MDBCONNECTS 2019 - 4

2020 AECBUDGET BRIEFING MISA 2019

MAKERS & DRIVERS OF BUSINESS & COMMERCE

DIGITAL ECONOMY

HAPPY 100 YEARS KLM!

ISSUE: 4TH EDITION 2019

Wholly owned by Malaysia Logistics Innovation Berhad (936566-D), a subsidiary of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)

10% DISCOUNT FOR MDBC CORPORATE PARTNERS LEARN NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FIELD OF SUPPLY CHAIN WITH UPCOMING SHORT COURSES AT MISI

Tel : +603 7841 4843 Email : marketing@misi.edu.my

SUPPLY CHAIN SHORT COURSES ALL COURSES ARE OPEN FOR INDIVIDUAL ENROLLMENT

About Us

Chain Management that actively engages with industry.

The Malaysia Institute for Supply Chain Innovation (MISI) was founded in 2011 by the Government of Malaysia in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The mission of MISI is to create an international center of excellence for research and education in Logistics and Supply

MISI is launching a set of short duration executive education programs aimed at enabling working professionals in supply chain management improve their job performance and gain an insight into emerging technologies.

The Following Short Courses in Supply Chain Management will be Offered Procurement Courses

Latest Insight in SCM

Duration & Date

Negotiation

(1 day: March 27, 2020)

Total Cost Analysis

(1 day: Apr 24, 2020)

Supplier Relationship Management

(1 day: May 9, 2020)

Category Management

(1 day: May 16, 2020)

Supply Chain Management Courses

Duration & Date

Logistics and Transportation

(1 day: March 24, 2020)

Business Analytics

(2 days: Apr 16 & 17, 2020)

Strategic Supply Chain Management

(2 days: May 7 & 8, 2020)

Forecasting and Inventory Management

(2 days: May 19 & 20, 2020)

Emerging Trends in Supply Chain Management

Duration & Date

Digital Transformation in Supply Chain Management

(1 day: Feb 20, 2020)

Retail and E-commerce Supply Chains

(2 days: March 18 & 19, 2020)

Industry 4.0 in Supply Chains

(1 day: March 25, 2020)

Supply Chain Finance

(2 days: Apr 21 & 22, 2020)

REGISTER NOW AT

www.misi.edu.my

Ask us about competency certification in :

Supply Chain Fundamentals Procurement Fundamentals Emerging Trends in Supply Chains

Key Take Aways Get the latest insight in supply chain developments from our global faculty.

Network An opportunity to interact with professionals from diverse industry backgrounds

Value for Money Get the best education from MIT Global SCALE with affordable prices!

“The course faculty are superb in delivering the message” “Great input and perspective in analyzing and accessing possible supply chain solutions” participants feedback

*Participants who complete the block ( , , or ) and exam are entitled to receive a certification of competency from MIT Global SCALE Network. *All courses are open for individual enrollment and participants will receive a certification of attendance from MISI upon completion.

All Programmes conducted by MISI are eligible for HRDF claims, subject to prior application to HRDF by the employers/companies.

CONTENTS MEMBERS

BIG STORY

MDBC EVENTS / 10

MISA 2019 / 20

Sustainability by Design Building High Performance Teams Behind the Scenes at FHM 2019 Doing Business in the Netherlands 2020 Budget Briefing

MDBC CHAPTERS / 11

EU GREEN NEW DEAL / 29

COMMUNITY

Southern Region Visit Penang Dialogue 2019

STUDENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM / 23

MEMBERS NEWS / 15

EMBASSY NEWS / 25

MY SERVICES / 35 NEW MEMBERS / 36 SOCIAL / 38

DIALOGUE MY DIGITAL ECONOMY / 31

MY IN NL / 26 EU / EUMCCI / 28 GREEN BOARD / 33

/18

/20 /27

Greater Kuala Lumpur The Epicentre of ASEAN

Greater Kuala Lumpur (Greater KL) writes its success through the numbers. It has the right number of talent, graduates, businesses, markets and opportunities. It has the best potential of any city in ASEAN, being strategically located in the region. Greater KL is now hub of the world’s fastest growing economic region. Here’s why leading Multinationals such as Schlumberger, Honeywell, IBM, Cargill, Philips, Worldline, Turner, Colas Rail, Linde and Epson have Recognised 1st in chosen Greater KL as the optimal Southeast Asia as a location for their Regional World Energy City Headquarters in ASEAN.

1

st

3

rd

Ranked 2nd in Southeast Asia for

Starting a Business & Ease of Doing Business

– Southeast Asia

Business Potential

Global Services Location Index

Excellent Ecosystem US$8 trillion of new

global middle class market rising in Asia by 2020 (OECD Observer)

2

nd

Competitiveness

(WECP)

3.2 billion

Greater KL by Numbers

2nd

Level of English proficiency in Asia (Education First)

infrastructure in Asia by 2020 (Asian Development Bank)

11th (Asia) 36th (World) Best Airport

74 double tax agreements offered in Malaysia (IKL)

ASEAN’s market

644,514,000 population,

US$2719.844 billion

273,373

graduates annually in Greater KL (IKL)

33.8 million

GDP (IKL)

US$1 trillion

in Oil & Gas upstream investment over next 2 years (Wood Mackenzie Ltd Report, 2016)

Malaysia’s population by 2020 - up 40% (IKL)

1.5 hrs journey time

from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore via high speed rail by 2026 (SPAD)

Lifestyle Friendly

165th 5th 23 38 44 58 Least Expensive City Worldwide

(Mercer Cost of Living Survey 2016 Most Expensive = 1)

Invest KL Corporation (957672-K)

Best Shopping Destination Worldwide

World Class Golf Courses

Museums and Art Galleries

International Schools

(IKL)

(IKL)

(IKL)

(Expedia, 2016)

16th Floor, Menara SSM@Sentral, No.7, Jalan Stesen Sentral 5

Public and Private Universities (IKL)

KL Sentral, 50623 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

www.investkl.com

MORE TO COME IN 2020 Dear MDBC members and friends, With pride, MDBC can look back at 2019.

Hot on the heels of our first award, the APAC International Chambers of Commerce Membership Engagement Program of the Year 2018 Award, we received our accreditation from NLinBusiness, which has been widely publicized in earlier editions of the MDBConnects this year.

Some of our main events also stood out this past year. In March, we organised the 3rd edition of the MDBC Connects Fair, to showcase 50 of our service providers, a unique and exclusive business development event. In June, just before our Annual General Meeting, our members made full use of the occasion to have a long dialogue with Deputy Minister of International Trade & Industry, YB Dr Ong Kian Ming, after which we also launched the MDBC Business Directory 2019 – 2020.

We can also look back at a very successful MDBC Innovation & Sustainability Awards 2019, the 8th edition. Invited by GreenTech Malaysia, MISA was held in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of the International

GreenTech & Eco Products Exhibition & Conference Malaysia (IGEM) in October.

During the MISA Awards Ceremony & Dinner, our members and guests had a great opportunity to listen to and mingle with the impressive Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change, YB Yeo Bee Yin. The connection with IGEM, the close cooperation with and support of the Netherlands Embassy, and also the participation of the waste management mission from the Netherlands (see page 25), provided wide exposure to Dutch initiatives in sustainability and circular economy.

present. A solid and well - recognized Chamber, with increasing exposure in the Netherlands to attract Dutch entrepreneurs to Malaysia, through our participation in these briefing sessions, through the network and promotional activities of NLinBusiness, and also certainly through the increased efforts of the Netherlands Embassy to attract more missions to Malaysia, including participation of a Holland Pavilion at several high - profile exhibitions in KL. With our active schedule of events we look forward to slowly but surely reaching a membership base of 300 companies!

At the end of the year our events calendar usually slows down a bit, except for the ever popular evening at the Heineken Tavern. 150 members enjoyed good food and great drinks at our end - of - year networking function.

MDBC was also part of 2 high profile events in the Netherlands, firstly the ASEAN Business Forum, and secondly, the successful Malaysian Trade & Investment Mission led by the CEOs of MIDA and Matrade, with our Executive Director as the panel chairman (page 27).

