Europe, they are being schemed and developed accordingly; so in a structured manner we have developed SMEs as well as Europe hand in hand. Of course, China is growing, but I think besides China, the greatest momentum now - and it could be the trend in the future as well, is the trade within Asia. We still see high momentum between Malaysia and the other ASEAN countries and that is a good sign. For further growth, we will be extending
our domestic footprint in this country because SMEs prefer to deal with someone around their own area. We plan to venture into second tier cities whenever possible where many of the international players’ presence cannot be felt. MDBC: In terms of day to day operations, you have a set standard and you deliver high quality and speed. How do you ensure that? SC: There are various areas of operations which are important. Firstly, there is continuous investment in IT system, which facilitates performance measurement. Secondly, we are also looking beyond just operational applications that actually support tracking and the measurement of KPIs. Our customers all say that TNT is very people oriented and very friendly company, we cannot lose that because that is the bloodline of our business. So we do quarterly customer surveys, we send all our managers out to visit our customers and we make our managers experience TNT from a customer viewpoint. Customer experience is even more important then just delivering on time. Thirdly, in order to deal with the enormous flow of information and analytics, we have Kaizen. Top management shares the information at department meetings to get more involvement and engagement from our people. MDBC: Does TNT Malaysia decide what the marketing strategy is going to be locally? Are they defined globally? Or is it a mixture of both? SC: So far, I would say it’s a blend of global strategy as well as local initiatives. There are many that are initiated at the country levels, however, there are also quite a number of global campaigns that are driven by our HQ so it’s a good blend of both. Global initiatives are normally channeled through our regional office. MDBC: What makes TNT stand out from the crowd? SC: It helps a lot that we are the one stop service provider; doing business with TNT is so convenient because we have domestic express, we have international express, we have air freight, we have value added services. The whole process has been made so seamless and so easy. We are a global company that has many years of experience and we have a presence in more than 200 countries but these are just hard facts. What really makes TNT unique is we have great people. It’s mainly the personal touch that we always have in all of our dealings. And that’s why our customers are with us for so many years. It’s like a big family sometimes! MDBCONNECTS · 4TH ISSUE 2013
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STUDENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM Cookie Hunt at DoubleTree by Hilton At the DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur, every guest is welcomed with a signature warm chocolate cookie. The DoubleTree by Hilton extended a warm welcome to all MDBC members and SIP students for a “Cookie Hunt” which would lead them through the front, as well as the back of the hotel. Regular hotel guests rarely, if ever, get the opportunity to see what’s going on behind the scenes of an exclusive hotel so attendees were treated to a really unique experience.
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MDBCONNECTS · 4TH ISSUE 2013
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STUDENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM THE INTERN INTERVIEW:
is usually found on the production floor with a stop watch. Around 05:15 pm he leaves for home, which usually takes him 2 hours.
Gosse Kooistra MDBC SIP Intern Gosse Kooistra is a Master’s student of Industrial Engineering and Management at the University of Groningen. Doing his internship with Markant, Gosse works at their assembly facility and is performing a time study of Markant’s products. Markant designs, distributes and produces high end office furniture. Gosse’s project measures the time it takes to produce a product so that the correct amount of time can be allocated to that particular product. This allows the production process to be improved. Due to the broadness of Gosse’s education program, the internship expanded to a full scale analysis of Markant’s production facility and covers supplier management, inventory management and production process improvement.
“So far, I had mostly positive reactions to my performance at Markant. The people I have to work with are nice and are always ready to answer one of my questions.
With a work day that starts at 06:50 am involving a drive of 50 km from Kuala Lumpur to get to the Markant production facility in Jenjarom, Kuala Langat, Gosse usually arrives at Markant around 07:50 am. Luckily, Markant provides him with a company car because public transportation doesn’t properly cover the area of Markant’s production facility. Most of his working days, Gosse analyzes excel sheets which contain information about the performance of Markant. When performing a time study however, Gosse
THE INTERN INTERVIEW: Marijn de Ruiter Marijn de Ruiter is doing his internship with MDBC member Roland Berger (RB) Strategy Consultants and is doing his master’s program at the Rotterdam School of Management. RB has a fast growing presence in Southeast Asia with lots of projects across the region; they serve a wide range of industries. Marijn began his internship at RB along with three other interns, one from Penang, one from KL and one from France. “It is pleasant having a small group of peers with whom one can share one’s experiences with. We work long hours and most of our weekdays are spent at the office of our clients. On Fridays however, everyone returns to the RB office and we get to share our experiences in knowledge sessions and friday afternoon drinks. As the interns all come from different places, I’m truly experiencing a multi-cultural environment.” Working intensively with the members of his project team, Marijn has been working on two projects that have really introduced him to the challenges and opportunities that RB and Malaysia have to face and offer.