Wishing you all the best for 2020, Remco Koster Vice Chairman

The basis for a strong 2020 is ever -

MDBC BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mr. Zainul Rahim Mohd Zain, Chairman Hibiscus Petroleum Berhad

Ms. Annemarieke de Haan Unilever Malaysia

MDBC Executive Director: Mr. Marco Winter

Mr. Remco Koster, Vice Chairman Expandian

Mr. Koen van Gurp TalentSquare

MDBC Patrons: Y.B. Ignatius Darell Leiking Minister of International Trade & Industry

Datuk Merlyn Kasimir Former CEO of Matrade

Mr. Tarang Gupta Dutch Lady Milk Industries

Mr. Jack Ang Markant (M) Sdn Bhd

Mr. Ir. Ahmad Hadri Haris Shell Malaysia

Mr. Wouter van der Weijden &samhoud

Ms. Candice Bongers - de Bie Orbital Capital

Mr. Philip Kunjappy Sime Darby Plantation Berhad

Honorary Member of the Board: H.E. Mr. Aart Jacobi Netherlands Ambassador

Mr. Suerd Polderdijk Frames Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd

Ex - Officio Mr. Christoph Prommersberger Netherlands Embassy

Y.Bhg Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz Former Minister of International 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 Email : info@mdbc.com.my Website : www.mdbc.com.my

MDBCONNECTS 4TH ISSUE 2019

7

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CALENDAR

FEB

THUR 19 / 9:00AM

THUR 20 / 1:00PM

ICW: Sustainability Leaders DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur

Outlook 2020 MIDA KL Sentral

WED 25 / 6:00PM

MAR

InterChamber Ladies Sundowner Vogue Lounge Kuala Lumpur

FRI 13 / 9:00AM

Edu360: Mindset & Behaviour Change TBC

NOTICE:

MDBC members will receive personal invitations for these functions by email once all details are confirmed.

All events/dates to be reconfirmed.

MDBC PREMIUM PARTNERS 2019

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 4TH ISSUE 2019

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Bringing all our members, stakeholders and communities together.

DIGI’S SUSTAINABILITY BY DESIGN

Sustainability is now mission critical for businesses - and its no longer just relevant to large companies, but also to small and medium sized entities. MDBC members were invited to an exclusive event organized by Digi focusing on practical steps for Malaysian businesses looking for ways to become more sustainable.

With society increasingly demanding that companies benefit all of their stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, customers, and the

communities in which they operate to become more sustainable over time, there is the realization that organizations need to look beyond financial performance and embrace sustainability. Companies now have to showcase how they are operating responsibly and ethically, while making a positive contribution to society by responding to broader societal challenges.

With a focus on a practical approach to innovatively designing and adopting best practices in sustainability into businesses, the event featured workshops on: Integrity & Ethics, Digital Privacy, Supply Chain & HSE, Digitising Your Business, and Employer Branding. It also featured a panel discussion with speakers to close out the forum.

BUILDING HIGH PERFORMANCE TEAMS IN LARGER ORGANIZATIONS Quint Wellington Redwood, together with MDBC, organized a special, closed - door roundtable discussion on “Building High Performance Teams in Larger Organizations”. High Performing Organizations achieve far superior performance over time compared to their peers in the sector. Their disciplined focus on core priorities is rewarded by sustained, excellent financial, and non - financial performance. These organizations make a concerted effort to ensure constant improvement in their processes, systems, and behavior.

They stick to what works for them, initiating change to strengthen their core capabilities and competencies on a daily basis.

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MDBCONNECTS 4TH ISSUE 2019

BEHIND THE SCENES AT FHM 2019 MDBC members were invited to a special “Behind - the - Scenes” tour of Food & Hotel Malaysia (FHM), Malaysia’s premier trade only food and hospitality show. FHM is more than just an exhibition, it’s a gathering for everyone in, or interested in, the Food, Beverage & Hospitality industry. FHM covers everything from educational talks and celebrity chef cooking demonstrations, to a wide range of produce and services, along with an abundance of sampling.

The event also included a visit to the Heineken booth and the Netherlands country pavilion.

CHAPTER

Malaysian Dutch Business Council

Malaysian Dutch Business Council

PENANG

JOHOR

MDBC JOHOR: SOUTHERN REGION VISIT - OIL & GAS AND AERONAUTICS The second half of the day event focused on the aeronautics industry, which started with presentations by Senai Airport and Senai Airport City and then featured a presentation and tour of the Helang Flying Academy. The Academy is a military and civil rotary wing flight training center.

A full day of activities concluded with a CCIFM - MDBC networking dinner at Chez Papa restaurant.

Together with the Malaysian French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIFM), a fact - finding trip to Johor was organized for members of both Chambers.

This full day event kicked off with a briefing on the Pengerang Industrial Park (PIP) by JCORP, followed by a site visit. PIP is a development under JCorp for industries under the Oil & Gas sector.

Investment and business opportunities

in the Pengarang Integrated Complex (PIC) includes high value petroleum & petrochemical manufacturing facilities.

Guests then visited PIC, which included a briefing and site visit. At the heart of PIC is the Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (RAPID) project with a 300,000 barrels - per - day (BPD) refinery. After the visit, everyone was invited to enjoy a lunch hosted at the PIC Clubhouse.

AMCHAM’S PENANG DIALOGUE 2019

(U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia). The program featured three panel discussions: * Penang: Rising to the Challenge * Business meets Technology * Managing for a Digital Future It also included a special presentation on cognitive readiness by Loredana Padurean (Associate Dean and Faculty Director for Action Learning, Asia School of Business).

MDBC members were invited to join our colleagues from the American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) at the annual Penang Dialogue, bringing together key stakeholders from the local government, academia, and civil society to discuss core themes related to doing business in Penang and Malaysia’s Northern Region.

northern region could / would adapt and thrive in the emerging global ecosystem.

Over the past year, unprecedented shifts have taken place in and amongst trading nations. Competition is rising and as technology disrupts logistics and other aspects of the value chain, how will Penang, and Malaysia in general, rise and meet these challenges?

With unprecedented disruption and ever evolving supply chains, it was necessary to look at how Penang and Malaysia’s

YAB Chow Kon Yeow (Chief Minister of Penang), delivered a keynote address along with H.E. Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir

Top: The MDBC table at the Penang Dialogue Below: Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia’s Penang Branch organised a dinner for its CEO Abrar Anwar

MDBCONNECTS 4TH ISSUE 2019

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MDBC, together with the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) organized an event to show interested parties how they can effectively and efficiently reach out to global clients and customers using the Netherlands as their gateway to Europe and beyond.

The briefing was supported by KPMG and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. After a brief welcome

by NFIA Senior Project Manager, Alia Jaafar, presentations were made by both NFIA and KPMG. Speakers and topics were: * Jeroen Nijland (Commissioner, NFIA): “Why Invest In Holland” * Vinod Kalloe (Head of International Tax Policy, KPMG Meijburg & Co., Amsterdam): “Taxation - Market Trends and Current Developments in the Netherlands”.

DOING BUSINESS IN THE NETHERLANDS

Top: Guests at the Doing Business in The Netherlands event.

Bottom left: Christoph Prommesberger (Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) welcoming guests.

Bottom right: Moderator and speakers during the Q&A session (l to r): Alia Jaafar, Jeroen Nijland and Vinod Kalloe.

The presentations concluded with a Q&A session with both speakers. Copies of both presentations can be found online on the MDBC website under The Library.

Additional photos from this event can be found on page 38.

KPMG 2020 BUDGET BRIEFING

MDBC’s annual budget briefing with KPMG took place after the Government’s 2020 budget was announced mid October

by Finance Minister YB Lim Guan Eng. Bearing the theme “Driving Growth and Equitable Outcomes Towards Shared Prosperity”, the budget focused on driving growth in high technology, high growth areas and ensuring the well being of small businesses and citizens.

Wai Ling (Director, KPMG Malaysia), attendees were provided with budget highlights that would affect them and their companies. Key points on higher revenue, sustainable GDP, tractable inflation, and the SST 2.0 budget proposals were highlighted. Also important was a reconfirmation from the Government that there would not be a reintroduction of the Goods and Services Tax.

With briefings by Ong Guang Heng (Executive Director - Corporate Tax Compliance, KPMG Malaysia) and Cheah

Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions about the budget directly to the experts. Light refreshments were made

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MDBCONNECTS 4TH ISSUE 2019

available after the presentation where attendees also had the opportunity to participate in some networking.

Additional highlights are available on the following ‘KPMG 2020 Budget Snapshots’ page. They also set out key changes that were announced in the 2020 Budget.

DIALOGUE

KPMG BUDGET 2020 SNAPSHOT Overall, Budget 2020 provides a clear message that the Government is focused on investing in the right priorities and sets the foundation in supporting businesses and individuals towards achieving high growth and digitalization ambitions. * Revised tax threshold for SMEs with capital of up to RM 2.5 million and additional condition of annual sales of not more than RM 50 million - 17% for chargeable income of up to RM 600,000 - 24% for remaining chargeable income * Increase in personal income tax rate (highest band) from 28% to 30% for resident individuals with chargeable income of more than RM 2 million.

Fixed income tax rate for non - resident individuals also increased to 30%. * Market value as of 1 January 2013 is to be used as the acquisition price for disposal of real properties acquired prior to the year 2013 for real property gains tax (RPGT) purposes. Only applicable to Malaysian citizens and permanent residents. * Expenses incurred on listing on the ACE or LEAP markets qualify for tax deduction of up to RM 1.5 million.

Qualifying expenses are fees to authorities, professional fees, underwriting, placement, and brokerage fees. * Intellectual Property (IP) Incentive Income tax exemption of 100% for up to 10 years on IP income (patent and copyright software) derived from qualifying activities. Under the Modified Nexus Approach, this only applies to income derived from IP developed in Malaysia. * Electrical and Electronic (E&E) Incentive Investment tax allowance (ITA) of 50% on qualifying capital expenditure for 5 years to be set off against 50% statutory income for E&E comopanies that have exhausted 15 year reinvestment allowance (RA) * Automation Incentives Existing 100% accelerated capital allowance (ACA) for automation equipment and income tax exemption equivalent to 100% of the ACA are

extended to Year of Assessment (YA) 2023.

The scope of the above incentive has also been expanded to cover the services sector. * Renewable Energy Incentives Existing Green Investment Tax Allowance (GITA) incentive for qualifying green activities and Green Income Tax Exemption (GITE) incentive for qualifying green services activities are extended to YA 2023.

New income tax exemption of 70% of statutory income for 10 years for solar leasing companies. * Capital Allowance 100% capital allowance on Small Value Assets for asset with a value of up to RM 2,000, limited to qualifying capital allowance of RM 20,000 per YA for non - SME. * Arts and Cultural Incentives - 50% income tax exemption for organizing approved arts and cultural activities, international sports, and recreational competitions.

- Tax deduction for sponsoring local arts, cultural and heritage activites is increased to RM 1 million a year. * Tourism Incentives - 100% income tax exemption for 5 years or Investment Tax Allowance of 100% for 5 years up to 70% statutory income for new investment for international theme park.

- 100% income tax exemption for promoting and organizing conference with at least 500 foreign participants annually. * Extension of existing tax incentives - Existing tax treatment for investors of real estate investment trust (REIT) is extended to YA 2025.

- Existing tax incentive for angel investor is extended to applications received until 31 December 2023.

for National Dual Training Scheme for Industry 4WRD program is extended to 31 December 2021.

- Tax deduction on issuance cost and further deduction on additional issuance cost for Sukuk Wakalah is extended to YA 2025.

- Tax deduction on issuance cost for Sustainable and Responsible Investment (SRI) Sukuk and tax exemption on fees for SRI fund management services are extended to YA 2023.

- Tax exemption on fees for Shariah compliant fund management services is extended to YA 2023.

- Double deduction for Structured Internship Program (SIP) is extended to YA 2021. Expanded to include Bachelor’s Degree, Diploma, Vocational (DKM Level 4 and 5), and SKM Level 3 students in all academic fields.

- Tax deduction for PTPTN loan repayments by employers is extended until 31 December 2021. * Introduction of Approved Major Exporter Scheme for traders or manufacturers of exempted goods with export of not less than 80% of annual sales - Full sales tax exemption on importation and purchase of goods or raw materials, components, and packaging materials.

- Not required to determine quality of goods to be exported at time of importation or purchase of goods. * Service tax group relief for taxable services under professional group which are provided by a company to third parties (other than company within the same group), provided the value of such services does not exceed 5% of the total value of services provided within 12 months. * Stamp duty remission of 50% for transfer of real property between parents and children and vice versa is restricted to Malaysian citizens only.

- Existing tax incentive for venture capital is extended to 31 December 2026.

- Double deduction for expenses incurred MDBCONNECTS 4TH ISSUE 2019

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KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA NL ranked #1 in EF English Proficiency Index - as a Second Language Skill

Members News

4th Edition 2019

MEMBERS NEWS

A MOOOVING STORY

NL is Europe’s Most Competitive Economy for the First Time in 2019 Global Competitive Index by WEF

LAUNCH OF SPACES Spaces, a Dutch office concept, has launched in Malaysia. Under International Workspace Group (IWG) along with sister organization Regus, it offers versatile ways to work, meet, connect, and interact. Located in Platinum Sentral, this Spaces office is the largest co - working space in Malaysia, spanning five floors. “We chose this location for our very first Spaces as it is an international hub for businesses, which also ties back to our commitment to provide creative work environments with facilities that can meet the needs of various businesses,” shared Vijayakumar Tangarasan (Country Head - IWG Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia).

Intermovers Malaysia has been working with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands since 2012 and has built a strong relationship over the years. They have handled the shipments for the past 4 Ambassadors and enjoy a very strong association with MDBC and the Dutch community here in Malaysia. Recently,

they received an unusual request from the Embassy to collect a herd of cows from the Ambassador’s residence. Intermovers Malaysia responded immediately to the request and were able to promptly collect the five cows and place them safely into storage. A great, mooving experience for all involved.

STANDARD CHARTERED OPENS FIRST INTEGRATED CAFE BANKING BRANCH Standard Chartered Malaysia unveiled its first integrated cafe banking branch, redefining the branch experience by transforming the space into a dynamic and multifaceted environment and social meeting place for visitors.

The three storey Kuala Lumpur main branch is located in the same building as the Bank’s new Malaysia head office in Equatorial Plaza and aims to engage with its clients, including those from its Priority and Business Banking segments, in a new and refreshing way.

This is the first of three planned launches in 2019, with a second in Penang and a third in Menara Prestige. Spaces harks back to its roots in Amsterdam through free - spiritedness, open mindedness, and sophisticated designs to form creative and flexible workspaces.

Commenting on the branch’s concept, Standard Chartered Malaysia Head of Retail Banking Lai Pei Si said, “The increasing influence of digital means that convenience is a given rather than a privilege in banking where visits to branches, although no longer necessary, are still a valued experience.”

Recognising this, the Bank took the opportunity to break away from the traditional mould of branch banking and adopted the integrated cafe banking concept as it allows for a balance between digital convenience and people - oriented experience.

The KL main branch includes a Priority Banking Centre on its first floor, which also connects to EQ Kuala Lumpur Hotel.

The branch commenced operations on 11 November 2019 and is open from Monday to Friday.

Left: (l to r) Mohd Suhaimi Abdul Hamid (Standard Chartered Saadiq Malaysia CEO), Abrar A. Anwar (Managing Director and CEO), Datuk Yvonne Chia (Chairman), Bill Winters (Group Chief Executive), Judy Hsu (Regional CEO for ASEAN and South Asia), and Lai Pei Si (Head of Retail Banking).

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Members News

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

4th Edition 2019

THALES COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF GEMALTO MDBC member Thales recently completed the acquisition of Gemalto, creating a global leader in digital identity and security. With Gemalto, Thales will cover the entire criticial decision chain in a digital world, from data generation via sensors, to real time decision support.

This acquisition increases Thales’s

revenues to €19 billion and self - funded R&D to €1 billion a year, with 80,000 employees in 68 countries. The larger Thales will master all the technologies underpinning the critical decision chain for companies, organizations, and governments. Incorporating the talent and technologies of Gemalto, Thales will

develop secure solutions to address the major challenges faced by our societies, such as unmanned air traffic management, data and network cybersecurity, airport security, or financial transaction security.

With €1 billion a year devoted to self - funded R&D, the Group will continue to innovate in its key markets, drawing in particular on its world class digital expertise in the Internet of Things, Big Data, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.

“With Gemalto, Thales has acquired a set of highly complementary technologies and competencies with applications in all of our five vertical markets, which are now redefined as aerospace, space, ground transportation, digital identity and security, and defence and security.