Marijn’s first project involves writing the 2014 - 2015 KL Tourism Masterplan for the KL City Hall (DBKL). The goal of the Masterplan was to set the strategy and initiatives to make KL one of the world’s major tourist cities. The team was finalizing a benchmark of global best practices when he joined and Marijn got involved in setting up workshops which included inviting different non-profit associations and businesses that would be affected by the Masterplan. “From the input received during the workshops, we created over 200 initiatives of which 45 were selected to be executed in the coming years. From a cultural perspective, I found this to be very exciting as it allowed me the chance to speak with a Minister, the Mayor of KL, several Directors of big Malaysian-based companies, to name a few. Some of these meetings were very formal which really gave me insight into the traditional ways of Malaysian culture, while others were more informal and showed me the progressiveness of some very bright Malaysian minds,” shared Marijn.
Besides the internship I was also able to go sightseeing on the weekends; I have been to Perhentian Islands, Carmeron Highlands, Sarawak, Brunei, Sabah, Singapore, Georgetown and of course, I looked around Kuala Lumpur. When I head back to the Netherlands I will miss the beautiful weather and the wonderful food. However, a little bit of snow in the winter, and a sandwich with peanut butter is also not that bad.”
CHALLENGING INDEPTH INTERNSHIP ASSIGNMENTS FOR 2 MASTER’S STUDENTS
His second project involves redesigning the business model of a leading Malaysian Government Agency and optimising their performance. “I was given more responsibility and could provide more input on this second project. It was also more analytical and financial; even though, much like the Masterplan, it also required acquiring approval from many stakeholders. All in all, I’ve had a very good and interesting experience so far. I hope my next project will be just as exciting!” added Marijn. MDBCONNECTS · 4TH ISSUE 2013
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TMF Group navigates businesses cross borders seamlessly With over 100 wholly-owned offices worldwide, TMF Group offers a comprehensive range of compliance and administrative services which are critical for clients from a financial, reputation and risk management perspective. Our services are delivered in each country by our expert staff, professionals who have the key local knowledge and speak the language. Contact us Kuala Lumpur’s office 10th Floor, Menara Hap Seng, No. 1 & 3, Jalan P. Ramlee, 50250 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia T. +60 3 2382 4288, F. +60 3 2382 4170 malaysia@tmf-group.com
Labuan’s office Brumby Centre, Lot 42, Jalan Muhibbah, 87000 Labuan F.T., Malaysia T. +60 87 593 828, F. +60 87 417 242 labuan@tmf-group.com Penang’s office Suite S-21-H, 21st Floor, Menara Northam, 55 Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 Penang, Malaysia T. +60 4 210 7118, F. +60 4 210 7111 malaysia@tmf-group.com
www.tmf-group.com The TMF Group consists of a number of companies worldwide. For details of TMF Group’s regulated companies, please see: www.tmf-group.com.
MDBC Penang Visit to Philips Lumileds MDBC’s Penang Chapter organised a special visit to the Philips Lumileds Plant located in Bayan Lepas, Penang last September. This plant, which was inaugurated in 2012, represents the most advanced LED plant in the world!
The guests, which included Netherlands Ambassador HE Harry Molenaar and several KL-based members, were treated to a briefing by Managing Director Chooi Chin Leong and an extensive tour of the production facilities.
Philips Lumileds is a leading provider of powerful LEDs for illumination purposes. The company’s leading light output, efficacy and thermal management are direct results of the ongoing commitment to advancing solid - state technology and enabling lighting solutions that are more environmentally friendly, help reduce CO2 emissions and reduce the need for power plant expansion.