These are the smart technologies that help people make the best choices at every decisive moment. The acquisition is a turning point for the Group’s 80,000 employees. Together, we are creating a giant in digital identity and security with the capabilities to compete in the big leagues worldwide,” shared Patrice Caine (Chairman and CEO, Thales).

frames-group.com

“Working together to energize the world”

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PRODUCED WATER TREATMENT

•

FLOW CONTROL & SAFEGUARDING • BIOGAS UPGRADING

•

OIL & GAS SEPARATION

•

CO2 CAPTURE & UTILIZATION

•

OIL & GAS TREATMENT

•

SERVICES

MDBCONNECTS 4TH ISSUE 2019

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HYDROGEN

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

Members News

4th Edition 2019

RESQTEC ORGANIZES INAUGURAL MIREC Recently, MDBC member ResQTec, a leading manufacturer of rescue equipment (with local production and Asian headquarters in Malaysia), had the honor of helping to co - organize the first Malaysian International Rescue Extrication Challenge (MIREC) in cooperation with the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia (BOMBA).

MIREC was an international three day event held at Sunway Velocity in Kuala Lumpur with an official opening by the Fire Chief of Malaysia, YAS Dato’ Mohammad Hamdan Wahid. Rescuers from seven different countries: Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Macau, and Vietnam participated

in the challenge. Attendees also took part in a technical meeting with Artem Fire & Rescue Academy from the Netherlands.

After the official opening on the second day, the main road in front of the Velocity Mall was closed for two days specially for this event.

Around the world, it is a normal practice to organize rescue extrication challenges, which is all about sharing knowledge with each other. The main goal is to improve the extrication skills of all teams and to gain more knowledge which results in saving more lives.

MIREC 2019 ended with a closing ceremony organized by BOMBA at the

Sime Darby Convention Centre with approximately 500 attendees. MIREC awards were handed out to the winning teams in several categories during this dinner. All MIREC participants were invited by BOMBA to attend the National World Firefighter’s Day (WFFD) celebration at Dataran Merdeka Kuala Lumpur.

After listening to an inspiring and impressive speech by the Yang di Pertuan Agong, Tengku Abdullah, the firefighters visited the Air Division Fire Rescue Department of Malaysia at Subang Airport. As a final event, three helicopters flew in formation over the city of Kuala Lumpur to end the MIREC 2019 event in an impressive way. BOMBA is currently contemplating whether MIREC will return as a yearly or biennial event.

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KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

Members News

4th Edition 2019

KLM CELEBRATES 100TH ANNIVERSARY KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is celebrating its 100th anniversary and is the first airline in the world, operating under its original name, to mark this milestone.

KLM has reached this auspicious milestone because it is committed to seizing opportunities, accepting

challenges, connecting with partners, and embracing technology.

KLM is widely recognized as a pioneer in the aviation industry and in its centennial year, is not only looking back in celebration, but looking forward with confidence to the future.

In June, counting down 100 days to its anniversary, KLM announced its intention to join hands for the future of aviation.

KLM invited industry stakeholders to join hands in pursuit of a more sustainable future for aviation, under the banner ‘Fly Responsibly’.

It incorporates all of KLM’s existing and future efforts to improve the sustainability of activities. Among them, the invitation to consumers to compensate for their share of CO2 emissions from their flight.

Furthermore, on 14 September, it was announced that Air France - KLM regained its position in the top of the ‘Airlines’ category of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI). It is the 15th consecutive year that Air France - KLM has been in the top three of the DJSI.

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

Members News

4th Edition 2019

27 ADVISORY RECEIVES SME100 AWARD Since 2017, 27 Group has been working collaboratively with their clients, delivering sustainable outcomes throughout the entire project delivery lifecycle.

“We are incredibly proud to have won this prestigious accolade as it speaks volumes about the quality and integrity of our organization. 27 Group brings together a robust Southeast Asian built asset consultancy team coupled with several partners from global consulting firms with innovative and unique approaches. One of our in - house ‘systems’ that we call Socio - Economic Engineering (SEE), has definitely raised the standards of business consultancy to a platinum level.

27 Advisory Sdn Bhd has been recognised as one of 100 Fast Moving Companies at the SME100 Awards 2019. Held on 13 December at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, the SME100 Awards attracts a wide range of organisations - dynamic and innovative SMEs - from across all sectors.

27 Group’s Executive Director, Girish Ramachandran, received the award from Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI), Dr. Ong Kian Ming, at the Gala Dinner & Award Presentation Ceremony.

JOHOR PORT HANDLES RECORD 1 MILLION TEUS

Johor Port Berhad, a member of MMC Group, achieved another milestone recently by handling a record container volume of 1 million twenty foot equivalent unit (TEU) of containers in 2019, an improvement of 10.5% over the previous year’s volume of 0.9 million TEUs, which was also a record volume then.

A celebration ceremony held to mark the achievement was officiated by YB Tuan

Loke Siew Fook (Minister of Transport Malaysia). The event was attended by approximately 300 guests from the Port Authority, various government agencies, shipping lines, and cargo owners.

In his speech, YB Tuan Loke Siew Fook praised Johor Port for taking proactive measures to overcome various constraints over the years, especially in terms of navigational constraint, allowing it to

This year has been a fruitful year for us and our clients as we have continued to broaden and deepen our solutions for different client segments. Special thanks to all of our clients and stakeholders, whose continued support has been a key factor in us winning this prestigious award.”

grow into the premier southern gateway multi - purpose port in Malaysia.

Johor Port will continue striving to transform and propel the Port to even greater heights, and to build a resilient culture that will stand the test of time.

In this year alone, the port has managed to secure three international awards including: * The APQO Innovation Class Award (STAR) from the Asia Pacific Quality Organization (APQO); * The Global Business Leadership Awards 2019 for Excellence in Port Facilities Management from the Asia Pacific Business Council for Sustainability and Institute of Sustainability; and * For “Excellence in Ports and Terminal Training / Education” from Global Ports Forum Awards.

Moving forward, Johor Port has put in place a port redevelopment plan to further improve the performance of its terminals including various ‘Productivity Improvement’ and ‘Equipment Upgrading’ initiatives. It will continue to invest to ensure that the port becomes even more efficient in order to meet the needs of its customers.

MDBCONNECTS 4TH ISSUE 2019

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MISA 2019

MDBC INNOVATION &

The eighth edition of the MDBC Innovation & Sustainability Awards (MISA) was held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center and the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur.

Invited by GreenTech Malaysia to be a part of the program for the 10th edition of the International GreenTech and Eco Products Exhibition & Conference Malaysia (IGEM). With over 30,000 global visitors and over 250+ exhibitors, the inclusion of MISA in the IGEM schedule of events ensured that MISA’s reach continued to expand.

Winners of MISA ’19 on stage with VIP guests YB Yeo Bee Yin, H.E. Aart Jacobi, judges, and representatives of MDBC. l to r (front row): Marco Winter (Executive Director, MDBC), Kees W. Kwant (Judge / Senior Expert, Netherlands Enterprise Agency), Henk Jan Jonge Poerink (SVP Global Operations, Besi APAC), Maharti Rihana (Liaison Indonesia, Malaysia & Papua New Guinea, Satelligence), Zainul Rahim (Chairman, MDBC), YB Yeo Bee Yin, Yin Peng Chok (Group Head - Commercial, Concord Group), Farouk Aizat (Commercial Manager, Concord Group).

(2nd row): H.E. Aart Jacobi, Sibrandes Poppema (Member of the Board, Sunway University), Zulfahmi Fauzan Zulkhepli (Co Founder, Better – Bev), Esteban Mario Fernandez (Co - Founder, Better – Bev), Herman Huisman (Judge / Senior Advisor, RWS Environment), and Navin Sinnathamby (Senior Program Manager – Data Economy Division, MDEC

nies in this category manage their waste with an innovative program (new to market) and take into account the impact their waste is having on the environment.

With open attendance for all at the MISA Day Program, shortlisted finalists in each category made their presentations to the panel of judges and audience in attendance.

Finalists also fielded questions about their projects from the judges, peers, and general audience during their Q&A sessions.

This was the final opportunity for judges to make their decision on the winners for MISA ‘19 while also affording the audience a learning opportunity, thus enabling the core focus of MISA - the sharing of best practices in innovation and sustainability.

Competition categories for MISA ‘19 were: * Best Innovative Waste Management Program Waste Management contains the activities and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. Compa20

MDBCONNECTS 4TH ISSUE 2019

* Best Digital Green Tech In this category we showcased digital technology used for achieving green and clean goals; tech that results in transformational innovation through data. Now, more than ever, achievements in green tech are necessary to address some of the most pressing issues brought about by problems such as climate change and food shortage.

Recent advancements in digital tech, such as artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, and blockchain, mean that new and exciting solutions are appearing in green tech. As digital tech itself is not sustainable (consuming a lot of energy), the digital green tech innovation in this category needs to add value to conducting sustainable business. * Best Practice for Renewable Energy In this category we were looking for companies who implement and encourage a broad based innovative and sustainable use of renewable energy models. Renewable energy is energy from, but not limited to, renewable resources. These are, for example, sunlight, movement, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat.

Finalists in all categories were also au-

tomatically entered into competition for the MISA ‘19 Audience Award. For this category, competitors first went through a popular vote elimination round. Videos from each competitors was made available on the MDBC YouTube page.

While serving as the first elimination stage, it also provided an opportunity for finalists to further share their projects worldwide.

These videos will continue to be available for viewing online. Leaders from the popular vote were then invited to participate in one minute elevator pitches which would then be subject to a live voting round at the MISA Awards Ceremony & Dinner which took place at the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur.

The MISA Awards Ceremony & Dinner took place immediately after the Day Program. It featured VIP guests YB Yeo Bee Yin (Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment, and Climate Change (MESTECC), H.E. Aart Jacobi (Ambassador, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Chief Judge of MISA ‘19), H.E. Maria Castillo Fernandez (Ambassador & Head of Delegation, Delegation of the European Union to Malaysia), and Datuk Seri Dr. Mohd Azhar bin HJ Yahaya (Secretary General, MESTECC).

The evening celebrations began with a cocktail reception. On display were graphic records of the presentations by finalists in

MISA 2019

SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS 2019 each category, made during the MISA Day Program. More than just talking points, it provided evening guests an opportunity to learn more about the projects that were presented during the Day Program.

Guests were welcomed into the ballroom with an exciting performance by No Noise Percussion. After welcome messages by Zainul Rahim (MDBC Chairman) and Marco Winter (MDBC Executive Director), and H.E. Aart Jacobi (Netherlands Ambassador and Chief Judge of MISA 2019), finalists from the MISA ‘19 Audience Award took the stage to present their one minute elevator pitches on their projects. The audience then took part in a live vote to determine the winner of this category. After an exciting period of voting,

MDBC member Besi APAC emerged as the first winner of the evening.

Guest of honor YB Yeo Bee Yin gave her keynote speech and also took the time to thank participants for their efforts in further developing innovation and sustainability within the Malaysian market.

Maintaining transparency, judges reports on why each individual winner was chosen were read before announcing the winners for each category. Congratulations again to the winners of MISA ‘19: * Best Innovative Waste Management Project (Better - Bev) * Best Digital Green Tech (Satelligence) * Best Practice for Renewable Energy (Concord Group).

After the formalities, dinner continued with a live performance by violinist Julian Lee. Guests networked while also enjoying ice cream for dessert courtesy of Unilever.

We would also like to thank event partners - The Netherlands Embassy and GreenTech Malaysia, and the following sponsors for their support of MISA: Hibiscus Petroleum, Signify, Randstad, InvestKL, Sunway University, Arcadis, Invest Selangor, MDEC, Basis Bay, and Paques.

Additional photos from this event can be found on pages 38 and 39. Further information about MISA, shortlisted finalists, and winners in this year’s competition can be found in the MISA ‘19 Supplement.

(Photo Credit: GreenTech Malaysia.)

MDBCONNECTS 4TH ISSUE 2019

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STUDENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM IPROSPECT - DENTSU AEGIS NETWORK

Malaysia and come into contact with Erik van der Kallen (CFO at Dentsu Aegis Network Malaysia), Marijn agreed to also take up a project to investigate and finally close out redundant entities within Dentsu Malaysia’s group.

The Student Internship Program (SIP) of MDBC was an excellent program to help both attain their goals.

The SIP Experiences of Job de Boer and Marijn Snels at Dentsu Aegis Network.

Dentsu Aegis Network is a multinational media and digital marketing communications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Japanese advertising and public relations firm Dentsu Inc., which is headquartered in Tokyo Japan. Its principal services are communications strategy through digital creative execution, media planning and buying, sports marketing and content creation, brand tracking, and marketing analytics.

Job de Boer and Marijn Snels were both studying at Rijksuniversiteit Groningen,

the Netherlands. Job de Boer had just finished his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and was looking to pursue a Master’s Degree which required professional work experience.

With Job’s interest in working for a leading global company, and his established background in finance during his Bachelor’s, a match with Dentsu Aegis Network ended up being the perfect fit. He travelled to Kuala Lumpur and started working as a finance intern at Dentsu Aegis Network shortly after.

Marijn Snels had recently finished his Master’s Degree in Organisational and Management Control. Having traveled to

Under the supervision of van der Kallen, Job has been working on several projects for his internship. Partially focused on the reallocation of assets to the HQ in Malaysia and closing some of the smaller subsidiaries and entities of Dentsu Malaysia, Job has also worked on an audit for the company. By preparing and examining final records, he has helped to ensure that the company runs more efficiently and smoothly.

Marijn meanwhile has been tasked to investigate individual business entitites and prepare them to be either dissolved or merged back with central entities in order to simplify the company’s accounting structure.

This entails ensuring that balance sheet items provide a true and fair representation of the company’s present state and developing a proposal on how to close it out or merge it with the main entities.

Marijn shared, “I am glad that I took this challenge and opportunity as I have learned a lot about myself and what I will be looking for in the future.”

“As the final months of the internship are approaching, I am working on one more project that will rebuild our organizational structure in Malaysia. It will be a challenging, but exciting project that will have a major impact as soon as we are able to implement it,” shared Job.

Photos from the recent SIP Cultural Briefing Top left: Briefing by MDBC SIP Manager Jolande Jonge Poerink.

Top right: Learning about differences in local culture with Marie Tseng (Cultural Impact) Bottom: Enjoying a local dinner with the 2020 - 1 batch of SIP interns

“I had been very eager to gain professional experience after completing my Bachelor’s. My fellow students in Groningen pointed out SIP and it seemed to me a good opportunity to work in a challenging international business environment. Ever since I made the decision to join the program, it has been an experience that I have not regretted. Next to enhancing my skills in finance and auditing, I have learned about cultural differences, and I have a much clearer picture about the future of my education and professional career,” added Job.

MDBCONNECTS 4TH ISSUE 2019

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NETHERLANDS EMBASSY NEWS

NL Embassy: Waste Management Mission gasification, incineration, recycling, and waste to energy (WTE). This has resulted in the growth of many large waste development services in the Netherlands, increasing knowledge and expertise along the way.

Due to a growing population and economic development, the volume of generated waste in Malaysia has increased by more than 60% over the last decade. However, the Malaysian waste management infrastructure is insufficient for processing all of this extra waste. Currently, less than 20% of waste is being recycled and consequently landfills are completely full and illegal dumping is becoming an issue.

Malaysian stakeholders are looking to increase the capacity and sustainability of the waste sector by improving the recycling grade and engaging with ‘waste to - energy’ (WtE) solutions. An improved waste management strategy can create jobs, prevent greenhouse - gas emissions, reduce pollution, save energy, and conserve resources.

Malaysia has also expressed an ambition of becoming a circular economy, and even to become a circular economy leader in Southeast Asia. And although the Netherlands is a small country, it is big in waste management, there are many opportunities for Dutch waste management companies in Malaysia.

Since the 1960s, the Netherlands has implemented many strategies in the field of waste management, for example: waste separation, waste collection, processing,

It is at the forefront of sustainable innovations in waste management. In 2016, the Dutch government presented an inter - governmental national circular economy programme “The Netherlands Circular in 2050”. This programme envisions the full decoupling of economic growth and resource utilization, and strives to reduce the use of raw materials like minerals, fossil - based fuels, and metals by 50% by 2030. To realise these objectives, the Dutch government engages with a variety of stakeholders.

Recognizing a unique opportunity for collaboration, the Netherlands Embassy, together with RVO, organized a waste management mission from the Netherlands to Malaysia, which took place from 8 till 11 October 2019 in Kuala Lumpur.

This mission coincided with the International Green - Tech & Eco Products Exhibition Malaysia (IGEM) where the Dutch companies represented themselves in a Dutch pavilion. The Netherlands wants to stand next to Malaysia in this significant development and co-create the Malaysian circular industry together with the Malaysian government and companies in the sector.

The Dutch trade delegation was led by the Senior Waste Management Advisor of the Netherlands Government, Herman Huisman, and the CEO of Holland Circular Hotspot, Freek van Eijk.

The mission started with a dinner at the ambassador’s residence; a good opportunity for the delegates to connect with each other and with stakeholders in the Malaysian waste sector. This was followed by a seminar, at which experts from government bodies and waste management companies from both the Malaysian and Dutch side presented their challenges and solutions in waste management.