MDBC SIP BRIEFING - PENANG
AMBASSADOR’S WELCOME
MDBC invited our Penang and Northern Region members for a briefing on the Student Internship Program (SIP). With the growth of the program, each intake now regularly places more than 40 students in the Klang Valley and even several in Johor and other locations in Malaysia. Given this success, MDBC is keen to expand this offering to Penang and Northern Region members.
The Dutch community in Penang, together with local government, diplomatic and corporate contacts inclusive of MDBC members, were invited at E&O last September for a meet & greet with new Netherlands Ambassaor H.E. Harry Molenaar.
Attendees were informed how SIP would be beneficial for their organizations as well as how they could utilize this exceptional service from MDBC.
Representatives of TMF, TNT, Santa Fe Relocations, Dynamic Engineering, E&O and Eastin Hotel attending the SIP briefing by MDBC SIP Manager Jolande Jonge Poerink (not in picture)
MDBC Penang Chapter representative Mr. John Benoist p/a TMF Administrative Services Suite S-21-H, 21st floor, Menara Northam 55, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah 10050 Penang Tel: + 6012 525 1520 penang@mdbc.com.my (mdbcpenang@gmail.com)
NETHERLANDS EMBASSY NEWS
Oiling Bilateral Trade :
The growing importance of Palm Oil in Malaysia-Netherlands bilateral trade The Netherlands is an important trading partner for Malaysia, both as a gateway to Europe and as a market itself. Total bilateral trade in 2012 between the two countries amounted to RM 23.6 billion, with total exports of RM 18.6 billion. Palm Oil is an important export component of the bilateral trade. In 2012, Malaysia’s export of palm oil to the Netherlands amounted to Euro 913.7 million , according to European Union statistics, or about RM 3.6 billion. This means that exports of palm oil from Malaysia to the Netherlands represents about 19% of Malaysia’s total exports to the Netherlands or 15% of total bilateral trade. The trend for palm oil exports from Malaysia to the Netherlands is increasing. Malaysian palm oil exports have increased from Euro 541.1 million in 2010 to Euro 913.7 million in 2012, a significant increase of 69%!
The Netherlands is the largest market for palm oil within the European Union, accounting for 62% of total EU imports of palm oil from Malaysia. Globally, in 2012 the Netherlands emerged as the third largest market for Malaysian palm oil, after China and India. In addition to palm oil, The Netherlands is also the third largest importer of palm kernal oil globally from Malaysia, after the USA and China. Within the EU, The Netherlands is also the largest importer of palm kernel oil from Malaysia, accounting for 74% of total EU imports from Malaysia. In addition to being a market itself for Malaysian palm oil, The Netherlands is also emerging as a trading and processing hub for palm oil in Europe. It is currently an important distribution centre for Malaysian palm oil to the
European market, especially through the port of Rotterdam. The Netherlands is also attracting investments in the research, development and production of palm oil based products. Malaysian palm oil companies have invested over Euro 246.2 million in such activities in The Netherlands since 2002. Large Malaysian palm oil groups like Sime Darby and IOI have established refineries in The Netherlands to refine crude palm oil imported from Malaysia for distribution throughout The Netherlands and Europe. In addition they have also established R&D and production operations for oleochemicals and specialty vegetable oils and fats from palm oil based ingredients. Another Malaysian palm oil group, KL Kepong, has also invested in an oleochemicals plant in The Netherlands and is moving into the production of non-ionic surfactants and esters. Other Malaysian palm oil groups are also considering setting up facilities in The Netherlands and the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) has been actively assisting Malaysian palm oil groups in this area. The NFIA is the main agency in assisting foreign companies to invest in The Netherlands and is part of the Embassy of The Netherlands in Kuala Lumpur.
Oil (RSPO) was established in 2004 by WWF together with the palm oil industry including the Malaysian Palm Oil Association (MPOA), With the establishment of the RSPO, sustainability became a key focus of the palm oil trade between Malaysia and The Netherlands. Under the Task Force on Sustainable Palm Oil initiated by The Netherlands Product Board for Margarine, Fats and Oils (MVO), Dutch oils and fats companies have committed to only use sustainably certified palm oil (under RSPO) by the end of 2015. Under the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED), one of the ways to demonstrate compliance with the RED is for palm oil used in the production of biodiesel to be RSPO-certified. Most of the large plantation groups in Malaysia are members of the RSPO and some are already exporting RSPO-certified palm oil to the European market. However, in 2009, the Indonesian Government introduced their own certification scheme for palm oil – the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO). The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) has also recently announced the introduction of the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) scheme. The above two national certification schemes for palm oil will be an alternative to the RSPO and it is unclear how they will be accepted in the European market. 2014 is expected to be a better year for the palm oil trade, with exports expected to exceed production. What is increasingly clear is that palm oil is growing in significance as an important component of the Netherlands-Malaysia bilateral trade and investment relationship and also an important issue in the continuing discussions regarding the sustainable certification of vegetable oils.
The growing demand for biofuels in Europe is also potentially a vast market for biodiesel from palm oil. In view of the above, palm oil is undoubtedly an important component of the growing bilateral trade between the Netherlands and Malaysia. With the growing awareness of sustainability in economic and trade matters, especially in developed countries, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm MDBCONNECTS · 4TH ISSUE 2013
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EU / EUMCCI EUMCCI 10th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS! The EU Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently celebrated their 10th anniversary with a musical extravaganza at KLPAC. Entitled “Sounds of Europe”, this celebration of EU - Malaysia relations featured the KLPAC Symphonic Band performing a blend of European musical pieces picked from various parts of Europe. “Over the last decade, we have enjoyed fruitful cooperation and relations with various sectors of the Malaysian society — from the Government and business community to the civil society and higher education institutions. With ‘Sounds of Europe’ we want to celebrate these relations and what could be a better way to connect than through music and food which we all love,” said H.E. Luc Vandebon, Ambassador & Head of Delegation of the European Union to Malaysia. EUMCCI General Manager Minna Saneri, Chairman Fermin Fautsch and Head of EU Delegation to Malaysia H.E. Luc Vandebon cutting the anniversary cake
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MDBC - March 2013.indd 1
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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.
ADCN ASEAN Dutch Chamber Network Meet The ASEAN Dutch Chamber Network (ADCN) consists of: IndonesianNetherlands Association (INA), Netherlands -Thai Chamber of Commerce (NTCC), Malaysian Dutch Business Council (MDBC), DutchCham Singapore (DCS) and Dutch Business Association Vietnam (DBAV). The ADCN comes together on an annual basis to share best practices and to work together to offer a high level of support to Dutch companies that are active or interested in this region. At the recent ADCN meeting in Singapore on 26 & 27 November (attended by DCS, INA, NTCC and MDBC), the main focus was on the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), which will come into effect over the course of 2015. With the AEC, internal trade barriers will be largely eliminated and 95% of all products produced in ASEAN can now be imported into other ASEAN countries without an import duty. The ASEAN region will increasingly become one market of some 600 million people, the largest market after China and India. The AEC also has a high and sustained growth, forecast at 5.3% in 2014 by the Asian Development Bank. This offers many opportunities for Dutch exporters and investors that are still untapped, considering the large trade deficit between the Netherlands and ASEAN countries. The ADCN feels that the opportunities of the AEC creation are still largely unknown among Dutch
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The 4 Executive Directors together for their opening session, at a very inspirational venue! l to r: Marco Winter (MDBC), Bert Cesar (NTCC) , Elmar Bouma (INA) and Nele Cornelis (DCS)
companies and will therefore jointly reach out to the Dutch business community in the region and in the Netherlands.
* to develop a joint AEC information booklet of the Dutch Chambers in ASEAN;
As such, ADCN wants to launch a series of initiatives and briefings for Dutch companies about the opportunities in the various ASEAN countries, e.g. by means of: * to organise a joint conference (scheduled to be organised in Singapore in Q2) on the implementation of AEC in our respective countries;
* to make ASEAN/AEC a fixed part of our individual presentations at meetings for the Dutch business community, e.g. during seminars in the Netherlands;
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* to plan a joint presentation of our countries and ASEAN/AEC in the Netherlands, at a time to be decided in 2014.