The Malaysian Minister of Housing and Local Development, YB Puan Hajah Zuraida Kamaruddin, spoke at the seminar about the waste management challenges in Malaysia and she expressed her interest in the expertise from the Netherlands. Herman Huisman spoke about the best practices in waste management in the Netherlands.

All delegates also attended the MDBC Sustainability and Innovation Awards (MISA) dinner, which provided an unique opportunity to make meaningful connections with each other, investors, government representatives, and other stakeholders. The Netherlands Ambassador, H.E. Aart Jacobi, had the honour of chairing the panel of judges and was very impressed with the innovative and sustainable solutions that all shortlisted candidates presented.

During the three days of the exhibition, the members of the delegation had many interesting conversations and many new leads for the Malaysian market.

To ensure that all companies in the delegation met with the right people, the embassy provided B2B matchmaking and organized a series of B2B meetings. In addition, two Dutch waste management experts and the Netherlands embassy met with a high level Malaysian government delegation to discuss cooperation between the two countries on waste management.

The Waste Management Mission proved to be a success and serves as a starting point for further collaborations within the waste management sector in the years to come.

MDBCONNECTS 4TH ISSUE 2019

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MY in NL MALAYSIA SEMINAR THE HAGUE Last November, a Malaysian Trade & Investment Mission (TIM) to the Netherlands was organised. This mission was led by Dato’ Azman Mahmud (CEO of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)) and Dato’ Wan Latiff Wan Musa (CEO of MATRADE).

The delegation consisted of nearly 50 persons from 25 different organisations, Federal, State Government, Regional Development Agencies, and the Private Sector.

These 50 delegates, together with more than 100 Dutch guests, were in attendance through the seminar opening by Edo Offerhaus (General Manager, NLinBusiness), the keynote address of Dato’ Azman, and the panel discussion with Dato’ Azman, Dato’ Wan Latiff, and Dutch corporate guests Edward Voncken (CEO, KMWE) and Joep Van Balen (Product Development, Enza Zaden). The panel was moderated by MDBC Executive Director Marco Winter, who also shared his own extensive experiences supporting Dutch companies operational in Malaysia and on the services that MDBC can provide as the NL Business Hub in Malaysia.

The panel (l to r): Marco Winter, Edward Voncken, Dato’ Azman, Dato’ Wan Latiff, and Joep van Balen

The closing address was given by H.E. Karin Mössenlechner, previous Netherlands Ambassador to Malaysia and currently Director Asia & Oceania at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

H.E. Karin Mössenlechner, flanked by Marco Winter and Christoph Prommersberger (Deputy Head of Mission, Netherlands Embassy in Kuala Lumpur) who also attended the seminar

Above: Full house at the Malaysia seminar in The Hague.

Below: Panellists, Organisers and VIP Guests (l to r): Yusri Chu (MIDA Frankfurt), Edward Voncken, Dato’ Azman, Marco Winter, H.E. Dato’ Ahmad Nazri Yusof (Ambassador, Embassy of Malaysia to The Hague), Joep van Balen, Jeroen Haver (NLinBusiness)

With more than 130 appointments, the Business Matching between the Malaysian delegation and the Dutch Business Community became a very productive afternoon!

At the end of the Malaysia seminar, a surprise program element was included: a Signing Ceremony between The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and Dutch Defence and Security - related Industry (NL-DVI) on their Partners International Business (PIB) Program on Malaysia & Singapore. NIDV is a non - government foundation that facilitates the sustainable positioning of national and international orders (from the government and elsewhere) and in national and international supplier chains.

NIDV has a highly extensive global network in the field of defence and security.

This network is actively used to profile the expertise and capabilities of the Dutch business community. At least 8 Dutch companies will participate in the PIB, with 2 well - known collaborative partners, Thales and Damen.

All PIB partners posing for a group picture after the signing

NATIONAL EXPORT EVENT On 6 November, the National Export Event was organised in Breda, the Netherlands.

This event is an initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Economic Affairs, to support Dutch companies that are already exporting or are looking into expanding their business overseas.The Economic Councellors of all Dutch Embassies in the world are also in town to attend this event and to answer questions from entrepreneurs.

One of the sessions was a special workshop on ASEAN, to stress the opportunities which this region can offer to Dutch entrepreneurs.

Pieter Blussé (MFA, Upcoming Markets Asia) led a panel which consisted of one Embassy representative (Pauline Eizema, Hanoi), one Business Chamber representative (Marco Winter, MDBC Malaysia) and two corporate representatives (Harmen Dekker of DMT Environmental Technology and Monique Ansink of Jumbo Products).

AQUATECH Aquatech Amsterdam is the world’s leading trade exhibition for process, drinking and wastewater. NLinBusiness arranged for an opportunity at Aquatech to present Malaysia as a Country of Opportunity for Dutch companies in this sector. Informa Markets | UBM General Manager, Gerard Leeuwenbergh, and MDBC’s Marco Winter explained about the Malaysian market and invited Dutch companies to join the Netherlands Pavilion at AsiaWater KL in March!

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EU / EUMCCI

EUMCCI: EUROPA AWARDS FOR SUSTAINABILITY 2019

Above: Keynote Speaker and Guest of Honor, YB Teresa Kok (Minister of Primary Industries, Malaysia) Right top to bottom: Oliver Roche (Deputy Chairman, EUMCCI), H.E. Marie Castillo Fernandez (Ambassador & Head of Delegation, Delegation of the European Union to Malaysia), and Stefan Priesner (UN Resident Coordinator for Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei Darussalam) Bottom two: Representatives from Sime Darby Plantation and Ms. Annemarieke de Haan receiving their awards

The Europa Awards for Sustainability is EUMCCI’s flagship program which aims to identify, qualify, and promote business excellence in Malaysia from companies that have demonstrated extraordinary performance in the field of sustainability.

The program is developed for the long term benefit of Malaysian society and economy and in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and EU sustainable development values.

The competition categories for this year’s event included: * Best Sustainability Reporting * Best Innovation in Sustainability * Best Social Impact * Best Environmental Impact * Best Sustainability Leader (Awarded to an Individual) Among this field of competitors, two MDBC members were crowned winners.

Congratulations to Sime Darby Plantation Berhad for winning Best Innovation in Sustainability, and Ms Annemarieke de Haan for winning Best Sustainability Leader!

For Best Innovation in Sustainability, Sime Darby Plantation were judged on processes, technology, products, or services launched during the year.

They had to submit a description of the innovation as well as a description of the environmental and / or social added value 28

MDBCONNECTS 4TH ISSUE 2019

of their innovation.

The Best Sustainability Leader had to have a proven track record of advocacy through sustainability related initiatives and include a decription of the initiatives undertaken.

EU / EUMCCI

EU: THE EUROPEAN GREEN DEAL Becoming the world’s first climate neutral continent by 2050 is the greatest challenge and opportunity of our times. To achieve this, the European Commission presented the European Green Deal, the most ambitious package of measures that should enable European citizens and

businesses to benefit from sustainable green transition. Measures accompanied with an initial roadmap of key policies range from ambitiously cutting emissions, to investing in cutting - edge research and innovation, to preserving Europe’s natural environment. Supported by investments in

green technologies, sustainable solutions, and new businesses, it can be a new EU growth strategy.

To learn more about the European Green Deal, please visit ec.europa.eu Source: European Commission

CLIMATE The EU will be climate neutral in 2050.

The Commission will propose a European Climate Law turning the political commitment into a legal obligation and a trigger for investment.

Reaching this target will require action by all sectors of our economy:

ENERGY Decarbonise the energy sector

The production and use of energy account for more than

75%

What will we do?

BUILDINGS

40% of our

Renovate buildings, to help people cut their energy bills and energy use

energy consumption is by buildings

INDUSTRY

Print ISBN 978-92-76-13661-3 doi:10.2775/97540 NA-03-19-927-EN-C PDF ISBN 978-92-76-13629-3 doi:10.2775/275924 NA-03-19-927-EN-N

of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions

European industry only uses

Support industry to innovate and to become global leaders in the green economy

12%

recycled materials

MOBILITY Roll out cleaner, cheaper and healthier forms of private and public transport

Transport represents

25%

of our emissions

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DIALOGUE

MDEC: Why investors are bullish on Malaysia’s Digital Economy The sustained growth of Malaysia’s digital economy over the past few years, coupled with the rise of digitalization in industry are clear indicators that Malaysia is a country with a robust Digital Economy; one that is increasingly a preferred choice for companies from all over the world.

already reached the 2020 target of 18.3%, (amounting to RM247.1 billion (approximately €53 billion) of the national economy) in 2017. In 2018, the contribution of the digital economy to the national GDP was 18.5% while e commerce contributed 8%.

Despite a delicate global economy, it is gratifying that Malaysia has risen up in several global investment rankings.

Malaysia has been crowned ‘the best country in the world to invest in or do business for 2019’, according to CEOWORLD magazine. Ranked first among 67 countries, the publication confirms Malaysia continues to be the most attractive destination for investors and business people. The rankings were based on 11 different factors including corruption, freedom (personal, trade, and monetary), workforce, investor protection, infrastructure, taxes, quality of life, red tape, and technological readiness. Each category was equally weighted.

As of 2018, Malaysia’s MSC / digital sector has attracted investments surpassing RM330 billion (€68.60 billion). It has also seen the creation of 182,538 new high - value jobs and the emergence of a domestic ICT industry worth over RM40 billion. To enable the adoption of new technologies and future digital services, the government has developed the National Fiberization and Connectivity Plan (NFCP) to put in place a nationwide digital infrastructure that is robust, pervasive, high quality, and affordable. Malaysia is the second country in the world, and the first in Asia, to run trials for Facebook’s Terragraph, delivering high speed wireless internet at affordable costs in urban areas.

This latest distinction follows in the wake of many other encouraging plaudits.

According to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority’s (MIDA) Malaysia Investment Report 2018, these rankings include Bloomberg’s Emerging Market Scorecard where Malaysia again clinched the top spot in a line up of 20 other emerging market peers, ahead of prominent nations like Russia (2nd), China (3rd), and Korea (10th).

Another accolade is Malaysia’s nine spot leap to secure a global ranking of 15 among 190 economies in the World Bank Group’s Doing Business 2019 report. Malaysia was top five in several areas, second only to New Zealand for protecting minority investors, third for dealing with construction permits, and fourth for the cost of obtaining electricity.

These significant improvements in the local business environment have helped Malaysia as a nation to regain a respected position among the world’s top 20 economies. On top of this growing global recognition, Malaysia’s drive to digital adoption and digital transformation will crystalize many real benefits as well as more opportunities for all.

According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), the contribution

by Malaysia’s digital economy has

Malaysia also has boldly embarked into the 5G space, being one of the first few Southeast Asian countries to launch 5G demo projects across multiple cities, focusing on facilitating and cultivating the development of a holistic and inclusive 5G ecosystem for both businesses and consumers.

With robust infrastructure to meet digital needs, Malaysia is a promising destination to test bed and showcase new technologies and ideas, such as smart cities, autonomous vehicles, drone tech and many more.

As the world moves rapidly into the 4th Industrial Revolution (IR4.0), Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) is ready and fully focused on leading Malaysia’s digital economy forward by accelerating: 1. Formulation of policies and coordination of agencies to enable success 2. Development of future proof workforce to grow the Digital Economy eco-system 3. Creation of global champions to increase contribution from the Digital Economy to GDP They have made significant efforts to establish the right ecosystem to foster wide digital entrepreneurship. Just a few

examples: 1. ASEAN Data Analytics eXchange (ADAX) is a one - stop data technology hub set up to catalyze the development of vibrant Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data Analytics (BDA) ecosystems to empower data driven decision making and to proliferate the development of critical mass of data professional talent and competencies in AI and BDA. ADAX has facilitated the development of nearly 11,000 data professionals, well on track to achieve its target of 20,000 data professionals by 2020.

2. The Digital Free Trade Zone (DFTZ) is a national initiative to drive Malaysia’s cross border eCommerce through Digitalisation, by focusing on driving SME export through various eCommerce players. Another key outcome of DFTZ is to position Malaysia as Regional efulfilment hub.

3. For tech founders who want to capture the Southeast Asian market from Malaysia, the government has introduced the Malaysia Tech Entrepreneur Program (MTEP), offering 1 - year or 5 - year passes to attract tech talents and aspiring entrepreneurs from around the globe to Malaysia to set up their start-up and expand their business to the ASEAN region.

And finally, coming back to the theme of investment: Investors come from many countries to Malaysia. Europe is one of the top investors in MSC Malaysia, accounting for 23% of total investments as close to 200 European companies have so far been awarded MSC status, bringing in a total cumulative investment of RM76 billion (€16 billion) from this investment channel alone.

As an agency under the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia, MDEC remains committed to working closely with all levels of Government to speed the building and development of our digital economy as Malaysia accelerates into a leading Digital Nation.

The country’s multicultural, multilingual and tech - savvy workforce has undoubtedly been a major attraction for companies to expand their operations in Malaysia. This article is brought to you

by Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), the lead agency in driving the digital economy in Malaysia. For more info, visit www.mdec.my.

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GREEN BOARD

MIDORIE MALAYSIA: BENEFITS OF GREEN WALLS (Suitable for people who don’t have time to water their plants) * Plant species (Need to choose suitable plants to grow. There are plants that are not easy to grow indoors and the correct ones need to be chosen so that the health of the green wall is maintained) * Environment (Lighting and temperature of the surrounding area are very important factors in growing these plants.) * Maintenance (Without maintenance, the plants won’t be healthy, irrigation systems can develop leaks, and insects can invest the wall, all leading to people / organizations giving up on these options.)

The benefits of green walls have been proven. In addition to reducing urban heat island effects and smog, they also clean the outside air of pollutants and dust while offsetting the carbon footprint of people and fuel emissions.

Green Walls even help reduce the demand on cooling systems by adding an additional layer of insulation, shielding a building from solar radiation and heat penetration. But what happens when you bring these walls indoors?

Green walls clean interior air space by removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other harmful toxins like benzene and formaldehyde. This leads to fewer health complaints such as headaches and respiratory irritations.

Complaints such as irritated eyes, headaches, sore throats, and tiredness diminish.

They can act as a sound proofing barrier while continuing to insulate and cool the building. It helps people with ADHD focus better and reduces absenteeism in the workplace while boosting employee morale.

Thankfully, people are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of green walls or lifestyle home gardens.

Green walls have become increasingly

trendy over the past couple of years and as their popularity continues to rise, there is an increasing need for educating the public regarding the best options available on the market.

This also translates to educating organizations who may choose to utilize green wall options for their businesses.

If you’re interested in learning more about green walls and the options available, you can contact Midorie Malaysia at www.midorie-malaysia. com

A lot of organizations are reluctant to bring a green wall indoors. It’s not easy to maintain - growing the plants, checking water systems, lighting, and temperature.

Midorie Malaysia has new technology which helps make having a green wall in your business a more viable option.

Their new soilless media - Pafcal is a soil substitute suitable for indoor and outdoor use, causing less problems with maintenance and increasing convenience.

Using Pafcal (a Japanese technology designed by Toyota Suntory Midorie Japan), green walls can last up to 10 years. It’s a fuss free, easy maintenance, time saving way to grow plants. Additionally, Midorie can help advise clients on the points that need to be considered for their green wall system: * Smart irrigation system with timer MDBCONNECTS 4TH ISSUE 2019

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Malaysia

YOUR PROFIT CENTRE IN ASIA

Malaysia is a vibrant economy. Talk to MIDA and discover how Malaysia can be your Profit Centre in Asia.

For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my or e-mail to investmalaysia@mida.gov.my

Pro-Business Government

Young, Trainable and Educated Labour Force

Liberal Business & Investment Environment

Sound Banking System

1

st

Quality of Life

2

nd

“Most Attractive Emerging Market in Asia”

“Ease of Doing Business within ASEAN”

(Bloomberg’s Emerging Market Scorecard, 2018)

(World Bank’s Doing Business Report, 2019)

Scan to connect with us

@officialMIDA

Political and Economic Stability

IP Protection

2

nd

“Global Competitiveness among ASEAN Countries” (World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report, 2018/2019)

Well-Developed Infrastructure/ Connectivity

Good Track Record

5

th

“Digital Readiness among Developing Asian Economies” (UNCTAD’s Business to Consumer, B2C, E-Commerce Index, 2018)

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.