Partners:
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MDBCONNECTS · 4TH ISSUE 2013
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LEADING IN OIL & GAS TECHNOLOGY
From the Frames headquarters in The Netherlands and our international offices, we have been supporting clients in the worldwide upstream oil & gas industry with custom-made integrated solutions since 1983. Our portfolio ranges from safeguarding and control equipment to complete coverage of the separation train, through to advanced oil, water and gas treatment systems
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DIALOGUE
cutting through complexity
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY * Implementation of GST at the rate of 6% from 1 April 2015. GST will replace Sales Tax and Service Tax. * Reduction of individual tax rates of 1% to 3% across various income bands. The maximum individual tax rate is reduced from 26% to 25%, with the 25% rate applying to income in excess of RM400,000. * Relief of RM2,000 is given to tax residents earning up to RM8,000 per month with an aggregate income of up to RM96,000 a year. * Individuals who have been subjected to monthly tax deductions are not required to file tax returns if such monthly tax deductions constitute their final tax. * Income tax rate for companies, limited liability partnerships, trust bodies, executors of an estate of an individual domiciled outside Malaysia at the time of his death and a receiver appointed by the Court is reduced from 25% to 24%.
2014 BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS 25 OCTOBER 2013
* Double deduction is given to small and medium enterprises, cooperatives, associations and organizations on the difference between the original salary and the minimum wages paid in calendar year 2014. * Companies with Flexible Working Arrangement (FWA) status will be given a double deduction on expenses incurred in the training of employees and payment of consultancy fees to design an appropriate FWA.
* Company secretarial fees of up to RM 5,000 and tax filing fees of up to RM 10,000 are now deductible. * Imposition of Real Property Gains Tax of 0% to 30% for Malaysian citizens and permanent residents and 5% to 30% for companies and non - Malaysian citizens.
* Anchor companies that have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) in implementing Vendor Development Programme are to be given a double deduction on approved expenses. Right: KPMG’s Executive Director Corporate Tax Ong Guan Heng giving the briefing on the 2014 Budget Proposals Below: Transfer Pricing Update and Goods & Services Tax (GST) briefing by Bob Kee, the Executive Director heading the KPMG TP and indirect tax units.
* Companies with paid up share capital of up to RM 2.5 million are taxed at a reduced rate of 19% on the first RM 500,000 of chargeable income. The excess is taxed at a reduced rate of 24%. * Income tax rates for cooperatives are reduced by 1% to 2% on chargeable income above RM 150,000. * 100% accelerated capital allowance on information technology and communication (ICT) equipment is extended to YA 2016. * The application deadline for income tax incentive for new investments in 4 and 5 star hotels in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak is extended to 31 December 2016. * Expenses incurred on the training of employees in the area of accounting and ICT for GST purposes are entitled to a double deduction. MDBCONNECTS · 4TH ISSUE 2013
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DIGITAL PUBLISHING WITH SERIOUS TECHNOLOGY By John Fong (Chief Executive Officer, Serious Group)
and globally. This instant distribution platform allow publishers to reach a wider audience at a very low cost compared to print media. In this Jetson era, we are multimedia consumers. Would a text laden publication have a better chance of retaining the attention of readers compared to interactive digital media? Video, audio, animation and interactive digital pages can make even spreadsheets interesting.