CONSULTANCY ADEN GROUP

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30 Jalan Putra Permai 10 / 2C Putra Heights 47650 Subang Jaya Selangor Darul Ehsan

Tel: 603 - 2714 6263 info@adenservices.com www.adenservices.com

Tel: 603 - 2106 8000 www.arcadis.com

Tel: 6019 - 231 1905 jeroen@artofsupplychain.biz www.artofsupplychain.biz

ADEN is Asia - born, with a 20 year history of getting things done in China, ASEAN, and beyond. Already boasting an award winning energy optimization and automation platform, ADEN continues to push forward with a vision of uniting the full spectrum of IFM solutions through our IoT platform. We partner with clients in commercial, industrial, and private sectors; among these, many companies listed on the Fortune 500 count on ADEN for strategic outsourcing.

Arcadis is a leading design and consultancy working in partnership with clients to deliver sustainable outcomes that improve quality of life. Applying our deep market sector insights and collective design, consultancy, engineering, project & management services, and contract & cost management, we work in partnership with our clients to create exceptional and sustainable outcomes throughout the lifecycle of their natural and built assets. We employe more than 27,000 consultants in over 70 countries.

CONSULTANCY

LOGISTICS

GOOGLE PAGE RANK 1 SEO 34 / 3A Jalan Kapas Bangsar 59100 Kuala Lumpur Tel: 6016 - 467 0642 info@page-rank1.com www.page-rank1.com We are a niche company that’s running SEO projects for companies in Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, USA, UK, and South Africa, helping them to rank on Page 1 of Google and grow their business by double digits. If you wish to be found on Google Search with the products or services you have to offer, our company can help you improve your online visibility and increase the traffic to your website. SEO will give you that extra push to rank on Page 1 of Google for your most important keywords.

Artof Supply Chain is a consultancy and training company focusing on Supply Chain Operations, bringing you the knowledge to prepare your supply chain for the future. It offers everything you need to tackle your supply chain problems right, the first time, by improving operations quality through Lean Six Sigma, managing projects effectively and efficiently, and advising customers on technological advancements to stay ahead of the competition.

CEVA LOGISTICS Lot 9A Jalan Tiang U8 / 92, Section U8 Bukit Jelutong Industrial Park 40150 Shah Alam Selangor Darul Ehsan Tel: 603 - 5036 8000 marketing.ap@cevalogistics.com www.cevalogistics.com CEVA Logistics makes business flow. As one of the world’s leading non - asset based supply chain managment companies, we design and implement industry leading end - to - end supply chain solutions in both frieght management and contract logistics. We are in 160 countries, working in 10 regional clusters around the global, delivering operational excellence - to provide viable answers to the most challenging supply chain questions.

NEED A RELIABLE PARTNER FOR KEY BUSINESS SERVICES? THESE MDBC MEMBERS ARE JUST A PHONE CALL AWAY! MDBCONNECTS 4TH ISSUE 2019

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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: Beacon Hill provides Project Consultancy, Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Management. It is your pro - active partner for Energy, Oil & Gas, Marine, Logistics, Water, and Infrastructure projects worldwide.

BEACON HILL

CONSIDER IPROSPECT

HOGESCHOOL VAN AMSTERDAM

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EPCM services include feasibility studies, design, acceptance testing, commissioning, and staffing. Beacon Hill is a specialist in advanced industrial control systems and ICT architectures implementation.

CORPORATE REPRESENTATION Rens de Groot, General Manager CONTACT: Suit 4A (1), Level 4 Main Office Tower Financial Park Complex 87000 Labuan Tel: + 603 - 6412 2471 E mail: beacon-hill@outlook.com

BUSINESS ACTIVITY: As digital extends into all areas of our lives, every tweet, status update, and video has become a potential customer touchpoint. While this gives advertisers great opportunities, it also means customers expect more. Audiences today want services and content that meet their needs, whereever they are, whatever they are doing. At iProspect, we’re not just specialists in different types of digital marketing - we also know how to bring them together. By putting the consumer at the centre, we create simple, effective strategies that connect with people across every channel.

CORPORATE REPRESENTATION Erik van der Kallen, Chief Financial Officer Karin Veldhuis, Operations Director

BUSINESS ACTIVITY: We educate tomorrow’s professionals in a wide array of fields and disciplines of higher education. With our distinct focus on applied sciences, Hogeschool van Amsterdam / Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS) enables students, lecturers, and researchers to develop cutting edge, and practical, knowledge and innovations. Consisting of seven faculties, we offer 92 Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Associate degree programs.

We are a young organisation with a rich history, committed to the future and to innovation in Amsterdam and beyond.

CORPORATE REPRESENTATION Reza Esmaili, Program Manager Marlies Nijenhuis, International Relations / Lecturer

CONTACT: Lot 11 - 3, Level 11, Guoco Tower Damansara City 6 Jalan Damanlela 50490 Kuala Lumpur Tel: + 603 - 2080 6383 E mail: interest.my@iprospect.com Website: www.iprospect.com

CONTACT: Wibautstraat 2 - 4 Amsterdam Area 1091 GM The Netherlands Tel: + 31 (0) 621 156 180 E mail: r.esmaili@hva.nl Website: www.hva.nl

NEW MEMBERS

LAYAR DAIM AGRO

THE OLIVE TREE GROUP SDN BHD

TRYSMARTBITE

BUSINESS ACTIVITY: We are a start - up focusing solely on the trading of vegetables, fruits, flowers, and spices. Layar Daim Agro runs with sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. Our mission is to promote the quality of Malaysian products on a global platform. We believe in efficient yet traditional methods of planting, packaging, and distributing, and that our carbon footprint can be reduced through these methods. We envision reversing global warming and climate change issues from a micro level of business participation.

CORPORATE REPRESENTATION Linkesh Balasubramaniam, Business Development Executive Daniel Gomez, Business Development Executive

BUSINESS ACTIVITY: The Olive Tree Group is a progressive organization specializing in the development of fine and quality dining experience throughout Malaysia. Founded and driven by restaurant entrepreneur Leslie Gomez, the group operates 19 high performance restaurants and pubs with exciting projects under development.

The group owns and operates our own restaurants and pubs with chefs from India and locally to facilitate the development of their brands in Malaysia.

Since its beginning, the Olive Group has developed and managed many of Malaysia’s most successful dining outlets.

CORPORATE REPRESENTATION Leslie Gomez, Founder & Managing Director Alvin Sinclair, Marketing Director

BUSINESS ACTIVITY: Organizing food at the office can be extremely complicated for a company.

Daily meetings, events, or any food related occasions take a lot of time to organize. SmartBite is a one - stop solution that helps businesses easily and cost - effectively manage all food related matters via one online portal. We are about making offices happier and more productive through shared experiences.

CORPORATE REPRESENTATION Nino Jay de Vries, Key Account Manager Max Holvast, Chief Operations Officer

CONTACT: 49A, Lorong Batu Nilam 21F Bandar Bukit Tinggi 2 41200 Klang Selangor Darul Ehsan Tel: + 6010 - 212 0304 E mail: layardaimagro@gmail.com

CONTACT: 11 - 01, Level 11 Menara Hap Seng Jalan P Ramlee 50250 Kuala Lumpur Tel: + 603 - 2022 2857 E mail: admin@theolivetreegroup.com Website: www.theolivetreegroup.com

CONTACT: The Vertical Business Suite, Tower B Floor 15, Unit 02, Bangsar South 8 Jalan Kerinchi 59200 Kuala Lumpur E mail: info@trysmartbite.com Website: trysmartbite.com

CAREER MEMBERS Amir Seddik 10 Perkarangan Tun Ismail 50480 Kuala Lumpur Tel: + 6011 - 3714 5090 Email: a.seddik.nl@gmail.com Daniek Langenberg Angel 64 4751 GN Oud Gastel, North Brabant The Netherlands Tel: + 6016 - 322 8423 Email: danieklangenberg@gmail.com

Martijn van Eijnatten Stekelbaars 30 4007NB Tiel, Gelderland The Netherlands Tel: +31 (0) 646 501 937 Email: mma.v.eijnatten@gmail.com

Timothy Holten Street 26, House Number 112 Wat Bo Siem Reap Cambodia Tel: + 855 092 301 278 Email: timothyholten@hotmail.com

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PICTURE PERFECT

Above: Bringing the Dutch “Day of the Entrepreneur” to Malaysia, with the support of MKB Nederland and NLinBusiness, hosted at SPACES. Below: Doing Business in the Netherlands, with NFIA and KPMG. Bottom row: Tour of the Food & Hotel Malaysia Exhibition by the team of Informa Markets | UBM.

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And the winner is...

All attendees came out tops and enjoyed themselves during the MDBC Innovation & Sustainability Awards 2019 at the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur on 9 October!

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