A heightened sense of awareness about the environment has developed in recent years. In particular, feelings of guilt and concern are on the rise about the use of paper and its alleged impact on the fate of trees, forests and the environment. Nothing captures the essence of these feelings more vividly than the signature line appearing at the foot of numerous e mails: “Please consider the environment before printing this e mail.” While there is an ongoing debate regarding the sustainability of print media vs digital media, the impacts of digital media technologies needs to be allocated to all the activities they support: e mail, social networking, shopping, reading, etc. The burden “per bill” can be very small compared to the burdens associated with cutting trees, producing paper (which, by the way, also uses fossil energy), mailing letters, and disposing of them at end of life. Often times, this means that digital publishing is still a more “sustainable” or environmentally alternative to print media. With the proliferation of tablet PCs now available, digitisation of publishing into devices means that publishers can benefit from this era of connectivity. In Dec 2013, Adobe found that subscribers (aggregated data across all Digital Publishing Suite - built magazines) spend around 50 minutes a month in a Digital Publishing Suite (DPS) app – a number that surpasses the 40 minutes per issue that GfK MRI found among print magazine readers in the fall of 2012. In the recent Consumer Electronics Association 2014 in Las Vegas, Steve
Koenig, Director of Industry Analysis at the Consumer Electronics Association quoted “Amazingly, 43 cents of every dollar spent on consumer electronics this year was predicted to go on smartphones and tablets”. It is widely forecasted that by 2020, the number of connected devices worldwide will triple to reach 30 billion according to ABI Research. We are going into the Jetsons era. Wearable watches, automated room thermostat and connected car will be a day-to-day scene. Why go digital? From an environmental point of view, Paperback books have a footprint of 26 kilograms (over 57 pounds) of CO2, as compared to just under 70 grams (about 0.15 pounds) for the e-reader. In addition, we are able to access older copies of any publications with a few clicks while a similar task on the physical book would certainly yield a higher CO2 footprint. A 2GB memory could store 1000 books, imagine the space it would take for the physical books! Going green with The Jetsons Some of the immediate benefits from going digital or going green are: - Increased distribution and reach - Publish more compelling interactive contents - Saving print and distribution cost - Convenient for audience to consume Various platforms such as the Google Playstore, Apple iTunes Appstore and Amazon Kindle offers the convenience of making any publication available quickly
Print cost is rising every year, with the rise of fuel prices, distribution cost rise in tandem too. Going digital could mean we are able to do more with the same budget as cost in digital media is much lower. Another great benefit of digital media is convenience, readers are able to download and consume at any time, even previous issues are accessible as readers can choose what to read and when to read it. Digitize and Tabletize? Digital media can save money and reduce carbon footprint thus making a sustainable environment for all. However, it is of no point if publishers digitize all of their content by merely migrating them to digital platforms. Jetson readers are not single minded, they multi-task, they have a short attention span, their fingers are impatient and they are always ON. What’s the point of going digital when no one is interested in consuming your content on digital media. Thus, it is the responsibility of the publishers and content owners to use this new digital medium and create a lively, interactive publication which will interest the consumers (readers). Various tools and new story telling techniques are available to help make creative content in digital media. So, let’s do our part, from the creative and production process, to make digital media a sustainable green initiative.
Serious Group is founded by a group of highly skilled and experienced individuals who are passionate in innovating the publishing industry. Serious Technology provides digitization services for the MDBC magazine (MDBCONNECTS) and the MDBC Business Directory which are available for download in the Apple iTunes Appstore. For more info, check out www.serioustec.com MDBCONNECTS · 4TH ISSUE 2013
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PICTURE PERFECT
Listen listen listen; Information information information; Network network network; here are some social pictures from 3 very informative MDBC events these past few months: Macro-Economic Outlook by ABN AMRO Bank, the MDBC HR Forum and KPMG’s Budget 2014 briefing.
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MDBCONNECTS · 4TH ISSUE 2013
MSA’13 The 3rd annual MDBC Sustainability Awards 2013. In between the very informative presentations of the shortlisted companies in the 3 categories and the suspense of the entertaining Dinner & Awards Ceremony, there was plenty of socializing at the cocktail reception.
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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: ABN AMRO Bank N.V. is one of the largest banks in the Netherlands with roots reaching back as far as 1720. Today, we have 28,000 employees across 27 countries and territories, serving some 6.8 million clients. Through this network, we offer our clients the best opportunities presented by Asia’s growth by combining our global strengths and local know-how.
ABN AMRO SINGAPORE
ACTUATOR TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
BRUGMAN EVENTS
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ABN AMRO Bank N.V. is in all major financial centres, worldwide, providing specialist services such as Energy, Commodities & Transportation, Commercial Finance, Lease and Clearing.
Corporate RepresentativeS Bert Stegink, Director Rita Koh, Market Manager CONTACT: 1 Raffles Quay South Tower, Level 25 048583 Singapore Singapore Tel: +65 - 6597 8866 Fax: +65 - 6597 8822 Website: www.abnamroprivatebanking.com
Business Activity: ATC (Actuator Technology Company) is a leading and independently operating manufacturer of compact valve actuators & actuated valve systems for the global upstream and subsea oil & gas market, based in The Netherlands with offices in Houston and Kuala Lumpur. We are acclaimed and appreciated for offering vital design support during the early engineering stages when the lay out of projects is executed. ATC also offers worldwide service and on-site support. Our proven track record has earned us preferred vendor status with the major oil & gas companies and contractors.
Corporate Representative Bart Wolters, Regional Manager
Business Activity: The Brugman Cup, to be held in Kuala Lumpur in 2015 with strong competitors from all over the world, and the most beautiful Arabian Horses.
Corporate Representative Maud Brugman, Managing Director
We are looking forward to meeting all our friendly competition and meet new and dear old friends which is always a delightful aspect of any show we participate in. See you In Kuala Lumpur 2015!
CONTACT: Suite 8 -1 & 8 - 2, Level 8 Menara CIMB Jalan Stesen Sentral 2 50470 Kuala Lumpur Tel: +603 - 2298 8244 Fax: +603 - 2298 8201 E mail: b.wolters@atc-actuators.com Website: www.atc-actuators.com
CONTACT: Planetenweg 5 2132 HN Hoofddorp The Netherlands Tel: +31 (0) 235 563 175 Fax: +31 (0) 655 710 688 E mail: mhbvrug@xs4all.nl
NEW MEMBERS Business Activity: Branding & Identity, Advertising, Digital & Interactive Media, Product Development, Publishing, Interior Concepts, Art Installations, Workshops
CONTACT: 8A Jalan Kemuja Bangsar 59000 Kuala Lumpur Tel: +603 - 2283 4698 Fax: +603 - 2283 4699 E mail: lisette@beautiful-linc.com Website: www.beautiful-linc.com
LISETTE & INK
Business Activity: Our Embassy activities can be roughly divided into three categories: * Consular services * Economic and trade facilitation * Mitigating pressing political situations and help Dutch citizens abroad who may be in dire need of assistance.
EMBASSY OF THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS
SSCS GLOBAL
Corporate Representative Lisette Scheers, Creative Director / Chief Executive Officer
In all of these activities, we are engaged with the promotion of the Netherlands in Malaysia, so individual or corporate third parties will stand to benefit from the resultant economic, social, and political advantages.
Corporate Representatives H.E. Harry Molenaar, Ambassador Anne de Graaf, Head of Trade CONTACT: Unit 7 - 01 AmpWalk 218 Jalan Ampang 50450 Kuala Lumpur Tel: +603 - 2168 6200 Fax: +603 - 2168 6240 E mail: kll-ea@minbuza.nl Website: www.netherlands.org.my
Business Activity: First Last Name SSCS Global (M) Sdn Bhd is the Employee Title Malaysian subsidiary of SSCS Holding BV of the Netherlands. It is a MSC Status Company based in Cyberjaya. While we already provide high quality services to well-known global customers in the oil and electronics business in Malaysia, we are currently trying to expand our local business toCompany leverageAddress our manpower and expertise that City we built State in Zipthe past years. tel: +1 000 000 0000 • Offering: cell: +1 000 000 000 Service - Third Party Hardware Maintenance first.last@sscs.com - Warranty Management - IMAC/Project services (DC Move/ Equipment Decomm) - Remote Hands/Smart Hands services
Corporate RepresentativeS Patrick Niessen, Managing Director Eddy Cheah, Manager Administration
Business Activity: ZZ Management and Consulting is an established consulting firm based in Singapore serving financial institutions operating in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong. Our functional focus areas are risk, finance and actuarial. We also have a strong focus on people development across all functional areas. That is why all our resources are able to combine technical expertise with strong interpersonal skills. Offering clients the most suitable resources is key. ZZ Management and Consulting believes in providing hands-on result-oriented people of high-quality and with a strong drive and enthusiasm.
Corporate RepresentativeS Inge van Zon, Managing Partner Serge van Zon, Partner
ZZ MANAGEMENT
CONTACT: Unit C - 3 - 08, SME Technopreneur Centre 2 2260 Jalan Usahawan 1 63000 Cyberjaya Selangor Darul Ehsan Tel: +603 - 8322 3218 E mail: eddy.cheah@sscs.com Website: www.sscs.com
CONTACT: Suite 8 - 1 & 8 - 2 Menara CIMB Jalan Stesen Sentral 2 50470 Kuala Lumpur Tel: +603 - 2298 8252 E mail: contact@zzmanagementandconsulting.com Website: www.zzmanagementandconsulting.com
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